Archive for January, 2010

Get Touchy Feely with the New Sony Reader Touch Edition

Sony Reader Touch Edition

The Sony Reader has been with us for some time now and the announcement of the iPad earlier this week is almost certainly going to overshadow the launch of the new Sony Reader Touch Edition. However, despite the Apple announcement, the Sony Reader still has a large number of benefits over the tablet device. The dedicated reader utilises the e-ink technology that provides excellent battery life and easy viewing in a variety of lighting conditions.

The difference between this reader and previous models is that it has touch screen capabilities and a stylus to aid in navigation. The stylus can also be used to take hand written notes and even drawing. As with other Sony Readers wireless connectivity is still not present meaning that a PC is needed when downloading books, despite this however the device should be considered an effective rival to Amazon’s Kindles. Read the rest of this entry »

Sony Brings Eco Friendly W Laptop to the Party

Sony VAIOs Eco driven laptop

Sony has once again showed their commitment to eco friendly principles with one of their latest laptops the Sony VAIO Eco VPC-W212AX. Most computer experts will remark that this new eco laptop is essentially the same VAIO W Netbook already released, however it is important to remember that this is less about features and more about the ethos behind the laptop that makes it eco friendly.

One of the major appeals of this laptop is its green credentials. The chassis, complete with its pearlescent glow is in fact manufactured from twenty percent recycled CD and DVD cases. The carry case on the other hand has been manufactured using spent drinks bottles made from PET plastic. Both show that waste from society can have practical uses in the world of consumer electronics. For those who want the specs the W series eco laptop boasts a 10.1 inch screen, an Intel Atom n450 CPU a gig of ram and a 250GB hard drive. Read the rest of this entry »

Keep on Trucking, Sony 3D Broadcast Truck Hits the Road

3D is going to be big for 2010

It seems that 2010 is going to be the year of 3D. The technology has made a massive resurgence due to the use of new techniques that deliver impressive results. The latest development in the world of 3D is that Sony has ordered a truck capable of performing outcast broadcasts in 3D. This news comes off the back of Japanese broadcaster Sky Perfect Communications announcing that they will begin transmitting programme in 3D from the middle of the year.

This is not a technology purely for Japan either, many television companies have started to consider the benefits of 3D. In the U.S. the major sports broadcaster ESPN has announced a commitment to 3D, whilst other companies such as the Discovery Channel and Sony have also shown interest in launching 3D channels. Over in the UK BSkyB have also announced the launch of a 3D channel this year, this trend is being shown all over the world. Read the rest of this entry »

The Arc of the Convenient – Is this Really the New Name for the Sony Motion Controller?

The new Sony Playstation Arc

Regular readers will be aware that here at Sony Insights we have been keeping a close eye on the Sony Motion Controller for the Playstation 3. A previous post reported that the release date of spring this year had been held back until the autumn, ensuring that the system will be ready and that the launch of the device will coincide with Microsoft’s launching of Project Natal.

At that time, the name of this new controller interface was still a mystery, rumours had been circulating that the device was to be labelled the “Sony Wand” although this seemed more like chatter in the blogosphere rather than a fact based upon any official information. Read the rest of this entry »

PS3 Reaches the 3 Million Sales Mark in the UK

Sony Playstation 3

Sony has recently announced that the Playstation 3 console has now achieved three million unit sales in the UK alone. This three million is only a small part of the twenty seven million hardware sales worldwide but can certainly be considered an improvement on figures from the last few years.

Granted the PS3 sales numbers are small in respects to both the PS2 and PS One that apparently sold in excess of 250 million. It is still the case that the Playstation has the lowest number of hardware unit sales in the UK behind the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. In terms of worldwide sales the PS3 is around 12 million behind the Xbox and over 30 million behind the Wii. Read the rest of this entry »

Sony Ericsson Unveils the Vivaz, A Phone Full of Vivacity

Sony ericsson Vivaz

Sony Ericsson have long been known for producing some of the most aesthetically pleasing and well equipped phones on the market. Granted, the company, like many others in the mobile phone industry have suffered in recent years due to the dominance of the iPhone. The imperative need to produce a Smartphone of substance as well as beauty has also been a factor.

The latest gambit from Sony Ericsson is the Vivaz, the next potential “iPhone killer” and a phone that will hopefully keep Sony Ericsson’s position as one of the powerhouses in the mobile communications industry. The Vivaz is certainly pretty to look at, curvy lines and sumptuous styling means that at least from an aesthetic point of view the phone can stand against the iPhone and not lose too much ground. Read the rest of this entry »

The 5 Most Hotly Anticipated PS3 Games of 2010

We have been hearing for some time now that 2010 will be a massive year in the world of video gaming. This view has been espoused by those at Sony, industry commentators and game fans alike hence it is worth looking at five games that have the potential to be truly massive in terms of sales and more widely appeal.

So coming in at number 5 we have the Sony Playstation exclusive Final Fantasy XIII. The Final Fantasy game franchise is hugely popular all over the planet and the thirteenth instalment of this now legendary game promises to be one of the great RPGs of 2010. Expect flowing storylines, sublimely beautiful scenery and the now familiar turn based, menu style combat system. Sony Playstation owners will not have to wait long; the proposed release date for this title is March. Read the rest of this entry »

TransferJet Memory Cards Released in Japan

At Sony Insights we have already looked at Sony’s new data transferral technology, TransferJet. Present in some of the latest products it is described as a “close proximity wireless transfer technology”. Put simply it allows users to transfer their data at high speed without the need for those pesky wires.

The latest announcement from Sony concerned with TransferJet states that speeds of 560Mbps will be possible. Despite some industry commentators surmising that it is more likely that the speed will be around 375Mbps, it is certainly a fast system that will allow the seamless transfer of data between digital cameras, camcorders, VAIO computers and BRAVIA televisions.

The TransferJet system will only work with a maximum range of 3cm so basically users will have to touch the devices together when they want to send pictures, music or video. This close proximity however means that outstanding speeds will be achievable, so it is better to think of it as a type of Bluetooth that is far faster, and considerably more capable.

The Sony global website has in-depth information on the subject as well as some very technical equations but the lay mans explanation, and most pertinent example is the fact that users will be able to share the images from the camera to their television by just touching the devices together. Equally a video on the Sony site shows that this reliable high speed transmission technology will allow users to download music in stores by simply touching their mobile phone or mp3 player to an in store device.

However this new TransferJet technology is implemented, its development by Sony could well be the next step in wireless communication. As 8, 16 and 32GB varieties of TransferJet Memory Stick Pro cards are released in Japan, only time will tell if this technology will be a revolutionary development.

Sony Playstation Motion Controller due This Autumn

With motion controllers one of the hottest topics in the world of video gaming at the moment, news that Sony’s motion controller for the Playstation 3 has had its release date delayed by 6 months has understandably spread like wildfire. The yet to be named device was originally planned for a launch date somewhere in the spring of 2010, however the revised date now places release at some time in the autumn of this year.

Videos have been circulating for some time detailing a prototype model of the motion controller as a result of its unveiling at last year’s E3 conference. Physically it is a stick that has a glowing ball mounted to the top; it is tracked by the Playstation Eye camera to create a 3 dimensional, motion sensitive control mechanism.

This type of game control has proven popular since the launch of Nintendo’s Wii, some even consider the technology a revolutionary step in the world of video gaming. As a result of the immense popularity of the Wii, Sony and Microsoft have both had to develop motion control systems for their consoles; Microsoft’s Natal does away with a controller completely whilst Sony’s offering uses both a camera and wand. Both are now scheduled for a launch in the latter part of this year.

Many industry commentators are keen to express the view that this will not only be a big year in video gaming but also very important for Playstation 3 owners. With the development of motion control, the release of Gran Turismo and the introduction of 3D gaming this could be a massive twelve months for Playstation and console owners more generally.

Sony Open To Questions

At the recent Consumer Electronics Show Sony unveiled the VAIO W series Eco Edition. Its main feature being a mercury free LED backlight. It is clear that Sony is becoming increasingly committed to eco friendly principles and the joining of the “You Ask, They Answer” initiative only stands as testament to this dedication. Put simply the initiative gives the public the chance to ask Sony about its environmental projects and policies, how their manufacturing processes are being improved with the environment in mind and the sourcing of more eco friendly materials.

This news comes on the back of Greenpeace praising Sony in their latest “Guide to Greener Electronics”. This guide ranks the top eighteen manufacturers in the world giving them a score for their green efforts. Sony has moved from position eight to seven with a score of 5.1; the reason for this increase in rank being an overall reduction in greenhouse gas emission and its increased dedication to renewable energy.

The list does still argue that Sony could do more to improve their chemical legislation though. Sony has however claimed that they are striving to reduce the impact the company has on the planet and is constantly reviewing its control over hazardous chemicals used in the manufacturing process.

Sony is the first major consumer electronics producer to have joined the ‘You Ask, They Answer’ project and expects a large number of queries. Questions already posted on the Guardian Green Living site touch on subjects such as a universal charger for Sony devices and whether a PS3 update will ever include an auto-power off feature. Questions on the site are currently being answered by members of the Sony Europe team.

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