Christopher

Sony has announced that it has agreed to form a strategic alliance with Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd. (also known as Foxconn) for the production of LCD TVs in the Americas. Based on this agreement, Sony will sell to Hon Hai Group 90% of its shares in Sony Baja California and certain manufacturing assets related to Sony Baja California’s Tijuana site in Mexico, which mainly manufactures LCD TVs for the Americas region. Following the sale, Hon Hai Group will hold 90% ownership of Sony Baja California and the Sony Group will retain a 10% share. The Tijuana site will remain a key manufacturing facility of Sony LCD TVs for the Americas region. Hon Hai Group will assume employment of employees at the Tijuana site. Within its LCD TV business, Sony is concentrating internal resources towards areas that contribute to product differentiation, such as R&D, engineering and design, while also establishing a structure that enables the company to bring attractive products to market at the earliest possible opportunity. At the same time, by proactively leveraging external manufacturing resources Sony will also seek to reduce fixed costs, drive other cost reductions, improve profitability and achieve business expansion. Completions of the transfers are subject to regulatory approvals in several countries. No material impact from the transfer on Sony’s consolidated financial results for the current fiscal year for the transfer is anticipated. View the full article

After becoming real tight friends with Google in collaboration of its Reader line up with Google’s library of free books, Sony is returning a favor to big G by installing Chrome as a default browser on its newest VAIOs. I have witnessed it on VAIO W series as well as NW so far. According to FT: “The deal with Sony, which involves shipping Chrome on new Vaio PCs, is the first the internet company has struck with a computer maker. …the arrangement was “experimental” and part of wider efforts to boost distribution.” Let’s see what big M$ can bring to the table, as it looks like Google is looking for the same deal with other PC makers. *Image courtesy of OneComics View the full article

Sony has officially released firmware 3.0 for the Playstation 3. I’ve already loaded it on my PS3 and it is silky smooth. There are some interesting changes across the system, and things definitely feel snappier. They were already quick before, though. I like the new logo at the start up, you can really see that Sony has solidified this rounded PS3 font as the future branding. The new animated themes are pretty cool, with the default being the first thing you see upon loading in. Of course Sony has the LittleBigPlanet “Dynamic Theme” for sale in the Playstation Store already. It will be interesting to see how many Dynamic Themes are on the way, and if they can have at least a dozen or two available by the holidays. Here are several changes that have been reported: System changes The system startup has been slightly redesigned. [information Board] replaced by a [What's New] feature. When the system is started it will display the [What's New] screen by default instead of the [Games] menu. A [status Indicator] added to the top of the screen showing the user’s online status, the number of friends online and an icon indicating if there are unread PSN messages. The swirling activity indicator has been redesigned and now looks like an analog clock The [Friends] list has been redesigned. Messages from a specific person will now be accessible from that user’s profile screen. BRAVIA Sync allowing control of the XMB by BRAVIA TV remote control. (120GB PS3 only) Graphical changes to the XMB (increased font and icon size) The default theme has been changed to an updated version of the ‘Original’ waves theme Added print screen functionality to the [internet Browser] Game changes A new feature will be added allowing game developers to display Trophies in different ways, such as grouping them by add-on pack, etc. A [PlayStation Store] icon will be added under the [Game] category. Media changes A BBC iPlayer application for users in the UK/ROI. A ABC iView application will be added for users in Australia. A [PlayStation Store] icon will be added under the category (where available). Added the ability to upscale audio stored on the internal or USB hard drive to 88.2KHz or 176.4KHz Settings changes Support for new [Dynamic Custom Themes]. [install Other OS] and [Default System] will be removed. (120GB PS3 only) An option has been added to the [settings] menu to allow the user to change what the system displays by default on startup Option to output audio through multiple sources (e.g. HDMI and optical) simulatiously View the full article

The House Bunny on Blu-ray a few days ago, and The Haunting in Connecticut on Blu-ray here in a moment.

Sony is offering a free update to KDL-V5/J5/XR1/X1/W1/F1/V1/J1/JE1 / M1 series Bravia owners in Japan that enables a picture adjustment (x-Tuning) and message board for your home (x-Message Board). The x-Tuning software allows users to change the image quality of the set through a helpful guide that shows two images. Based on what image you find to have the better color, your set changes to those color settings. Here you can see below a child in two separate color temperatures. The service detects your TV and adjusts your set accordingly based on your choice. Sony’s x-Message Board is an interesting addition, and allows one to share SMS messages with users of network enabled Sony televisions. What’s neat is that this is backwards compatible with most network enabled Bravias dating back to 2007. You can send messages up to 30 characters, and choose background and character colors. You can also send position information, and send up to three messages at once. It seems to be compatible with DoCoMo / au / 3 carrier Softbank. To make it as unobtrusive as possible, Sony made it so that while you’re watching TV a message pops up stating you have a new message. I wasn’t able to figure out if MMS capabilities were supported. I do know however that the images below demonstrate how it would appear to watch TV and message at the same time. View the full article

Sony and Zenrin are teaming up to make new navigation software for the PSP that mirrors the Nav-U navigation experience. While this will be exclusive to Japan when it arrives on November 5th at Y8190, it is possible that one day you could see something like this elsewhere. All the features of the Nav-U experience are there, including a powerful search (address, telephone, etc), and walking routes. What’s truly interesting however is the return of PlaceEngine technology, which you can use on this new software. PlaceEngine is basically GPS through WiFi. You can read more about the PlaceEngine technology here – in Japan its killer because there is a great number of people using it, which makes it more accurate. This software will really excel at being for pedestrians in Japan, as it has information for sidewalks, crossings, subway, and so forth. This looks very attractive – especially in the 3D mode, which makes this probably the most polished and realistic total offering for the PSP GPS experienceto date. It also makes great sense for the PSP and Nav-U teams to work together. If Sony could bring this software to the US in a sub $100 bundle it would be a great compliment to the PSP Go. However, if I remember reading previously, Sony may be partnering up with Tele Atlas for the USA PSP GPS offering. When will that happen? View the full article

When everything is migrated, I will be able to transfer it here without any problems and this should be one of the most recent topics, if it is still active by then (less than week from now).

Sony has released two new Alpha cameras today alongside the incredible A850 that are very competitive in their price range. The 14.2 megapixel A550 has the features of the $1,400 camera for $500 less and 12.3 megapixel A500 is nice at $750, respectively. Let’s take a look – Sony is calling these “the camera for photographers.” For a higher level of performance, the new Sony α550 DSLR camera is a simply delicious at $949 (for camera body), with the 18-55mm DT zoom lens package at $1049. It has Quick Auto Focus, Manual Focus and live view on a tiltable 3.0″ LCD. 7fps at 14.2MP and up to ISO 12800 sensitivity should capture any situation perfectly, while you command the full range of light and shadow with Auto HDR. For critical focus in macro and tripod shooting, the α550 also offers Manual Focus Check Live View. Temporary 7x and 14x zoom views enable you to focus on extremely fine detail while the 1x view shows 100% framing in the LCD. There is many other features that you can read about at the well designed SonyStyle page for the A550. I noticed that you can take up to 1000 shots on a single charge (optical viewfinder mode); up to 520 shots (Live View mode) with Sony Stamina battery power. Sony’s InfoLITHIUM battery system enables you to see the percent of power remaining, so you can keep shooting in confidence. The α550 accepts Memory Stick PRO Duo/Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo and SD/SDHC media (sold separately), and has an HDMI output. The A500 is virtually similiar in many ways to the A550, as expected, but has 12.3 megapixels and 5fps continous shooting. The LCD also has less pixels at 230K compared to the 921K on the A550. Both models have the usual features including Face Detection, Smile Shutter, and so forth. Read about the new Sony A500 at SonyStyle. Other links of interest include an incredible and complete overview of the A550 at DPreview. Be sure to check out their hands-on preview of the A550. I particuarily enjoyed how DPreview said “intends to break the entry level market down into more segments than any other manufacturer has before tried. So now, in the sub $900 market, Sony offers five DSLRs – the price conscious A230, the simplified A330 and A380 live view cameras and the A500 /A550 for the more experienced DSLR user.” View the full article

Sony’s update to their successful A900 is the new A850, which has the same 24.6 megapixel Exmor CMOS sensor (continuous shooting up to 3fps) and virtually all of the same features. Sony’s competition will have a tough time trying to beat this 35mm DSLR with full-frame capabilities, considering it will retail for only $2,000 in the USA. However, lets go ahead and get this out of the way: it doesn’t have video. Most people won’t be buying a $2,000 DSLR for video capabilities. I don’t believe Sony will implement this until they have perfected it, as DSLR video still has shortcomings. Shots can be viewed on the large, high contrast 3.0 inch LCD that offers an exceptionally high resolution (921k dot) for critical evaluation – even outdoors or in bright ambient light. For greater creative control, an Intelligent Preview function indicates the effects of exposure, white balance, and D-Range Optimizer adjustments prior to shooting. This Preview is invaluable when composing complex scenes that may typically combine multiple light sources with different color temperatures. The A850 also features SteadyShot INSIDE. This in-body optical stabilization system delivers up to 4 steps of anti-shake correction with all Sony, Minolta and Konica-Minolta compatible lenses, and even wide angle or large aperture lenses, opening up even greater creative possibilities when shooting handheld. Noise reduction is first applied as the full-frame sensor converts light to electronic signals. Dual BIONZ image engines process large amounts of digital data, applying finely-tuned noise reduction during image processing to deliver pictures with extremely high level of sharpness and minimal noise level. This combination of high native sensor resolution and powerful noise control techniques ensures superlative image quality, even at high sensitivity settings up to a maximum ISO 6400 (with expanded ISO range) Touching the Fn button switches the display to Quick Navi mode, allowing convenient one-handed adjustment of key shooting parameters. A secondary backlit LCD panel on the top of the camera body gives useful confirmation of major settings, even when the main LCD is turned off. Like its full-frame sibling, the A850 is ruggedly built for dependable performance in grueling conditions with a high-tensile aluminum chassis and all-magnesium alloy body shell. Viewfinder, card slots, controls and other sensitive areas are protected from dust and moisture by rubber seals. In addition, an anti-dust system guards the full-frame sensor from the effects of dust entering the body during lens exchange. The supplied high-capacity InfoLITHIUM rechargeable Battery Pack (NP-FM500H) delivers power for up to 880 shots (approx.) per charge. Battery levels can be monitored in precise 1% increments, cutting uncertainty about remaining shooting time. The camera includes dedicated slots for high-capacity Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo, HX series and CompactFlash media. The A850 also features HDMI output. View the full article

Sony is moving full speed ahead in promoting the benefits of the PS3 after the recent price drop. Peter Dille/Senior Vice President, Marketing & PlayStation Network gives us a sneak peek at the latest campaign: ?It Only Does Everything?. In his posting on the Official PlayStation Blog, he goes on to mention the focus of the campaign will be different than those in the past. While a large segment of the market is completely aware of all the capabilities of the PS3, many people are not and the campaign is designed to extend the reach of the PS3 to a broader audience. Going forward across various media formats, expect to see a lot coming from Sony highlighting the benefits of the PS3. The first teaser spot highlights the $299 price point and the second one the benefits of the PlayStation Network. The first one is my favorite. I hadn’t laughed that hard since the CareerBuilder.com Superbowl commercial. Enjoy… View the full article

Sony is moving full speed ahead in promoting the benefits of the PS3 after the recent price drop. Peter Dille/Senior Vice President, Marketing & PlayStation Network gives us a sneak peek at the latest campaign: “It Only Does Everything” In his posting on the Official PlayStation Blog, he goes on to mention the focus of the campaign will be different than those in the past. While a large segment of the market is completely aware of all the capabilities of the PS3, many people are not and the campaign is designed to extend the reach of the PS3 to a broader audience. Going forward across various media formats, expect to see a lot coming from Sony highlighting the benefits of the PS3. The first teaser spot highlights the $299 price point and the second one the benefits of the PlayStation Network. Head on over to the Official PlayStation Blog and have a look. The first one is my favorite. I hadn’t laughed that hard since the CareerBuilder.com Superbowl commercial. Enjoy… View the full article

Sony Japan also announced some other new sealed dynamic headphones (MDR-570LP, Y4,935) that honestly I think is one of the best designs I’ve seen from this range in a while. The MDR-570LP, oriented towards young men, look very sharp and would be the perfect compliment to those wearing a T-shirt and jeans combo. Sony decided to go with earth tones for this range (orange, black, green, and brown), which compliments the aluminum housing quite nicely. The thin headband on the 570LP leads to the nice synthetic leather earpieces that look very comfortable and have the ability to swivel. The weight of the 570LP is 110g, while the driver unit is 30mm, and is about as standard as it gets in terms of audio quality. View the full article

Sony Japan is showing off new open-air stereo headphones (MDR-370LP, Y3,675) that come in chic colors due October 10th. The MDR-370LP is aimed towards young women and other unique personalities that enjoy fashion – and has some interesting pink, white, blue and green colors to choose from. The different colors and designs on the headphone bands look great – I’d love to see a more masculine version of these. What’s truly curious is the felt-like material on the headphone itself, which appears quite soft and should be perfect for delicate womanly ears. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that material on a headphone before. Sony is also making the experience cute from head to toe with the inclusion of a spherical tip at the end of the connector. It would probably look very unique (to say the least) plugged into a MP3 player. The headphones also only weigh 53g, making them very light and unobtrusive to a woman’s hair. With a 30mm driver unit, this is about as standard as a headphone as can be sonically, meaning it’s probably going to deliver average sound. I assume that if you purchase these that audio quality isn’t the number one priority – its really more about fun. Here are some more pictures: View the full article

One thing I have always liked about Sony is their sense of style. In way or another, they always seem to explore new design concepts to keep the consumer electronic space interesting and their latest concept is no exception. Intomobile recently reported on a Sony Ericsson concept called the XPERIA X5, created by a talented fellow who goes by the name Tob!s. Not only is the design sleek and stylish but it’s also set to be running Android which is quickly establishing itself as viable choice in the mobile phone OS arena.

(BDZ-EX200) Sony Japan has released information on five new DLNA Blu-ray recorders with digital TV tuner and DVR functionality, which allow you to record your favorite programs in HD (if possible). The one HDMI (1080 24p) and other output-equipped BDZ-RX100 (1TB, Y180,000), BDZ-RX50 (500GB, Y150,000), BDZ-RX30 (320GB, Y120,000), and BDZ-RS10 (320GB, Y100,000) will all arrive this September, while the monstrous 2TB BDZ-EX200 (Y280,000) with two HDMI (1080 60p/24p) and other outputs will show up in retail stores in early November. These recorders are also boasting updated CREAS 2 technology, which is the successor to the original CREAS (”Creativity Reality Empowering Architecture by Sony”) that basically improves SD and HD video quality through upscaling (e.g. converting 8-bit/10-bit to 14-bit), even from Blu-ray discs. This CREAS 2 integration allows users to choose what type of television they have and the setting, such as: LCD TV in a bright room, LCD TV in a dark room, OLED, Plasma, Projector, and so forth. CREAS 2 also boasts: better smoothing, noise elimination in animated films, enhanced color interpolation in compressed video, and enhanced black colors (”Clear Black”), which allows users to fine-tune the depth of black in the video. (BDZ-RX100) The BDZ-EX200/RX100/RX50 also features the ability to share content over a LAN, so your ethernet equipped television or PC in one room can be watching a recorded program while someone in another room can be watching a seperate recording. This suddenly makes me feel like my Comcast HD DVR is from the stone age. Recording has been improved, and these units can automatically enforce variable bit rates while recording to ensure that your not wasting precious space on your hard drive. It’s selective, and will automatically assign more data based on movement in the scene. Transfer to mobile devices (Walkman, phone, PSP, etc) is back, and Sony boasts a new upcoming partnership and compatibility with mobile carriers DoCoMo, au, and even Sony’s own Nav-U devices. Consumers may also be pleased to read that these recorders once again work with Handycam camcorders, which allows owners to upload and view their videos via a simple USB connection. I assume other camcorders with USB can do the same. You can then burn those videos onto a Blu-ray disc, complete with attractive (and optional) menu integration for professional looking results, such as the calendar view example pictured above. Your created images and movies also can look better than before with the included x-Pict Story HD software, built into the device. Sony is trying to push that these will be the easiest to use Blu-ray/HD DVR’s they’ve ever released, comparable to the ease of VHS recording, and offer an Easy Start Menu to help those along the way. Most models even include a VHS dubbing ability so you can convert your old tapes to digital via the analog inputs. There is also information stating that the BDZ-RS10 (pictured below) has a 40% reduction in energy usage compared to last year’s model, the BDZ-T55. Standby power consumption is also 70% less than the aforementioned model. There is also mention of SKY!HD recording compatibility (an industry first), found in the BDZ-EX200/RX100/RX50. (BDZ-RS10) Here are the full specifications for each of the new Sony Blu-ray Recorders With HD DVR Functionality [bDZ-EX200 (2TB), BDZ-RX100 (1TB), BDZ-RX50 (500GB), BDZ-RX30 (320GB), and BDZ-RS10 (320GB)] (click to enlarge): Here is the amount of recording time available on each model (click to enlarge): ..and the recording time and modes available for Blu-ray and DVD (click to enlarge): View the full article

Courtesy of Engadget Confirmed by Engadget, the PS3 Slim is now officially on sale. According to confirmation they received from Sony, retailers who receive the slim can begin selling it immediately. According to some of the comments of their readers, it’s safe to say it’s popping up in retailers all across the United States.

Sony has confirmed the 8 and 16GB S540 series (Black, Pink, Violet and Red) Walkman, confirming our initial leaked pictures and discovery of its listing on a French retailer. Sony is billing it as the perfect choice for anyone who loves sharing their music, as it’s the first ever Walkman video MP3 player that includes two high-quality integrated stereo speakers. The player’s front panel is dominated by a big, bright 2.4” LCD screen (30fps QVGA). The usual codec support is there, including MP3, WMA, AAC, and WAV. Video codec support includes WMV, AVC, and MPEG-4. There’s also a FM tuner with 30 presets that you can record from. At just 10.2mm thin, the compact new Walkman S-Series still manages to find room for two high-quality stereo speakers guarded by a tough, stylish aluminum speaker grille. Whatever your listening preference, the slimline Digital Linear Phase Speaker System delivers satisfying, sound with solid bass and crystal clear highs. Listening on speakers is enhanced by Digital Linear Phase Speaker System technologies unique to Sony. If you want to keep your music private, listening on supplied mediocre headphones is enhanced with unique Clear Audio technologies from Sony for a dynamic, detail-packed soundstage. Clear Stereo reduces leakage between left and right channels, while Clear Bass delivers powerful, controlled low-end frequencies without distortion. There’s a 5-band equalizer to color your audio to your preference. In addition, a Dynamic Normalizer balances volume levels between songs. The updated Walkman S-Series lets you keep listening for longer, with up to an incredible 42 hours listening time on headphones from a single charge. You can even listen for up to 17 hours through the built-in speakers. Battery life with video playback is a similarly impressive 6.5 hours: plenty to keep you entertained on that holiday flight or the daily commute to work (5 hours video when using built-in speakers). The new S-Series Walkman will be priced very competitively, most likely found cheaper than its main rival, the iPod Nano. View the full article

Thank you for defending me earlier, it meant alot while I was sorting all of this out and couldn't reply. I just hope people understand. Yes, absolutely everything will be restored and merged to Sony Insider forums, placed in relevant categories and forums. Your old profile will be merged with your MDCF and ATRACLife profile and become a Sony Insider profile. Isn't that incredible news? It's all coming back, and together.

Instead of responding to the items of interest presented by some of the members here, I would like to reinvite everyone to look at Sony Insider forums. I spent some time today to re-organize and establish the framework for the move. This is going to be a dramatic change to Minidisc Community Forums - it will no longer exist and will simply become a forum of Sony Insider with relevant subforums. Here is what is going to happen to the forums within MDCF: News goes to forum Minidisc > News (subforum) Announcements goes to forum Announcements Classifieds goes to Classifieds Trading Place (merge Minidisc Trades and Hi-MD trades) becomes a subforum of Classifieds Hi-MD goes to forum Minidisc > Hi-MD (subforum) MD, NetMD + MDLP goes to forum Minidisc > MD, NetMD + MDLP (subforum) Find your Minidisc goes to forum Minidisc Live Recording goes to forum Minidisc > Live Recording (subforum) Technical, Tips, and Tricks goes to forum Minidisc > Technical, Tips, and Tricks (subforum) Product Reviews/Pictorials goes to forum Product Reviews/Pictorials Software Discussion/FAQ's goes to forum Audio > Software (subforum) 'phones goes to forum Audio > 'phones (subforum) Hi-/MD Evaluations + Criticisms goes to forum Minidisc Off Topic [Music, Electronics + etc] goes to forum The Loft There is obviously need for me to explain myself and the reasoning behind this move. First off, I want to say that I am NOT an agent of Sony, I am not on their payroll (although they do advertise on the site through Google Adsense, and we have run contests with their help). I do communicate often with Sony, we are on good terms, and I have many contacts there now. They have treated me very well in the past at trade shows, and accommodate any question or request I submit to them. That is the extent of our relationship. While one day I would love to work for a company such as Sony, that is not what I am doing right now. Sony Insider is not a pro-Sony site. We are simply covering Sony news. I have written news posts on Sony Insider that heavily criticize Sony, and praise them. I am not trying to merge MDCF with Sony Insider forums and make it pro-Sony. I want the Minidisc forums at Sony Insider to talk about all Minidisc products. I, like many others, am still disappointed to this day how Sony handled the Minidisc format and I wish that it was still as popular today as it was ten years ago. However, we must face the facts and realize that it is 2009, and that the format is fading into obscurity because Sony (and other companies) are not investing themselves into it anymore. I don't need to explain why, but that is an undeniable fact. I, like many others, have spent thousands of hours making MDCF what it is today. I wish you could have seen how this place looked when I took over in 2002. I knew nothing about websites, nothing about html, php, SQL, and all the other stuff that makes a forum experience work. I had to teach myself, which I did because of people like you supporting me, and things improved greatly (visually/content wise). It has come so far from then, and has exceeded any expectations I ever had. At one time it was one of the most important things in my life. We were guiding the format, and we accomplished alot of things together. The MZ-RH1 is proof of that. All of the Sonicstage updates are proof of that. However, it has grown old to me because of the format not being supported anymore and the only thing really left here for me to do is discuss things with the rest of you. That is difficult for me to do right now because I am investing a great deal of time into Sony Insider, school, another job, and a girlfriend. MDCF went to the bottom of that list very quickly. It also doesn't make sense for me to pay for two Invision Power Board licenses, nor have seperate hosting, and continue to be invisible here as I've been for quite a while now. When we move, logins, profiles, post count, posts, topics, and anything else you can think of will remain the same. You won't have to re-register. I want to reconnect with all of you - I miss talking to some of you and I want you to join me in this new venture I'm a part of. It's the most exciting thing I've ever created, and it is taking off far faster than you would believe. Sony Insider is a visually attractive site that is rich in functionality, has relevant and interesting content, and has the opportunity to grow much larger and impact more people than MDCF. Minidisc is a Sony technology. The forum software at Sony Insider forums is much more advanced than the already advanced software here. It became clear to me as I was crafting the Sony Insider forums that there was an opportunity for me to bring all the years incredible discussions, content, and people from MDCF and ATRACLife to Sony Insider forums and create a place that has 100,000 members and 200,000+ posts. Centralizing all of this is a huge boost in resourcefulness to Sony Insider and makes alot more sense looking ahead long term. Centralizing all of the research and help we've done for one another will be much more beneficial to people who need it. I asked myself when I made this decision - do I want MDCF to be the same right now five years from now? Ten years from now? Do I want to sit on all of that data from ATRACLife and have nothing to do with it? It just makes more sense to bring this all together guys. I understand that when its all said and done things won't look the same and feel the same. I understand that I am going to lose some of you, which really saddens me. I don't want to lose anyone that still goes here when I complete the move. I am begging you to come with me. I really think that all of us could get along very well, and help people just as much as some of you are doing now and have done in the past. It will not be a pro-Sony experience, and I will encourage discussion of all Minidisc products, just as we do today. There will be no change in attitude. Thank you for your consideration.

Being the resident comic geek here, I have always been a big Jim Lee fan. My first exposure to his art style goes back to 1991 when I picked up a copy of a new spin-off series of Uncanny X-MEN just called X-MEN. I was hooked, and collected every issue (which I still own) re-reading them countless times. I followed his work through WildC.A.T.s, Iron Man, Fantastic Four and Batman:

Sony Ericsson files thousands of patents every year, and with the US patent system, it often takes a while for those patents to get accepted and published. A recently published patent by Sony Ericsson, No. PCT/US2008/076642 (filed in 2008), states that the company is interested in creating software (Java applet) that emits ultrasonic frequency signals to scare dogs/animals or assist in training. The frequency would be around 20,000 Hz +/- 2,000 Hz, which is generally inaudible to humans. Sony Ericsson states the reason behind this product is to protect the consumer - The popularity and functional necessity of these mobile devices ensure that they are as likely to be carried on the person of their owners as are other essentials, such as house keys, wallets, handbags, and attache cases. This ready availability offers a possibility of having the mobile devices also perform functions which are outside of the communications, data retrieval, or entertainment realms, but which relate to personal safety. On such personal safety function could be the use of a mobile device as a defense against aggressive animals. In particular aggressive dogs. Many people have a conscious fear of dogs to the extent that if they encounter a dog while walking they will detour to avoid approaching too closely. Also, increasing media reports of dogs attacking humans in pubic have raised an awareness of the danger among the public at large. Especially in respect to certain breeds of dogs which have a reputation for aggressive behavior. Coupled with this awareness is the reality that it is not unusual to see stray or unleashed dogs roaming freely in dense population areas. While in most instances there is no interaction between dog and person, there remains the possibility of interaction and, for many, the fear of attack. The patent is very interesting, because it goes beyond just the service of delivering ear-splitting sounds to animals, and actually offers a solution to those who have been attacked. If holding down the button to generate the tone doesn’t save you, there is an option for a “Defense” button, which calls 911 (or other emergency service) with a pre-recorded message stating that you’ve been attacked and verbally says the GPS coordinates of the mobile phone. View the full article

I visited the first edition of GamesCom in Cologne which, with 245,000 visitors, more than 4,000 journalists and over 450 exhibitors, has already become the world’s largest gaming event. Of course, Sony was also there and I have no doubt that Sony made a lasting impression to many visitors with their presence. Sony kicked off on Tuesday with a (pre)GamesCom conference, where they announced the new PS3 Slim, the PS3 price cut and content related developments like the European roll out of the PS Video Store and Vidzone, and the Digital reader service for the PSP. From Wednesday until Sunday, Sony had a giant 1,800 square meters stand in hall 7 of the Cologne Trade Fair center.

Congressman John P. Murtha (PA-12) announced today that former workers of Sony Technology Center-Pittsburgh are eligible for retraining subsidies under federal programs designed to return trade-affected workers to the work force more quickly. All workers of Sony Technology Center-Pittsburgh, Liquid Crystal Display Television Assembly Group, Sony At Your Service Group, Pittsburgh Customer Satisfaction Center Group, and Sony Supply Chain Solutions-America Group, who became totally or partially separated from employment on or after May 18, 2008 are eligible for two years to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA). An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor was initiated in response to a petition filed on May 19, 2009 by a company official on behalf of Sony workers. The Department of Labor found that acquired articles from China, and a shift of services to Mexico, contributed to worker separations and therefore eligibility for TAA. The Trade Adjustment Assistance program provides a variety of reemployment services and benefits to workers who have lost their jobs or suffered a reduction of hours and wages as a result of increased imports or shifts in production outside the United States. Services under TAA include two years of eligibility for income support, relocation and job search allowances, a health coverage tax credit and occupational training. View the full article

Don't worry, I will need you..just give me another week. I am merging 100,000 members and 200,000 topics into this forum very soon from Minidisc Community Forums and ATRACLife. Once that is complete, then I will finish out with the moderators. Anyone else notice that there has been very little spam since the forum upgrade?

Light is the confirmed title for an upcoming third album by reggae singer Matisyahu, which will be released on August 25th, 2009. Matisyahu had been working on his third album for nearly two years, which caused months of promises and then delays, making it the longest time he has ever spent making a record. On June 23rd Light was made available for preorder on iTunes, with the single “One Day” available for download at the same time. Few artists make an impact as complete as the one Matisyahu made with his Top 40 smash “King Without a Crown”: Here was a true original, the song announced–a Hasidic Jewish musician from New York City singing reggae songs about his religious devotion. Fans responded to this one-of-a-kind voice, too, driving Youth, Matisyahu’s Grammy-nominated 2006 studio disc, to the top spot on Billboard’s reggae albums chart. True originals, though, don’t stay put for long, and on his bold new album, Light, 29-year-old Matisyahu proves that there’s much more to his artistry than might initially meet the eye. “As my musical tastes have grown I have been re-discovering my sound and my voice,” he says. Light is anything but safe. Produced by David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Sublime, the Strokes), the 14-track collection covers a dizzying amount of stylistic ground, from hard-edged dancehall (”Smash Lies”) and ska-inflected New Wave (”We Will Walk”) to laidback pop-rock (”So Hi So Lo”) and acoustic folk-soul (”I Will Be the Light”). While reggae is far from absent here–see the old-school toasting in “Motivate”–Light finds Matisyahu edging away from his comfort zone into more daring territory. “Being an artist is about being sensitive to how the world resonates inside you and then being able to express it,” he says. “This process is an ever-changing one.” Matisyahu hopes his third album “Light,” a Sony Music release, will establish him as a career artist rather than consign him to one-hit-wonder status. Here is the official music video for “One Day,” the first single. Here is the track listing for “Light”: 1. “Smash Lies” 2. “We Will Walk” 3. “One Day” 4. “Escape” 5. “So Hi So Lo” 6. “I Will Be Light” 7. “For You” 8. “On Nature” 9. “Motivate” 10. “Struggla” 11. “Darkness Into Light” 12. “Thunder” 13. “Silence” View the full article