When I first read about the new Nokia 6500 slide and the Nokia 6500 classic, I thought it was just the same phone coming in two different flavours, but it’s not. I’m not sure why they have choosen that similar names for the two phones, since they are actually quite different when you compare […]

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Sony’s PlayStation portable (PSP) now has a new version 3.50 firmware update available, letting you access music, pictures and videos on a Sony PlayStation 3 from a PSP wirelessly connected to the Internet. When Sony upgraded its PS3 firmware to version 1.80 last week, one of its key features was Remote Play, giving you media streaming over a network, but the missing link was the ability to receive that content.

In this PSP firmware update, Sony also threw in a RSS Channel Guide for those newbies not familiar with that concept, but the real deal here is that Remote Play trick. It’s a bit of a misnomer because it won’t let you play any PS3 games remotely on a PSP. Own both devices? Now you can go all-Sony, all the time. Fanboy. – Charlie White

PSP firmware updated for new PS3 features [Computer and Video Games]

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It’s been a while since we last found a fingerprint reader we really liked. The previous champion—the lovely Cylon-red Microsoft FingerprintReader—was demoted to just Windows login duty (and eventually abandoned altogether) because of its lack of Firefox support. The Eikon? It supports Firefox. That’s just one of the reasons why this Upek Digital Privacy Manager USB Fingerprint Reader shines.

In addition to offering flawless Firefox and IE password handling, the reader is simple to use and solid in the way that gasses and liquids are not. Plus, it even works in Vista.

When compared to the most well known fingerprint reader (as judged by Google results and our own anecdotal opinion) by Microsoft, the Upek one comes up the winner in just about every category. It offers a swiping scheme instead of a press-down/mugshot-in-a-police-station scheme. This allows you not to have to clean the sensor with warm water and towel every two weeks like you would for Microsoft’s (they actually tell you this in the instructions).

Then, there’s the obvious benefits of not having to use Internet Explorer. This alone is a gigantic selling point. But if you do want to use both, say if your bank only supports IE, then the Upek will maintain two sets of passwords for both browsers. Kind of inconvenient to have to enter stuff in twice when setting up the database, but that’s a minor gripe.

The reader works just as well for Windows logins under XP and Vista, but there’s no Mac support to be found. (Is there even a good one that exists for Macs other than the Sony Puppy?) It even works as an easy way to authenticate and accept the User Account Control notifications in Vista that Apple mocked in one of their ads.

When you finish the setup and actually get around to using it, the reader has a pretty decent recognition rate if you swipe your finger at the optimum speed (or slower). Swipe it too fast and it’ll just get confused.

The software is made up of large, easy to read text and icons that you activate by swiping. It’s easy to register new pages or “replay your registration,” which is their phrase for logging in with your pre-set login and password. Once you get familiar with their sometimes awkward phrasing for saving and entering passwords, you’re golden.

In the end we definitely recommend this reader at its dead-presidents-friendly price of $39. You may save $5 by going with Microsoft’s solution, but the Firefox support alone is way more to us than $5. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Amazon]

Product Page [UPek]

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With the recent release of Windows Mobile 6 we were bound to see some issues. It seems that support for SlingPlayer Mobile is not yet ready for Windows Mobile 6 so think twice before you update your Dash or run out for the new Wing because its going to be a few more weeks before […]

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Slacker fans are getting a little surprise this morning. The online radio station has just released a desktop app that lets you manage your entire music library while letting you make a few tweaks to the online version. Here’s what’s included.

One of the beta’s biggest features is the ability to run Slacker in “mini” mode (as opposed to running it from your browser). You also get higher resolution album artwork, the ability to create playlists from your music, and when Slacker starts offering their premium version, the app will let you listen to your favorite songs on-demand. (The app will also play a big role once the hardware comes out). It’s worth checking out if you’re a Slacker fan like myself, though my one nitpick is that there’s no Mac love. – Louis Ramirez

Product Page

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