Sony confirms NGP will run PSP games

Amid Sony's NGP-related announcements, the company has confirmed that its upcoming handheld will be compatible with PSP titles. Backward compatibility will be limited to digital releases available in the PlayStation Network, though the hardware differences will require many games to be reconfigured for the NGP's input options.

The NGP will integrate a software emulator that is capable of upscaling and smoothing the original game for the higher-resolution screen. Users will be able to turn off the upscaling feature if they prefer the PSP's presentation.
SCE's Bend Studio has reportedly demonstrated the emulator using the PSP title Resistance: Retribution. The emulator adaptation utilizes one of the NGP's analog sticks to control the character view.

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Sony confirms NGP will run PSP games

Amid Sony's NGP-related announcements, the company has confirmed that its upcoming handheld will be compatible with PSP titles. Backward compatibility will be limited to digital releases available in the PlayStation Network, though the hardware differences will require many games to be reconfigured for the NGP's input options.

The NGP will integrate a software emulator that is capable of upscaling and smoothing the original game for the higher-resolution screen. Users will be able to turn off the upscaling feature if they prefer the PSP's presentation.
SCE's Bend Studio has reportedly demonstrated the emulator using the PSP title Resistance: Retribution. The emulator adaptation utilizes one of the NGP's analog sticks to control the character view.

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Samsung confirms Android 2.3 updates for Galaxy S, Tab

Samsung after a false start last month has officially started rolling out Android 2.3 updates for virtually all of its Galaxy devices. Every Galaxy S phone, the Galaxy Tab, and its budget Galaxy mix should all get the extra performance and user interface updates, including copy-and-paste text. The update is being pitched as especially helpful for 3D games and media playback, likely due to the much improved OpenGL graphics.

Initial upgrades will focus on the Galaxy S in Nordic countries and the UK starting sometime this week. Samsung plans a gradual rollout to the rest of the world, including North America, but didn't say when or how universally beyond mentioning a "regional plan." Upgrades for the Galaxy Tab as well as the Ace, Fit, Gio, and Mini also weren't mentioned. Some users still report updates already heading out on the Galaxy Tab, however, and may leave only a short wait.

All updates on the older phones still need to go through Samsung's Kies app for PCs.

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ASUS confirms Eee Pad Transformer shortage, cites demand

ASUS partly confirmed rumors of Eee Pad Transformer shortages on Friday through a statement from spokesman David Chang. He didn't acknowledge talk of just 10,000 of the Android 3.0 tablets shipping in April but anticipated that it would take at least a month to get back on track, with 100,000 in May and 200,000 in June. There would be a "significant alleviation" of shortages by June, Chang told NetbookNews, two months after it went on sale.

The representative wouldn't touch on beliefs that the shortage had been caused by Apple's supply demands for the iPad 2 cutting into ASUS' supply. He instead argued that demand for the Transformer was exceeding predictions "by far." While the tablet is available worldwide, US distributors have cast doubt on claims of sheer interest since retailers didn't receive promised stock to gauge supply.

The 300,000-plus sales would still give ASUS a rare win in the mobile space over some of its competitors. While still just a small fraction of what Apple sells, the number would eclipse the 250,000 Xooms Motorola shipped in the winter. Depending on Motorola's performance in the spring, the Eee Pad Transformer could be the most popular Android 3.0 tablet. Samsung's Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1 may be popular but aren't shipping until early June.

The Transformer has earned much of its reputation through offering relatively high quality but for just $400 in a 16GB edition, $200 less than the 32GB-only Xoom and $100 less than a 16GB iPad 2. Its signature trick is an optional keyboard dock that also supplies a trackpad and a second battery that boosts it to 16 hours of use.

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Android engineer confirms Ice Cream Sandwich as next version

Google's first post-3.0 (Honeycomb) release of Android was given a formal name this weekend after an e-mail from Android engineer Romain Guy. A response to an outstanding bug promised that it would be fixed "in Ice Cream Sandwich." The name had surfaced in rumors, but until the Droid-Life copy had just been named Ice Cream by Google or nothing at all.

The OS had already been confirmed by Google as the first to bring some of Honeycomb's features to phones and other devices smaller than tablets. Little else has been mentioned of what Ice Cream Sandwich would do.

Google is rumored to have already made the OS code complete and ready to show at the Google I/O conference next week. With the exception of the Nexus S and possibly the Nexus One, however, it might not show on production hardware until significantly later. Most phone makers have yet to upgrade hardware to Android 2.3.

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