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The ongoing Great East Japan Earthquake relief campaign on the PlayStation Network has raised ¥109.6 million ($1.32 million) in donations and purchases from PlayStation 3 owners.
The appeal was launched in the West on March 19 and in Asia on March 24, and includes special XMB custom themes for those making donations. The appeal is currently active in 40 countries around the world.
The money will be donated to an organisation in each region supporting relief and recovery efforts, namely the British Red Cross, the American Red Cross - Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Fund, and the Central Community Chest of Japan/Red Feather Community Chest Movement for Japan and Asia.
As well as private donations Sony Computer Entertainment will continue to support the relief effort directly with its own funds.
"While we continue to make every effort to help the recovery of the affected communities in the region, I would like to express our gratitude to every single PlayStation user across the world who made a contribution to the effort," said Kazuo Hirai, president and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...USD1-3-million
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Here's this week's like of new content being thrown onto the US PlayStation Store today.

Highlights include the SOCOM 4 multiplayer beta, which lets you loose on a variety of game modes and two maps, and Red Faction: Battlegrounds, an off-shoot of the Red Faction: Guerilla that gives you multiplayer gameplay and single-player challenges to tackle as you destroy the environment with the same physics as in Guerilla.

Here's the full list:

PlayStation Plus

Featured Games

* Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Free and exclusive to PlayStation Plus subscribers)
* Duael Invaders minis (Free and exclusive to PlayStation Plus subscribers)

Featured Qore Episode


* Qore April Episode 35 (Free to PlayStation Plus subscribers, regular price $2.99)

Discounted Games

* StarDrone (PlayStation Plus price $4.00, regular price $7.99)
* Hamsterball (Reg Price - $9.99, Sale Price- $4.99, Plus Price $3.99)

Updates


Hamsterball - Sale - (PS3) (now $4.99, original price $9.99)
Angry Birds - Minis - Sale - (PSP/PS3) (now $1.99, original price $3.99)
Lara Croft And The Guardian Of Light - Sale - (PS3) (now $7.49, original price $14.99)
Hannspree Ten Kate Honda SBK Superbike World Championship - Price Change - (PSP) (now $7.99, original price $9.99)
Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype + Soldner-X: Himmelssturmer Bundle - Price Change - (PS3) (now $14.99, original price $17.99)
Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype Complete Bundle - Price Change - (PS3) (now $12.99, original price $14.99)
Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype - Price Change - (PS3) (now $9.99, original price $12.99)
Age of Booty - Price Change - (PS3) (now $4.99, original price $9.99)
Rocketmen: Axis of Evil (Full Game) - Price Change - (PS3) (now $4.99, original price $6.99)
Rocketmen: Total Uranus Bundle - Price Change - (PS3) (now $6.99, original price $9.99)
Wolf of The Battlefield: Commando 3 - Price Change - (PS3) (now $4.99, original price $9.99)
Qore

Qore Episode 35 - April 2011 ($2.99)
April's Episode 35 of Qore: Presented by the PlayStation Network takes an exclusive look behind the scenes at VALVE as they put the finishing touches on Portal 2. Also, Zipper interactive is featured with an extensive SOCOM 4 game preview, and the Qore team takes it to the BRINK of co-op game play.
File size: 1.38 GB

Qore Annual Subscription - April 2011 ($24.99)
Qore: Presented by the PlayStation Network is a high-definition monthly interactive video production covering the world of PlayStation. Qore provides its audience with exclusive behind-the-scenes access to upcoming titles from both the SCE Worldwide Studios and the third-party developers across the globe.
File size: 1.38 GB
Downloadable Games

StarDrone ($7.99)
StarDrone is a high-speed action thriller with a mix of arcade action, pinball, breakout, physics and collect-the-objects. Cause your attackers to crash with rapid speed while collecting gems and power-up enhancements. Explore the level to find key power-ups and earn more points that will ultimately let you compete against the world on the StarDrone leaderboard.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 88 MB

Red Faction: Battlegrounds ($9.99)
The signature destructive gameplay from Red Faction: Guerilla comes to the downloadable arcade with Red Faction: Battlegrounds! Jump into your favorite tank or mech using your Gauss Cannons, Rocket Launchers and Singularity Bombs to destroy the competition, and environment along with it. Battle your way through treacherous Martian deserts, terraformed enclaves and more in a variety of different multiplayer modes and single player challenges.
ESRB Rated E10+
File size: 607 MB
Game Demos (free)

SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs Multiplayer Beta
SOCOM is back with an all new complete experience exclusively for the PlayStation 3 system. Be a part of this limited Multiplayer Beta as the elite Special Forces or the Insurgents as you battle together as a team in a variety of gametypes on 2 maps.
ESRB Rated M
File size: 437 MB

Rush'N Attack: Ex-Patriot Demo
Continue Sid Morrow's mission to retrieve Gibson and uncover the dangerous secrets looming in the shadows of the Cold War. Trapped behind enemy lines and armed with little more than a knife and your hand-to-hand combat training, you must find a way to survive and thwart the threat of global destruction.
ESRB Rated M
File size: 707 MB

Red Faction: Battlegrounds Demo
The signature destructive gameplay from Red Faction: Guerilla comes to the downloadable arcade with Red Faction: Battlegrounds! Jump into your favorite tank or mech using your Gauss Cannons, Rocket Launchers and Singularity Bombs to destroy the competition, and environment along with it. Battle your way through treacherous Martian deserts, terraformed enclaves and more in a variety of different multiplayer modes and single player challenges.
ESRB Rated E10+
File size: 377 MB
Add-on Game Content

EyePet Sea Life Pack ($2.99)
With the Sea Life Pack for EyePet, you can take to the seas and go for a swim as a shark, penguin or walrus! You've never seen a virtual pet quite like this - EyePet! Download the new pack today!
File size: 11 MB

ModNation Racers El Snake-O Mod And Kart ($1.75)
Body slam karts to the curb and slither into first as El Snake-O and his Muscle Kart. Use 5 different Mod parts to create your very own champion wrestler, and take on contenders in a brand new "Burro" kart body!
File size: 200 KB

ModNation Racers El Snake-O Mod ($0.99)
Body slam karts to the curb and slither into first as El Snake-O ! Use 5 different Mod parts to create your very own champion wrestler and take on contenders!
File size: 100 KB

ModNation Racers El Snake-O Kart ($0.99)
Body slam karts to the curb and slither into first with El Snake-O's Kart. Take on contenders in a brand new "Burro" kart body, customize your own with 2 kart parts!
File size: 100 KB

Test Drive Unlimited 2: Aston Martin DBS Carbon Black Edition ($0.99)
Features Carbon Black color scheme, distinctive carbon fibre details, black mesh components, and high polish black 10 spoke diamond turned alloy wheels. Exclusive avatar sweater provided.
File size: 100 KB

Test Drive Unlimited 2: Aston Martin V12 Vantage Carbon Black Edition ($0.99)
Featuring Carbon Black metallic paint with gloss black 10 spoke diamond turned alloy wheels and Aston Martin side strake fashioned from carbon fibre. Exclusive avatar jacket provided.
File size: 100 KB

Test Drive Unlimited 2: Audi RS 5 Coupé ($0.99)
The high-revving 4.2 liter V8 delivers 331 kW (450 hp). The seven-speed S tronic and an innovative center differential in the quattro drivetrain transmit power to all four wheels.
File size: 100 KB
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News via http://ps3.gx-mod.com/modules/news/a...p?storyid=2709

The TeamSOS proposes a new utility which, as its name implies, allows you to make "stealth" any homebrew PS3 so that it appears as a PSN game or a game of trade.

Features :

- Files PKG stealthed work on firmwares 3.15, 3.41, 3.55 including 3.55 GH
-Support all files pkg
- Support of the arguments run time allowing you to open the program via a file or automate
- Get the gameid and name of the homebrew automatically
- Automatic creation of file-conf
- Automatic creation of PKG stealth
- Adds a user specific file if selected
- Can automatically sign a file if selected (mainly for 3.55GH)
- The checkbox "Pause" allows manual changes to the files before performing the PKG
- Works on Virtual Machines with. Net 3.5

Homebrew stealthing Utility v1.3.5

Official site: http://psgroove.com ...

News via http://ps3.gx-mod.com/modules/news/a...p?storyid=2707

Squarepusher proposes a new version of his port of Snes9x (SNES emulator) PS3 (FW 1.92 + / FW 3.15/FW 3.41/CFW 3.55).

New / fixed:

- Significant performance optimizations and reduced lag.
- You can now use shaders 2 simultaneously. This is called 'Custom Scaling / Dual Shader'. A scaling factor (1 to 4X) can be specified. Interesting graphical effects can be activated by combining shaders.
- The presets for shaders can be added. These configuration files automatically setting the settings for the 'Shader 1', 'Shader 2', 'Hardware
Filtering Shader 1 ',' Hardware Filtering Shader 2 ',' Scaling Factor 'and' overscan '. You can also create your own presets. These are text files stored in USRDIR / presets.
- The remotes can now be configured individually. You can also configure specific controls to a controller connected to a specific port of the console.
- Integration of cheats is now less buggy with the new control scheme. L2 + Analog Stick Right Stock - Low still allows the integration of codes with the OSK, but it will not make integrating a generic label (just the cheat code itself as a label) until you rename this label through action 'Input Cheatlabel'. The new control scheme manages meanwhile cheats via 'L2 + R2 + Right Analog Stick - Down'. Of course you can reconfigure this combination you wish.
- Fixed games such as interlaced Rise Of The Robots that induced glitches in previous versions.
- Added a set of homebrew SNES Themaister.
- Added some changes shaders and new filters - HQ4x, 4xBR - through Jacaraca.

PS3 snes9x 4.4.8 ...

News via http://ps3.gx-mod.com/modules/news/a...p?storyid=2706

jjolano proposes a new version of its FTP server for PS3 which has the distinction of being completely Open Source.

New / fixed:

- Code optimization
- Improved caching system (improved response time)
- Consolidation of code to transfer
- Better compliance with RFC
- Added additional FTP commands
- Changing the output format in EPLF LIST

The archive also contains a version of the CFW Geohot and a version without a password for the connection.

Use the IP of your PS3 to connect to your PS3, then use:

Login: root
Password: openbox

OpenPS3FTP v2.1

Official site: http://git-hacks.com/openps3ftp ...

News via http://ps3.gx-mod.com/modules/news/a...p?storyid=2705

After changing the memory size VFlash hard disk of the PS3 Slim and having installed Gentoo Linux distribution changed over, Graf-chokolo German developer gives his first impressions on the operation of Linux on the internal HDD of the PS3.


"Gentoo is now embarking on a PS3 Slim since VFlash is really fast, warm-boot with kexec works well, I can restart my Gentoo with kexec without turning off the PS3." ( http://pastie.org/1751382 )

When asked the question of an ETA for the arrival of the otheros 3.55 for users lambdas, Graf-Chokolo said:

"Difficult to answer, it depends not only me but also other people who help me to test my work on their PS3, I have to adjust the kexec, then I must make a netinstall with my Debian-kernel, not bad much remains to be done "

Graf also plans to make a tool available to all users to enable everyone to easily install Linux and its back their impressions.

With these words he is arguably the project's dual-boot with Linux GameOS is on track to allow a resurgence of the joys of open source on PS3 CFW 3.55. ...

Been having trouble with the PlayStation Network or any Sony website today? You're not alone. A widespread outage that started in Europe last night has now spread to North America, and none other than hacktivist group Anonymous is claiming responsibility for the attacks. As you can see above, however, Sony is singing a slightly different tune, and says simply that "sporadic maintenance" may cause PSN service to be interrupted throughout the day. Because, really, you can never do too much "sporadic" maintenance.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/04/p...claims-respon/

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