A new patent from Sony filed back in September 2006 found at the United States Patent and Trademark Office has indicated that they are developing a truly new control system. One of the ideas seems to be some kind of voice activation system whereby players use microphones with voice activation software to match you with a game character. Moreover there is more talk about GPS positioning in conjunction with speaker/microphone paradigm locators. The patents also reveal a focus on more complicated pressure sensitivity as well as a bio-feedback device which will function like a more advanced Wii remote for your head!

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Thanks to the wonderful public database of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, we've located an intriguing document filed by Sony back in September 2006. Buried within the interminable bureaucratic wordage are two high-potential projects: Voice-active consoles and pressure-sensitive buttons.

Voice-active consoles? The intention seems to be to use microphones housed on a console with voice-recognition software, for actions like analysing your voice to match you with a game's character, or recalling your personal config settings at the sound of your voice. There's even a suggestion that noise-making gizmos could be packaged in cereal boxes, with the specific noise they make triggering an unlockable item in-game.

Then there's some crazy talk about GPS positioning and speaker/microphone paradigm locators. But we can't say we really understood what it meant.

As for pressure-sensitive buttons, it's not exactly a new idea. The Dual Shock 2's buttons were somewhat analogue - ever noticed you could rev slowly in GT3 using the X button? But Sony's new technology idea would create buttons that, according to the patent, have three distinct stages of input. And it would also work with the D-pad, giving us a viable alternative to using occasionally squiffy analogue sticks. Or, as above, in a dance mat-ish thing.

Today, Moixa Energy issued a press release which signalled their intent to capture some of the gaming crowd for their AA rechargeable batteries known as USBCELL. The unique batteries are like no other and have an integrated USB connector which allows you to recharge the batteries just by plugging them into any available USB port. They are pushing abilities such as being able to swap and play all day as you can plug in one set of batteries into your PS3 console while the others are being used in your controller (some non official controllers use AA batteries). Hopefully they won't result in the RRoD on your 360 as their following promotional shot shows...

PRESS RELEASE: The USBCELL is the latest must have PS3 accessory

Have you ever been playing your favourite console game on the PS3…got to the highest level you have ever achieved and then your controller runs out of power allowing the zombie to eat you, ending your personal triumph… frustrating uh?! Well, punch the pillow in anger no more – Moixa’s USBCELL AA rechargeable batteries are the perfect way for you to keep your controller powered up from the start to the gory end!

The USBCELL features a unique design, where you pull off the cap to reveal a USB plug. Simply insert into any USB port to recharge them, the PS3 has 4 USB ports on the front panel, this means you can plug one set in to your controller whilst the other charges in the USB ports of your PS3 console allowing you to swap and play….all day! The USBCELLs are also ideal for the Xbox360 and Nintendo Wii, so let the only frustration of gaming be virtual!

The USBCELL is also great news for the environment, directly reducing the wasteful consumption of single-use batteries, so you can help save the planet literally whilst doing the same virtually. Each USBCELL saves approx 7KG of CO2 being emitted and 3KG of toxic waste being thrown into landfill.

Over 15 billion batteries are made and thrown away each year – equivalent to a column of batteries to the moon and back - causing significant CO2/Resource waste in manufacture and toxic landfill. USBCELL offers consumers a better choice – a battery that can be recharged anywhere from a USB port, without the need of finding or carrying cables and adaptors.

The UK government has responded to an online petition which was created after Manunt 2 was banned by the BBFC. The response denotes that the Government is happy with BBFC's prcoedures and will not be intervening in the process. It was also noted that there is an appeals procedure of which the developers are currently pursuing.

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The UK government has finally responded to an online petition filed after Manhunt 2 was banned by the BBFC.

"The Government is satisfied with the BBFC's procedure and with the provisions for appeal, and will not be intervening in this process," said a statement on the Prime Minister's website.

The government statement referenced the BBFC's guidelines and noted that it "uses its powers to reject works extremely rarely." It also noted that there is an appeals procedure "which the game's producers are apparently pursuing."

Gamespot has announced that a rumble enabled Dual Shock 3 controller is definitely coming as they have learned this from a source close to Sony. The new controller is scheduled to be released in the 'coming months' but Sony executives are still debating whether to announce it at TGS or not.

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Bogus or not bogus?: Not bogus that a rumble-enabled Dual Shock 3 is coming. GameSpot has learned from a source close to Sony that the company is definitely working on a force-feedback-equipped controller for release in the "coming months." However, as of press time, Sony higher-ups were still apparently debating whether or not to unveil the device at TGS--though a less appropriate venue doesn't spring to mind. It was also unclear if the Dual Shock 3 would have the Sixaxis' tilt-sensing technology, or whether the functionality had been abandoned altogether.

Another hint that there will be a Final Fantasy VII remake. Within Crisis Core's limited edition bundle, an included mini book shows images from Final Fantasy VII's technical demo and denotes "We hope to meet Final Fantasy VII AGAIN."

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Yet another hint to a Final Fantasy VII remake: Inside Crisis Core's limited edition bundle there is a mini-book that features images from Final Fantasy VII's technical demo and the following text:
"We hope to meet Final Fantasy VII AGAIN!"

Does that mean a remake is coming? Perhaps Square Enix will finally answer the question at TGS 2007.

Get it sorted Microsoft! A gaming journalist received his refurbished Xbox 360 back from Microsoft and within 5 minutes the system died again. The guy didn't do anything special, he just turned it on as he usually does and within 5 minutes his system was dead again and now in need of more surgery from Microsoft's repair department.

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Everyone has commended Microsoft for extending their warranty service to the unfortunate individuals that have experienced the dreaded Red Ring of Death. While everyone admits that they should have fixed the problem a long time ago, it’s a step in the right direction. However, what happens when they send your Xbox 360 back to you and you fire it up for the first time? Kotaku Editor Brian Ashcraft got to experience it first hand.

That picture you see isn’t from the console before he sent it in. This is what happened roughly 5 minutes after he plugged in his refurbished console. No, he wasn’t playing it while sitting in a sauna, nor did he set it next to the stove while preparing a lavish meal. He just set it underneath his TV on the stand and plugged it in. He gets the welcome screen, but then his controllers won’t sync with it. Next thing he knows, his screen is black, and well, see the above pic.

Winamp has released its 10th anniversay edition which is now being groomed as a serious threat to iTunes. It can now organize and sync music to an iPod just like iTunes can but it also features loads of other new features including a remote mode that allows you to stream music and videos from a computer to any other computer including a Wii or cellphone which reportedly runs smoothly and is easy to use.

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The Winamp media player app, used by 62 million people last month, will be 10 years old next month, having since become part of AOL when Justin Frankel sold Nullsoft in 1999, dipped in popularity when Apple released iTunes in 2001, and since become more popular than iTunes outside the United States, according to Matt Callaway and Sam Weber, the product and business directors for AOL's Winamp and Shoutcast products.

Winamp can play, organize, and sync your (unDRM-ed) music to an iPod just like iTunes can. But the new the 10th anniversary version has a bunch of other new tricks up its sleeve that could attract lots of Windows iTunes users:

- The Winamp Remote feature allows you to stream the music and videos on your home computer to any other computer, a Nintendo Wii, or a cellphone, simply by leaving your home computer on and logging in to winamp.com/remote (iTunes, on the other hand, only lets you stream to computers on your local nework). I demoed Winamp Remote on a Wii and found it ran smoothly, with an easy-to-learn interface.

The chairman of the Blu-ray disc association has slammed HD-DVD's announcement of a triple layered 51GB HD-DVD as nothing more than a publicity stunt. He commented that the HD-DVD camp is in a reactive mood, and that a tripe player disc should reach 45GB and not 51GB (obviously that is 1GB more than double-sided Blu-ray). Secondly, he stated that BD 50GB production has been going on for a while and he has heard nothing from the HD DVD production lines.

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"I'm not surprised at all," he told us. "But we believe they are very much in a reactive mood. Based on their format one would expect that a triple layer disc is three times a HD DVD single layer adding up to 45 GB. Now suddenly they change it to 51GB for promotional reasons.


Simonis also said that the BDA is dubious as to whether existing HD DVD players will be able to read these new 3-layer discs which have 2GB per layer more than the original format.

"You better ask them," he said, "I question it, however, very much."

Tech.co.uk asked Simonis whether the 51GB HD DVD disc proposal is a threat to the Blu-ray format which has a maximum dual-layer capacity of 50GB.

"BD 50GB production is running already for some time on high volume with a two layer concept. There are currently lots of companies producing BD products compatible with 50GB capacity. No news yet from the HD DVD production lines."