Sony Insights

Pink Laptops, Sony VAIO Coloured Laptops

Timo — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:01:34 +0000

Pink Laptop or Blue?

Pink laptops continue to be popular and Sony VAIO have long had a strong line up of coloured Laptops. Continuing this trend Sony have lined up a number of coloured laptop chasis for their built to order line up. Their E Series laptop comes in a staggering array of colours – including two shades of Pink, Green, Blue, Glossy White and more!

As previously reported the Sony VAIO E Series offers compact stylings with a range of screen sizes and all are configurable to match the spec you need to your budget. Blu-ray, i5 CPU and up to 6GB of RAM make it a serious performer with the build quality we have come to expect from the VAIO brand. Why not engrave your Laptop while you’re at it for the extra custom touch!

For the business user the higher-end S and Z series offer desaturated colourings for a classic and refined look while still reaching out to the user as an individual. For everyone, a laptop of their choosing and Sony has clearly taken this onboard with a range of coloured laptops to suit us all.

Take a look at Sony VAIO Custom Laptops, pick your colour and spec for the dream machine!

Sony at E3; Playstation Network, XMB and PSP rumours

Josh Tait — Wed, 19 May 2010 10:08:22 +0000

What will Sony unveil at E3 2010?

E3 is currently just under a month away and as per usual the gaming press is surmising what each of the major games companies will bring to the event. This rumour mill starts up at this time each and every year with journalists theorising what the Sony Playstation bigwigs and developers will be able to deliver for 2010 and 2011. Here at Sony insights we felt that a quick round up of the latest Playstation gossip would whet your appetites for the main event in a month’s time.

First are the rumours surrounding the release of a true second generation Playstation Portable system. Maybe Sony feel that the PSP Go has gone and that a new iteration of the device is required. If the rumours are to be believed, then the Sony PSP2 will have not only a touch screen but two cameras on the front and rear of the device, 3G capabilities and a stupendously powerful 4 core cell processor. Whether these features are correct will have to be confirmed but if production timeframes are taken into account then it is more likely we will see this device at the Tokyo Games Conference ( a theory added credence by the fact that as of yet this geographical area represents the largest market for Sony’s portable device.)

Whether or not the PSP rumours can be believed is a matter of conjecture, what seems more certain however is that Sony will be announcing a premium option for the Playstation Network. Up until this point the PSN has been free to users but according to sources within Sony the company is going to release an online gaming package that coexists with the free PSN costing around fifty pounds a year.

In terms of games fans can expect to see demonstrations of the Playstation Move controller with titles such as Sports Champions and Move Party. In addition it is likely that the latest version of the fabled Gran Turismo 5 project will be on show, (we may even get an official release date….. or not as the case may be). It is also likely that the latest episode in the Socom franchise will also be presented.

Finally, it is believed by many that the Playstation’s XMB (Xcross Media Bar) will be undergoing a major redesign, not just adding a few icons but re-hauling the whole look of the interface.

As always we’ll keep our fingers on the pulse so you don’t have to. Remember these are just rumours at the moment and predicting what will happen at E3 is traditionally like predicting the British weather so if you have any opinions, you know where to put them.

Energy Saving TVs from Sony are Watching

Tom Pretty — Mon, 17 May 2010 10:16:50 +0000

Bravia WE 5

The BRAVIA motion sensing technology has been in existence for some time now. Incorporating facial recognition as well as heat and movement sensors these televisions are able to monitor the environment around them, adjusting the output in accordance with demands so that energy usage is optimised.

Put simply, the sensors, now being rolled out in the latest Sony BRAVIA range will automatically turn the screen off if no one is in the room watching. According to reports they will also be able to sense when the watcher is sleeping, once again altering the performance to match so that energy is saved. Ultimately this will help owners to save energy and money as well as help the environment. These features will also work with the ambient light sensor that dims the screen automatically when the room is darkened.

The BRAVIA WE5 was the first in the range to take an environmental emphasis and evidently the rolling out of these energy saving features across the BRAVIA 2010 range highlights the growing importance of environmental principles within the company.

This is not the first of Sony’s efforts to become more eco friendly. The eco section of the Sony website contains a plethora of information from energy saving tips to details of initiatives Sony are involved in around the world. There is also information on how the company is actively changing the way in which they operate to reduce their impact upon the planet, specifically how the company is striving to reduce the annual energy consumption of all Sony products by 30 percent within the next five years.

Sony Playstation to receive Blinkbox film streaming

Josh Tait — Fri, 14 May 2010 11:48:16 +0000

Blinkbox on the PS3

It has been announced that the television and film streaming service Blinkbox will soon be coming to the Sony Playstation 3. The Blinkbox service has been working on a version of the site that will work with the PS3 internet browser. In addition to adapting the service for PS3 users the company has also optimised the control system so that it works fully with the Playstation’s controller.

According to reports the service will offer both television programmes and the latest chart films. TV will start at around thirty nine pence whilst films will be available to rent from ninety nine pence and to buy from two pounds ninety nine. Not all the content however will be paid as a number of “ad-supported titles” will also be available to Sony Playstation users.

The CEO of Blinkbox, Michael Cornish emphasised the point that the company wants to “enable customers to use our service on their TVs for instant streaming” including the option to instantly stream “new blockbuster movies the same day as their release on DVD.”

The Sony Playstation Store also offers a similar service so Blinkbox will have to compete with this current option. However if they are able to offer a cheaper alternative to the Playstation Store they could well carve out a considerable amount of revenue from this streaming service.

Sony Ericsson Eco Friendly Elm Goes Silver

Naomi Roberts — Fri, 07 May 2010 14:51:47 +0000

The Sony Ericsson Eco Friendly Elm

The Sony Ericsson Elm, currently available on the O2 network is the latest in a raft of eco friendly models being released by the Japanese Swedish collaboration. Originally the Sony Ericsson Elm was only available in a rather dull black finish but it has now been announced that the mobile phone will be released in a shiny silver variety. The announcement is part of a broader colour scheme that the Elm will now be available in, a scheme that includes the ever so environmental Hazel.

The Elm series has long been touted as a more eco friendly mobile phone range. Ultimately Sony Ericsson has strived to produce phones that have less of an impact on the environment without having to sacrifice performance or features.

The Elm has a variety of features that make it more eco friendly than comparative models. The manufacturing process includes recycled plastics and does away with hazardous chemicals. In addition the Sony Ericsson Elm is packed with a charger with lower power consumption levels.

Sony Ericsson have also managed to pack in a 5 megapixel flash camera, a GPS receiver that works with Google Maps, Wi-Fi, multimedia functions, FM radio and expandable memory into a phone that is just 11 cm by 4.5 cm and weighs a paltry 90g. Ultimately the Sony Ericsson Elm is a good choice for those that want to make an eco friendly decision without sacrificing the features that are expected of a modern mobile phone.

Sony Bring Cricket into the Modern Age

Tom Pretty — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 08:53:47 +0000

Hampshires Rose Bowl

It is not often that a story comes along which combines two of your favourite interests so the news that Sony are to be involved in the redevelopment of Hampshire’s cricket ground simply had to be reported. The redevelopment of the Rose Bowl in Hampshire is costing around £48 million and according to reports includes a technology deal with Sony.

Sony will be working closely with the redevelopment team to supply HD screens throughout the ground’s new stands as well as the additional business facilities and planned hotel. The system has the benefit of giving Hampshire video editors the power to create their very own content, from instant replays of wickets and boundaries to live statistics and umpiring decisions.

This is not the first time that Sony has been involved in incorporating technology into a stadium however, having made a similar deal to bring technology to Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. Whilst this deal will make the Rose Bowl one of Europe’s most technologically advanced stadiums and almost certainly the most advanced stadium in the sport of cricket, the directors of Hampshire cricket see the additions as being far more important than simply providing replays for fans, as it will hopefully help to improve concert facilities at the ground. As issues are already being raised with the number of test venues in the country and seemingly the reliance on television funding, the question remains whether Hampshire will be able to ensure that the new stadium is profitable?

Gunners Football Comes to the Sony PSP

Sony Offers the Chance to Build Your Own Laptop (VAIO Z Series)

Timo — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 08:38:35 +0000

Custom Laptops from Sony VAIO

The Sony VAIO Z Series represents the higher end of the VAIO range; first released in 2008 it has been an impressive addition to the VAIO family. Being extremely small as well as light it is marketed towards business users although leisure users that want a high performance laptop are equally well catered for.

For some time Sony has been offering the option to build your own laptop and the Z Series has also received the customisable treatment. Customers are given a range of choices when it comes to configuring their VAIO.

Technical options include a choice of processor, a range of hard drive sizes (in the Sony VAIO Z (V) Series these include hard discs of 320GB or 500GB storage whilst the Sony VAIO Z (X) Series offers solid state drives ranging from 128GB to 512GB of storage). Customers can also add more memory, choose to have a Blu-ray optical drive installed and add Wireless WAN for seamless connectivity. Finally, a choice of screens allowing customers to showcase High Definition media are included, customers can select either a 1600×900 pixel screen or the premium HD1080 screen that utilises 1920×1080 pixels.

It is not just technical aspects that can be included in the custom options for the VAIO Z. Particularly for business users, fingerprint recognition can be added to ensure that sensitive material is kept confidential and leisure customers can choose between a range of colours which include Carbon and Silver (all with a backlit keyboard).

Whilst the VAIO Z is one of the more premium Sony VAIO models, the chance to create custom laptops that include everything that a business or leisure user should ever need is likely to be a powerful lure for those who want control over the construction of their VAIO machine.

Sony Pictures Go Green with Eco Friendly DVD Collection

Naomi Roberts — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 08:36:44 +0000

Sony DADC & Sony Pictures Carbon Neutral DVD Collection

Environmental principles are becoming increasingly important in the corporate world and the latest news of a collaboration between Sony Pictures and Sony DADC (Digital Audio Disc Corporation) is no exception. The exercise is to show once again that Sony as a corporate entity is interested in environmental issues and its constituent businesses are striving to find eco friendly methods of manufacturing and production.

Sony DADC and Sony Pictures have announced in Germany that they are to release a collection of 10 DVD’s that will be completely carbon neutral. The carbon neutral collection will be available through the online retailer Amazon. The establishment and verification of the carbon neutral collection will be carried out by renowned climate protection organisation myclimate. Based in Switzerland myclimate has assessed the greenhouse gas emissions of the DVD collection and will be carrying out measures such as tree planting to offset the manufacturing process.

Michael Trinkl, Customer Services Manager at Sony Pictures was eager to point out that the creation of this carbon neutral DVD collection was both a step towards carbon neutrality in the media industry as well as a reaction to customer demands; stating that the green collection “acknowledges that environmental considerations influence a large and growing community amongst our customers”. The collection will include some of Sony Pictures leading titles such as Life of Brian, the DaVinci Code and Erin Brockovich.

Sony DADC has been promoting eco friendly principles for some time; most notable is the Bend it Green packaging that drastically reduces the environmental impact of DVD packaging. Bend it Green can be manufactured from 100% recycled materials, contains no plastic and provides carbon footprint savings of more than 25% in comparison with an equivalent DVD box. With a fully printable surface it uses a variety of eco friendly inks and glues. The packaging hopes to provide all of the benefits of sustainable packaging without sacrificing the end product.

Maria Bauer Environmental & Sustainability Officer and Sony DADC was pleased that with “Sony Pictures and myclimate we [Sony DADC] have developed a high quality, low cost, carbon neutral DVD collection.” Seemingly the drive towards a greener European home entertainment industry is underway.

PS3 now bigger than God? Well Zeus at least

Josh Tait — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 10:50:53 +0000

God of War 3!

2010 is proving to be a strong year for Playstation 3 exclusives with the latest release, God of War III taking top spot in the UK’s gaming charts. This top spot is across all platforms and if rumours are to be believed is helping to shift a large number of PS3 consoles worldwide. Sony has been stating for some time that gamers should be excited by the great games hitting the PS3 this year and March has certainly been a bumper for PS3 owners, with Final Fantasy XIII, Heavy Rain, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and now the impressive God of War III. Heavy Rain and God of War III now make it two number 1 spots in the UK charts for Sony exclusive titles.

God of War’s main protagonist, for those that have not played any of the games in the series, is Kratos, a Spartan warrior involved in a bitter battle for revenge with the Gods of Mount Olympus after Zeus demoted him from the position of God of War. The sheer scale of the game has to be one of its strongest elements although for many the jaw dropping aesthetics and simply the chance to become a true Spartan and take on all that Greek mythology can muster has to be a major draw.

The game aside however God of War III represents a shift for the Sony Playstation 3. Chiefs at Sony computer entertainment have been arguing for some time that the raft of console exclusives coming in 2010 will make this an extraordinary year for the PS3. Whilst it has been in the shadows of other consoles in recent years this year could be a turning point in the console war. With rumours of third iterations of the Killzone and Resistance franchises as well as the widely touted Gran Turismo 5 the games are certainly there to do it, what is certain is that after the impressive God of War III, expectations will be high for the rest of the year.

The 5 Most Hotly Anticipated PS3 Games of 2010

Move over Wii, The Sony Playstation Move has Arrived

Tom Pretty — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:01:23 +0000

Sony Playstation Move Logo

After so much rumour and speculation Sony have finally unveiled their motion controller, named the Playstation Move. Before the event at GDC 2010 many industry commentators had believed that the device would be called the Arc, these beliefs turned out to be wrong however as Sony spokespersons gave the official name as the Move.

The Playstation Move will hit the shops later this year and will be available in a range of different bundle options. Customers that already own a PS3 and Playstation Eye will be able to buy the Move as a sole peripheral to complement their existing set up. Customers will also be able to buy the entire package of a Move and Eye with a game and finally a bundle with a PS3 console and all the peripherals will be available. According to reports the Playstation Eye, Move and game package will sell for under $100 (£66).

At the GDC event Sony demonstrated a number of different games that will work with the Move and Playstation 3. One was a sword and shield fighting game, another was a table tennis game and finally a party style game was shown to highlight how the Move is able to augment reality by overlaying different items over the Move controller. Each of these games showed the deftness of the new Move controller, particularly the table tennis where slight adjustments in force and angle place spin upon the ball. It was also shown how the new controller may be used with existing titles Little Big Planet and EyePet.

As well as the single Move controller a second ‘nunchuk’ style sub-controller was demonstrated with an analogue thumb-stick and buttons. Expect to see a massive marketing effort prior to launch with all mediums from online through to PR and billboard campaigns as well as further information on how the Move will be incorporated into other titles at E3 later this year.

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