Christopher

Last week the PlayStation blog announced a killer new accessory for Sony PlayStation (PS3) Move owners – the Sharp Shooter Attachment. The gun houses a regular Move controller and the sub-controller so you don’t ever have to let go while navigating maps and shooting enemies. The Sharp Shooter will cost $39 when it debuts in February, and is designed for Killzone 3 but will also support other games. Anand Agarwal, Product Marketing Manger at PlayStation wrote more about the Sharp Shooter’s functionality: The PlayStation Move sharp shooter houses both the motion controller and navigation controller, giving you complete control over aiming, movement and interaction within the game. It will truly offer the most intuitive and immersive control experience ever found in a shooter game. It was designed for both comfort and precision, including easily accessible buttons, a responsive digital trigger, adjustable shoulder stock and convenient access to the navigation controller. In addition, the sharp shooter has incorporated a firing mode selector, realistic pump-action and a reload button that allow for new ways of engagement. So what games will you be able to use the PlayStation Move Sharp Shooter with? The PlayStation Move sharp shooter was designed specifically with games such as Killzone 3 and SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs in mind and even comes with a Killzone 3 and SOCOM 4 sticker pack. Other compatible titles include Time Crisis: Razing Storm and Dead Space Extraction, but you can expect many more upcoming games that will work with it as well. View the full article

REUTERS – Fancy new features like 3D screens and Internet connectivity have failed to inspire U.S. television shoppers, dashing a hoped-for recovery in the global consumer electronics industry. Manufacturers such as Sony, Samsung and Sharp are learning that features such as razor-thin LED TVs are just not enough for television sales to stage a comeback in the United States. On Tuesday, Best Buy Chief Executive Brian Dunn told analysts that sales of 3D TVs had fallen behind industry expectations. “There was confusion about 3D early (on),” Dunn said. “It was a little short on content.” The largest U.S. electronics chain cut its full-year profit forecast, and its disappointing results put pressure on shares of Best Buy and other electronics companies. “The stock got killed today,” said Frank Ingarra, a co-portfolio manager of Hennessy Funds, which holds 32,000 shares of Best Buy. The retailer’s shares dropped nearly 15 percent on Tuesday to close at $35.52. Despite a better-than-expected performance by U.S. retailers in November, consumers are holding off on big-ticket purchases like TVs with the latest bells and whistles. Consumer electronics executives say TV sales will improve once more 3D content becomes available next year and when consumers start recording their own content on 3D-enabled camcorders. “Just like how high-definition TV started in sports and movies, as 3D evolves, it will go with sports and movies and then become more of an everyday thing,” Jay Vandenbree, head of home entertainment at LG Electronics, said in an interview. For now, investors are demanding to know why retailers aggressively pushed a new generation of TVs after many consumers had just upgraded to their first flat-screen sets this year. “People don’t understand the added benefit of 3D,” Ingarra said. “When you get into $2,000 TVs, you start thinking: ‘At what point do I really need this, and is it going to make my viewing experience that much better?’” Consumers are also put off by the need to purchase expensive 3D glasses to go along with the new TVs, said NPD analyst Ross Rubin. The picture quality of some shows produced in 3D has also made some viewers queasy. “If the 3D content hasn’t been produced well — if it has been aggressive on certain kinds of effects — that can result in discomfort for viewers,” Rubin said. This holiday, consumers are more interested in buying TVs with bigger screens, rather than pricier ones with more features, Rubin said. Sales of TVs with Google TV software, which lets viewers surf the Web directly from TV sets, were also hurt as consumers realized they could find the same services, like movie service Netflix, elsewhere. “People can also buy lower-priced alternatives to connected TVs, be it video game players, Blu-ray players or Apple TV.” View the full article

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is the third game in the Uncharted series, created by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation 3, and due for release on November 1, 2011. It is the sequel to Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Uncharted 3 will see protagonist Nathan Drake and mentor Victor Sullivan travelling around the world to such places as the Rub’al Khali desert, in search of the legendary lost city, the Iram of the Pillars. The plot will draw from the archaeology days of T. E. Lawrence. Creative director Amy Hennig has explained that the desire for a desert-themed Uncharted stemmed from wanting to push the team creatively and technologically, as “organic” elements such as sand, water, and fire are “technically difficult to credibly render with animation”. New features in Uncharted 3 will include 3D stereoscopic support, “enhanced backward climbing” and the ability to fight multiple enemies at once. The multiplayer and co-op features will also be greatly expanded. An expanded trailer was released at the 2010 Spike VGA’s, around two minutes long, with in-game footage of Nathan Drake in the desert: Jimmy Fallon spoke to some developers at Naughty Dog and had some Uncharted 3 gameplay for several minutes during his talk show, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. Click here to watch this video in higher quality on YouTube. Lastly, an eight minute long video has surfaced showing the behind the scenes look at the development of Uncharted 3 teaser trailer, which has some interesting reflection, exclusive gameplay footage, and more: Please let us know in the comments if any of the videos are no longer working and we will fix it. Thanks! View the full article

DC Universe Online is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) set in the DC Universe. SOE is working to make DC Universe Online more interactive than standard MMORPGs, while trying to keep their key elements, which include a leveling system, raid instances, endgame progression and inventories. The world is mainly shared, public space instead of heroes or villains owning territory. The public space features dynamically-generated content designed for both hero and villain player characters (uniquely created by the player, who cannot choose DCU stalwarts). Players will choose a mentor for their character (such as Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman for heroes and Lex Luthor, The Joker, or Circe for villains). Their starting location, principal quest rewards and mob loot will be influenced by that decision. The starting zones are either Metropolis or Gotham City, for both heroes and villains. Heroes can also go to the Justice League Watchtower, while villains can enter the Legion of Doom headquarters. Other zones can be reached by teleporters from the two faction headquarters. EDIT: After signing up, Gamespot now says “This offer is now over. Thank you for your interest.” Sorry! Click on this link to test drive the DC Universe Beta on your PS3. All you have to do is simply sign up for a Gamespot account, follow the link, and the key is yours. I was able to get a beta key in less than a few minutes. In DC Universe Online, Each character is given a communicator appropriate to their faction, via which they receive urgent communications from their mentor and his/her colleagues and subordinates; heroes will frequently receive status updates from Oracle, while villains will receive data from The Calculator. In addition to assignments from their mentor, player characters may also receive requests for help from other mentors of the same faction. Player characters may also accept missions from non-player characters (NPCs) in the street, usually minor characters from their faction. There are also opportunities for quick street encounters appropriate to the character’s faction: for example, a hero character may encounter a thug robbing an armored truck, trying to break into an office building, or in the process of mugging a citizen; while a villain character may be presented with opportunities to assist NPC thugs with an armored truck robbery, or assault a citizen using an ATM. All NPC interactions are fully animated and voice-acted. Player characters will earn threat ratings that will cause NPC heroes and villains to interact accordingly with the character. The shared worldspace offers primarily solo and team player versus environment (PvE) gaming opportunities in the form of open air missions and instances, although player versus player (PvP) combat is also possible in this worldspace. Other PvP (and to a smaller extent, PvE) gaming is available in various types of queued instanced encounters: “Legends”, small scale PvP combats in which players take on the identities of iconic characters (continued success in Legends combat unlocks additional iconic characters); “Arena”, small scale PvP combat in which players fight as their own characters; “Alerts”, cooperative team missions; and “Raids”, large scale PvP combat between teams of opposing factions. Success in PvE missions is rewarded with in-game money, costume pieces, equipment and consumables, while PVP combat is rewarded with unlocks of special equipment sets. Jim Lee serves as the game’s Executive Creative Director, along with Carlos D’Anda, JJ Kirby, Oliver Nome, Eddie Nunez, Livio Ramondelli, and Michael Lopez. EverQuest developer Chris Cao is the Game Director and Shawn Lord is also involved. Geoff Johns is the principal writer. View the full article

http://www.sonyinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/20-234-061-S01-450x337.png Sony, Sandisk and Nikon have proposed specifications for the next generation CompactFlash storage card. Professional photography and High Definition (HD) video applications require a new generation of memory cards capable of processing significantly larger files. To address the imaging industry’s future speed and capacity demands, SanDisk, Sony and Nikon proposed a new card specification whose performance and storage capabilities surpass those of existing memory cards. Once accepted, the new format will enable exciting new possibilities in the professional imaging and video markets. The new specifications have the potential to extend theoretical maximum capacities beyond 2 terabytes (TB), yet remain similar in size to a regular CompactFlash card. The proposed specifications achieve data transfer rates of up to 500 megabytes per second (MB/sec) using the highly versatile PCI Express interface. In comparison, CF6.0, released in November 2010, offers maximum performance of up to 167MB/sec. The increased speeds will enable imaging and video applications that are impossible using the current CompactFlash specification’s Parallel ATA (PATA)interface. This also means that your existing equipment will not be able to use this new format. The faster speeds in the next generation CompactFlash will enable continuous burst shooting of massive RAW images. The enhanced performance also allows users to quickly transfer storage-intensive high-resolution photos and videos from the card to a computer. The specifications combine high-speed data transfer with low power consumption via a power scaling system to extend battery life. The image above is a rendition and not an actual image of the final product. This story is an altered version of a Sony global press release. [url={url}]View the full article[/url]

Sony, Sandisk and Nikon have proposed specifications for the next generation CompactFlash storage card. Professional photography and High Definition (HD) video applications require a new generation of memory cards capable of processing significantly larger files. To address the imaging industry’s future speed and capacity demands, SanDisk, Sony and Nikon proposed a new card specification whose performance and storage capabilities surpass those of existing memory cards. Once accepted, the new format will enable exciting new possibilities in the professional imaging and video markets. The new specifications have the potential to extend theoretical maximum capacities beyond 2 terabytes (TB), yet remain similar in size to a regular CompactFlash card. The proposed specifications achieve data transfer rates of up to 500 megabytes per second (MB/sec) using the highly versatile PCI Express interface. In comparison, CF6.0, released in November 2010, offers maximum performance of up to 167MB/sec. The increased speeds will enable imaging and video applications that are impossible using the current CompactFlash specification’s Parallel ATA (PATA)interface. This also means that your existing equipment will not be able to use this new format. The faster speeds in the next generation CompactFlash will enable continuous burst shooting of massive RAW images. The enhanced performance also allows users to quickly transfer storage-intensive high-resolution photos and videos from the card to a computer. The specifications combine high-speed data transfer with low power consumption via a power scaling system to extend battery life. The image above is a rendition and not an actual image of the final product. This story is an altered version of a Sony global press release. View the full article

In a rather unique acquisition, Sony has appointed Professor Ei-ichi Negishi, winner of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, as Executive Research Advisor to Sony for R&D. Sony will tap his expertise and apply it to the field of materials and devices, specifically in the area of organic electronics. He is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Purdue University (USA) and Distinguished Visiting Professor at Hokkaido University Catalysis Research Center. Professor Negishi will be present at internal and external research centers, and participate in research progress review meetings and other opportunities. He will also advise on Sony’s medium and long-term research plans, and on methods for nurturing talented researchers. Through the involvement of such a renowned expert in this field, Sony aims to stimulate its researchers in their organics electronics research and development, and accelerate their R&D processes as a result. Professor Negishi was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with Akira Suzuki, Professor Emeritus at Hokkaido University and Richard F. Heck, Professor Emeritus at University of Delaware, for their research findings in ‘palladium-catalyzed cross couplings in organic synthesis’, which is being used widely throughout the world as a technology that drastically accelerates organic synthesis reactivity, and that has contributed to the technological advancement of various industries, including pharmaceuticals, agrichemicals, plastics and liquid crystal. We found a great interview on YouTube with Professor Ei-ichi Negishi: The opportunity to interact with Professor Negishi, a global authority on organic chemistry who brings vast experience and insights relating to research procedures, is certain to stimulate and inspire Sony’s researchers as they engages in their own research and development of organic electronics. Sony expects his appointment to be a catalyst for further breakthroughs leading to the practical implementation of these technologies in new and revolutionary Sony products. Sony continues to achieve world-leading research results in the field of organic electronics based on organic chemistry and synthesis, which have contributed to the development of technologies such as organic transistors used in the rear substrates of organic light emitting diode(OLED) displays and flexible OLED displays, dye-sensitized solar cells (a type of organic photovoltaic cell), electrolytes for next-generation rechargeable batteries, vegetable-based plastics and recycled plastics. Sony is further accelerating its research and development in these technologies, to enable their adoption as core technologies in future generations of Sony products. This post is an altered version of the original Sony global press release. View the full article

The Sony SK8 in the UK/TRIQ in USA is iPod/iPhone bass-heavy speaker dock, and also truly a unique audio solution which you can style in so many ways. A young media star in the UK who goes by the name Smokey Barz (Jamal Edwards) took the SK8/TRIQ and created the BASSBIKE. If you’ve never heard of Smokey, he’s kind of a big thing with 27 million views on his YouTube video channel and his popular website. Sony worked with Nick Gale Custom Cycles and created a deep dark red bicycle with a built-in SK8/TRIQ, complete with gold accents on the spokes, battery, remote, red LCD lights and more. The ride is pretty freaking awesome looking, but also a complete menace in some regards. I imagine you’d cause a few meltdowns if you rode this thing around with music on full blast around your neighborhood. And it’s most certainly a far cry from my Trek 1.5 road bicycle. Smokey also “asks quickfire questions” with rappers Flo Rida, Tinchy Stryder, Labrinth, B.O.B, and listens in on a Griminal freestyle in the featured video. It’s funny to see the bike inside a building while he does interviews. I guess if you were using one of those you would have to take it everywhere with you. View the full article

Sony has created “Hybrid FPA” (field-induced photo-reactive alignment) technology, a new method that gives faster response time for LCD 3DTVs and other displays. Response times of less than 3ms have been achieved in test cells, which is getting closer to the Plasma/OLED response time of .001ms. Fast LCD’s are already available now, but real pros know that low ms (millisecond) LCD displays are few and far between, especially when 3D and MotionFlow is going. Hybrid FPA also promises ‘product stability’ during the display panel manufacturing process as well as after long-term use. Further benefits include reducing the manufacturing process and time. This technology will be presented on December 2nd at IDW ’10 (International Display Workshops), a display technology conference to be held in Fukuoka City, Japan from December 1 to 3. Sony is jointly developing alignment layer materials with JSR Corporation. Here is more information from Sony: Sony previously developed the “FPA 1″ high-speed liquid crystal response alignment technique based on vertical alignment (VA) liquid crystal modes. One method for improving liquid crystal response time is to generate pre-tilt of the liquid crystal molecules. “FPA” technique uses the alignment layer developed by Sony and maintains pre-tilt of liquid crystal molecules by irradiating UV while applying voltage in manufacturing process. This facilitates the stable and even alignment of the liquid crystal molecules, thus achieving improvements in both liquid crystal response time and the contrast ratio. In addition, this has made it possible to eradicate the Mura (uniformity problem) in the display as well as to eliminate the ‘sticking image’ that can occur after long-term use. “Hybrid FPA” technology builds on this momentum and has achieved an even faster liquid crystal response time by maintained the pre-tilt on just one side of the substrate alignment layer (see illustration). Furthermore, this new technology has succeeded in facilitating drastic improvements in liquid crystal response time, especially faster movement of liquid crystal molecule when decreasing the voltage which was previously difficult to achieve, as well as higher contrast. View the full article

Michael Jackson’s upcoming posthumous album, Michael, which are collected works from the past, is set for release on December 14th. Internet savages have already ripped the album and put it on file sharing networks. I was easily able to go to the popular torrent site thepiratebay.org and see many people sharing Michael. It’s unfortunate, but all popular music that comes out now faces this unavoidable reality. Despite whatever piracy does to possible sales, it’s easily promised that troves of fans will purchase the album anyways. The release has been played in grand fashion with song premieres all over the place. “Breaking News” was the first song from the album to be unveiled. On November 5, a video teaser for the song was released on Jackson’s official website. It opens with a montage of various television journalists reporting breaking news about Jackson, followed by the musical introduction of a song. The video refers to the tabloid stories and legal troubles that plagued Jackson in the years leading up to his death. On November 8, 2010, the full length version of the song was released, and made available on MichaelJackson.com for one week. The album’s first single, “Hold My Hand”, was released on November 15, 2010. The filming for the official video of Hold My Hand began on Saturday, November 20 in Tustin, California. There was a casting call posted up on Jackson’s official website, saying that they were “looking for his fans of all ages who want to be a part of this iconic event.” On November 30, the final version of “Much Too Soon” was unveiled (a mix without the accordion had leaked out in mid-November). It was announced that it would play on iTunes Ping for one week. On December 3, 2010, talk show host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres premiered the song “Hollywood Tonight” on The Ellen DeGeneres Show while dancing throughout the audience. This is the first time this song has been featured on television. On December 6, talk show host Oprah Winfrey premiered songs “Keep Your Head Up”, and and “Monster” during her talk show. On December 7, the final version of “(I Can’t Make It) Another Day” was unveiled on iTunes Ping for one week. The first few reviews that have popped up have been mixed. Dan Martin of NME called the album “kind of enjoyable” but commented that “if this decent-enough album is the best of the bunch, things are going to get ugly from here on in.” Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone thought the album was “not a Michael Jackson album“, and Jackson “would not have released anything like this compilation, a grab bag of outtakes and outlines,” but “it’s a testament to the man’s charisma that Michael can be compelling.” RS gave Michael 3 out of 5 stars. View the full article

In an interesting tale of convergence, Sony Europe has dropped a

In an interesting tale of convergence, Sony Europe has dropped a

In this brilliant Sony Design feature design article about the NAS-V7M/V5, Sony explores the progression of the mini hi-fi market and how Sony has changed their perspective on its future. The elusive and feature rich NAS-V7M/V5 is an exotic Walkman dock/mini hi-fi system released in Japan several months ago. Sony Corporation’s Creative Center Senior Manager Akio Suzuki, Producer and Senior Designer Yasufumi Yamaji, and Designer Yusuke Otani all tell the story of how this unique Sony product came to be. Suzuki: A trend has emerged in audio product categories in recent years. The mini hi-fi market is shrinking, but dock speaker systems without CD players have become more popular. It’s a sign that people’s listening habits are changing. Instead of shopping for CDs, people are buying music online. And people just play the music stored on their Walkman player or computer through their stereo. This is more common than ever. Still, some surveys reveal that eight out of ten people listen to CDs, too. People value their CD collection, and many are looking for a compatible system that captures their interest. This category holds a lot of potential, so we wanted to breathe some new life into it. Some features of the new systems in this project had been decided at the beginning-Walkman compatibility and Wi-Fi streaming. You won’t be tethered by an Ethernet cable if you want to enjoy the music on your Walkman or computer, or tune in to Internet radio stations. After all, discovering great music not already in your collection is a new and compelling feature of these units. It was our task as designers to restyle these new listening habits. Starting from the assumption that we’d be thinking outside the box in audio styling, we discussed as many ideas as possible as we narrowed down the themes we wanted to explore. This was a fresh start, unconstrained by preconceptions or old habits. But choosing a worthwhile approach from unlimited possibilities proved quite a daunting task. Yamaji: Yusuke and I brainstormed about design. Mini hi-fi systems call to mind a main unit and two speakers-essentially three separate components. On front, there’s usually a volume knob and a screen, and below this, a CD tray. It’s an appearance that defines these systems for most people. In this project, though, the system wasn’t tethered by an Ethernet cable, so we were free to adopt a portable style. Something as transportable as a CD radio boombox. We found ourselves drawing sketches from many angles. Just how important it was to complement interior aesthetics became clear as we explored these ideas. Conventional three-piece sets don’t complement modern interiors. You can only install them in some places, facing a particular direction, and they’re cluttered with distracting lines and buttons. It’s time that people stop compromising. These systems should go well with interiors, and we should be able to put them where we want to relax, in the best position for listening. Otani: Ideally, it should be sculpturesque. Sculptures are quietly assertive in any room, and they accent the interior design. For this effect, we sought a powerful, unadorned shape to let the unit “speak for itself” in design. The first thing you’ll notice about the shape is that the front surface is tilted back 15

Over the years various rumors have floated around about the film Ghostbusters III. The official press release regarding the movie has yet to be issued, but is expected within the next month. Let’s take a look at the story so far this year with the anticipated movie. In early January, Ivan Reitman confirmed that he will be directing the film. In March 2010, Bill Murray appeared on Late Show with David Letterman and talked about his return to Ghostbusters III, stating “I’d do it only if my character was killed off in the first reel”. In an interview with Coming Soon, Murray said: “You know, maybe I should just do it. Maybe it’d be fun to do.”. Aykroyd said a release is set for Christmas 2012. In October 2010, Dan Aykroyd gave Vanity Fair an update on the status of the Ghostbusters 3 script, written by Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg: “I’m working on the script now and those two—Stupnitsky and Eisenberg, [writer-producers of The Office]—wrote Bill the comic role of a lifetime, and the new Ghostbusters and the old are all well represented in it…we have a strong first draft that Harold [Ramis] and I will take back, and I’m very excited about working on it.” Shortly after that interview, at the Spike TV Scream Awards, Bill Murray appeared to accept an award for Zombieland. He appeared in full Ghostbusters gear, but gave no statements regarding the film. In mid-October, a Sony Product Marketing Manager (Stefano Paganini) appeared at a Ghostbusters event in Rome and said “I spoke about this night with my boss from Los Angeles. She allowed me to let you know that the script of ‘Ghostbusters 3′ has been approved so the engine has been turned on!” The original cast will return while casting is currently underway looking for young Ghostbusters. It has been reported Anna Farris has been cast as a young Ghostbuster and Will Forte and Bill Hader have be linked to unamed roles. Shooting will begin in May 2011. View the full article

Earlier this month, Sony Japan revealed a special Disney-themed NW-S750 S-Series Walkman that will ship in early December. This 8GB music player is a limited release, and has all of the specifications found in the regular version. The styling on the unit is very cutesy, with a pink lilac exterior and shiny rhinestones forming an arc over the player controls. The rear of the device has an engraved Mickey and Minnie smiling and facing each other while holding presents behind their back. The Walkman also has a special Mickey and Minnie themed wallpaper as well. A special silicone case is also included in the package, which features Mickey and Minnie bound together with a heart and stars above them that form the word “M&M”. If your senses aren’t overloaded at this point, Sony finishes you off with an exclusive Minnie doll, which can attach to the player itself, or your purse, book bag, key chain, etc. The entire package is housed in a special commemorative blue box. Sony Japan and Disney have collaborated before on several products, mostly in portable audio. None of these products have ever been sold in the USA, Europe, etc. Real life photo courtesy of AV Watch. View the full article

http://www.sonyinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/pic01-450x371.jpg Several weeks ago, Mobile Review wrote in depth piece about the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X12 (aka Anzu), which is the company’s next major flagship phone and the spiritual successor to the XPERIA X10. The review is so extensive, you would almost swear for a moment that the device is on sale now, but in reality it hasn’t been announced by SE yet! This is probably one of the most detailed leaks I’ve seen in all of my years of writing about Sony products. Let’s talk about hardware first and foremost. The phone obviously looks like the X10, but is thinner, lighter and has a bigger screen. The X12 will contain a Qualcomm MSM7230 (Scorpion) processor, which is a 800MHz ARMv7 that is capable of reaching 1GHz according to the processor spec sheet. The processor’s features include an embedded DSP(GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS/WCDMA, HSDPA 14.4Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps baseband), Embedded gpsOne GPS module, gpsOneXTRA Assistance, Dedicated audio subsystem supporting 5.1 surround, 12-megapixel camera support, Integrated 2D/3D graphics GPUs with support for OpenGL ES 2.0, OpenVG 1.1. [sthumbs=1754|1751|1750|1753|1749|1748|1747|1746|1745|1744|1743,160,4,n,center,] XPERIA X10 owners may wonder why the next phone in this series may have less MHz, but it actually is an improvement, as Mobile Review states the phone “..offers a smoother and more optimized operation, with all the graphic elements of Android presented without any lagging of any kind. The chipsets multimedia capabilities are equal to the ones offered by the QSD8250 but with some improvements. The chipset can now encodes 720p video in H264 smoothly and offers increased playback times for both audio and video while being optimized for decoding DIVX and XVID videos.” It will also have HDMI output to enjoy HD video on your TV, etc. http://www.sonyinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/pic11.jpg The camera will most likely be a 12 megapixel sensor and capable of recording 720p video, which Mobile Review states will be much smoother and reliable than the X10. The screen is massive at 4.3″ (854×480) and will support multitouch technology, a feature that was painfully missing from the X10. It is believed that the X12 will not have an AMOLED nor a S-LCD, which is rather unfortunate. DPI is suggested to be around 240, at least in the pre-production unit that was tested. As for software, the X12 will most likely launch with with Android 2.2 (Froyo) and will recieve a 2.3 update in the summer of 2011. This could frustrate potential owners of this device, but Mobile Review seems more optimistic as they say “for Sony Ericsson, being just one OS version behind the others on the release date of X12 is a step forward.” A rather sarcastic remark, considering the company had sold devices with Android 1.6 for way too long. Unfortunately Mobile Review has a rather grim outlook for the company and the success of the XPERIA X12, and went on to say: “So what’s left for Sony Ericsson and the X12? Some of the momentum created years ago in many markets still holds in some of them at least enough for the networks and local retail stores to trust Sony Ericsson and buy one of their devices. This momentum is slowing down in some markets and in others it has completely stopped. X12 will only help stopping in more of them and will leave Sony Ericsson lagging behind even more. A device that could easily have been a decent middle range solution (much like Desire Z is for HTC) is thrown into the market to be eaten at the top end and take down the company with it. Its price tag will not be justified with its features in any possible way and the software disadvantages will only disappoint the buyers of the device.” [url={url}]View the full article[/url]

Several weeks ago, Mobile Review wrote in depth piece about the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X12 (aka Anzu), which is the company’s next major flagship phone and the spiritual successor to the XPERIA X10. The review is so extensive, you would almost swear for a moment that the device is on sale now, but in reality it hasn’t been announced by SE yet! This is probably one of the most detailed leaks I’ve seen in all of my years of writing about Sony products. Let’s talk about hardware first and foremost. The phone obviously looks like the X10, but is thinner, lighter and has a bigger screen. The X12 will contain a Qualcomm MSM7230 (Scorpion) processor, which is a 800MHz ARMv7 that is capable of reaching 1GHz according to the processor spec sheet. The processor’s features include an embedded DSP(GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS/WCDMA, HSDPA 14.4Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps baseband), Embedded gpsOne GPS module, gpsOneXTRA Assistance, Dedicated audio subsystem supporting 5.1 surround, 12-megapixel camera support, Integrated 2D/3D graphics GPUs with support for OpenGL ES 2.0, OpenVG 1.1. XPERIA X10 owners may wonder why the next phone in this series may have less MHz, but it actually is an improvement, as Mobile Review states the phone “..offers a smoother and more optimized operation, with all the graphic elements of Android presented without any lagging of any kind. The chipsets multimedia capabilities are equal to the ones offered by the QSD8250 but with some improvements. The chipset can now encodes 720p video in H264 smoothly and offers increased playback times for both audio and video while being optimized for decoding DIVX and XVID videos.” It will also have HDMI output to enjoy HD video on your TV, etc. The camera will most likely be a 12 megapixel sensor and capable of recording 720p video, which Mobile Review states will be much smoother and reliable than the X10. The screen is massive at 4.3″ (854×480) and will support multitouch technology, a feature that was painfully missing from the X10. It is believed that the X12 will not have an AMOLED nor a S-LCD, which is rather unfortunate. DPI is suggested to be around 240, at least in the pre-production unit that was tested. As for software, the X12 will most likely launch with with Android 2.2 (Froyo) and will recieve a 2.3 update in the summer of 2011. This could frustrate potential owners of this device, but Mobile Review seems more optimistic as they say “for Sony Ericsson, being just one OS version behind the others on the release date of X12 is a step forward.” A rather sarcastic remark, considering the company had sold devices with Android 1.6 for way too long. Unfortunately Mobile Review has a rather grim outlook for the company and the success of the XPERIA X12, and went on to say: “So what’s left for Sony Ericsson and the X12? Some of the momentum created years ago in many markets still holds in some of them at least enough for the networks and local retail stores to trust Sony Ericsson and buy one of their devices. This momentum is slowing down in some markets and in others it has completely stopped. X12 will only help stopping in more of them and will leave Sony Ericsson lagging behind even more. A device that could easily have been a decent middle range solution (much like Desire Z is for HTC) is thrown into the market to be eaten at the top end and take down the company with it. Its price tag will not be justified with its features in any possible way and the software disadvantages will only disappoint the buyers of the device.” View the full article

If you’ve been watching Sony for the last few years, then you remember Sir Howard Stringer has basically had two roles at one point – Chairman and CEO (2005). He assumed the role of President after Ryoji Chubachi stepped down in 2009. Bloomberg has the scoop that Sony is looking to divide the President responsibilities from Stringer, and either offer it to Kazuo Hirai or Hiroshi Yoshioka. It’s not necessarily a jab at Howard or anything, but it would be nice to lighten the load for the man. He is turning 69 years old next Feburary and has been bouncing around his main office in New York, Sony’s Tokyo headquarters, the movie division in Los Angeles and London where his family lives for the last few years. Bloomberg had an interesting quote about Howard’s future with the company as well, nothing “He said last year he wanted to remain on the job until Sony completes its business plan ending in March 2013.” Kaz has has always been a very positive personality for Sony and is already doing many things for the company that are similar to the role of a President. Hirai is the current Chairman and Group Chief Executive Officer of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. He also serves as Executive Vice President, Officer in charge of Networked Products & Service Group of Sony Corporation. It makes sense to play a guy like this as the new President of Sony, especially since the USA is more familiar with him and he is a part of some very innovative areas of the company. There is also word from Bloomberg that the other person to assume the role of President could be Hiroshi Yoshioka, the executive deputy president and a corporate executive officer who has been with the company since 1979. He has been instrumental in helping the company change over the last few years and obviously has a great deal of experience with Sony. Both are referred to as members of the “Four Musketeers,” which is a group Fortune published a great article about back in 2009: At the same time, he (Stringer) reconfigured the company into two new core groups and elevated four English-speaking Japanese executives in their late forties and fifties — relative greenhorns by Japanese standards — to run them. Corporate troubleshooter and former TV division head Hiroshi Yoshioka, the eldest of the group at 56, now oversees a $50 billion consumer products group that includes TVs, stereos, DVD and Blu-ray players, and camcorders. Kazuo “Kaz” Hirai, 48, a marketing whiz who had been running Sony’s games business, now oversees a much broader networked-products and services group that is home to PlayStations, Vaio computers, and Sony’s Walkman audio line. It also is tasked with the critical job of creating a new set of digital services that will tie all of Sony’s gadgets and gizmos together. Kunai Suzuki, 48, is Hirai’s deputy and will run the Vaio business but will also have responsibility for incubating a next generation of devices for this networked world. Rounding out the four is Yoshihisa “Bob” Ishida, 49, a well-regarded strategist with an outspoken style whose assignment is to revitalize the TV-display business. Stringer, in a typically impromptu moment at a press conference in February announcing the changes, dubbed the core of his new team the “four musketeers.” Beyond the four, Stringer created centralized corporate functions like manufacturing and procurement, and hired an IBM executive, George Bailey, as the company’s first “chief transformation officer.” And other big but less central businesses, like Sony’s film, music, and financial arms, still report to Stringer. All this organizational jujitsu must now yield tangible results: sustained profitability, a more cohesive corporate culture, and the nimbleness to fend off all its new-style rivals. (A single iconic new hit gizmo won’t revive Sony, but it wouldn’t hurt either.) After the plan was announced, the Nikkei Weekly tartly wrote that the moves “smack of desperation.” But investors are, for the moment, onboard. View the full article

Gran Turismo 5 is now available for the PlayStation 3 (PS3). Can you believe the wait is over? Known for its signature beauty and precision, the highly anticipated racer will showcase new jaw-dropping cars, real-life tracks, and diverse racing styles. Gran Turismo promises to deliver exciting advancements to the series in the most comprehensive racing experience ever. We have the complete list of cars in our post, “The Full List Of Cars In Gran Turismo 5“. There was also a GT5 launch event today of course and what better than to host it in Madrid. PlayStation Blog EU has some pictures and I also saw a nice set of shots by flickr user armo. If your hungry for even more GT5 coverage hit this Google News link. I think you could spend days reading all the reviews within. The game was currently holds a Gamerankings score of 88.5%, and an 87% on Metacritic at the time of this writing. Reviewers praised the number of cars, car-specific information and single-player content included and commented positively on the driving-physics which had been improved from Prologue. The inclusion of karts as well as licensed WRC and Nascar-vehicles was also received positively. The graphics received mixed reviews with reviewers praising the lighting-effects as well as in- and exterior-details of premium-cars, stating that Photo Mode showed-off their detailed graphical design very well, but commenting negatively on the detail of standard-cars which lacked cockpit-views, looked like upscaled versions taken from GT4 and did not keep up to the level of detail found in the premium-models. The newly-included damage-feature received criticism for barely effecting car-handling and damage-effects only being applied after multiple serious crashes. Graphical on-track-detail was also criticized as being sub-par to the detail found on the cars. The new Course Maker-feature was also commented negatively upon. Reviewers were dissatisfied with the tool only allowing to edit randomly-generated tracks instead of letting users create their own track-layouts. The AI was also criticized for still making CPU-drivers brake unexpectedly and not being aware of the player’s car on the track, just as in previous games in the series. IGN called it “the series’ now trademark zombie A.I.” Here is an incredible overlook of GT5 by Qore: We couldn’t resist posting this video by the main man himself, Kevin Butler, about his influence on GT5: Please leave a comment about your thoughts regarding the game and any other helpful links! Original photo at the top of the story taken in-game by flickr user pllll. View the full article

Battle: Los Angeles, also known as World Invasion: Battle LA outside the U.S., is an upcoming 2011 science fiction film directed by filmmaker Jonathan Liebesman, and starring Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Michael Pena, and Bridget Moynahan. The film premise is inspired by the Battle of Los Angeles incident. For years, there have been documented cases of UFO sightings around the world – Buenos Aires, Seoul, France, Germany, China. But in 2011, what were once just sightings will become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world’s great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. It’s up to a Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and his new platoon to draw a line in the sand as they take on an enemy unlike any they’ve ever encountered before. Sony Pictures Entertainment has been investigating the possibility of legal action against the filmmakers Greg and Colin Strause, who were hired to do visual effects work on Battle: Los Angeles through their special effects company Hydraulx. Sony Pictures suspects the Strause Brothers have created their own Los Angeles based alien invasion film Skyline, which will compete with Battle: Los Angeles release, by using resources they had gained while working on Battle: Los Angeles without the consent of Sony Pictures. A spokesman for the Strauses has responded saying, “Any claims of impropriety are completely baseless. This is a blatant attempt by Sony to force these independent filmmakers to move a release date that has long been set by Universal and Relativity and is outside the filmmakers’ control.” Filming took place from September 2009 through October 2009 in Shreveport and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Principal photography began in the second week of September in Shreveport with scenes depicting a destroyed interstate filled with cars, an overturned tanker truck, and a crashed helicopter. Special effects used, which were unfamiliar in the Shreveport area, included pyrotechnics. The most climactic of all was a large fireball producing explosion, which alarmed passers-by unfamiliar with the filming. Film crews implemented use of a large “green-screen” billboard at the base (end) of the “destroyed” interstate to use later for inserting CGI images of Los Angeles. Marines of VMMT-204, Marine Corps Air Station New River North Carolina were present for filming in Baton Rouge from October 19 through October 22, 2009. During this period there were multiple shots filmed of the MV-22B Tiltrotor aircraft flying and turning while on the ground. There were also shots of Marines entering and exiting the aircraft. Also included Marines and CH-46′s from HMM-774 (Medium Lift Helicopter Squadron) stationed in Norfolk, VA, as well as marines from 3D BN 23D Marine Regiment in Belle Chasse, LA. View the full article

When Sony released their groundbreaking world’s first interchangeable camcorder NEX-VG10, they mentioned that a professional model will follow as well. Currently under development, new NXCAM has surfaced and like its semi-professional cousin, it will be compatible with e-Mount lenses as well as “α” A-mount lenses. It will deliver 1080p (60p / 30p / 24p or 50p / 25p) recording modes in AVCHD, something that NEX-VG10 is missing and left with 1080i to entertain your video projects. Here is a little video teaser and a short press release. Looks a little boxy, but

When SonyStyle debuts new and or updated VAIOs, it is highly recommended to check out the special line of called VAIO Signature Collection as you as a buyer will be pleasantly surprised by rare and eye-catching offerings. In most cases you will witness hip and trendy VAIOs aimed to match your fashion-forward lifestyle as well as impress your friends around you. Due to the nature of this collection, it is usually a limited production, so act quickly before they disappear. So what exactly Sony has launched this holiday season? VAIO X has come back in Gold, this VAIO when first introduced back last year was a huge hit and sold out real quickly, so due to the demand for that color you will be able to score one again and with current promotion you can even save $200. It’s an awesome notebook for those of us who like to travel light and enjoy the true beauty of engineering. Feel free to check out our unboxing video of its previous generation here. Next in the line up is a VAIO P outfitted in Pink and Black crocodile and looks like a nice clutch. VAIO EA series with the black and gold Arabesque designs is something you have to check out in person. Very detailed pattern shows off really well in gold. And of course there is an all powerful and intricate VAIO Z that has a few custom options that will blow you away in specifications and definitely bankrupt you for a couple of years. This season’s Carbon Fiber Z is one to consider with the premium specs including Full HD, Ci7 processor, a hybrid graphics card, BDRW, 512 GB SSD, 8 GB RAM and ships with Windows 7 Ultimate. Another thing to note is that a TPM chip is now included on all new Z’s. Pretty cool, all it is missing is a USB 3.0 slots but we’ll forgive them for now, as those will be widely available in 2011 line up on many VAIOs.

http://www.sonyinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/LiveView_2.png We wanted to take another look at Sony Ericsson LiveView, which is a micro display the company announced several months ago. The low-cost, thin, low weight 1.3 inch color OLED display (128×128) is crisp and can provide information from your Android phone through a bluetooth connection. It recently went on sale in several countries in Europe, and will eventually be available in the coming months around the world. Sony Ericsson is quick to state that its compatible with of course their XPERIA X10, X10 Mini, and X10 Mini Pro phones but it’s also compatible with many other phones running Android 2.0. [sthumbs=1733|1731|1729|1730|1728|1727|1724|1725|1735|1726,160,4,n,center,] With LiveView, you don’t have to take your phone out of your pocket to check up on the usual suspects, such as texts, e-mails, and Facebook/Twitter statuses. Its all available in this tiny display, which has much more functionality than you think. In some ways, its that geeky watch I’ve always been looking for, and the four day battery life is not too shabby especially when it can be recharged very easily via the common MicroUSB cord. Sony Ericsson even knows they have created the ultimate Android accessory, a watch, by including a wrist strap when you buy the device. Cost? Less than $50-75 equivalent in most European countries, so the outlook is good here for a similar price range. I currently have an iPhone 4, but when I switch over to Android (the PSP Phone) this will be a must have. The features are great and keep expanding. Here’s an idea: Music player control Play, pause, next, previous track and volume adjustment Track title display Social Networking Services Display Facebook updates Display Twitter updates Messaging/Web Display incoming texts Display RSS feeds Calls Show phone number for incoming calls Mute ringer for incoming phone calls List of missed calls Other Calendar reminders Find your phone Display time and date [sthumbs=1738|1741|1737|1736,160,4,n,center,] What’s really neat is Sony Ericsson is not letting this turn out to be a one-trick pony, as there will be more apps for the device in the future. Finding LiveView-enabled apps will also be a breeze, according to the official press release: To find Sony Ericsson LiveView enabled applications, Sony Ericsson has developed the Sony Ericsson LiveWare Manager application. It will scan Android Market for Sony Ericsson LiveView enabled applications and present them to the user. The Sony Ericsson LiveWare manager will be available from Android Market, or come preinstalled in phone bundles. Sony Ericsson UK has a brief LiveView compatibility list (which is in no way complete, just merely an example): Samsung Galaxy S Samsung Galaxy S 2.1 HTC Desire HTC Desire 2.2 HTC Desire Z 2.2 HTC Nexus One 2.2 HTC Wildfire 2.1 Motorola Milestone 2.0.1 Motorola Milestone XT720 [url={url}]View the full article[/url]

We wanted to take another look at Sony Ericsson LiveView, which is a micro display the company announced several months ago. The low-cost, thin, low weight 1.3 inch color OLED display (128×128) is crisp and can provide information from your Android phone through a bluetooth connection. It recently went on sale in several countries in Europe, and will eventually be available in the coming months around the world. Sony Ericsson is quick to state that its compatible with of course their XPERIA X10, X10 Mini, and X10 Mini Pro phones but it’s also compatible with many other phones running Android 2.0. What’s really neat is Sony Ericsson is not letting this turn out to be a one-trick pony, as there will be more apps for the device in the future. Finding LiveView-enabled apps will also be a breeze, according to the official press release: To find Sony Ericsson LiveView enabled applications, Sony Ericsson has developed the Sony Ericsson LiveWare Manager application. It will scan Android Market for Sony Ericsson LiveView enabled applications and present them to the user. The Sony Ericsson LiveWare manager will be available from Android Market, or come preinstalled in phone bundles. Sony Ericsson UK has a brief LiveView compatibility list (which is in no way complete, just merely an example): Samsung Galaxy S Samsung Galaxy S 2.1 HTC Desire HTC Desire 2.2 HTC Desire Z 2.2 HTC Nexus One 2.2 HTC Wildfire 2.1 Motorola Milestone 2.0.1 Motorola Milestone XT720 View the full article

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced the recipients of the 62nd Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards that will take place on Thursday, January 6th, 2011 as part of the 2011 International CES in Las Vegas. This event marks the fifth consecutive year that the Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards have been presented in conjunction with the International CES. The presentation will take place in the Marcello Ballroom at The Venetian beginning at 6:30 p.m. Launched in 1948, the Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards honor development and innovation in broadcast technology and recognize companies, organizations and individuals for breakthroughs in technology that have a significant effect on television engineering. The National Academy’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in Technology and Engineering will be presented to Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman and CEO of Sony Corporation. Sir Howard Stringer is one of the most respected executives in the communications industry. Since joining Sony Corporation, he has proven to be an innovative leader, spearheading the adoption of the Blu-ray format while leading the company’s high-profile expansion into digital broadcasting, the Internet and computer technology, including 3D TV. View the full article