Tag Archives: Sony
About the slow death of the Sony Vita
I don’t care. I really don’t. It might be dead, it might not, I just don’t care. As someone who loves the industry and wants to see it thrive on all fronts, that’s saying something.
I wanted to like the Vita, I really tried, but it never grabbed me the way the original PSP did. Now that was a system; great games all over the place, simple controls, UMDs (one of TWO proprietary formats on the device, but I loved them anyway) the effective XMB which it shared with the PS3, which led to an easy-to-use system, and it had interesting, fun games like epic RPG Ys or quirky music game Every Extend Extra, to the glorious re-release of PC Engine classic Castlevania: Dracula X – Rondo of Blood, formerly a Japan-only release.
They even had the surprisingly fun Snoopy vs. The Red Baron, for Pete’s sake. Please don’t forget about Pete!
And when I say I loved it, I mean it. Here’s the box of PSP games in my closet:
PSP Heaven
Sony begins to settle
Remember that Sony hack that happened? And that other Sony hack? And that other one? Each time Sony gets hacked, it’s always one of the biggest hacks in history. It’s bad when it happens to Target or Home Depot, but with Sony being a technology company, it’s more of a problem for them not just in terms of actual damage done, but also in reputation.
I just received an email today that a settlement has been reached regarding the 2011 Sony hack, the first one linked at the beginning of this post, and I may be part of it. In fact, if anyone had an account with Sony or any number of its subsidiaries or services, you may be entitled to one, or perhaps more, possible compensations.
Rather than dissect the email, I’ll just paste it below and you can determine for yourself if you’re part of it. Although if you are, you should have received the same email already. This also illustrates that this kind of data breach can impact a company for years afterwards. Just like an oil spill, a data spill is very hard to clean up, and very hard to remove from the minds of the public.
Here’s the message:
If You Had a PlayStation Network, Qriocity, or Sony Online Entertainment Account Before May 15, 2011, You Could Get Benefits from a Class Action Settlement.
A settlement has been reached with the Sony Entities about the illegal and unauthorized attacks (the “Intrusions”) in April 2011, on the computer network systems used to provide PlayStation Network (“PSN”), Qriocity, and Sony Online Entertainment (“SOE”) services. The Sony Entities deny any claims of wrongdoing in this case, and the settlement does not mean that the Sony Entities violated any laws or did anything wrong. Who is included? The Class includes everyone in the US (including its territories) who had a PSN account, a Qriocity account, or an SOE account at any time before May 15, 2011. What does the settlement provide? There are various benefits, depending in part on what type of account(s) you had. Benefits you could get (if you qualify) include:
• Payment equal to paid wallet balances (if $2 or more) in PSN or SOE accounts that have been inactive since the Intrusions,
• One or more of the following: a free PS3 or PSP game, 3 free PS3 themes, or a free 3-month subscription to PlayStation Plus (once valid claims exceed $10 million, class members will still be eligible for one free month of PlayStation Plus),
• A free month of Music Unlimited for Qriocity accountholders who did not have a PSN account,
• $4.50 in SOE Station Cash (amounts will be reduced proportionally if valid claims exceed $4 million). Identity Theft Reimbursement: If you had out-of-pocket charges due to actual identity theft, and have documentation proving that the theft was caused by the Intrusion(s), you can submit a claim for reimbursement up to $2,500. Reimbursements will be reduced proportionally if the total amount payable on all valid claims would exceed $1 million. How can I get benefits? To get benefits, you must file a claim form. Claim forms are available at WWW.PSNSOESETTLEMENT.COM. You can also request claim forms from the Claims Administrator by writing to PSN-SOE Settlement, PO Box 1947, Faribault, MN 55021 or by calling 1-877-552-1284. The earliest deadline to file a claim is August 31, 2015, or 60 days after the settlement becomes final and effective. Visit the website for more details on submitting a claim online or by mail. Your other options. Even if you do nothing, you will be bound by the Court’s decisions. If you want to keep your right to sue the Sony Entities yourself, you must exclude yourself from the Settlement Class by April 10, 2015. If you stay in the Settlement Class, you may object to the settlement by April 10, 2015. For instructions on how to exclude yourself from the Class or object to the settlement, please see WWW.PSNSOESETTLEMENT.COM. The Court will hold a hearing in this case on May 1, 2015, to consider whether to approve the settlement, and a request by Class Counsel for fees, costs, and expenses up to $2,750,000. You or your own lawyer may appear and speak at the hearing at your own expense. For more information or Claim Forms: WWW.PSNSOESETTLEMENT.COM or 1-877-552-1284 PARA UNA NOTIFICACIÓN EN ESPAÑOL, VISITE NUESTRO SITIO DE INTERNET.
Happy 35th birthday to the Sony Walkman!
The Sony Walkman, precursor-of-sorts to all things portable-audio, turns 35 years old today! Back in the glory days of ’80s analog audio – which is still alive today since analog is a superior sound reproduction process than digital as we will learn – walking around listening to Iron Maiden on cassette with a Sony Walkman was the ultimate yet understated way to let everyone else know you were cool.
They went beyond being simply a music listening device. Some had very advanced features, some looked like they were waterproof (but weren’t), and in the ultimate proof of their dominance, they became a fashion statement, especially for exercising (that was actually the image on the box the player came in). Their ultra-creepy ads couldn’t put a damper on that. I had one and loved it. I may still have it around somewhere; my garage is the technology version of the Island of Misfit Toys.
They never skipped, something that happened with early portable CD players and hard-disc based digital music players, but since they were mechanical there was always the risk of an eaten tape. You can buy digital media players that still bear the Walkman name, but I’m not confident of their quality.
A couple of side notes: it appears that cassettes might be making a comeback, and the video below shows that backwards, technologically-deficient kids these days have no idea how to operate even the most basic of machines. Get those kids some technology!
