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Hands-on preview: Sony SLT-A55V and SLT-A33

In what is--seriously--the worst-kept secret of the summer, Sony officially announced the first members of its innovative new series of cameras, the Alpha SLT-A33 and SLT-A55V, which are the first cameras to incorporate translucent mirrors. I, along with about 15 other reviewers, got a chance to shoot with the cameras--as per our policy CNET footed the bill for my trip rather than Sony--and have sample photos and some preliminary analysis of the photo and video quality and ergonomics of the cameras.

Also known as a pellicle mirror, a TM passes most of the light from the lens through a fixed semitransparent mirror, reflecting a small bit of the light upward to a separate phase-detection autofocus sensor. This is how Sony achieves the faster phase-detect continuous AF for movie capture, while most current interchangeable-lens cameras (ILCs) and dSLRs use the slower contrast AF, which is based off the imaging sensor.

One doesn't necessarily need to use a mirror to incorporate phase detection, though; for example, Fujifilm's recent F300 EXR and F800 EXR point-and-shoots use a phase-detection array layered over the image sensor. Because many older dSLR-mount lenses can only work with phase-detection AF--that's why ILC adapters for older lenses generally don't support AF--Sony's system enables autofocus when using those lenses for shooting video.

Most traditional lenses have noisy focusing and aperture activation mechanisms, however, which makes them unsuited for video AF. Sony says it focuses so quickly that the noise should be barely perceptible, and that anyway you should use one of the new dedicated microphones (models ECM-ALST1 and ECM-CG50) for better separation from the lens. I didn't get a chance to test Sony's audio claims. The quieter lens is one of the rationales behind the electromagnetic activation in the NEX series' E-mount lenses, and it's hard not to feel like Sony's entering some confusing territory by pairing its most video-oriented still camera with its old-fashioned lens system. The cameras also update to a 1200-zone metering system.

The A33 has a traditional dSLR analog, the DSLR-A560, announced at the same time, which replaces the A550 and A500. Here's Sony's current sub-$1,000 Alpha lineup:… Read more

Could MetaMirror reflect future of interactive TV?

Like to get instant player stats and trivia while watching TV sports matches? MetaMirror, a concept software platform out of Ireland, would overlay such data on a secondary device, keeping your television screen free of extra clutter while you watch the big game.

The product would display real-time contextual content over a "mirror" of the television broadcast that simultaneously plays on an iPad, iPhone, Netbook, or other gadget. That might make for some visual cacophony at touchdown time, but Dublin design firm Notion, which came up with the idea, insists that it's a seamless way to connect Web and television experiences, which are becoming increasingly entwined, and make TV more like the interactive devices to which we are all becoming accustomed.

"By bringing together live television, real-time contextual information, and an intuitive user interface, Meta Mirror is positioned to update television from unidirectional broadcast to two-way interaction," Notion says.

It envisions several models for doing this: … Read more

Mirror TV for the ultimate vanity

The Media Decor Mirror TV is perfect for people who like to spend hours in front of their vanity mirrors. All models feature an embedded 19-inch LCD panel utilizing LED technology and ruggedized for humidity. The devices are meant for bathrooms and come in eight framing options, including brushed silver, satin pewter, brushed satin black, and Florentine gold, as well as honey pecan, natural, dark walnut, and whitewashed wood finishes.

You can also choose between models in the Aqua Vanity or Aqua Decor series. The former casts a solid black window of the TV when not in use, while the … Read more

Mirrored displays showing corrupt graphics after upgrading to 10.6.3

An ongoing issue with OS X 10.6.3 seems to corrupt graphics on external displays when you present in full screen with "mirrored" displays. The display will work and show the mirrored desktop in the Finder, but when applications take over use the display to show full-screen presentations, media, or other purposes, the graphics will garble and can only be fixed with a restart.… Read more

preGAME 09: iPad gaming roundup

This week on preGAME, we welcome special guest Robin Yang from Candystand.com to the show. Robin tells us about the highly addictive games at Candystand and walks us through one of the new titles, UMAG.

Robin is also here today to help us check out a handful of iPad games! That's right, on today's episode we're only looking at iPad video games. We demo N.O.V.A. HD, Resident Evil 4, Metal Gear Solid Touch, and Mirror's Edge. If you're thinking about getting an iPad for gaming, this is definitely the video to watch; we break down the highs and lows of iPad gaming and debate whether the system has legs as a portable console.

Also on today's show we'll chat about the new Xbox 360 memory card update that allows users to use USB cards to save games and media. Next we'll show you a new accessory from Japan that will turn your PS3 Slim into a portable system!

Ever wonder whatever happened to Duke Nukem Forever? We'll find out as we get our hands on some leaked footage of everyone's favorite game that never was. Finally, we'll look at what's possibly the most poorly conceived Sonic the Hedgehog level ever constructed. Let's hope this one doesn't make it to the final game due out this summer.… Read more

Google develops prototype mirror for solar energy

Reuters

Google has developed a prototype for a new mirror technology that could cut by half the cost of building a solar thermal plant, the company's green energy czar said on Friday.

Bill Weihl said that if development and testing go well, he could see the product being ready in one to three years.

"Things have progressed," Weihl said in an interview. "We have an internal prototype."

Google has been looking at unusual materials for the mirror's reflective surface and the substrate on which the mirror is mounted.

In solar thermal technology, the sun's … Read more

Paris gets tres chic with world's largest disco ball

Finally, the City of Light lives up to its name, thanks to conceptual artist Michel de Broin's 24-foot disco ball suspended by crane 164 feet above the Jardin du Luxembourg. It's even more impressive in action and up close.

It took de Broin 1,000 mirrors to construct the disco ball for his Nuit Blanche project, and spotlights positioned throughout the city to make it sparkle for one night late last year.

The main purpose of the giant mirror ball--other than having a raging citywide disco throwdown--was to simulate a starry sky normally obscured in urban areas by … Read more

Mesmerizing image manipulation

What's that? We have to stop playing with Kaleider and actually write a review of it? We're not sure that we can. This mesmerizing program does so many cool things that we're having trouble prying ourselves away from it.

Despite our love for this program, we cannot tell a lie: its interface is a mess. There are buttons and menus and things across the top and bottom and down the right side. We can't even say that we understand most of what the program does. But it's fun and it's beautiful, and for that, … Read more

Challenging puzzle game

Mirror Magic is a puzzle game that's harder than it looks. Although it seems to be marketed toward children, we found it to be quite challenging.

The premise of the game is that Grendoline, a beautiful woman who is bitter about her aging face, has locked a bunch of townsfolk into mirrors. Our heroine, Iris, has to free everyone by solving a series of puzzles. Each puzzle consists of two seemingly identical images with five subtle differences. Users have to identify all of the differences before time runs out. As users move through different locations in the village, complications … Read more