Geek In Me

by Randy Nelson via joystiq.com

Following months of rumors, speculation, and – most of all – waiting, Sony has officially unveiled version 2.40 of the PlayStation 3’s operating system and XrossMediaBar (XMB) interface. Joystiq got a look at it in action last week and can finally unzip our lips about what we saw.

In a nutshell, the update introduces most of the features we’ve seen floating around as rumors for some time. Here’s the short list of what you can now do without exiting from games:
- In-game XMB (a quick tap of the PS button brings it up)
- View game-specific trophies
- Time / date display
- Send text messages to PSN users on your friends list
- Access accessory settings, such as Bluetooth pairing and voice changer
- View and manage downloads
- Quits game directly from an icon under the “Game” section of the XMB
- Search the web using the Google Search option under “Network” (similar to the latest PSP firmware)
- Launch directly into another game from the one you’re currently playing
- Play music tracks stored on the HDD in games that support this feature
- Access a new on-screen music player interface (when listening to your own tracks in supported titles)