If that black-colored PS3 Slim is a bit too boring for your liking and you have an insane amount of cash to burn, you might want to inquire Computer-Choppers about their upcoming 24KT gold version of the PS3 Slim.  Yes that’s right – that picture above is indeed a PS3 Slim covered in 24kt gold. It’s one of 5 limited edition units being produced by Computer-Choppers.. so if you must have one, you better send them an email. Expect this bad boy to cost you a fortune though.

[Check it out via Ubergizmo]

Technorati Tags: Gold PS3 Slim, Computer-Choppers

Big news for Sony PS3 owners who also have Netflix subscriptions – the two companies have announced a partnership to bring Netflix streaming to the PlayStation 3 platform. Due to arrive next month, Netflix streaming will be available to all Netflix members in the U.S. who also own a PS3 console.

Enabling Netflix streaming on your PS3 will be an interesting affair especially if you’re used to other means of activating Netflix-enabled devices. You’ll need to reserve a free instant streaming Blu-ray disc from Netflix which  leverages Blu-ray’s BD-Live technology to access the Internet and activate the Netflix user interface on the PS3. Of course, your PS3 console needs to be connected to the Internet in order for the activation to occur (or any streaming for that matter).

Once enabled, Netflix subscribers will be able to view movies and TV shows that can be watched instantly with titles organized into categories such as members’ personal preferences, popular genres, new arrivals, and members’ individual Instant Queues. You’ll also be able to add movies and TV shows to their Queues, read synopses, and rate movies on the PS3.

You can reserve the free instant streaming disc for the PS3 by going to www.netflix.com/ps3.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sony, Netflix, PlayStation 3, Netflix Streaming

The folks at Sony Insider have published some awesome pics as well as a hands-on video of the new Sony VAIO L Touch HD PC/TV system here on their website. For those of you not familiar with the new VAIO L Touch, it’s essentially an All-in-One (AIO) PC featuring a 24 inch Full HD multi-touch enabled display, Intel Core 2 Quad processor, dedicated NVIDIA GeForce series graphics, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, built-in TV tuners, and optional Blu-ray support.

For those of you with HP TouchSmart PCs, Sony Insider claims the TouchSmart’s touch-screen display are not as good as the VAIO L Touch touch-screen displays. Having used the TouchSmart PC myself, it’s probably not too hard to believe that to be true – I’ve always found the touch-screen on the TouchSmart a bit slow and sluggish.

As for the concept of a touch-screen HTPC system that can be hung on the wall – I love it. I’ve always wanted an all-in-one HTPC system that I can hang on the bedroom wall where interactions are as simple as touches and swipes. My only complaint – can’t we have a system with a larger screen size than 24 inches?? In due time I suppose (of course there needs to be higher demand for such systems..).

In any case, check out Sony Insider’s coverage of the VAIO L Touch. VAIO L Touch systems will have a starting price of $1300.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sony VAIO L Series HTPC

Ever have a friend look at a picture on your digital photo frame and say “gee.. can I get a print out of that picture?”.. OK.. maybe they’re more likely to say “gee.. can you email me that picture?” but JUST in case they do want a real printout, Sony now has you covered with the newly announced S-Frame digital photo frame with printer (model DPP-F700). This new all-in-one product combines a 7 inch 800 x 480 digital photo frame with a 4 x 6 inch 300 x 300 dpi photo printer into a single form factor. Features and specs include:

• 16:10 aspect ratio 7 inch WVGA (800 x 600) resolution display
• Print 4 x 6 inch professional quality 300 x 300 dpi photos in 45 seconds
• Edit images before printing with options such as enlarge, reduce, crop, date stamp on/off, border/borderless (for single prints), and brightness, contrast, hue, and sharpness adjustment
• Creative Print mode – you can make a calendar with pictures (more than 30 templates), print an ID photo, and create a “layout print” with multiple images on one sheet
• Screen Capture – print exactly what is displayed on the screen during a slideshow
• 1GB of internal memory
• Auto resizing to downsize photos
• Supports direct USB input from PC as well as media transfer from Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick PRO Duo, Secure Digital (SD), SDHC, Multi-Media Card (MMC), Compact Flash®, and xD-Picture Card media
• Auto Orientation sensor automatically rotates your photos into portrait or landscape format according to the placement
• Included remote control
• Display pictures as single images, as thumbnails for easy searching, or as a slideshow with ten built-in transitions.
• Supports JPEG, TIFF, and BMP image file formats

The new Sony S-Frame DPP-F700 digital photo frame printer will be available for $200 dollars in January.

[Check it out]

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That 120GB hard drive on the Sony PS3 Slim not large enough for ya? Well get ready for a larger capacity version as Sony announced a new 250GB PS3 Slim on Thursday set to debut on November 3rd. The new console will maintain the same slim profile as the 120GB version and will retail for $349.99. Sony will continue to offer the 120GB version at the current price point (which was reduced just last month).

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sony PS3 Slim, 250GB PS3 Slim

Final Fantasy fans will be thrilled to hear that Sony has announced a new Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Edition PS3 at the Tokyo Game Show. The white PS3 features Lightning herself printed on the top of the console and comes bundled with Final Fantasy XIII.  The Limited Edition PS3 will be available in the middle of December in Japan for a price of 41,600 yen (or around $459 dollars). No word on when the new version will be available in the U.S.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sony Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Edition PS3

Now if you’re looking for an inexpensive MP3 player from Sony, you might be interested in the newly announced E Series Walkman Video MP3 player. It has a similar design to the previously mentioned S Series Walkman and comes with the same “Clear Audio” technology for high quality sound. Other specs include:

• 2 inch QVGA display
• Support for MP3, WMA(DRM), AAC(non DRM) and Linear PCM for audio and WMV(DRM) for video
• 30 hour music playback battery life and 4 hour video playback battery life

As for the price, the 8GB E Series will be available for around $80 dollars while the 16GB model will be available for around $100 dollars. Both will be available in red or black.

[Check it out]

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Ah.. innovation at its very best. (do you sense the sarcasm yet?)

Sony one-ups the competition today with the announcement of the new Sony S Series Walkman Video MP3 player which now features “high quality built-in stereo speakers”.  Yup.. that’s right folks – this new media player has built-in stereo speakers which according to Katie O’Brien, manager of the Walkman business unit at Sony adds “a new social element to the world of digital music and video.”.  Don’t you love it? Add a pair of speakers and your device is now “social”. 

Other features of the S Series Walkman (which are arguably much more respectable) include:

• Bright high contrast 2.4 inch QVGA LCD display with fast response time
• Clear Audio and Digital Linear Phase Speaker System for high quality sound
• Built-in FM tuner
• Headphones, mini USB cable, and hands-free stand included
• Voice and FM recording function
• Built-in alarm clock with sleep timer
• Supports wide variety of codecs including MP3, WMA (DRM), AAC (nonDRM), and Linear PCM.
• Video codec support includes AVC (H.264/AVC) Baseline Profle, MPEG-4 and WMV(DRM)
• Long lasting battery – 42 hours of music or 6.5 hours of video
• Available in 8 or 16GB capacities

The S Series Walkman will be available in several colors including black, red, violet and pink. AND OK.. if there’s one nice thing about the new S Series, it would have to be the pricing. The 8GB capacity will be available for around $110 while the 16GB model will be available for $130 dollars. Pre-ordering is available now at SonyStyle.com

Technorati Tags: Sony S Series Walkman Video MP3 player

It’s really no great surprise by now but Sony has finally lifted the covers off of their new slimmer PlayStation 3 console with a new reduced price of $300 dollars. The new PlayStation 3 Slim will come with a 120GB hard drive, will be 33 percent smaller and 36% lighter than the current brick available in retail stores. Current PS3s will also have their prices dropped and based on these KMart ads – we’re guessing these PS3s will also be priced at umm.. $299?? Expect the new slimmer PS3 during the 1st week of September.

At $300 dollars, I’d consider the PS3 slim as a second Blu-ray player for the bedroom.. though not as a gaming console.

[Check it out]

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It’s rare to think of Sony as leaders in affordable prices but that’s exactly what they’re trying to pull today with the announcement of two new affordable eBook readers as well as price drops in eBook pricing. The two new readers include the Reader Pocket Edition and the Reader Touch Edition – both of which will be available at the end of this month at SonyStyle.com, SonyStyle stores, and select retail partners. On the eBook front, Sony announces that new releases and New York Times bestseller titles in the Sony eBook Store will now be available for $9.99.

Here’s what you need to know about the new eBook readers.

Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-300:

• Five inch electronic paper display
• Available in a variety of colors including navy blue, rose, and silver
• Easy to navigate with one hand – fits into a purse or jacket pocket
• Stores approximately 350 standard eBooks
• Up to two weeks of power on a single charge
• Available for $199

Sony Reader Touch Edition PRS-600:

• Six inch touch screen panel
• Menu driven intuitive user interface
• Page turning, highlighting, and note taking with the swipe of a finger or using the included stylus
• Notes can be taken with the stylus or typed using a virtual keyboard. The notes can then be exported and printed out
• Built-in Oxford American English Dictionary
• Five adjustable font sizes
• Memory slots for Memory Stick PRO Duo and SD cards
• Available in red, black, silver for $299

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sony eBooks, Sony Reader Pocket Edition, Sony Reader Touch Edition