Have to tip my hat off to Sony.  They keep rolling out the updates and continue to enhance the functionality of the PS3.  The latest update – 2.70, adds text chat!  Long overdue.

Other nifty upgrades include:

• Dynamic Equalizer for music tracks
• Video Backup of media downloaded from the PlayStation Store – so that you can free up hard drive space
• Network Copy & Paste – allows you to copy text from the Internet Browser into a message box.

Details for these upgrades can be seen below as provided by Sony PlayStation website:

 

PLAYSTATION®3 System Software Update

Friends

Text chat

You can now do text chat with people on your Friends list. You can also participate in text chat during gameplay.

Starting text chat

1. Select  (Start New Chat) under  (Friends).
2. Select  (Text Chat).
3. Enter a name for the text chat room.
4. Select the Friends that you want to invite to chat, and then select [OK].

   The text chat screen is displayed. The chat will begin as soon as someone joins the chat.

• Up to 16 people can join a chat room.
• You can use a connected keyboard or wireless keypad (each sold separately) for text entry.

Joining a text chat

If you are invited to text chat, a notification message will be displayed at the top right corner of the screen. Select  (Chat Room (Text Only)) under  (Friends), and then select the chat room that you want to join.

• You can join up to three chat rooms at the same time.
• Up to 20 chat rooms can be displayed in  (Chat Room (Text Only)).

Leaving a chat room

1. During a text chat, press the button.
2. Press the button, and then select [Leave] from the options menu.

• If you turn off the PS3™ system or sign out from PlayStation®Network, you will automatically leave the chat room. If you join a chat room again after leaving it, the record of chat entries sent while you were gone will not be displayed.

Text chat during gameplay

1. Press the PS button while playing a game.
2. Select (Chat Room (Text Only)) under (Friends).
3. Select a chat room.
   Press the PS button to return to the game screen.

• Some games do not allow you to join a text chat during gameplay.
• To leave a chat room during gameplay, follow the same steps, but in step 3 press the button and then select [Leave] from the options menu.
• You will not be able to use the text chat feature if restrictions on its use are set under the PlayStation®Network sub account settings. For information about parental control settings, see “Using the parental control settings” in the online user’s guide.

 

Settings

Dynamic Normalizer

[Dynamic Normalizer] has been added as an option to (Music Settings) under (Settings).

When you are playing music that is saved on the hard disk drive or storage media, you can use this setting to reduce the difference in volume levels between music tracks when the tracks are played.

Off	Do not use dynamic normalizer.
On	Use dynamic normalizer.

 

Video

Backup and restore

You can now selectively back up content (file type MNV) that was downloaded from the Video Store of PlayStation®Store and you can restore files that you selectively backed up to the same PS3™ system. You can use this feature to back up both SD (standard definition) and HD (high definition) resolution content.

Backing up a video file

Connect storage media, and then select the icon of the content that you want to back up. Press the button, and then select [Back Up] from the options menu. The (Backup Data Utility) folder will automatically be created on the storage media and the content will be saved.

• Depending on the PS3™ system in use, you may need a USB adaptor (commercially available) to use storage media.

Restoring a video file that you backed up

Content that was backed up to storage media can be restored to the PS3™ system. Connect storage media, and then select the storage media icon under (Video). Select the content that you want to restore from (Backup Data Utility).

• If the folder name or file name of backed up content has been changed, you may not be able to restore that content.
• If you perform any of the following operations after backing up, files in the backup data may not restore correctly.

• Format the hard disk
• Restore the PS3™ system

Network

Copy and paste

You can now copy text from a page in the Internet browser, and then paste it into a text box or message.

Copying text

1. Using the left stick, move the pointer to the location of the text that you want to copy, and then press the button.
2. Hold down the button and move the left stick of the controller to select the text.
3. Release the button at the end of the text that you want to copy.
4. Select [Copy] from the menu that is displayed.

   

Pasting copied text

You can paste copied text into a text box or message when the on-screen keyboard is displayed.

1. Select [Paste] from the on-screen keyboard.
   A list of text items that have been copied from the Internet browser will be displayed.
2. Select the text that you want to paste, and then press the button.

   

When using a connected keyboard (commercially available), you can press CTRL + V to paste previously copied text.