sony

XBA

19 September 2011

Not because we’re earphone freaks (and we’re still waiting for the SA7 to be back on store someday…) but mostly because just like with photography, Sony is gaining back some momentum on the audiophile sector and it’s always nice to have a wider range of earphones. Many models you won’t use with their walkmans (a nearly inexistent product line) but more like …. with an Apple product for example. Maybe when Apple decide to start manufacturing their own head&earphones….

Noise Cancelling XBA-NC85D
Noise Cancelling XBA-NC85D

And because one or two models aren’t enough they just presented 11 with the XBA line. XBA1 with a single full-range driver, XBA2 adds a woofer, XBA3 adds a tweeter and the 4th adds a super woofer! (rrrrright…). Then they’ve also created the Noise-cancelling model, the sporty waterproof XBA-S65 model and the bluetooth XBA-BT75.

Bluetooth XBA-BT75 wireless model
Bluetooth XBA-BT75 wireless model

Probably because none of the above suit you (you’re a heavy headphone businessperson in need of a controller) the XBA-1 to 3 have an iP version each with inline controls.

Prices seem to go from $100 to $475 (at least not the 1K MDR-EX1000) but again, these seem to be Asian-market-only, so bad luck to us all! They’re already listed on the Sony Singapore and Sony Australia pages (more info & photos via Engadget).

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NEX-7

25 August 2011

This, is not an ad ok? And it’s not a toy camera neither (ha, wish it were for the price). It’s the ultra-expensive new model from Sony’s NEX mirrorless line which has been generating a LOT of buzz for the past few weeks.

Maybe because it’s been expected for years like a prodigal son. Pretty much since Panasonic introduced the GF1 there hasn’t been a decent successor oriented to a more enthusiast consumer (not necessarily PRO) with a pocket big enough to spend 1200$ but too small to carry a huge DSLR.

And here it is, the NEX-7 packs all those features you typically find on a DSLR but in a tiny body… an Exmor CMOS sensor (24.3 MP…probably too much), an OLED Electronic View Fider, decent manual controls, and all the miniaturing obsession benefits started by the M4/3 association.

The problem obviously comes with the price… 1200$ for the body only & $1350 for the pack with an 18-55mm lens (yesterday they refused to say the final UK price but we discovered today Jessops will be offering it  at£1000 and £1150 with such black lens). Too much indeed, but that’s what you nearly pay today for Fuji’s FinePix X100….

The beast will be released next November… and only if Sony could make lenses as compact as Panasonic’s upcoming X series… this would be an amazing combination don’t you think?

Now it’s time for me to shut myself away for the next 5 years… I’ll probably have saved some money by then.

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see you later MD

8 July 2011

That beauty up there, that shiny  Magnesium first Hi-MD model was my second Minidisc. Think I still have it in Madrid somewhere…. because I still have some hope for that format that never was… and never will. Maybe it will get trendy in 2030 and we’ll see a Minidisc revival like with vinyl records, or maybe there will be an “impossible project” by some ex-Sony employees to bring it back to life.

the MZ-NH1 was a true gem with the 3-line remote control

As for today we’ll just say bye. Honored to have met you Minidisc … and all your flavors since I first saw you back in 1997, your net Minidiscs, your HD minidiscs which claimed up to 1GB of capacity… and the ordinary MDs of course. You lost the war against the iPod and the mp3verse long ago, and now your creator will give room for something better (ok ok, let’s not criticize the SonicStage & the ATRAC loseless format, they were a lost bid anyway, and a horrible one).

MiniDisc Walkmans will be available until store inventories are depleted,” Japanese newspaper The Nikkei reported. “Sony will continue to make the MiniDiscs themselves, as well as stereos that can play back the audio discs. It will also keep producing CD Walkmans.” 

the MZ-RH1 was just simply amazing with those 2 LED miniscreens

Seems like  22 million devices have been sold up to last March can’t really compare with today’s figures for any popular mp3 player … or smartphones (who’ve kindly replaced traditional mp3s too), and September has been fixed as the key date to discontinue the format. Would really love to see Sony’s product roadmap calendar.

Some of you might not even recognize this technology… but no-one will argue that the sound quality was the best out there… see you later Mr MD.

(wow just realised the minidisc.org forum is still around….)

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Sony’s honeycomb tablets

26 April 2011
the S2... which looks more like a 90s Casio agenda

It’s been a while since the last gadget whim I wrote about. And when I woke up this morning to  the announcement of Sony’s first Honeycomb tablets I thought “that’s it, that’s my future honeycomb tablet” (S1 I mean of course). But after a careful look and despite all the goodies & potential this product may offer (synchronisation & control of all your other Sony products, Qriocity, Playstation-only games.. blablabla), then I realized this may not be my tablet. I may just go for the 9mm thick Samsung 10.1 model.

Where do I go with a tablet that has a “curved wrap design that resembles a folded magazine”?

S1... the magazine

 

 

What about the tech specs?

They may change again but apparently the S1 will be a 9.4inch model with a front- and rear-facing cameras. While the S2 has two 5.5-inch displays (1,024 x 480 res), Tegra 2 SoC, and a camera… and obviously both will come in wi-fi or 3G models, come PlayStation Certified and support DLNA.

They should be made available globally next fall (when any other manufacturer in the world will already have released a tablet)… and pricey, like any other Sony product.

I’m sure they’ll look good, Sony will add a great laggy user interface on top of Honeycomb which will look amazingly polished & integrated with their media services but might destroy the rest of the experience. (still remember the SonicStage). We’ll see.

more info on Sony’s press release site.

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NGP

30 January 2011

Someone commented the other day @engadget… “Nintendo always comes up with things we don’t expect, Sony brings to the market what we always wanted”… and the PSP2 (or Next Generation Portable as they call it now) seems to be a bull machine with endless possibilities…

Continue reading NGP

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