Growing Up Proves Profitable

Grown Ups does well at the box office despite competition.

Now that the dust has settled, Grown Ups held it’s own despite having the stiff competition of Toy Story 3, Knight & Day, and Sony’s own The Karate Kid. Grown Ups opened to approximately 5,100 screens at 3,534 locations it’s launch on June 26th.

The all star cast of Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David spade created enough laughs to produce a worldwide gross of $123,160,919. Excellent numbers given a production budge of roughly 80 million.

Between the success of this film and The Karate Kid, Sony/Columbia has much to be happy about.

Hulu Plus Preview Available Now for PS3

PlayStation Plus subscribers can now download the Hulu Plus application from the PlayStation Store.

Starting today PlayStation Plus subscribers can, after downloading the Hulu Plus application, launch it and request an invitation to the exclusive  preview.

Hulu Plus expands their library by allowing to you view every episode aired from the current season of popular shows like glee, House, Family Guy and The Office. It also adds a  huge library of older shows, movies and documentaries. If accepted PS3 users will be required to pay the $9.99 fee Hulu is charging for access to the enhanced content.

Some would argue that the days of needing a centralized HTPC are going by the way side because of the enhanced functionality consoles are delivering to the living rooms and this is yet another example.  Between movies and television content being delivered on the PlayStation Network, Netflix, and now Hulu Plus, PS3 owners have quite a choice for their media content.

New Camcorder from Sony, Sexy Interchangeable Lens NEX-VG10

Dang! Look at this camcorder, I never thought I would attribute the word “sexy” to a camcorder, but technological semantics would be the right choice in this case. And I thought my old gen network camcorder (yea, it has bluetooth and can connect to the Internet) DCR-IP220 was a looker.

From NEXlens

We have heard of interchangeable lens cameras in its NEX line up (I believe the first camera to sport the interchangeable lens would be my Sony Qualia 016 model) and now Sony pushed this idea into camcorder realm and hooked up this little guy to be compatible with Sony’s already established G Lens and Carl Zeiss® collection. Sony also packed bigger and better sensor into it. The NEX-VG10 has the same sensor format that Sony builds into the full-sized α DSLRs. With 19.5 times the surface area of conventional camcorders, the large Exmor™ APS HD CMOS sensor makes capturing cinematic video with a shallow depth of field a breeze.

From NEXlens

It can also shoot great pictures with its BIONZ® image processor and 14MP to start with. That processor provides Data Noise Reduction, Faster Image processing, and Data compression enabling high quality 24Mbps video recording. It also boasts a superb audio recording as well. High quality video requires high quality audio. The Quad Capsule Spatial Array stereo microphone contains four precision placed microphone capsules to provide exceptional front-side directivity and stereo separation.

For more nitty-gritty news and details hit this press release and also check out a better representation of its features at SonyStyle pre-sale page.

I think it is going to be my next camcorder and the Sony CX12 will go into retirement center.

Seth Rogen Is The Green Hornet

The Green Hornet is an upcoming 2011 superhero action/adventure film directed by Michel Gondry. The film is scheduled to be released on January 14th, 2011 and will be released in both in RealD 3D and IMAX 3D, as well as in 2D. Hornet has a $130 million budget and will be distributed by Columbia Pictures.

Britt Reid (Seth Rogen), son and heir to Los Angeles’ largest newspaper fortune, is a rich, spoiled playboy who has been happy to maintain a direction-less existence.

When his father James Reid (Tom Wilkinson) dies, Britt meets an impressive and resourceful company employee, Kato (Jay Chou). They realize that they have the resources to do something worthwhile with their lives and finally step out of James Reid’s shadow. Kato builds the ultimate weapon, The Black Beauty, an indestructible car with every weapon imaginable and Britt decides that in order to be heroes, they will pose as villains. With the help of Britt’s new secretary, Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz), they learn that the chief criminal in the city is named Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz). He has united all the gangs under his power, and he quickly sees that the Green Hornet is a direct threat to the prosperous criminal underworld he controls.

Rogen, along with everyone else officially attached to the project at that point, appeared at San Diego Comic-Con International 2009 and unveiled the Black Beauty, the Green Hornet’s car, as it will appear in the film. According to The New York Times, the production modified 29 cars to portray the Green Hornet’s luxurious supercar. The 29 cars were a mix of 1964, 1965 and 1966 Chrysler Imperials modified to resemble (but not exactly duplicate) the two 1966 Imperials used to portray the Black Beauty in the 1966 television series. The producers turned down product placement deals with both BMW and General Motors in favor of using the classic Chrysler.

Sony Eco-Innovation

The “Sonyverse” as I describe it touches so much in the electronic, film and tech world. But what you might find surprising is just how green a corporation Sony truly is.

For over 50 years, Sony has been developing cutting edge products and services that enrich and bring excitement to consumers around the world. As committed to innovation as Sony is, they are also committed to building a sustainable future. Sony’s goal is to create a cradle-to-cradle product life cycle.

By using recycled materials in production, building products that are energy efficient, and being a herald of product recycling, Sony recognizes the importance of showing consideration for our environment.

To achieve this, Sony has what it defines as Eco-Pillars. The three Eco-Pillars their environmental commitment is built on are as follows:

1. Products: Energy efficiency is the key element to Sony’s product line with eco-innovative features found in our products from televisions all the way to our mobile phones.
2. Process: How we make products is just as important as the products themselves. Sony is a strong participant in the EPEAT program™ and RoHS. We even use recycled material in both our packaging and printed marketing communications.
3. People: We are making it easier than ever for people to recycle their electronic devices with national initiatives such as the Rechargeable battery recycling program, Take Back Recycling program, and GreenFill.

Technological advancement is important to consumers. Newer technology at cheaper prices, that provides more functionality is a major consideration of the dollar conscious shopper. Consumers also challenge companies to be more aware of  how corporations affect the environment they live in. They want businesses to take an active role in reducing the impact that have on the environment as they continue to drive product research and development. Sony is doing it’s best accept this challenge, not only by being eco-friendly, but by setting the corporate example.

By being aggressive to lower energy consumption of it’s products, reducing energy use and waste in daily operations and being holding themselves accountable to protecting the environment, Sony take’s it’s position on being green very seriously. Sony Electronics headquarters in San Diego, CA is LEED certified, which is a recognized standard for measuring the building sustainability of high performing “green” buildings. The headquarters features solar panels, has achieved a 48% reduction in typical water usage, and has a Green Housekeeping program.

Here are a few of the Sony’s Green Milestones:

1992
Sony is the first consumer electronics company to use post-consumer plastics in mass production of products. We are currently using in excess of 2 million pounds of post-consumer plastics a year.

1993
Sony is the first company to operate a product-refurbishing center.

1999
Sony becomes a charter member of the EPA’s ENERGY STAR^® program for energy-efficient consumer electronics and wins Home Electronics Partner of the Year award.

2002
Sony establishes the Green Partner Environmental Quality Approval Program that eliminates harmful chemical substances from raw materials and components worldwide.

2008
Sony launches partnership with Waste Management, Inc for electronics recycling events and national collection depots throughout the US. As of December 2008, Sony has collected over 6,500 tons of consumer electronics through dedicated consumer collection events.

Creating cutting edge products, doesn’t mean they have to be cutting edge when it comes to energy consumption. For example the Bravia VE5 Series exceeds  ENERGY STAR^® 3.0 requirements by at least 50%, the majority of VAIO computer models are ENERGY STAR^® 5.0 compliant and have received either EPEAT Gold or Silver rankings, and as of 2008 Sony Blu-ray disc players have achieved 21% less power consumption in playback mode and 43% reduced power consumption in standby mode.

Sony has a clearly defined process that outlines how they are able to determine if they initiatives to be green are meeting with success. They focus on three separate and distinct areas as I will outline below.

Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) is a system that helps consumers select products based upon their impact on the environment.  Sony is a committed partner of this program with over 254 EPEAT registered products.

Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) is an important compliancy. The RoHS directive restricts the amount of certain materials such as lead and mercury used in electronic products All Sony VAIO computers have PVC-free exterior product casings and packaging.

Established in 2002 to encourage suppliers to produce components with minimal environmental impact, the Sony Green Partner certification, referred to as “upstream management,” is accomplished through complete traceability of all steps in the manufacturing process, from raw material procurement to finished goods delivery.

Sony has also set a goal to maintain product safety in shipping, yet at the same reduce the overall size of packaging. 80% – 90% post-consumer recycled content is used in packaging for products produced in Japan or China and 30% post-consumer recycled content packaging is used in packaging produced in San Diego, CA. We also use non-VOC vegetable oil-based ink in all Japanese made units. On the inside of the box, all Sony-created documentation uses 85% post-consumer recycled content.

An an industry leading move, Sony started the first ever national recycling program entitled the “Take Bake Recycling Program”. At no charge, consumers are allowed to recycle electronic products as well as packaging at over 270 drop off centers cross the US. Since 2007, over 17 million pounds of electronics have been collected. To find a drop off center in your area, click here. To go along with the Take Bake program, Sony also started the Green Fill recycling service. It’s the first in store style drop box solution. If your looking to recycle cameras, alarm clocks, navigation systems, or any other smaller electronics, this is the the location for you. Look for the kiosk above at your local electronic store.

And if you have Sony batteries, drop them in a box at any Sony Style store and they will do the rest.

The commitment to go green is a directive that comes from the top and is here to stay. At CES 2009, CEO Sir Howard Stringer spoke about seven imperatives for creating the ultimate user experience. At the end of the speech, Sir Howard’s concluded with his 7th imperative, his commitment to go green.

In this article I only scratched the surface of everything Sony is doing to be green. To find out more head over to www.sony.com/green.

So the next time you think of Sony, along with thinking of things like the PS3, Blu-ray or 3D TV, hopefully you will think of Eco-Innovation as well.

Metal Gear Solid RISING Coming to PS3

Shigenobu Matsuyama spoke with Game Trailers and gave some details on his new entry in to the Metal Gear Solid Universe.

The game centers on Raiden, and takes place between Metal Gear Solid 2 and 4 and it won’t explore what happens beyond Metal GearlSolid 4.The story begins with Raiden has already have assumed his cyborg form and should provide details on exactly how he arrived at the point he is in. This is only the first step in his evolution as Matsuyama-san stated the Raiden we see in Rising will completely different than the one we saw in Metal Gear Solid 4. This is an ambitious project but something we can look forward to as a series over time.  Matsuyama-san stated:

What we are planning as Kojima Productions is to have this Raiden Rising as almost as a standard

One of the key game elements is going to be a concept called “Zan-Datsu” when translated literally means cut and take.

Zan-Datsu

Raiden is going to be able to cut through almost anything at will and then take what he needs. As eluded to in the trailer, Raiden, as a cyborg, requires energy. He cuts open a robotic enemy, takes his power source and then absorbs it. There will be some limits as to what he can cut however. Matsuyama-san stated they are still evaluating this because “If we cut everything it won’t be good as a game”. He also  had this to say about cutting overall in the game:

Not going to praise people or say to people slicing in pieces is an incentive. You will not get rewarded for that.

The goal will be to use angles, and cut in the appropriate way so that you accomplish the Zan-Datsu concept. Matsuyama-san further stated, that the cutting shown was a demo of the cutting mechanic, and doesn’t define the entire focus of the game. That fall is in line with the focus of the series. He went on to add that this will be different than a typical Hideo Kojima game of MGS. Whereas Hideo Kojima games had humor, and were more story driven, the story for Rising is going to be more of a back story to the game. The game is going to be “more about having  pure fun in the action” as Matsuyama-san describes it.

The Metal Gear Solid he went on to say is geared more towards the core audience, who is familiar with Snake, and has played through the series. His game, while existing in the same universe,  is geared more towards those he described as being “reluctant to buy” MGS. He went on to mention it could be because stealth did not appeal to them, or they only had a 360. So he wants to target the “potential MGS user”. He highlighted that to enjoy the game, it isn’t required for you to have played through any other games in the series, and that you can have just as much enjoyment as long time fans of the series. It’s also designed to be more of an action based game and that is reflected in the tagline change from “Tactical Espionage Action” to “Lightning Bolt Action” as Raiden means thunder and lightning in Japanese (if you have ever played Mortal Kombat, you so just rolled your eyes).

Raiden looked very intense and focused in the trailer, and this was by design. Matsuyama-san wanted to elude to to the fact, as he puts it, that “Maybe he (Raiden) will be insane” giving us a hint at perhaps a story element that is as of yet un-revealed.

When asked about a the game’s progress, he stated it’s “proceeding very well” but that it is still very much in the development. The good news is that he lets everyone know that he won’t be shy about providing details about the game at upcoming gaming conventions as it progresses. With the Tokyo Game Show right around the corner, let’s hope we get more exciting details.

No release date set.

New Sony Camera Cases For 2010

Sony is showing off four new camera cases for 2010 that are quite stylish. Numerous color options will be available in the various models, and Sony has once again demonstrated they are one of the leaders in camera case design. We have found these items to be one of the best inexpensive gifts to give to someone for any occasion and look better than the other camera cases out there that we’ve seen.

Meet the LCS-CSY – a light, wallet-style case with textured nylon finish. Like the other cases, it protects your camera against dust, scratches and rain splashes and has an easy-open velcro flap. An internal pocket stores spare Memory Stick or SD Cards (not included) and it also has a belt loop attachment. It comes in one color, black, and has a red trim.

Made for the DSC-TX9 (but could possibly fit other cameras), the LCM-THC semi-hard carry case protects your camera against dust and scratches. The case has a premium finish in soft-touch, “velvet feel” polyurethane and the slim design takes up less space in pocket or bag. A sharp metal-look embossed trim compliments the color coordinated hand strap.

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The LCM-THC comes in three colors, including black, pink and gold.

The LCS-TWH is a light, easy-carry case in soft fabric and protects the camera against dust, scratches and rain splashes. An external pocket stores spare Memory Stick or SD cards (not included) and it includes a carabiner for attachment to belt loop, bag or rucksack.

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Purple, Pink, Black, White and Brown versions of the LCS-TWH will be available soon.

Next we have the LCS-TWJ semi-hard carry case that protects Cyber-shot (and other) cameras against dust and scratches. It has a premium finish in simulated leather and a slim design that takes up less space in pocket or bag. The metal-look embossed trim looks quite sharp and the case also has a belt loop attachment. Purple, Pink, Black, White and Brown versions will be available soon.

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We also had to give a special heads up for these two special edition Cyber-shot cases made exclusively for the two Japanese exclusive DSC-T99 models announced late last week. The LCS-THR camera case will be a true collectors item available in brown or gold. The brown version replicates the faux leather feel of brown T99 precisely, while the metal-look trim in brown with amber gem compliments the color coordinated hand strap. The gold version of this case continues on with the gold T99 floral pattern on the metal trim and also has a color coordinated hand strap. Both models also have a pocket for spare Memory Stick/SD cards.

Update: Sony Is Rolling Out Its 3D Cyber-shot Cameras

Today the Sony has released their first generation of Cyber-shot cameras supporting 3D technology if you use their Sweep Panorama mode. It was about time for this technology to start trickling down the product line. The DSC-TX9 and DSC-WX5 models will come equipped with 12.2 megapixel sensor polished under Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® and Sony G 4x zoom lens respectively. Of course to view the 3D effect of your panoramic pictures (which Sony says the camera captures high-speed burst of frames which are is stitched together using innovative processing techniques to automatically create detail-packed 3D panoramas) you gotta have a 3D TV and those glasses.

Also we learned that Sony will do some magic with your PS3 when they release a 3D Viewer for the console giving you the possibility of not only enjoying 3D photos via your PS3, but also navigating through your photos (Zoom, Pan) increasing the 3D effect drastically. Both T9 and WX5 will feature HDMI out so you could enjoy that 3D goodness on your TV.

Here is some images of the DSC-WX5, which looks quite smashing with its matching color lens ring and is available for $299 pre-order at SonyStyle. Colors include Black and Silver for the USA, while other territories will enjoy brown, beige, blue and pink variants:

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Sony really kicked up the detail of the WX5. Check out the back of the device – the font and so forth is a color shade that matches the color. I love it. Also in the small gallery below is two pictures of exclusive engraved models available by Sony only in Japan.

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Here is the DSC-TX9, which continues on with the popular Cyber-shot TX design that has been floating around for several product cycles. We don’t blame Sony for continuing to use this style, as it has proved popular among consumers.

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Of course, there is other TX9 exclusive engraved variants available in Japan:

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So, it sounds all pretty cool, but I am just wondering how many people out there will be sitting in front of their 3D TVs with their glasses on just to view the 3D panoramic images. I think for this technology to really take off we either have to have 3D printers or have 3D enabled displays requiring no glasses, but I am sure it is all in the works and current 3D is its baby stages of development.  I am sure forthcoming 3D VAIOs will be good to play with those images for a little bit.

There are a couple of new modes that Sony added to both of these cameras:

• Sweep Multi Angle™ lets you view images moving in simulated 3D right on the cameras’ LCD screen by tilting the camera back and forth
• Background Defocus, which simulates depth of field control and makes it easy to achieve pro-style images, similar to the results achieved with a DSLR camera and wide-aperture lens.
• Superior Auto mode captures a high-speed burst of up to six frames when you press the shutter button. Camera settings are automatically optimized according to shooting conditions. Cyber-shot™ then combines information from each frame to create an exquisite, low-noise picture with wide dynamic range, as enjoyed by DSLR photo enthusiasts.
• New Soft Skin mode flatters portrait subjects even further, automatically removing small wrinkles and skin blemishes for effortlessly beautiful results.

Sony US press release did not mention anything about its TransferJet capabilities, but we also learned that those two cameras will support it as well. You will just end up buying that special Memory Stick and any other accessories required for you to wirelessly transfer images between your TV and your PC (unless you own one of those VAIO F series that comes embedded with TransferJet tech).

TX9 and WX5 Cybershot cameras will allow you to shoot HD video either in 720p or 1080i mode respectively.

Here is an awesome video of the new DSC-WX5 and DSC-TX9 at the official Sony Japan press event, courtesy of Diginfonews:

Check out this quick snapshot WX5 in real life:

One on One with Patrick Seybold

Patrick Seybold, Sony’s Senior Director, Corporate Communications & Social Media was kind enough to allow me to chat with him after Sony’s excellent showing at E3. Mr. Seybold and I discuss PlayStation Move, PSP, the impact of social media, and Kevin Butler.

Sony had an excellent showing at E3 and redefined what the PlayStation brand is all about. What are your thoughts on the incredible reaction those in attendance at the Shrine Auditorium had to those announcements?

We saw an incredibly strong reaction from attendees at the PlayStation Press Conference and I think it’s in large part due to the diverse and new content that we were able to share with the audience. Topping the charts was the upcoming PlayStation Move motion controller and an in-depth look into how we are leading the 3D race, with demos on the show floor that ranged from Killzone 3 in 3D to Gran Turismo 5 in 3D. And on the PS3 platform we started the year with huge releases such as MAG, Heavy Rain, God of War III, MLB 10: The Show, and ModNation Racers. The momentum will carry through as we have an extremely strong back half of the year line-up from both our first party studios and our publishing partners. Our digital entertainment offerings, which comes packed today with premium original content from HBO, and 23,000 movies and TV shows from all of the major networks and studios, was met with more good news with the announcement of PlayStation Network’s new subscription based offering, PlayStation Plus. All in all, it was a great show and I think everyone was really excited by the volume and quality of great new games and hardware brought to the forefront at E3.

The PlayStation Move could almost be likened to t he launch of an entirely new console, and so many more A list titles will be coming out before the holiday season across the product line. What are some of the challenges in gearing up for what is going to be quite a busy year in the coming months?

Yes, exciting times are ahead of us as we look towards the arrival of the PlayStation Move. When PlayStation Move launches on September 19^th in the US, consumers will have access to a compelling line-up of motion-control titles that will appeal to both the casual and core gamers. We also have an incredibly deep line-up coming to PS3 and PSP, so the PlayStation brand will be broadly represented at retail and in consumer’s homes this holiday season.

As E3 demonstrated, the media and fans really identify with Kevin Butler, and those ad campaigns have really reached a whole new audience. What were your thoughts when you saw Kevin Butler make his appearance?

It was a great reaction and the crowd went wild when Kevin Butler appeared. Since launching the “It Only Does Everything” campaign last September, the public has really resonated with the messaging. The next few months it will be interesting to see how our core gamers take to the new advertising campaign “Step Your Game Up” for PSP and PSPgo. The focus is all about providing a deeper look into what makes a PlayStation Portable gaming experience more complete and enjoyable than anything else you’ll find on the market.

I couldn’t attend E3 this year due to scheduling issues, and a lot of people could not either, yet when you visit the E3 site in PS Home, you really get the sense of being there. Do you think this is something we can see moving forward? Might we see more virtual spaces in PS Home, like FEVA Stadium that really leverages the power of the PS3 against its competitors?

I am glad you liked the experience in PlayStation Home. It was very well received and with 250,000 visitors to the booth, it proved that people really utilize the PlayStation Home 3D virtual environment to connect with their fellow PS3 owners. You can expect us to do more of this in the future and while I can’t provide specifics on new spaces to be introduced in Home, you should keep watch because there will be more exciting spaces revealed throughout the remainder of this year.

Early on there was a lot of criticism against the PS3 for being too expensive, and for including technology that, at the time, appeared over-specced. Now all those early decisions are allowing the PS3 to offer experiences that aren’t possible on other consoles. Can you talk about what riding that wave was like, and how it feels to be where Sony is now?

We’ve always said that we are building a product that is future proof. We’ve been able to impress upon both our fan base and potential new customers that we not only have a serious gaming device, but we also have a powerful and unparalleled entertainment device that offers a wide variety of options for everyone – downloading content, photo storage, streaming music, sports, Blu-ray player, and now 3D. Consumers are responding and the PS3 has just surpassed ten consecutive months of double-digit year over year growth.

There were rumors swirling around about a PSP 2, yet Sony showed just how viable the current PSP is by having it take center stage and highlighting excellent titles on the way with a whole new ad campaign. Do you think this deep into the PSP life cycle it’s time for a refresh or does it have a few years left?

PSP is still going strong and has an incredibly deep pipeline of products in development. We already covered a bit about our new advertising campaign “Step Your Game Up” which shows our commitment to the product and to those fans that crave real full-length games. With big franchises like Metal Gear Solid, God of War coming to the platform this year, and new IP such as Invisimals showing off new augmented reality, PSP is still the best portable gaming device on the market.

Social media is a big part of how this generation gets its news and communicates. Your team has done an excellent job with this type of communication by having such an active community on the blog, the forums, twitter and is head and shoulders above what others are doing in the same space. What are the challenges in balancing so many different forms of communication and getting so many different people within Sony to participate?

Our PlayStation blog, the forums and Twitter have all helped us to get closer to our fans/customers. We have a constant interest to be able to utilize these social media tools to engage with the core user base, solicit opinions, provide intel and to course correct as needed based upon their input and feedback. Another good example of this is the PlayStation Share. We want to engage with those that use our products and know their likes/dislikes because that can only help us make a more targeted product. When you arrive at the homepage for Share it says:

Share is a place to formally submit your best ideas on how we can improve all PlayStation products. It’s also a place where you can discover and vote on other people’s ideas, as well as communicate with us and other PlayStation fans about how to bring great ideas to life.

We want to create the best products available and our customers and fans are a great source of ensuring we continue to have the best in class products available.

I want to give a humble thanks to Mr. Seybold  for taking time out of his busy schedule to chat with us and Mrs. von Esmarch for her assistance in coordinating the interview.

Sony’s New DSC-T99 Camera Is Rather Keen

Sony’s new DSC-T99 camera is a beautifully designed update to their popular T-series Cyber-shot cameras. Its appearance is rather interesting – the overall form is much more rounded than previous models, presumably making it much easier and more comfortable to hold. The buttons normally found on top of a Sony camera, such as the On/Off, take picture and W/T zoom buttons do not protrude from this device like they have in past models, and it looks quite good. We also noticed that the W/T zoom slider is once again at the far right top corner of the camera, which is an awkward placement that we weren’t too fond of in the TX7, which was another camera by Sony that had the same design.

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There is a T99 color for just about everyone – this camera will be available in the USA in Silver, Pink, Violet, Black and Green. As for specifications, the T99 has a 14.1 megapixel sensor (with Super HAD CCD), 3″ Clear Photo LCD Plus Touch Screen, TransferJet, Memory Stick DUO and SD storage card compatibility, Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens with 25mm equivalent wide 4x Optical Zoom, and Optical SteadyShot image stabilization. The T99 battery life capacity is 115 minutes or 230 images when viewing still images.

The price for this camera is rather aggressive – the T99 will run for $249 in the USA when it goes on sale in September.

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If you live in Japan you’ll enjoy access to some rather fancy variations of the T99 that are really keen. There is a DSC-T99D model that has two options – one in gold, and other in brown. As you can see, these decorated T99D’s aren’t just simple gold and brown colors. The gold T99D has rhinestones studded on the lens cover and decorative patterns featuring nature motifs. The brown T99D is meant to imitate the type of leather you would see on purses, and is surrounded by slick gold colored frame. Awesome!

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Did we also mention there are special engraving options for the T99 in Japan as well? Three designs, available for all five colors. The designs are shown above.

Sony has also outfitted the camera with several interesting software features, including the popular 243-degree Sweep Panorama Mode, which allows you to take wide panoramic shots with the touch of one button. iAuto mode also returns in the T99, ensuring that the camera produces good results regardless of the scene or lighting situation – very helpful for the quick shot or those who rather not have to fuss with confusing settings.

The DSC-T99 features 13 convenient scene modes: High Sensitivity / Twilight / Twilight Portrait / Soft Snap / Landscape / Beach / Snow / Fireworks / High Speed Shutter / Underwater / Gourmet / Pet / Soft Skin. According to the Sonystyle listing, the new “Soft Skin” mode Skin mode “recognizes skin tones and reduces the appearance of blemishes and wrinkles without affecting the rest of the shot.” The T99 also allows you to select up to seven ISO settings (Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200).

We couldn’t mention the debut of this camera without hitting on the HD MP4 movie mode, which records 1280×720 (720p) HD movies at 30fps, perfect for YouTube, Facebook, etc. It’s always nice to see Sony continuing to use the MP4 format, as the files are good quality and easy to upload just about anywhere.

There are many more cool software features in the T99 that you can learn about at the SonyStyle page.