SourceCrowd.com

Sony unveiled the latest iteration of the PlayStation Portable at the Leipzig Games Convention in Germany yesterday.

Dubbed the PSP 3000, the new device will double as a cheaper Internet handset with a built-in microphone for VoIP. Sony has bundled Skype with its PSP firmware for some time and the new mic may negate the need for an additional headset, depending on the quality of the mic. Sony also says the new mic will be compatible for in-game chat.

The PSP 3000 will also have an anti-reflective screen that Sony claims will provide better colors and will be easier to see in well-lit places and outdoors. Sony also said the high-resolution PSP screen will be “dramatically enhanced.”

Perhaps the best upgrade, though, is a new video output that can display a resolution of up to 480i on any TV screen that can interface with a composite or S-cable. Video output has been a bone of contention with the PSP. Customers have been clamoring for video output for the device from day one, but Sony decided against it. When the PSP 2000 came out, we finally saw a video output, and the recent announcement is a significant upgrade in resolution quality. An output resolution of 480i is not quite hi-res, but it’s getting pretty close.

Sony has apparently not committed to a price, although in Europe it’s US$294.

Sony is rolling out firmware 1.80 for its PlayStation 3. This latest update will add resolution upscaling capability for PlayStation and PlayStation 2 titles, as well as bring DVD playback to full 1080p resolution when viewed on compatible HDTVs. Further enhancements include Remote Play functionality for the PlayStation Portable (PSP), which allows users to access their PlayStation 3 consoles remotely from its portable little brother using any available wireless connection. Moreover, Sony is boosting the PS3 as a media hub for the front room, adding the ability to network the console with home PCs to stream media content on to TV sets.

In related news, VoIP service Jajah has made an update to its website that streamlines it for use on the PS3. As voipstage.com reports, Jajah lets you register with your “home phone number, then when you want to call someone you enter their number into your browser and Jajah will dial your phone and connect you directly”, doing away with headsets as it uses your existing handset (or mobile phone). The service is free between Jajah users.

BT (British Telecom) and Sony have teamed up to offer users of the electronics giant’s PlayStation Portable (PSP) a VoIP option that will enable them to place voice and video calls to other PSP owners and some BT phones. The service, which is then set to expand to allow calls to PCs, fixed lines and mobile phones, will use a new camera and microphone PSP accessory called Go Camera, to be released in the UK on 25 May.

BT is taking care of the software side of the deal, while also offering its 2000 UK hotspots infrastructure to which the initial service will be exclusive. BT said it expects to then sell the software to telecoms in another 100 countries

QoolLabs SkyQube is the “world’s first VoIP Gateway with GSM”. Targeted at frequent travelers, business executives and pro-skype users, it allows call forwarding from selected Skype contacts to mobile phones or land lines, thus acting as a gateway to receive calls wherever you are at local Skypeout rates.

The Qool VoIP gateway comes in two flavours, the SkyQube and the SkyQube2. The latter adds a GSM module that allows users to insert their SIM card in the device so that all their received calls and SMS messages will be forwarded to their phone in the destination countries using Skypeout or to their laptop. Other features of this smart box are integrated speaker phone, caller ID display, call back, call filtering using the built-in answering machine and call recording. For a full set of specifications and to download a product brochure head over to the QoolLabs website