Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA['Cloudsurf' trademark joins wave of Sony cloud computing hints]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/05/cloudsurf-trademark-joins-wave-of-sony-cloud-computing-hints/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/05/cloudsurf-trademark-joins-wave-of-sony-cloud-computing-hints/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/05/cloudsurf-trademark-joins-wave-of-sony-cloud-computing-hints/#comments Sony has filed a trademark notice here in the U.S. for the word "Cloudsurf," and the trademark relates to a number of different products and services, including everything from audio players to game consoles to video cameras, as well as online distribution of games, music and television. In other words, it could be for anything that Sony has made or sold, ever.

Edge guesses that it could have something to do with online distribution or even storage via a subscription model, and you might remember that earlier last year, Sony trademarked "PS Cloud," then hinting at a "cloud computing" system to provide storage or processing over the Internet. Of course, companies file trademarks all the time, without any obligation to reveal or release whatever product they're working on. So right now, "Cloudsurf" is made up of nothing but thin air -- permeated, we'd imagine, by a floaty, visible mass of condensed water droplets.

Joystiq'Cloudsurf' trademark joins wave of Sony cloud computing hints originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cloud-computingcloud-strifecloudsurfinternetonlineplaystation-3processorps-cloudps-thankssonytrademarkvideo-camerasTue, 05 Jan 2010 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[PSP Go's 480MHz state refers to USB, not CPU]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/06/psp-gos-480mhz-state-refers-to-usb-not-cpu/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/06/psp-gos-480mhz-state-refers-to-usb-not-cpu/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/06/psp-gos-480mhz-state-refers-to-usb-not-cpu/#comments
FCC documents originally believed to have revealed that the PSP Go had a 480MHz processor -- over 40% more than the PSP (1000-3000) -- were actually talking about another part of the device ... the USB. Sony Computer Entertainment has stated that those extra megahertz are being used to clock the USB transfer and not the CPU.

So, other than the body and a slew of new accessories, it appears the PSP Go continues to be the same as its non-flipping cousin -- at least the processor won't put any extra drain on the handheld's batttery.

[Thanks, Rooshma]

JoystiqPSP Go's 480MHz state refers to USB, not CPU originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>misunderstandingprocessorpsp-gosonyusbMon, 06 Jul 2009 09:15:00 EST<![CDATA[PSP Go processor more than 40% faster than original]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/02/psp-go-processor-more-than-40-faster-than-original/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/02/psp-go-processor-more-than-40-faster-than-original/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/02/psp-go-processor-more-than-40-faster-than-original/#comments
The PSP Go isn't just smaller than the original PSP series -- it's more powerful. In fact, it features a processor that's more than 40% faster than the original. The original PSP (1000-3000) series include a processor capable of reaching 333MHz speeds. FCC documents reveal that the PSP Go (N1001) includes a processor that can go up to 480MHz.

It's unclear what the added processor power will be used for. It may be necessary for PSP Go-specific features, like in-game XMB. But will it be used in more traditional gaming applications? If so, could we possibly see PSP Go-exclusive games? Perhaps. Nintendo has released a very small number of applications exclusively for the upgraded DSi, which also features a much beefier processor than its predecessor so there's portable precedence.

Update: Sony says the 480MHz was referring to the USB.

[Via Sony Insider]

JoystiqPSP Go processor more than 40% faster than original originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>mhzprocessorpsp-gopspgoThu, 02 Jul 2009 18:40:00 EST<![CDATA[AMD ships 50 millionth 'Hollywood' graphics processing chip for Wii]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/11/amd-ships-50-millionth-hollywood-graphics-processing-chip-for/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/11/amd-ships-50-millionth-hollywood-graphics-processing-chip-for/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/11/amd-ships-50-millionth-hollywood-graphics-processing-chip-for/#commentsFiled under:


A recent AMD press release brought word of yet another hardware milestone for Nintendo -- earlier today, AMD shipped its 50 millionth "Hollywood" chip, the graphics processor for the Wii. With such a large number of units sold, the "Hollywood" has become AMD's most successful (and likely most profitable) gaming console chip in the company's history.

It's safe to assume by AMD's missive that Nintendo has manufactured around 50 million Wiis -- though their most recent LTD numbers place the console's sales around 45 million. Since Wiis stay on store shelves an average of fourteen seconds, this can mean only one thing: Someone, or something, has stolen five million Wiis. As usual, we blame the Nazis.

JoystiqAMD ships 50 millionth 'Hollywood' graphics processing chip for Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amdchiphardwarehollywoodltdprocessorWed, 11 Mar 2009 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Forbes to name Nvidia its 2007 'Company of the Year']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/30/forbes-to-name-nvidia-its-2007-company-of-the-year/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/30/forbes-to-name-nvidia-its-2007-company-of-the-year/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/30/forbes-to-name-nvidia-its-2007-company-of-the-year/#commentsFiled under:

Forbes Magazine, or, as it's commonly called, "the Champagne of Business Magazines", will reportedly recognize the processor producing powerhouse Nvidia as its 2007 Company of the Year in an early January edition. Sure, we could list the company's many contributions to gaming over the past few years, but companies don't get awards from Forbes for making contributions to gaming -- no, they get Forbes awards for making ridonkulous amounts of cash money, which Nvidia has done hand over fist.

The company's share prices have shot up 2100% since its initial public offering in 1999, and its profits have increased about 50% every year since the company's inception. With an extremely ambitious CEO, and the increasing popularity of these "computer" things, we feel confident saying Nvidia will see continued growth in the upcoming years -- but we'll leave that kind of conjecture up to the big dogs.

JoystiqForbes to name Nvidia its 2007 'Company of the Year' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 30 Dec 2007 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>company-of-the-yearforbesnvidiaprocessorSun, 30 Dec 2007 19:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft patent reveals possible portable parallel processing plans]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/25/microsoft-patent-reveals-possible-portable-parallel-processing-p/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/25/microsoft-patent-reveals-possible-portable-parallel-processing-p/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/25/microsoft-patent-reveals-possible-portable-parallel-processing-p/#commentsFiled under: ,


Thank goodness for the US Patent and Trademark Office. Without it, how would we ever find out about all the wacky ideas that gaming companies come up with, most of which will never see the light of day.

Add on to that list a newly-revealed Microsoft patent application from 2005 for a "multi-component gaming system" in which "the processing capabilities and functionality of each gaming component in a combination are augmented by the processing capabilities and functionality of other gaming components in the combination." In plain English, the patent seems to be proposing a way to connect portable gaming devices (including PDAs and cell phones) and consoles in a way that increases the processing power of all the connected devices. The more "gaming components" in the network, the more computing power is generated.

Is this a hint at a super-networked Xbox 720? A new portable Xbox Lite? A way of linking Windows Mobile PDAs to the 360? It could be all or none of these things, but our money's on the none -- the whole concept requires too much processor coordination and network throughput for our comfort. Still, it never hurts to dream -- and it never hurts to have those dreams protected by patents just in case they one day become realities.

[Via Xbox360Fanboy]

JoystiqMicrosoft patent reveals possible portable parallel processing plans originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Apr 2007 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>MicrosoftMobilenetworkparallerpatentprocessorxboxXbox-360Wed, 25 Apr 2007 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Researchers working on Cell processor supercomputer]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/05/researchers-working-on-cell-processor-supercomputer/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/05/researchers-working-on-cell-processor-supercomputer/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/05/researchers-working-on-cell-processor-supercomputer/#commentsFiled under: , ,

For years, Sony and IBM have talked up the power of the Cell processor that's at the core of of every PS3. Now, some University of Illinois researchers are working on finally unlocking that power for the next generation of highly parallel supercomputers.

The Illinois News-Gazette has a report on the efforts of user interface experts Marc Snir, Laxmikant Kale and David Kunzman, who say that a computer with a cluster of Cell chips could offer 50 times the performance of a similar sized PC. Squeezing out that performance is no small task, though -- Kale admits "it's going to be a challenge to program it."

Despite the team's inside access to Cell technology and tools, the N-G article ends with a joking complaint that the team members "haven't received a PlayStation 3 yet, either." Hey, if you want one that badly, just go to your local store, guys.

JoystiqResearchers working on Cell processor supercomputer originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Feb 2007 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cellcell processorCellProcessorcomputerillinoisPCpowerprocessingprocessorps3researchuniversity of illinoisUniversityOfIllinoisMon, 05 Feb 2007 15:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Smaller processors on Xbox 360 delayed]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/26/smaller-processors-on-xbox-360-delayed/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/26/smaller-processors-on-xbox-360-delayed/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/26/smaller-processors-on-xbox-360-delayed/#commentsFiled under: ,

Over the past generation, when a new console hits the market, the console manufacturer goes on to shrink the die size of the CPU. The benefits are a cheaper chip -- the smaller the die, the more that fit into a manufacturing run -- and cooler temperatures. The Xbox 360 die shrink is going to have to wait a little bit longer.

Originally slated for Q1 2007, the 65nm processors for the Xbox 360 are being delayed until mid-2007. This means gamers are going to have to wait a little bit longer to get those Xbox 360 units that aren't quite so hot; it also means prospective buyers may be waiting a bit longer to see a price drop.

Reducing the die size on the Xbox 360 CPU is a major step to a price reduction, something Microsoft needs right now. Xbox 360 sales are less than smoking and the PS3 and Wii offering up some competition, Microsoft could have used a price drop as an excellent weapon against them. Maybe Microsoft can get the 65nm chips up and running before the PS3 has a chance to entrench itself in Europe.

JoystiqSmaller processors on Xbox 360 delayed originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Dec 2006 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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According to VNUnet, Microsoft will kick off 2007 by upgrading the Xbox 360's smoking hot processor with a more efficient, cooler-running and thus more reliable 65nm chip. The new processors will be manufactured by Chartered Semiconductor.

As for the early adopters currently toasting marshmellows over their old-fashioned 90nm models, put some ice on it.

[Thanks AoE]

Joystiq360 to get smaller, cooler processor? originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Oct 2006 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>over-heatingprocessorFri, 06 Oct 2006 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blu-ray is very important for gamers]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/24/blu-ray-is-very-important-for-gamers/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/24/blu-ray-is-very-important-for-gamers/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/24/blu-ray-is-very-important-for-gamers/#commentsFiled under: ,

This is what UK boss Ray Maguire has to say about it anyway. Many gamers may have been bemoaning the steep cost of the PS3 due to the Blu-ray component, but he comes at it from a different angle.

With the huge requirements of the Cell processor come bigger requirements in the media on which games will need to be stored. This is why, according to Maguire, the Blu-ray discs are a must-have for next-gen games. Thanks to the 50GB of storage, people won't be having to change discs in the middle of loading (which is apparently what we'd have to do he says). While this is spot-on for more content, it means that developers are going to need to deliver on that proclamation for quantity and quality.

By adopting this high definition medium, they hope to "legitimize" the HD era where it counts most: in your home.

JoystiqBlu-ray is very important for gamers originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 May 2006 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blu-raycelldefinitionhdhi-defhighplaystationprocessorsonyUKWed, 24 May 2006 12:45:00 EST<![CDATA[John Carmack talks Cell and PS3 development]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/15/john-carmack-talks-cell-and-ps3-development/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/15/john-carmack-talks-cell-and-ps3-development/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/15/john-carmack-talks-cell-and-ps3-development/#commentsFiled under: ,

During E3, the saint of first person shooters sat down to talk with G4TV and discuss the PlayStation 3's development strategy. Seeing as how he pioneered the modern day shooter and single-handedly codes some of the most cutting-edge graphics engines, people listen when he has something to say about this sort of thing.

During the interview, he admitted that the PS3 will have more power backing it than the other guys. That's exactly the way Sony wants it though, and the price reflects that. However, the most interesting part came when Mr. Carmack said Sony made a mistake with the PlayStation 3.

The mistake wasn't with the price though, it was with the Cell architecture. We're months away from launch, and it's still no secret that the PS3 is hard to develop for. Okay, so this isn't the first time John has said this. But he reiterated that the fragmenting of code which developers are going to have to do for development is an unnecessary evil. Even so, he still thinks the PS3 will bank on Sony's core following, despite these issues. We'll have to wait and see how much the price affects that following though.

JoystiqJohn Carmack talks Cell and PS3 development originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 May 2006 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>celldevelopmente3idjohn carmackplaystationprocessorps3quakesoftwaresonywarswolfensteinMon, 15 May 2006 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Xbox 360 CPU drops to 65nm in '07]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/04/24/xbox-360-cpu-drops-to-65nm-in-07/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/04/24/xbox-360-cpu-drops-to-65nm-in-07/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/04/24/xbox-360-cpu-drops-to-65nm-in-07/#commentsFiled under:

Part of Microsoft's master plan for the Xbox 360 has always been to own the chip designs, so they'll be able to farm out their production to other firms, enabling them to get cheaper and smaller chips. You can see Sony exercising this option in their slim-PS2 and Microsoft using it to great effect in the Diet Xbox[TM]. Keep in mind, of course, that no such Xbox exists in this world.

Microsoft has inked a deal with Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing of Singapore to manufacture Xbox CPUs using a 65 nanometer SoI (silicon on insulator) process. Chartered manufactured the 90nm SoI processors used in the Xbox 360 currently.

The move to a smaller chip should increase yields and lower costs, while enabling the processor to run cooler which will hopefully obviate the (perceived) need for all those crazy cooling schemes. Production of the smaller processor is expected to begin first quarter 2007, which means we can expect the new superslim Xbox 360 revision-B to debut shortly thereafter, right? No? Same box, smaller processor, cooler design? Fine.

[Thanks, DocZhivago; via Joystiq]

JoystiqXbox 360 CPU drops to 65nm in '07 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 24 Apr 2006 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>processorrevisionMon, 24 Apr 2006 11:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony exec plays up Cell chip's strengths]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2005/12/23/sony-exec-plays-up-cell-chips-strengths/http://www.joystiq.com/2005/12/23/sony-exec-plays-up-cell-chips-strengths/http://www.joystiq.com/2005/12/23/sony-exec-plays-up-cell-chips-strengths/#commentsFiled under:

Kenshi Manabe, Sony's semiconductor chief, has gone on record as saying that the Cell processor will be "as good as the Pentium, if not better". According to Business Week, Sony's electronics division has been running without profit for two years, and Sony are pinning their hopes on the new chip to provide proprietary technology that their rivals won't be able to match. Unlikely, as the rivals will just come up with more technology in response.

The PS3 launch and sales figures will prove crucial to the processor's success elsewhere, and Sony are remaining very tight-lipped on their plans for the technology. Sony are also being slow to send out upgraded PS3 prototypes to game developers, with one developer claiming that "the machine we have is 10 times slower than the PS3 should be" -- this may have repercussions for launch titles if Sony fail to deliver further prototypes on time.

JoystiqSony exec plays up Cell chip's strengths originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Dec 2005 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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