With the recently released firmware 3.10, Sony added a capability to the PSP that enables users to connect to the internet through Playstation Spots (or at least those in Japan).
It seems we're just now beginning to understand the implication of such a feature, as Sony today also announced that the more than 1,000 "Playstation TV" PS3 demo units stationed throughout Japan will be converted into "Playstation Spots" in the near future.
This means that there are now two kinds of Playstation Spots in Japan. The first kind is the "Sharing Type Playstation Spot," or the ones we're familiar with that distribute game demos via the PSP's Game Sharing function. The new kind are these "Access Point Type Playstation Spots," also known as "Playstation TV." These spots feature:
* Game demos you can download onto your Memory Stick (which won't be erased after your PSP turns off, unlike the demos distributed via Game Sharing)
* File downloads, such as videos, wallpapers, and audio
* PSP System Software updates
* Internet content browsing (a.k.a. web browser internet access)
* Online gaming for games that support Infrastructure for online play
In other words, these new Playstation Spots are awesome, especially considering that they're free for everyone to use. The Playstation Spot site has a list of these new "Access Point Type Playstation Spots" that is regularly updated as the Spots are upgraded with the new functionality. For now, Sony is distributing 1 game demo (Piposaru Racer), 16 videos, and 55 wallpapers via these new Spots.
Via PSP Vault