MicroTechXP

Back in the early stages of 2008, the gaming media seemed in agreement that this would be the year of the PlayStation 3. However, with delays to not only Home, but to in-game XMB and eventually Killzone 2, a lot of the faithful followers felt themselves doubting the authenticity of that expectation. Fast-forward a couple of months to the release of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and the mood has quickly changed back to the positive belief that this truly is the year you can rightfully be ecstatic about your PS3.
Scott Steiner, Sony’s VP of product marketing, feels that MGS4 is simply “only the beginning” of the snowball effect of exclusive titles to come for the console.
“This is only the beginning of an ongoing software avalanche for PS3 that includes titles such as LittleBigPlanet, SOCOM: Confrontation, MotorStorm Pacific Rift and Resistance 2 that only PS3 owners will be able to exclusively enjoy,” he said.
On top of this incredible list of exclusive games, Steiner is hoping that MGS4 will help pull the wavering PS2 loyalists into a PS3 purchase. As 75,000 MGS4 PS3 80GB bundles went flying off store shelves upon release, Steiner may see his aspirations realized. [PSU]

July 11 the 3G iPhone will reach the snatching hands of the crazed public. The new iPhone supports new features such as 3G wireless (surprise!), GPS mapping, enterprise features like Microsoft Exchange, and the new App Store. Keeping in line with the original iPhone, you get the same major features: widescreen iPod, and desktop-class web browser. It also includes smart sensors that help save battery life by adjusting the backlight based on ambient light.
The 3G iPhone is presented with the lines: “Twice as fast. Half the price.” The price will start at $199. [Neowin]
View: Apple 3G iPhone Features

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) has confirmed that it is phasing out the 80GB MotorStorm bundle, with retailers no longer receiving new inventory for the high-end SKU.
“Retailers aren’t getting any new inventory of the 80GB Motorstorm bundle,” a Sony representative told gaming blog, Joystiq.
The company was keen to emphasis that only the MotorStorm package is no longer being supplied to retailers, with the firm instead shifting its focus to the upcoming 80GB bundle containing a copy of Konami’s highly anticipated stealth game, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
Still, this move should come as little surprise to regular readers, seeing as how multiple sources in past months claimed that the MotorStorm pack would be phased out in order to accommodate the new bundle.
The MGS4 bundle is due out alongside the game on June 12, 2008. [Joystiq]

The gift card is a general giftcard, it should work an anything. You can actually buy those giftcards now, they are just themed in design, but not restricted in their use. They also have an Amazon and Starbucks theme card, as well as many restaurant themed ones, but all they are is giftcards with pretty graphics. [NeoGaf]

It seemed to work for Apple, so why not create a Microsoft store? According to Fudzilla, some of their Microsoft sources ‘confirmed that the company wants to reach out for the retail market presence’. By this, they mean they want to have many retail shops that sell only Microsoft products. The details of how far out this will extend (PCs? Windows Mobile Phones? Or purely Microsoft branded equipment and software?) are not yet available.
While yes, Apple did it first, and seem to have become rather successful in doing so (it’s hard to deny NOT wanting to walk into the Apple store when you pass it!), Microsoft seems to have finally noticed it. This should be nice on many levels for consumers, depending how far Microsoft takes it. If they can extend service and support like the Genius Bar at Apple stores, it might be the guiding hand customers have been looking for that have been put off by bad Windows Vista press. Or at least, help support people running Windows on Macs! [Fudzilla]

No, there is no plan to extend sales of other editions of Windows XP beyond June 30, 2008. We are very proud of the progress that we have made with Windows Vista over the last sixteen months. Since its launch, Windows Vista has become the fastest-selling operating system in Microsoft history, and more than 100 million Windows Vista licenses have been sold worldwide.
Last fall, our OEM partners asked us to extend sales of Windows XP to give their customers more time to transition to Windows Vista while we worked with other software vendors to expand application compatibility. Today, more than 2,500 applications have received the Windows Vista logo (a ten-fold increase since launch) and more than 78,000 devices and components are supported by drivers either in-box or on Windows Update. On NPD’s list of the top 100 consumer applications selling at retail, 98 are now compatible—and the latest versions of the top free downloads (Adobe Reader, Shockwave and iTunes) are all compatible.
Given this landscape and after consulting with our partners, apart from today’s announced extension of Windows XP Home for ULCPCs, we are maintaining the timelines we announced in September.
I should also note that there will also be no impact on our technical support plans—mainstream technical support will continue to be available until April 2009 and extended support will continue until April 2014. [Microsoft Presspass]

You may think of Wal-Mart as a down-market PC seller, but as emails in the Vista “junk PC” case show, Wal-Mart was furious at Microsoft’s Vista Capable scheme, and thought that Vista Home  Basic never should have been developed, much less released. They’re not alone. Other retailers, notably Office Depot, thought Vista Home Basic should have been killed. [Computerworld]

In order to promote a smooth platform transition, Intel plans to start dropping shipment ratios of Napa Refresh and Santa Rosa notebook platforms in the second quarter of 2008 to let the upcoming Centrino 2 (Montevina) platform become its major player, according to sources at notebooks makers.
Montevina will account for around 18% of Intel’s notebook shipments after it launches in the second quarter. In the third quarter, the percentage will increase to around 50% and grow to around 90% by the end of 2008. Napa Refresh with Merom processors will account for around 6% of shipments by the end of March, while Napa and Celeron M processors will only account for around 3%. The platform will be completely phased out by the end of the second quarter, said the sources.
View: The full story @ DigiTimes

Sony Computer Entertainment America has removed the 80GB PlayStation 3 model from its Sony Style website, fueling wide-spread speculation that the company is soon planning on discontinuing the high-spec machine.
A search of the website reveals that only the 40GB version of the next-generation console remains available for purchase, with the 80GB SKU having been recently (and indeed, surreptitiously) taken down.
This development adds yet more fuel to the belief that the 80GB machine is to be phased out soon, following earlier reports of the system having been removed from Best Buy’s website.
A common theory is that Sony is looking to introduce a higher spec 120GB console at some point. [qj]

With the silver PlayStation 3 console scheduled for release in Japan during the month of March, Sony Computer Entertainment America has come forward announcing that their is no plans to bring the console to North America. This will probably come to no surprise to most of us, considering Japan seems to always get the bountiful colors of consoles made available only to them.

Though there are some places where you can get your PlayStation 3 customized here in North America whether it be online or someone you know, we feel maybe Sony should start acknowledging our desire for different colored consoles.

If something changes with this, we’ll let you know as quickly as possible. Sorry for those who were anticipating the possibility of release here in NA. [PSU]