Gizmodo: 1.9

PS3 Firmware 1.9 Details Announced, Best Update Yet? [Upgrades]

Mark Wilson — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 09:00:22 EDT

Sony keeps chipping away at the PS3, and they'll carve a great multimedia system out of it...even if they need 100 years. The new firmware 1.9 update just hit in Japan and we're digging some of the new features. Here are the complete changes, and the notes on what were most excited about.

• Ability to rearrange games on the XMB
• Option menu now includes "eject disk"
• Press triangle to eject games/CDs/movies in the XMB
• XMB backgrounds
• Change the folder classification
• Emoticons
• Change CD output to 44.1/88.2/176.4kHz
• Force 24Hz output for Blu-ray over HDMI
• Change PS3 video settings in-game
• "Bit Mapping" in the "Music Setting"
• Save AVCHD type animations from a Memory Stick
• Change settings like upscaling while playing PS and PS2 games
• Add bookmarks
• Web browser security function in the browser's tool section
• Avatar moves during audio visual chat

The Avatar moves?? Oohh! Seriously though, all the small menu tweaks are a step in the right direction, with the first hint of customization we've seen on the platform yet. Plus, we're looking forward to doing some serious testing of in-game video quality now that it's easier to swap settings and you can toggle upsaling. But we're most excited because this puts us closer to firmware 2.0, which we're guessing will be announced at Leipzig next month and be a pretty big deal. Look for firmware 1.9 Stateside soon. [kotaku]

Dual Vertical LCD Monitor Converts Your Rack into a Transformer [Double Decker]

AddyDugdale — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 06:54:00 EDT

NLS has what it says is the first dual vertical LCD monitor. The RFT-2L19 is a 19-inch monitor originally made for the US Navy - and now used by the military to control UAVs - that will have all your friends nodding admiringly and saying, "Nice Rack!" when they see your server.

Max resolution is 1280 x 1024 and there's 250cd/m2 brightness, 700:1 contrast and VGA/DVI inputs. NLS also claims that you can stick it in a travelling case and heft it around with you, but I can't really see that catching on, can you? [Oh!Gizmo]

Best Buy Holding Out On Xbox 360s [Home Entertainment]

Noah R — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 11:21:37 EST

Straight from Best Buy's Retail Insider newsletter comes the (leaked) word that while Xbox 360s will be fully re-stocked between Dec. 11 and 16, they will not be made available to consumers until Dec. 18. Why? To keep all the advertising and marketing plans on track. Nothing terribly sinister about it. But the newsletter has other nice tidbits, like a warning to not force consumers into buying bundles. It also warns against holding product for "select" customers and employees—which means that if you know someone who works at BB, slap them some cash quick!

Best Buy holding 360 shipment for sale? [ItPlays]