Sony PS2 repair

Fancy white PS2 Image © SCEA

When Luke went back to Japan, he left me his semi-dead PS2 figuring that I could take it to the Pacific Mall or something to get it fixed.

It turns out that if you get constant Disc Read Error messages when starting a game/movie, Sony will offer to repair your PS2 and waive the fee. The only cost is shipping it to the repair center.

However, that isn't the whole story. According to the Disc Read Error Sony Repair FAQ by Toby Bankson on GameFAQs:

Some would like to believe that Sony is repairing DRE infected systems for free just because they're such a great company and want to do it out of the kindness of their heart. Not true. Sony got slapped with a class-action lawsuit due to the frequent nature of these Disc Read Error breakdowns. So it was either pay a heap of money or repair systems for free. I'm sure you can figure out which one they chose.

So.. You don't have to be too grateful to Sony, but be polite and just answer their questions. For the phone number and procedures to follow, please see the Disc Read Error Sony Repair FAQ. If you have further questions, Toby has kept this thread on the GameFAQs message board for support.

Update:
I decided to do a little digging. According to Galex, Tortoreti & Tomes, they filed a class-action lawsuit on July 16, 2002 in the California Supreme Court. But I can find no evidence that such a lawsuit has ever been resolved or settled.. So it could be that Sony's "waiving of the repair fee" is a stopgap measure until the outcome of the suit has been determined.

This Geocities site is also a source for information on the lawsuit and DREs.

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AstroToast, the newest breakfast sensation!

24-Hour IGA

AstroToast came to me in a dream last night, and today I made it.

Summary:
A cheese-filled pita prepared with blue french toast mix and lightly topped with icing.

Preparation Step 1:
You will need:
- Eggs
- Milk
- Blue food coloring
- Icing

Ingredients

- Pitas
- Shredded cheese

Step 2:
Combine three eggs, some milk, and some food colouring in a bowl. Some people like vanilla extract in their french toast, so throw some of that in too if you like. Also, food colouring brands vary in strength.

Step 3:
Open a pita and fill it with shredded cheese. Hopefully you bought the kind of pitas that don't break apart, because otherwise this is going to get very messy. Try to even out the layer of cheese so that

Bluemix

it isn't all clumped in one area.

Step 4:
Dip the pita into the bluemix bowl, covering as much surface area as possible. Try to soak it a little.

Step 5:
Fry that sucker in a pan or wok or whatever is handy. When browned slightly, you can add the icing and eat!

Cooking the first one

Mmm, icing!

Finished!

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Sony PSP

As I mentioned earlier, I've been checking out the Sony PSP.

Playstation Portable Image © Sony

It has an awesome 16:9 screen, lots of buttons, a d-pad and an analog stick. It plays movies and even has video out.

There's just one critical flaw.. The battery only lasts 2 and a half hours!

That's right, you could watch one movie and maybe get 30 minutes of Tony Hawk in before you had to find an outlet. This is something Nintendo has always understood in regards to portable gaming: The battery has to last.

Current and upcoming portables (GBA SP, N-Gage, DS, PSP) are free from the "Oh shit, I need to buy some double As" problem thanks to their internal Li-ion batteries, but the dilemma remains. No one wants a portable system that only lasts a couple of hours.

I really wanted to like the PSP, but the battery just kills it for me. Here's hoping Sony gets it right next time.

BTW, IGN has a large picture of the PSP here.

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The Nintendo DS

I've been looking at the Nintendo DS (tentative name) and the Sony PSP.

Nintendo's DS takes basic GBA features and adds a second screen (one of which is touch-sensitive, similar to the screen of a PocketPC or Palm device) along with two extra face buttons that the gaming community has lusted after on a handheld since the days of Street Fighter II. (No, the Sega Nomad doesn't count.) It also has wireless connectivity and will play all older Gameboy titles.

Nintendo DS Image © Nintendo

Sounds good so far. The unit even looks okay, although the top screen seems a little small and lonely on its half, sitting between what appear to be slightly recessed speakers. Nintendo has always been about enabling new types of game experiences, and the DS is set to deliver.

All that aside though, I can't shake the feeling that the DS is going to be another Virtual Boy for Nintendo. Remember that strange, new gameplay experience-enabling system? It carried with it dual red-scale eye screens, bad posture, and a severe warning that no child under 6 should use it lest they damage their developing eyes. Don't get me wrong, I liked playing Nester's Bowling and Galactic Pinball on the VB, but only when the system came down to CAD$30 at Electronics Boutique.

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