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As we all know, electronics are like dust super magnets. Your house could be completely sterile and your favorite console will still somehow manage to accumulate copious amounts of dust over a short period of time. Thankfully, half of that dust can easily be wiped off with routine cleaning rituals. The other half on the other hand is more troublesome both in effect and treatment. This is of course the dust that enters through the ventilation and proceeds to lie dormant inside the console until it builds up to a level which either overwhelms the circuitry or leaves your home in ashes.
Sony have seemingly thought of an answer to this with a unique feature on the PlayStation 3 which effectively allows it to clean itself. Owners of a 40Gb PlayStation 3 feel free to try this at home. By turning the console completely off from the switch at the back of the console and turning it back on while holding the eject, the PlayStation 3 console will enter a self maintenance mode. All of the fans instantly go for maximum revs and in the process makes and noise that we all thought the PS3 incapable of. Ten seconds later and the sudden burst of air from the fans has cleared the internals of all dust.
As it stands, this is functionality unique to the 40 gigabyte SKU and as such will not be relevant to owners of the 60Gb console. Now that the cat is out of the bag on the hidden functionality, fans across various message boards are calling for the inclusion of this feature in future firmware updates so that all users can benefit. While they’re at it, Sony should code up a firmware which makes the PlayStation 3 impervious to fingerprints and teach the designers of all electronic companies that Piano Black is the worst idea ever. [MyGen]
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTHw497f2Gg

The ASUS´ Intel G35 chipset motherboards allow users to enjoy enhanced Microsoft Vista DirectX 10 graphics on a motherboard solution “right out of the box”. This series of motherboards are the world´s first to provide an Intel platform with an onboard integrated VGA solution that features built-in support for Windows Vista DirectX 10. [ASUS]

ASUS´ unceasing drive towards offering the latest and the best technology to users has brought about this series of motherboards; which feature enhanced graphical support to allow users to experience a whole dimension in realistic gaming through more life-like character animations and special effects for true-to-life gaming.

Models that support this unique feature include the ASUS P5E-V HDMI, P5E-VM HDMI and the P5E-VM SE motherboards.
Specifications
Model P5E-V HDMI P5E-VM HDMI P5E-VM SE
Chipset G35/ICH9R G35/ICH9R G35/ICH9
FSB 1333/1066/800 MHz 1333/1066/800 MHz 1333/1066/800 MHz
VGA Intel® GMA X3500 Intel® GMA X3500 Intel® GMA X3500
HDMI Support Yes Yes No

Details on the forthcoming European Metal Gear Online beta have surfaced today courtesy of Konami Digital Entertainment. 
As reported earlier, the client itself will be available to download via the PlayStation Store on April 17, with Konami today announcing that the beta will run from April 21 – May 6.
The company revealed that two of the five planned maps would be available to play on, namely Blood Bath and Groznyi Grad, the latter of which is an updated version of the area of the same name from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. 
Ambush Alley, Midtown, Maelstrom and Urban Ultimatum will follow when the full game launches alongside Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots on June 12.
The game will allow for up to 16 players to compete against each other in various online modes, including Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture Base and Sneaking. [Konami Europe via PSU]

Is everyone getting psyched for the stunning re-imagining of the PlayStation Store? Perfect; let’s celebrate the Store’s return with some awesome classic rock. Jam out in Rock Band with the upcoming Classic Rock pack:  
“Call Me” by Blondie (master) 
“Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd (master) 
“Message in Bottle” by the Police (master) 
The new content will be up next Thursday, just in time for the relaunching of the PlayStation Store. These tracks will be accompanied by the last two weeks of DLC that we’ve missed due to the current renovation of the PS Store. The songs will run for $1.99 individually or for $5.49 as a three-pack. [RockBand]

UK retailer Shopto has confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz that a PlayStation bundle with Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto IV is due for release in Europe on April 29. 
The retailer said that there was some confusion as to who would be distributing the product in the UK – Gem, which has the exclusive distribution contract with publisher Take-Two, or Centresoft, the company that handles distribution for Sony.
“We know for a fact it is coming out in Europe and we are expecting an announcement in the UK any time,” confirmed Igor Cipolletta, COO of Shopto.com.
“We are not sure if Gem or Centresoft are distributing it yet, that seems to be the hold up,” he added.
The bundle has a RRP of GBP 299 and will go on sale the same day as the release of the highly-anticipated Rockstar game. [gi]
Buy it: Buy it now