Multiple personalities

The annual SMS-based Nokia Game has morphed this year into 20 Lives, in which the Big N promises the "unique opportunity of stepping into somebody else's shoes - not only once, or twice, but 20 times".

Registration for the game opened this week but it doesn't start until September 21. Running over 25 days, this won't be the usual mix of slight puzzles and quirky messages but some kind of role-playing malarkey. However, judging by the hyperactive promo video sent to the media - featuring an over-caffeinated US TV salesman - it could be a deeply nauseating piece of schlock. Or a media-savvy parody. Your guess is as good as mine.

Sign up if you dare at 20 Lives.

In love with the PSP

In today's paper, read a glowing review of Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP to the cognescenti), which launches officially on Thursday (if you can find any left in the shops, that is).

The central point is that, yes, the €255 PSP has tremendous potential as a games machine (the launch titles are a mixed bag but there's precious little innovation and most are ports of old games).

But ignore the other capabilities of PSP at your peril. The big (4.3-inch) screen is practically lickable it's so crisp. Most notably it's the video-playing capabilities which have the potential to be hugely popular, if you're prepared to put in the effort to get clips on to the machine. Ripping your own DVDs is, stupidly, illegal but actually a good source. Then there's a mountain of TV stuff, etc, on BitTorrent. Sony's US PSP site (and presumably from launch day the European equivalent) hosts a small bit of freely downloadable content such as movie trailers and game clips.

Caveat: you'll have to buy a phat Memory Stick (1GB = about €150) to take advantage of this brave new world of portable video play. Trust me, it's worth it.

Of the actual games, Ridge Racer and WipEout Pure are ready-baked classics. Everybody's Golf will grip the less-frantic gamer. Medievil: Resurrection has potential but pisses it away with aimless combat and a drunken camera. Check back next week for more launch-day title reviews.

For the discerning geek, the PSP is a must-have. The battery life is perfectly acceptable at about six hours, the wireless (internet and multiplayer) features open up huge possibilities and TV on the bus is much better than you'd imagine. For my money, the PSP is a thoroughbred winner.

Booting up...

Hols over (sigh), back to the grindstone. The normal, infrequent, inconsistent service resumes here ...

No fudge from Fuji

In today's paper, read about the latest in a long line of style-obsessed compact digital cameras. But the Z1, from Fuji, counts for more than its retro-chic black/silver duds. Sure, it looks great but just as important are the smart brains inside which assist in capturing stunning pictures. Low light, no light or bright light, the Z1 adapts admirably.

Also reviewed is the black edition of Motorola's best-selling moby and celeb phone de jour, the Razr V3. The darker casing adds a new twist to this ultra-thin handset and for that alone it's worth considering. But Moto has failed to update its innards and its technology is more trailing edge than bleeding edge.

Little black number

In today's paper, read about Motorola's new 3G phone, the V1050. It's dressed in sleek black, comes with a big, bright display, loud speakerphone and handles Vodafone's 3G functions with aplomb. Though far from perfect (lack of Bluetooth and poxy camera being the chief offenders), the V1050 is a good introduction to the world of 3G (costing as little as €30 with a hefty contract from the Carphone Warehouse).

There's also a quick look at Nokia's XpressPrint software (so far built into just the 6680), which enables phones to print directly to compatible printers - e-mails, notes, photos, the works.

In games, big movie tie-in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (PS2, Xbox, et al) is a damp squib. Starts well but quickly turns rancid. But Halo 2: Multiplayer Map Pack (Xbox only) is a great collection of expansions for the seminal FPS - but just beware: all the content in it will be available for free download within weeks over Xbox Live.

Going dark...

Log On is shutting down for the holidays, bar the odd update about the (pre-prepared!) columns in the paper. Normal service resumes late in the month...

Allow me to crow

You know, I really hate doing this but ... I've got my PSP and you haven't, na, na, na, na, na. Sorry, had to be done, etc.

After weeks (no, months) of badgering Sony PlayStation Ireland, they finally came up trumps (thanks, Maryse!) with a reviewer's model of the handheld everyone wants.

First impressions: it's terrific. Didn't actually spend long playing games (though Ridge Racer was soul-suckingly addictive) and occupied myself instead working through the ins and outs of getting music and video on board.

Sony certainly doesn't make it easy but the effort is worth it to watch TV on that fabulous four-inch screen (yes, it sounds pants but trust me, it's not). Take my advice: pre-book yours now, it will sell out on day one. And for good measure, find a 1GB Memory Stick Duo to make room for all that lovely multimedia.

It won't replace an iPod for music but soon buses and trains will be filled with hunched geeks watching downloaded telly. The PSP launches Europe-wide on September 1.

Mixed picture

In today's paper, read a review of Epson's PictureMate 500, an upgrade of the original one-trick pony - albeit a very good trick, 6x4 prints made easy. The €280 newcomer adds a nice colour LCD for previewing images but, curiously, the picture quality is less than stellar.

It's bettered by Dell's €160 Photo Printer 540, reviewed recently, though the cost per print is lower in the Epson.

There's also a look at Motorola's €90 HS850 Bluetooth headset, which is remarkable for the speed with which it pairs to a phone and its long battery life.

In games, Killer7 (PS2) is guaranteed to polarise opinions into "what a pile of shite" and "oh wow, this, like, better than drugs, maaan". Suffice to say, it's an acquired taste but fans of David Lynch or Salvador Dali will appreciate it. The verdict on Fantantic Four (PS2/Xbox) is likely to be more unanimous: "meh".

Filtering Flickr

Community photo site Flickr has added a new dimension to its catalogue of amateur snaps: "interestingness". It's loosely defined as a photo which garners a lot of clickthroughs or just attracts loads of comments.

The result is a constantly updated selection of eclectic but always fascinating and high-quality images. Browse by most recent or flick through a calendar of several months of accumulated "interestingness".

WiFi Corked

Having been edged out of the race to provide exclusive WiFi access at Dublin Airport, BT (oops, nearly typed Esat there for a minute) has wired up Cork Airport for wireless internet. BT now has more than 250 sites around Ireland, second behind Eircom if you count all the big E's phonebox hotspots.

Much of the evidence worldwide (and now in Ireland) suggests, though, that paid-for WiFi access is doomed to die a slow death in the face of free internet offered by many businesses as a value-added service.

Pumping Xbox Live

Having tried with some success to drive subscriptions to Xbox Live by offering two months of the service free with several key titles, MS is now taking the reverse approach with similar goals.

Take out a 12-month subscription to Live and you can choose one of three free Xbox games: Forza Motorsport, Conker: Live and Reloaded and Dead or Alive Ultimate. The pick of the bunch is Forza (much better than Gran Turismo), with Conker being the dud of the litter. The offer ends on August 31.

One, two, Three, go

In today's paper, read an overview of new mobile network Three's launch, where they promised to shake up the market with acutely priced tariffs and lots of free content. The handsets are so-so but the prices (for 3G at least) are sensational, particularly because they include large bundles of minutes but, almost as importantly, most of the 3G multimedia stuff (Premiership goals, music video clips, etc) are free to download, without limits.

This contrasts rather starkly with the arm-and-a-leg approach by Vodafone whose 3G tariffs are off the scale in comparison.

But only a full test of Three's service will tell the full tale (is it fast? is there interoperability with Vodafone on videocalls? is the quality of clips as good or varied as Voda? is the 3G coverage just as ropey?). Watch this space.

The column also brings new details of the launch of the PlayStation Portable on September 1, including the dedicated new site which is just up and running with tasty titbits.