By the beginning of November 2012, we will retire the services available through the Life with PlayStation application. In conjunction with its retirement, we will stop offering the Life with PlayStation application to new users with the 4.30 update. This includes the conclusion of our participation with Stanford University’s Folding@home, a distributed computing project aimed at understanding protein folding, misfolding and studying the causes of a variety of diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s as well as various cancers.

We’d like to thank the more than 15 million users that have participated in the program since it started on PS3 in 2007. PS3 users have donated in total more than 100 million computation hours to the Folding@home project to date, and as a result, contributing greatly to Stanford University’s Alzheimer ’s disease research. Considering the contribution PS3 has made to the project, we decided to retire it as a result of discussions with Stanford University.
Vijay Pande, Folding@home research lead at Stanford University, had this to say about your contributions:

“The PS3 system was a game changer for Folding@home, as it opened the door for new methods and new processors, eventually also leading to the use of GPUs. We have had numerous successes in recent years. Specifically, in a paper just published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, we report on tests of predictions from earlier Folding@home simulations, and how these predictions have led to a new strategy to fight Alzheimer’s disease. The next steps, now underway at Stanford, are to take this lead compound and help push it towards a viable drug. It’s too early to report on our preliminary results there, but I’m very excited that the directions set out in this paper do appear to be bearing fruit in terms of a viable drug (not just a drug candidate).”

Please note, the games shown in the picture above are examples, and do not represent existing PS3 or PS Vita games.

As you may know, we launched the new PlayStation Store for PlayStation 3 earlier this week in Australia, New Zealand and several countries in Europe. Although the new PS Store is operating smoothly in most countries, there have been some issues that caused inconvenience for users.

While we’ve already solved many of these issues, we’ve decided to postpone the October 23rd launch of the new store in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. We want to be certain that you have an exceptional experience with the new store, so we appreciate your patience as we complete the final phases before launch.

We’ll update you as soon as a new release date has been set. Until then, the existing PS Store will be fully operational with the game, movie and TV content that you enjoy today.

Thanks again for your patience.

The redesigned PlayStation Store launches in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Brazil on October 23. In the meantime you can get a taste of what’s coming in this walkthrough video:

The new PlayStation Store for PS3 was designed from the ground up to enhance the entire user experience based on the feedback we received from you, our loyal fans.

Watch the video and tell us what you think!

Please note: This video was created using a near-final version of the new PlayStation Store. Some content, categories, or pricing may be different than the Store you’ll experience next week.

Content not final and subject to change.

Today we began previewing a completely redesigned PlayStation Store for PlayStation 3. We’ve listened closely to your feedback and used it to build a brand new PlayStation Store. With a stunning new user interface, simple search and powerful content discovery, it’s an in-store experience that’s more streamlined and accessible than ever before.

PlayStation Store now offers more than 20,000 pieces of game-related content including downloadable games, add-ons and themes and more than 100,000 videos and TV shows. With so much to choose from, the redesign offers easier navigation to locate the perfect game, video or application. Product pages will deliver in-depth information about games and videos, while providing an amazing high definition visual experience found only on PS3.

Take a look at what to expect when the all new PlayStation Store rolls out in the US on October 23rd, and keep checking back for more information.

To sign up for PlayStation Plus, go to PlayStation Store on your PS3, or click here.

After you’ve installed the update, simply go to the Saved Data Utility under the Game column of the XMB. From there you can access the Online Storage folder and find any existing game saves already uploaded, as well as the increase in space to 1GB. So set your automatic download to upload every game save for every compatible game you play and enjoy the additional breathing room. You can also continue to use this feature to selectively upload game saves you specify.

Stay tuned to PlayStation.Blog for the latest info on future updates.

In addition, you will be able to make various setting changes while games are running and take screenshots of your gameplay.
*It might not be possible to take screenshots in some applications, or in some parts of applications.

Listed below are a few other new features that will be added with the 1.80 update:

Cross Controller

The new Cross-Controller feature will allow you to use PS Vita as a controller to play compatible games on PS3, such as LittleBigPlanet 2. This feature lets you take advantage of PS Vita’s rich features including the touch screen, rear touch pad, six-axis motion sensing system, and cameras.

To access the cross controller feature you need to launch the Remote Play application and then click on the Cross-Controller icon.

Controls

As many of you have requested, you will now have the option to control the home screen and some features of applications such as Videos and Music with the buttons on the PS Vita system.

Music

Playlists will be supported in Music. You will be able to transfer iTunes (10.6.3 or later), M3U, and M3U8 playlists from a PS3 or a PC using Content Manager.

Web Browser

Rear touch pad operation will be supported by the browser, allowing you to scroll through and zoom out of pages without obscuring the screen.

Video

The following controls have been added to Videos:

• Playback speed control
• Repeat play

Photos

Viewing photos in MPO format will now be supported, with the ability to transfer MPO files from PS3™ and PC using Content Manager.
* 3D and multi-angle viewing are NOT supported.

Group Messaging

Along with some new layout enhancements, you will be able to take photos to add as attachments when writing Group Messages.

Maps

The Maps feature has been improved by adding a button on the top screen to switch between “Search for Location” and “Search for Directions.” You can also touch and hold a location on the map and place a user flag.

“near”

“near” will be able to gather the information of surrounding Wi-Fi access points without internet connection and update the location data based on it later. You can get location data within the area covered by Wi-Fi location services.

Check back here after the update goes live for more details. And as always, stay tuned for more updates on PS Vita right here on PS.Blog.

Check out all the news coming out of Gamescom 2012 on PlayStation.Blog

Media Molecule’s New Project Revealed: Tearaway for PS Vita

See the First Trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified on PS Vita

PlayStation All-Stars Gamescom Reveal: Dante, Sackboy, Spike, Ratchet and Clank

Gamescom: New The Last of Us Trailer

Watch the GamesCom Trailer for Killzone: Mercenary

Until Dawn — New PS Move Horror Game — Announced for PS3

The Curtain is Raised on Puppeteer, a New PS3 Adventure

PlayStation Plus Coming to PS Vita, Online Game Save Storage Getting Upgraded

Are You Ready for the God of War: Ascension Multiplayer Beta?

As mentioned in our previous blog post, system software update (v4.10) added a feature that enabled you to hear your own voice through the Wireless Stereo Headset when playing multiplayer modes. This type of audio feedback is known as “sidetone.” Based on your comments, system software update (v4.20) will improve sidetone audio performance by giving you the option to select one out of five levels for microphone audio, or turn the feature off completely. For those of you who use the Wireless Stereo Headset to watch Blu-ray or DVD movies on your PS3, this system software update will also enable virtual surround sound functionality, giving you a superior audio experience.

This update will also allow you to set the amount of time that the system will wait before turning itself off automatically for [Video/TV/Music/Photo] and for [Game/Other Features].

Additionally, saved data management has been improved. You will now be able to select multiple saved data items and delete or copy them as a group.

More details will be available here tomorrow once the system software update is live.

In the coming months, you can look forward to new game reveals and other news for Vita; in the meantime, we wanted to let you know that a minor system software update will be released tonight that improves software stability. The update (v. 1.69) is completely optional, but we did want to give everyone a heads up that it was coming.

Hi, everyone. The next PS Vita System Software Update (v1.65) will be released soon and will include the following minor enhancements:

• A “Notification Alert” option will be added to Settings, so you can toggle alerts on or off
• “After 10 minutes” will be added to the time options under Power Save Settings
• An Arrow icon will now appear when PS Vita finds new activities in the LiveArea
• Caps Lock will be supported in the On Screen Keyboard

Don’t forget: there are several ways to update the firmware on your PS Vita:

• Select “System Update” under the “Settings” menu and download the firmware directly to your PS Vita over Wi-Fi.
• Connect your PS Vita to a PS3 or a PC/Mac and update via Content Manager.

We’re excited to bring you some great ways keep you entertained with music and video anytime and anywhere on PS Vita. Check out our new video walkthrough to see how it all works.

First off, with a global library of more than 15 million songs, the Music Unlimited service is now available on PS Vita. The PS Vita application, which is now available, comes with some added features that take advantage of the PS Vita’s unique capabilities, enhancing the experience and making it one of the best versions of the service available. With the Music Unlimited service on PS Vita, you can use the touch screen for easy browsing, navigation and search. You can even manage your playlists on-the-go, adding tracks from our global library of millions of songs, with automatic synching of all of your playlists and preferences across the growing list of supported devices.

One of the most exciting features that Music Unlimited brings to PS Vita is the ability to download and store songs for offline play. Completely new to the Music Unlimited service, you can download songs from our channels, library or from your playlists, and as long as you have space on your memory card, you can enjoy them while offline.

Next, the video section of the PlayStation Store has tons of movies and TV shows to rent or own, downloadable straight to your PS Vita. Browse through new releases or our giant catalog and also check out some of the discounts or deals available on any given day.

And remember, if you haven’t had a chance to experience Music Unlimited, take advantage of the 30-days free Premium subscription available now.