sony

Leaks of new products are pretty commonplace these days (unless you're talking about Apple), and nowhere is that more true than the laptop scene, where pretty much every unannounced new product release is leaked, discussed, blogged, and photographed long before the first press release goes out.

The latest entry in the laptop leak-athon is the Sony VAIO NR, a 15-inch system that popped up briefly on Sony's German Web site before being pulled down. Notebookreview.com managed to grab the spec sheets in time, and even though they're in German, we still kinda like what we see. … Read more

As I've mentioned before, I believe Sony is in for a rude awakening with its PlayStation 3. The company's expectation that video game consumers will flock to the PS3 because of its technical prowess was disastrously incorrect, and the notion that Sony can sell hardware that is too expensive and difficult to develop for is something it has yet to address.

And while some Sony fanatics have called me biased, I assure you, I'm not alone in my assertion that very little can save Sony and the PlayStation 3.

Yoichi Wada, president of game publisher Square Enix, told reporters Friday that Sony must change its strategy if it wants to see the release of the PlayStation 4. According to Wada, "Sony first unveiled the PS3 as a mighty home electronics product. Then, after some badgering from game companies, it shifted the position of the console closer to a game machine. (The future of the PS3) would be tough if its marketing strategy is not straightened up."

The verdict is in: one of the most important video game developers in the business is saying the PS3 is in trouble. Isn't that enough for Sony to overhaul its entire strategy?… Read more

I've offered detailed views of Canon's EOS 40D and 1Ds Mark III and of Nikon's D300 and D3, so it's time to follow suit with Sony's new SLR, the A700.

The A700, the second in Sony's Alpha line of SLRs that stem from its acquisition of the Konica Minolta's camera assets, is a higher-end sequel to the A100. It will be available in October for about $1,400 with no lens, $1,500 with a 18-70mm lens and in November for about $1,900 with a 16-105mm lens.

… Read more

Usually when we hear about mega-disc changers we're reminded of Sony's older behemoths, which always seemed like a great idea but were often more trouble than they were worth. Sony's been in the changer business for a long time, but the new HES-V1000 looks completely different than the company's previous offerings and offers some truly cutting-edge features. With its rectangular, tower-like design, the HES-V1000 is a 200-disc changer that can play and record to CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs. With only about 300 total Blu-ray discs on the market, that might be overkill, but you can … Read more

Although it made its unofficial debut under glass at last winter's PMA show with naught but "Sony's amateur dSLR" to identify it--and an equally and still mysterious big brother by its side--Sony's Alpha DSLR-A700 finally gets a name, a price, and some specs today.

The long-awaited (at the very least by Konica-Minolta diehards) midrange dSLR incorporates Sony's latest 12-megapixel CMOS chip. Unlike most other sensors, this new model performs its analog-to-digital conversion on its chip, rather than in the imaging pipeline, which Sony claims delivers better control over image noise.

I had a chance, … Read more

Editors' note: Neither the BDP-S2000ES nor the BDP-S500 offer DTS-HD Master Audio compatibility, either via bitstream or onboard decoding. We originally speculated that it should be able to output DTS-HD Master Audio using its bitstream output, but have received confirmation from Sony that neither player can.

Over the summer, Sony introduced the cheapest standalone Blu-ray player yet, the BDP-S300; now it's filling out its product line with two higher-end models: the BDP-S500 ($700) and the BDP-S2000ES ($1,300), both coming this fall. According to the company press release, the two models are largely the same, sharing the following features:… Read more

The format war between HD DVD and Blu-ray can cause some heated arguments from fan boys on both sides, but I think all fans of high-definition discs will get a kick out of this story. In an article by Pocket-lint, not only did Sony executive Don Eklund invite Toshiba and Microsoft to join the Blu-ray camp (ha-ha), but Vice President Rich Marty dropped this gem of a quote:

"The DVD format was good, but profitability only lasted for a couple of years before there was no money to be had in the hardware market," said Marty. "We … Read more

Less than a week after we reviewed the excellent Sony Ericsson W580i, AT&T has added the Walkman handset to its lineup. Available for a very reasonable $79 (normally $269), the W580i offers a sexy slider design and the usual high-end Walkman features, all of which deliver solid performance. Apparently, AT&T only offers the white version, which is a pity since we prefer the gray and black models.

AT&T also added the Sony Ericsson Z310a, which is low-end handset in a flip phone design. Its features are limited to a VGA camera, text messaging, and … Read more

Rick Rubin is obviously a guru--just look at the beard! But seriously, this is the guy who oversaw the crossover that took hip-hop to mainstream America (Run DMC, meet Aerosmith; world, meet the Beastie Boys), introduced Johnny Cash to indie-rock hipsters, and produced Danzig, Slayer, and...um...the Red Hot Chili Peppers. (Nobody bats 1.000.)

This week's New York Times Magazine has alengthy article on Sony/Columbia hiring Rick Rubin to help turn the label around. The whole article's an interesting read, but one point that stuck out to me: Mr. Rubin is a big proponent of the celestial jukebox. … Read more