Sony Develops “SmartAR” Integrated Augmented Reality Technology
Sony Memory Stick Gets a Speed Boost of Up to 50 MB/sec
Sony Bravia HX929 Firmware Available, New Features Abound
Sir Howard Stringer Addresses PSN/Qriocity Customers
PSP®go Phase Out
Music Unlimited Service Coming to Your PSP
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Sony Japan released a camcorder specific DVD writer – VRD-P1 that will help you flawlessly create DVDs by connecting your camcorder via USB cable with One-Touch Dubbing function, of course assuming that the content recorded on your camera does not need any editing done priror to creating a DVD. You may also connect it to your TV for playback purposes. It will cost around $165.
In December, PS2 officially broke the record as the first video game console in history to sell over 50 million units in North America. This is a tremendous achievement and truly reinforces PS2 as the best-selling gaming platform and one of the most successful technology products ever released. SCEA thanks its loyal fans for supporting the PlayStation 2 platform since its launch. To date, PS2 owners bought more than 500 million software units and it remains the most-played console on the market. The fact that the PS2 is in its ninth year and continues to engage consumers further validates Sony’s mission of delivering ten years of entertainment value with all of their platforms.
Introduced on October 26, 2000, the PS2 rocked the gaming world with the then-fledgling DVD format and software titles that went on to become some of the biggest franchises in gaming history. Titles such as Grand Theft Auto, Madden NFL, Gran Turismo and Jak & Daxter defined what entertainment meant for the PS2’s generation of gaming and beyond, marking the platform as one of the most successful for game developers. Used as the de-facto DVD video player in tens of thousands of living rooms across North America, the PS2 also helped establish the DVD format in the market. The combination of killer titles, advanced technology, and innovative applications is what set the PS2 apart as the dominant gaming system and helped pave the landscape for SCEA today.
This milestone showcases the significant impact that PlayStation has made on the gaming industry and reinforces what is to come on PlayStation 3. No other video game console has come close to what’s been achieved with the PS2 and Sony is slowly on track to do this again on the PS3. PS2 owners still have much to look forward to in the coming year.
Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) announced today that the Ethernauts’ journey continues with the sixth Legends of Norrath set, Against the Void. Scheduled for release next month, Against the Void pushes the epic story of the previous set, Ethernauts, into dark new territory, while also adding more than 280 new gameplay cards, 16 new loot cards for both EverQuest and EverQuest II, two new playable avatar races, and 10 brand-new scenarios.
In response to Legends of Norrath’s overwhelming success, SOE is also extending its five booster pack promotion so that all EverQuest and EverQuest II subscribers with paid subscriptions in good standing will receive five digital Legends of Norrath trading card booster packs per month at no additional cost.
“The response to the five booster pack promotion has exceeded our expectations, which is why we’re continuing it with Against the Void,” said Scott Martins, director of development for SOE Denver. “We love seeing all the new faces in our lobbies and tournaments, and there really is no better time for new players to try Legends of Norrath.”
Against the Void Features:
The Story of the Ethernauts Continues – Against the Void is the second of three chapters in the epic Ethernauts storyline! Players of EverQuest II The Shadow Odyssey will instantly recognize the characters and settings from Ethernauts and Against the Void, and learn more about the backstory of the most recent MMO release.
New Cards – More than 280 new gameplay cards are available through booster packs, tournaments, promotions and scenarios.
New Gameplay – Cards with the new keyword “Attuned” change factions to match the player’s avatar, opening up exciting new gameplay strategies.
New Loot! – How would you like your very own traveling band? Or turn yourself into a Voidman Warrior? Or ride through Norrath on a Fiery Dire Bear or White Lion? This is all possible with 16 new loot cards each for EverQuest and EverQuest II.
New Playable Avatars and Characters – Against the Void introduces new Fae and Arasai playable avatars, and features units representing Knights, Gnomes, Orcs and Iksars.
New Scenarios – Against the Void will offer 10 brand-new scenarios, continuing the story of the Ethernauts and offering exciting loot for completing certain milestones. You’ll have to fight your way through a variety of different enemies before the final battle with Sartar the Unrivaled, a mighty Iskar hero!
Five Booster Packs per Month Extended! – SOE is extending its five booster pack per month promotions to EverQuest and EverQuest II subscribers with current, paid accounts in good standing. This is a great way to quickly build a collection of cards to bring into Legends of Norrath and begin playing.
Legends of Norrath Against the Void will be available in February in 15-card booster packs for $2.99 USD (plus applicable taxes). Also look for the Ethernauts Legendary Starter Pack for $19.99 USD (plus applicable taxes).
Developed at SOE’s Denver studio, Legends of Norrath is the only online trading card game based on and playable from within SOE’s popular EverQuest and EverQuest II MMOs, as well as from a free stand-alone client using a free SOE Station Account ID (available at www.station.com). Players can challenge opponents on their game server and across other EverQuest and EverQuest II servers.
To get started, players can for free, test their skills 24 hours a day against AI and real opponents, and then head over to the tournament lobby to compete. Tournament eligibility is limited and subject to Official Rules. Residents of certain territories are ineligible to participate in LoN tournament play. Please see the for details. For a schedule of events, rules and further details, see the or the . For more information on Legends of Norrath, visit the website at www.legendsofnorrath.com.
It has been a decade since Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) rewrote the rules and forever changed the video game industry with its massively multiplayer online game, EverQuest. To celebrate the historic milestone, today SOE held a private event at the Consumer Electronics Show to unveil the exclusive cover art being used for an upcoming book that recounts how the story of Norrath became a global phenomenon and attracted millions of players.
The art for EverQuest: The 10th Anniversary Collector’s Edition, created by master artist Donato Giancola and displayed for the first time at CES 2009, shows iconic elf princess Firiona Vie leading a band of adventurers into battle against an evil wizard and his enormous dragon ally in the Swamp of No Hope.
“We are thrilled that a talented artist such as Donato has created an exclusive masterpiece in honor of the celebration of the EQ legacy,” said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. “The cover brings together a special selection of EverQuest artwork and documents the quintessence of an intensive creative process over the last decade.”
EverQuest: The 10th Anniversary Collector’s Edition celebrates EverQuest’s legacy by taking a look at the past, present and future of the brand. The book, written by veteran video game book author Rusel DeMaria, includes essays and photographs of the events, products, personalities and art that graced the world of Norrath over the years. Rich in vivid detail, each page will help tell the story of the evolution and its place in our culture.
SOE will also hold special events around the country in honor of the 10th Anniversary of EverQuest throughout 2009.
The book, published by BradyGames, will be available for purchase online and at select retailers in North America later this year for a suggested retail price of $49.99. Pre-orders are available at www.bradygames.com/everquest10.
Oh, how fickle the Internet can be. In an original Gizmodo post about installing OS X onto a Netbook, they noted that “Brian X. Chen said earlier today via Twitter that Apple “is suing Wired for my video tutorial on hacking netbooks to run Mac OS X.” However, things quickly changed as the story exploded and soon the updates started pouring in. I was ready to post something about it yesterday, but wanted to make sure I understood how things were going to progress before doing so. And of course, things did evolve – “Brian just tweeted that they’re not being sued, but notably, Gadget Lab’s video has still been taken down.” which then turned into – “Wired got back to us. The official story is that they’re not being sued, it was just a misunderstanding by Chen. But Wired has pulled the video after reviewing Apple’s complaint about it.”
So it looks like Apple turned on the heat with Wired and they backed down. I assume that whatever e-mail was sent to Wired certainly spooked Brian Chen, to the point where he would publicly state on Twitter that he was getting sued. This brings up several interesting questions – if a big public technology company comes after you and you’re a blogger, do you say something about it? Should Brian have just kept quiet? I think that Apple should let others try these endeavors, with the exception of promoting software piracy, because to do otherwise is a restriction on the essence of this industry – innovation and imagination.
Is it right for Apple to really pursue this when it essence it is just a consumer showing them that they want the ability to install the operating system on hardware of their choice? Of course, the video also described going to The Pirate Bay and downloading an illegal copy of OS X off a torrent, which Wired really shouldn’t have promoted. Most people watching the video in the first place probably understand where to get the bloody software from anyways.
Sony’s Contrast* Flex OLED VAIO laptop is a super-thin laptop product concept. We were able to catch footage of its introduction video at Sony’s exhibit during CES 2009. We believe that Sony is assuming OLED will be the preferable choice of display for future laptop devices instead of what we currently use today. The Contrast Vaio laptop uses a foldable seamless OLED for the display and the keyboard, but as the videos show the keyboard can fade away and the whole thing can display something else. This concept has no restrictions on layout and size, and is extremely durable and shock resistant. Like the other Contrast product concepts, it is made of high performance flexible bioplastic.
This is a VAIO laptop that could happen in five to ten years, according to chatter overheard at CES. We have no idea if Sony is going to stay this course, but it is being prototyped in Sony labs so its a good indication that yes, we will have something very similar to this one day. We can assume that such a slim, almost paper thin design like this would be most certainly possible considering flash miniaturization and other component optimization. Enjoy.
* – A seldom discussed portion of Sony’s CES 2009 exhibit is a new series of products that is referred to as Contrast. This product line is the future of Sony, as it incorporates three main technologies: OLED, touch, and physical flexibility. There were three products displayed – a Flex OLED Walkman, Reader, and VAIO laptop. engadget had some real pictures, but they were just mockups. Now we’re bringing video to the table – video we were able to capture after CES was closed on day 2 that shows off the functionality of these new products.
OLED display capabilities in terms of color reproduction are far beyond the average LCD, which means 100% color reproduction across a wider viewing angle. Want to learn more about Flex OLED? Watch this.
This video is a Sony Insider exclusive, brought to you here first. Props to engadget for the IRL pics though.
AkihabaraNews were very lucky to get their mittens on VAIO P…. boxed! Yea, we know some of you are junkies for unboxing ceremonies, so check out the small box it comes in and very few contents that are included with it: Standard Capacity Battery (VGP-BPS15/B), AC Adapter(VGP-AC10V2), JP Warranty card and Manuals, as well as replacement rubber pointing stick caps. Just a note: the box you see in these pictures may not necessarily be the same when VAIO P hits US and EU shores. I noticed that sometimes Japanese packaging differs greatly from the rest of the world. US versions will be bundled with a Display/LAN adapter (VGP-DA10).
Hit the Flickr link to see all the goodness… I am sure a YouTube unboxing video will show up soon as well…
Interesting story was reported by IDG News Service today about stolen prototype SE phones and police was able to acquire a SE employee who was able to pretty much get a number of those phones and bring them to his home. This is pretty serious as if any pictures or specs got leaked to the internets, it could damage the companies future plans on releasing new products. However we cannot confirm whether the leak has actually occurred. Check the story below for more info:
A number of stolen prototypes of Sony Ericsson mobile phones were found at the home of a company employee, Swedish police said on Wednesday.
Sony Ericsson is keeping quiet about the situation. A spokesman at the company confirmed that a number of prototypes were involved, but wouldn’t elaborate on any of the details, Computer Sweden reported.
The theft was committed sometime during the night between Monday and Tuesday, and yesterday the police received information pointing to the employee.
The person was taken into custody, and has since been questioned by the police. They did not elaborate on what was revealed, according to Computer Sweden.
What the person was planning to do with the phones — which are worth about 750,000 Swedish kronor (US$90,000), according to the police — and what kind of devices were stolen remains unclear.
Prototypes can be very valuable to the competition, because they show where a company is heading in the long term, according to Chris Hazelton, research director for mobile and wireless at The 451 Group.
But he doesn’t think companies would be willing to consort with a criminal to get their hands on upcoming phones.
These days it’s more common that employees leak pictures of upcoming phones to gadget blogs. It’s rare that there isn’t any information available on a phone at the time of launch, Hazelton said.
Hazelton was impressed by how successful Palm was at keeping its new Pre smartphone under wraps before its launch last week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Sony Ericsson was the third largest phone manufacturer during the third quarter last year, after winning a close battle with LG Electronics and Motorola. But its sales dropped compared to the same period in 2007, according to Gartner.
According to the press release below SE has spread its wings of entertainment to Asia Pacific area. So far Europe was the first one to experience the new online offerings, and we have not heard of any plans about similar initiative being launched in the US…. I’d say they better hurry if they want the market share exploited by wireless careers like AT&T and Verizon Wireless… Read on:
Mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson launched a new service Wednesday where handphone users in the Asia Pacific region can download the latest movies, TV series, games and music from its retail stores.
PlayNow Kiosk is limited to Sony Ericsson handphone users and is part of the firm’s efforts to differentiate itself amid tougher competition due to the global economic slump, company officials and analysts said.
During the first phase of the launch, the service will be available at more than 80 Sony Ericsson stores in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, the company said in a statement.
The stores will feature a station where customers can plug in their phones, browse and download the latest movies within just three to four minutes for a fee.
Popular television series, games, ringtones and music, including more than 1,800 albums and 23,000 individual tracks, are also available.
With the economic crisis, “the competition is getting tougher so therefore we need to differentiate ourselves from our competitors,” said Hirokazu Ishizuka, corporate vice president and head of Asia Pacific region at Sony Ericsson.
“This is the solution, we will provide a mobile entertainment experience which nobody can do,” he told AFP.
As of the third quarter last year, Sony Ericsson was in third place behind Nokia and Samsung in terms of market share in the Asia Pacific region outside Japan, said Aloysius Choong, research manager at market intelligence firm IDC.
He said PlayNow Kiosk is expected to “create an opportunity for impulse buys and instant gratification” as the service is available in strategic places such as train stations.
“The overarching story here is that the various device makers… are looking for ways to go beyond selling just devices into generating revenues from selling multi-media content and services,” Choong told AFP.
The content however must be broadened to include local content for movies and television shows, he said.
Sony’s Contrast* Flex OLED Reader is a super-thin Reader product concept. We were able to catch footage of its introduction video at Sony’s exhibit during CES 2009. We are assuming that Sony is assuming OLED will be the preferable choice of display for future Reader devices instead of E-Ink. Bendable material simulates the flexible reading experience from a book. Could you imagine bending a Flex OLED display to quickly flip pages, or bend the corners of each page to go through more pages? This Flex OLED reader incorporates durable Flex OLED display and high performance bioplastic.
This is an electronic Reader that could happen in five to ten years, according to chatter overheard at CES. We have no idea if Sony is going to stay this course, but it is being prototyped in Sony labs so its a good indication that yes, we will have something very similar to this one day. We can assume that such a slim, almost paper thin design like this would be most certainly possible considering flash miniaturization and other component optimization. Enjoy.
* – A seldom discussed portion of Sony’s CES 2009 exhibit is a new series of products that is referred to as Contrast. This product line is the future of Sony, as it incorporates three main technologies: OLED, touch, and physical flexibility. There were three products displayed – a Flex OLED Walkman, Reader, and VAIO laptop. engadget had some real pictures, but they were just mockups. Now we’re bringing video to the table – video we were able to capture after CES was closed on day 2 that shows off the functionality of these new products. Keep an eye out tomorrow afternoon for the last video in this segment – the Flex OLED VAIO Laptop.
OLED display capabilities in terms of color reproduction are far beyond the average LCD, which means 100% color reproduction across a wider viewing angle. Want to learn more about Flex OLED? Watch this.
This video is a Sony Insider exclusive, brought to you here first. Props to engadget for the IRL pics though.
