Sony says 'several issues' are affecting a 'very small' number of PS4s

More like Play-lame-sion, aimiright?

Sony's PS4 may have gotten off to a million-unit start, but the console's North American launch wasn't without its share of faulty machines.

Today the company has provided an update on the situation. It's worth noting that Sony admits there are a few problems circulating through PS4-land. The console maker has also slightly increased the number of systems it says have been bugged with an issue or two.

"There have been several issues reported, which leads us to believe there isn't a singular problem that could impact a broader percentage of PS4 units," read a statement sent to TechRadar by an SCEA spokesperson.

"We also understand that some units were reportedly damaged during shipping. The number of affected PS4 systems is less than 1%, which represents a very small percentage of total units shipped to date and is within the expected range for a new product introduction.

"We understand the frustration of consumers that have had a problem and are working with them and our retail partners to help troubleshoot issues and ensure affected units are exchanged," the statement concluded.

Initial reports on November 15 (the PS4's release date) revealed an HDMI issue was plaguing some PS4s. Users reported seeing a "failed output signal" error message on their TVs because of a faulty HDMI jack.

Sony wouldn't provide us with a number of borked systems then, though it initially told IGN the number was less than .4%.

In its statement to us later that day, Sony said "[a] handful of people have reported issues with their PlayStation 4 systems," never mentioning HDMI or the blue light specifically.

Some users also reported problems with hardware and TV connectivity, resulting in a blinking blue like that wasn't exactly fatal, but was clearly cause for annoyance.

Sony didn't go so far as to specify what sort of issues it's dealing with in its statement today, but it may be a small assurance that the problem isn't a single, black-hole flaw that will suck every PS4 into a vacuous pit of brokenness.

Still, around 1% of one million units sold is 10,000, so there are a good number of un-happy PS4 campers roaming around these parts.

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iTunes for Windows: Additional troubleshooting tips for burning issues

iTunes for Windows: Additional troubleshooting tips for burning issuesLearn some additional steps to troubleshoot burning issues.

Using iTunes for Windows, you can easily "burn" audio, data, and MP3 CDs with most major disc drives, including:

CD-R CD-RW DVD-R/RW DVD+R/RW

Here are a few tips you can try to solve common issues burning discs with iTunes for Windows.

Download and install the latest version of iTunes. See "Can't burn a CD in iTunes for Windows" for basic troubleshooting steps. If you continue to have difficulty, then continue with the additional troubleshooting steps below.">ACUtil.setPOD('us~en'); var articleId = "TS1374"; var ACStaticText = { 'more': '…more', 'less': 'less' };KmLoader.akamaiUrl = 'http://km.support.apple.com';//function sendRead()var locale = 'en_US';Event.observe(window, 'load', function() {ACHistory.addKbView('TS1374', 'iTunes for Windows: Additional troubleshooting tips for burning issues', 'en_US', 'unknown');ACUtil.getMultipleOffers('PP67,PL115', 'TROUBLESHOOTING_ARTICLES', 'en_US', 'false');ACUtil.reportView('TS1374', 'en_US');// Apple Instant Feed statistics code if(enableAppleInstant == "yes"){var store = new Persist.Store('FeedStats');if (store.get('resultActivity')=='true'){var time = new Date();// Fix for /*setReadTimer = setTimeout(function(){var feedStats = new ACFeedStatistics();feedStats.updateRead('TS1374', store.get('position'));store.remove('TS1374');store.remove('position');}, 3000);*///store.set('TS1374', time.getTime());store.set('timeStart', time.getTime());}} });Event.observe(window, 'beforeunload', function(){// Apple Instant Feed statistics code if(enableAppleInstant == "yes"){ var store = new Persist.Store('FeedStats'); if (store.get('resultActivity')=='true' && store.get('timeStart') !== null){ var time = new Date();//var timeDiff = time.getTime() - store.get('TS1374');var timeDiff = time.getTime() - store.get('timeStart');var timeSpent = Math.floor(timeDiff/1000);var feedStats = new ACFeedStatistics();// Fix for if (timeDiff iTunes for Windows: Additional troubleshooting tips for burning issues Products Affected

iTunes 7 for Windows, iTunes 8 for Windows, Microsoft Windows XP SP2, Vista and 7

Symptoms

Learn some additional steps to troubleshoot burning issues.

Using iTunes for Windows, you can easily "burn" audio, data, and MP3 CDs with most major disc drives, including:

CD-R CD-RW DVD-R/RW DVD+R/RW

Here are a few tips you can try to solve common issues burning discs with iTunes for Windows.

Download and install the latest version of iTunes. See "Can't burn a CD in iTunes for Windows" for basic troubleshooting steps. If you continue to have difficulty, then continue with the additional troubleshooting steps below. Resolution

If after following the instructions in this document you still can't read or burn discs, try the following:

Try other software Open a different music player, such as Windows Media Player, and test if it can play a CD you've burned. Open the CD burning software that came with your computer or disc drive, and test to see if it can burn a CD.

If you're not able to read or burn discs using other software, there may be a more general issue with your computer or the drive. You should probably contact your computer or drive manufacturer for help. In the mean time, try the tips below.

Use good blank discs

Some brands of blank discs may work better with your drive than others. Check the disc manufacturer's website for the brand of blank discs you are using. Many brands post lists of drives that have issues burning to their discs. They may also publish tips on how to troubleshoot burning issues.

You can use the chart below as a general guideline to assess what types of CD-R media are compatible with different drive types.

Drive Type Drive Type Logo CD-RW Speed Range Media Type Supported Multi Speed Drive 1x ~ 4x Multi Speed CD-RW media High Speed Drive 4x ~ 16x Multi Speed CD-RW media
High Speed CD-RW media Ultra Speed Drive 16x ~ 24x Multi Speed CD-RW media
High Speed CD-RW media
Ultra Speed CD-RW media

 

Check for software updates

Microsoft or your computer's manufacturer may have released updated software. Check to see if there are updates to Windows or to the software that controls the drive. Check your computer manufacturer's website for updates, particularly for updates to the CD or DVD drive. If you bought the drive separately from the computer, check the drive manufacturer's website. See this document for additional information on updating software for Windows.

Check for firmware updates

From time to time manufacturers publish updates to a CD or DVD drive's internal software (known as firmware). Check your computer manufacturer's website for firmware updates first. This is important because the internal drives used by some companies (including Dell) require special firmware. If an update is not available from the computer manufacturer, check with the company that made the drive.

Updating your drive's firmware is a particularly good troubleshooting step if iTunes is showing a 2122, 2123, or 2131 error when trying to burn a CD. For optical drives manufactured by Aopen, firmware updates can be downloaded at http://download.aopen.com.tw/.

Important: Use special care when installing firmware updates. Incorrectly installing a firmware update could damage the drive and make it unusable. Always check with the computer manufacturer first before checking with the drive manufacturer.

Tip: If you need help with the next two steps, contact the company that manufactured your computer or drive.

Check hardware configuration

Check if your computer's drive is capable of Direct Memory Access (DMA). If so, turn on that feature and make sure the drive is not set to use Programmed Input Output (PIO). DMA and PIO are two ways a drive can be configured to connect and transfer data to a computer. PIO is the slower method. This could affect the drive's performance. If you have two drives, make sure the other drive is not using PIO either. It could affect the drive you are trying to use with iTunes. Check with the computer or drive manufacturer for additional information.

To turn on DMA:

Open Device Manager (right-click on My Computer (Windows XP and Windows 2000) or Computer (Windows Vista and Windows 7) and in the shortcut menu, click Manage) Select Device Manager. Click the plus sign, or arrow, next to IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers.

Right-click on the IDE bus that contains the optical drive and in the shortcut menu, click Properties. Click the Advanced Settings tab.
Make sure the Transfer Mode for the devices on the bus is set to DMA if available, not PIO Only.

Check drive audio cable

Some internal drives (such as the MediaStor CD-R/RW 52x24x52x) have a 2- to 4-pin analog audio cable that must be plugged into the main motherboard. This is in addition to the wider 40- to 80-pin ATA or IDE cable that connects the drive to the logic board. If the analog audio cable is not plugged in, the drive can behave in erratic ways.

Remove iPod and test

If you connect your iPod to the computer via USB and you use a USB burner, try ejecting and disconnecting iPod before trying to burn.

Additional InformationA note about copyrightiTunes software may be used to reproduce materials. It is licensed to you only for reproduction of non-copyrighted materials, materials in which you own the copyright, or materials you are authorized or legally permitted to reproduce. If you are uncertain about your right to copy any material, you should contact your legal advisor. See the iTunes Store Terms of Service for additional information.

$('articlecontent').select('img').each(function(element) { if(element.width > 640 ){ var imageDiv = document.createElement('div'); imageDiv.setStyle({ 'display':'block', 'width':'660px', 'overflow':'auto', 'border':'1px solid #dedede','margin-right': '15px'}); element.parentNode.replaceChild(imageDiv, element); imageDiv.appendChild(element); } }); $('articlecontent').select('table').each(function(element) { if(element.width > 660 || element.offsetWidth>660){ var tableDiv = document.createElement('div'); tableDiv.setAttribute("class","kbtablecontainer"); element.setAttribute("style","margin-bottom:0px !important"); element.parentNode.replaceChild(tableDiv, element); tableDiv.appendChild(element); } }); Important: Mention of third-party websites and products is for informational purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance or use of information or products found at third-party websites. Apple provides this only as a convenience to our users. Apple has not tested the information found on these sites and makes no representations regarding its accuracy or reliability. There are risks inherent in the use of any information or products found on the Internet, and Apple assumes no responsibility in this regard. Please understand that a third-party site is independent from Apple and that Apple has no control over the content on that website. Please contact the vendor for additional information. Rate this article:Not helpfulSomewhat helpfulHelpfulVery helpfulSolved my problemOne Moment PleaseThanks for rating this article Not helpful Somewhat helpful Helpful Very helpful Solved my problem Share this article Twitter Facebook Last Modified: May 6, 2013 Article: TS1374 Views: 1204655 Rating: 2.0/5 Stars
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Fix email retention time issues

This tip is only for devices running webOS 2.x or higher

Instead of a fixed number of email messages to load into the Email app, webOS allows you to define a retention timeframe, so you can bring it all email from just the last day to a full month to everything in your mailbox.  Generally, the app will follow the timeframe that you have set and only bring in those requested emails, but there are a few situations where this functionality becomes broken and requires a little intervention to fix.

The most common occurrence of this is when you change the retention timeframe. If you increase the time, then the next email refresh will simply bring in those additional emails. However, if you decrease the timeframe of emails to sync, the app does not always recognize the change and keeps all those emails that were already synced.  Other than waiting for the app to hopefully fix itself over time, the easiest way to fix this to remove and add back the email account.  To do this:

Open up the Accounts app and find the Account with your emailDO NOT tap the "Remove Account" button.Instead, flip the "Email" toggle from ON to OFF and you will get a dashboard notification that your email acount and data will be deleted. Ignore the warningSwipe back to return to your Accounts listingGo back to the email's Account again and now switch the toggle from OFF back to ON.By doing this, all of the things tied to that Account--such as any linked contacts or calendars--will remain untouched, and any email account settings prior to removing the email will also remain.

Another situation where we have seen the email retention timeframe fail occurred to this writer this past weekend. Every few minutes, the phone would vibrate telling me there were new emails, but nothing seemed to come through. In fact, the "new" emails that were being synced were actually very old emails, some that were from days or weeks before the defined email retention timeframe and no matter how many times I seemed to delete those older emails, they kept returning every few minutes. As it turns out, I had accidently deleted an older email while on my PC and then moved that file from the Trash back to the Inbox. For some reason, the webOS app must have been confused between the older date of the email and the more recent "modified" date of when I moved the file back into my inbox. From my computer, I moved that problem-email to a different folder in my email account to get it out of my inbox, and then be safe followed the directions above to remove and re-add my email account and everything was fixed!

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