Sony sells over 1 million PS4s on US launch day

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

On Sunday US time, Sony announced that in the first day of sales for the PlayStation 4, over 1 million units had been sold. The company didn't share any info on how many of those sales were pre-orders, though. The launch, at midnight on Thursday in the US, sawlong lines of fans eager to get their hands on Sony's latest console.

Where stock is available, sales are continuing. Depending on the area, a PlayStation 4 might be hard to find; ExtremeTech has reported potential buyers contacting 20 stores before finding one with the PS4 in stock, and Walmart's nationwide stock tracker is currently offline. Most previous game consoles have been limited by supply rather than demand on launch week, with manufacturers unable to maintain high levels of stock in the face of excessive customer demand.

In a statement, Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House said that the launch went to plan. "Sales remain very strong in North America, and we expect continued enthusiasm as we launch the PlayStation 4 in Europe and Latin America on November 29."

A small number of new console owners have experienced issues with their PlayStation 4s, with the "Blue Light of Death" appearing on some brand-new and almost-new devices. A Sony representative told IGN that the number of devices affected was in the region of 0.4 per cent of all launch day devices.

The PlayStation 4 launches in Australia next week, a week after Microsoft's imminent Xbox One.

Apple acquires Kinect company for US$345m

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

According to a report in the Hebrew business newspaper Calcalist, which did not cite any sources, Apple has finalised a deal to purchase the Israeli 3D sensor developer for US$345 million. In July, CNET reported that Apple was in discussions to purchase PrimeSense for US$280 million.

The Tel-Aviv-based PrimeSense is the company behind the Kinect sensor, introduced in 2010 for the Microsoft Xbox 360. The motion-sensing Kinect is capable of tracking up to six individuals at one time and can track two Xbox 360 players simultaneously, with analysis of up to 20 joints at once.

PrimeSense declined to comment when contacted by CNET, and Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

It's not clear what Apple might want with PrimeSense; it's possible that the technology may, in years to come, find its way into the long-rumoured Apple television. The 3D-sensing technology inside the Kinect is hugely powerful, has applications beyond just gameplay and could even be used to track customers inside Apple's retail stores.

Samsung's next Galaxy might have a wrap-around display

The current Samsung flagship, the Galaxy Round.
(Credit: Samsung)

According to Bloomberg, the next Galaxy innovation will be a screen that wraps around the two long edges of the phone, displaying messages and other information on the phone's bezel.

Sources that asked not to be identified said that the phone would use an upgraded variant of the Samsung Youm curved OLED display used in the Galaxy Round and would likely be released in the second half of 2014.

It might be a new Galaxy S or Galaxy Note handset or might debut as an entirely new sub-brand within Samsung's already large family of mobile devices. It's also possible that the new phone will only be released in Samsung's home country of South Korea, like the Galaxy Round.

The flexible display of the new phone, like that of the Galaxy Round, is only flexible in a manufacturing sense; the screen on the Galaxy Round, for example, is fixed in place, but the design of the OLED sheet makes it bendable without placing stress on the display.

Whatever the construction of the phone, it's obvious that having a display on its edges will be a point of difference for buyers. Whether apps effectively use that unique feature remains to be seen.

Samsung's arch-nemesis Apple is apparently joining the curved display race as well; another Bloomberg report has revealed that two phones, with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays, are in the works.

New NOkia with Bluetooth

The Nokia Lumia 1020.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Bluetooth Low Energy is a connection standard used by newer low-power accessories, such as smart watches, heart rate monitors and personal activity trackers. The wireless chipset in every Windows Phone 8 Nokia Lumia supports the tech, but Nokia hasn't enabled it just yet.

With the most recent Amber update, Nokia switched on Bluetooth 4.0 LE support for the Lumia 520, 620, 625 and 720, and the upcoming Black update will extend the support to the entire Windows Phone 8 Lumia family. It's likely that Bluetooth LE will be available from launch in any future Nokia Lumia devices, like the 1520 and 2520.

There's no set date for the Nokia Black update's release just yet, though. According to The Verge, Black will add a few other features, including a customisable lock screen that can show more notifications.

PS4 buyers reporting 'Blue Light of Death' out of the box

(Credit: Sony)

The PlayStation 4 is not off to a strong start. A number of users who purchased the console after its Friday launch in the US have been reporting via Amazon reviews, PlayStation forum posts, Twitter and YouTube that their new units are booting up with the "Blue Light of Death" (BLoD) — a pulsing blue light that indicates the console has bricked itself.

According to the Amazon reviews, the BLoD either occurred straight out of the box or while the console was in use. "Just like everyone else who ordered a PS4, I have one dead right out of the box. Blinking blue light, nothing on screen," reported baldmessiah, while Okpaisesaid, "Purchased from Amazon. Started to set up, but during the update download, the system went dark and never recovered." Jake Zula said, "Unfortunately, I'm among the unlucky ones whose PS4 is bricked. At least I got to play it for a few hours first."

At time of writing, 563 of the 1966 user reviews on Amazon are showing one star, most related to the BLoD: over 25 per cent. This does not mean that 25 per cent of consoles have been affected, unhappy users are more likely to leave feedback than happy users, but it does seem to indicate that Sony's projected failure rate of 0.4 per cent was overly optimistic.

Sony has issued a step-by-step troubleshooting guide on the PlayStation forum, but there are no guarantees that it will work, and users are also reporting a hard time getting on to Sony PlayStation support to try to fix the issue.

CNET Australia has contacted Sony for comment and will update this story if we receive more information. We're not holding our breath — the company has so far not responded to requests for comment from other media outlets.

Even if the number of affected users is very small, this is not a good look for Sony — nor an auspicious beginning for the console, which won the hearts of gamers with its marketing campaign dissing the Xbox One.

The PlayStation 4 is due to launch in Australia on 29 November. Here's hoping Sony can issue a fix before then

"I didn’t like what Blatter did with Cristiano Ronaldo

MIGUEL ÁNGEL LARA 11/18/2013

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Pedro has become a key member of Vicente del Bosque’s team. Upon his arrival in South Africa, the forward relived everything had he felt when he won the World Cup.

Question: Four years on and nobody can deny that Spain is favourite to win the World Cup.
Answer: We are the reigning champions, it’s true, but there are some great teams, starting, as we saw at the Confederations Cup, with Brazil.

Q: During those four years Pedro has gone from being a super sub to becoming a key member of Del Bosque’s team.
A: I don’t know if I’m first-choice, although it is true that I’ve had more opportunities and that Vicente has more faith in me now. My goal is to continue progressing and helping the national team.

Q: What can Diego Costa bring to the Spanish national team?
A: He’s a player who runs well into space, scores goals, brings the ball down well and holds it up until his teammates arrive from deep... All of that could be good for us.

Q: How do you explain that Pedro is more important for Spain than for Barça?
A: I really don’t know. That’s just the way things are. I have to remain patient at Barça until I find my place in the side.

Q: That won’t be easy with Neymar, Messi, Alexis, Cesc and co. in the team.
A: Of course not, but that’s what I train for, to find my place in the team.

Q: Have you ever considered leaving Barcelona for fear of missing out on the World Cup?
A: I’ve never thought about leaving. Right now, my head is fully focussed on Barcelona. It’s true that you sometimes worry because there’s a World Cup on the horizon and you want to arrive in tip-top condition

Q: So we can rule out you leaving in January?
A: I’m very happy at Barcelona and I don’t intend to leave, especially right now. I want to help out and stay for many years.

Q: Who do you see winning the Ballon d’Or?
A: I don’t know. It’s a tough one, but hopefully Messi will win because he’s my teammate and because, in my opinion, he’s the best in the world.

Q: As a footballer: were you annoyed by what Blatter did?
A: I didn’t like what he did, his behaviour was uncalled for. You have to be respectful. I understand that he has his preferences, which must also be respected, but what he did wasn’t right.

WHAT DOES THE BALLON D'OR REALLY MEASURE?

Its all about the gold

Every time this year the world of football turns its attention to the Ballon d'Or. Contenders arise, cases are plead and performances improve. All for the right to become the world's best player. But is that really what the award represents? For anyone who doesn't know the winner of the Ballon d'Or is determined by a democratic process in which the national team coaches and captains of FIFA's member associations as well as journalists vote on who they think deserves the award. This voting procedure is flawed in far too many ways. For starters this clearly shows that the award is a popularity contest instead of recognition of merit. Maybe some journalists can avoid bias, but the players and coaches certainly cannot. Personal preference and past experiences can certainly make a difference during the voting procedure. For example in 2012, Denmark captain Daniel Agger gave Andrea Pirlo five points, Andres Iniesta three points and Lionel Messi one point. Now I'm sure that Daniel doesn't really believe that Cristiano isn't even among the best. It might just be a Liverpool player making life difficult for an ex-United player or with the fact that Ronaldo is the reason why Denmark did not make it out of the group stages in Euro 2012. Not to mention the fact that all votes are made public. So even while voting, the voters have to keep in mind that their relationships with players might be affected. In every way possible the system is flawed. So why do we all give such attention to an imperfect system?

In FIFA's description of the Ballon d'Or they only speak of individual performance and not of team success. However many votes are lost and gained because people seem to think that trophies should make a difference. People are only considering Ribery as a possible contender because he was the best player in the best team. His individual statistics are far from those of Ronaldo and Messi.

You must all be thinking if not the Ballon d'Or then what? Well why not the European Golden Shoe? The European Golden shoe is a based on a points system. This not only determines the most affective player but also gives a chance to players in lower leagues. Goals, assists and many other statistics are all factored in the selection of the winner. This process not only avoids opinion and bias but also gives everyone an equal chance.

But nonetheless the world will once give importance to one player. Not the best player but the most "popular" player.