O'Reilly Network Weblogs: Sony Playstation Portable 2.6 firmware adds WMA and WiFi Podcast streaming support

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Sony Playstation Portable 2.6 firmware adds WMA and WiFi Podcast streaming support

by Todd Ogasawara
Nov. 29, 2005

Sony released a firmware upgrade (2.6) for the Sony Playstation Portable. This update came pretty quickly considering that the 2.5 upgrade was made available in the US on October 13 (just over a month ago). Here's what the update includes:

RSS Channel (in the Network menu where the browser is found). This addition is named a bit misleadingly since it does not add RSS text feed support. What it does add is the ability to subscribe to podcasts. The added wrinkle is that it does not download the podcast file to a memory stick. Instead, it streams the podcast. I'm listening to a podcast about the PSP while writing this blog and the WiFi light on the PSP is blinking constantly as it streams the MP3 file to me. If you want to take a podcast audio file with you for disconnected listening, you will need to download it your PC or Mac and then copy the file over the the PSP.
A WMA (Windows Media Audio) CODEC was added for locally stored (Memory Stick) and streaming audio.
Simplified and Traditional Chinese were added to the browser encoding options.
Volume Adjustment was added to the LocationFree Player.
The browser now supports downloading copy protected video (this was in 2.5 too).

And, yeah, yeah, I know it is uncool to upgrade my PSP and remove the ability to use the various PSP hacks. :-)

Todd Ogasawara is the editor of MobileAppsToday.com. He has been named a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) in the Mobile Devices category for the past several years. You can find his personal website focusing on Mobile Device Technology at www.mobileviews.com.