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Tale of two portables: Sony NGP vs. Nintendo 3DS

January hasn't even come to a close and we've already been introduced to two brand new portable gaming systems--one from from Nintendo and one from Sony.

At a press event in Tokyo yesterday, Sony revealed its latest endeavor in the portable gaming world with what it is calling the "Next Generation Portable." Boasting PlayStation 3-calibur graphics, two cameras, 3G connectivity, Sixaxis controls, and two touch-sensitive areas, the NGP looks nothing like any of the so-called leaked photos that have circulated on the Internet and is clearly not the same as the Xperia PlayStation Phone.

Now that we know what we can expect from both companies, let's take a look at how the two portable systems stack up.

Hardware It's safe to say the specs Sony has thrown around will clearly outpace the 3DS, as was the case with the companies' last generation of portables. However, as we all know, these details did not have any effect on sales. Sony has taken a page out of the Nintendo DS' book with its touch screen and pad features, but it's far too early to be able to fully grasp what these details really mean for gamers. The Uncharted gameplay video we posted earlier shows a few ways these gestures might be implemented.

The NGP showcases a 960x544-pixel OLED screen, which isn't quite high enough of a resolution to call it portable HD gaming, but judging from videos that are beginning to surface, it's safe to say titles will look spectacular. If the 3DS' main selling point is 3D, we'd imagine the NGP's is its ability to render close to PS3-quality games.

The 3DS and NGP are heavily focused on connectivity, with both systems utilizing Wi-Fi, but the NGP will also allow for GPS, Bluetooth, and 3G data service. In response to the 3DS' Street Pass and Spot Pass player-matchmaking features, the NGP seems like it will revolve around location-based multiplayer functionality with a social feature called Live Area.… Read more

Say hello to Sony's NGP (Next Generation Portable): The PSP2

Here it is, Sony's Next Generation Portable, the NGP or the PSP2. Whatever its final name ends up being, the device boasts a healthy set of specs and features, including 3G connectivity, a touch screen, touch pad, two cameras, and a gorgeous OLED screen with four times the resolution of the original PSP.

While we'll continue to post news, impressions, and reactions, here's a your chance to see the new device from every angle.

The Sony NGP/PSP2: What we still don't know

Last night's Tokyo announcement of the PSP2, now known as the Sony Next Generation Portable, revealed details that had been previously mentioned in a variety of rumors. To a large extent, those rumors proved correct: no UMD drive, but a 5-inch high-resolution OLED screen, 3G capabilities, front and rear touch capabilities, and--yes--dual analog sticks are all part of the NGP's design.

However, much as with the first announcement of the Nintendo 3DS, a lot of key details are still undefined.

Battery life This takes the forefront, considering the disappointing life of the PSP and PSP Go. The Nintendo … Read more

PSP2 gameplay video: Uncharted

Some video of gameplay footage for the PSP2 or Next Generation Portable (NGP), as Sony is calling the device, is starting to hit the Internet with much more to come. Our sister site GameSpot covered the announcement in Japan and has a demo "trailer" for Uncharted. Several other titles are in the works, including Wipeout, Killzone, LittleBigPlanet, Resistance, Hustle Kings, Hot Shot Shots Golf, and NGP exclusives Little Deviants, Reality Fighters, and Gravity Daze.

Sony says the NGP, which doesn't have a price yet and will be released late this year, is graphically as powerful as the … Read more

Sony unveils 'Next Generation Portable,' the new PSP

At a live event in Tokyo, Sony on Thursday unveiled what many had come to call the PlayStation Portable 2, its long-awaited, all-new handheld video game console. Known officially as the "Next Generation Portable," the device will be available this holiday season. Sony has not yet said what the new PSP will cost.

According to CNET sister site Gamespot.com, the new device will come in a brick form factor and will feature a 5-inch OLED display with four times the resolution of current-generation PSPs. It has touch pads on both the front and the rear and dual … Read more

The 404 744: Where we make our own leaked photos (podcast)

Remember the dream of the Concorde? It was that supersonic passenger jet that would ferry passengers from New York to London in less than 3 hours, but supersonic travel never took off because of the loud sonic booms that the planes would generate as they broke the sound barrier.

NASA is working on new technology that would dampen or eliminate those booms, and the space agency is hoping that this will usher in a new era of supersonic travel.

Early experiments add a 24-foot-long spike to the plane mounted on the nose of the aircraft that creates three smaller shockwaves to greatly reduce the noise as the aircraft hits Mach 1. It could mean shorter travel time for consumers, but Jeff is more excited to wean himself off the sleeping pills he takes every time he boards an aircraft.

In less exciting historical innovations, New Yorker Till Krautkraemer is touting a beverage that offers a new way to supplement your protein intake: drink it! MeatWater is intended as a meal supplement with flavors like Peking Duck, Beef Stroganof, and Fish'n Chips; but the liquid contains zero animal byproducts, so vegans and vegetarians are encouraged to consume it for their daily dose of protein.

This is not a joke. According to the Web site, MeatWater has 22 amino acids that aid in performance recovery and decrease body fat when ingested with liquids, and it's recommended that you drink MeatWater warm, as the flavors and aromas are heightened this way.

And while we're solving first-world problems with technology, check out this double USB concept that hopes to save precious microseconds and the frustration you experience from "plug rejection."

Finally, Intel is following in the footsteps of Polaroid and Lady Gaga by introducing its own celebrity employee: Black Eyed Peas' Will.i.am has been appointed director of creative innovation, a role that places him as an ambassador to the company and collaborator in "new technologies, music and tech advocacy."

There's not much to say about this should-be joke, so we're just waiting to hear the BEP single that samples the Intel Inside chime. Wait, he's already doing that.

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PlayStation phone gets full photo treatment

Now that we're done speculating about the Verizon iPhone, the next biggest rumor to grip the wireless world is the expected Sony Ericsson PlayStation phone. Due next month at Mobile World Congress, the device made another Internet appearance today in a full hands-on post by Engadget.

Though Engadget's screen time isn't the first we've seen of the Android-powered PlayStation phone--over the past few months it's been sighted everywhere, from Greece to China--the photos and videos are the clearest so far. Indeed, previous shots look like they were taken by someone who had enjoyed too … Read more

preGame 38: Nintendo 3DS impressions, Astro A40 Wireless System

After getting some healthy hands-on time with the Nintendo 3DS last week, Jeff brings his impressions to today's episode of preGame. We'll also discuss some of the recently leaked details regarding Sony's PSP2, though we're anticipating more information on the yet-to-be-announced portable later in the week.

While we don't have a game to demo this week, we do have some show and tell in the form of the Astro A40 Wireless System headphones specifically designed for gaming. They may be a bit pricey, but Jeff will tell us why they're among the best-sounding gaming … Read more

Rounding up the PSP2 rumors so far

It looks like it's turning into the year of the next-gen gaming handhelds, now that Sony's rumored PSP2 is expected to be announced on Thursday, right on the heels of the Nintendo 3DS event last week. Though it's not a surprise that sooner or later a new PSP would emerge, the real question is whether it can recapture any of its lost market share.

It's an interesting time for the venerable and somewhat struggling handheld game market. Smartphones and low-priced apps have become a more popular gaming platform for many. What makes a PSP2 any better … Read more

The 404 742: Where we need to talk to our agent (podcast)

We're signed! That's right, Tim Geisenheimer is now our agent, so we trust he'll have our and not CBS' best interests at heart. With that in mind, we're asking Tim to get New York City's first chief digital officer, Rachel Sterne.

Boy, did New York City luck out. Sterne, a 27-year-old Columbia University adjunct professor, now leads the efforts to bring Gotham City into the 21st century. Sterne will focus on how city government uses digital technology to better communicate with citizens. We're thinking she's going to be tweeting and Facebooking all day long. She'll also handle the city's Wi-Fi password, so DM her when you visit and you need Internet.

In more tech news, word has leaked that Sony will be releasing details of the next-generation PSP2 this Thursday. Rumors thus far point to a touch OLED screen and 3G connectivity. All this makes us wonder how different the PSP2 will be from the plethora of smartphones out there.

In more video game news, Duke Nukem Forever, the video game that has been in development since our grandparents were growing up, finally has a release date and trailer. Gearbox, the game's developer, says the game will be released on May 3 in the U.S. and May 6 worldwide. Personally, we think the trailer has a few laughs but disappoints when it comes to graphics.

Finally, we've got some media news. Angry Birds will reportedly get an animated series, according to its CEO. WikiLeaks and Google are also reported getting movies after the success of "The Social Network"! Julian Assange seems like a character, but I don't know if Larry Page and Sergey Brin will be all that entertaining to watch in the basement of their garages.

If you've got a free moment, leave us a voice mail at 1.866.404.CNET (2638). Apparently, Wilson G. Tang and Jeff Bakalar did a pretty good job, along with Scott Stein and Dan Ackerman, hosting Friday's Buzz Out Loud. We know... shocking.

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