Ceatec 2009 sees Sony Vaio, Walkman, Reader get OLED treatment

CHIBA, JAPAN--Perhaps to distract from the fact that it has no organic light-emitting diode TV on display here at Ceatec 2009, Sony is instead showing off conceptual uses for its flexible OLED technology.

Mind you, these are just prototypes, nothing even close to a real product, like the XEL-1 TV that Sony actually sells but is notably absent from its booth here. But the ways the company is thinking of perhaps using its flexible display tech are certainly cool.

Take the dual OLED screen Vaio notebook. It features the 0.2mm OLED on both the screen and keyboard area. It's not a functioning prototype, though, so it doesn't do much besides sit in a plexiglass case and look pretty.
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Palm Pre hacks into iTunes again

Palm was warned very recently by the industry body that regulates the use of USB connections that it was not allowed to trick computers into thinking its products were made by another company when connecting via USB. It has ignored this warning and once again updated its Pre smart phone to allow it to hack into Apple's iTunes.

The Palm Pre goes on sale in the UK on 16 October. One of its biggest selling points for music fans is it works like an iPod when connected to iTunes. The problem is, it does this by telling iTunes it's an Apple iPod. It isn't, and the two companies have been in a spat over the issue for months in the US.

The USB-IF--USB standards group--told Palm in a letter last month that it "may only use the single Vendor ID issued to Palm for Palm's usage. Usage of any other company's Vendor ID is specifically precluded. Palm's expressed intent to use Apple's ID appears to violate the [USB-IF's] policy."
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Samsung announces the M1 and R1 "Beat" MP3 players for Singapore

The Samsung YP-R1, at least from the pictures, looks like a slimmed-down version of the YP-P3, measuring just 8.9mm thin. It is touted as the world's first DivX-certified MP3 player and comes with a 2.6-inch touchscreen and TV output (via USB). Available in only 8GB capacity, the Samsung YP-R1 is offered in black or silver (no pink, sadly) at a recommended retail of S$299 (US$214.41).

The R1's bigger brother, the YP-M1, is made from scratch-resistant metal. It features a 3.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen, DNSe sound enhancements, a microSD slot that supports up to 16GB capacity, built-in stereo speakers and Bluetooth capabilities. It also promises smooth HD video playback of up to 720p. It will be available with either 8GB or 16GB of internal storage capacity. The 32GB version we first saw on Samsung's Korean Web site will not be available in Singapore. The YP-M1 is slated for December, in only one color--black. We'll keep you updated with availability in Asia as well as the pricing for the music player.

Kelvin Low is CNET Asia's freelance writer for Music & Play. When he's not fiddling with gadgets or setting up new PC rigs, he can be found hitting the dirt tracks on his mountain bike. Kelvin is currently studying mass communications at Temasek Polytechnic in Singapore. Email Kelvin.

Sony's PSPgo firmware updated, new titles added

One of our biggest complaints about the PSPgo seems to be partially addressed today as the portable console officially goes on sale. Sony has updated the go's firmware to 6.10, which introduces a new PlayStation Store interface and access to a much larger portion of original PSP games.

While the selection of games is still nowhere near complete, some notable titles added today are God of War: Chains of Olympus, Madden NFL 10, Gran Turismo, and MotorStorm: Arctic Edge. (Note: Some game titles may be available only in selected regions.) Also hitting the store today are PSP Minis, smaller, less-expensive download-only games that range in price from US$5 to US$10.
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High-end Focal XS iPod dock lands in Singapore

Focal is a French company which specializes in home theater sound, automotive audio and professional monitor speakers. The Focal XS is its latest hi-fi accessory for the iPod to land in Singapore.

Retailing at the jaw-dropping price of S$899 (US$644.68), the Focal XS is capable of delivering 2 x 30W of power for the speakers and 70W for the subwoofer. Beneath the black and anodized aluminum finishing, the satellite speakers house a two-way driver arrangement that consists of a 19mm tweeter and a 8cm driver, while the subwoofer contains the amplifiers and a 16.5cm driver.
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