Sony
Sony Computer launches powerful PS3 backwards compatible with PS and PS2
Image Gallery (5 images)
May 17, 2005 In case you’re wondering why the ground is shaking, the game console giants are preparing for the launch of their next generation gaming devices at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) tomorrow. Last time around, Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft sold more than 100 million units between them with Sony winning the round convincingly. Penetration into loungerooms is so high in most countries that this next generation of consoles will probably be the centrepiece of the home entertainment system – this is an incredibly important strategic battle to win in the convergence war. Last week Microsoft was the first to come out swinging when it unveiled its next generation X-Box 360 and although little detail about the machine was released, there was plenty of hype and chest thumping. In most markets, Microsoft is the heavyweight, take-no-prisoners market leader, so it's interesting to see the company attempting to come from behind in the game console market. Last night Sony revealed its PLAYSTATION3 (PS3) but unlike Microsoft, which sold the sizzle and not the sausage, Sony has unveiled the detail of a technological masterpiece. The PS3 incorporates what is arguably the world's most advanced Cell processor with supercomputer-like power plus backwards compatibility with the PS2 which sold roughly two thirds of all game consoles in the current generation. In the new console game, Microsoft may have fired the first shots, but Sony has leapt to the fore with its first foray and it’ll be one hell of a fight. Now all that remains is for Nintendo to enter the fray. Read More
The World’s most advanced (and expensive) Sony Playstation peripherals
Image Gallery (4 images)
One of the star attractions at recent motor shows around Australia has been Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution rally simulators, even if judged solely by the length of the queues waiting to strap into the genuine rally seats, in the genuine rally cars that simulate the rally driving experience with more authenticity than you would have thought possible. The simulators were developed for Mitsubishi by technophiles Rodney Robertson and Associates and began with two Mitsubishi Lancers and got waaaay more complex from there. The idea was to build two linked rally car replicas and have them side-by-side with the choice of two very large rear projection screens in front of the cars, or where space and circumstances dictated a lesser set-up, two large bonnet-mounted Plasma panel displays. The experience is VERY realistic.
Sony Ericsson W800 - the first Walkman phone raises the bar for mobile entertainment
Image Gallery (4 images)
March 2, 2005 Sony Ericsson today kick-started its entry into the mobile music market with the announcement of the W800, the first Walkman branded mobile phone. It will now be possible to listen to music, handle phone calls and take great pictures and video, all with one device and with no compromise on quality. The Sony Ericsson W800 is the first product to combine a mobile phone, a high quality digital music player with up to 30 hours' battery life, and a 2 Megapixel camera. All of this is packaged in a slim, lightweight device with ultra-stylish design. Read More
Sony's LocationFree TV - watch live TV from anywhere via the internet
Image Gallery (3 images)
February 11, 2005 Sony continues to push the edge of the envelope with new and exciting technologies being debuted in its homeland and the Japanese giant's latest winner is its Location Free LCD LF-X5 TV - a 7"television you can take with you anywhere on the planet and watch your favourite television shows IN REAL TIME (i.e. as they are showing in your home country), with the data delivered to the Location Free via the internet. It's easy to carry and watch anywhere partly because it's small, but mainly because it's wireless - the accompanying base station plugs into the video source in your home in Japan and transmits via the internet to wherever you happen to be using a function Sony calls NetAV. Read More
Sony release next generation Dual Layer burners
Image Gallery (2 images)
November 19, 2004 Sony Australia has unveiled its next-generation Dual Layer burners, featuring speeds almost double the pace of Sony's original range. The DRU710A (internal drive) and DRX710UL (external drive) increase the overall write speed up to 16X +R with 2.4X +R dual layer burn speed1, meaning consumers can significantly boost the turn around time of DVD burning. A firmware upgrade set for release in coming months promises to further increase the this capability to 4X dual layer burn speed. Read More
1 terabyte storage from Sony home server TV/PC
Image Gallery (4 images)
The Vaio Type X home server debuted recently at the CEATEC 2004 convention in Japan. For around US $5000 it offers an entire rolling digital media library at your fingertips. Equipped with the 1-terabyte hard disk, the Sony VAIO Type X performs as an "audiovisual recording server." A terabyte, in case you don't know, is 2^40 = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes or 1024 gigabytes, so memory isn't an issue. And with the liberation of space comes a change in the viewing and usage patterns of Vaio customers that will transform the way they interact with their media and the medium itself. The device can record six channels of terrestrial analog broadcasts simultaneously, and the dedicated recording disk has enough space for one week of viewing pleasure. It also has a "television time machine" viewing function, allowing users to watch programs that have been recorded. They can also use the remote control to go back in time and arrange programs by genre, as well as enter key words to find their desired shows. Read More
Sony Previews 2005 Grand Vega
Image Gallery (3 images)
Sony's VEGA range has always been characterised by sleek design and advanced visual and audio technology. Early next year Sony will add to the stylish series with the release of the new KF range of LCD screens ranging from 42" to 60". Combining a Sony LCD Optical Engine with Sony's VEGA Engine, the new KF-Series produce a crisp, brilliant image quality that set these televisions apart from others on the market. Created for consumers seeking to maximise their home theatre viewing experience, the Grand VEGA television takes Sony's popular VEGA televisions to the next level with their stunning design and striking picture performance. Read More
Sony Releases Hard Drive Music Player
Image Gallery (3 images)
In the eighties the fashionable walkman straddled hips world-wide. It was the device that allowed millions across the world to bop to their own pre-recorded beat anyway, anytime. In time with the 25th anniversary of the much loved walkman Sony has highlighted the remarkable advancements in technology with the release of a new hard drive walkman.
The NWHD1 (HD1) is a digital music player with 20GB of capacity and can store up to 13,000 songs. Australia will be the first country in the Asia Pacific area to benefit from this latest release under Sony's Network Walkman brand. With advanced features it could also prove to be a competitor to Apple's i-pod. Read More
Sony Unveils World's First HDV 1080i Consumer Camcorder
Image Gallery (5 images)
Sony, the worldwide camcorder market leader, has released details of a new high definition camcorder which will completely blur the lines between the professional and consumer market. The HDR-FX1 Handycam camcorder records and plays back high definition video with 1080 interlaced lines of resolution - the highest resolution (1440 pixels x 1080 lines) of any consumer camcorder available. Read More
Sony Memory Stick reachs 2GB capacity
Image Gallery (5 images)
Sony has upped the size of its Memory Stick PRO to 2GB in the standard-size and 1GB in the Memory Stick PRO Duo size. In addition to the higher capacities, the new Memory Sticks and are high-speed read and write capable, and compatible with a vast array of current Memory Stick PRO devices. Read More
Sony releases 3D car navigation system and media player
Image Gallery (3 images)
Sony has released a new car navigation system which displays realistic 3D models of the road and buildings to aid the driver in navigating. The new top-of-the-range NV-XYZ 77 also has a 30Gb hard drive and is designed to dock in cradles on the car dashboard and on a PC to download audio and video entertainment and new maps as they become available. Currently, only Tokyo and some other major cities are in this map format but work is underway for other areas too. Read More
A Sony PlayStation 2 Controller with a built in keyboard
Image Gallery (3 images)
Convergence, convergence everywhere. The signs of a mispent youth were once a highly developed ability with a billards cue. Now it's lighning reflexes and multi-tasking abilities to rival a supercomputer. Now PS2 players can chat and program commands directly from the controller while playing online games. Nyko Technologies' new iType2 PS2 controller has a miniature keyboard built directly into the pad and allows players to chat, share information and type messages to other players with no interruptions in gameplay. Read More
Sony's ultra-portable fully functional PC - the type U
Image Gallery (3 images)
The recent announcements of the OQO and Flipstart ultra compact PCs saw the beginning of an entirely new market for fully functional PCs with PDA form factors. Both have been sighted at major trade shows, and Gizmo’s Dave Weinstein has even visited OQO, but neither machine has yet been sold across the counter. Then Sony quietly gazumped both of them by releasing an equally small, equally capable handheld onto the Japanese market, then putting functioning versions in the hands of the technology press during the global Vaio roadshow which has taken in every major IT-purchasing nation on the planet. Sony never gives a whiff of vapourware and the entry of such a major player into this market must surely give it some serious momentum Read More
Sony DVR/PC offers terabyte of storage
Image Gallery (9 images)
Sony’s DVR/PC concept features a terabyte of storage and seven television tuners. Whereas previous DVR machines have been portrayed in terms of the number of hours of TV shows which can be recorded, the Type X appears to be based on an entirely different premise – that if you record everything, you can discard the bits you don’t want later. Read More
Sony EyeToy adds Video Conferencing to the Playstation 2
Image Gallery (9 images)
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) has unveiled the latest title in the ‘EyeToy’ family. ‘EyeToy: Chat’ is yet another pointer to the versatility of the PlayStation2 (PS2) as a home entertainment system by adding videophone functionality.
On show at the E3 Expo and expected in stores in s... Read More
Philips and Sony create first ePaper Book
Image Gallery (5 images)
May 2004 Philips, Sony and E Ink have won the race to market for electronic paper and announced the world’s first consumer application of an electronic paper display module in Sony’s new e-Book reader, LIBRIé, which went on sale in Japan as we publish (May 2004).
E Ink’s electronic ink technology offers a t... Read More
Sony 8.5GB Double Layer recordable DVD launched
Image Gallery (5 images)
Sony has announced a DVD world-first technology - Dual Layer DVD Recordable. For the first time, consumers will be able to burn full-length DVD discs. With almost twice the capacity of existing recordable media and holding up to 8.5GB, the discs can be played in the majority of existing DVD-ROM drives and DVD video players. The new disc capacity now matches what is already available with pre-recorded ROM & movie discs. Read More
Sony Ericsson unveils the S700 1.3 megapixel camera phone
Image Gallery (3 images)
Sony Ericsson has unveiled the S700 camera phone with QuickShare and innovative swivel-opening design. It offers a stylish and unique three way communication style; photo shoot, browse and talk, or text and e-mail. The S700 also takes mobile imaging to the next level, featuring an integrated 1.3 megapixel CCD digital camera for taking high quality photos and a 2.3 inch 262K TFT colour screen to display digital quality images. Compatibility with Memory Stick Duo extends the memory capacity of the S700 to fully support this new style of mobile imaging. Read More
Sony offers location-free portable broadband TV
Image Gallery (3 images)
Anticipating the broadband age of mobile lifestyles and high speed network connectivity, Sony Electronics has shown what it calls the 'LocationFree concept', a portable personal broadband LCD television system that can be carried virtually anywhere. Innovative Dual Band Wireless Transmission Technology enables the lightweight, touch-screen LCD monitor to provide video and TV viewing and full internet connectivity including web surfing and email. Comprised of a 12.1-inch wireless touch screen LCD monitor and a base station, the personal TV system uses the industry's first dual band wireless connection and high speed Ethernet port to transmit data, transforming it into a mobile video entertainment powerhouse that allows users to enjoy television, video, internet browsing/streaming, video, e-mail, and digital photos - all without a PC. Read More
Sony developing upmarket Qualia range
Image Gallery (3 images)
Sony is developing an upmarket brand in Japan, using its world-leading R&D to bring advanced products to market earlier than they would for more price-sensitive consumer products. Read More
Sony's 5-megapixel ultra-compact camera
Image Gallery (3 images)
Saturday October 25, 2003: The "World's Smallest" title in the arena of digital still cameras has a very short shelf life these days, but Sony has staked its claim with the Cyber-shot DSC-T1 ultra-compact camera. At 2cm and 6cm tall, the "Worlds smallest 5-megapixel camera" features advanced auto-focus and auto-exposure options... Read More
Sony PSX details revealed at CEATEC
Image Gallery (3 images)
Saturday October 11, 2003: Details of Sony's upcoming PSX - a revamped Playstation2 that incorporates a satellite TV tuner, broadband connectivity for online gaming and downloads and the ability to record DVDs and television - have been released at CEATEC Japan 2003. Read More
Sony unveils Industry First Security Solution
Image Gallery (3 images)
Thursday October 9, 2003: Sony has released an end-to-end IP based surveillance system designed to enable co-ordinated emergency response from site administrators, police and other respondents, who can control cameras and gain access to the live footage simultaneously via the Internet. Read More
Sony Car Cradle offers more than charging on the move
Image Gallery (3 images)
Saturday Auguat 9, 2003: Sony have released a Car Cradle Accessory that boosts CLIE handheld functionality to include GPS Navigation, Audio playback of MP3 and text-to-voice for read-back of email or appointment reminders. The PEGA-CC5 car cradle accessory also plugs into the vehicle's cigarette lighter socket to power the cradle unit and recharge the handheld's internal battery. Read More
Sony launches matchbox-sized Walkman
Image Gallery (3 images)
Sony pioneered portable audio in 1979 with the launch of the world's first Walkman - a single tape playback only device that marked the beginning of a consumer audio revolution. Almost 25 years later, the latest incarnation of the Walkman - the Network WALKMAN NW-MS70D... Read More
Sony Clie - more than a business tool?
Image Gallery (3 images)
The new CLIE from Sony is billed as the device to take handhelds beyond the realm of business tool: its slim clamshell design, high-resolution full colour rotating screen, built-in digital camera and MP3 player provide an entertainment focus overlaying standard PDA applications on the Palm OS 4.1 platform. Read More
Sony's Magnesium MZ-N1
Image Gallery (2 images)
Sony's new Net MiniDisk Walkman offers high-speed transfer of music files from a PC to MD - for example, 320 minutes of music can be 'ripped' to the MD in just ten minutes. Read More
Sony F707 Digital Camera
Image Gallery (4 images)
March 21, 2002 People with ten thumbs and an IQ equivalewnt to their shoe size can take amazing pictures with this camera. It also takes very high resolution five megapixel images (2560 x 1920) and it takes pictures in the dark without a flash due to its infrared capabilities. Check out what we did with it. Read More
