Surprise! Another PlayStation firmware update has been released. This time though the update has quite a few features embedded in it, including store ratings, advanced Facebook integration, video editing, and support for the brand new PlayStation Plus subscription service.
PlayStation Plus will run you $50 a year, or $18 for 3 months, and includes a host of features including free PSN games, free PSP Minis, full game trials, PSN discounts, themes and wallpapers. These features are yours to keep as long as you are a subscriber.
The greatest feature though, IMO, is the addition of automatic downloading of updates and firmware for your games. With this the PlayStation 3 can wake up from standby, download all updates for your games, and go back to sleep. For me personally, I'm constantly annoyed by the slow and frequent updates to the PlayStation 3 titles and system. I'm not sure it's worth the $50 a year, but it's tempting.
Full details on PlayStation Plus can be found here. Full details on Firmware 3.40 can be found here.