Izumi Kawanishi, Sony Computer Entertainment's Chief Technical Officer, has moved out of the division and has settled into the mothership Sony Corporation. This is according to one of Kotaku's sources who explains that he and Kazuo Hirai had an internal dispute.

The source continues that the fight was Hirai wanting to push the PlayStation 3 only as a game console. Perhaps Kawanishi still wanted to push the console as an all-in-one media hub?

PS3 Land recently reported some PS3 details, given by Izumi Kawanishi, head of the Software Platform division of SCEI. Let's take a look at 'em, shall we?

First off, Izumi-san said that the fan "spins steadily" whenever users play games, and won't be needed for XMB and web browsing. Also, it can connect to various USB devices such as the PSP. However, those that have special transfer methods aren't detected by the PS3 just yet, although Sony's working on Walkman connectivity.

You can play PS1 games! Just connect your PSP to your PS3, and voila! You get instant PS1 nostalgia. And although there's no DVD upscaling features as of now, Sony's looking into it, so we can probably look forward to that in the future. Meanwhile, the Blu-Ray's reported to be responding really fast, and Izumi attests that the said PS3 media is the "fastest among the Toshiba, Sony, Matsushita HD players/recorders" he tried out.

Here are other features lifted from our source:

• The picture/audio quality for video playback is excellent. Though Cell does not presently do much post processing, they are researching it.
• High Definition videos are converted to LPCM and outputted via HDMI.
• No DVD upscaling for the time being. But they are looking at user needs and have a plan for the support.
• The Blu-ray player's response is fast. The interviewer says he believes that the PlayStation 3 is the fastest among Toshiba, Sony, Matsushita HD players/recorders he tested.
• By pressing the triangle button the XMB shows the folder tree structure just like windows explorer.
• It can connect with USB mass-storage devices such as PSP, but not with ones with special transfer methods such as iPod and Walkman. They are currently working on Walkman support.
• They decided not to reveal the RSX clock speed.
• The EE+GS embedded in the PS3 does emulation for PS1/PS2 for initial shipments PS3, so no graphics upgrade for the time being. The software emulation technology is almost complete but not ready for the launch. As soon as it is ready, the EE+GS unit will be removed.
• In Remote Play with PSP for the 60GB version, the PS3 resolution becomes 480p (16:9) and converts the screen to MPEG-4 Simple Profile at around 1Mbps to send it to the PSP. All control is transferred to the PSP and you can control the PS3 by pressing the PSP buttons. BD/DVD and other copyright-protected materials can't be sent. As for games the support will come in the near future.
• The web browser can open up to six pages simultaneously max. 64MB memory is always reserved for XMB functions (I.E. instant messaging, voice chat, etc.)
• Installing Linux creates a new HDD partition separately from the PS3 partition. After the setup, you can choose which system to use at the boot menu. You can choose to auto-boot Linux too.
• - Aside from Linux, SCE's developers are still seeking the way to publish proper software development environment for the PS3 main OS and PSP for general users. But right now the PS3 main OS can run only signed applications (while PS3 Linux can run whatever applications on it).

At the beginning of this month, we all heard the conflicting reports surrounding the PS3-PSP connection. GameWatch claimed that the PlayStation Portable can be used to control and view the related next-gen game. Famitsu's take is a bit different, saying the remote play function is all about game data trading between the two platform. However, judging from the latest information coming straight from Izumi Kawanishi himself, both appear somewhat correct and lacking in detail.

First off, to use the PSP as a remote viewer for the PS3 media content, the two would have to be within ad-hoc connection range. Sony plans to kick thing up a notch in the future, leaving the wireless range and ultimately aiming at the internet. Kawanishi also mentioned that they are not content with simple media viewing. Sony is also thinking of allowing owners play PS3 games remotely on the PSP.

Being in charge for the development of both PS3 and PSP hardware, Kawanishi confirmed the region free software. "PlayStation 3 game software does not have this region code. In other words, if you can get your hands on overseas software, you can play as is," he quipped. Furthermore, aside from the traditional online updates, Sony is intending to let users do the updates via flash memory.

Lastly, the Famitsu article mentioned that users would be needing the 60GB PS3 model to activate the PSP connectivity. However, there was no confirmation given regarding this matter. We're wondering if connecting a USB Wi-Fi socket to the 20GB model would to the trick for us.

Because TGS 2006 isn't big enough for more syrupy PSP and PS3 goodness, Sony demoed the "Remote Play" functions of the two at CETEC JAPAN 2006. And GameWatch and Famitsu were both there to cover it all, and tell all about it. Also, as PSPVault found out, they both came away with radically different ideas of how Remote Play Works.

GameWatch says that Sony says that the PS3 will "throw" (yep, "throw") its video signal to the PSP using Wi-Fi. This means that the PSP can be used to control and see the related PS3 game, making the handheld sort of a Location-free PS3 - minus the six-axis motion-sense, right analog stick, and two shoulder buttons, though.

But Famitsu says that Remote Play is all about (and we quote PSPVault's quoting): "download[ing] Playstation 3 content to the PSP." Now that may read as somewhat like GameWatch's take - which is transmitting PS3 signals to the PSP - but it may also mean that Remote Play is primarily limited to trading game data between the two machines, and not necessarily PS3 in-game control with the PSP.

We would like to think it would be both - hey, the only limits to PSP-PS3 in-game interaction are the bandwidth limits of Wi-Fi (or a direct USB connection) and how much code it takes to integrate that into a game. We also had that earlier bit from the PS3 F1 racing game that the PSP could be used as a rear-view mirror. And Sony's Izumi Kawanishi had also mentioned the entire PS3-throwing-video-to-PSP thing last month.

The only thing we're waiting for now is a video of the demo in action (and someone who can understand the Japanese menu in the Remote Play demo).