IBLOG SPACE

A few days back, we reported that the latest firmware update to Sony’s PlayStation 3 , version 3.41, was causing some major problems for those who like to take advantage of installing new hard drives into their console. It was a problem that many PS3 owners were having. And while we waited for Sony to respond, folks were trying to figure out their own way to fix the problem. Reverting back to previous firmware versions seemed to be the only logical fix, but that’s all changed now, as Sony has come forward with a (hopefully) permanent fix of their own. According to the PlayStation Blog , Sony has reissued the v3.41 firmware update, and this time around it won’t cause any undue stress. It’s not a new firmware version, surprisingly enough, which means the fix must have been pretty minor. The new update is available right now, and as long as everything goes well, you should be able to do whatever you want with your hard drives, even after you update. So, if you are looking for a fix, go do

MSI is getting ready to unleash a bevy of “fashionable” notebooks onto the world, and they’ve decided to start it all off with their FX600 . The new line-up of notebooks is ready to set up a nice lineage of F-Series of notebooks. They will be built around Intel’s Core i3/i5 processors, and they meant not so much for the portability of a notebook, but the entertainment value while they’re sitting on your desk. The FX600 features a 15.6-inch display, and MSI says that it’s all set up within a “durable” frame, which features a jet-black sheen. The base model will feature Intel’s Core i5 330M processor, which reached a clocked speed of 2.13GHz. It will also come with a 500GB SATA hard drive, 4GB of DDR3 memory, 1GB of onboard RAM, and a GeForce GT 325M graphics card. Above the display, you’ll find a 1.3MP HD webcam, and it comes with a DVD burner, too. (But, you can upgrade to a Blu-ray reader, too.) It will feature WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, a 4-in-1 card reader, 3 USB ports, HDMI port,

Well, fancy that. Just after showing you a new Eee USB hard drive, we’ve got Asus showcasing a new, 10-inch netbook with the same branding. If you’re looking for a new netbook, this new Eee PC model may be the next best choice, but then again, some of the features you’ll find in this new model are pretty commonplace within the netbook market. The Asus Eee PC 1016P is still missing a product page, in its own right, but it is being showcased on Asus’ website now. So, that next logical step will probably happen right around the corner here. However, despite the official page missing, previous reports of the netbook’s existence have the full list of specs already available, and we’ve no reason to think that they’ll change much in the coming weeks. Under the hood you’ll find an Intel Atom N455 CPU, Bluetooth 3.0, a 320GB hard drive, and 2GB of RAM to give you an extra boost in your daily computing needs. It has DDR3 support, and the battery life is clocked at 13 hours on a single charge. A

There are still some big cameras out there, sure, but it looks like the majority of the market is aiming at getting smaller and smaller. At least, when it comes to the personal shooter, anyway. For example, Casio has just unveiled the new Exilim EX-S200 , and are promoting the fact that they believe it is the world’s slimmest camera with image stabilization. And considering the Exilim EX-S200 is only 14.9mm thick at its thickest point, Casio may have a point here. Though, you’ll have to be the judge on whether or not that’s too small. Casio also claims that it’s the same size as a credit card, which we may have to see to believe. At the moment, we’ll just call ourselves skeptics of that claim. But, whether or not you can put it into your pocket and forget it exists doesn’t matter. What matters, is the tech inside. It’s featuring 14.1-megapixels, and it has a 4x optical zoom. However, Casio points out that thanks to the SR zoom technology in the camera, that’s the equivalent of a 6x op

RIM’s press release for the BlackBerry Torch 9800 was strong on US launch details but light on availability everywhere else; however, we now know of at least one UK carrier which will be offering the touchscreen/QWERTY smartphone. We’ve just confirmed with Vodafone UK that they will indeed be offering the Torch. The smartphone is yet to show up on Vodafone’s “Coming Soon” page, at least at time of writing, and nor are the carrier talking about when the Torch 9800 might be hitting their network. AT&T in the US expect to start shipping the handset on August 12th, but all Vodafone can say is that they’ll soon be accepting pre-registration of interest ahead of the Torch’s UK debut. The BlackBerry Torch 9800 has a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and a flash, and quadband UMTS/HSPA. There’s also WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and a microSD card slot, together with the latest version of RIM’s home-grown OS, BlackBerry 6. Mo

When it comes to external hard drives, you don’t want something that’s as big as your keyboard sitting on your desk, next to your monitor. The whole idea is to have something compact, but that’s perfectly capable of holding all of your necessary data. And, when it comes to the new Asus Eee 30GB hard drive , you’ll have to keep it limited to the bare essentials . Asus’ Eee line-up of devices was taking a strong surge not too long ago, and it seemed that the manufacturer would be putting the Eee name on everything they could. You know, like the Eee keyboard. But, while it’s slowed down for now, that doesn’t mean that there’s still not a few more devices somewhere in the pipe, ready to be released, that won’t have the same branding. That’s where this little USB hard drive comes in. Probably the most noteworthy aspect of this little storage device is how small it is. At only 1.8-inches, you’ll probably barely notice it’s sitting on your desk. Of course, you’ll have to really think about th

All eyes may be on the BlackBerry Torch 9800 this morning, but there are plenty of people wondering if they’ll see RIM’s new BlackBerry 6 OS arrive on their existing smartphone. The company has confirmed that they have updates planned for the BlackBerry Bold 9700, BlackBerry Bold 9650 and BlackBerry Pearl 3G. Don’t expect it immediately, however. RIM says the updated OS is subject to carrier certification and other testing, and as such will be released “in the months ahead”. The first device with BlackBerry 6 preloaded, the Torch 9800, will be an AT&T exclusive in the US; no word on when Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile may get their hands on a phone. BlackBerry 6 includes a new, WebKit based browser, a Universal Search tool that delves through not only local but internet and BlackBerry World content, and and new Social Feeds app which pulls together BlackBerry Messaging, Facebook, Twitter and various IM services. There’s also a new UI, complete with a customizable homescreen, new

We can’t see RIM being too pleased – their event hasn’t even started yet – but AT&T has already announced the BlackBerry Torch 9800 . A new teaser page has gone live, confirming the smartphone’s 3.2-inch 480 x 360 touchscreen display, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and 5-megapixel autofocus camera with flash, along with BlackBerry OS 6. Update: Official RIM product page for the Torch 9800 is now live. As for connectivity, there’s quadband UMTS/HSPA (2100/1900/850/800 MHz) and quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900MHz), while memory includes 512 MB RAM, 512 MB Flash, 4 GB of storage and a 4 GB MicroSD card in the box. While there have been plenty of changes in BlackBerry OS 6, one of the most anticipated is the new WebKit based browser which should significantly improve the mobile internet experience. RIM has also thrown in “Media Synch” which apparently can stream your home audio content to your BlackBerry Torch via a WiFi connection, as long as it’s DRM-free. The Torch 9800 w

SlashGear is in New York this morning for RIM’s BlackBerry event, and if you ever doubted how much we love you then hopefully our presence in this roughly 200-strong queue of people waiting to get in is evidence enough. Top of the agenda today is likely to be BlackBerry OS 6 , but we’re also expecting the BlackBerry Torch 9800 to make its debut, a touchscreen slider with a full QWERTY keyboard. miBlackBerry spotted a Google AdWords listing for the BlackBerry Torch 9800, seemingly confirming the smartphone’s name. Meanwhile the handset itself was spotted clearing the FCC and there’s talk of AT&T storesalready getting demo units. The event kicks off at 11am Eastern – that’s roughly ten minutes off at time of writing – so stick with us for all the news as it gets official.

Samsung is attempting to patent a dual touch-sensor device – such as a tablet or large smartphone – where both the screen up front and the back of the unit respond to touch and gestures. According to the application – “Mobile terminal having dual touch screen and method of controlling content therein” – the user could control the slate either by touching the display, as normal, or by tracing out the same motions on the rear panel. Meanwhile more complex control – such as zooming gestures – could integrate both front and rear panel touch. To be fair, it’s certainly not the first time we’ve seen rear-mounted touchpads. Motorola’s Backflip smartphone has a touchpad on the back of the display, for using it without blocking the screen with your fingers, while Notion Ink’s Adam prototype also has a rear touchpad. Samsung’s attempt to differentiate from these existing implementations appears to involve the interplay of software with the dual-touch hardware; for instance, rather than repli

30.8 million unique people caught at least 6 minutes of Shark Week programming last week, topping 2008′s 29.1 million. (And if you just can’t get enough shark action, log on to discovery.com/sharkboards and bid on a one-of-a-kind shark-themed skateboard deck now though August 19 — proceeds benefit shark conservation group Oceana)

ABC & ESPN 2010-11 NBA Schedule 90-Game Flexible Schedule; Five Christmas Day Games Including Heat/Lakers Blockbuster ESPN’s multiplatform coverage of the 2010-11 NBA regular season will include 90 games, highlighted by 15 exclusive broadcasts on ABC – the home of The Finals – and 75 ESPN telecasts. All 90 games will feature flexible scheduling providing viewers with the best possible matchups throughout the season. All games will be available in high definition, with all ESPN telecasts also available via ESPN3.com and nearly all on ESPN Mobile TV. ESPN Radio will broadcast 26 games, while ESPN Deportes (ESPN’s Spanish-language U.S. sports network) will televise 22 games. For the first time, select games will also be available on ESPN 3D.

CBS ROLLS TO ITS SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE WEEKLY WIN Sunday’s Edition of “ Big Brother ” Posts Summer Highs in Viewers and Matches Best Demos Wednesday and Thursday “Big Brothers” Continue to Outpace Last Summer “Big Brother” Posts Week-to-Week and Year-to-Year Increases Online CBS Has Nine of the Top 10 Scripted Programs Led by “NCIS”

Building its Numbers Year to Year for the 12th Week Running, ABC Marks its Top Non- NBA Summertime Week in Over 2 Years ABC is Up by Wide Margins in Summer 2010 in Adults 18-49

NATIONAL NIELSEN RATINGS FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 2 – 8, 2010 FOX MAKES GAINS AND CLAIMS SUMMER’S TOP SPOT Despite ABC’s strong summer fueled by NBA basketball, FOX has successfully closed the gap to tie as the No. 1 broadcast network of the summer season. With gains by LIE TO ME and THE GOOD GUYS , another strong serving of MASTERCHEF , and a sizzling SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Top 4 performance show, FOX placed a very close second among Adults 18-49 last week and won the week among Adults 18-34 and Teens.

NBC WINS THE PRIMETIME WEEK OF AUG. 2-8 IN ADULTS 18-49 NBC ALSO WINS THE WEEK IN ADULTS 25-54 AND ALL KEY ADULT-MALE DEMOS AND IS #2 FOR THE WEEK IN TOTAL VIEWERS ‘NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL’ BENGALS-COWBOYS HALL OF FAME GAME IS THE MOST-WATCHED NFL PRESEASON GAME IN NEARLY NINE YEARS AND TOP HALL OF FAME TELECAST IN 11 YEARS NBC WINS SUNDAY NIGHT IN ADULTS 18-49, TOTAL VIEWERS AND ALL OTHER KEY MEASURES

Live + Same Day Weekend Ratings Cable News Ratings August 7, 2010 P2+ Total Day FNC – 703,000 viewers CNN – 409,000 viewers MSNBC – 358,000 viewers CNBC – 212,000 viewers HLN –220,000 viewers

Scoreboard Adults 18-49: Rating/Share 2.1/6 1.9/6 1.6/5 1.5/5 1.4/4 0.3/1 Adults 18-34: Rating/Share 1.8/6 1.2/4 1.8/6 1.6/5 1.3/4 0.3/1 Total Viewers (million) 5.747 6.617 4.131 4.054 4.223 .790

For the first time in a while, FOX was edged out as the weekly leader in summertime 18-49 broadcast primetime ratings. Paced by the week’s top program, the Sunday Night Football match-up between the Bengals and the Cowboys, NBC won the week with adults 18-49. CBS still had the most viewers. Fueled by a nice finale for The Bachelorette , ABC showed the biggest gains with adults 18-49 versus the same week last year, jumping to a 1.6 rating versus last year’s 1.1. NBC was up a tenth from last year’s 1.7. Things went the other way for FOX which dropped to a 1.7 from last year’s 2.0. CBS was down a tenth from last year’s 1.5. The network’s average viewership is now charted in millions of viewers, just like we report all other average viewership information on the site, not in viewership rating. I couldn’t figure out a way to keep the same look to the chart and create two different axes, so I eliminated the units label from the vertical axis entirely, just pay attention to the numbers

Live + Same Day Cable News Daily Ratings for August 6, 2010 P2+ Total Day FNC – 1,035,000 viewers CNN – 371,000 viewers MSNBC – 380,000 viewers CNBC – 164,000 viewers HLN – 259,000 viewers

Live + Same Day Cable News Daily Ratings for August 9, 2010 P2+ Total Day FNC – 1,149,000 viewers CNN – 373,000 viewers MSNBC – 398,000 viewers CNBC – 187,000 viewers HLN – 308,000 viewers

ABC.com is the No. 1 Online Broadcast Site for July 2010, Taking the Top Spot for the 7th Straight Month ABC’s “The Bachelorette” is the No. 1 Program in Total Streams for the 2nd Month in a Row