New PSP hits store shelves

There’s a new PSP on store shelves.

The redesigned hand-held game is 33 percent lighter, 19 percent slimmer and loads games faster. Sony has sold more than 26 million PSPs since they were introduced in March 2005.

I can tell you the new unit is much better than its predecessor. It’s easier to use, and your hands don’t fatigue as fast while holding and playing it.

You can get the new $169 unit in black, silver or white. The best thing is, you can buy a new component cable to play your new PSP on your television.

I loved the new unit and so did my kids, Khamani, 3, and Trey, 7. They barely let me play anything. The kids liked how the new game was easier to hold, and Khamani kept going on about how it looked better than the old one (my test unit was silver).

A new video out jack, which allows you to output to your TV, sends games at 480x272 resolution. It’s not exactly PlayStation 2 quality, but it’s better than you might think. You can output movies and videos in full standard definition (think non-HDTV channels on the digital tier of cable).

A few other features:

 The new silver unit comes bundled with the game “Daxter,” a TV show and a 1-gigabyte memory stick for $199. Another pack includes the white PSP with a silk-screened image of Darth Vader on the back. The PSP exclusive “Star Wars Battlefront” game also comes with the pack, for $199.

 The new system includes six months of complimentary wireless access at more than 7,000 T-Mobile HotSpot locations throughout the country, including most Starbucks.

 Remote play allows PSP users to access photos, music, and non-game video from their PlayStation 3’s hard drive anywhere using a Wi-Fi connection.

 PSP users can also access RSS feeds from Web sites or transfer programs from their TiVo to watch on the go (provided you have TiVoToGo software)

7 days, $300 million for ‘Halo 3’

“Halo 3” generated more than $300 million in sales in its first week on the market, according to Microsoft, which released the game Sept. 25. That makes it the fastest-selling video game ever. The game has also accelerated sales of Xbox 360, the only console you can play “Halo 3” on.

According to initial reports from retailers worldwide, Xbox 360 console sales have nearly tripled compared with the weekly average before the launch of the new game.

More than 2.7 million gamers played “Halo 3” on Xbox Live in the first week, representing nearly one-third of the 7 million Xbox Live members worldwide.

News N NotesWorld-reknowned gamer Rafik “LoSt-CaUzE” Bryant has been wearing noise-canceling headphones from Able Planet to win gaming championships.

He just released a new line of headphones that eliminate external noise distractions and protect his hearing by providing full sound at lower volumes.

 ESPN and Electronic Arts will air the season premiere of the “Madden Nation” reality series at 11 p.m. Tuesday Oct. 9 on ESPN2. It repeats often on the ESPN family of networks.

The eight-episode series pits the nation’s top 13 “Madden NFL 08” gamers – each representing a real-life NFL player sponsor – against each other in elimination-style tournaments. NFL stars Matt Leinart, Larry Johnson and Steven Jackson will be among the players featured during the gamers’ nine-city bus tour.

 Xbox 360 gamers will be able to buy pink and blue controllers this holiday season for $49.99 each. These are in addition to the black and white controllers currently available.

All Xbox 360 wireless controllers also use optimized technology that allows users to wirelessly maneuver within a range of 30 feet. Two AA batteries provide 30 hours of uninterrupted gaming.