Sony: PSP Update Version 4.05 "Coming Soon"

From the official PlayStation blog comes word this evening that the PlayStation Portable is set to receive a firmware update to version 4.05 very soon. E3, which started unofficially today and begins in earnest on Monday, is probably a safe bet for a more official Sony announcement. The folks at the PlayStation blog hinted the update is music-focused, and would feature new visualizers for music playback, among other unannounced features.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5024751/sony-psp-update-version-405-coming-soon

Gaming accessories

Sony officially reveals PS3 firmware 2.40 features, coming July 2

Following months of rumors, speculation, and – most of all – waiting, Sony has officially unveiled version 2.40 of the PlayStation 3's operating system and XrossMediaBar (XMB) interface. Joystiq got a look at it in action last week and can finally unzip our lips about what we saw.

In a nutshell, the update introduces most of the features we've seen floating around as rumors for some time. Here's the short list of what you can now do without exiting from games:

* In-game XMB (a quick tap of the PS button brings it up)

* View game-specific Trophies (We'll have more on this major feature at 8AM EST / 5AM PST)

* Time / date display

* Send text messages to PSN users on your friends list

* Access accessory settings, such as Bluetooth pairing and voice changer

* View and manage downloads

* Quits game directly from an icon under the "Game" section of the XMB

* Search the web using the Google Search option under "Network" (similar to the latest PSP firmware)

* Launch directly into another game from the one you're currently playing

* Play music tracks stored on the HDD in games that support this feature

* Access a new on-screen music player interface (when listening to your own tracks in supported titles)

Sony hasn't announced a release date for its latest firmware update, stating only that it will be "very soon." The official press release says the firmware is coming July 2 (this Wednesday!). There are quite a few rumored / hoped for features that aren't finding their way into this release. There are also a number of quibbles with the functionality of the features that did make the cut. We go in-depth with our likes and dislikes of firmware 2.40 right here

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/sony-officially-reveals-ps3-firmware-2-40-features/

Sony bringing VIA's OpenBook to market?

Although late in arriving, Sony appears ready to join the low-cost, ultra-portable, netbook, mini-laptop party. An apparently generic prototype based on the Via OpenBook was just spotted at the Quanta booth at WiMax Expo. It seems that a quick check of the properties revealed a 1.6GHz Via C7-M processor and more interestingly, Sony as the manufacturer. When the Quanta exec demonstrating the box noticed "he quickly closed the properties window and declined to explain." Sony refused to comment. In other words, expect to see it in Q3.


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/02/sony-bringing-vias-openbook-to-market/

Sony Brings Out 5.1 Home Theater Sound System With Golf Ball-Sized Speakers

Demonstrating that fab things come in small packages is this Sony lay-dee, who's proffering one of the five golf ball-sized speakers of the HT-IS100 home theater sound system for your loving eyes to inspect. It's a 5.1-channel, three-HDMI input system and will be released in Japan on July 15 at a cost of around $870. Full details and a couple more pics below.



The small-fry speakers come with a subwoofer/amp with built-in 32-bit S-Master digital amplifier. Total output is 45W x 5 channels, with 100W x 2 from the sub. Supported audio formats include Dolby Digital and DTS, Dolby Pro Logic II, MPEG-2 AAC and linear PCM, as well as Standard, Multi, and various movie and sounds modes.



And if any of you are itching to make a joke about ping pong balls, JUST DON'T, okay?


Source: http://gizmodo.com/392325/sony-brings-out-51-home-theater-sound-system-with-golf-ball+sized-speakers

Sony films headed to mobile phones

Sony Pictures Television is looking to launch the first movie network on mobile phones in the United States.

The studio has signed a deal with AT&T and MediaFLO USA to launch the linear channel as one of two exclusive channels coming to the newly announced AT&T Mobile TV with FLO service in May.

The channel, to be known as PIX, will be stocked with such titles as "Ghostbusters," "Philadelphia" and "Stand by Me."

Mobile has been viewed mostly as a marketing platform for theatricals in the U.S. With the domestic mobile video category for even shortform clips lagging behind markets in Europe and Asia, Sony is looking to entice viewers with more diverse content offerings.

"What you see a lot on the carrier decks is promotional content that people can snack a little on," said Eric Berger, vp mobile entertainment at Sony Pictures Television. "There's nothing currently there as deeply entertaining as these movies."

Films have been made available on handsets on an on-demand basis. Sony was one of several studios that contributed titles to content aggregator MSpot, which teamed with Sprint to launch MSpot Movies in 2006.

Sony always has been bullish on films via mobile. The studio also was the first in the U.S. to embed full-length titles on memory cards for handsets.

Although the prospect of viewers sitting in front of a two-inch screen for two hours seems dim, Berger noted that the objective isn't to keep people watching for the duration of a film.

"We recognize that people are on the go with their mobile phone and coming and going," he said. "This isn't for people looking to view a movie for the first time. It's OK to miss the beginning."

With AT&T on board, PIX will be available on the biggest mobile provider in the U.S., though the company has yet to disclose the price of the FLO tier. With PIX a part of FLO, Sony allows AT&T to differentiate its service from Verizon Wireless, which has been carrying FLO for the past year.

PIX will be available alongside nonexclusive mobile channels including NBC, CBS, ESPN and Nickelodeon, which offer altered forms of their traditional linear programming lineups via multicast transmission.

Sony is negotiating with other U.S. carriers to carry PIX but did not divulge which specific companies are in discussions. As for pricing, each distribution partner likely will use a different business model. For instance, PIX could end up ad-supported on one carrier while free of commercials on another that will charge an extra fee.

Sony eventually might convert PIX to an on-demand model and might take the brand online as well. The full-length linear strategy is just one of many different content plays with which the studio is experimenting. "We're not doubling down and saying it's only about longform," Berger said. "We'll continue to do innovative things in the shortform universe as well."

Films will run on PIX for a month, with additions coming weekly. Other titles coming to PIX include "Memento," "The Karate Kid," "Layer Cake," "Resident Evil" and "Roxanne."


Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080331/tc_nm/sony_dc

Sony Booth at the PIE 2008

Like any major player in the photo industry Sony had its booth at the PIE 2008, and there we were able to discover and play with all their latest goodies, like the Alpha 700 for example or with the new S-Frame line-up. Actually we were quite impress by these gorgeous digital Frame. Thanks to different vide mode and its rotation sensor, the S-Frame are one of the most interesting digital frame on the market... I am really looking forward to get one of them for myself.

Source: http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news-15715-Sony+Booth+at+the+PIE+2008..html

Sony to add Skype service to PSP in March in Japan

Sony Corp said it would add a Skype Web phone function to its PlayStation Portable later this month in Japan in a bid to boost the appeal of the handheld machine, which is running behind Nintendo Co Ltd's DS in sales.

Skype is a unit of eBay Inc, the world's largest online auctioneer.

Sony's game unit had said in January it was delaying the introduction later that month of the Skype service for PSP users in Japan, as a microphone it planned to start selling for the new service did not meet Skype specifications.

But the same microphone has managed to pass the Skype requirements on condition that it is sold with the recommendation that it be used within 10 centimeters of the mouth of a user.

Sony Computer Entertainment now plans to start selling the microphone on March 19 in Japan for 2,500 yen ($24), enabling PSP users to make free Web-based phone calls to other PSP users and to users of PCs equipped with Skype software.

It started offering the Skype service on the PSP earlier this year in overseas markets.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUST23506520080304

Sony Vaio Graphic Splash Expressions Collection Makes You, Your Laptop Pretty

Have you been waiting for a Sony Vaio range that will allow custom font selection for keyboard lettering? Well, the new Graphic Splash Expressions Collection is here to answer your prayers. Yes, you can finally choose the font of the keyboard lettering when you order—we're so excited. The lappies are available in various designs, including Leaf and Victorian Lace in either black, blue or pink colors. The entry level configuration includes Intel Core 2 Duo 2.1GHz processor, 2 GB RAM, 120 GB HDD, Windows Vista OS, wireless and Bluetooth, all for $1279. Excuse us whilst we fall asleep.


Source: http://gizmodo.com/362199/sony-vaio-graphic-splash-expressions-collection-makes-you-your-laptop-pretty

Sony's $500 headphones to hit U.S.

We spend a lot of time on Crave complaining about all the cool gear that gets released in Japan but never makes it to the U.S. Sometimes, however, we see things from Japan that are so out there, we suspect the Japanese kept quiet out of sheer mercy, preventing our fat American heads from exploding. The Sony PFR-V1 personal field speakers (ie. headphones) are just such an item, and they're coming to America.

Available in April for around $500, the Sony PFR-V1 are a bizarre-looking solution to an age-old audiophile headphone dilemma: How do you recreate the superior sound stage characteristics of listening to full-size speakers, in a portable product that fits on your head? The problem with typical headphones is that they unnaturally point sound towards the center of your skull and don't take advantage of the sound-collecting properties of your outer ear. Most people can live with the sonic compromise offered by headphones, but if you're not one of them, then Sony has a new solution.

The PFR-V1 personal field speakers are a set of 1-inch, die-cast aluminum speakers that are draped over your head and placed near your temples, about a half-inch in front of your ears. While the speakers take care of mid and high frequencies, low frequencies are driven directly into the ear canal through extended bass reflex tubes. A small, AA-battery powered headphone amplifier powers the whole thing for about 200 hours..

Seems like a long way to go (and a lot of money) to achieve personal audio nirvana, but we have to admit we're curious to try these out. These things must bleed sound like crazy.

Source: http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9878674-1.html

We say "no comment" to Sony's six new voice recorders

What, they're voice recorders, exactly how much do you want us to say about 'em?

• ICD-UX70, ICD-UX80 (pictured) - 1 / 2GB, stereo MP3 recording, USB mass storage. April release for $100, $150.
• ICD-SX68, ICD-SX68DR9 - both have 512MB and are designed to work with Dragon NaturallySpeaking for voice to text; the DR9 includes Dragon. April release for $150 and $200.
• ICD-P620 - 512MB, USB mass storage, includes Digital Voice Editor software. April release for $60.
• ICD-B600 - 512MB low-ender. April release for $40.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/we-say-no-comment-to-sonys-six-new-voice-recorders/

Sony debuts A820, A720 and S710F series Walkman players in the States

Remember all that Walkman hotness that Sony hit Japan with last week? Well, as anyone might've guessed, it's headed Stateside soon for your earbud consumption. In addition to the new NWZ-A820 series flagship (pictured), Sony has the NWZ-A720 series, which cops the looks and specs, but loses the Bluetooth of the A820 players. Both players have roughly 10 hours of video battery life, and 36 hours for audio, with 2.4-inch QVGA screens and capacities ranging from 4GB to 16GB. Meanwhile, the new NWZ-S710F skimps on the sexy looks, and only sports a 1.8-inch QVGA screen, but adds built-in noise canceling. Codec support for all the players includes protected WMA, unprotected AAC, MP3 and H.264 video. The full model rundown is as follows, everything will be available in March:

• NWZ-A828K - 8GB, black, Bluetooth, DR-BT21G Bluetooth wireless headphones, $270
• NWZ-A829 - 16GB, black, Bluetooth, $320
• NWZ-A726 - 4GB, black and pink, $150
• NWZ-A728 - 8GB, black and pink, $200
• NWZ-A729 - 16GB, black, $300
• NWZ-S716F - 4GB, silver, red and black, $150
• NWZ-S718F - 8GB, black, $200

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/26/sony-debuts-a820-a720-and-s710f-series-walkman-players-in-the-s/

Sony's Bravia F-series is no wallflower

Sony Japan just announced their Bravia F-series of thin LCDs. We're talking 46-inches with just 7.4-cm of non-protruding, wall-mountable goodness when these go live in Japan on March 25th. Available in 1080p resolution ¥400,000 (about $3,700) 46-inch and ¥290,000 ($2,685) 40-inch configurations or a ¥200,000 ($1,852) 32-inch model offering 1,366 x 768 pixel resolution. Each set features Sony's 120Hz Motion Flow tech, a 3,000:1 contrast ratio, 24p True Cinema mode, Bravia Sync HDMI control, Bravia Engine 2 processing, and a bevy of jacks including 3x HDMI, 2x S-Video, 3x composite and yes, Ethernet. Sony's 2.4GHz Bravia Link remote allows the controller to be used without pointing it directly at the set. More Sony sets on the way in a few.



Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/21/sonys-bravia-f-series-is-no-wallflower/

Sony's New M-Series Bravias Get Multicolored, Bravia Bunny-Style

Sony have updated their low-end Bravias with two M-Series LCD TVs. The 20-inch KDL-20M1 and 16-inch KDL-16M1 share common technology, with 1366 x 768 pixel 1080p HDMI compliant screens with a 178-degree viewing angle, and an updated Bravia 2 video engine. The fun starts with the colored frames these TVs have: Sony seems to have picked colors that match as many bunnies as possible from their awesome commercial. Full specs after the rainbow-like gallery.
The 20-inch 20M1 has a 1,200:1 contrast ratio, 2 x 5W speakers, consumes 67W of power and measures 20.9 x 6.7 x 15.6 inches. The smaller 16M1 has a better 1,800:1 contrast, 3W speakers, uses 56W of power and measures 16.9 x 6.7 x 13.4 inches. Both have BS110 digital tuners, terrestrial analog tuners, a pair of HDMI inputs, composite input, analog audio in/out, optical audio out and, curiously, an ethernet port.The available color schemes are six basic shades with traditional silver/black bezels, and a suite of eight special editions, some of which have tinted bezels around the screen as well as colored frames. Available March in Japan, for $1000 for the 20-inch and around $830 for the 16-inch.


Source: http://gizmodo.com/photogallery/BraviaMcolors/1000771679