Archive for Sony

Sony launches LittleBigPlanet

Posted in Sony by Shane McGlaun on October 28th, 2008

LittleBigPlanetBack in the summer of 2007, I went to E3 and sat through the Sony E3 presentation where they first talked about LittleBigPlanet. When I first heard about the game, I thought it was a rather goofy idea. Now that more details have surfaced it might be a cool game.

Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced that LittleBigPlanet is now shipping exclusively for the PS3. The game features odd sock animal-like creatures that are controlled by the player. The entire world of the game is made from material (fabric and such). Sony describes it as a stitched together material world.

Sony PRS-700 digital book reader gets power of touch

Posted in Sony by Shane McGlaun on October 3rd, 2008

Sony PRS-700 Digital ReaderAvid readers may find the thought of a digital book reader to be intriguing. No more running to the bookstore to get new reading material, you can simply buy a book online and download it to your digital book reader. Sony has one of the most robust lines of digital book readers available and has announced its third generation reader.

The Sony PRS-700 is about the size of a slim paperback book and weighs only ten ounces. The device has a 6-inch touch enabled electronic ink display. The addition of touch sensitivity allows users to flip pages with the swipe of a finger or zoom in on text with a tap.

Sony unveils 9.9mm thick and 240Hz TVs at CEDIA

Posted in Sony by Shane McGlaun on September 4th, 2008

Sony KDL-52XBR7 TVI have never brought a TV based on how thin it was in profile. Once the set is on my entertainment center, how thick it is really doesn’t matter. I am more about the image quality and screen size. I could see a really thin TV being appealing if it was going to be wall mounted though.

Sony has announced a pair of new 1080p Bravia TVs at CEDIA that will suit those looking for thin and those looking for the best image quality. The Sony KLV-40ZX1M is one of the thinnest sets this side of an OLED screen at only 9.9mm thick. Sony says that is about the thickness of a DVD case. The TV is also very light for a 40-inch TV at only 26 pounds.

Sony announces two new home theater projectors

Posted in Sony by Shane McGlaun on September 4th, 2008

Sony VPL-HW10 ProjectorIf I had the space in my house, I would definitely prefer to have a projector set up rather than a normal HDTV. With a projector, you can get a giant size HD image that you can’t get with a LCD or plasma TV, short of spending $100k.

Sony has introduced a pair of new home theater projectors at CEDIA in Denver. One of the projectors is high-end and intended for custom installations. The custom install projector is called the VPL-VW70. It has a 60,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and 800 ANSI lumens of brightness. It can also use an optional Anamorphic lens to provide large screen sizes with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The VW70 will retail for $8,000.

Sony intros car audio with iPod links

Posted in Sony by Conner Flynn on August 27th, 2008

Sony intros car audio with iPod linksSony is revamping its Xplod line of car stereo units that will work with iPods. The iPod-aware models are the GT630UI, GT430IP, GT330 and GT130, and each features a USB connection that transfers data and charges the iPod.

These are the first models of their kind that feature scan technology known as “ZAPPIN”, which will do what auto-scanning does for radios, but for your digital content. So, using it will play samples of each track in a given piece of the listener’s library so you get a taste of songs, rather than text descriptions. If you want GT630UI you’ll have to pay $160, while the GT430IP and GT330 will cost $130 and $100, when they’re released in September.

Sony XROSS FADE for the aspiring DJ

Posted in Sony by Shane McGlaun on August 22nd, 2008

Sony XROSS FADESony is betting that there are people out there who really want to be a DJ. I’m not into mixing songs together and making mixed tapes, but I am sure there are many people out there who are into that. If you are such person and you have been looking for an easy way to play DJ — the Sony XROSS FADE is your ticket.

The XROSS FADE is a 450W stereo system aimed at the aspiring DJ. The system has DJ themed features including a cross-fader and monitor cue along with a built-in two-channel mixer. The features allow the user to check upcoming tracks with headphones to ensure they are cued properly before the songs play. The features can also be used to mix two songs together or fade into the next song. A USB recording function allows users to record mix sessions directly to a USB flash drive without the need for PC.

Sony goes multi-room with new iPod system

Posted in Sony by Shane McGlaun on August 22nd, 2008

Sony S-AIRPLAYMulti-room audio is hot these days with more manufacturers than you can shake a stick at bringing wireless audio systems to market. Lots of competition is a good thing because it means a large variety of price points and models for music fans to choose from. Sony has launched a high-end music system designed specifically for the iPod that streams music wirelessly to different rooms of your home.

The system is called the Sony S-AIRPLAY and is a wireless multi-room solution that can transmit audio from the main docking station to its wireless speakers up to 164-feet away. The system includes one docking station and two S-AIR wireless speakers. The system can support up to 10 speakers simultaneously. In addition to the iPod dock — that also charges the iPod — the system features an AM/FM tuner.

New Sony Walkman PMPs hit the internet with lots of color

Posted in Sony by Conner Flynn on August 17th, 2008

New Sony Walkman PMPs hit the internet with lots of colorA new breed of Walkmans has hit Sony’s New Zealand website and they are colorful as a bag full of skittles in a Leprechauns pot o gold. The new models are the NWZ-E435, NWZ-E436, and NWZ-E438. They all feature a 2-inch QVGA LCD display, FM tuner, codec support for MP3, AAC, WMA, and Linear PCM files, and clock in a very small package of 8.5mm.

The devices will be available in 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB sizes, each model having various color options, the NWZ-E438 being the exception as it only comes in black. Supposedly the PMPs are compatible with both Windows Media Player and iTunes, with a drag and drop interface. Nothing on price yet or what country will see it first. Not even a release date, but expect them on the next month or two. We’ll let you know when we hear more.

Sony working on 1:1 motion tracking sword game for PS2 and EyeToy

Posted in Sony by Conner Flynn on August 14th, 2008

Sony working on 1:1 motion tracking sword game for PS2 and EyeToyContinuing the attempt to make every future game like a Wii game Sony is working on a sword fighting game that will use 1:1 motion tracking. At least, according to a representative for Sony Computer Entertainment’s London Studios, who seemed pretty bitter about the success of the Wii.

It makes perfect business sense since everyone in the world owns a PS2 and they’ve sold 10.5 million Eyetoys. And since they wish they were the Wii in their hearts. They’re using new color tracking technology to enhance the EyeToy’s motion tracking for two new EyeToy: Play games that should be ready for the holidays this year. One of them is a sword fighting game that comes with a fluorescent toy sword of some sort.

Sony shows off Bravia Theater Micro System

Posted in Sony by Shane McGlaun on June 6th, 2008

Sony HT-IS100One of the worst things about a home theater aside from the wires is that the speakers tend to be big and bulky. Larger speakers often sound better, but they are hard to hide and can really mess up the looks of a room (so says my wife).

To go along with the new line of Sony Bravia HDTVs I wrote about this morning Sony has released a HT-IS100 Bravia Theater Micro System. The system is designed around five tiny speakers that are each about the size of a golf ball or a strawberry.

Sony introduces sweet new XBR HDTV line

Posted in Sony by Shane McGlaun on June 6th, 2008

Sony XBR HDTVWhen it comes to LCD HDTVs Sony has some of the most popular sets on the market in its Bravia line. While LCD TVs and LCDs on notebooks share some of the same tech, notebook LCDs have been using LED backlighting for better picture quality and thinner profiles for a while now. The LED tech hasn’t been seen much in HDTVs until now.

Sony introduced seven new XBR HDTV models including models using TRILUMINOS LED backlighting and local dimming to provide better black levels and contrast. The TRILUMINOS LED system uses clusters of red, blue and green LEDs to produce improved color. The new models include screen sizes from 19 to 70-inches.

Sony series A Bluetooth Enabled PMPs

Posted in Sony by Conner Flynn on February 20th, 2008

Sony series A Bluetooth Enabled PMPs
Sony announced two series A, Bluetooth enabled Personal Media Players: the NW-A820 and NW-A829 in Japan today. Both include a 2.4 inch 320 x 240 LCD display and can playback MP3, WMA, ATRAC,ATRAC Advanced Lossless, Sony PCM, and AAC and HE-AAC audio file formats but doesn’t support DRM on WMA and AAC. They also support video file format in MPEG4, AVHC, H.264 and provide seamless wireless audio video playback to Bluetooth headphones using Bluetooth version 2.0 A2DP/AVRCP.

If you like, you can also get an optional VRC-NW10 dock that has the ability to schedule, record and store TV programs using EPG broadcast television or radio programs. The A820 has 8GB flash storage while the A829 comes with 16GB. Expect to see these around March in Japan. The NW-A820 is priced at 28,000 Yen ($260), NW-A829 at 38,000 Yen ($353) and the optional cradle at 20,000 yen ($186).

Sony CFD-W77 double tape deck

Posted in Sony by Conner Flynn on February 14th, 2008

Sony CFD-W77 double tape deck
That’s right, it’s 2008 and Sony is releasing a tape deck. Wtf you say? Me too. I’m not sure what they are thinking here, but I’m betting an 8-Track deck is around the corner. This dual tape recorder has a nice modern look, at least. It also features a CD player and a FM/AM Radio Tuner. It comes in two shades of gray and is available only in Japan for around $145.

There must be a surplus of tapes in Japan that I had not heard of. Either that or they just collectively discovered the magic of the garage sale cassette. Seriously, alot of people still use tapes. Mostly because they are cheap. The tapes, not the people. OK, them too. Still, I would be curious to find out how many of these units Sony is able to move.

Sony gets colorful with W-series Cyber-shots

Posted in Digital Cameras, Sony by Nino Marchetti on January 25th, 2008

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W170Among other cameras Sony released this week it was showing off a new line of colorful W-series Cyber-shots for the consumer crowd. The W-series will price between about $200 and $300.

Models of the W-series will include the 10.1-megapixel DSC-W170 and 8.1-megapixel DSC-W150, both with Carl Zeiss 5x optical zoom lenses, and the 8.1-megapixel DSC-W130 models and 7.2-megapixel DSC-W120 units with 4x optical zoom and 2.5 inch LCD screens.

Colors on these models will range from pink to blue to gold and red. Availability is slated for between now and April, again depending upon the model. Check out the full Sony press release after the jump for all the details.

Sony targets kiddie parties with DSC-H10

Posted in Digital Cameras, Sony by Nino Marchetti on January 23rd, 2008

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H10Another new digital camera unveiled by Sony is a family focused model for parents looking to document their kids smearing paint on the walls for later in life blackmailing. It is called the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H10 and price is set at around $300.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H10, which will be available in May in two body colors, ships as an eight-megapixel model with a Carl Zeiss 10x optical zoom lens. Sony has made this camera somewhat compact (4-1/4-inches wide by 2-3/4-inches tall by 2-inches deep) and enhanced its features with face detection technology which can focus on up to eight guilty faces in a frame.





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