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Sony
Sony updates Walkman range with thinnest Walkman ever
By Darren Quick
03:54 September 2, 2008 PDT
Thin is definitely in for the new S series Walkman Video MP3 players from Sony. At just 7.5mm thick the S series are the slimmest Walkmans, (or should that be Walkmen), ever. Read More
The Sountina sound fountain – 1.85 metre tall glass and leather column delivering 360 degree sound
By Jack Martin
23:38 August 28, 2008 PDT
August 29, 2008 It’s taken us a few decades to fully wrap our brain cells around the fact that a loudspeaker doesn’t need to be box-shaped with an array of woofers and tweeters and equally, that remarkable sound quality can be produced from a single speaker. Taking it one step further is the new Sony Sountina: this single, elegant column, combining glass, leather and room-enhancing illumination, delivers music over 360 degrees, providing a sonic and visual focal-point for any room. The name comes from a fusion of the words ‘sound’ and ‘fountain’; just as people gather around a fountain, so the 1.85m tall Sountina will deliver amazing music to those all around it. Sony calls it a Circle Sound Stage, and it’s all made possible by brand-new Vertical Drive Technology. Check out the image library - beeeeautiful! Read More
Sony Cyber-shot T500 now with HD video
By Mike Hanlon
22:20 August 28, 2008 PDT
August 29, 2008 In the ongoing quest for manufacturers to differentiate their product in the compact digital camera market, the feature sets keep growing and growing and the killer app at IFA this week was undoubtedly high def video in digital cameras. With mobile phones fast catching the compact camera market in basic functionality, the integration of HD video was a no brainer and Sony’s new Cyber-shot T500 is the first to deliver in this marketplace. In addition to producing MPEG4 HD (1280x720 ) movies at 30fps with stereo sound, the T500 produces a 10.1 megapixel still image and switches instantly between still and movie modes at the touch of a comfortably placed button on top of the camera. You can even grab crisp still images (1280x720 pixels) without interrupting video shooting and a new ring-type adjustment allows easy zooming of the Carl Zeiss lens throughout the 5x range while you’re shooting movies. Read More
Sony joins the in-car iPod wagon
By Darren Quick
11:06 August 28, 2008 PDT
August 28, 2008 If you’re sick of fumbling with your iPod while hurtling down the freeway Sony have just the thing with the announcement of four new Xplod in-dash head units that are able to connect directly to compatible iPods and allow users to charge and control their iPod devices on the road. Each new unit supports HPF/LPF sound quality, feature 52 watts X 4 peak output enhancements and, if you’re one of the few holding out from joining the iPod brigade, there’s an auxiliary input on the faceplates, facilitating the use of other portable music players with a standard 1/8-inch mini jack cord, which is available separately. Read More
Sony announces 200 frame per second Bravia LCD TV
By Mike Hanlon
09:43 August 28, 2008 PDT
August 28, 2008 Sony has announced a 200Hz LCD TV at IFA. The new Z4500 LCD TV uses Sony’s proprietary Motionflow 200Hz system to calculate three additional frames for every original, upping the frame rate from 50 to 200 frames per second. A complementary image enhancement technology called IB Reduction (Image Blur Reduction) boosts the sharpness of the final picture by improving the original, frame by frame, before it is processed by the Motionflow 200Hz. The result is the smoothest and clearest motion reproduction to be achieved by an LCD to date. Read More
Sony Bravia ZX1 – ultra-thin LCD TV with separate wireless Media Receiver
By Mike Hanlon
09:04 August 28, 2008 PDT
August 28, 2008 Sony is showing an extraordinarily slim new 40-inch Bravia HD LCD TV at IFA this week that measures a barely believable 9.9mm at its slimmest section. The compelling elegance of this wafer-thin display is hugely enhanced by a super-fast wireless connection so there are no signal cables to spoil the elegant simplicity of the design. Instead, the screen uses what Sony has dubbed ‘Bravia 1080 Wireless’ to carry the audiovisual signal from the separate Media Receiver to the screen in real time. Read More
Sony to launch 160GB PS3 in October
By Kyle Sherer
13:16 August 26, 2008 PDT
Sony is launching the 160GB Playstation 3 on October 31. The console is an early Christmas present for gamers in Europe and the US where it will retail for €449 and US$499 respectively. Features include Playstation Network content, a Blu-ray Disc player, DUALSHOCK3 wireless controllers, video chat and online play. Read More
Sony's X4500 and W4500 HD TVs
By Kyle Sherer
03:46 August 22, 2008 PDT
Sony has announced the BRAVIA X4500 and W4500 series wide screen LCD TVs with full HD 1080p resolution and DLNA connectivity. The X4500 is available in 40-inch, 46-inch, and and an 8-speaker 55-inch model, all of which feature the BRAVIA ENGINE 2 PRO for filtering, cleaning and optimizing image data before it’s displayed. Read More
Sony working to make Rock Band, Guitar Hero instruments compatible
By Darren Quick
09:13 August 20, 2008 PDT
Sony has been working with rhythm based games developers to ensure compatibility between the various companies’ peripherals on the PS3 for Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Revolution titles. Read More
Criterion Collection's new reference Blu-ray player: a PlayStation 3
By Darren Quick
10:47 August 19, 2008 PDT
The PS3’s credibility as a Blu-ray player has received another boost with the news that the folks at the Criterion Collection – the distributors of “important and classic and contemporary films” – use the PS3 as their reference Blu-ray player in their new HD home theater. The news might come as a surprise to those that would assume a stand-alone player would trump a game console/Blu-ray player in the picture quality department, but the PS3 has consistently received favorable reviews of its Blu-ray playback capabilities after overcoming some early teething problems... Read More
PlayStation 3 Greatest Hits launch today for $29.99
By Tim Hanlon
01:03 July 30, 2008 PDT
July 30, 2008 Sony has launched the first ten PS3 games in their Greatest Hits range, including Warhawk, Assassin's Creed and Resistance: Fall of Man. Click through for the full list, and our recommendations. Read More
Sony’s new VAIO FW laptop is sexy in silver
By Darren Quick
04:11 July 29, 2008 PDT
July 29, 2008 Sony’s upcoming VAIO range includes the FW laptop, which features a Macbook-style keyboard, built-in Blu-ray drive and a 16.4-inch display. Read More
Industry leaders back AMIMON's Wireless Home Digital Interface technology
By Tim Hanlon
00:02 July 25, 2008 PDT
July 25, 2008 AMIMON, Hitachi, Motorola, Samsung, Sharp and Sony have formed an interest group to develop a standard for multi-room connectivity using AMIMON's Wireless Home Digital Interface (WHDI) technology. Read More
Sony’s HT-IS100 BRAVIA Theatre Micro System features golf ball size speakers
By Darren Quick
22:01 July 21, 2008 PDT
July 22, 2008 No, that’s not a giant strawberry in the accompanying picture – it’s a mini speaker. The Sony HT-IS100 BRAVIA Theatre Micro System is a 5.1 channel system delivering 450 watts (RMS) of power through a subwoofer with integrated 32-bit S-Master digital amplifier and five incredibly small speakers roughly the size of a golf ball. Designing the system at people who don’t want their home theater system to overpower their décor Sony says the “HT-IS100 packs all the power of a conventional home theater system in five discrete speakers that practically disappear in your living room.” Read More
Yet another flat panel display technology from Sony
By Darren Quick
17:16 July 14, 2008 PDT
July 14, 2008 Sony’s XEL-1 OLED television hasn’t yet had its first birthday and the company is already planning a successor. Digital World Tokyo is reporting Sony affiliate Field Emission Technologies (FET), which Sony currently owns just under 40 percent of after spinning the company off at the end of 2006, is planning to begin mass production of Field Emission Display (FED) panels by the end of 2009. Read More
Sony’s DVDirect DVD Recorder
By Darren Quick
18:01 July 9, 2008 PDT
The Sony VRDMC3 DVDirect DVD Recorder does just what its name suggests – it records to DVDs directly from other sources, and it does so without the need for a PC. The VRDMC3 can record from just about any source such as camcorders, DVDs or VCRs, thanks to the provided USB, Firewire, S-Video and composite inputs. In addition to video, still images can be copied directly from memory card to DVD as a slideshow or for photo storage by using the built-in 5-in-1 card reader. PictBridge compatibility allows the unit to interface directly with a printer and images can be previewed using the 2.5-inch colour LCD that sits on top of the unit. Once selections have been made they can be copied to disc using the large "record" located just below the screen. Read More
Nyko PS3 Media Hub with USB ports
By Darren Quick
14:04 July 7, 2008 PDT
July 7, 2008 When Sony cut the price of their PS3 console in late 2007 they also cut a few features including backwards compatibility with many PS2 titles, memory card reader, and a couple of USB ports. Gaming peripherals manufacturer, Nyko Technologies, has addressed two of these three losses with their Media Hub for the PlayStation 3. The Media Hub attaches to any available USB port and provides three additional USB connections as well as a media card reader that supports SD cards and Memory Sticks. The unit is designed to match the color and shape of the PS3, is compatible with all versions of the PS3 and snaps into position so it can be used with the PS3 in either the horizontal or vertical position. Now if only they could come up with a $20 USB device to give the PS3 back its backwards compatibility they’d be sure to make many a console owner happy. Read More
Sony HDR-CX12 Camcorder automatically snaps smiling faces
19:27 June 26, 2008 PDT
Billed as the world's first high-definition camcorder with both "Smile Shutter" and face detection technologies, Sony's HDR-CX12 Memory Stick Handycam camcorder automatically takes a 10 megapixel still photo when it encounters a smiling face - even when in standby mode. Due for release in August at an estimated price point of USD$900, the compact 2.8" x 5.3" x 2.8" camera records full 1920 x 1080 HD video onto Memory Stick PRO Duo™ and Memory Stick PRO Duo (Mark2) media cards and boasts a Carl Zeiss 12x optical zoom lens, a built-in zoom microphone with Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround and image stabilization. Read More
Sony to release energy-saving 32-inch LCD
02:31 June 18, 2008 PDT
Massive screens are not the answer for everyone in the flat screen TV market and energy conscious consumers might be persuaded to think small with this new 32-inch addition to Sony's Bravia range which is set for release in Japan. Read More
Sony announce Qore - an interactive HD gaming program for the PS3
By Tim Hanlon
06:10 June 3, 2008 PDT
Sony has announced Qore, a monthly, interactive gaming program shot in HD and distributed via the PlayStation Network. Qore will feature exclusive news, interviews and previews along with bonuses like exclusive access to beta tests, demos, and downloadable content. Read More
IBM’s new BladeCenter QS22
By Darren Quick
20:26 May 18, 2008 PDT
May 19, 2008 IBM has expanded its High Performance Computing (HPC) capabilities for businesses with the introduction their new BladeCenter QS22 - a new, economical supercomputing technology inspired by advanced scientific research facilities. The heart of the QS22 is the multi-core IBM PowerXCell 8i processor, a new generation processor based on the Cell Broadband Engine (Cell/B.E.) Architecture, which is compliant with the Cell Broadband Engine (Cell/B.E.) Architecture, originally developed by IBM, Sony and Toshiba to provide the computing power for cutting-edge gaming applications. For challenging arithmetic operations the IBM PowerXCell 8i offers five-times the speed of the original Cell/B.E. processor and, coupled with additions like 16-times more memory (up to 32GB) than its predecessors, the QS22 can handle workloads that previously required dozens of servers. Read More
Sony’s TP2 - the living room PC
By Darren Quick
15:26 March 5, 2008 PST
March 6, 2008 The Sony VAIO is a fully functioning PC that integrates HDMI connectivity, a bundled HD TV tuner and Blu-ray playback capability to turn a HD TV into a high definition PC monitor and form the hub of digital entertainment in the home. Read More
Sony launches 14 megapixel A350 digital SLR camera
16:31 February 7, 2008 PST
February 8, 2008 Sony has added the Alpha 350 to its digital SLR line-up. Even by today's lofty standards, the unit earns the tag of high-definition with its 14.2-megapixel CCD image sensor, a feature backed by in-built Super SteadyShot image stabilization, sensitivity up to ISO3200 for faster shutter speeds and Quick AF Live View technology, which delivers live image previews (a feature lacking in most digital SLRs up until recent times) with through-the-lens phase-detection autofocusing via the 2.7-inch variable angle LCD. The A350 also boasts an anti-dust protection system and batteries that last long enough for up to 730 shots on a single charge when using the optical viewfinder. Read More
Sony’s Vaio Home Theatre PC gets HD upgrade
By Emily Clark
15:28 January 9, 2008 PST
January 10, 2008 Sony’s VAIO Home Theatre PC has received a recent upgrade, creating a high definition version with added functionality. The unit's distinctive spherical chassis serves as an entire entertainment center so you can watch and record analog, digital and cable TV and access the Internet to play back online TV programming on a compatible big-screen television. Read More
Sony OLED XEL-1 television hits the U.S. market
00:22 January 8, 2008 PST
January 8, 2008 Following on from an appearance at CEATEC last year and a Japanese release in December, Sony has announced the availability of the industry’s first Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) television in the United States. Read More
Terotech
- November 21, 2009 @ 19:38 UTC
