There are numerous emulators for the original Sony PlayStation available on the Web these days, and it looks like it won't be long before iPhone and iPod touch users will be able to enjoy some good old PlayStation action on their respective Apple gadgets. More at the full article.

Greenpeace has released their "Guide to Greener Electronics" which scores the 18 top manufacturers of gadgets and devices according to their policies on toxic chemicals and recycling.

Apple, which was under Greenpeace's black books for the iPhone, got a better score this time around. Among the three console manufacturers, Sony scored the best. Microsoft was third to the last and Nintendo was in last place (because both are new entries to the guide).

CNET has just released the poll results for their top 20 most wanted products for the week ending October 28. And from the looks of it, Microsoft's getting a pick-me-up as their upcoming Zune 2 media player pulls ahead of the Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3 to first place. From an ugly duckling to a swan, indeed.

Getting into specifics, the Zune 2.0 player (available only in black) will carry a new iPod-style Zune pad, a 3.2-inch screen, and a set of downloadable features that are expected to be available come this fall. And while Sony has already made plans to phase out their 60 GB PlayStation 3 by the end of this year, the polls indicate that it's still on shoppers' wish lists at third place.

Other notables we spied in the list were the Apple iPhone, which got fifth place, and the recently released black PSP Slim, which was at eleventh place.

An undercover reported investigated Apple's retail stores, and what did he find? Every little detail that Apple Store customers have experienced for the first time, too, it seems. As a matter of fact, Alex Frankel, the reporter who has spent two years undercover as trainee for the front line retail of several companies, has described the same sense of passion and will to share information that you may have felt from your previous encounters with Apple Store sales personnel.

According to Frankel, it was apparent that from day one, Apple was serious about selecting Apple-inclined employees (if not already huge fans) to man its retail stores nationwide. "Apple is surely a rare bird--few companies have such a broad and committed following, let alone frontline employees who revere its CEO," wrote Frankel.

With that said, Apple's sales process was all about customer approach, though most of the time, Frankel found that they didn't seem to be working hard in selling. "At an Apple Store, workers don't seem to be selling (or working) too hard, just hanging out and dispensing information," he added.

There's actually a three-step process involved, and it required understanding the customers needs (position), getting permission to ask finer details of the customers needs (permission), and continuing to dive into the available products and what satisfied the customer best (probe). And it actually sells. A lot.

Frankel further explained:

And that moves a ridiculous amount of goods: Apple employees help sell $4,000 worth of product per square foot per month. When employees become sharers of information, instead of sellers of products, customers respond.

He also added that the orientation treatment regarded them as responsible adults and didn't begin with programs that belittled first-time employees.

It was reported earlier that New York Times recommended Apple's way of sales for Sony's own retail outlets.

If you've ever been told off by your teacher for bringing your handheld gaming device to school, then you probably should try studying in the UK. RedHalo is a new company which offers a "free, ultra-secure, Personal Learning Space" that they can use for schoolwork on handhelds and home games consoles.

The new service was discussed during the recent Handheld Learning Conference in London. It basically allows access from any gaming devices capable of connecting to the 'Net such as Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, and Sony PSP, or even smartphones, iPhones, PDAs, and UMPCs.

However, it isn't all fun and games. Neil Critchell, Technical Director for RedHalo, explains that this is an experimental type of learning through a controlled environment, monitored by teachers. Since just about every kid owns a handheld or a mobile device of some sort, accessibility won't be much of a problem when learning through this service.

The free, basic package included in the RedHalo Platform edition offers up to 1GB of Personal Learning Space and can be upgraded to 5GB on the Pro Edition for a small annual fee. It also provides additional security features and bundled software for either Windows Mobile, XP, or Vista-based devices.

Tim Chaney, former boss of Virgin Interactive and Director at RedHalo Ltd., had this to about the new project:

We are pleased to be at the leading edge of the learning while mobile movement and establish a standard that will help learners and educators, as well as publishers and developers who will build upon our platform. Our mission is to make learning personal and universally accessible; this announcement takes us a step closer.

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) Associate Producer Ryan Hamlyn sent out word over at the official PlayStation Blog that Lair fans can now purchase the game's official soundtrack on Apple's iTunes. All one has to do is type in "John Debney Lair" at the store and the listing should appear.

In case you haven't heard yet, the soundtrack for Lair was recently nominated for Best Original Score in the Video Game Awards sponsored by British Academy of Film and Television Arts or BAFTA. Hamlyn shared that they are really proud with the game's music especially when played in the Concert Hall within the game's Extras.

"I think it's amazing how different the music sounds outside of the game setting and how well it works on its own, and yet how reminiscent of the game it is and how much it adds to the gameplay experience. Happy listening, and hope you enjoy," added Ryan Hamlyn.

The official Lair soundtrack costs US$ 9.99.

Headplay is probably every couch potato's dream. Imagine a TV. Now imagine being able to take it anywhere and everywhere you go (except perhaps in the shower), and being able to watch movies or play games on it anytime you want. That's the concept for the new "Personal Cinema System" device, Headplay.

Headplay is a head-mounted device; basically, a TV you wear on your head. You can connect it to your gaming consoles, your DVD Player, your iPod, your PC, and maybe your Betamax player if it hasn't choked on dust yet. If it has a video out function, Headplay can most probably display it. You can also plug in a memory stick and Headplay can run the media files - movies, videos, and images - with its own built-in player.

Once you're behind the lenses of Headplay it's pretty easy to just relax and go dead to the world around you. It's nothing but you and the screen, with the stereo sounds blocking off everything else. It's like your own movie screen inside your living room.

To read the complete review of Headplay - what it is, what it does, how it plays on Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, and Nintendo' Wii on it - click on the link for the full article.

We finally have the latest version of the nifty app from Michael Descher, MyTunesRSS version 3.0.4. MyTunesRSS is a Java program that lets you access your iTunes library through a local network or through the Internet. The program uses a simple web interface that allows you to download songs, so it's easy to use. Since the program is based on Java, it can be run on any platform supporting Java 1.5, including the Sony PSP (if your PSP has the Java program).

The program allows you to download anywhere from a single song to playlists, and even to entire albums. The program is free but it has limitations. For EUR 15 (about US$ 21), you can unlock the full version. The locked version will only be able to access one computer at a time while the full version can run on multiple servers.

Users are encouraged to go through the Readme file before using the application. The complete changelog from the previous versions as well as the installation instructions can be viewed on the Codewave Software site (just click on the Via link below). Make sure to read pertinent information first before installing these programs.

Thanks to PhoenixBh for the tip!

Download: [MyTunesRSS v3.0.4: platform independent]
Download: [MyTunesRSS v3.0.4: Windows OS]
Download: [MyTunesRSS v3.0.4: Mac OS]

Although not especially high in Epic Games' priority list, interconnected multiplayer sessions between PC mouse-twitchers and PlayStation 3 analog-fumblers may be more than a probability now. Next Generation has reported that IGN's GameSpy has just signed a licensing agreement with Epic Games.

 

As a result, GameSpy's online multiplayer technology will now be incorporated into Unreal Engine 3, permitting the connectivity of PC (and therefore, also Mac) gaming's online infrastructure with that of the PlayStation 3's open network infrastructure. Along with the interconnectivity features, additional online helper applications, which include communication, statistical, and competition tools, will follow.

But more importantly, the licensing of GameSpy tech will now allow all other UE3 licensees to cross the Mac-PC-PlayStation 3 gap. That's a list that includes Codemasters' Turning Point: Fall of Liberty and Ubisoft's Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway.

GameSpy now joins a slew of other companies in Epic Games' Integrated Partners Program, while offering the quick solution to Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3 networking capabilities. Director Todd Northcutt of GameSpy Technologies told Next Generation that Epic decided not to develop the engine's networking technology and searched for a third-party solution instead.

And yet the interconnectivity scenario continues to broaden. Despite the fact that Midway's Unreal Tournament III (Mac, PlayStation 3, Windows PC on DVD, Xbox 360) will not be supporting Microsoft's Live Anywhere initiative, GameSpy added that it would offer its own solution to bridge the Xbox 360, PC, Mac, and PlayStation 3 gap.

"We're huge believers in cross-platform play. It's something gamers would love to see, to be able to play with one unified community no matter what platform they're on. We certainly have the technology to make that happen," said Northcutt.

Now the only hurdle left is whether Sony and Microsoft would even agree to such a move.

Nintendo is having tremendous success with its handheld console, the DS, despite the fact that Sony's PlayStation Portable has been providing intense opposition. Given Nintendo's recent moves, it seems that the company is planning to delve deeper into the casual games arena, engaging Apple in the process.

Accordingly, Nintendo recently filed a patent that will bring the Wii's motion-sensing features to the handheld platform hinting that a new DS SKU is coming soon. More interestingly, analysts have said that a motion-sensitive DS is similar to Apple's motion-based accelerometer-enabled iPhone.

  

Apple has reportedly been preparing its library of games for the iPhone. Engadget.com Editorial Director Peter Rojas commented that "Apple is expected to make a gaming announcement soon by Macworld in January at the latest". AppleInsider.com Editor-In-Chief Kasper Jade added, "I was told that a major game developer was seeded with iPhone [technology] quite some time ago".

Some of you may comment that iPhone is not really a contender because it lacks buttons. But technology expert Seth Porges already has an answer to that, "If people could get over the lack of real buttons, the fact that the screen is multi-touch could be ideal for light gaming".

If all of these turn out to be true, then all we can say is that we are all in for a great war between titans Nintendo and Apple and we hope that the consumers will benefit from this in the end.