Christopher

Sony will be introducing into the markets a refreshed Walkman B series that will have this famous Zapping feature firstly acquired by Walkman W202. Other features are pretty straightforward, however I do like the new look. It would be a nice recorder for lectures, however with 2 Gigs on board you won’t get too much of that boring speech anyways… “ZAPPIN™” function to easily find the songs you want without having to view a screen. 2GB built-in memory Direct USB connection (Hi-speed USB (USB 2.0 compliant): USB A plug) Multi audio codec support (MP3/ WMA (*1)) Transfer music files with the ease of Drag & Drop (*2) -No dedicated applications required. 3-Line LCD Display Quick charge completes in about 3 minutes for up to 90 minutes playback (*3) Up to 18 hours of battery life (*3) Powerful BASS sound by just pushing “BASS” button “Power illuminator” flashing Red LEDs with music FM Tuner with 30 presets function Voice recording and FM program recording function Incorporates an equalizer feature for flexible adjustment of sound quality View the full article

Sony Japan announced a new update to its Type N series with new models VGN-NW50JB and VGN-NW70JB. SonyStyle USA currently offers a Vaio NS, which is very similar to the NW but not as powerful as this new release. The NW series features an Intel Core 2 Duo processor (P8700) @ 2.53ghz, a 15.5 inch screen (16:9, 1366×768), 4GB of DDR2 RAM (PC2-6400; up to 8GB supported), Intel Graphics Media accelerator 4500MHD, a 500GB HDD, and Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit. The VGN-NW50JB comes standard with a DVD reader/writer, while the VGN-NW70JB features DVD and Blu-ray combination reader/writer drive. Other useful features include HDMI out, 802.11a/b/g/n, a built in 3.1 megapixel webcam and microphone, SD Memory/Memory Stick ports, and a FeliCa card reader for our Japanese friends. The NW series also carries on the tradition of a fabric-like texture on the lid of the laptop. Battery life looks to be about 2.5 – 4.5 hours for both models. The VGN-NW50JB should retail for Y149,800, while the VGN-NW70JB is expected to hit for Y169,800 and be available everywhere in Japan on June 27th. View the full article

It appears that Sony’s unique wearable Walkman, the NWZ-W202, is not exactly the best canidate for heavy workouts. User reviews (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) from around the Internet are pegging this as a music player that simply cannot handle sweating or a heavy workout. The problem seems to reside in the fact that the W202 isn’t waterproof, or moisture resistant. Most cases seem to be the same – a person goes jogging, or does a heavy workout, and about 15-30 minutes into it, a beeping sound occurs and the W202 becomes irresponsive. Others have noticed very strange behavior, such as volume suddenly maxing out, the Zappin feature turning on by itself, or the device turning on and off on its own. Sounds frustrating. We will be requesting the W202 soon and put it through its paces and solve this mystery once and for all. SonyStyle has some more reports of NWZ-W202 sweating issues, as well within our own comments on Stan’s W202 review at Sony Insider. View the full article

The Lanesborough is a prestigious 5-star hotel on Hyde Park Corner in Knightsbridge, central London (postcode SW1), England. It is also unveiled an exciting new amenity now available in all 95 guestrooms and suites – Sony VAIO Laptops. While other London hotels charge as much as

From time to time, I love to look at Sony auctions on eBay. Not the usual stuff, but anything that comes up under the search sony vintage, sorted by highest price. The usual video equipment and some high-end decks are there, but if you peer around long enough you’ll find something amazing every once in a while. And today I have found just that – a listing for the Sony Tapecorder Model 101 with no bids at $79 and a day left. This 1/4” 1/2-track mono reel-to-reel recorder/reproducer worked with 3”, 5”, or 7” EIA hub reels, and recorded from multiple sources. For its time, and even today, it is well built and has some professional features. Here’s an awesome video from the auction listing: ">" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"> The Model 101 Tapecorder was one of Sony’s first offerings to the home recording enthusiat of the early 1950’s and was available through SuperScope, which was founded by the Tushinsky Brothers in the 1950s to promote a process by the same name to produce wide screen motion pictures. They wanted a share of the market dominated by Cinemascope, Todd-AO, Panavision and others. Unfortunately, Superscope never caught on with Hollywood film makers. The brothers then decided to try the audio business. After a visit by Joseph Tushinsky to Japan in 1957, Superscope became the exclusive distributors of the first Sony tape recorders in the US, like the Model 101. Right around the same time Delmonico was awarded the same for Sony’s novel transistor radios. By the late 50s, Sony ditched Delmonico and started Sony Corporation Of America with Akio Morita presiding over the company. They tried to gain the US distribution rights to the tape recorder line as well, but the Tushinsky brothers refused and I am guessing they had the legal documents to do so. The agreement was for 20 years I believe. Superscope grew exponentially in the years to come, absorbing Marantz in 1964 and like Brian pointed out, acquiring controlling interest in Standard Radio as well. Sony was just starting to make inroads in hi-fi equiment at the time. Finally in 1977, Sony was allowed to directly distribute their tape recorder line; their contract with Superscope had expired. Do you remember Tapecorder, or other vintage Sony audio products from this time? View the full article

Rolly is one of my favorite Sony’s robotic toys apart from AIBO, and its destiny is still undetermined, but for sure this generation is being phased out. From being Out of Stock for several weeks (Black version would pop up from time to time), and also selling off at SonyStyle retail stores for mere $99 a piece, Rolly made a come back at its online storefront with a price cut. It is currently being listed at $230. Not sure if Sony is just trying to sell off its remaining stock to say good bye to this dancing MP3 joy or possible prepare a new spot for a new debut of a forthcoming model? Sony US has not yet seen the pink version (SEP-50BT) currently selling in Japan. View the full article

Sony blogosphere is expanding! Today Sony announced an additional online community that will be under Sony’s umbrella, called VAIO Community. According to the blog post: “The VAIO community will offer an inside glimpse into what we do and provide a behind-the-scenes look at the design and manufacturing process, the technology behind our products, our latest TV commercials and VAIO events. We’ll also use this space to keep you updated on all the latest VAIO news and announcements. On this community, we’re also dipping our collective toe into forums in an attempt to provide a Sony sponsored place for you to talk to each other about your likes, dislikes, questions and service issues regarding VAIO”. To help take off this new venture, Sony is giving away a VAIO P. Anyone (US only) who registers a new profile will be entered into sweepstakes. Offer ends on July 2nd. I am not sure however how it works if one already has a profile established. We truly hope that VAIO Community takes off and the addition of forums will help Sony see what consumers really want and what issues are to be addressed. There has never been a Sony backed VAIO forum in the US, and I remember I used to be an admin and in many ways tech support in VAIO Village that used to be pretty busy. It looks like currently the Sony forum at Notebookreviews.com is most frequently visited by true followers of VAIO. Being a VAIO Connoisseur myself I will keep an eye on this new blog and see what goodies it may bring. View the full article

Columbia Pictures has acquired the life story rights to Richard Phillips, the captain of the Maersk Alabama, whose capture by Somali pirates and subsequent dramatic rescue by the United States Navy commanded the attention of the world. The studio, which has also optioned the rights to Phillips’ forthcoming memoirs, will develop the project as a feature film to be produced by Michael DeLuca, Kevin Spacey, Dana Brunetti, and Scott Rudin. The film will retell the extraordinary true story of the Maersk Alabama captain, who surrendered himself to Somali pirates after his ship was hijacked on the high seas. The ensuing standoff would test the strength of Captain Phillips and his crew as well as the resolve of the Navy commanders and the new U.S. president to bring Captain Phillips home alive. Belgrad and Elizabeth Cantillon will oversee the project for the studio. Commenting on the announcement, Belgrad said, “We were drawn to this remarkable story of heroism and courage as events were unfolding off the coast of Africa. As President Obama said, ‘Captain Phillips’s courage is a model to all Americans.’ He is an ordinary man who rose to the challenge of extraordinary circumstances and we are tremendously excited to bring this true story to the screen.” View the full article

Well after a delay from February, June 12th is the day that we here in the USA cease analog TV transmissions. After the switch from analog to digital broadcasts is complete, analog TVs will be incapable of receiving over-the-air broadcasts without the addition of a set-top converter box. Consequently, a digital-to-analog converter, an electronic device that connects to an analog television, must be used in order to allow the television to receive digital broadcasts. The box may also be called a “set-top” converter, “digital TV adapter” (DTA), or “digital set-top box” (DSTB). Experts are calling it “the most significant advancement of television technology since color TV was introduced.” If you are having any problems with your TV service please visit the extremely informative DTV website, or call your local provider. Digital TV uses a more efficient transmission technology that allows TV stations to offer improved picture and sound quality, as well as offer more programming options through multiple digital subchannels (multicasting). Television stations have been preparing for the transition from analog to DTV since the late 1990s, when they began building digital facilities and airing digital channels alongside regular analog broadcasts. While broadcasters have been forced by Federal Communications Commission regulations to devote the equivalent of more than a billion dollars worth of airtime to public service announcements regarding the digital transition, the amount of information conveyed in these short advertisements is by necessity limited. Both the on-air announcements and government-funded telephone hotlines receiving viewer inquiries have been directing consumers to Internet sites to seek information, a problematic approach as many of those most-affected do not use online media as a primary source of information. Viewers in rural and mountainous regions are particularly prone to lose all reception after digital transition. Nielsen Media Research reported that 3.1 % of Americans are still completely unprepared for the transition as of May, which translates to possibly 9 million people. It would have been a lot worse if it had happened in February as originally planned, as the figure of people who weren’t ready was much higher. Because the Commerce Department no longer had money to fund additional coupons for converter boxes after reaching the imposed $1.34 billion dollar limit, there was a backlog of millions of people who hadn’t received their free credit card from the government that could be used for a DTV converter box. The Obama Administration’s addition of $650 million for more DTV coupons in the $787 billion economic stimulus bill has helped significantly, but we will see soon how well the public is prepared. p.s. Props to anyone who can guess the Sony TV in the picture; it’s definitely vintage. View the full article

Our good friend and VP of Corporate Communications Dave Migdal is now the lead player at the Sony Community Blog, which caters to mostly Sony Electronics news but does reach out in different areas. We were essentially discovered back when Sony Insider was still relatively new by Dave, and were also interviewed the blog’s founder, SVP Rick Clancy (whom retired recently) and Dave is now taking over for Rick. I’m pretty enthusiastic about this shift, but I will most certainly miss Rick. It will be interesting to see what elements of the blog change under this new direction. Dave promises that “you’ll be hearing from a wide swatch of people whose thoughts, opinions and viewpoints will be shared on a frequent basis. You may be in agreement with some of what is written; other posts may simply draw your ire.” Sounds spicy! It will be interesting to see what aspects of the company he brings to the table and what his unique vision will deliver. Dave is also asking on the community to “turn up the dialogue now. I urge you to share even more thoughts and opinions. As Sony becomes more and more consumer-centric (from the way we design and manufacture products to our execution at retail), we want to hear what you have to say. I’ll also use this forum to share my observations and views on a broad spectrum of topics. One day, the blog could address a major event or issue. Another could bring commentary on new products or technologies and what some our colleagues at Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony Music and Sony Computer Entertainment are thinking. There will also be guest bloggers occasionally.” This translates into hopefully more activity with Sony and blogging. I think that Sony is doing a great job so far with their blogs and I look forward to perhaps an enhanced design or just a simple acquisition of Sony Insider. We all can dream, right? View the full article

eMusic is an online subscription-based store that has 400,000+ subscribers. eMusic differs from other well-known subscription music services (such as Napster and Rhapsody) in that the files available for download are in the MP3 format, making them fully compatible with all digital music players, and free from digital rights management software restriction. In the past, the biggest four record labels were uninterested in the service because it has no DRM, and a low price model. This lead eMusic to specialize in underground artists and non-mainstream music genres, including indie rock, pop, jazz, electronica, new age, underground rap, traditional music, classical music, hardcore punk, and experimental music, all on independent labels. However, times have changed, corporations have changed, and Sony is now on board with eMusic to publish all content except that which was released within the past two years. Artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson and Bill Joel will now join the ranks of Vampire Weekend, Radiohead and TV on the Radio. Most eMusics MP3s, except audiobooks, are 192 kbps VBR. However, customers are a bit irritated after Sony’s back catalog was added – subscription fees rose, were allowed less downloads, customers had to pay more per track, and the highest end Connoisseur package is much more than before. Customers are voicing their opinions very strongly in the company’s blog, with many stating that the company has no consideration for past subscribers, while others applaud the addition of such an enormous catalog. Here’s a good comment I found from Janine Allen: Is there some way a subscriber could stick with their old plan and not have access to any of the Sony material? i.e. a cheaper (subscribers could stay with their current plan) “Indie” eMusic account vs. an account with access to all the Indie and the new Sony stuff based on the new pricing model? Each subscriber could pick what they want, and, to be fair, once you pick Sony, there is no going back (so you can’t collect all the Sony stuff and revert back.) Those who want access to the new catalog would pay a bit more to have access to it. Those who think eMusic is much cooler without Sony can continue to support the Indie labels they care about without a cost increase. Otherwise, I’m really disappointed at the pricing model change. Where was there any consideration of your loyal subscribers? You didn’t even include us in any sort of discussion on this matter. I don’t think this is a step in the right direction. I was looking forward to being a loyal subscriber for years to come, but now I’m seriously considering canceling my account. ..some of the comments are a little deeper, and little unusual to say the least: As a lifetime insomniac, I have spent literally hundreds of nights reading up on artists that were available through eMusic, downloading albums, listening, analyzing, rating songs, recommending tracks to friends etc., all while my family slept soundly and thought that I was insane. This has been my favorite place online to burn through hours of my time without feeling guilty, or like I was being unproductive. I have been mainlining music through eMusic for nine amazing years and I am sad to see that relationship change. eMusic has outlasted relationships, jobs, cars, apartments, laptops, and countless hard drives of ever increasing size. I have not decided whether to keep my membership yet, but I won’t let the unfortunate changes affect all the great music I have downloaded and the time I have enjoyed on the site. I just feel betrayed by what I perceive as an enormous amount of greed, and a wildly inappropriate price increase. ..many other comments state very harshly that they are quitting the service. Let’s check out the price breakdown: The lowest-priced Basic subscription ($11.99/mo) now offers only 24 tracks per month (50 cents per track) instead of 30 (40 cents per track). Existing customers will be grandfathered into the old 30-song allotment, according to an eMusic spokesperson cited by the Los Angeles Times. The mid-tier Plus subscription goes from $14.99 to $15.89 per month and offers only 35 tracks (45 cents per track) instead of 50 (30 cents per track). The high-end Premium subscription goes from $19.99 to $20.79 per month and offers only 50 tracks (42 cents per track) instead of 75 (27 cents per track). The Connoisseur package is going up in price, from $25 to $31, and for that your getting 25 fewer songs per month than before. That still factors to 41 cents per song. Any eMusic subscribers care to share their thoughts? I will offer a quick thought – I think it is very sad that not only eMusic, but Sony will probably end up looking bad in consumers eyes for this price increase, turning off people to the company and its products. View the full article

Engadget recently picked up on a story about Google’s Android mobile operating system on a Sony Walkman that stemmed from two reputable Japanese sources (Impress Watch and Nikkan) for technology information. Well, it sure sounds about right to us. Throughout Sir Howard Stringer’s speech at CES 2009, he spoke incessantly about adopting open standards, and Android is probably the fastest way to do it at this point. During his powerful “CES Seven” speech, Stringer stated that Sony must “..support open technologies. Open technologies are winning the game. Closed systems are being disintermediated. We’ve seen it before in other industries such as the commoditization of long distance telephone service, and the rise of Linux. Now, it is seriously impacting consumer electronics. Consumers expect choice, and expect services to work with any device.” The current operating system that runs on various Sony Walkman devices is a closed system, and doesn’t have the rich, inviting atmosphere for developers that other companies are nurturing. Sony has never released a SDK for any of their Walkman devices, which is a major turnoff to software companies. Sony needs Google’s Android operating system more than they realize simply before it is too late; consumers want a device that has the same intrinsic value as other devices in the market. It’s just not about having a Fart application on an iPod Touch. There are hundreds, if not thousands of useful applications available for portable devices that are changing the way we live. While it’s nice to have a beautiful OLED screen and noise cancelling, Sony knows that they will become irrelevant with portable music players if they don’t adopt something revolutionary soon. Every other major portable mobile device/music player will have some sort of open system for development and a store to sell it, or already does - Apple has the App Store, Windows Mobile has a marketplace, Microsoft’s ZuneHD will have a marketplace, and so on. When Sony embraces an open system, such as Android, then the perfect marriage of above average sound quality and an open platform will finally be achieved. It’s a move so radical that it completely carves a new direction for the company to walk upon, and opens the door for the Playstation Store and its Video capabilties to become a brand-name store and available on the go. The 2010 Walkman will be the framework for this. Speaking of years, lets briefly talk about what Sony is planning to do for 2009 and 2010 with their portable music players. They have already created one of the most successful Walkman players to date with the touchscreen Walkman X series, but the hardware is dated and it doesn’t have the power to do much more than it already does - OLED, noise cancelling, Wifi, Slacker, etc. The next Walkman will have advanced hardware, capable of higher resolutions than the limited video capabilities of the current X series. When they adopt Android, it will most likely be a custom version with Sony styling. Don’t expect to see Android on a Walkman that you can currently use on T-Mobile’s G1 phone - this will be a different flavor of Android, but very similar. Furthermore, video conversion is just about the only feature missing from the Content Transfer application, but it is coming, and will be simple (we aren’t 100% sure if this will be software related, or simply done on the hardware itself without need of conversion). In addition to being able to transfer music and videos back and forth to other consumer electronic devices, the next Wifi equipped Walkman devices will also have the ability to transfer music over a home network - such as from your laptop to your Walkman, PS3 to Walkman, and so forth. Sony is also looking towards enabling content download (audio, video) straight from the Internet. It doesn’t stop there, though. Sony has been toying around with adding 3G to their Walkman line in 2010, but nothing has been finalized. This would allow subscription services to really take off, as content would arrive in the Walkman directly with no need for interaction with a PC. Sony also wants to further integrate recommendations into the Walkman interface through SensMe - so as you listen so a song, you can access a list of music from artists that sound similar, like Slacker/Pandora. Finally, they are indications will also roll out a peer to peer system within Walkmans probably later in 2010. Expect new Video Walkmans coming soon sometime during July to September, and 2010 models coming in January to March. This is a Sony Insider exclusive, brought to you here first. View the full article

Sony aims to make its LCD television segment profitable by fiscal 2010, Executive Deputy President Hiroshi Yoshioka told the Nikkei business daily. The company will close factories and reduce design personnel to cut fixed costs, Yoshioka said. The sharing of such basics as software and power circuitry was “accelerated six months ago, pushing up the original plan by a year,” he said of another cost-saving measure, the daily reported. The TV business “should break even or turn a profit in the second half of the current fiscal year, assuming that exchange rates and other conditions do not change drastically,” the report quoted Yoshioka as saying. “We hope to maintain that trajectory in fiscal 2010.” In May, the company had said its TV operations would likely lose money for a sixth straight year but it aims to bring it to the break-even level in the second half. View the full article

Here are some pictures of Sony’s Booth at E3 2009. PS3, PSP, and PSP Go demo units are available for everyone to try out - as well as demos for MAG, God of War III, Gran Turismo 5, Gran Turismo for PSP and more. Great job with the booth design, Sony! Click to enlarge. View the full article

Oh Giga Juke box, where are thou in the US? Sony Europe continues to spoil its customers with new music storage devices that for some reason do not seem to get any love here in the US. I guess Sony US thinks, hey you got PS3, Blu-ray server HES-V1000 (now discontinued) and other toys to play with, so no soup GIGA Juke box for you! Anyways, the new models that will show up at your local Sony Centers are GIGA JUKE NAS-SC500PK and NAS-E300HD. Sony packed 160 GB and 80GB respectively, as well as the ability to stream your music from nearby computers, “SenseMe” channels will analyze music for you and distribute it accordingly. It also incorporates Sony’s technology, DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) and the beloved S-Master Digital Amp. Both juke boxes will play your happy tunes wrapped in MP3, AAC, Linear PCM, WMA and Sony even did not forget to include its ATRAC stepson. WM-PORT is also included for you to dock and charge your new shiny X series Walkman, so thanks Sony for showing some love to your Walkman finally. Check out the full press release here and if anyone had any experience with one, feel free to comment and let us know how you use it. View the full article

SonyStyle USA has opened up a new blog dedicated to product suggestions, random musings, and flashbacks to Sony’s past. It seems pretty interesting but I wish the layout was a little more dynamic. The first few postings they’ve put up are what you would probably expect here, and I think in time it will be a good regular reader. It’s great to see Rick Clancy’s original innovative thought that Sony can have Avenues of blogs is coming true. Perhaps this means that more divisions of Sony will have blogs soon. It’s disappointing Sony Insider can’t be a part of these Avenues, or officially acquired by the company. Doesn’t it make sense that Sony Insider should be a part of this network? Just a thought - consumers will get turned off from reading the blog if all of the postings are similar to the third post called “Graduation Gift Guide.” Those types of posts are good, but its important to not saturate the blog completely with that content. Also, why not put pictures of all the recommended items in that post? Needs more video content, and also perhaps featured reviews from those who write them at sonystyle.com. Also, please do more Flashback-related posts, too. Sony’s history is fascinating. The official description should help you understand the blog a little more: You’ve likely read a lot of blogs already covering Sony: recent news, upcoming products, maybe even the latest corporate gossip. This isn’t that kind of blog. At Sony Style, we’re responsible for connecting people to products. In this blog, you’ll see posts inviting you to discuss your experiences with us-from the moment you enter our site (or stores) to your gadgets’ last day of play. With your permission, we’ll also throw in some irreverent perspectives from within the asylum. So as we power up, we hope you enjoy listening to us, because we look forward to listening to you. By the way, you might see some really strange editor photos. We ask members of our design team to create these as we’ve learned the art of self-deprecation. Enjoy. Meet the Editors Gina, aka “Blog Mama” (although not to her face), is the nice lady who manages the blog and other “social-esque” programs at Sony Style. To help balance out macho-men Inigo and Ron, Gina’s quite the girlie-girl. Reads fashion magazines, cuts coupons, likes puppies, yet can also hang in Star Wars and Star Trek trivia challenges with the best of them. Her favorite Sony products include anything pink and she hates bios so much that she begs her fellow editors to write them; including hers. Inigo has spent his entire life correcting people on the pronunciation of his name: “Not Indigo - there’s no ‘d.’” And then after The Princess Bride, has good naturedly endured the countless recitations of “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!”He likes anything that plugs in, especially guitars, and remembers when the Web didn’t have pictures (remember Lynx? No?). He manages the creative team for Sony Style and in his rare, spare time - usually late at night - writes other bits of nonsense that he hopes people will read. Ron is the elder statesman of the group, having started at Sony when they’d just come out with their first VHS VCR (for you kids out there, it’s a machine that lets you record . . . oh, never mind . . . ask your parents),you could smoke at your desk, and dinosaurs roamed the earth. He currently manages web merchandising and promotions for Sony Style. In his spare time (what’s that?), he enjoys playing guitar, cooking, listening to “A Way With Words” on NPR, and writing about himself in the third person. Thanks, William. View the full article

Here’s one sweet Summer sweepstakes from Oprah. Oprah is not only giving away fabulous prizes, but she is also including cash to pay for taxes. Thanks Oprah! One of the primary reasons we are mentioning this is because of the great number of Sony products being included in this offer. You can try to win right now with the code we provided below. Try and win alongside us every day. As the new keywords are shown please submit them by email via our contact form, leave a comment below and I will update the list. Eligibility: open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C., at least 18 years of age or of legal age of majority in their state of residence (whichever is greater) at time of entry. Entry Dates: begins on June 1, 2009 and ends on August 29, 2009. How to enter: Watch the Oprah Winfrey Show (the initial broadcast or re-running of such initial broadcast on the same day of said initial broadcast) during the Promotion Period, which airs daily Monday through Friday and watch for the word of the day. Check your local listings for viewing times and stations. Then, go to www.oprah.com/summergiveaway to register and enter that day’s correct Word of the Day to participate in the Promotion. Once you submit the Word of the Day, you will receive one (1) instant win entry. During the Weekly Sweepstakes Period, you will automatically receive one (1) entry into the Weekly Sweepstakes each time you enter the Instant Win portion of the Promotion. Word of the Day List June 1, 2009: ADVICE Entry Limit: one (1) instant win entry per person, per email address, per weekday for the duration of the Promotion Period, for a maximum of up to five (5) instant win entries per week. One Daily Sweepstakes entry per person and per email address, per weekday. For those of you entering tomorrow, you can go to this link once you already tried today for faster input. Prizes: Instant Win Prizes (708): (550) $100.00 Target GiftCards (20) $250.00 Target GiftCards (9) $500.00 Target GiftCards (18) pairs of travel vouchers provided by United to be used toward purchasing economy class air transportation for two (2) people anywhere served by United within the 48 contiguous United States or D.C ARV $1,261.00 per pair (4) GE Profile Energy Star Washer and Dryer sets (including Dryer Pedestal and Smart Dispense Pedestal) ARV $3,556.00 per set and $1,067.00 awarded as a check, which may be used toward the payment of taxes (9) Sony 40″ Bravia HD Televisions at a total ARV $1,500.00 per TV plus $450.00 awarded as a check, which may be used toward the payment of taxes (24) Sony VAIO Laptops (NS Series: 15.4 Screen) ARV $921.00 per laptop plus $276.00 awarded as a check, which may be used toward the payment of taxes (24) Sony Camcorders (Webbie HD) ARV $170.00 per camcorder (24) Sony Cybershot Cameras ARV $200.00 per camer (24) Sony Reader Digital Books ARV $350.00 per digital book (2) 2009 Volkswagen Routan SEL Premium automobiles ARV $43,750.00 per automobile plus $13,125.00 awarded as a check to each recipient, which may be used toward the payment of taxes. Automobile prize includes tax, title and license fees. Weekly Prize 9 total (one (1) per week): A trip for winner and a guest (who must be 18 years or older and a legal resident of the 50 U.S. or D.C.) to Chicago, IL during 2009-2010 season premiere week, on or around September 14 – 18, 2009, to attend a taping of the Show. ARV $2,955.00 per trip plus $886.00 for the winner only, awarded as a check which may be used toward the payment of taxes. Daily Prize 20 total (one (1) per day): A trip for winner and a guest (who must be 18 years or older and a legal resident of the 50 U.S. or D.C.), to Chicago, IL during 2009-2010 season premiere week, on or around September 14 – 18, 2009, to attend a taping of the Show. ARV $2,955.00 per trip plus $886.00 for the winner only, awarded as a check which may be used toward the payment of taxes. Grand Prize: (1): A trip for the grand prize winner and up to three (3) guests (each of whom must be 18 years or older and a legal US citizen) to Chicago, IL during 2009-2010 season premiere week on or around September 14 – 18, 2009. Additional prizing for the Grand Prize Winner includes: (i) one (1) 2009 Volkswagen Routan SEL Premium automobile for the Grand Prize Winner only (including tax, title and licensing fees) plus $13,125.00 awarded as a check which may be used toward the payment of taxes, $500.00 Target GiftCard, one GE Energy Star Washer and Dryer set (with Dryer Pedestal and Smart Dispense Pedestal) ARV $3,556.00 for the set and $1,067.00 awarded as a check, which may be used toward the payment of taxes); one Sony 40″ Bravia HDTV plus $450.00 awarded as a check, which may be used toward the payment of taxes); one VAIO Laptop ARV $921.00 per laptop plus $276.00 awarded as a check, which may be used toward the payment of taxes); (1) Sony Camcorder (Webbie HD) ARV $170.00; (1) Sony Cybershot Camera ARV $200.00; and one Sony Reader Digital Book ARV $350.00, Grand Prize ARV $86,724.00 ($66,992.00 for the trip and merchandise described and $19,732.00, awarded as a check to the Grand Prize Winner which may be used toward the payment of taxes). Daily Sweepstakes Drawing: One (1) potential Daily Prize winner will be selected for each day of the Daily Sweepstakes Period in a random drawing from among all eligible entries received for the applicable weekday. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received for the applicable daily drawing. Entries for one Daily Sweepstakes Drawing will not be included in subsequent Daily Sweepstakes Drawings. Weekly Sweepstakes Drawing: One (1) potential Weekly Prize winner will be selected each week in a random drawing from among all eligible entries received for the applicable week. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received for the applicable weekly drawing. Entries for one Weekly Sweepstakes Drawing will not be included in subsequent Weekly Sweepstakes Drawings. Grand Prize Sweepstakes Drawing: One (1) potential Grand Prize winner will be selected in a random drawing from among all eligible entries received for the entire Promotion Period. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received for the entire Promotion Period. View the full article

Here is a helpful image to demonstrate how the Sony Bravia WE5’s Presence Sensor works in action. It’s the first BRAVIA with an intelligent Presence Sensor, which detects your body heat and movement when you’re sitting near the screen. That means if you leave the room the sensor activates an energy-saving ‘Picture Off’ mode, while leaving the TV sound on. The picture turns back on as soon as you re-enter the room. This means you can be sure it won’t switch off when you’re sitting watching TV, but if you can hear your TV from the kitchen, the five minute Picture Off mode can be very useful. You can see from the image that it really does use less electricity in both of the modes (and hence saves money). In fact, the WE5 is so sensitive that when in ‘Idle TV’ timer mode it actually switches the set to standby after a preset time. PC Power Management mode also switches to standby if no signal is received from a computer for 30 seconds. That’s especially handy if you’ve connected the TV to your computer for big-screen gaming action and want to pause without switching everything off. The sensor can be tailored to suit your viewing habits, with both the Picture Off mode and sleep mode settings able to kick in after a user set time of 5 minutes, 30 minutes or 60 minutes. Also, when you’re watching a BRAVIA WE5 you’re experiencing the world’s first micro-tubular Hot Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (HCFL) backlight—which reduces power consumption by more than 50% compared to previous LCD TV models from Sony. That’s quite a difference! This is also the first BRAVIA with a new Energy Saving Switch. Did you know other televisions draw a small amount of power even in standby or when switched off? Now you can flip a switch to turn it off completely—drawing virtually no power. Switch it back on and the TV immediately returns to its previous state. It’s a more convenient alternative to manually unplugging the TV when it’s not in use. View the full article

According to some new information sent our way, Sony is set to offer the black and silver 12 megapixel DSC-W190 Cyber-shot camera soon. We’re not 100% sure if this is a Japan only release yet, but it looks like it could go international. This is a budget oriented point and shoot that has a 2.7 inch TFT LCD and the usual features you’d find in this range. The DSC-W190 has 3x optical and 6x digital zoom, face detection, smile shutter, red-eye correction, exposure settings, and more. Unfortunately, the camera will be sold without a memory stick and is limited at 12MB of internal memory. The movie mode, a popular feature in any point and shoot camera is decent at QVGA (320

There’s an amazing article posted recently on the Wall Street Journal about how companies are having a difficult time with drug smugglers hiding drugs in their exports to the United States. “In an era of open trade, customs officials encourage exporters to beef up internal security measures to earn the privilege of fast transit through border checkpoints. Thousands of manufacturers, shippers and cargo expediters have been certified under a number of U.S. government programs that designate compliance. The unintended result of that compliance: Those same exporters are increasingly likely to be targeted by smugglers, who look to piggyback their contraband on legal cargo that makes low-friction border crossings, according to law enforcement officials. Sony confirmed to the WSJ it lost one shipment of 102 large LCD television sets from a Tijuana plant in September, and thwarted another attempted hijacking in mid-December. Samsung also lost at least one truckload this year, but refuses to discuss details of the crime. The scenario of a truck hijacking is straight from a movie - the drivers are roughed up and the truck (without cargo) is found elsewhere days, even weeks later. A year ago, a ton and a half of marijuana entered Sharp Electronics Co.’s television assembly plant in Rosarito, a suburb of Tijuana, through a Mexican supplier delivering components, and then was transferred to an outbound trailer of widescreen TVs, according to one person familiar with the case. The drugs were detected before the trailer left the plant, according to the company. Company officials declined to offer other details, but said no Sharp employee was implicated.” Read more of this incredible article at the WSJ. View the full article

The CEO of Sony Pictures, Michael Lynton, has really been the target of some intense Internet discussion lately. It all started when he attended a panel regarding the future of film making and oddly stated that he “doesn’t see anything good having come from the Internet. Period.” He complained the Internet has “created this notion that anyone can have whatever they want at any given time. It’s as if the stores on Madison Avenue were open 24 hours a day. They feel entitled. They say, ‘Give it to me now,’ and if you don’t give it to them for free, they’ll steal it.” These comments circulated quickly amongst blogs and news websites, and even Sony Insider was left wondering what the real deal is. How could someone from Sony say that? I won’t be ignorant here and say that he’s wrong; Lynton is right in a certain sense. There is immense value in the Internet, but he speaks the truth about being able to steal content. I can use a file sharing program such as uTorrent and download any modern software I want, crack it, and use it very quickly. Using the same program, I can also download just about any song, album, or movie released in the last ten to twenty years with relative ease. Some older, more obscure content is a little harder to come by but just about everything is out there. However, Lynton stating that there isn’t “anything good having come from the Internet” is simply inescapable and will probably haunt him till the end of his career. People have attacked him incessantly regarding this statement since it was revealed last week, and with such intense scrutiny he offered further explanation at the Internet-only publication Huffington News. While Lynton’s 10+ paragraph rebuttal is too long for us to repost, we seriously recommend you read it to understand the mindset of a person who runs one of the largest movie companies in the entire world. While there are several great points, I got this notion halfway through that Lynton is standing up for the way things used to be, before the Internet, before file sharing, before everything was nearly free. However, you can’t send society back in a time machine and forget what we have now. Lynton implies the Internet needs guardrails. There have been plenty of guardrails that have tried to curb illegal piracy - services, such as the first version of Napster, Morpheus, Kazaa have been shut down only to be replaced by the more efficient BitTorrent. Until the Internet is somehow turned off, people will find new ways to distribute content and the system to do so will become stronger and more efficient than before. I would guess that all of the people who already are singing, writing, and filming creative content with little or nothing in the way of monetary compensation will keep on doing it. Small-budget films that were never about making a living in the first place will keep popping up - and keep being clever, creative, and redefine their genre. What may become untenable is the multi-million dollar special effects blockbuster, which makes up a huge chunk of film as an industry but often falls flat in terms of the creativity that the Lynton’s point would defend. That also applies to fiction, poetry, and music. The pricing of the product was mostly due to the delivery medium, which is becoming irrelevant. People are stealing because its too expensive for most people to enjoy new content. I gained this perspective very quickly while on vacation visiting my father near Tallahassee (Wakulla County, Florida USA). The second edition of Wakulla News 2009 deliquent tax list is printed in a font size that is probably about 9, and is 24 pages long. These economic woes are probably a common situation in many counties in the United States. It will take time for the industry to realize that the pay scales in the entertainment business is going to be corrected by the Internet. Those millions to the actors will reduce invariably, and the profits will have to come down to accommodate customers. The internet will not be changed by copyright, although certain countries may blast their legal minds out before they learn the lesson, copyright will change for the technology. The rational for the imposition of monopoly copyright was capital intensive industrial copy technology. With the internet, the rational has fallen, and simply asserting, as Lynton’s post does in a round about way, that copyright is a natural right or that it is responsible itself for artistic expression or that artistic expression is stymied if “other owners of copyrights” lose their monopolies, is exactly like saying the audience won’t like talkies. It would be a great mistake to believe that the death of an industry necessarily heralds the death of an art. Will piracy mean there’s going to be less? Certainly, to some extent, but it’s not going to kill jam poets, writers’ circles, or local bands - it’s going to mean less Rambo and Britney Spears to go around, and that’s honestly kind of okay with us. View the full article

Wow, and just like that we may be looking at what this Fall’s Vaio P spec refresh could be for the rest of the world. SonyStyle Japan recently updated their website which has several new Owner Made options for those looking to buy a VAIO P, which includes a processor speed and hard drive option we’ve seen nowhere else. It appears that you can now purchase a Vaio P with an Intel Z550 2.0Ghz processor and up to a 256GB SSD known as the VGN-P91. The memory remains at 2GB, the graphics are still the Intel GMA 500, and everything else seems just about the same. Pricing for the 2ghz/256GB SSD Vaio P wasn’t immediately available at print, but I imagine it will carry a premium price. This information, in English, is a Sony Insider exclusive brought to you here first. View the full article

Sony Japan has done something quite unusual and released a Windows XP version of the Vaio P dubbed the VGN-P50. What’s even more curious is the special colors associated with these models, which look like exclusive SonyStyle Japan Owner Made colors. However, they are simply part of a Summer refresh. Featuring virtually the same specifications as the current Vaio P, the VGN-P50 has Windows XP SP3, and an Intel Atom Z520 chipset at 1.33ghz. Expect to see the same 8 inch screen at 1600×768, 1GB of RAM and an 80GB HDD. Wifi 802.11B/G/N, Bluetooth 2.1 are all supported, as well as DoCoMo’s WAN network. Even the WAN works during instant-on mode. The new colors are known as Garnet Red, Crystal White, and Peridot, and Gold. Japanese consumers should expect to see this around June 6th for Y85,000 (about $900), with no availability mentioned outside of the motherland. We can only assume that Japanese consumers were not satisfied with Vista on the Vaio P, hence this unexpected release. Make sure you click on the pictures below to see the high resolution image(s), which show off the cool prints. View the full article

Sony Pictures Entertainment and Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment have obtained the rights to make a movie about an ex-Marine who protected and helped rescue 244 people from a building flooded by Hurricane Katrina.John Lee Hancock will write and direct the film about John Keller, in a project based on a script by Adetoro Makinde of Back Door Films. The Times-Picayune quoted Overbrook executive Jeff Sommerville as saying Smith probably will play the part of Keller. He did not immediately return a call Thursday from The Associated Press. Sony spokesman Steve Elzer said in an e-mail that there has not been any talk about casting, and Smith is only involved as a producer. Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall. Hurricane Katrina formed over the Bahamas on August 23, 2005, and crossed southern Florida as a moderate Category 1 hurricane, causing some deaths and flooding there before strengthening rapidly in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm weakened before making its second landfall as a Category 3 storm on the morning of Monday, August 29 in southeast Louisiana. It caused severe destruction along the Gulf coast from central Florida to Texas, much of it due to the storm surge. The most severe loss of life and property damage occurred in New Orleans, Louisiana, which flooded as the levee system catastrophically failed, in many cases hours after the storm had moved inland. The federal flood protection system in New Orleans failed at more than fifty places. Nearly every levee in metro New Orleans was breached as Hurricane Katrina passed just east of the city limits. Eventually 80% of the city became flooded and also large tracts of neighboring parishes, and the floodwaters lingered for weeks. At least 1,836 people lost their lives in the actual hurricane and in the subsequent floods, making it the deadliest U.S. hurricane. Preliminary damage estimates were well in excess of $100 billion. View the full article

Welcome. I may just take you up on that offer.