Unfortunately, one of those details, if proven accurate, could mean that Sony isn’t planning on announcing the Sony PSP 2 in just a few weeks, at this year’s E3. That goes against what we had reported last week, but stranger things have happened, we imagine. But, even if it might not be announced at the video game industry’s largest show (…), further details about the existence of the PSP 2 are definitely worth looking at.
According to VG 24/7, who spent quite a bit of time digging around this PSP 2 story, they’ve come up with quite a few tantalizing tid-bits that, if any of them come true, then it looks like Sony could have another killer handheld gaming rig on the horizon. First and foremost, though, it seems that a “source familiar with the matter” feels like they’re 99-percent positive that Sony won’t be unveiling the new handheld at E3. However, according to several British sources, there are several PSP 2 non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) getting tossed around, and have been in the hands of developers and publishers for a few months now. Other UK sources have said that the PSP 2 was set to launch in 2010, but it’s actually been pushed back to 2011 now (which could be one reason why Sony wouldn’t announce it at this year’s E3).
As for hardware, this is where it gets good. According to sources, the PSP 2 does feature a touchscreen, but it also has the same familiar, trademarked buttons made famous by the PlayStation brand (which could mean a sliding screen is possible). There are reportedly two cameras: one on the back, and one on the front. Another source would be “amazed” if there was any kind of physical media involved with the PSP 2, and in fact it could be 3G-enabled, plus the standard WiFi. However, VG 24/7 stated that this part was pretty sketchy, so this might be far less believable than any other part.
Additionally, there have supposedly been finished models of the PSP 2 floating around the UK for a while now, but they haven’t spoken with anyone who’s seen a finished case. And, apparently the PSP 2 is “powerful.” According to a source, the handheld gaming unit is powered by a four-core Cell CPU (for comparison, the PS3 runs on an eight-core variation). And finally, when asked about an official release, it seems that Sony could be aiming for a Tokyo Game Show or Gamescom presentation. It seems the PSP 2 is the real deal, if these collected rumors do indeed divulge the truth in some variation or another, and hopefully Sony comes clean on it soon.
While that would probably be enough for avid meeting attendees, Livescribe are looking to extend the usefulness of the Echo by including an app store. Accessed via the Livescribe Desktop app, with software synchronized over to the Echo via microUSB connection, it turns the Smartpen into a translation tool, a musical instrument or anything else developers can come up with via the free SDK. Unsurprisingly it’s the language apps that are most obviously useful; a dictionary app, for instance, shows definitions of your handwritten word on the OLED screen, while various translation apps can automatically convert your handwritten notes into other languages. Of course, developers are also coming up with more unusual software, so you can sketch out strings or staves and play your notepad as a guitar or piano, convert currency or even play games like Sudoku.
