Sony has officially unveiled PSP's upcoming VOIP service, to be called Go! Messenger. The program will be downloadable and installed into the XMB in a future firmware upgrade. Through it, PSP owners will be able to instant message each other using a "new and intuitive on-screen keyboard." By using a headset, users will be able to voice chat; and by using Go!Cam, video chat will also be enabled.

"With Go!Messenger, PSP is pushing new boundaries, adding unique communication functionalities to all the existing multimedia experiences," said Stephane Hareau, PSP European Marketing Manager, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. "Enabling more than 8.5 Million PSP users across the SCEE region to communicate with each other, through Video or Voice chat, truly confirms the always evolving nature and potential of PSP.''

The service has been developed in partnership with BT, one of the world's leading telecom providers. Sony plans on adding even more functionality to the PSP through Go!Explore and the Go! branded video download service. European PSP owners will have a lot to look forward to -- hopefully, SCEA will follow-up with its own American service.

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As with many statements by David Reeves, bigwig of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, we're left with a feeling of slight confusion and bewilderment. Even with the release of the PSP-2000 (or Slim or Lite or whatever you want to call it) on the horizon, Reeves is already implying that a different PSP is still being considered -- one with a hard drive. However, he says, the option hasn't been included yet because "flash memory is simply so cheap - you can get an 8GB Memory Stick for under 100 Euros, and on 8GB you can get a lot of content."

The battle between a hard drive and flash memory is sort of like the two initial Xbox 360 SKU's, except the PSP hasn't decided which one to support wholly just yet. Reeves likened the decision to driving a stake into the ground (a vampire's chest would also have been appropriate), claiming the stake that finalized either flash memory or hard drive support had not yet been driven into said ground. Next year, perhaps, we'll hear something, Reeves implied.

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In a recent conference call, GameStop executives commented about the increased demand for PSP since its price drop back in April. Sales of Sony's handheld have increased nearly 50 percent from the same time period last year and according to the retailer, "this has caused such demand for the PSP that supply has not caught up."

Expectations for PSP come September are even stronger, thanks to the introduction of new bundles featuring the redesigned PSP-2000. "We expect that will abate in September with introduction of several new PSP SKUs."

As of writing, however, the new PSP-2000 was still not available for pre-order on GameStop's website.

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Here are the cables that you'll need to get your PSP connected to your TV. Official pricing hasn't been announced quite yet, but we can still stare in awe at the packaging, marveling at when we'll be able to connect our PSP systems to the TV.

See past the break to see more images of the PSP cables.