Sony sticking to 1 million PS3s claim

Word over on 1Up.com is that Sony still plans to have 1 million PlayStation 3s for North America by Dec. 31.

We will continue to utilize airfreight delivery for the PLAYSTATION 3 to assure a steady stream of systems for North American consumers through the end of the year. And while initial day-one launch shipment goals weren’t achievable due to early manufacturing issues, those problems have been resolved and we do remain focused on having one million PS3’s in the pipeline by December 31, 2006.

Of course, aside from the improbability of this actually being true, note the “in the pipeline” part there. If Sony doesn’t have 1 million in stores by Dec. 31, they can just claim everything that is in transit to North America as being in the pipeline. And while currently Sony is shipping every PS3 air direct over here, who knows when that will stop. If the shipping method changes on Dec. 30 and another quarter million ship the last day of the year that will take 12 days to get here, it still counts in the Sony counting method. Given that Sony only sold 197,000 PS3s in November (down from their 1 million, errr, 600,000, ummmmm, 400,000 at launch claims made earlier this year), I’m skeptical.  Also:

The six-year old PlayStation 2 continues to dominate the market, outselling all other consoles in November, including much newer systems from the competition.

For values of “all other consoles” which don’t include the Nintendo DS, this is true.  However, the DS selss as many systems as all other consoles combined in the typical month.  Some don’t count the DS as a console, in which case this info doesn’t apply to them, but I think it is just another console for this sale information. 

Ultimately, I think Microsoft and Sony botched their respective console launches. Only Nintendo really pulled of the launch well, and even there some troubles were seen. (via Kotaku)

[tags]Sony to get 1 million PS3s in pipeline by year end[/tags]

Hmmmmm

I’ve just noticed that a number of articles I’ve sent to my auto-poster in the past week have not made it to the site. I’ll be fixing that tonight or tomorrow, and getting the stories up. Since some of the stories are a few days old now, they’ll seem even more out-of-date and irrelevant than usual. You can leave comments to the effect of how awesome I am, regardless, just to gain my favors for the day when I rule the world. I might not be so quick to kill you if you have feigned praise for me.

Of course, the irony is that I don’t know if this story will get posted by my automated article checker. So when I post it later, if necessary, it will set up some kind of time-loop paradox, possibly annihilating the entire universe mere micro-seconds after I get it onto the site. If that happens, let me apologize now, since we’ll all be too dead for me to apologize afterwards.

Santa’s Blog

If your kids are wondering what’s going on in the lead-up to Christmas, you should see what the jolly ol’ fellow has to say for himself. Here, he writes about a recent (past few days) bout with illness.

I have been virtually out of commission the past few days. It started with a couple of days of headaches that just wouldn’t seem to go away. Then the stomach problems (don’t ask for details). Then that aching, weak feeling you get in your legs when your fever spikes. Then chills. I was able to push through until yesterday. I worked from home… from bed, actually… all day yesterday. I even teleconferenced into the staff meeting just across the village square at HQ yesterday. After thinking about it some more, I am pretty sure I caught it from Billy (read my Nov 27th post). Thank goodness I have Mrs. Claus & Jingle to keep this place running!

Thankfully, he’s feeling much better now. (via Neatorama)

[tags]Santa’s blog, Jolly old saint Nick in his off time[/tags]

The Bible Experience

While heading in to work this afternoon, I heard an NPR story about a new audiobook production of the Bible called “The Bible Experience.” Normally, most people who know me wouldn’t think I’d find this newsworthy. But the audiobook really piqued my curiousity when I heard some of the people who made up the voice cast for the project (unfortunately, in PDF format instead of HTML – not sure why).

In the broadcast I listened to, they played a short section from the audiobook on the baptism of Jesus. After the baptism, the voice of God, spoken by Samuel L Jackson, says:

This is my motherfucking son, in whom I am proud

OK, I did add one word in there that isn’t in the actual audiobook. But really, is it a Samuel L Jackson part without it? I didn’t think so.

The first audiobook in this production apparently only covers the new testament. The voice of God only accounts for about 2 hours of recording work, according to the interviewee on NPR. They haven’t decided yet who will play the voice of God in the old testament production, but it sounds like it won’t be Jackson, as guestimates are 80 hours of recording work. On the other hand, how cool would it be to hear Jules speak

The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

Or better, “…when I lay my motherfucking vengeance upon thee.” Yeah, I might buy it just to hear that.

[tags]The Bible Experience, New audiobook production of the Bible to improve on past productions[/tags]

IRS no longer advertising loans at free e-file tax-prep shops

The Internal Revenue Service and private tax preparers have agreed that a free electronic filing program will be offered for 2006 tax returns without solicitations for refund loans that sometimes carry high interest charges and fees.

The I.R.S. said Tuesday that the Free File Alliance, a coalition of tax preparation software manufacturers that make their software products available free, would no longer include side offerings like Refund Anticipation Loans in their programs.

I see this as a smart move. The people most likely to be hurt by this system in the past were the lower income earners in our country. While taking away the loans program will mean these people will have to wait longer for their refund, it also means they are less likely to be preyed upon unscrupulous tax shops. Many of these loans had exceedingly high interest rates, putting a hefty penalty on people who traditionally are less financially savvy and therefore less likely to realize they are being taken advantage of. (via The Consumerist)

[tags]IRS does away with loan adverts alongside free e-filing service[/tags]

Sony to release PlayStation 4 possibly in 2010?

Color me skeptical, but Smarthouse has a story in which a Sony exec says Sony will release to PlayStation 4 possibly in 2010, with significant firmware upgrades to the PlayStation 3 between now and then. I think Sony really needs to get a grip on sufficient PlayStation 3 numbers before focusing too much on the PS4. But I guess that’s why I’m not an executive at one of the largest electronics and entertainment companies in the world.

A PS4 will be launched by Sony but not until at least 2010 claims the Vice President of Technology for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Paul Holman.

What will happen between then and now is that Sony will introduce a series of firmware upgrades that will give the PS3 more media centre capability while allowing for the introduction of third party applications and hardware “Such as interactive controllers” similar to the Nintendo Wii he said.

“To say that there will be no PS4 because of a management change is a bit far fetched: he said.

I hadn’t even heard talk that the recent change of management at Sony’s entertainment division would mean no PS4, so I think most people will just be focusing on the “not until at least 2010” part. I’m guessing a lot of people think Sony expects to have their next generation console out in 3.5-4 years. To me, this says no earlier than 3.5-4, and certainly leaves the door wide open to a much later launch date. And I just don’t see 2010 as a viable release time for Sony, given the current PS3 manufacturing problems. (via TechEBlog)

[tags]PlayStation 4 in 2010?[/tags]