Sony Japan Expands Bravia Internet Widgets To Include Picture Tuning Software, SMS Message Board

Sony is offering a free update to KDL-V5/J5/XR1/X1/W1/F1/V1/J1/JE1 / M1 series Bravia owners in Japan that enables a picture adjustment (x-Tuning) and message board for your home (x-Message Board).

The x-Tuning software allows users to change the image quality of the set through a helpful guide that shows two images. Based on what image you find to have the better color, your set changes to those color settings. Here you can see below a child in two separate color temperatures. The service detects your TV and adjusts your set accordingly based on your choice.

Sony’s x-Message Board is an interesting addition, and allows one to share SMS messages with users of network enabled Sony televisions. What’s neat is that this is backwards compatible with most network enabled Bravias dating back to 2007. You can send messages up to 30 characters, and choose background and character colors. You can also send position information, and send up to three messages at once. It seems to be compatible with DoCoMo / au / 3 carrier Softbank.

To make it as unobtrusive as possible, Sony made it so that while you’re watching TV a message pops up stating you have a new message. I wasn’t able to figure out if MMS capabilities were supported. I do know however that the images below demonstrate how it would appear to watch TV and message at the same time.

Sony Japan Creates Nav-U Software For PSP’s GPS Add-on

Sony and Zenrin are teaming up to make new navigation software for the PSP that mirrors the Nav-U navigation experience. While this will be exclusive to Japan when it arrives on November 5th at Y8190, it is possible that one day you could see something like this elsewhere. All the features of the Nav-U experience are there, including a powerful search (address, telephone, etc), and walking routes. What’s truly interesting however is the return of PlaceEngine technology, which you can use on this new software. PlaceEngine is basically GPS through WiFi. You can read more about the PlaceEngine technology here – in Japan its killer because there is a great number of people using it, which makes it more accurate.

This software will really excel at being for pedestrians in Japan, as it has information for sidewalks, crossings, subway, and so forth.

This looks very attractive – especially in the 3D mode, which makes this probably the most polished and realistic total offering for the PSP GPS experienceto date. It also makes great sense for the PSP and Nav-U teams to work together. If Sony could bring this software to the US in a sub $100 bundle it would be a great compliment to the PSP Go. However, if I remember reading previously, Sony may be partnering up with Tele Atlas for the USA PSP GPS offering. When will that happen?

Sony Releases Very Competitively Priced A550 And A500 DSLR Cameras

Sony has released two new Alpha cameras today alongside the incredible A850 that are very competitive in their price range. The 14.2 megapixel A550 has the features of the $1,400 camera for $500 less and 12.3 megapixel A500 is nice at $750, respectively. Let’s take a look – Sony is calling these “the camera for photographers.”

For a higher level of performance, the new Sony α550 DSLR camera is a simply delicious at $949 (for camera body), with the 18-55mm DT zoom lens package at $1049. It has Quick Auto Focus, Manual Focus and live view on a tiltable 3.0″ LCD. 7fps at 14.2MP and up to ISO 12800 sensitivity should capture any situation perfectly, while you command the full range of light and shadow with Auto HDR. For critical focus in macro and tripod shooting, the α550 also offers Manual Focus Check Live View. Temporary 7x and 14x zoom views enable you to focus on extremely fine detail while the 1x view shows 100% framing in the LCD.

There is many other features that you can read about at the well designed SonyStyle page for the A550. I noticed that you can take up to 1000 shots on a single charge (optical viewfinder mode); up to 520 shots (Live View mode) with Sony Stamina battery power. Sony’s InfoLITHIUM battery system enables you to see the percent of power remaining, so you can keep shooting in confidence.

The α550 accepts Memory Stick PRO Duo/Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo and SD/SDHC media (sold separately), and has an HDMI output.

The A500 is virtually similiar in many ways to the A550, as expected, but has 12.3 megapixels and 5fps continous shooting. The LCD also has less pixels at 230K compared to the 921K on the A550. Both models have the usual features including Face Detection, Smile Shutter, and so forth. Read about the new Sony A500 at SonyStyle.

Other links of interest include an incredible and complete overview of the A550 at DPreview. Be sure to check out their hands-on preview of the A550. I particuarily enjoyed how DPreview said “intends to break the entry level market down into more segments than any other manufacturer has before tried. So now, in the sub $900 market, Sony offers five DSLRs – the price conscious A230, the simplified A330 and A380 live view cameras and the A500 /A550 for the more experienced DSLR user.”

Sony’s New A850 Is A $2,000 24.6 Megapixel Full-Frame DSLR

Sony’s update to their successful A900 is the new A850, which has the same 24.6 megapixel Exmor CMOS sensor (continuous shooting up to 3fps) and virtually all of the same features. Sony’s competition will have a tough time trying to beat this 35mm DSLR with full-frame capabilities, considering it will retail for only $2,000 in the USA. However, lets go ahead and get this out of the way: it doesn’t have video. Most people won’t be buying a $2,000 DSLR for video capabilities. I don’t believe Sony will implement this until they have perfected it, as DSLR video still has shortcomings.

Shots can be viewed on the large, high contrast 3.0 inch LCD that offers an exceptionally high resolution (921k dot) for critical evaluation – even outdoors or in bright ambient light. For greater creative control, an Intelligent Preview function indicates the effects of exposure, white balance, and D-Range Optimizer adjustments prior to shooting. This Preview is invaluable when composing complex scenes that may typically combine multiple light sources with different color temperatures.

The A850 also features SteadyShot INSIDE. This in-body optical stabilization system delivers up to 4 steps of anti-shake correction with all Sony, Minolta and Konica-Minolta compatible lenses, and even wide angle or large aperture lenses, opening up even greater creative possibilities when shooting handheld. Noise reduction is first applied as the full-frame sensor converts light to electronic signals. Dual BIONZ image engines process large amounts of digital data, applying finely-tuned noise reduction during image processing to deliver pictures with extremely high level of sharpness and minimal noise level. This combination of high native sensor resolution and powerful noise control techniques ensures superlative image quality, even at high sensitivity settings up to a maximum ISO 6400 (with expanded ISO range)

Touching the Fn button switches the display to Quick Navi mode, allowing convenient one-handed adjustment of key shooting parameters. A secondary backlit LCD panel on the top of the camera body gives useful confirmation of major settings, even when the main LCD is turned off.

Like its full-frame sibling, the A850 is ruggedly built for dependable performance in grueling conditions with a high-tensile aluminum chassis and all-magnesium alloy body shell. Viewfinder, card slots, controls and other sensitive areas are protected from dust and moisture by rubber seals. In addition, an anti-dust system guards the full-frame sensor from the effects of dust entering the body during lens exchange.

The supplied high-capacity InfoLITHIUM rechargeable Battery Pack (NP-FM500H) delivers power for up to 880 shots (approx.) per charge. Battery levels can be monitored in precise 1% increments, cutting uncertainty about remaining shooting time.

The camera includes dedicated slots for high-capacity Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo, HX series and CompactFlash media. The A850 also features HDMI output.

PS3′s New Ad Campaign – “It Does Everything”

Sony is moving full speed ahead in promoting the benefits of the PS3 after the recent price drop. Peter Dille/Senior Vice President, Marketing & PlayStation Network gives us a sneak peek at the latest campaign: “It Only Does Everything”. In his posting on the Official PlayStation Blog, he goes on to mention the focus of the campaign will be different than those in the past. While a large segment of the market is completely aware of all the capabilities of the PS3, many people are not and the campaign is designed to extend the reach of the PS3 to a broader audience.

Going forward across various media formats, expect to see a lot coming from Sony highlighting the benefits of the PS3. The first teaser spot highlights the $299 price point and the second one the benefits of the PlayStation Network.

The first one is my favorite. I hadn’t laughed that hard since the CareerBuilder.com Superbowl commercial. Enjoy…

Sony Pimps Out Its Digital Frame With Swarovski Crystals

Are you getting tired of boring design that shows up on digital frames? Can we call it a design at all? Black, white, grey colors…Well Sony decided it needs some Swarovski beauty and they graced a special edition frame with a pretty design to match it. Check it out for yourself and see if it is something you would like to have on your desk, however you will not see any advanced features like Internet accessibility, built in Bluetooth, RSS and weather…just a pretty frame, you know.

Press release below:

Sony Electronics is launching a stylish holiday limited edition S-Frame® digital photo frame (model DPF-D72N/BQ) made with CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements.

• Embellished with beautiful CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements, loose cut crystal glass manufactured by Swarovski, the frame’s elegant design is sure to accent any space.

• Share your favorite photos in vibrant color and crisp detail on a 7-inch (measured diagonally) wide (16:10) LCD display with WVGA (800 x 480) resolution.

• The frame features about one gigabyte of internal storage capacity, with an auto-resizing adjustment that downsizes photos, to let you store up to 2,000 photos.

• Image transfer is a snap with direct USB input from your PC, as well as support for most memory cards, including Memory Stick PRO™, Memory Stick PRO Duo™, Secure Digital (SD), Multi-Media Card (MMC), Compact Flash®, xD-Picture Card™ media and SDHC.

• Set the frame vertically or horizontally and the model’s Auto Orientation sensor automatically rotates your photos into portrait or landscape format according to the placement. For added versatility, the frame can even be mounted on a wall.

• Clock and calendar modes provide added convenience for your home or office.

• The frame has a wide range of view modes, along with many other functions that can be managed from the included remote control.

• Multiple playback options offer flexibility to display photos as single images, as thumbnails for easy searching or as a slideshow with 10 built-in transitions.

• The new S-Frame model supports JPEG and RAW (SRF, SR2, ARW) image file formats.

• The DPF-D72N/BQ digital photo frame will be available for about $150 in October and can be purchased online at http://www.sonystyle.com, at Sony Style® retail stores and at authorized dealers nationwide.

Sony Japan Embraces Earth Tones With Classy MDR-570LP Headphones

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

The weight of the 570LP is 110g, while the driver unit is 30mm, and is about as standard as it gets in terms of audio quality.

Sony Japan Gets Fashionable With Very Girly MDR-370LP Headphones

Sony Japan is showing off new open-air stereo headphones (MDR-370LP, Y3,675) that come in chic colors due October 10th. The MDR-370LP is aimed towards young women and other unique personalities that enjoy fashion – and has some interesting pink, white, blue and green colors to choose from. The different colors and designs on the headphone bands look great – I’d love to see a more masculine version of these. What’s truly curious is the felt-like material on the headphone itself, which appears quite soft and should be perfect for delicate womanly ears. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that material on a headphone before.

Sony is also making the experience cute from head to toe with the inclusion of a spherical tip at the end of the connector. It would probably look very unique (to say the least) plugged into a MP3 player. The headphones also only weigh 53g, making them very light and unobtrusive to a woman’s hair.

With a 30mm driver unit, this is about as standard as a headphone as can be sonically, meaning it’s probably going to deliver average sound. I assume that if you purchase these that audio quality isn’t the number one priority – its really more about fun. Here are some more pictures:

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X5 Concept

One thing I have always liked about Sony is their sense of style. In way or another, they always seem to explore new design concepts to keep the consumer electronic space interesting and their latest concept is no exception.

Intomobile recently reported on a Sony Ericsson concept called the XPERIA X5, created by a talented fellow who goes by the name Tob!s. Not only is the design sleek and stylish but it’s also set to be running Android which is quickly establishing itself as viable choice in the mobile phone OS arena.  Combine that with the multiple stylish colors, and you have another strong contender in the crowded mobile phone space. The specs were proposed to be a 3.5-inch touchscreen, 12-megapixel camera (with auto-focus and Xenon flash), HD video recording and of course access to Sony Ericsson’s App Store.

Now if this device can be delivered with enough processing power to run MVP,  I may have found my next phone.

Sony Japan Launches Five New Blu-ray Recorders With HD DVR Functionality

(BDZ-EX200)

Sony Japan has released information on five new DLNA Blu-ray recorders with digital TV tuner and DVR functionality, which allow you to record your favorite programs in HD (if possible). The one HDMI (1080 24p) and other output-equipped BDZ-RX100 (1TB, Y180,000), BDZ-RX50 (500GB, Y150,000), BDZ-RX30 (320GB, Y120,000), and BDZ-RS10 (320GB, Y100,000) will all arrive this September, while the monstrous 2TB BDZ-EX200 (Y280,000) with two HDMI (1080 60p/24p) and other outputs will show up in retail stores in early November. Did we mention you can record two programs at the same time with most models?

These recorders are also boasting updated CREAS 2 technology, which is the successor to the original CREAS (“Creativity Reality Empowering Architecture by Sony”) that basically improves SD and HD video quality through upscaling (e.g. converting 8-bit/10-bit to 14-bit), even from Blu-ray discs. This CREAS 2 integration allows users to choose what type of television they have and the setting, such as: LCD TV in a bright room, LCD TV in a dark room, OLED, Plasma, Projector, and so forth. CREAS 2 also boasts: better smoothing, noise elimination in animated films, enhanced color interpolation in compressed video, and enhanced black colors (“Clear Black”), which allows users to fine-tune the depth of black in the video.

(BDZ-RX100)

The BDZ-EX200/RX100/RX50 also features the ability to share content over a LAN, so your ethernet equipped television or PC in one room can be watching a recorded program while someone in another room can be watching a seperate recording. This suddenly makes me feel like my Comcast HD DVR is from the stone age.

Recording has been improved, and these units can automatically enforce variable bit rates while recording to ensure that your not wasting precious space on your hard drive. It’s selective, and will automatically assign more data based on movement in the scene. Transfer to mobile devices (Walkman, phone, PSP, etc) is back, and Sony boasts a new upcoming partnership and compatibility with mobile carriers DoCoMo, au, and even Sony’s own Nav-U devices. Consumers may also be pleased to read that these recorders once again work with Handycam camcorders, which allows owners to upload and view their videos via a simple USB connection. I assume other camcorders with USB can do the same. You can then burn those videos onto a Blu-ray disc, complete with attractive (and optional) menu integration for professional looking results, such as the calendar view example pictured above. Your created images and movies also can look better than before with the included x-Pict Story HD software, built into the device.

Sony is trying to push that these will be the easiest to use Blu-ray/HD DVR’s they’ve ever released, comparable to the ease of VHS recording, and offer an Easy Start Menu to help those along the way. Most models even include a VHS dubbing ability so you can convert your old tapes to digital via the analog inputs.

There is also information stating that the BDZ-RS10 (pictured below) has a 40% reduction in energy usage compared to last year’s model, the BDZ-T55. Standby power consumption is also 70% less than the aforementioned model. There is also mention of SKY!HD recording compatibility (an industry first), found in the BDZ-EX200/RX100/RX50.

(BDZ-RS10)

Here are the full specifications for each of the new Sony Blu-ray Recorders With HD DVR Functionality [BDZ-EX200 (2TB), BDZ-RX100 (1TB), BDZ-RX50 (500GB), BDZ-RX30 (320GB), and BDZ-RS10 (320GB)] (click to enlarge):

Here is the amount of recording time available on each model (click to enlarge):

..and the recording time and modes available for Blu-ray and DVD (click to enlarge):