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After the recent PSP update, Sony has just taken the new PS3 firmware to version 2.4 thanks to a brand new update. Gamers can download it through PlayStation Network directly or the system software updates from the Official PlayStation website.

Here is a  comprehensive list of improvements and new features available in the new PS3 system software v2.4:

Settings Changes

• You can now set the PlayStation 3 system to turn off automatically after updating the system software.
• [Reassign Controllers] and [Controller Vibration Function] have been added as options under [Accessory Settings].

Game changes

• You can now access the (XrossMediaBar) screen while playing PlayStation 3 format software.
  • Only some of the XMB functions can be used during gameplay.
  • If you press the PS button for more than two seconds, the screen showing options to quit the game, turn off the system and other settings will be displayed.
  • The XMB screen is not displayed when you are playing PlayStation 2 or PlayStation format software.
  • The XMB screen cannot be displayed when you are playing certain PlayStation 3 format software titles.
• The procedure for quitting PlayStation 3 format software has been changed.
• You can now collect trophies in games that support the trophy feature.

System changes

• A new “view mode” has been added to the Playstation Store
• [Search] has been added as an option in the browse mode menu of the Internet Browser.
• The [Information] screen has been redesigned and renamed as [Profile].
• You can now perform an Internet search directly from the XMB screen.
• You can now see the system clock on the XMB screen. The date and time that were set under [Settings] > [Date and Time] are displayed.
• When using a keyboard, you can now clear the entire text entry field at once.
• An icon is now displayed when you press the PS button for an operation that cannot be performed.
• You can now turn off the PlayStation 3 system from the XMB screen using the [Turn Off System] option.
• The number of Friends who can be added to a Friends list has been increased from 50 to 100.

Media Changes

• You can now sort items that are grouped in a folder by month or year using the [Film Date] option.
• You can now print images from a playlist that was created under (Photo).
• You can now use a mini-size control panel while playing music.
• You can now play music content encoded in MP3 Surround format.
  • MP3 Surround can only be played in Linear PCM output.
• You can now use the [Frame Noise Reduction] and [Block Noise Reduction] settings for video content that is saved on the hard disk or storage media.
• You can now play upscaled video content that is saved on the hard disk or storage media. When the video content is played, it is upscaled automatically to fit the screen size.
• Upscaling of Blu-ray Disc (BDAV) video content is now supported
• For DTS playback on DVD-Video and Blu-ray Disc media, DTS-ES and DTS 96/24 for DVD-Video and DTS-ES Matrix for Blu-ray Discs are now supported.

If you want to download the new Playstation 3 update version 2.4 visit the official Playstation update page here.

If you want to hack the Windows Vista Boot Configuration Data namely you wish to edit the BCD file in Windows Vista, you may want to read this other article of mine. Another solution is to download this excellent freeware software called VistaBootPRO. This free software lets you edit the BDC file in Windows Vista. But why should anyone modify such a file? The reply is quite easy. If you want to install a second operating system in your PC then you need this software for sure! As a matter of fact, by using it and editing the BCD file you will be able to get a dual boot mode. VistaBootPro works in Windows XP (Home, PRO, x64, MCE 2005), 2003 Server, Vista, or Longhorn Server. All systems must have .NET 2.0 Framework (but once you have installed the software you will be prompted to download Framework, so don’t worry). If you want to download it, or if you want to have more info, click here.
If you want to have two operating systems on the same machine here is a quick guide. Note: if you are not self-confident about what to do, or if you are a novice, please don’t try this procedure, since you could delete important files or cause major damages to your computer. Continue reading »

If you work on dual monitors, at a certain point you may need to set two different wallpapers for each of the screens, just to diversify and make them nicer. The solution here is to use a very easy and simple freeware software which makes the hard work for you. Its name is DislpayFusion and, as you can guess, allows you to use different wallpapers while working in dual monitor. Other features include:

• Change your desktop wallpaper on a timer.
• Integrated Flickr image search & download.
• Easily manage application windows with fully customizable hotkeys.
• Move windows to the next monitor.
• Move windows to centre of the screen and size it to 75% of the work area.
• Maximize windows so that they span all monitors.

This free application is quite easy to install and doesn’t take a lot of resources from your computer. The only thing it does is to add a little icon on the right-bottom part of your screen, thanks to which you can gain access to the software’s options. It is Windows Xp and Vista compatible. If you want to download it or if you want to know more, click here. If you wish to watch a video and know how it works, click here.

If you are one of those guys who cares the way your desktop looks like, then this little piece of freeware software is for you. As a matter of fact it lets you remove that “annoying” arrow in all of the icons on your desktop in order to have a tidy and neat “Vista look”. The name of the software is Vista Shortcut Overlay Remover and does exactly what it says. As a matter of fact you won’t have to modofy your Windows registry manually because thanks to this program all you will have to do, is click a button. Reading from the website “Windows Vista Shortcut Overlay Remover, aka FxVisor, allows you to either way to remove the shortcut overlay arrow or to even customize it in Windows Vista, so we have written the Vista Shortcut Overlay Remover utility to enable you to do just that.’ To download the software, click here.

Sony has recently released a new firmware (version 4.0) for  Playstation Portable (PSP). What makes this new firmware release worth being installed is the new Google search feature, which will let people use the Google search engine straight from the XMB (XrossMediaBar). Basically, the well-known Google website will be added to the device’s options, allowing users to browse through different websites and blogs and make specific searches. Another feature available after the installation of the firmware is the ability to speed up and slow down playback of video files that are stored on the Memory Stick PRO Duo. If you want to download the new PSP firmware 4.0 click here (for USA users), here (for Asia English users), here (for Australia users), here (for New Zealand users) or here (for United Kingdom users)

Have you ever wished to manipulate your videos and create something totally different or funny out of them? It would be nice, right? I know what you are thinking about. You think that you need a software to modify your videos and most of the times this software is very expensive. Today modifying you videos won’t cost you a thing anymore, thanks to a new freeware software called DimP! But how does it work? DimP works in two simple ways namely:

• DimP automatically extracts object motions from the videos.
• DimP then allows the user to control video playback by scrubbing these objects on their trajectories.

If you want to know more about it click here. If you want to download the software, click here. DimP requires the following features on your computer:

• Windows XP and Vista compatible.
• 1 GB of RAM.
• Microsoft .NET 2.0 runtime. Download it here (22 MB).
• A VfW (Video for Windows) MPEG-4 codec such as ffdshow.

If you want to know how DimP works, watch the video now!

If you think that wonderful, rich of effects, engaging games are just the ones you buy at GameStop and costing you a lot of bucks, you’d better think twice! As a matter of fact I know a great game which, apart from being totally freeware, it is just as light as 96 Kb. Do you think I am joking? Not at all! If you don’t believe me why don’t you download KKrieger now? KKrieger is a first-person shooter, very similar to Doom or Halo, which will take you to a far away galaxy pestered with incredible monsters to frag! Here is what you need to make it run on your computer:

• 1.5GHz Pentium III / athlon or higher.
• 512MB of RAM.
• a GeForce4Ti (or higher) or ATI Radeon8500 (or higher) graphics card supporting pixel shaders 1.3, preferably with 128MB or more of VRAM.
• DirectX 9.0b.

If you are one of those people always on the go, you know very well how difficult it is to spot a WiFi connection to send an e-mail, read the latest news, place a phone call etc. Easy WiFi is a free software determined to help you get a WiFi connection wherever you are to let you surf at peace. Of course Easy WiFi also helps you find those open WiFi connections which don’t need any password. The way it works is rather easy. As a matter of fact all you have to do is to install the software, open it and watch the radar like window while it scans the surrounding area you are in, to spot an open WiFi connection. On the radar there may be green spots showing unlocked connections, yellow and red spots showing locked connections. If you want to see how it really works, watch the video now! To download it, click here.

Source: GHacks.net