Nikkei, one of the largest media conglomerates in Japan, is reporting that Sony has been working on a combination cellphone/game system for nearly a year. It’s a rumor we’ve been hearing for years, so what’s different this time?

Well, not much, really. Nikkei is a very solid source, definitely not prone to tossing plausible ideas around as actual reports. And of course, it’s been such a persistent rumor because it makes so much sense: Sony is an important player in both the cellphone (with Sony Ericsson) and gaming worlds, though Sony Ericsson has been struggling in recent years. Now that Capcom and Square Enix are developing games for the iPhone platform, it’s just about time for Sony to jump into the game and play a little catch-up.

The rumor itself is very vague: Nikkei says it will directly compete with the iPhone, and that a project team was set up last July to start working on the console/phone hybrid. So basically, it’s the same rumor we’ve been hearing for years, except this time from a reliable source. Whether it’s got any truth to it remains to be seen. Note: The above image is a mockup. Seems obvious but sometimes you gotta say it out loud. [Reuters]

www.chinazrh.com ?via from Gizmodo?

Following iPhone 3GS/AT&T activation delays that were in some cases 48 hours long, Apple has allegedly responded with a $30 “We’re sorry” gift that will be good at the iTunes Store on Monday.

Notification came by way of an email, which we’ve seen from Giz readers as well as around the Net this weekend:

Dear Apple Customer,

Thank you for your recent Apple Store order. We appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience caused by the delay in your iPhone activation.

We are still resolving the issue that was encountered while activating your iPhone with AT&T. Unfortunately, due to system issues and continued high activation volumes, this could take us up to an additional 48 hours to complete.

On Monday, you’ll receive an email from Apple with an iTunes Store credit in the amount of $30. We hope you will enjoy this gift and accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience this delay has caused.

Thank you for choosing Apple.

Sincerely,
Apple Online Store Team

So, on the one hand you’re going to get $30 in free stuff from Apple on Monday. On the other hand you could be one of the unlucky saps on the far end of this issue who’s about to experience 96 hours without a phone. Worse still, your new iPhone 3GS could be singing to you right now too. [Thanks, Patrick, et al]

www.chinazrh.com via from Gizmodo