Sony has sold more than six million units of its PlayStation 4 game console globally as of March 2, the company announced today (via Reuters ). The latest figure, which includes 370,000 units sold in Japan since it was launched there on February 22, well surpasses the target Sony set in September last year, before the PS4 went on sale in November.
Sony’s increasing sales milestones will no doubt pile pressure on its rival Microsoft, which is already feeling the heat after the PS4 became the best-selling game console in the US in January, according to NPD . The PS4 dethroned Microsoft’s Xbox 360, which was NPD’s highest-selling console for years, with Sony claiming its latest console outsold the Xbox One by two-to-one. However, Microsoft took credit for selling the most games (albeit overall, across Xbox 360 and Xbox One).
In its latest announcement, Sony says PS4 software sales surpassed 13.7 million copies worldwide — via retail stores and through digital downloads on PlayStation Store — as of March 2. Furthermore, the company notes that the PlayStation app, which can be downloaded on iPhones and Android smartphones and tablets, has been installed more than 3.6 million times as of March 2.
Image via Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images
New Super Bowl XLVI security gadgets: X-Rays, sewer caps and more
While Brady and Manning are tossing the pigskin inside Lucas Oil Stadium, the 44 surrounding blocks will be crawling with all kinds of new futuristic tech to make sure the fireworks, tackles, long bombs and fumbles are just inside the stadium. This year’s Super Bowl is special, and its not just because of that Ferris Bueller commercial .
Will there be dozens of undercover cops with 4G smartphones running around livestreaming the crowds back to a Hall of Justice style $18 million HQ? Yes.
Will there be x-ray trucks that x-ray other trucks? Yes.
But it wasn’t until we found out about the $40,000 per each special explode proof sewers (and watched this awesome video of controlled sewer explosions) that we realized TNW readers needed to know about this.
Read on for our Four Coolest New Security Tech Things for Superbowl 46.
If that dude driving the truck next to you seems distracted its because he’s counting the vuvuzelas in your trunk that you’re trying to smuggle in to the Superbowl! Yes – he’s looking at what’s in your trunk, and anywhere else in your car.
Indy’s Super Bowl security team is using mobile X-Ray Inspection, similar to the gear shown below, to keep contraband of all kinds out of Peyton’s house. According to manufacturer AS&E, the technology “creates photo-like x-ray images revealing threats including explosives, plastic weapons, and drugs.” What’s extra awesome is that customs agents reportedly call these x-ray vehicles “Ice Cream Trucks”. Its not just vuvuzelas, the systems also feature radioactive threat detection and can locate neutrons and gamma rays to sniff out nuclear WMDs and dirty bombs.
Pretty heavy stuff, but what’s really impressive is:
Indy’s been victim to a rash of mysterious and unexplained sewer explosions that can blast heavy manhole covers into the air. To prevent a rain of sewer caps, Indianapolis paid $180,000 for 150 specialized hi-tech “Swiveloc” manhole covers. The Swivelocs, made from military grade stainless steel alloy, have a special bolt that can withstand over 12,000 pounds of force without budging. The coolest thing about Swiveloc though would have to be its testing facility where sewer covers are shot 100s of feet into the air as shown in this video:
That’s right, dozens of police officers will be roaming the stadium perimeters equipped with 4G smartphones and they will not be afraid to use them. On the contrary, they’ll be live streaming them back to the new $18 million, 6,700 square Regional Emergency Management Center where crime analysts will observe and direct the 4G show.
Over $3 million worth of fake NFL jerseys were seized at the last Super Bowl via the U.S. Customs slickly named “Operation Interception”. This year, with tickets retailing at $800 to $1,200 and reselling for up to $14,000 a pop, the Feds are closing in on tix.
The NFL tickets now include holograms, laser cut-outs and ink that changes color depending on the temperature. Over 40,000 visitors to Indy are expected to arrive with no tickets but a lot of hope and cash. Motivated counterfeiters can beat ticket tech with stickers for the holograms, ink mimicry, laser cuts and more. To keep things legit police and authorities outside the stadium will be armed with special handheld scanners that detect fraudulent tickets.
Nothing evokes America’s “Homeland” like the Super Bowl, and DHS has classified the big game as a National Special Security Event – on the level of papal visits and inauguration.
In case any baddies manage to slip past the x-ray trucks, DHS Secretary Napolitano was in Indy yesterday to remind fans “If You See Something, Say Something”. Its all of our job to make sure the violence on Sunday, er, stays on the field.
Samsung Galaxy S II carrier choices revealed: T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint
A leaked press snippet appears to confirm that the Samsung Galaxy S II will appear on T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint, with Verizon conspicuously absent. We had previously reported on the fact that an event to be held Monday, August 29th was the likely date for Samsung to announce that the phone is coming to the US market.
The shot shows the fairly standard Galaxy S II that we’re used to on AT&T, but appears to indicate a variant model on T-Mobile and what seems to be a different flavor yet on Sprint, although it’s difficult to tell from the image. Although it is likely that the Galaxy S II will be announced on Monday, Tmonews is reporting that at least the T-Mobile variant might not show up until October.
The Galaxy S II has been a watershed success for Samsung, selling over 1 million units in Korea by May and 5 million units worldwide in June , even before hitting the large US market. It has proven to be the closest single-device competitor to the iPhone 4, which sold some 20.3 million units in the last quarter alone.
The Galaxy S II, with its 4.3″ Super AMOLED screen, SPA+ 21Mbps/ HSUPA 5.76Mbps radio, Samsung Dual Core Application Processor and 8MP rear camera with auto-focus and Android OS 2.3 Gingerbread should do well as a flagship Android device here in the US. You can check out our first impressions of the phone here . And if you’re in the mood to see someone get sick while unboxing one at 8000 feet, check out our own Matt Brian doing so here .