Gadget fans, take note: This week, Sony will finally release its long-awaited PlayStation Portable (PSP) in North America, ushering in a new era of portable video gaming. The sleek-looking PSP resembles a PlayStation 2 hand controller with an embedded widescreen display, and if early reports are to be believed, this device is about to out-cool the Apple iPod and outsell the Nintendo Dual Screen (DS). But the PSP isn't just about gaming. It will also include video, photo-slideshow, and music-playback functionality, as well as Wi-Fi technology for access to online services and ad-hoc online gaming with other nearby PSP owners. In an age when cell phone makers are turning their devices into all-in-one solutions, it's interesting to see Sony take on this strategy from a different perspective. With the heart of a game machine, the PSP is a natural for other entertainment options and, when you think about it, communications and personal information manager (PIM) features are the easy part. Will the PSP take over the world? We'll find out soon enough
