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]

Technorati Tags: Sony S-Frame digital photo frame-printer DPP-F700

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

• 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]

Technorati Tags: Sony, E Series Walkman Video MP3 player

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]

Technorati Tags: Sony PlayStation 3 Slim,

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

“If you want to quickly understand Sony’s PSP Go ($250, coming Oct. 1), just think of the rule of two. Compared with the regular PSP, it is 50 percent smaller, but it costs costs twice as much as Nintendo’s DS, which is outselling it by 100 percent. The new form factor is twice as cool as the older, more clunky PSP 3000, meaning you’re also twice as likely to make room for one next to your phone.”

Only Sony would release a new gaming device that’s more expensive than the previous model – while trying to capture back market dominated by their competitor. Go figure.

There’s a good list of strengths and weaknesses in the preview – and after reading them all, one can’t help but wonder if anyone will really care about the PSP Go in light of the Apple iPod touch and the dominant Nintendo DS and DSi.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sony PSP Go, NY Times review

Sony announces two new flash memory-based high definition camcorders today – the HDR-CX520V and the HDR-CX500V. Both cameras capture full 1920 x 1080 resolution video and up to 12 megapixel photos on internal flash memory with support for up to 25 hours of HD video on the 64GB model (the HDR-CX520V pictured above).

Common features of both cameras include the ability to output 60p video – automatically converting convert to 60 frames per second on compatible HDTV sets.

The camcorder’s Optical SteadyShot with Active Mode now comes with 3 way Shake Canceling. 3 Way Shake Canceling reduces camera/hand shake in three different directions – the vertical and horizontal shake is corrected by optical image stabilization system while the lateral roll shake is now corrected by electronic image stabilization.

There’s also the BIONZ imaging processor which now adds a Face Touch function. With Face Touch, users simply select a person to be prioritized by the camcorder simply by touching a detected face on the screen. Once a face is selected, the camcorder prioritizes and optimizes focus, skin color, and brightness for that selected individual.  There’s also a new feature called Smile Shutter technology which allows the camcorder to detect and capture smiling photos while simultaneously recording video.

Other cool features include:

• Back illuminated “Exmor R” CMOS sensor with twice the sensitivity of current front-illuminated CMOS sensor at F2.0
• Built-in GPS antenna and NAVTEQ digital maps can geo-tag your videos and photos
• Supports optional DVDirect Express DVD writer
• Built-in zoom microphone with Dolby Digital 5.1 channel surround sound
• Instant power-on feature when the LCD is opened
• User interface comes with new operation bar for scroll searching of all menu items and a customizable shortcut menu
• Highlight Scenario which saves up to 8 highlight scenes for viewing again later on
• Record content onto optional Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX media

The HDR-CX500V and HDR-CX520V will be available in Sept for approximately $1100 and $1300 respectively. The HDR-CX500V comes with 32B of internal flash memory while the HDR-CX520V comes with 64GB of internal flash memory.

Here are pictures of the HDR-CX520V:

Here are pictures of the HDR-CX500V:

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sony, HDR-CX520V, HDR-CX500V, flash HD camcorder

OK.. let’s try this again shall we? After launching their first Atom-based netbook err.. “Lifestyle PC” earlier this year, Sony has finally decided to announce a real netbook/mini-notebook in the form of the Sony VAIO W Series. Available in three colors, the VAIO W has your usual assortment of netbook specs – everything from the Atom N280 processor, 160GB HDD, 1GB of RAM, and of course Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

On the plus side, Sony one-ups most of the competition by rolling in a 1366 x 768 resolution 10.1 inch display – significantly larger than the standard 1024 x 600 resolution display seen on most netbooks. However, this advancement is countered with a ridiculous 2 hour standard battery pack. In a world of 8+ hour of netbook computing, having a 2 hour battery battery is just sheer nonsense – especially for a system priced at $499.99.

With that said, here are the rest of the specs:

• Intel Atom N280 processor (tho it’s not explicitly stated. Sony says “Intel Processor 1.66GHz. We read that as Intel Atom N280).
• 1GB DDR2 SDRAM
• 160GB HDD
• QWERTY keyboard – 86 keys with 1.2 mm stroke and 16.5 mm pitch
• Built-in MOTION EYE Camera and microphone
• Electro-static touch pad
• Memory Stick PRO Duo with MagicGate functionality
• SD memory card slot
• Atheros 802.11 b/g/n
• Integrated Stereo A2DP Bluetooth
• 10.1 inch 1366 x 768 resolution LED backlit XBRITE-ECO LCD display
• Intel HD Audio
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
• 2 USB 2.0 ports
• Windows XP Home

The VAIO W Series is available for pre-order right now over at the SonyStyle website. Expect systems to hit the stores next month.. but really.. are you going to get one?

[Check it out via NetbookTech]

Technorati Tags: Sony VAIO W Series

Sony Europe introduces two new compact home audio systems – the NAS-Z200iR and the CMT-Z100iR – both of which feature a built-in iPod dock, a slot-loading CD player, a USB port, and PC streaming capabilities. Here’s the low down on the two new compact, minimalistic systems.

NAS-Z200iR:

• DLNA certified
• Wi-Fi networking
• Access your music library on your PC
• Internet Radio support
• Remote control with 3.5 inch LCD color display, friendly user interface, and rechargeable battery
• Integrated CD player with support for audio CD and CD-R/RW discs with MP3 tracks
• USB connectivity for digital music player
• Audio-in port
• AM/FM tuner
• Two independent speaker enclosures rated at 20 watts apiece
• Wall mountable

CMT-Z100iR:

• Available in glossy black or white
• iPod dock
• Integrated CD player
• USB connectivity for digital music player
• AM/FM tuner
• Audio-in port
• Two speakers rated at 20 watts apiece
• Remote control
• Large display which shows the time and selected function
• Wall mountable

The CMT-Z100iR will be available in Europe starting in July while the NAS-Z200iR will be available in mid-September. No word on pricing.

[Check it out via Ubergizmo]

Technorati Tags: Sony, CMT-Z100iR, NAS-Z200iR, Audio System, iPod docking station

According to Joystiq.com, Blockbuster’s bundle varies from store to store (if your local store even carries it that is). One store had a bundle featuring a 40GB PS3 console, Transformers: The Game, Spider-Man 3 on Blu-ray, a PS3 remote, an HDMI cable, and a 12 week rental card for $359.99. Another store had an 80GB PS3 console, Transformers: The Game, a PS3 remote, HDMI cable, and a 12 week rental card for $499.99.

Meanwhile, Best Buy’s bundle is far more concrete. For $399.99, you’ll get the 80GB PS3, LittleBigPlanet game, and Wall-E on Blu-ray.

It’s not clear if these bundles are temporary holiday related bundles or a sign of things to come for the PS3.

via SonyInsider.com

Technorati Tags: Sony PlayStation 3 bundle, Blockbuster, Best Buy

Why should Sony be worried? It’s all about the developer of course!

The immense popularity of the iPhone/iPod touch coupled with the relative ease of developing for the platform has paved the way for thousands of applications in the Apple App Store. Increasingly more game companies are now developing games for the iPhone/iPod touch.. and therein lies the rub for Sony. It faces a threat of slowly becoming irrelevant as developers flock to Apple instead of developing games for say the Sony PSP.

The Reuters article states that Sony could be readying a new project team as early as next month to look into developing a new product which combines the key functionality of Sony Ericsson mobile phones and the Sony PSP.

Of course Sony declined to comment.

[Check it out via Crave]

Technorati Tags: Sony, Sony PSP, Sony Ericsson

• 3 inch OLED display with 432 x 240 resolution
• Touch-screen navigation – access your music, videos, and photos through simple flicks of your finger
• Wi-Fi
• Podcast support
• Slacker Radio support
• Digital Clear audio technologies including S-Master digital amplifier and digital noise canceling functions
• Premium EX noise canceling headphones
• 33 hours of music playback or 9 hours of video
• Measures 2-1/8 x  3-7/8 x  13/32 inches
• Weighs 3.5 oz
• 5 band equalizer
• Audio support for MP3/WMA/AAC/L-PCM
• Video support for AVC(H.264/AVC)/MPEG-4/WMV DRM
• FM tuner

The 16GB X Series (model NWZ-X1051FBSMP) is available for $299.99 while the 32 GB X Series (model NWZ-X1061FBSMP) is available for $399.99.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sony X Series Walkman Video MP3 player

Sony is now showing off on their website the new Sony VAIO NW Series notebook. Available in several textures and colors, the VAIO NW Series features a 15.5 inch display, a fabric-like exterior surface, and an interior natural wave design that’s “easy on the eyes.”

More importantly the NW Series offers an optional Blu-ray drive for a price of around $880 – a fairly inexpensive price point for Blu-ray enabled notebooks/laptops.

The system also comes with a nice unique feature – a “display off” button that allows you to turn off the display while keeping the system powered. This lets you conserve power while allowing you to quickly resume functionality later on.

The system can can be configured with the following specs:

• Up to 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
• Windows Vista Home Premium OS
• 15.5 inch widescreen XBRITE-ECO LCD display
• Weight of 6 lbs
• 4GB of RAM
• Up to 400GB HDD
• Optional Blu-ray drive
• ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 with 512MB of VRAM
• HDMI output
• 3 USB ports, VGA, Wi-Fi
• Up to 4 hours of battery life
• Camera

Prices start at $800 dollars for the standard model and $880 dollars for a model with Blu-ray.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sony VAIO NW Series notebook

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment announced the launch of MovieIQ – a new Blu-ray feature powered by Gracenote which allows Blu-ray users to access real-time movie information via Internet-connected Blu-ray players. According to their press release, MovieIQ enabled Blu-ray discs will enable immediate access to “continuously-updated information on cast and crew and explore relevant trivia such as production facts, music and soundtrack information all tied to scenes within the movie”

Sony Pictures will launch MovieIQ enabled discs starting in September with titles such as Angels & Demons, Easy Rider, Punch Drunk Love, The Quick and the Dead, Silverado and sex, lies, and videotape.

Movie buffs will probably appreciate this feature but it’s a bit of a yawner for me.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sony, Blu-ray, MovieIQ

“.. count Sony out of the $150 (or lower) Blu-ray player market and so-called “The Battle at the Bottom” in 2009.”

Why skip this market? For Sony, it comes down to quality and costs:

“They (analysts) know and understand the real manufacturing costs; they also know that there’s a broad delta between inexpensive chip sets and those that can deliver what consumers expect. They also know full HD video when they see it, and most of the blu-ray players on the lower end simply aren’t providing a compelling entertainment experience in their view.”

Dave cites one analyst’s quote which was:

“If I needed a hearing aid, I wouldn’t want to bottom feed when it came to price”

True.. but a Blu-ray player isn’t quite as important as say a hearing aid.. so there’s something to be said about inexpensive players – especially in these tough times.. just a thought.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sony, Blu-ray players