Games and Gadgets: How I see them.

Following a SCE Japan alert, SCEA US Site have released a consumer alert, reproduced in its entirety as following:-

“Notice to PLAYSTATION®Network Users:

We have found out that there has been a possibility of unauthorized access to personal information on the PLAYSTATION®Store through PCs, a content download service of the PLAYSTATION®Network. Although unlikely, it is possible that the passwords of a small percentage of PLAYSTATION Network users may have been changed through unauthorized access, making it possible to view users’ personal information and/or use the Wallet for the PLAYSTATION Store. PLAYSTATION Network accounts do not display entire credit card numbers, so any unauthorized access to your PLAYSTATION Network account is very unlikely to compromise your credit card number.

We have taken immediate measures to rectify this issue and system security is restored. We have investigated the extent of unauthorized access and possible alteration of passwords that could have occurred before corrective measures were taken, and are directly contacting customers who may have been affected by this incident. In order to verify that your account is intact, we strongly suggest that PLAYSTATION Network users sign in to the service. If you can successfully sign in with your pre-set password, your account is not affected by this incident.
For additional information and immediate 24 hour online support, click here for the PlayStation Knowledge Center.”

What this mean is someone have hacked and accessed into some member’s PLAYSTATION Network accounts, capturing their ID, password and wallet. Sony have rectified the security issue and is in the process of investigating the damages.

Meanwhile, if you want to know if you are affected, login to your account with your password. If you can’t get in, chances are you have been affected and should contact your nearest Sony service center.

For the whole month of April 2008 (thats from 1st to 30th… in case you are wondering), Sony Computer Entertainment HK Limited (covering the Asian regions of HK, Singapore and Taiwan) will run a promotion on encourage members to spend more on credits.

During the entire month of April 2008, for any single wallet top-up of SGD30/ HK$150 or above with a credit card or prepaid code in PLAYSTATION®Store or PLAYSTATION®Store (PC version), members of PLAYSTATION®Network will get an extra SGD 3/ HK$15 top-up to their wallet.

That’s a 10% worth of credits value SCEH is giving you for the effort. The catch? These additional credits will be only given to your online wallet AFTER the promotional period.

Anyhow, it’s a good deal, especially now as GT5: Prologue and echochrome (full version) is available for purchase and download via PLAYSTATION Store.

The 1080P High Definition Video format war is over. When HD-DVD exclusive Warner Bros studios switched to support the Blu-Ray format exclusively, the winner was effectively decided. Shortly thereafter, Toshiba (the main player in the HD-DVD format) too announced that they will cease to produce new HD-DVD players and withdrawing from the format war.

Now, its reported that Sony is talking to Microsoft about adopting the Blu-Ray format to its systems. While Sony have approached Apple for the same talks too (Microsoft and Apple are supporters of HD-DVD format), there are now strong rumors that Xbox360 may feature Blu-Ray as standard drive format.

While these are rumors at this point of time, it is not impossible for Xbox360 to adopt the Blu-Ray as the format due to the larger storage capabilities and as games becomes bigger (Lost Oddessey will fit in one dual layer Blu-Ray disc instead of four dual layer DVD dics). Alternatively, Microsoft could come up with a Blu-Ray add-on drive, as they have done with the HD-DVD add-on drive.

This will be interesting to keep watch, to see how Microsoft will react.

Well, that was fast. Shortly after Microsoft announced a USD 44.6billion offer for Yahoo! to the Yahoo! board, Yahoo! have officially announced that they are not interested in the deal, citing that the offer was too low for Yahoo!’s potential.

In the press release, “the Yahoo! Board of Directors has carefully reviewed Microsoft’s unsolicited proposal with Yahoo!’s management team and financial and legal advisors and has unanimously concluded that the proposal is not in the best interests of Yahoo! and our stockholders.”

“After careful evaluation, the Board believes that Microsoft’s proposal substantially undervalues Yahoo! including our global brand, large worldwide audience, significant recent investments in advertising platforms and future growth prospects, free cash flow and earnings potential, as well as our substantial unconsolidated investments.”, it adds.

Microsoft have since then said that they are still very keen on pursuing this merger/buy-out. Lets see how this unfolds.