Christopher

Sony has added three new A-mount lenses to their already robust offering of more than thirty lenses available on the market, perfect for the seasoned or amateur DSLR enthusiast. The Distagon T* 24mm F2 SSM (SAL24F20Z) functions as a wide-angle 24mm lens on full-frame cameras with 35mm sensors, or as a 36mm equivalent lens ideal for general use on cameras with APS-C sensors. Jointly developed with Carl Zeiss, it features the highly-regarded Carl Zeiss Distagon retro-focus lens configuration designed for wide-angle lenses. This lens is distinguished by its fast response focus and extremely quiet, very smooth operation thanks to its built-in SSM (Super Sonic wave Motor). It offers a wide and therefore highly versatile focal range from 0.19m to infinity, and features a nine-blade circular aperture that along with the large F2 maximum aperture contributes to smooth, natural bokeh effects. In keeping with traditional Carl Zeiss design, the all-metal lens barrel has been finished to a very high standard resulting in a visibly high-quality appearance. The DT 35mm F1.8 SAM (SAL35F18) is part of the ‘Easy Choice’ series, offering photographers at all levels great value, compact and lightweight lenses, the DT 35mm F1.8 SAM (SAL35F18) weighs just 170g. It can be added to a lens kit system and carried without noticeably increasing the weight of the bag. With an approximately 50mm (35mm equivalent) focal length on an APS-C sensor, this lens is ideal for snapshots and portraits under a wide range of shooting conditions. The high-speed F1.8 maximum aperture is particularly advantageous for hand held shooting in low light. At just 0.23 metres, the DT 35mm F1.8 SAM (SAL35F18) has the shortest minimum focus in its class, making it an excellent choice for dramatic close-ups too. Whatever the shot, the internal Smooth Autofocus Motor (SAM) drives the focussing group directly and ensures responsive and fluid autofocus operation. The 85mm F2.8 SAM (SAL85F28) is the first full-frame lens in the ‘Easy Choice’ range, so its launch represents an important development of the line-up as a whole. The 85mm focal length is a standard for portraiture because of the natural perspective that it provides. On an APS-C sensor camera the 85mm F2.8 SAM (SAL85F28) functions as a 127.5mm (35mm equivalent) telephoto lens – and features a Sonnar-type optical design that is considered ideal for mid-range telephoto lenses. The lens is sharp center to corner, and features smooth defocusing thanks to its large F2.8 maximum aperture and circular aperture design. At 0.6 metres, the minimum focusing distance is the shortest in its class, and SAM motor technology ensures smooth autofocus operation. The quality optical and mechanical features of the lens mean it is suitable for serious photography and should more than satisfy intermediate to advanced users. From Sony Europe Press Centre. View the full article

As I venture into the world of exercise, I suddenly realize there is a monopoly afoot: the perception working out with a portable music player has been perceived as using a device (like an iPod) in your pocket or strapped to your arm and a pair of headphones. For those of you who are active, most have no qualms with this method and it generally works quite well (alternatives are quite odd, to say the least). When a product like the Walkman W Series comes along, and you actually use it, it becomes painfully obvious that the existing method, well, sucks. And before you roll your eyes and say this a post full of rabid fanboyism, there is the simple truth that presents a simple question: Why are we using corded devices when we work out? I let my Army Ranger friend (who has served a tour in Iraq and two tours in Afghanistan) borrow the NWZ-W252 Walkman and I told him to “try and break the thing by working out.” He’s a rather large fellow with an appetite to match and works out quite often. I knew he would be far better suited to truly test this player and see if Sony has corrected the problems that plagued the original. It was amusing to reveal the device to him in the first place, as he was quite intrigued by the design; he had never seen the W Series Walkman before and was surprised that there was a cohesive wearable option out there. He complained to me that during his workouts it was troublesome to wear an iPod on his armband or keep it within his pocket, and that he sometimes had trouble with headphone cords. As I watched him put on the Walkman, I could see the smile which revealed a moment of zen that this product is capable of inspiring. He told me that “this would be so much simpler and better than having to deal with the iPod.” I called him several days later and he did indeed give the Walkman a true test – 45 minutes of hard exercise targeting abdominal, arms, back and chest regions then several miles of running in the rain. This is enough to generally induce considerable sweat. The NWZ-W252 performed flawlessly, and kept securely fit to his ears the entire time with little need for adjustment. He also commented that the sound quality was quite good, and we agree – it will most certainly sound better out of the box than most portable music players out there. Battery life is pretty epic for such a small device, and its really hassle free to get a full charge: 1 1/2 hours gets you a full charge that will last for 11 hours, while 3 minutes of charging gets you 90 minutes of playback. So for those of you who absentmindedly forget to charge their devices will find that this is perfect for the on-the-go situations. There is also a LED Battery Life Indicator that flashes Green, Orange, or Red depending on your battery’s status. Unfortunately the battery is not removable. I don’t blame you if you think that wearable music players all have the same problem: they aren’t easy to use. In the past, people have had to fumble with screenless players to find songs. If you have many tracks, your hand stays glued to the player as you hunt down the one you want. Designers have had a hard time ensuring usability, and many people often have to stare at a small screen to find their song. With Zappin technology, this process is easier by allowing you to easily navigate through your song collection by playing back main melodies. Plus, there is also a jog dial to quickly browse through songs. This product is heavily recommended for any use, but in active situations such as workouts this is probably the best option out there. We hope Sony will add GPS functionality with an accompanying workout statistic website portal for consumers to use (like Nike+) and larger capacities to future models. View the full article

Len Wiseman is in final negotiations to direct Columbia Pictures’ Total Recall. The film will be a new, contemporized adaptation of Total Recall, which was based on the story, “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick. Kurt Wimmer is writing the screenplay. Neal H. Moritz will produce through his Original Film banner. Commenting on the announcement, Tolmach said, “Len has an incredible love of the genre and a great gift for action. He’ll bring a contemporary feel to the film while taking care with everything we love about Philip K. Dick’s original story.” Moritz said, “I have been trying for years to work with Len and fortunately we finally found a great project that he loves as much as we do. Len is terrifically talented and we know he is the right director to re-imagine Total Recall for a new generation of fans.” Wiseman added, “I’ve always been fascinated with Philip K. Dick’s short story, and I’m excited at that prospect of diving even deeper into the type of world it evokes and the questions it asks. I love that the most crucial mystery our character is trying to solve is the one of his own soul.” Toby Jaffe will oversee production on behalf of Original Film. Tolmach and Sam Dickerman are overseeing the project on behalf of the studio. Columbia Pictures secured the rights to Total Recall from Miramax. Wiseman is represented by ICM and attorney Howard Abramson. View the full article

Adam and I talk about Sony?s strength?s, weaknesses, and 3D TV. If you watch G4 then you know who Adam Sessler is. Whether it?s during X-Play, E3 Coverage, or Comic-Con, his witty, entertaining, and extremely articulate comments on gaming and the industry are a staple at G4TV. What you might not know is that besides being the Co-Host of X-Play, he is also Editor in Chief Games of Content. I had a chance to chat with him before Comic-Con, and wanted to get his honest, candid thought?s on Sony. Sony has made some strides with console redesign, and a great ad campaign. Despite that, they are still in a fight with Microsoft. What are something?s you think Sony is doing well? The one thing that Sony is clearly doing well is titles that are unique to the PS3, which are almost all coming out of Sony development studios or at least partnerships that are exclusive with Sony. I would have to say that if you?re looking at, sort of what?s happening on the Microsoft side with that and what?s happening on the Sony side, I think there is a lot more experimentation and innovation and a greater sense of breadth to those titles on Sony?s side. One of the things I have seen a lot from Microsoft is they have very strong franchises: Halo, Gear?s, Fable. But there is that point, where, where else can you go with them? What are you going to do to invigorate your base? And I think obviously with the success of Uncharted 2, The Last Guardian is coming around the corner, Little Big Planet 2, it does star to look, that, they really have that great roster. I think the real issue is that it took so long for Sony to get to that point, that they are in this, real sort of dangerous game of catch-up. I don?t necessarily see Microsoft slowing down to the point where they can sort of close that gap, but I think in terms of Sony trying to reinvigorate just the brand of PlayStation I think there software line up is doing a fine job of showing a greater sense of refinement and breadth in I think their software line up. Conversely Sony has also made some decisions, that, at times, caused people to scratch their heads. What are some areas that you think they are failing in? Sony at the beginning of this console generation was coming off the PS2 which was wildly successful. It was the dominant console of that generation. I would have to say that there was a sense of entitlement to that position in this generation and I think it allowed them to make decisions that were really kind of devastating. I think one of the big one?s has to got to be the price point for the PS3, they really misread the appetite of the market to have a gaming console at that level. They were also investing too much in to Blu-ray and when they tried to, sell this machine, bolt on the Blu-ray and on the Cell processor, the games kinda of got lost. And they were not able to speak the proper language to the audience that they really had quite loyal to them through the PS2. I think one of the big one?s has to got to be the price point for the PS3, they really misread the appetite of the market to have a gaming console at that level. They were also investing too much in to Blu-ray and when they tried to, sell this machine, bolt on the Blu-ray and on the Cell processor, the games kinda of got lost. And they were not being able to speak the proper language to the audience that they really had quite loyal to them through the PS2. Obviously, there was that horrific, press conference. Not the one where they showed the not completely real Killzone trailer, but the following one, where they suddenly pulled the Sixaxis out of nowhere, they?re doing that with Warhawk, Genji, I mean, really they were asking you spend $600 and they could not reproduce one true killer app at the launch of the console. I think they still needed to go for another year of really getting beat up before they realized that they should not have that level of entitlement. Then suddenly you started to see the good software. But once again, in the video game industry when your dealing with these consoles, losing that year? Really, if you look at the PS2, one of the best advantages the PS2 had was it had a year on both the GameCube and the original XBOX. They as a result lost that year to the XBOX360 and then they lost yet another year by not making a good case to the consumer as to why they should be buying the console. Now they seem to be more on track. Even at this E3 you get a small sense of scatterbrained messaging, but at the same time they do have the goods to back it up. I worry about pushing to heavily on 3D. Obviously Sony corporate has 3D televisions they want to sell at the end of the year, but they need to sort of keep their eyes on that core element of which is very very good game developer?s that are within the Sony family. How do you see 3D gaming evolving in the long-term? Do you see it being viable or being somewhat of a niche market? I think it?s wholly contingent on the sale of 3D televisions. I think everyone is really holding their breath. The whole reason we have 3D gaming right now is because of these 3D televisions, and if the televisions don?t sell, 3D gaming is going to go away. I honestly cannot decide if people are going to?it?s a bad economic climate to try and convince people who may have only in the past few years picked up a flat screen television to pick up another. At the same time, there are early adopters who just can?t turn down some sort of new technology. And if there are enough of them out there that are willing to spend the money then I think you will see a slow progression in to more 3D. I guess, having looked at the 3D games, I am less resistant to the concept of 3D gaming than I was initially. I have always been concerned that the 3D would take such precedence that you?re going to see the game design and gameplay actually suffer because it?s only important to have the 3D. Killzone 3, it was neat with that jetpack to get the vertigo effect, but I don?t know where you go from there. And I think, unfortunately as with motion control, your putting something in the hands of developers that they themselves, have not, sort of been wanting. Their desire is to be creative, and express something and do something inside of a video game. So it is, I think, still putting the carriage a little in front of the horse. I think every so often we will see one or two games and we?ll say ?Wow, that was really cool?, but it does concern me that there is this sense of ubiquity that somehow all games need to be 3D in the future. I?m kind of crossing my fingers that people aren?t going to buy 3D?s so it becomes a moot point. With our E3 coverage, following twitter feeds and stuff like that, wow, did 3D resonant very low with our audience. If 3D is going to catch on, it?s going to catch on with a more marginal group of technophiles who want the new thing. I don?t think there are core gamers who really think that something is going to happen with their gaming. PSN+. People are split down the middle on this. Do you think Sony is doing enough to make it a viable competitor to XBOX Live? No. That was one of the more dissatisfying parts of the Sony press conference this year. I think that people were, because of XBOX Live, finally ready to go ?Hey, I will spend a little money if I can have the level of reliability on my online service that I am getting out of Microsoft?. And the whole idea that your going to spend money just to that you can download in the background?they don?t seem to get it. I don?t know if that?s because your talking about a far more multnational company between the US, Europe and Japan. They really need to just jettison what they have. Maybe they will do that with the next console, but that?s going to be pretty far down the line. With XBOX Live you pay for the service, but you get something that is quite reliable for the most part. I think also, when the strange thing happened with the clock inside of the PS3, while that wasn?t the PlayStation Network?s fault, it just unfortunately put another blemish on it. There is no reason why they should not have a service that is on par with XBOX Live. That is where some real investment needs to be because multiplayer is such a big element in games. It really means a lot to game publishers because it does reduce the resale of certain game?s if it has multiplayer in it. The PlayStation Portable has some great titles, Birth by Sleep is on the horizon, but it?s 6 years into the PSP?s lifecycle. Do you think it?s time for Sony to do a larger scale refresh? Yeah. And I agree with you, there are some really fun games you can get on it. That handheld market is soooo different than the console market. Nintendo has it so wrapped up. I am not saying there is anything, ostensibly wrong with the PSP, although I would really like a second analog stick due to the types of games that are on it. But I have to question the rationale of having another PSP when Nintendo, especially with the 3DS is going to so dominate that market that are you just throwing good money after bad?

Adam and I talk about Sony’s strength’s, weaknesses, and 3D TV. If you watch G4 then you know who Adam Sessler is. Whether it’s during X-Play, E3 Coverage, or Comic-Con, his witty, entertaining, and extremely articulate comments on gaming and the industry are a staple at G4TV. What you might not know is that besides being the Co-Host of X-Play, he is also Editor in Chief Games of Content. I had a chance to chat with him before Comic-Con, and wanted to get his honest, candid thought’s on Sony. Sony has made some strides with console redesign, and a great ad campaign. Despite that, they are still in a fight with Microsoft. What are something’s you think Sony is doing well? The one thing that Sony is clearly doing well is titles that are unique to the PS3, which are almost all coming out of Sony development studios or at least partnerships that are exclusive with Sony. I would have to say that if you’re looking at, sort of what’s happening on the Microsoft side with that and what’s happening on the Sony side, I think there is a lot more experimentation and innovation and a greater sense of breadth to those titles on Sony’s side. One of the things I have seen a lot from Microsoft is they have very strong franchises: Halo, Gear’s, Fable. But there is that point, where, where else can you go with them? What are you going to do to invigorate your base? And I think obviously with the success of Uncharted 2, The Last Guardian is coming around the corner, Little Big Planet 2, it does star to look, that, they really have that great roster. I think the real issue is that it took so long for Sony to get to that point, that they are in this, real sort of dangerous game of catch-up. I don’t necessarily see Microsoft slowing down to the point where they can sort of close that gap, but I think in terms of Sony trying to reinvigorate just the brand of PlayStation I think there software line up is doing a fine job of showing a greater sense of refinement and breadth in I think their software line up. Conversely Sony has also made some decisions, that, at times, caused people to scratch their heads. What are some areas that you think they are failing in? Sony at the beginning of this console generation was coming off the PS2 which was wildly successful. It was the dominant console of that generation. I would have to say that there was a sense of entitlement to that position in this generation and I think it allowed them to make decisions that were really kind of devastating. I think one of the big one’s has to got to be the price point for the PS3, they really misread the appetite of the market to have a gaming console at that level. They were also investing too much in to Blu-ray and when they tried to, sell this machine, bolt on the Blu-ray and on the Cell processor, the games kinda of got lost. And they were not able to speak the proper language to the audience that they really had quite loyal to them through the PS2. I think one of the big one’s has to got to be the price point for the PS3, they really misread the appetite of the market to have a gaming console at that level. They were also investing too much in to Blu-ray and when they tried to, sell this machine, bolt on the Blu-ray and on the Cell processor, the games kinda of got lost. And they were not being able to speak the proper language to the audience that they really had quite loyal to them through the PS2. Obviously, there was that horrific, press conference. Not the one where they showed the not completely real Killzone trailer, but the following one, where they suddenly pulled the Sixaxis out of nowhere, they’re doing that with Warhawk, Genji, I mean, really they were asking you spend $600 and they could not reproduce one true killer app at the launch of the console. I think they still needed to go for another year of really getting beat up before they realized that they should not have that level of entitlement. Then suddenly you started to see the good software. But once again, in the video game industry when your dealing with these consoles, losing that year… Really, if you look at the PS2, one of the best advantages the PS2 had was it had a year on both the GameCube and the original XBOX. They as a result lost that year to the XBOX360 and then they lost yet another year by not making a good case to the consumer as to why they should be buying the console. Now they seem to be more on track. Even at this E3 you get a small sense of scatterbrained messaging, but at the same time they do have the goods to back it up. I worry about pushing to heavily on 3D. Obviously Sony corporate has 3D televisions they want to sell at the end of the year, but they need to sort of keep their eyes on that core element of which is very very good game developer’s that are within the Sony family. How do you see 3D gaming evolving in the long-term? Do you see it being viable or being somewhat of a niche market? I think it’s wholly contingent on the sale of 3D televisions. I think everyone is really holding their breath. The whole reason we have 3D gaming right now is because of these 3D televisions, and if the televisions don’t sell, 3D gaming is going to go away. I honestly cannot decide if people are going to…it’s a bad economic climate to try and convince people who may have only in the past few years picked up a flat screen television to pick up another. At the same time, there are early adopters who just can’t turn down some sort of new technology. And if there are enough of them out there that are willing to spend the money then I think you will see a slow progression in to more 3D. I guess, having looked at the 3D games, I am less resistant to the concept of 3D gaming than I was initially. I have always been concerned that the 3D would take such precedence that you’re going to see the game design and gameplay actually suffer because it’s only important to have the 3D. Killzone 3, it was neat with that jetpack to get the vertigo effect, but I don’t know where you go from there. And I think, unfortunately as with motion control, your putting something in the hands of developers that they themselves, have not, sort of been wanting. Their desire is to be creative, and express something and do something inside of a video game. So it is, I think, still putting the carriage a little in front of the horse. I think every so often we will see one or two games and we’ll say “Wow, that was really cool”, but it does concern me that there is this sense of ubiquity that somehow all games need to be 3D in the future. I’m kind of crossing my fingers that people aren’t going to buy 3D’s so it becomes a moot point. With our E3 coverage, following twitter feeds and stuff like that, wow, did 3D resonant very low with our audience. If 3D is going to catch on, it’s going to catch on with a more marginal group of technophiles who want the new thing. I don’t think there are core gamers who really think that something is going to happen with their gaming. PSN+. People are split down the middle on this. Do you think Sony is doing enough to make it a viable competitor to XBOX Live? No. That was one of the more dissatisfying parts of the Sony press conference this year. I think that people were, because of XBOX Live, finally ready to go “Hey, I will spend a little money if I can have the level of reliability on my online service that I am getting out of Microsoft”. And the whole idea that your going to spend money just to that you can download in the background…they don’t seem to get it. I don’t know if that’s because your talking about a far more multnational company between the US, Europe and Japan. They really need to just jettison what they have. Maybe they will do that with the next console, but that’s going to be pretty far down the line. With XBOX Live you pay for the service, but you get something that is quite reliable for the most part. I think also, when the strange thing happened with the clock inside of the PS3, while that wasn’t the PlayStation Network’s fault, it just unfortunately put another blemish on it. There is no reason why they should not have a service that is on par with XBOX Live. That is where some real investment needs to be because multiplayer is such a big element in games. It really means a lot to game publishers because it does reduce the resale of certain game’s if it has multiplayer in it. The PlayStation Portable has some great titles, Birth by Sleep is on the horizon, but it’s 6 years into the PSP’s lifecycle. Do you think it’s time for Sony to do a larger scale refresh? Yeah. And I agree with you, there are some really fun games you can get on it. That handheld market is soooo different than the console market. Nintendo has it so wrapped up. I am not saying there is anything, ostensibly wrong with the PSP, although I would really like a second analog stick due to the types of games that are on it. But I have to question the rationale of having another PSP when Nintendo, especially with the 3DS is going to so dominate that market that are you just throwing good money after bad?

The next firmware for the PS3 is now currently live and it add’s another social layer to the console, along with what appears to be a better patching system. Firmware 3.41 for the PS3 is now available, and it contains a new type of recommendation system for videos and games on the PlayStation Store. If you?re browsing through the store and looking at the information on a game or video, a new option on the right hand side is available entitled ?You May Like?. This is based upon data crawled from other user?s who purchased whatever your looking at. Also, according to an analysis on the new firmware by CJPC on a forum on PS3 News the new patch is only 40mb, and is an incremental update. What?s nice about Sony now using this feature, is that instead of having updates in the range of a few hundred mb?s each time, they remain smaller and only provide the new functionality needed. Given the new auto update in PSN+ this is less data for users to download, and could cut the update time in half. As future updates come out, we will keep on this and see how the file size?s progress. View the full article

The latest Sony advertising campaign for its Digital Imaging range promotes a brand new camera concept, the α (alpha) NEX-5 and NEX-3 compact system cameras and will roll out across Europe in July. The campaign focuses on promoting the new cameras that sit within Sony’s alpha range and offer DSLR picture quality using interchangeable lens on a camera the size of a traditional compact. The integrated campaign will run across TV and press and will have a strong presence in store throughout the summer. The NEX-5 is the world’s smallest and lightest interchangeable lens digital camera and is also the first camera from Sony to boast 3D capabilities. Both the NEX-5 and the NEX-3 also offer HD movie recording. Sony worked with its European agency Anomaly to create the campaign and the brief was to create a visually engaging campaign that demonstrate the creative capabilities of the NEX cameras and in particular features such as Background Defocus, Full HD video and quick response which all help the NEX-5 and NEX-3 cameras create professional quality images. " />" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"> Following this brief the campaign was shot on location at a carnival created specifically for the shoot in Uruguay and was directed by Jeff Labbe. The sound was designed by Sam Spiegel and attempts to capture the excitement as the carnival gathers pace and amplify the defocus message both visually and aurally. Giles Morrison, General Manager, Marketing Communications at Sony Europe, commented; “The launch of the NEX cameras has created a great buzz within the Digital Imaging category. The Carnival theme for the campaign gave the perfect vibrant and hectic environment to show how versatile and high quality the NEX-5 and NEX-3 cameras can be.” View the full article

Sony Computer Entertainment today announced the introduction of PlayStation “Logo Licensing Program,” targeted for variety of lifestyle products from apparel to everyday items as part of the Official Licensing Program. Click on the concept pictures in this post to see a larger version of what they are aiming for – basically injecting the PS logo into the mainstream in whatever way possible. The concepts look pretty cool – I’d definitely buy that white t-shirt. Licensees who enter into an agreement with SCE through the “Logo Licensing Program” will be able to design their product using the PlayStation logos and or the iconic marks. The program is applicable to a variety of lifestyle products such as apparel, accessories, house wares and more. Furthermore, SCE will provide “Official Licensed Product logo” to be used on product packages, proving that the products comply with the guideline and have been approved by SCE. Details about the “Logo Licensing Program” are available on the official site. With the help of third party companies, SCE will enrich the licensed product line-up and deliver various quality lifestyle products that will make the PlayStation brand more accessible and recognizable than ever. View the full article

Great Clips is teaming up with EA Sports and Sony PlayStation to bring you the Ultimate Gaming Makeover this summer. You have four days left to go to the contest entry website for a chance to win the “Ultimate Gaming Makeover.” Prizes include a 52″ HDTV, a Sony Home Theater System, PlayStation 3 systems, a suite of EA SPORTS games, PSP (PlayStation Portable) systems, an XZipit Video Game Rocker and more! Great Clips will feature EA Sports and PlayStation in more than 2,800 salon locations across the United States and Canada via in-salon signage. With 5 million customers expected to walk through the Great Clips doors during July, the word will easily spread about this exciting sweepstakes. In addition to the chance to win the Ultimate Gaming Makeover, consumers will receive $5 off their next EA Sports game with every haircut. This price-off offer will also be highlighted on the EA Sports and PlayStation web pages – and includes free shipping of the games! We also have an exclusive code for $5 off any EA Sports game (purchased at the EA store) without having to get a haircut: jzfquimwi – expires 8/31/2010. View the full article

The future is bleak for the DC Universe?unless you can save it. Comic-Con 2010 gave us a lot of information on games, movies and comics and a surprise interview (which we will be covering in the next few days). Among the things released from the biggest comic show on earth, is an epic, cinematic trailer from Sony Online Entertainment that gives the back story of

Sony Pictures (Columbia) is steadily increasing publicity for The Social Network, which is based on Ben Mezrich’s Book: The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal. The more I see about this I feel that the movie will be most likely known amongst society as “The Facebook Movie.” The film features an ensemble cast which consists of Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Brenda Song, Rashida Jones, Max Minghella, Rooney Mara, Malese Jow, and Joseph Mazzello. The Social Network is set to debut on November 1st, 2010. The plot summary for the The Social Network is as follows: Watch the trailer below, and give us your thoughts in the comments section: ">" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="700" height="418"> View the full article

Nicolas Cage officially announced he will be resuming the role of Johnny Blaze. After speculation that to maintain rights to the character the film might proceed without him, Nicolas Cage shocked everyone by announcing to Craig Ferguson the deal had been signed: The first film nearly doubled the production budget, making nearly $230 million dollars worldwide View the full article

In a press release Sony Online Entertainment has announced beta registration for DC Universe Online. Along with the beta, preorder information has gone live from the site detailing a PC Collector?s Edition, and a digital download preorder for PC as well. The site has also gone through a redesign, so if you haven?t visited lately, or are new to the title, it?s definitely worth a look. Press Release: SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT REVEALS PC COLLECTOR?S EDITION, PRE-ORDER PROGRAMS AND OPENS BETA REGISTRATION FOR DC UNIVERSETM ONLINE WHAT: Sony Online Entertainment (SOE), Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment announced several early-bird initiatives video gamers can get their hands on for their upcoming action MMO game, DC Universe Online: PC Collector?s Edition Available for pre-order and at launch, a Collectors Edition of DC Universe Online will be available for PC only, and includes a statue of the Batman, concepted by reknowned comic book artist/executive creative director for the game, Jim Lee. The statue depicts the Dark Knight leaping from a building, ready to rain justice down on evildoers. The Collectors Edition also includes a limited edition Art of DCUO book, which includes 56 pages of the art, information on the making of the game and insight on some of the iconic characters players will encounter, plus a limited edition DC Universe Online: Legends Issue #0 comic, written by Tony Bedard (Green Lantern Corps) and illustrated by Oliver Nome, Michael Lopez and Livio Ramondelli with a variant cover by Jim Lee. Retailer Pre-Order Programs Several major retailers will be offering pre-order perks to customers, all of them including the ability to play as one of the DC Universe?s iconic characters, Batman! Players will be able to play as the Dark Knight in an exclusive two-on-two (Player-vs.-Player) combat arena. Some participating retailers will include the limited edition comic with pre-orders, and some participating retailers will include a unique in-game iconic weapon for player characters. For a list of participating retailers and to pre order the game, click on the Pre-Order button at www.dcuniverseonline.com. Digital Download Pre-Order The PC version of DC Universe Online is also available for pre-order via Steam

Sony Online Entertainment and independent videogame developer Ronimo Games announced a collaborative effort to bring Swords & Soldiers, a side-scrolling, real-time strategy game, to the PlayStation Network. Swords & Soldiers is an innovative strategy game featuring lush graphics, smooth controls, strong online integration and fresh gameplay. Commanding the armies of the burly Vikings, the vicious Aztecs or the cunning Chinese, players create powerful units, cast devastating spells and travel the globe in search of the ultimate trophy. In Swords & Soldiers, players can acquire resources, assemble armies, thwart enemies and dominate opponents, while earning up to 20 PlayStation Network trophies. As players advance, new modes and minigames will be unlocked. Gameplay is available in single and local and online multiplayer modes. To play online, players can enter Matchmaking Mode at any time. Once a suitable opponent is found, the current gameplay will be paused until the battle is completed. With Matchmaking Mode, there is no waiting to battle and no break in the strategy action. " />" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"> ?Swords & Soldiers is the perfect blend of real-time strategy and bold 2D graphics and will include innovative features,? said Micah Loucks, Senior Producer at SOE. ?Collaborating with Ronimo Games is a great opportunity for SOE to continue to bring interesting and unique titles to the PlayStation Network.? View the full article

Phil Molyneux, a 23-year veteran of Sony’s European electronics operation, has been named President and Chief Operating Officer, Sony Electronics Inc. (SEL), in San Diego, CA. At the same time, Stan Glasgow has been named to the newly created position of Senior Advisor, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group, Sony Corporation of America (SCA). Both announcements were made today by Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Sony Corporation, and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Sony Corporation of America. The appointments are effective September 1, 2010. Mr. Molyneux, in his new role, will oversee the electronics business of Sony Corporation in the United States, working closely with both the Consumer, Professional and Devices and the Networked Products and Services Groups of Sony Corp. As Managing Director of Sony Central and South East Europe (SCSE) since 2007, Mr. Molyneux has overseen all business management and development for both consumer and professional products across the 20 countries that make up that region. He will relocate to SEL’s headquarters in San Diego. In his new position, Mr. Glasgow will utilize his wide-ranging professional experience to help fuel Sony’s future revenue and profit. He will develop strategies and business plans for potential growth areas utilizing Sony’s specialized competencies, technologies and knowledge. He will also serve as Chairman of Sony Electronics Inc. Mr. Glasgow has been the President and Chief Operating Officer of SEL since March 2006, overseeing its business operations in the U.S. Before joining Sony, he spent more than 20 years in Hong Kong managing operations, as well as mergers and acquisitions, throughout Asia for both General Electric and Capetronic, a worldwide OEM display company. “Phil’s unique combination of technical knowledge and broad management experience will tremendously benefit Sony’s electronics business in the U.S.,” said Mr. Stringer. “He was educated as an electromechanical engineer, and has effectively and expertly managed an extraordinarily diverse electronics business for Sony in a key region of Europe. He has faced enormous challenges and, through a steadfast focus on the consumer, as well as innovative and inspirational leadership, has achieved growth in both profits and market share. He knows how to lead, to win, and I am very pleased that he will bring his considerable, proven skills to SEL, and also further our mission to expand our global management team.” “Stan has been a strong and inspired leader, especially during the past two years under nearly unprecedented global economic turbulence,” continued Mr. Stringer. “He made difficult choices that, ultimately, made Sony Electronics in the U.S. more efficient and better positioned to regain momentum. Stan’s dedication and professionalism has been a key part of the Company’s ongoing global transformation, and we are delighted that he will now apply his entrepreneurial skills to help drive new business opportunities for Sony.” Mr. Molyneux has spent more than two decades at Sony. As Managing Director of SCSE since 2007, based in Budapest, he created a new business model for Sony’s consumer and professional products designed to engage a highly diverse consumer population and increase operational efficiency to drive business growth within this developing region. SCSE has emerged within Sony as a leading innovator of best marketing, sales and operational practices, and is a top 10 revenue contributor to the Company’s global electronics business. Mr. Molyneux’s geographic area of responsibility at SCSE grew from 14 to 20 countries. From 1997-2007, while based in the U.K., his responsibilities had been expanded to include manufacturing, systems and related software, core technology and retail peripheral products. He led Sony’s entry into the computer peripheral retail market and played a pivotal role in Sony’s expansion into component supply for the mobile phone market. Mr. Molyneux joined Sony in 1987 as a sales engineer to develop untapped business for the Semiconductor and Component unit in the U.K. Over the next 10 years, in both sales and marketing positions, he expanded that business across Europe, and led Sony to the No. 1 market share position in several related areas, including magnetic and optical drive technology. Before that, he was a customer support engineer for Hewlett Packard for two years. Mr. Molyneux was awarded an apprenticeship in electromechanical engineering with the U.K. Ministry of Defense and completed his studies in 1982. He then studied computer technology at the College of Central London. Mr. Glasgow’s 30-plus years of consumer electronics and computer experience have included oversight of total sales and marketing management, in addition to design, engineering and financial supervision of consumer electronics products in the United States and abroad. Prior to his role as head of SEL in the U.S., Mr. Glasgow was President, Sony Electronics Consumer Sales Company, where he managed the company’s retail and online sales operations and strategy in the United States. Before that, he was Senior Vice President of Sony Electronics Information Technology Products Division. He joined Sony in 2001 as Vice President of Computer Displays. Prior to joining Sony, Mr. Glasgow was the owner and president of Capetech Sales, which sold display products and consulting services to Asian electronics companies. He was CEO of Capetronic Computer Products Holdings Ltd., having held a variety of executive positions at the company before that appointment. In his new role, Mr. Molyneux will report to Mr. Kiyoshi Shikano, Global Sales & Marketing Officer, Sony Corporation, and to Tokyo headquarters senior executives for non-Sales & Marketing activities. Mr. Glasgow will report to Mr. Stringer in the latter’s position as head of SCA. View the full article

Designed for a compact budget, Sony’s new IPELA space-saving HD video camera (SNC-CH210, specs) has several top-end features, making it an obvious choice for a wide range of surveillance applications. It has an innovative design that is compact and slim with two body colors – black and white. The SNC-CH210 not only captures pristine HD images, but it provides users with a new way to use them; with ‘Stream Squared’ technology. This is a function that allows simultaneous streaming of two user-selectable SD resolutions. This means it can stream a wide angle view and a close-up shot at the same time. It is perfect for keeping a close eye on trouble spots and keeping the wider picture in sight. With a 3 megapixel (2048×1536) Exmor CMOS sensor, three industry-standard codecs (H264, MPEG-4 and JPEG with dual streaming capability) and Power over Ethernet (PoE) capability this is a great choice for an unobtrusive, easy to install and powerful network security camera. The CH210 has excellent HD picture quality with 1080p resolution at 30fps. View the full article

Sony has released a new SACD player in Japan due to the market on August 21st. The SCD-XE800 (Y37,800) has several characteristics from the SCD-XA5400ES, ensuring this entry-level model still has high quality sound. Sony is reusing the design and placement of key components in the XA5400ES in this new model, such as the inner design of the components – including signal processor, servo circuit, optical block and its overall anti-vibration structure. Super Audio D / A Converter is included in this model, which reduces digital noise and distortion to ensure natural tones. High quality capacitors were specifically chosen in the circuit design and Sony is offering the best combination of parts available in this price range. Outputs include coaxial, optical digital, and two channel analog. SACD playback frequency range is 2Hz-100kHz, dynamic range is more than 100dB and total harmonic distortion is less than 0.0035%. Specifications are slightly different for normal CD playback, which you can see in the specifications. Power consumption is about 20W, and it has a 0.5W standby power mode. SACD, CD-R, CD-RW discs are all supported, but SACD multi-channel playback is not supported. View the full article

Sony has begun shipping samples of its extensive lineup of silicon tuner modules, which incorporate Sony’s silicon turner IC that conform to worldwide broadcast systems. In light of the market’s transition from coil to silicon tuners, Sony will build up a global business by launching 40 small, high-performance silicon tuner modules, which incorporate its proprietary radio frequency circuit technology. Sony has developed different types of silicon tuner modules including antenna switch models, loop-through function, demodulator models for digital broadcasts, and dual tuner models. These new modules can reduce the number of necessary components as well as implement common global design for both hardware and software. Sony’s silicon tuner modules are also eco-friendly with low power consumption (40% less than Sony’s conventional coil tuner) and also have a standby mode. In addition, they are immediately compatible with new broadcast systems such as DVB-T2. Mass production of silicon tuner modules in 2008 and has cumulatively produced more than 10 million modules as of June 2010. Key Features: Miniaturization – Reduced size of silicon tuner module by 40% compared to conventional coil tuner which contributes to smaller printed circuit board in final products. Superior Interference Tolerance – Silicon tuner module is designed to withstand ingress noise from peripheral circuits because it uses Sony’s proprietary radio frequency circuit and simulation technologies.In addition, spontaneous-emission noise can be minimized, which simplifies product development. Stable reception performance – Achieved stable reception in silicon tuner module by excluding air-core coil. Doing so minimizes the variations caused by reception channels and by the usage environment (ex. ambient temperature). Furthermore, minimized the performance variation of each product relative to conventional coil tuner. Standby mode – Silicon tuner module uses 50mW in standby mode and contributes to low power consumption for final products. View the full article

Sony Europe is showing off the latest revision to the Walkman E series (hands-on at engadget), which has always been a budget friendly, yet above average MP3/Video player in the broad landscape of personal media devices. The 2010 version of the E series, due in August, has five assorted color options such as Black, Red, Blue, Pink, Green and new features we’ve never seen before in a Walkman outside of Japan. This Walkman is rather small, like its predecessors, and has a 2 inch QVGA LCD screen along with other functions such as Dynamic Normalizer, VPT, Equalizer, FM Radio, voice recorder, Alarm/timer and WM-Port. Battery life is 50 hours of music playback with MP3 files at 128kbps with the equalizer set to “None”, and 10 hours of video playback with MPEG-4 files at 384kbps. Sony has integrated Lyrics Sync to this music player, which supports the standardized .lrc file format, which displays lyrics for the current song on the screen while it plays. To further enhance this capability, Sony also added Karaoke Mode, which dynamically reduces the volume of the singer’s voice so you can hear your own voice clearly over the song. There’s even a playback key that can be adjusted up or down to match your vocal reach without affecting playback speed. Nice! Another important update is the change of the excellent Walkman interface, which has remained relatively the same in their portable music players for several generations. Things are somewhat different now with the interface; the new playback screen displays a large bold view of the cover artwork for the current song. Menus are a little more streamlined and have recieved cosmetic updates around the menu for a more enhanced appearance. You can briefly see the new interface in the engadget link above. SONY DSC SONY DSC SONY DSC SONY DSC SONY DSC SensMe technology is also included, which is actually quite useful for those of you who want music to suite your mood. Often when working out I wish my iPhone could categorize my fast-paced songs together. SensMe, found exclusively in certain Sony products, “automatically analyses and categorizes your music library, creating a series of themed channels. Just pick your channel to suit the moment, from mellow to upbeat.” You can also create playlists on the fly with the helpful Bookmark function. Sony also noted that this “WALKMAN now works better than ever with your PC if you’re running Windows 7. Connect the WALKMAN E450 to your PC’s USB port and a new ‘Device Stage’ window launches automatically. This easy-to-use media management function lets you browse files stored on WALKMAN in Windows Explorer and export media files directly to WALKMAN from your PC. Windows 7 even takes care of converting DivX and AVCHD video files stored on your hard drive to playable format for viewing on WALKMAN.” The latest NWZ-E450 series include 4GB (NWZ-E453), 8GB (NWZ-E454) and 16GB (NWZ-E455) capacities to accommodate most on-the-go music collections. View the full article

Hiroaki Kobayashi, marketing director of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB is looking to generate revenue by mirroring Apple?s profit model. Hiroaki Kobayashi recently spoke at the 2010 Android Bazaar and Conference in Tokyo. Of the many things he discussed, was the Apple business model and how their profit ratio is at times as high as 23%. The reasoning for this is that Apple focuses their model on three core areas of revenue:the market for applications software, the iPhone itself, and third party accessories. Apple Source of Income He mentioned further that it is well known in the applications market, that developers are required to pay 30% of sales amounts to Apple as a commission. An example of this is the spaced repetition system application Anki. The developer charges $24.99 for the application, however Apple gives him $17.50 in revenue. Kobayashi-san also pointed out something interesting surrounding the iPhone itself: Considering that the iPhone is sold at US$199, mobile service providers are bearing a burden of about US$400 The third party application arena

Hiroaki Kobayashi, marketing director of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB is looking to generate revenue by mirroring Apple’s profit model. Hiroaki Kobayashi recently spoke at the 2010 Android Bazaar and Conference in Tokyo. Of the many things he discussed, was the Apple business model and how their profit ratio is at times as high as 23%. The reasoning for this is that Apple focuses their model on three core areas of revenue:the market for applications software, the iPhone itself, and third party accessories. Apple Source of Income He mentioned further that it is well known in the applications market, that developers are required to pay 30% of sales amounts to Apple as a commission. An example of this is the spaced repetition system application Anki. The developer charges $24.99 for the application, however Apple gives him $17.50 in revenue. Kobayashi-san also pointed out something interesting surrounding the iPhone itself: Considering that the iPhone is sold at US$199, mobile service providers are bearing a burden of about US$400 The third party application arena

Sony Europe has stated that the latest A-Series Walkman will be getting a refresh this August. The A-Series initially had a Japan-only debut in late 2009 and has been available there in black and brown and up to 64GB. The 64GB model was exclusive to Japan all the way up to this point, but now Europe soon be able to purchase the 32GB NWZ-A846 and 64GB NWZ-A847 Walkman portable music players. Sony Europe also announced a cosmetic and great addition to the NW-A840 series OLED Walkman series. The variant is white and has a blue Walkman symbol on the front and back of the device, and originally launched in Japan last April. If you have forgotten, the latest A-Series simply is the most brilliant Walkman offering from Sony to date – at only 7.2mm thin, it has all of the features people have been asking for in previous Walkmans while shedding what it needed to. In my opinion, this is the most stylish appearance I’ve seen in a personal media player – and it has a jaw-dropping 2.8 inch WQVGA OLED screen. Of course, the A-Series is drag n’ drop, which also includes for the first time auto-converting video transfer! Additional features to round out this sweet package include a S-Master digital amplifier, FM radio, digital noise canceling (which we really think is incredible) and comes with premium MDR-EX300SL earphones. That is a really nice pair of stock buds to come with a Walkman – I am glad to see they didn’t skimp out. Other premium features to color your sound include DSEE, Clear Stereo, and Clear bass. Compatible codecs include MP3, AAC, WMA(DRM), L-PCM, H264/AVC, MP4, WMV(DRM). You can also achieve up to 30 hour battery life at 128kbps MP3′s, or 9 hours of video playback with MPEG4 files set to 384kbps. It also has a TV-out function, that can output at 720

Within the next year, expect 3D content to be live on YouTube. Mick Hocking is the Senior Director of Sony Computer Entertaiment Europe and is the company?s worldwide studios boss for 3D games. In a discussion talking about what can be expected from the P3 as it relates to 3D at a London event, he had this interesting statement to say: YouTube will be supporting 3D content over the next 12 months as well – and you’ll be able to watch that on the PlayStation 3 Give the large amount of content available on YouTube, this bodes well for those considering exactly what content offerings they will have access to should they choose to go the 3D route. Interestingly, the timing on this works out well as YouTube recently announced Leanback: " />"> Being able to sit back and watch 3D content, on a YouTube designed for the large screen would be perfect for PS3 owners, especially if we are given a native app to do it. No word yet on any sort of integration between the two , but it certainly seems logical. View the full article

Grown Ups does well at the box office despite competition. Now that the dust has settled, Grown Ups held it’s own despite having the stiff competition of Toy Story 3, Knight & Day, and Sony’s own The Karate Kid. Grown Ups opened to approximately 5,100 screens at 3,534 locations it’s launch on June 26th. The all star cast of Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David spade created enough laughs to produce a worldwide gross of $123,160,919. Excellent numbers given a production budge of roughly 80 million. Between the success of this film and The Karate Kid, Sony/Columbia has much to be happy about. View the full article

PlayStation Plus subscribers can now download the Hulu Plus application from the PlayStation Store. Starting today PlayStation Plus subscribers can, after downloading the Hulu Plus application, launch it and request an invitation to the exclusive