Sony Corp.

Sony’s Optical Disc Warehouse Destroyed in London Fire by Looters (video)

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 9, 2011 | 11 comments

Sony has just became the latest victim of the senseless looting that has been going on in London now for the past 4 days. The companies optical disc warehouse which handled Sony’s DADC and distributed Blu-ray Disc, DVD and CD blank media movies and games for the U.K. has been burned down, due to looters setting fires. Journalists on the scene of the Sony fire reported seeing people walking away from the warehouse with consumer electronics goods. With the factory up in blazes, this will surely have an impact on U.K. and Ireland supply chains though it’s too early to tell what impact will be felt beyond that. The good news in all of this is that no employees are reported hurt or missing. Sony is expected to issue a press release later today to address all the facts surrounding this horrible incident. The following is a video taken of the Sony warehouse burning down.

You can find the video, after the jump.

Sony Announces the ESSP-2000, a 1000VA, 200lb Emergency Battery for Governments and Businesses

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 9, 2011 | 1 comment

The devastating tsunami and earthquake that struck Japan nearly 6 months ago rocked the foundation of the country. Sony, which is a Japan-based company, has their main HQ in Tokyo with countless factories throughout the country which were all affected by the quakes in some shape or form. Many factories that were not directly impacted by the quakes still had to shut down, due to power outages and the requirement to create components in large quantities and not on an on and off basis. Even more productivity was lost, due to power outages and the loss of data caused by computer and server shutdowns. Sony, who famously provides batteries for other notebook makers like HP, Dell, and Apple, is now putting their technology to use in other places with the release of the ESSP-2000, a 90kg (198-pound) battery. This nearly-200lb battery is designed to gives businesses and government agencies a few extra hours of battery life during rolling blackouts. With a maximum load of 1000VA, the ESSP-2000 can attain a 95% charge in two hours, utilitizing Sony’s new olivine-type lithium-ion iron phosphate batteries. Priced at ¥2 million ($25,700), this battery backup is clearly not meant for consumers, though I’m sure Sony will be happy to sell it to you if you have the cash.

[Via Engadget]

Sony, Panasonic, Samsung and XpanD Form Alliance to Create Active 3D Glasses Standard

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 8, 2011 | 19 comments

One obstacle that 3D has faced since its rebirth in 2010 with the release of new 3D television sets from the likes of Sony, Panasonic, and Samsung has been the lack of an active 3D glasses standard. Currently, each manufacturer uses their own IR or Bluetooth standard, which acts as the transmission of signal between the 3D TV set and the 3D glasses. This means that even if you and your friend own 3D TVs, your active 3D shutter glasses won’t work on each others TVs if they happen to be two different brands. Now, a newly-formed alliance between Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, and XpanD, a company that creates universal 3D glasses, is looking to change this by creating a standard between the brands, called the “Full HD Glasses Initiative.” The new standard also promises to be backwards-compatible with all 2011 models, meaning that future 3D glasses will work with this years TVs and will be cross-compatible with other brands though those who bought in 2010 will be left out of the party. Hit the jump for a full press release.

Sony Under Pressure To Cut PS Vita Price

by Jan Hutchings | Aug 8, 2011 | 17 comments

Sony is under much pressure from analysts as well as the gaming public to cut the PlayStation Vita’s price in order to compete with Nintendo’s 3DS as well as the expanding mobile gaming market. Even at a stunning $250 price point, many gamers believe that the next-generation portable gaming system is still too expensive.

Nintendo cut its 3DS gaming system’s price to a low $169.99 a few months after its release. It seems the mobile gaming market is getting more and more competitive with Andriod- and iOS-handhelds selling more games at cheaper price points.

Bloomberg reported that Ace Securities analyst Hideki Yasuda believes that if Sony does not drop the price of its upcoming PS Vita, it could result in failure for the system.

“Gamers are increasingly anticipating Sony to lower prices, especially after the 3DS cut; Sony is under major pressure to cut the price of the Vita or risk a major failure.”

Despite all that, The Chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment Kaz Hirai stated last week that the PlayStation Vita will stay its course and will not drop lower its price point.

DISCUSS:

Do you think Sony should initiate a PS Vita price cut in order to compete with the Nintendo 3DS and the broader mobile gaming market?

[Via Bloomberg]

Sony Alpha A77 Uses an “Electronic Shutter Curtain”

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 8, 2011 | 11 comments

We still don’t know everything there is to know about Sony’a upcoming monster, the Alpha A77, but from the occasional leaks over the past sever months, we’ve learned a good amount. Now, we have some more exciting news about some of the new internal components that Sony is using in the A77. In what is a first for Sony’s DSLR cameras, the Alpha A77 will use an electronic shutter curtain to further shorten the release lag between shots while creating zero vibration to help you get as crisp of a picture as possible to the sensor.

“In fact, as I understand it, the “electronic first shutter curtain” is a virtual moving edge just like the real shutter curtain, so you can use it even with short exposures. Columns of the sensor are turned on one by one just as if the real curtain were exposing them. Because a CMOS sensor can’t turn off as quickly as it turns on, the real shutter curtain is used to end the exposure.”

With an August 24th announcement date expected from Sony, tune in as we continue on unravel more information about Sony’s upcoming Alphas.

[Via SonyAlphaRumors]

Should You Buy the Sony Bloggie 3D MHS-FS3? (Video)

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 8, 2011 | 25 comments

The Bloggie 3D is an enigma of a product, designed to break all stereotypes of what 3D is and can be. With a $249 MSRP, the Bloggie 3D is in reach of most consumers while also taking away the need for 3D glasses to view its 3D recorded content. After our video unboxing, we put the Bloggie 3D to the test during San Diego Comic-Con 2011 to see how this pocket-sized 3D camera would hold up during the insanity. For those of you who are looking for some reading material, we will have a written review for you in the near future. The following is our Sony Bloggie 3D video review in which we discuss the camera’s hardware, 2D & 3D recording capabilities, as well as the Bloggie’s photo taking capabilities and a final verdict to wrap things up.

Video review, after the jump.

Sony: PSN PLAY Offering Games With Free DLC Bonuses

by Jan Hutchings | Aug 6, 2011 | 5 comments

Sony announced yesterday that they will be starting a new PlayStation Network event this summer. PSN PLAY is a yearly-purchase program akin to Microsoft’s Xbox Live Summer of Arcade. A total of four games are featured with one releasing per week. Purchase of a game comes with additional free DLC as well as a PS3 theme (if you pre-order by the Thursday before each game’s release). Hit the jump to learn more about PSN Play.

It Only Does Everything – A Look at Sony’s Ad Campaign

by Jan Hutchings | Aug 6, 2011 | 1 comment

INTRODUCTION

The end of 2006 marked the arrival of the PlayStation 3, Sony’s entrance into the next generation of video game consoles. The last generation console war saw the PlayStation 2 as the clear winner with over 150 million units sold worldwide. With this success, Sony appeared to be arrogant and refocused their branding and advertising campaigns.

In order to hype up potential buyers, Sony’s $150 million advertising campaign focused on how “out of this world” the new console is and will be, going as far as creating TV ads that confused rather than informed customers about the benefits of the new console. Sony then began placing the PS3 as a high-end machine, one that would cost $600; making it one of the most expensive game consoles ever released.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Gingerbread (2.3) Rollout Finally Begins

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 5, 2011 | 36 comments

The once-prematurely-announced Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Gingerbread (2.3) has taken a cue from the Autobots and begun its rollout. The new software update, which is slowly expanding from country to country, “will update your X10 to Android 2.3.3 (firmware 3.0.1.G.0.75) on Baseband 2.1.71 and Kernel 2.6.29-00054-g5f01537.” The software update, which can only be installed from your PC (again, sorry Mac users) via the PC Companion software, is currently issued to only 10% of the Xperia X10 phones. If you’ve checked via the PC Companion software and have yet to receive the new update, the best you can do is to hang tight and wait during the next week as the update expands to your territory.

[Via XperiaX10]

PlayStation 3D Display Drops Resistance 3 for MotorStorm: Apocalypse

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 5, 2011 | 24 comments

In the middle of my mindless Twitter scrolling last night, I came across a late night tweet from the folks at Insomniac Games where they announced that Resistance 3 would no longer be bundled with Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 3D Display.

For those asking about the 3D TV bundle: amazon.com/gp/product/B00… — Motorstorm: Apocolypse replaced Resistance 3. Sorry for any inconvenience.

During Sony’s E3 2011 press conference where Sony announced the PlayStation 3D Display for $499, Sony also confirmed that the TV bundle would include:

PlayStation 3D Glasses
Resistance 3
HDMI cable

Now, in just a short time, the listing for the PlayStation 3D Display has changed to reflect that Resistance 3 is out and MotorStorm: Apocalypse is in. The reason for the sudden switch, considering that Resistance 3 is set to ship in September, isn’t quite clear, though a few theories do come in mind. Now, mind you that Sony has yet to comment on the subject matter so the following is just speculation on our behalf.

First, it could be that Resistance 3 does not need the additional sales boost where MotorStorm: Apocalypse did not do the best in sales and bundles are always a great way to further push a product. Having played the new MotorStorm game in 3D on a Bravia set and the PlayStation 3D display where the game was configured for the dual 3D view, I can say that the game is a great example of what 3D is capable of. Another potential scenario and possibly a more likely one is that Resistance 3 is rated M where MotorStorm: Apocalypse is rated T. By bundling Resistance 3 with the PlayStation 3D Display, Sony would be basically limiting their sales option because some retailers may choose not to stock the product, seeing how it could not be sold to minors.

Discuss:

What do you think is the reason behind Sony’s shift from Resistance 3 to MotorStorm: Apocalypse on the PlayStation 3D Display?

Sony Bloggie 3D Test Video

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 4, 2011 | 28 comments

Comic-Con 2011 marked a significant turning point for our site. Those who are regular readers will note that 3D is something that we are strong supporters of over here. Whether it’s 3D gaming, movies, or photos, I wholeheartedly believe in and stand behind the format. Of course, talk is cheap when it comes to 3D, especially those who just casually dismiss the format as nothing but a fad. So when prior to Comic-Con, I found out that the Bloggie 3D from Sony was available at Best Buy, I knew that I had to buy the little MP4 and give it a try.

After I preformed our Bloggie 3D video unboxing, I quickly put the camera to test the day prior to Comic-Con to see how it would perform and soon after, we were off to Comic-Con. This post is meant to give you an idea of the 2D and 3D footage that the Bloggie 3D is capable of recording, which happens to be at the same time. Later on, I will be posting a full written review as well as a video review of the Bloggie 3D which will cover the unit in depth. For those who are curious as to the video quality of the Bloggie 3D in both 2D and 3D, the following will give you a pretty good idea as to where we are headed with our review. Those with a 3D computer or 3D television can use their passive or active 3D shutter glasses to view our content. Anybody else who happens to have a pair of colored 3D glasses can also view the 3D from any computer or TV. Note that you can click on the 3D icon to toggle the 3D on or off.

Sony’s PS Vita to Miss Holiday 2011 Launch and Instead be Released in 2012 for the Better?

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 4, 2011 | 18 comments

So here’s a news story that is making the rounds on the internet today. According to many news sources, Kazuo Hirai, executive deputy president of Sony Corp. and president and chief executive officer of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., stated during a press conference in Tokyo today that the PS Vita will miss the Christmas shopping season and debut instead sometime next year, leaving Japan to get the handheld gaming machine in 2011.

“The PlayStation business is a key pillar,” Hirai said. “The video-game industry is evolving constantly. My expectation is for the PlayStation business to remain at the forefront of this very dynamic industry.”

With the PlayStation Vita recently passing through the FCC for approval and Sony already taking pre-orders for the power handheld, these statements seem a tad odd and contradictory to Sony’s internal movements. If the PS Vita were to miss this Holiday season and instead opt for a Spring release instead where Sony generated more than 40% of its revenue last year, the company would surely miss out on a lot of potential sales from those who would gift the machine during the holiday (which was my avenue of choice for getting one, hint hint family). There is however, another take on this entire situation, outside of the fact that this could all be false and we might still see the PS Vita this year.

Hit the jump for the rest of the story.

Insomniac Studios Offering Free Ratchet And Clank PS3 DLC

by Jan Hutchings | Aug 3, 2011 | 27 comments

Insomniac Studios is offering some free DLC goodies in preparation for the release of their latest title, Ratchet and Clank All 4 One, later this year. In order for PlayStation users to gain access to the free items, they must go to http://www.ratchetandclank.com/ and click on the “Register” link found on the upper right corner of the screen.

Users will have to fill out a questionnaire on their system and genre preferences, but other than that, users will only have to fill in general information. After registering, a window will pop up revealing a one-time-use redeemable code to be used on the PlayStation Network.

The DLC bundle include the following items:

Four PlayStation Home Virtual Hats
Four PSN Avatars
One Static Theme

Please note that these DLC items are exclusive to registered members of the Ratchet and Clank website and is not available for purchase on the PlayStation Network or PlayStation Home.

PlayStation Vita Passes Through FCC, Prepares for Fall US Launch

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 3, 2011 | 11 comments

In the last two weeks, we’ve seen a slew of Sony devices pass through the FCC like the Xperia Mini, the Xperia Mini Pro, and a yet-to-be-announced Reader. Today’s FCC approval, though, should garner a little more interest from the gaming community, as the PlayStation Vita (WiFi edition) has passed through the FCC successfully. For those not familiar with US regulations, the FCC is the final stopping house for devices with wireless capabilities before they are allowed for public release. Generally, when a device passes through the FCC, it also indicates that all the given changes from the manufacturer have been made and that the device is ready for production. Today’s PlayStation Vita FCC approval also pegs the device for a Fall release, a date that Sony itself stated that they were aiming for which also aligns with the fact that the PS Vita is now up for pre-order on Sony’s site.

Discuss:

[Via FCC]

Sony Ericsson Xperia arc and PLAY Gain Landscape Home Screen, DLNA and More

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 3, 2011 | 3 comments

If you’re all about landscape mode with your Xperia arc or PLAY when it comes to surfing, gaming and texting but have been left empty handed when it comes to your home screen, then this news should brighten up your day. A new Android 2.3.3. Firmware version number 4.0.A.2.368 is now available for both devices which adds support for a landscape home screen, allowing you to rotate your phone while having your icons adjust. Other goodies in the new update include DLNA compatibility with Digital Home devices, allowing for streaming of content back and forth between DLNA certified devices. Last but not least, both phones are also receiving a new xLoud mode which boosts the volume from the speakers with little distortion. Those with a PC (sorry Mac users), a USB cable and the PC Companion software can fire up their machine for this small update.

[Via Xperia Blog]