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[Matix]

-(Source: *PSPUpdates*)-


PSP: New E-Mail + GPS Update Features Info:
http://pspupdates.qj.net/2006/02/upcoming-firmware-to-allow-email-and.html#comments

Gizmondo GPS still rules though.. right ?!

 

[Elios83]

Both great features,but I'd like to see Sony implementing more offline functionalities (a pdf reader,DivX support etc).

 

[RevenantKioku]

I'm sorry, why is GPS an interesting feature?

 

[mashoutposse]

Those of us with cars might like the idea of a cheap navigation solution.

 

[belgurdo]

I'm sorry, why is GPS an interesting feature?

Because it helps us track and eventually destroy the infidel citizens of countries formed by the Great Satan. Thank you, Sony, for making our divine work so much easier!

 

[Matix]

Those of us with cars might like the idea of a cheap navigation solution.

Truth, hopefully the price is reasonable though.

 

[RevenantKioku]

Those of us with cars might like the idea of a cheap navigation solution.

I guess I'm just old fashioned. I've gotten by without something like this, can't ever see myself needing it.

 

[bionic77]

GPS is really awesome. Helps you get around and its best feature is using it to find local restaurants and whatnot. Someone will need to make some sort of mounting solution for this to work though. You can't hold your PSP in your hands while you are doing this.

 

[radioheadrule83]

You can get a GPS module for your car for under £150 (less than a PSP) that mounts on your dash, tells you where all nearby emergency services are, warns you when you're coming upto speed cameras etc, keeps you on the fastest route etc.

Having said that, PSP owners in the market for one might happily pick up one of these instead. Interesting..

 

[Deg]

I guess I belong in the stone age. I've gotten by without electricity, can't ever see myself needing a thing like a loo

Fixed

 

[Raistlin]

I guess I'm just old fashioned. I've gotten by without something like this, can't ever see myself needing it.

I'm guessing you do not travel to unfamiliar locations as extensively as some others here.

Navigation systems are definitely a product that only some people have a real use for.

 

[RevenantKioku]

YAY I"M DUMB

Yes, that is what I said. Go check up on your medication.

I'm guessing you do not travel to unfamiliar locations as extensively as some others here.

Navigation systems are definitely a product that only some people have a real use for.

Not really. And when I do, I get a map and tada, I either don't get lost or find my fucking way. I guess it could be useful, but probably not at the asking price.

 

[Raistlin]

Not really. And when I do, I get a map and tada, I either don't get lost or find my fucking way. I guess it could be useful, but probably not at the asking price.

Obviously for a trip, etc. ... one can devote the time to mapping it out.

For stuff like going to a store or restaurant in an unfamiliar setting though, a map doesn’t always help. Most do not show address ranges, so you’re never sure whether to make that last left or right … etc.

Another advantage is that nav systems will chart out the best course for travel based on traffic congestion. When you are in an unfamiliar location, it’s usually somewhat difficult to chart out on-the-spot detours around congestion from accidents, etc. Plus, not being familiar with the area, you are just not generally aware of where the common bottlenecks are from ‘rush hour’, etc.



BTW – I am not merely arguing this as a devil’s advocate. I travel for my work fairly regularly – and I really am in situations that a nav system would be far more useful and convenient than a conventional map.

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

Guys, guys, lets just chalk this up to being another cool feature for the premier gadget. That is, unless you bitched about GPS in PocketPCs as well...

Cool idea Sony. But how much will the addon gadget cost? More than a game and you can forget it...

And why are you giving us a GPS addon gadget before a Digicam addon gadget? I'd pay good money for a 270 degree rotatable digicam. Hell, even 120 (Isn't that when it only rotates from toward you to opposite from you?)! 2MP should be feasible, and would easily make the PSP a fricking KILLER handheld to have. I know I'd purchase a PSP digicam in a second.

Email is always a nice touch, but I did kinda hack my way into email on the old web browser...

Now that locationfree allows us to stream music and movies from our PCs, I guess I cannot really request that anymore... (BTW is locationfree... free or do you have to buy some gadget?)

I understand Sony not adding PDF, as there'd likely be a royalty involved in there somewhere.

3.0+ features I'd like to see:
E-Mail
GPS w/ addon
Downloadable Xbox Live Arcade-esque games, signed to each individual PSP
Digital Camera w/ Addon (Camera Device)
Digital Camcorder w/ addon (Camera device)
Ebook or PDF
Additional Video and Music codecs
Keyboard attachment support
Instant Messenger Support, with voice chat via Headset and videochat via Camera device
Music, movie, savegame, and file transfer or sharing (Streaming) over wireless

 

[Vandiger]

Yes, that is what I said. Go check up on your medication.


Not really. And when I do, I get a map and tada, I either don't get lost or find my fucking way. I guess it could be useful, but probably not at the asking price.

Wow, fucking get with the times dude. I guess you are a true retro individual.

 

[Ponn]

GPS has always pretty much been either you use it or you don't technology.

Email on the other hand is pretty exciting news. There isn't too much more I can think of for them to add. Ebook reading would be nice.

 

[Kon Tiki]

I'm sorry, why is GPS an interesting feature?

So that when your PSP gets stolen, and it will, you can find it?

 

[Deg]

Camera isnt that great since phones already do cameras. Most of these features are already on and better to have on phones.

Yes, that is what I said. Go check up on your medication.


Not really. And when I do, I get a map and tada, I either don't get lost or find my fucking way. I guess it could be useful, but probably not at the asking price.

I'm messing about. I just find it funny that people are scared of new technologies that make life better.

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

Camera isnt that great since phones already do cameras. Most of these features are already on and better to have on phones.

Rarely do phones have cameras over .7MP. Aside that, a fraction of those phones do video, and an even smaller fraction are transferrable to another device for playback or viewing

The PSP's screen is perfect for such utilization. You could also apply loads of filters and whatnot thanks to the brawn of the CPU, and view the shots in high quality. This could also lend itself to in-game usage. EyeToy had it's own innovative usage for a camera. On the PSP, the range of gameplay options may be limited, but I'm sure a game like the one where you have to bounce the soccer ball on your head would be feasible, or a racer where you lean and duck in order to avoid obstacles, speed up, etc.. A microphone would be a must too, for Karaokae type games and other minigames (Like the one I had for PC where you must put your voice to the right octave within a time limit, or shouting out answers to a Brain Training-type game)

There's also that Augmented Reality technology. Can you imagine a strategy game where you use a real game board, and move about by physically moving yourself to see the map? That'd be awesome. Or it can be simpler, like AR Worms, or even just a trivia game.

It could also lend itself to making the PSP a popular IM Chat device.

Name a camera that does all that and connects to your PSP and I'd agree with you and send a hooker over to do her business.

 

[AzureRonin]

Oh great, more gimmicks for an already gimmick filled system.

oh wait I thought I was bizarro Drinky for a second...

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

Oh great, more gimmicks for an already gimmick filled system.

Take Renji out of your avatar, you nerd. You're not cool enough

 

[AzureRonin]

Take Renji out of your avatar, you nerd. You're not cool enough

You get jokes?

 

[Ponn]

Oh great, more gimmicks for an already gimmick filled system.

oh wait I thought I was bizarro Drinky for a second...

No, you confuse GIMMICK with GADGET. PDA's aren't gimmick filled, it's a gadget.

 

[Deg]

Rarely do phones have cameras over .7MP. Aside that, a fraction of those phones do video, and an even smaller fraction are transferrable to another device for playback or viewing

The PSP's screen is perfect for such utilization. You could also apply loads of filters and whatnot thanks to the brawn of the CPU, and view the shots in high quality. This could also lend itself to in-game usage.

Phones already outdo PSP in all these areas and do stuff PSP will never do.

 

[mckmas8808]

Rarely do phones have cameras over .7MP. Aside that, a fraction of those phones do video, and an even smaller fraction are transferrable to another device for playback or viewing

The PSP's screen is perfect for such utilization. You could also apply loads of filters and whatnot thanks to the brawn of the CPU, and view the shots in high quality. This could also lend itself to in-game usage. EyeToy had it's own innovative usage for a camera. On the PSP, the range of gameplay options may be limited, but I'm sure a game like the one where you have to bounce the soccer ball on your head would be feasible, or a racer where you lean and duck in order to avoid obstacles, speed up, etc.. A microphone would be a must too, for Karaokae type games and other minigames (Like the one I had for PC where you must put your voice to the right octave within a time limit, or shouting out answers to a Brain Training-type game)

There's also that Augmented Reality technology. Can you imagine a strategy game where you use a real game board, and move about by physically moving yourself to see the map? That'd be awesome. Or it can be simpler, like AR Worms, or even just a trivia game.

It could also lend itself to making the PSP a popular IM Chat device.

Name a camera that does all that and connects to your PSP and I'd agree with you and send a hooker over to do her business.

CO-SIGN

 

[mckmas8808]

Phones already outdo PSP in all these areas and do stuff PSP will never do.

So a .7 MP camera is good to you? So cellphone internet is better than what you can get on the PSP?

 

[mashoutposse]

I don't know of a phone with a better screen or more powerful processor than that of the PSP.

Certainly the PSP has the potential to perform these tasks far better than a phone can -- I'm assuming that's why Snowman is making those suggestions.

 

[Agent X]

Those of us with cars might like the idea of a cheap navigation solution.

That's true.

From a "portable computing device" perspective, the PSP already has most of the ingredients needed to make an excellent GPS device. It already has good-sized screen with sufficient resolution for a GPS device. It's got a decent processor and a lot of RAM, without unnecessary overhead being used by a more general-purpose operating system (such as you would find in a PDA or a smartphone). The maps could released annually on UMD, with the Memory Stick used for occasional updates as well as storing preferences and bookmarking favorite locations. The only thing missing, of course, is the GPS module itself (and a mounting solution as bionic77 mentioned). As long as the GPS module is affordable, this could become another great market niche for the PSP.

Along similar lines, I could also see a market for travel guides on UMD. You could buy a UMD covering one or more major cities, then see what hotels, restaurants, historical landmarks, etc., are situated nearby. You could then pull up reviews of the hotels/restaurants, or get some background information on the history relevant to the historical landmark. While it's true that most of this info could be obtained from the Web, the fact is most people who are traveling (meaning they are physically moving) can't maintain a persistent Wi-Fi connection, so they'd need to have this data stored locally.

 

[Deg]

I don't know of a phone with a better screen or more powerful processor than that of the PSP.

Screens, there are plenty better than PSP. Granted PSP has the best processor i know of for 3d gaming and multimedia for a mainstream mobile device but can it hold its own against an open operating system? Obviously not.

Certainly the PSP has the potential to perform these tasks far better than a phone can -- I'm assuming that's why Snowman is making those suggestions.

Hardly. Sony are not even trying to as they dont want to.

 

[BorkBork]

GPS's a great feature, I wonder how much it will cost.

 

[Lee N]

Sony Mail. The built-in email program will use the unique ID number assigned to each PSP at manufacture to eliminate a potentially confusing server setup. The program won’t require users to access a web site, but will let them choose a unique user name to associate with their PSP’s ID.

Sounds more like some Sony hack more than an actual email client to me. You get an @mypsp.com or whatever and you can't use your real email address.

boo hiss.

 

[AzureRonin]

No, you confuse GIMMICK with GADGET. PDA's aren't gimmick filled, it's a gadget.

wow, I don't know what to say. I don't think this is a gimmick I think these are great features. But if they were on the DS it would be a gimmick right? Well maybe SOME people would think that way...

 

[Agent X]

Screens, there are plenty better than PSP.

There are, but most of them are on devices costing 2-3 times as much as the PSP.

Granted PSP has the best processor i know of for 3d gaming and multimedia for a mainstream mobile device but can it hold its own against an open operating system? Obviously not.

The PSP isn't an "open platform," but for a specific application such as GPS, that wouldn't be necessary as long as the GPS hardware/software being provided is good. I would hope that if a PSP GPS module comes to fruition, that Sony allows some of the reputable mapping/navigation software developers to release software for it.

 

[mashoutposse]

Screens, there are plenty better than PSP.

Are any of them phones as you suggested earlier? Serious question.

 

[mckmas8808]

Along similar lines, I could also see a market for travel guides on UMD. You could buy a UMD covering one or more major cities, then see what hotels, restaurants, historical landmarks, etc., are situated nearby. You could then pull up reviews of the hotels/restaurants, or get some background information on the history relevant to the historical landmark. While it's true that most of this info could be obtained from the Web, the fact is most people who are traveling (meaning they are physically moving) can't maintain a persistent Wi-Fi connection, so they'd need to have this data stored locally.

If the data is stored locally then what is the GPS thingymagigy for? What is it's purpose?

 

[Drek]

If the data is stored locally then what is the GPS thingymagigy for? What is it's purpose?

You mean the USB GPS add on? Well, if the UMD is basically going to contain a map viewer the GPS add on would be a necessary part since it gives the PSP current location info that it can then place on said locally stored (UMD) maps, so that your location relative to the map is displayed.

I'm really interested in the PSP's GPS capabilities, but thats because I'm a geologist and do work with GPS quite a bit in the field as it is. I doubt it'll be full featured enough for me, which is very disapointing since the PSP's processing capabilities and screen both eclipse all but the best GPS devices, at a fraction of the cost. That makes me think "why bother?" since any GPRS compatible cell phone with data transfer service can get Google Local and have full access to Google Maps in a cell, without paying for any add on or an already expensive PSP.

 

[Agent X]

If the data is stored locally then what is the GPS thingymagigy for? What is it's purpose?

The GPS (global positioning system) would tell you your physical geographic location on the Earth's surface--latitude, longitude, and such. GPS itself doesn't have information about what's on the surface, such as hotel or restaurant or police station or a buoy in the ocean. In something like a car navigation system, the maps are usually stored locally, and then it combines the map data with your actual position derived from the GPS to tell you where you're located on the map.

For my "travel guide" idea, what I meant was a slightly different application of the technology. You would have a more detailed map of a city, along with information on hotels, restaurants, movie theaters, convention centers, etc. You could select a hotel, and then see a short video of it showing the exterior and interior. You could select a restaurant, and then view a short video review of the restaurant. If you were near a Wi-Fi connection (maybe you got to the hotel and they have a hotspot there), then you could select a movie theater and see a list of movies playing and their showtimes.

 

[Ponn]

wow, I don't know what to say. I don't think this is a gimmick I think these are great features. But if they were on the DS it would be a gimmick right? Well maybe SOME people would think that way...

You're the only one saying this. These are real world gadgets that have nothing to do with gaming.

 

[AzureRonin]

You're the only one saying this. These are real world gadgets that have nothing to do with gaming.

I'm not even saying it. You clearly don't understand my post, that's cool just keep talking about whatever.

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

Just shut the hell up!!!!

 

[WasabiKing]

If they're going to do the GPS add-on, they should throw in a memory stick. But odds are, it'll run off the UMD and you would pay additional money for yearly updates. That's how most cars with the DVD-Navi's do it.

I don't own a handheld GPS, so if you guys do own one, jump in and correct me, but I assume you don't pay a monthly, and everything is paid for up front? Also, with updates to street names, can you update this via USB?

wow, I don't know what to say. I don't think this is a gimmick I think these are great features. But if they were on the DS it would be a gimmick right? Well maybe SOME people would think that way...

Nintendo inferiority complex in full effect, people. Take 3 days off for your passive aggressive trolling.

 

[black_13]

Nice.

BUT WHERE THE HELL IS THE CAMERA ADD-ON?!!!! I'm much more interested in that.

 

[Agent X]

If they're going to do the GPS add-on, they should throw in a memory stick. But odds are, it'll run off the UMD and you would pay additional money for yearly updates. That's how most cars with the DVD-Navi's do it.

I don't own a handheld GPS, so if you guys do own one, jump in and correct me, but I assume you don't pay a monthly, and everything is paid for up front? Also, with updates to street names, can you update this via USB?

I don't personally own a GPS device, but I have friends that have used GPS solutions on PDAs and such. Usually you get a CD-ROM, and transfer whatever maps you're going to use from the PC to the memory card in your PDA. The reason for this is because there's a finite amount of space on your memory card, and if you are only travelling short distances, you'll only need the maps for whatever areas you intend to cover, not the whole country or the whole planet.

Usually the company puts out an updated disc each year; you're not "obligated" to buy it since it isn't a subscription program (at least not the PDA-based systems I'm familiar with). However, some users may choose to get the updated disc anyway, since the maps will be more up to date and may include information that wasn't available the previous year. Think of it like when a new sports game comes out every year--you don't necessarily have to buy the new one, but ardent sports fans might find the new features appealing enough to do so rather than just continue playing an older version of the game. Encyclopedias on CD-ROM would be another good analogy here.

If something like this were to come out on PSP, then I'd figure that the UMD would be used for most of the map data, rather than transferring the map data from a PC to a Memory Stick. After all, the PSP has both the UMD drive and the Memory Stick slot, so why not utilize both? Use the UMD to have up to 1.8 GB of map data available at all times, and when something changes the user could download a small update file and store it on the Memory Stick.