Christopher

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is an upcoming first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It is the sixth installment of the Call of Duty series, and the direct sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, continuing along the same storyline. It is one of the most highly anticipated FPS games since Call of Duty 4 took the computer gaming world by storm. SonyStyle retail locations will have Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 available for play November 9th, the day before the game’s release. To sweeten the deal, if you pre-order the game at SonyStyle you will get $5 off the regular price. You must be 18 years or over to participate. Game will not be available for retail sale until November 10th, 2009. Discount available on pre-orders taken on November 9th, 2009 only. Modern Warfare 2 will be released in four different retail versions across the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms: Standard, Hardened, Veteran, and Prestige. The standard version consists of the game and instructional manual, and will be the only version available for the Microsoft Windows platform.The Hardened Edition consists of the game and manual packaged in a steel book case, an art book, and a token to download the original Call of Duty from Xbox Live Arcade or the PlayStation Store. The Prestige Edition contains all of the elements of the Hardened Edition, but will also include fully-functioning night vision goggles, imprinted with the Modern Warfare 2 logo and a stand modeled after the head of character “Soap” MacTavish. In response to questions about the length of the single-player campaign, Infinity Ward CCO Jason West stated that Modern Warfare 2 would not be longer than the 6-10 hour-long campaign of Call of Duty 4. Mission settings in the game will include Russia, a military base in Kazakhstan, a desert area in Afghanistan, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Modern Warfare 2 is set several years after the conclusion of Call of Duty 4. The radical Russian Ultranationalist organization has returned to prominence under the leadership of Vladimir Makarov, a former associate of Imran Zakhaev with his own ambitions. Makarov has publicized Zakhaev’s death as an act of martyrdom to garner support for his cause, enabling him to build a strong power base in Russia over the years. Fearful of Makarov’s growing influence, the global community established Task Force 141 to counter the threat posed by the resurgent Ultranationalists. " />" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"> The online multiplayer mode of Modern Warfare 2 retains the same experience points and unlockable reward system of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, but also introduces several new features. We found a video (above) that shows all of the weapons and unlocks. Aside from new weapons and equipment, 15 different kill streak rewards can be unlocked and selected by the player. Among these is the ability to receive a supply drop after four kills, a predator missile strike after five kills, and to call in a strike by an AC-130 gunship after achieving 11 enemy kills in a row. It is also now possible to upgrade perks to a “pro version”. Another new addition to online multiplayer, is in-game host migration, which means that if the match host leaves the game, players will remain (instead of being reset to the game lobby like in Call of Duty 4) while a new host is selected and the game resumes. There has also been the addition of a new 3rd person mode which can be used in certain game types for multiplayer. Game modes include Free-For-All, Search & Destroy, Demolition, Domination, Team Deathmatch, and Capture The Flag. For the PC version, Infinity Ward decided to implement a matchmaking service similar to what console versions have: the IWNET working through Steam. This system however takes away the dedicated servers which means there will be no more mods or community made maps. Also, since the multiplayer runs with Steam, the PunkBuster anti-cheat system has been replaced by VAC. View the full article

Sony Ericsson has a teaser site up at the moment called “What’s next?” at sonyericsson.com. It says, “November 3″ and “We’re looking forward to November 3rd. We think you should be too.” then links to this YouTube video: " />" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"> We’ve spoken to a trusted source and this phone is indeed an upcoming Sony Ericsson phone to debut in the XPERIA line – codenamed Rachael, and rumored to be the XPERIA X3/X10. We’re not sure about the official name, but we definitely know it will have Android, and this is definitely a true video of the interface: " />" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"> Can’t wait! View the full article

There was some real interesting quotes Sony put out there during its Q2 FY09 Conference call, including the admission that its TV segment will struggle to be profitable for the rest of the Japanese fiscal year, that we will see new TV’s from Sony by February, the power of the Michael Jackson effect on entertainment sales, and more. We’ve chosen the most interesting conversations for your enjoyment. On bringing new LED backlit LCD’s to mass production as soon as possible to compete with Samsung and the rest: Evan Wilson – Pacific Crest: You mentioned in Japan earlier today, that there is the potential to bring some TV models that you had planned to launch next year into this year. Could you discuss that strategy and what do you think the impact would be on profitability and pricing in the TV business? Sam Levenson: Well, the impact on the profitability is very difficult to tell you exactly how much we’re going to save. But the main reason the why that we have to introduce the new model which originally, we anticipated to introduce in the spring time next year, was that our competitors particularly like Samsung, their product feature is unfortunately superior than ours. Particularly in the LED, satellite features. They planned that technology not only with top end model, but also the mass production models too. Of course, we have the LED-backlit model in our product line, but that was only for the top line items. So therefore, our lineup was not so strongly enough compared to the Samsung. So, our strategy is to introduce the new models, the spring models as soon as possible, probably sometime as in February this year. By doing this, yes, that we have to invest some of the additional promotional expenses for the current model, that is a negative factor, but by introducing the new competitive model, other than planned, that will generates some profit. So, overall we’ll generate some profits for us in this sense. Finding out if there will be a break-even or profits for Sony with their TV’s: Daniel Ernst – Hudson Square Research: And for the second half you expect to either become break even or create profits in TV? Nobuyuki Oneda: Well, TV will not to be a breakeven this year unfortunately. I mean the sales volume would be same as the forecasted level. But profitability wise it’s enough to breakeven, still we’ll be the raw situations unfortunately. Thoughts on outsource manufacturing and further thoughts on restoring TV profitability: Mark Harding – Maxim Group: If you could share your thoughts and have some targets on outsource manufacturing? And then secondly there was I guess a comment during the earlier calls regarding to moving towards profitability on the television side requiring you to look beyond the hardware. If you could just provide a little bit more color around that as well, it would be great? Nobuyuki Oneda: Yes, currently under the digital era a little gradually difficult to make a differentiation for the television businesses. So, therefore and also the assembly areas, the final assembly areas, there is a less, the profit is expected in this area. So therefore the we would do still the engineering or the design side or see our final assembly areas, we will try to increase the percentage of the assembly to the outside EMS in operations. Robert Wiesenthal: On the second question, it’s Robert Wiesenthal speaking. Nick mentioned in our meeting today about beyond hardware. And what he was referring to was about the use of visual services on our television set. Right now, as you know, we have the PlayStation network; the PS3 and PSP go that is migrating to the television, the Bravia, over time. Right now there are already is a service in place called the Bravia internet links that allows people to watch television shows and content from various networks. Last year, we were the first company ever to show a film directly to television owners outside cable and satellite and we have more plans in the future. So that’s really what refers to is that service stream which will generate revenues beyond the threshold of the retail store and that is something that is just beginning with IPTV and I think you will see a lot more to coming months. Speaking about PSP sales.. Evan Wilson – Pacific Crest: So, far in the first half of this fiscal year, shipments of PSP are tracking down about 2.6 million versus the first half of last year. What gives you confidence that in you reiterated forecast to sell one more million PSPs this year than you did last year? Nobuyuki Oneda: Some of the areas that we already introduced the PSP go, which is the new model. For some areas that we’re going to introduce in next month, right? The will increase hopefully over hardware numbers for the PSP and also at the same time, the big software program will be introduced like Gran Turismo during the coming holiday season. So that will hopefully putting the numbers over the software and hardware at the same time. So therefore at this moment we are behind compared to the original plan but we are not so pessimistic to achieve the original project. Robert Wiesenthal: On the PSP go, we have also started as you know the networks services on only say Wi-Fi device. So there is no physical media. We have just started porting over many of the movies and television shows associated with that. That takes some time to build up and if that library expands and improves I think you are going to see a very strong take up rate for not only the device but also the revenues associated with this service. Factoring the split of the PSPgo and regular PSP, and how download only will effect margins.. Jed Latkin – ING: Since we have the launch for the PSPgo in October, have you guys factored in like what sort of split have you factored in between the 3000 and in the PSPgo? And given the significantly higher ASP and underlying margin how is that going to affect the margins in the games business? And is that higher ASP offset enough to mitigate the losses on the lower price PS3? Unidentified Company Representative: Hi this is Mark (inaudible) our visiting CFO speaking. On the PSP

Sony’s reveal of their Q2 FY09 results indicate one thing to me beyond anything else: an overall lack of sales of -19.8% compared to this time last year in every segment except for music and finance. However, despite that statement Sony is looking upward and has revised their forecast, as Q2 results exceeded expectations. Operating income definitely shed a lot of loss and is positive if you exclude equity in net income of affiliates and restructuring charges. Sony also notes, as it has for many moons now, “Structural transformation initiatives are proceeding as planned.” Sounds like something a droid would say to me in the future. Here is a link to the transcript of the earnings announcement – Sony Corp Q2 2009 Earnings Conference Call. Sony’s stock in the New York Stock Exchange is also flirting with its highest levels since September 2008 at 29.39. Let’s examine each segment: ———— Consumer Products & Devices suffered a decrease in sales of 36.5% with BRAVIA LCD TV’s, Cyber-shot cameras, and system LSI’s for game businesses. Lagging performance in Handycam video cameras and batteries took a hit on the operating income, which decreased by 82.7 %. Networked Products & Services also saw an overall decrease in sales by 24.2%. VAIO PC sales fell behind and PS2 sales continued to decline. However, with the recent success of the PS3 price drop, I have a feeling next quarter will be pretty incredible in this regard. VAIO took a real hit because Sony has to sell for less to keep up with overall price declines, which meant a decrease in unit sales. Foreign exchange rates also hurt Sony, all amounting to a operating loss of 58.8 billion yen. B2B & Disc Manufacturing faltered with a 19% loss in sales compared to last year, mainly because developing countries embracing professional/broadcast equipment lessened due to the woes with the global economy. Disc Manufacturing also took a hit. Sony Pictures saw a 30.4% decrease in profits overall, but only a 20% decrease in the USA. Hancock was a huge hit for Sony last year and didn’t really have the same draw. Sony did have some key players with District 9, The Ugly Truth and Julie & Julia. We feel that their latest venture in the quick release of Michael Jackson’s final concert rehearsals This Is It will dramatically change things next quarter, though. The consolidation of Sony Music has resulted in an overall increase of sales by 146%. However, but that is of course assuming that Sony Music would have been consolidated the previous year. Strong sales contributed to Whitney Houston’s I Look To You, the Kings of Leon’s Only By The Night, and Daughtry’s Leave This Town. In Japan, best selling titles included Miliyah Kato’s Ring. Michael Jackson sales were very positive on the operating income and there was a large decrease in overhead and restructuring costs. Sony Life is looking stronger than ever. With a 135.% increase in revenue (171.3 billion yen), its investments have led to an improvement in net gains, valuation gains from bond investments (in the general account) helped by the stable Japanese stock market. Insurance premium revenue has also steadily increased. Here are the overall unit sales (in millions) of key Sony Consumer Electronics & Game Products: View the full article

Vizio announced that Sony Corporation has become a licensee under Vizio’s patent portfolio as a result of a recent patent settlement. Vizio, the current leader in the American LCD HDTV market, owns a substantial worldwide patent portfolio directed to digital television technology. Sony will be licensed under any patents that Vizio purchased this year related to color televisions, as well as any they may own in the future that are related to color televisions or PC monitors. “We are pleased with the result of our patent licensing efforts. It further demonstrates the technical strength and value of VIZIO’s patent portfolio,” said Rob Brinkman, VIZIO V.P. of Operations and Administration. Some of you may remember in October 2008, Sony filed a litigation against Vizio in the Federal District Court for the Central District of California for infringement of fourteen of Sony’s patents related to color televisions and PC monitors. This was also settled and VIZIO now is a licensee under Sony’s color television patent portfolio. “Having successfully resolved the disputes, we shall continue to aggressively protect our rights and actively expand VIZIO’s licensing program. As an owner of patent rights and as a licensee of legitimate patent right held by others, VIZIO respects intellectual property and we expect our competitors to do the same,” added Mr. Brinkman. Ahh, blissful harmony. Until some other patent spat arises. View the full article

The LED TV products being whisked around lately (used by Samsung Electronics, Toshiba, Philips, LG Electronics and Vizio) are the same type of LED backlit/edge-lit LCD TV’s Sony has in their television range. The phrase LED TV is a farce – it is a term exploited by some companies to increase the status of their brands in the mindshare of average consumers out there. It’s unfair for Sony, who truthfully advertises their various BRAVIA products as LED-backlit or edge-backlit LCDs, which some people may pass off as inferior to a LED TV. There is no difference, though. Sony’s LED edgelit/backlit LCD’s are just as good, if not better than the competition. Check out this handy chart showing the differences on Sony models: Seem confusing? LED’s are used for backlighting, instead of fluorescent lights. Light-emitting diode televisions (LED TVs) are LCD television sets that use LED as back light. LEDs in their current form are much too large to be individual pixels on a conventional television. The use of a true LED display is therefore reserved for much larger screens in sports grounds and other commercial locations. Dynamic RGB LEDs which are positioned behind the panel (aka backlit). This method of backlighting allows dimming to occur locally creating specific areas of darkness on the screen. This means you see truer blacks and much higher dynamic contrast ratios. Edge lit (White Edge) LED’s are positioned around the rim of the screen which use a special diffusion panel to spread the light evenly behind the screen, like the Sony ZX1/XBR10. The edge lit method allows for LED-based TVs to become extremely thin. The light is diffused across the screen by a special panel which produces a superb uniform color range across the screen. Here’s another chart showing the visual difference one would expect between a normal LCD, a LCD with edge-lit LED, and a LCD with backlit LED: View the full article

It’s simply amazing to see Sony Ericsson reporting in their Q3 FY09 results (PDF) such a continued drop in sales, making them look so entirely different than 2008 with only shipping 14.1 million units in that quarter, a decrease of 45% year-on-year. Sales for the quarter were Euro 1,619 million, a sequential decrease of 4% and a year-on-year decrease of 42%. The sequential decline in ASP (Average Selling Price) was due to product mix and continued challenging market conditions. Gross margin improved sequentially but dropped year-on-year due to lower sales and foreign exchange fluctuations. The sequential improvement was seen in both percentage rate and volume, driven by cost savings actions and successful sales of the W995 Walkman phone. Income before taxes for the quarter, excluding restructuring charges, was a loss of Euro 198 million compared to a loss of Euro 283 million from the previous quarter. The reduced loss was due to better gross margin, as well as reduced operating expenses. I would be more glum about these results but I can see changes for the better, especially if you look at last quarter. SE is going in the right direction, and with a recent cash infusion from Sony things should be back on track. It also helps that Sony Ericsson is on the precipice of delivering their greatest range of competitive mobile devices to date with the Yari, Aino, and Satio. ?Our business in the third quarter started to show the effects of our ongoing transformation programme. Having refreshed our brand we are now better positioned to support the launch of new products such as Aino and Satio in Q4 2009. We have cleared channel inventories, and have continued to realign internal resources and improve efficiency. We have also arranged external financing to strengthen the company?s financial position,? said Dick Komiyama, outgoing President, Sony Ericsson. “Transforming the business for future growth and returning Sony Ericsson to profitability is the focus of the senior management team and will continue under the new leadership.” Bert Nordberg became President of Sony Ericsson succeeding Dick Komiyama, who remains as Executive Advisor until the end of 2009. Sony Ericsson forecasts that the global handset market for 2009 will contract by approximately 10% from around 1,190 million units in 2008. Sony Ericsson estimates that its market share in units was about 5% in the third quarter. View the full article

Well, Sony sure scored with their $60 million purchase of the concert footage from Michael Jackson’s rehersals before his concert tour. The movie made $2.2 million domestically in its opening night, and is looking very strong at a $12 million dollar opening day. MJ even scored an 81% (at the time of this writing) approval rating on rottentomatoes.com. This will definitely be Sony’s strongest movie in 2009, and I assure you that will be most clear once international numbers come in. This Is It opened simultaneously in 95 different countries which have not reported sales yet.

Want to learn more about the inner workings of the Sony Ericsson company? Well, three blogs have sprouted up in recent times that many people may not know about – the XPERIA blogger resource centre, Satio Launch Blog, and the GreenHeart blog. I didn’t even know about them myself, but it really is hard to know every Sony URL these days. Don’t even get me started on the amount of Sony URL’s I keep an eye on.. Let’s take a look at some of the blogs: The XPERIA blogger resource centre at xperiancers.com aims to help keep you updated on everything that’s happening with Xperia, both from Sony Ericsson and around many other blogs and forums. The team of authors on this site inlcude people from Sony Ericsson including developers, designers and programmers, as well as others from the PR and marketing team. It’s being run for Sony Ericsson by Wolfstar, an external communications consultancy, and the blog will also include lots of input from writers at Wolfstar. Together they hope to provide you with help and guidance on everything we can find related to the Xperia brand, including anything and everything from news, graphics, images, videos and of course any interesting conversations which are taking place across the globe. There is also some guest bloggers. The Satio Launch Blog is dedicated to information about the Sony Ericsson Satio, which is Sony Ericsson’s strongest handheld phone to date in overall functionality. The best part of the Wifi-equipped Satio is the screen – a true 16:9 display on a 3.5 inch widescreen (640

During May of this year Sony Ericsson really surprised people with the introduction of the Aino. To refresh your memory, the Aino is a slider phone with a 3 inch (16 million color) touchscreen that has GPS, PS3 remote play capability and other rich multimedia functionality. It was an European debut and many were glad to see Sony Ericsson returning to truly innovative features and design. SonyStyle is now offering the Aino for the US market at the crisp price of $600, which is also the same price as the Sony Ericsson W995a Walkman phone. While I applaud Sony bringing the phone to the US market as quickly as they could, it would have been a lot nicer to see a carrier pick this device up. If the Aino can’t find a carrier in the US, it may just end up performing like the XPERIA X1 did. Both are beautiful devices, but carry an extremely high price tag and fall out of interest in the average consumer if they can’t be subsidized in price and tied to a one or two year plan. However, with such features as an included bluetooth headset Flash Lite support, wide codec support, Wifi, preloaded applications (like facebook, twitter, accuweather), 8.1 megapixel camera, etc maybe people will be seeking this out regardless. We only saw one color available in the SonyStyle listing, which was the Obsidian Black. Here’s hoping we see the Aino on a carrier soon. View the full article

Gran Turismo fans are invited to enter, through November 22, 2009, via video, essay or slideshow presentation, to prove they are the ultimate Gran Turismo fan. At the end of the contest, the top 10 winners will be picked and announced in early December. The first place winner will earn the “driver” racing suit, helmet and gloves worn by Rhys Millen during the Gran Turismo TV commercial shoot. In addition, the first place winner will also receive a Gran Turismo PSP Entertainment Pack featuring a Mystic Silver PSP-3000 system, a copy of Gran Turismo, a PlayStation Network voucher for The Italian Job movie, a 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo, a voucher for the exclusive white version of the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, and a Sony Music Pass voucher for 10 free songs. In addition, the first place winner will also receive a Gran Turismo poster signed by Rhys Millen and Tanner Foust, stars of the Gran Turismo commercial. The second place winner will get the racing suit, gloves, and open-face helmet worn by the “passenger” in the TV commercial, Tanner Foust, plus a Gran Turismo PSP Entertainment Pack and a Gran Turismo poster signed by Rhys Millen and Tanner Foust. The third place winner will win a Gran Turismo PSP Entertainment Pack, and a Gran Turismo poster signed by Rhys Millen and Tanner Foust. Additionally, the next seven winners will all receive a Gran Turismo poster signed by Rhys Millen and Tanner Foust. To enter, email your video (up to 2 minute), essay (1 page) or slideshow presentation to PlayStation_Community_Support@playstation.Sony.com with “GT PSP Contest Entry” in the subject line. Visit here for official entry rules. Contest open to US residents only and runs through November 22, 2009. View the full article

Gran Turismo fans are invited to enter, through November 22, 2009, via video, essay or slideshow presentation, to prove they are the ultimate Gran Turismo fan. At the end of the contest, the top 10 winners will be picked and announced in early December. The first place winner will earn the ?driver? racing suit, helmet and gloves worn by Rhys Millen during the Gran Turismo TV commercial shoot. In addition, the first place winner will also receive a Gran Turismo PSP Entertainment Pack featuring a Mystic Silver PSP-3000 system, a copy of Gran Turismo, a PlayStation Network voucher for The Italian Job movie, a 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo, a voucher for the exclusive white version of the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, and a Sony Music Pass voucher for 10 free songs. In addition, the first place winner will also receive a Gran Turismo poster signed by Rhys Millen and Tanner Foust, stars of the Gran Turismo commercial. The second place winner will get the racing suit, gloves, and open-face helmet worn by the ?passenger? in the TV commercial, Tanner Foust, plus a Gran Turismo PSP Entertainment Pack and a Gran Turismo poster signed by Rhys Millen and Tanner Foust. The third place winner will win a Gran Turismo PSP Entertainment Pack, and a Gran Turismo poster signed by Rhys Millen and Tanner Foust. Additionally, the next seven winners will all receive a Gran Turismo poster signed by Rhys Millen and Tanner Foust. To enter, email your video (up to 2 minute), essay (1 page) or slideshow presentation to PlayStation_Community_Support@playstation.Sony.com with ?GT PSP Contest Entry? in the subject line. Visit here for official entry rules. Contest open to US residents only and runs through November 22, 2009. View the full article

Sony Japan and USA issued a statement today in regards to Sony VAIO AC Adapter VGP-AC19V17 that may malfunction and the company is offering an exchange for you. If you are an owner of the following VAIOs, head over to this page and initiate your exchange. It looks like I have to do this too, as I got an LT series and I still have to call in to exchange that cute aluminum VAIO mouse too. - All VGC-LT series computer – VGC-JS240, VGC-JS250, VGC-JS270, and VGC-JS290 model computers The following notebook computer docking stations sold after September 2005: – VGP-PRBX1 and VGP-PRFE1 There is also a settlement that finally took place and it is in regards to failed memory sockets in VAIO GRX 500 and 600 series. And guess what, I was one of those affected too…it was not fun back then in 2004, when my $2200 GRX550 stopped booting. I remember there was so much talk and thousands of unhappy threads devoted to that issue. It is sad that Sony did not take action than and it took so many years and a class action suit to finally get it right. By the way, after the RAM sockets were re-soldered, my GRX has finally died like a month ago, it has served me until September of this year…talk about quality! View the full article

In this conversation courtesy of Sony Design, we are given introspective behind the DSC-TX1 – “familiar, minimalist T-series style, yet fresh and bold.” The Sony Design article continues on with – “Cyber-shot” T-series cameras are prized for their slim bodies and stylish design. Here’s a reinterpretation of this theme, wrapped in graceful curves, alluring colors, and a new GUI.

The T707 (seen here with Maria Sharapova), a feature-packed clamshell phone that was announced back in March is now on T-Mobile. The T707 truly interacts with the user ? it lights up when you receive a call and you can personalize different colors in the light settings for each of your friends. If you are too busy to answer, simply end the call with a wave of your hand over the screen ? you can also do the same gesture to snooze the alarm. Noteworthy features include a 2.2 inch TFT LCD screen (and a monochromatic 1.1 inch OLED on the front), a 3.2 megapixel camera, FM radio, Bluetooth (A2DP), Memory Stick Micro (M2 support), and much more. Video calling is also supported on the T707 (battery will support about 2 hours of it). Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 10 hrs, with 400 hrs standby; talk time UMTS: Up to 4 hrs, with 400 hours standby. The T707 is pretty feature rich for being a simple clamshell, which you can read about here. Sony Ericsson’s USA page linked above notes that the phone is fully compatible with Media Go, and can upload directly to Youtube amongst many other features. I think this will be an interesting play for SE, but I am worried because I don’t see many clam shell phones like this on the market anymore. T-Mobile’s biggest competitor, AT&T, has very few of this style (with such higher end features) and are aimed more towards professional use where durability is essential – like the Motorola Tundra. So I’m left wondering is there a market for this device? I could see it being a hit with women, but time will tell. I noticed T-Mobile is only bringing the Carbon Black color to the USA market, which is a shame because it had two other colors available in Europe: Spring Rose (seen below) and Lucid Blue. View the full article

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) and Netflix today announced that they are joining forces to make thousands of movies and TV episodes from Netflix available to be streamed instantly to TVs via the PlayStation 3 (PS3). Netflix expects to begin streaming via the PS3 system next month at no additional cost to Netflix members in the United States who have a PS3 system. Initially, watching movies instantly streamed from Netflix via the PS3 system will be enabled by a free, instant streaming Blu-ray disc that is being made available to all Netflix members. The free instant streaming disc leverages Blu-ray’s BD-Live technology to access the Internet and activate the Netflix user interface on the PS3 system, which must be online via Wi-Fi or Ethernet. “The PlayStation 3 system has always been about more than just gaming, and it will soon be the only platform in the industry to offer consumers such a variety of convenient options for enjoying movies and TV shows,” said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. “Whether you want to watch content on Blu-ray disc and DVD, download it from the PlayStation Network’s video delivery service, or stream videos instantly from Netflix, the PS3 system is the only solution that offers it all.” Netflix members simply slide the disc (one-time install) into their PS3 systems to reveal movies and TV episodes that can be watched instantly. These titles are conveniently organized into a variety of categories based on members’ personal preferences, popular genres, new arrivals and members’ individual instant Queues. Members can use the Netflix Web site or navigate directly on their PS3 systems to add movies and TV shows to their Queues. With the PS3 system’s Wireless Controller, members can choose a movie to watch from their instant Queues or just play directly from any of the lists. They also have the ability to read synopses and rate movies. In addition, they have the option of fast-forwarding and rewinding the video stream via the Wireless Controller. “As instantly watching movies and TV episodes streamed from Netflix becomes an increasingly popular way to enjoy the Netflix service, our goal is to rapidly expand the devices that stream to our members,” said Netflix CEO and co-founder Reed Hastings. “As a leading game console and Blu-ray disc player, bringing Netflix to the PS3 system is a real win for both Netflix members and PS3 system owners.” Netflix members and PS3 system owners can now reserve a free instant streaming disc for PS3 systems. Upon availability, the instant streaming disc will be delivered for free by first-class mail, generally one business day after members request it. View the full article

Check out this new VAIO X Promo Ad I came across on SonyStyle Hong Kong website. Looks pretty amazing… Also, if you are interested in VAIO X Developer Story and know some Japanese, check it out, interesting read and some amazing engineering work and hardware. Hopefully we will see an English translation soon and we will update this post. Sony Singapore however has tons of info in English, so if you cannot get enough of it, head out this way. " />" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"> View the full article

Another VAIO Bluetooth accessory showed up recently at SonyStyle.com is a bluetooth keyboard that will be happy to work with your VAIO and again PS3. For some reason it took Sony a while to start selling their own BT keyboard, as they were selling some third party one that looked pretty ugly. This one is a standard keyboard and I wish Sony would have made it foldable like the one they shipped with VAIO U series, it would have been more portable and convenient to travel with. Here are some specs: Bluetooth

With a new debut of VAIO X and CW as well as VAIO Touch L desktop, Sony also threw in a few new accessories for those who like to add some VAIO prOn to their collection (I admit I have a problem with it, tons and tons of VAIO accessories here). So while browsing the net and collecting some interesting bits and pieces for my future posts, I came across this new VAIO Bluetooth Laser Mouse VGP-BMS80. At first I thought it was a new iteration of the VAIO BT Presenter I picked up earlier VGP-BRMP10 (a nifty lil presenter with mouse touch pad): However I realized it was actually a Bluetooth Laser mouse with the following specs: Bluetooth

Sony has a really strong product in the market right now with the recently announced Sony VAIO L series touchscreen PC. I stopped by my studio at SonyStyle in Atlanta, GA and shot some video and pictures with the computer. Ok, maybe it isn’t my studio, but they sure are so nice to me there. Sometimes I feel like I am asking them for so much, but they are always willing to help. Nonetheless, the L series is really sleek looking and the hardware options are numerous. Unfortunately, Sony has not included an Intel Core i7 processor in this series (or any of their other hardware options), but the L series certainly packs a lot of punch with up to a Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400S (2.66GHz). The L Series has a beautiful 24 inch screen and is a touchscreen PC that is also a TV. It has analog and HDMI video input which can accept content from devices such as a PS3, cable box and so forth. It also has a cable jack and can be used as a DVR. That is some serious value – we are talking about the true definition of a real all-in-one device now. I have used the HP Touchsmart quite a bit, but the touchscreen on that device is not as good as this. Did I say that out loud? Yes, and I invite everyone to try both machines and tell me what they think. It is worth your time, I promise. I think that this L series with multi-touch is on par or beyond the iPhone touchscreen in my opinion in terms of responsiveness and overall presentation. Touchscreen Windows 7 is a treat. Here is our hands on video: " />" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"> Here’s some great shots of the L Series, this one in particular the fully modded VPCL116FX/B in black. I really liked the Blu-ray drive – the quality and playback was perfect; I could just see this thing sitting in an apartment or dorm room. The sound quality and loudness of the speakers is fantastic. It’s age appeal is limitless, too. It is easy to adapt to, it is super sensitive to touch (but not in a bad way) and has solid programs included with it. When I say solid, I mean software that is perfect for young children to adults. The experience is so intuitive that I pretty much winged the explanation of the software above in one take. I encourage you to learn more about Media Gallery, Photo Globe and the other VAIO software programs by stopping by SonyStyle or other retail outlets as they get the desktop. If I could sum everything up, I would say that this device like this could be perfect for a family; it really is a family computer. I also wanted to mention I will update this post in a day or so with another video of how easy it is to open the RAM access on the back of the machine. It takes less than 10-15 seconds to reach it, depending on how fast you can spin a mini screwdriver. We also have another video of me using the Webcam software that is quite enjoyable with a touchscreen. Here’s a couple of shots from the rear (left, then right): Here is the left side of the VAIO L (the right side can be viewed on the disc shot above): The top right of the VAIO L: The keyboard (VGP-WKB10) and mouse (VGP-WMS4) of the VAIO L : At the bottom of the VAIO L are several labels: We’re really working hard with SonyStyle to provide you quality coverage of Sony’s latest hardware. It’s been an interesting endeavor with appreciated results and gets only better and better. Please leave us comments about our recent series of videos with any suggestions, criticism, whatever. View the full article

We recently had the opportunity to visit the SonyStyle store in Atlanta, Georgia to preview the champagne Sony VAIO X Series Notebook. Sony shocked everyone back at IFA 2009 with the introduction of the X series VAIO notebook, which is the direct successor to the TT series in the USA. It appeared super slim at the time and in its delicious teaser video courtesy of Sony Europe some people got extremely curious about its arrival. Sony revealed the full details on the new VAIO X series and has called it the world’s lightest notebook – 1.6 pounds with standard battery. To further whet our appetites, Sony Europe also revealed a series of videos behind the design of the VAIO X, which explore just about every detail of its design. I just had to know what this laptop was all about. ">" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"> Aside from our nine minute hands on video (above), we also have some great pictures to share with you that really show off this gorgeous notebook. The quality and amount of pictures in this post is exhaustive, to say the least – click to enlarge. Sony Corporate Communications sweetened the deal by offering a A900 DSLR and HDR-XR520V HD camcorder for us to use during our experience in which we are sharing here with exclusively with you. There are also some comparison pictures farther down in the post, which are provided to help those understand how truly thin the X series is. Be sure to check out the VAIO X Series at SonyStyle stores on October 22nd, or at SonyStyle.com. Here is a close-up of the Champagne Sony VAIO X Series keyboard: A general overhead picture of the notebook open: Left side of the VAIO X: Right side of the VAIO X: VAIO X front: VAIO X rear: The number of processes and general Task Manager view on a factory fresh VAIO X were high. As a technically savvy individual who can control a Windows installation down to every last service, I feel that 52 running processes is a bit much for a notebook. However, with a large amount of RAM and a SSD this may be a moot point. I just feel that Sony should have aimed for somewhere around 30-40. We also noticed some stuttering with HD video, but I was unable to honestly tell if that was because of shared WiFi connection we were using. I cannot make any conclusions at this point, but for most general activities this laptop will see it should be more than sufficient. Browsing the Internet was very fast. I’m sure it would handle Photoshop and other usual tasks quite easily. I feel that people who demand extreme performance out of an ultraportable laptop like this are missing the entire point of the device itself. To read more concrete words on the performance of the VAIO X, please read this incredible overview courtesy of Laptop Magazine. The Windows Experience Index score that was already loaded on the machine: Comparison photos of the VAIO X and the VAIO P: Back to back – VAIO X (left), VAIO P (right): Side by side – VAIO P (left), VAIO X (right): Amusingly enough, the image on the VAIO P’s screen is a reflection from the television nearby showing off a LittleBigPlanet demo: VAIO X compared to a Playstation 3 controller: Thanks, Ana. View the full article

Sony Australia has officially announced the return of its sell-out bonus PlayStation 3 (PS3) promotion with the purchase of select BRAVIA LCD TV models. The countdown begins at 12.01am on Thursday 22 October with only 25,000 PS3 slim-line consoles available. To promote this venture, Sony has literally put to the test what happens when you bring BRAVIA and PlayStation 3 together. In the first-ever, controlled conditions test of its kind, the new PS3 slim-line console has been catapulted into a BRAVIA LCD TV. Here’s the video: Fast facts on the crash test: • PS3 Trajectory: Parabolic • Impact Speed: 80km/hr = 22m/sec • Mass of PS3: 3.2kg • Kinetic energy of PS3 at point of impact: 774.4 joules • PS3 deceleration: 246.9g = 2420 m/sec squared • Force of PS3 on BRAVIA TV screen: 7744.0 newtons = 790.2kg force • Sled deceleration: 40.0g = 392m/sec squared • Force on sled: 470400.0newtons, 48000kg force = 48 tonnes force • One 25kg metal bar stops the sled at the end of the track. A new bar is needed for every test • Track speed: 80km • Launch angle: 5 degrees • Sled weight: 1.2 tonnes • Track length: 60 meters, speed reaches 80km at 1 metre before impact • Length PS3 travels when released: 3.19metres • BRAVIA TV is mounted 2 meters from wall View the full article

Jack Tretton is the President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America (SCEA), a division of Sony Computer Entertainment, which is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. He is primarily responsible for the company’s United States market. After graduation from Providence College with a marketing degree, New England-born Tretton became a territory manager for the Duracell battery company from 1983 through 1985. He served as vice president of sales at Activision from 1986 to 1991, and as general manager of JVC Musical Industries? game division from 1991 to 1995. After joining the Sony Corporation in March 1995, Tretton became a key member of the team that founded PlayStation in September of that year. He was integral in the development and publishing of the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 game consoles ? as well as the PlayStation Portable, and their related products. In November 2006, Tretton was promoted to president and chief executive officer for Sony Computer Entertainment America, and has presented the Sony E3 2007/2008/2009 conferences. There’s little doubt to myself and many other observers that Jack Tretton is one of the biggest believers of the total Playstation experience. I have seen him present nearly every time and his enthusiasm is truly that of someone who believes in something. Does that make sense? I just get the sense he is genuine. He is a powerful executive and a great player for Sony in the USA. It’s obvious that the USA has had great influence on the progression of video games compared to other countries, including Sony’s home country of Japan, and its difficult to manage such a phenomenon. And with the recent price cuts and PSP shakeup with the introduction of the PSP Go, alot of other people lately have been believing in the experience – the NPD Group?s September 2009 video game sales data, released today, says PS3 ranked as the top console sold for the month, beating out all our competitors. It was also the only hardware platform to realize an increase of 112% when compared to the same period last year, according to Tretton. PSP sales have risen 300%. Good work, Sony! Jack wrote a great post on Sony’s Playstation USA blog that I will copy here called “Welcome to the PlayStation Nation“: Nearly half a million of you purchased a PS3 in September. Amazing. Welcome to the PlayStation Nation and to what will be one of our best holidays yet. We are in the midst of one of the most exciting times for PlayStation as we continue to redefine entertainment experiences for consumers, both at home and on the go. Over the past few weeks we?ve launched several game-changers such as the sleek 120GB PS3 at a new price point of $299. We?ve also introduced more storage capacity with the 250GB PS3, debuting November 3 at $349. We?ve made unprecedented strides in digital and mobile entertainment with the availability of PSPgo. Last week we launched the critically acclaimed UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves which is receiving rave reviews. The best part is that we?ve only just begun an onslaught of relentless, rich content hitting throughout the fiscal year, including Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time, God of War III, MAG, and ModNation Racers. We?re also seeing tremendous response to the great value of the newer, slimmer, lighter 120GB PS3 system, which surpassed its one million unit mark worldwide just after three weeks on shelves. In NPD Group?s September 2009 video game sales data, released today, the PS3 ranked as the top console sold for the month, beating out all our competitors. It was also the only hardware platform to realize an increase of 112% when compared to the same period last year. The PSPgo is driving additional momentum for the entire PSP platform. In its first three days on store shelves, top retail partners experienced a 300 percent lift in overall PSP hardware sales compared to the previous week. During this time, the PlayStation Network also experienced the largest number of downloads ever for a single week period. In addition, the new 250GB PS3 will provide the ample storage needed for what is expected to be a big Blu-ray holiday with blockbuster releases like Transformers 2, Star Trek and Hangover. And we?re continuing to stack the chips this holiday with great game content including God of War Collection, LittleBigPlanet ? Game of the Year Edition as well as popular third party titles like Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Assassin?s Creed 2. If you haven?t already experienced UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves for yourself, this is a must-have this season. The Naughty Dog team has delivered a truly visually stunning and immersive game that is clearly only possible on the PS3. It has garnered an average review score of 96 with over 64 perfect scores by game reviewers. This game promises to be a system seller for PlayStation and we couldn?t be more pleased. There simply has never been a better time to be part of the PlayStation family and we look forward to providing you with the best entertainment content and experience for many, many years to come. Jack Tretton View the full article

Jack Tretton is the President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America (SCEA), a division of Sony Computer Entertainment, which is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. He is primarily responsible for the company’s United States market. After graduation from Providence College with a marketing degree, New England-born Tretton became a territory manager for the Duracell battery company from 1983 through 1985. He served as vice president of sales at Activision from 1986 to 1991, and as general manager of JVC Musical Industries’ game division from 1991 to 1995. After joining the Sony Corporation in March 1995, Tretton became a key member of the team that founded PlayStation in September of that year. He was integral in the development and publishing of the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 game consoles – as well as the PlayStation Portable, and their related products. In November 2006, Tretton was promoted to president and chief executive officer for Sony Computer Entertainment America, and has presented the Sony E3 2007/2008/2009 conferences. There’s little doubt to myself and many other observers that Jack Tretton is one of the biggest believers of the total Playstation experience. I have seen him present nearly every time and his enthusiasm is truly that of someone who believes in something. Does that make sense? I just get the sense he is genuine. He is a powerful executive and a great player for Sony in the USA. It’s obvious that the USA has had great influence on the progression of video games compared to other countries, including Sony’s home country of Japan, and its difficult to manage such a phenomenon. And with the recent price cuts and PSP shakeup with the introduction of the PSP Go, alot of other people lately have been believing in the experience – the NPD Group’s September 2009 video game sales data, released today, says PS3 ranked as the top console sold for the month, beating out all our competitors. It was also the only hardware platform to realize an increase of 112% when compared to the same period last year, according to Tretton. PSP sales have risen 300%. Good work, Sony! Jack wrote a great post on Sony’s Playstation USA blog that I will copy here called “Welcome to the PlayStation Nation“: Nearly half a million of you purchased a PS3 in September. Amazing. Welcome to the PlayStation Nation and to what will be one of our best holidays yet. We are in the midst of one of the most exciting times for PlayStation as we continue to redefine entertainment experiences for consumers, both at home and on the go. Over the past few weeks we’ve launched several game-changers such as the sleek 120GB PS3 at a new price point of $299. We’ve also introduced more storage capacity with the 250GB PS3, debuting November 3 at $349. We’ve made unprecedented strides in digital and mobile entertainment with the availability of PSPgo. Last week we launched the critically acclaimed UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves which is receiving rave reviews. The best part is that we’ve only just begun an onslaught of relentless, rich content hitting throughout the fiscal year, including Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time, God of War III, MAG, and ModNation Racers. We’re also seeing tremendous response to the great value of the newer, slimmer, lighter 120GB PS3 system, which surpassed its one million unit mark worldwide just after three weeks on shelves. In NPD Group’s September 2009 video game sales data, released today, the PS3 ranked as the top console sold for the month, beating out all our competitors. It was also the only hardware platform to realize an increase of 112% when compared to the same period last year. The PSPgo is driving additional momentum for the entire PSP platform. In its first three days on store shelves, top retail partners experienced a 300 percent lift in overall PSP hardware sales compared to the previous week. During this time, the PlayStation Network also experienced the largest number of downloads ever for a single week period. In addition, the new 250GB PS3 will provide the ample storage needed for what is expected to be a big Blu-ray holiday with blockbuster releases like Transformers 2, Star Trek and Hangover. And we’re continuing to stack the chips this holiday with great game content including God of War Collection, LittleBigPlanet – Game of the Year Edition as well as popular third party titles like Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Assassin’s Creed 2. If you haven’t already experienced UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves for yourself, this is a must-have this season. The Naughty Dog team has delivered a truly visually stunning and immersive game that is clearly only possible on the PS3. It has garnered an average review score of 96 with over 64 perfect scores by game reviewers. This game promises to be a system seller for PlayStation and we couldn’t be more pleased. There simply has never been a better time to be part of the PlayStation family and we look forward to providing you with the best entertainment content and experience for many, many years to come. Jack Tretton View the full article

Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced the availability of a new PS3 system with a 250GB hard drive hitting store shelves on November 3. The PS3 250GB system has the same slim look, feel and features as the 120GB system, but with a 250GB built-in hard drive for $349.99. Your basically getting twice the capacity for only $50 more. With the new, larger capacity, you?ll have even more room to store your favorite games, movies/TV shows, music, photos and PlayStation Network downloads. View the full article