sony

Sony's superthin TZ makes an appearance

A hand-delivered box containing a new Sony Vaio TZ laptop just arrived, temporarily holding the CNET Labs staff transfixed with its ultra-slim design. The spell was only broken by a quick inquiry about the system's price ("How much is that? $3,000? Oh...")

Our review unit is actually one of the lower-end TZ models, clocking in at a more reasonable $2,299, meaning it has only 1GB of RAM, a slightly slower CPU than the more expensive models, and a standard hard drive, instead of the 32GB solid-state option in the higher-end TZ configurations (those get up … Read more

More iPod-friendly products from Sony

Sony's taken the wraps off two more iPod-compatible home audio products: the ICF-C1iP clock radio, and the ZS-S2iP boom box. The ICF-C1iP clock radio is available in black or white and offers an adjustable backstop for accommodating various sizes of 'Pods in the built-in dock. Otherwise, it's a pretty standard feature set for the clock radio category--adjustable brightness control; AM/FM radio; wake to iPod, radio, or alarm; and wireless remote. Personally, i think the clock's digital display--along the bottom of the iPod dock--seems like it would be too easily obscured, but maybe I just have too many books on my nightstand. … Read more

Gamespot: Japanese PSP to get TV tuner

Gamespot is reporting that when the new, slimmer PSP is released in Japan on September 20, buyers there will also be able to pick up a new TV tuner accessory, the PSP-S310, which will attach to the new PSP's USB port.

The article says that, "The peripheral weighs in at only 17 grams and is very portable, but is compatible only with the new PSP model. Also, since it's a 1seg digital TV tuner (ISDB-T broadcasting format), its use is limited to the Japan airwaves. The TV tuner will be released at the same time as the … Read more

Sony's tiny TZ laptop gets official

Sure we've seen it in Japan for months, and you can actually order one from gadget importer Dynamism.com, but we're still pretty excited that Sony is finally releasing the Vaio TZ laptop here in the good ol' U. S. of A.

Last night, at the event space on top of 30 Rockefeller Plaza (known as the Top of the Rock), Sony showed off what the company calls a "new line of richly designed, high-performance ultraportable notebooks." For once we pretty much agree--even with an 11.1-inch LED backlit display, Web cam, carbon-fiber casing, and a … Read more

Sony's new DVDirect loses PC connectivity, gains AVCHD support

The next iteration of Sony's DVDirect--the VRD-MC5--is already on its way, even though we just recently reviewed the VRD-MC3. The new version adds some features and loses some, but in the end, it's ultimately a gain.

Unlike the VRD-MC3, the VRD-MC5 doesn't work as a PC-attached burner. In researching how people were using the product, Sony noted that PC-attached burning fell to the back of the list. After all, the VRD-MC3's burn speeds couldn't compete with those of standalone burners, as verified by CNET Labs' tests. But it does add support for AVCHD videos. The … Read more

LocationFree LF-V30: Sony's latest stab at a Slingbox killer

Gadget aficionados are well acquainted with the Slingbox, which lets you stream home TV signals to a wide variety of computers and smart phones. Less well-known is Sony's line of LocationFree products, which actually pioneered the "place-shifting" market a full year before the debut of the first Slingbox. The LF-V30 is the latest LocationFree product that Sony is hoping will steal some of Sling's thunder. The big upgrade on the $250 video streamer--slated to hit stores in September--is its component video inputs and outputs. They allow for HD-video compatibility, though the quality is ratcheted down to … Read more

Could blogs save Sony from slaughtered goats and rootkits?

Sony fans, the famously secretive company is extending a hand. For the first time in the conglomerate's history, it has begun blogging as it seeks a much more open exchange of information with customers.

In the past month, Sony has launched two blogs. The most recent came Tuesday with the debut of a blog from Sony Electronics. The company's PlayStation unit began blogging about a month ago.

Corporate blogs are designed to build stronger ties with customers and have been around for years. For Sony, a blog might pay additional dividends. For instance, the electronics giant could learn … Read more

Sony goes snap Crackle and pop

Online video is all the rage and everyone wants in on the action. One year ago Sony acquired Grouper for $65 million dollars and today that enterprise is known as Crackle. In an effort to distinguish itself from the crowded competition, Crackle has chosen to dangle fame in front of would be producers young faces. Given that the elusive hope of fame has fueled a pilgrimage to Hollywood for close to 100 years, such tantalizing promises will likely deliver the goods.

In order to ensure that the lure of fame resonates with Crackle's audience the company is currently offering three contests that will likely advance the careers of the lucky winners.The High Wirecontest will allow the funniest individual a chance to perform at the IMPROV. The Shorts contest offers a $15,000 purse and the winner an opportunity to pitch his or her best idea to Columbia Pictures. Finally, the Wet Paint contest winner is open to aspiring animators and also comes with a $15,000 cash prize as well as a trip to the Sony Pictures Animation Studios. Participants should expect a rotating array of enticing contests.

… Read more

Sony announces new pocket camcorder, claims it isn't 'full of stars'

If you ever wanted to videotape your pets fighting to Romanian dance music while on a trampoline, Sony has a new pocket camcorder for you. Sony's NSC-GC1 Net-sharing CAM is targeted specifically at the YouTube crowd, with a low enough price tag and just enough power to throw clips up on the Web. The Net-sharing CAM can shoot video ranging from QVGA (320x240) at 15 frames per second to VGA (640x480) at 30 frames per second. It records to Sony's Memory Stick DUO memory cards, so if you already have a PlayStation Portable or a Sony Cyber-shot digital … Read more