GeekSugar

Ooh La La: Sony Cybershot TX200V Is One Hot Camera

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:30:16 PST

No offense, Sony, but if Apple were to build a camera, it might look a little like the Sony Cybershot TX200V ($500). The sleek lines, 3.3-inch OLED touch screen, and glass body of the TX200V resembles an iPhone, but it's obviously packed with extra power in the optical department. An 18.2MP sensor, full HD 1080/60p video capture and recording, and quick focusing in low-light situations ensures that you capture the best images possible, while the airtight construction - making it water- and dust-proof - keep it safe in up to 16 feet of water or the depths of your bag.

While you have the option of three different hues - violet, silver, or red - the color splash is limited to the sides and rear of the camera, making the TX200V a little less conspicuous for candids. Look for the Sony Cybershot TX200V to hit stores on March 23 for $500.

Sony Spices Up C Series Laptops With Two New Lid Colors

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:37:31 PST

It's a new year, new look for Sony's laptop lineup. The company announced two new lid colors coming to its affordable and portable Vaio C Series: Kaleidoscope Pink and Modern Geometric.

Both colors are customizable for the 15.5-inch model, while the bright pink will be an option for customizing the 14-inch screen size as well. If you're not familiar, the Vaio C starts at just $759 with customizable specs, including Intel processors, RAM, updated graphics cards, and hard drive sizes up to 750GB. You can even add a Blu-ray player/burner for an extra $150 if you want to watch your discs on the go. The standard battery lasts up to seven hours, but you can upgrade to a larger lithium ion battery for a whole 10 hours of juice.

Other features coming with the Vaio C series is a full backlit keyboard and HD screen for your movie-viewing pleasure. Get a closer look at a few Vaio C Series laptops in the gallery.

Live Streaming From the Sony Bloggie Is an Interactive Experience

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:51:08 PST

There are a number of events that you might want to live stream - parties and weddings being two of them - but besides using a webcam and a laptop, you've been limited in the number of ways you can pull it off. Sony is making things a little easier with the Bloggie Live ($250) - its popular pocket camcorder with a live twist.

The Bloggie Live shoots video in full 1080p quality for uploading to sites like Facebook and YouTube. But with the addition of WiFi capabilities, you can stream live over a WiFi connection via a live sharing platform called Qik. You can select who sees your video if you don't want to broadcast to the world, and your videos will be saved on your internal 8GB hard drive and on Qik.com for later use. But it's not just you broadcasting out to your viewers - you'll actually be able to see your viewers' comments as you're streaming live on the three-inch LCD touchscreen display.

Additionally, if you aren't in an area with WiFi but want to upload your video right away, you can pull your Bloggie Live videos to a compatible smartphone or tablet that has the Sony PlayMemories Mobile application installed and use the 3G connection from your wireless provider instead. Since the Bloggie works with both PC and Mac, this can be nearly any mobile device.

PlayStation Vita Popping Up on AT&T Next Month

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:36:56 PST

AT&T revealed that it will be providing data plans for the PlayStation Vita beginning next month. Prices will start at $15 for 250MB or $25 for 2GB, and will be term-free, meaning you don't have to worry about cancellation fees after you sign up. The Vita itself has been given a street date of Feb. 22, with two models being made available at launch: $250 for WiFi-only, and a $300 3G version. Gaming online from anywhere has never been easier!

Source: AT&T Instagram

Playstation 3D Display Is Magic: Two Players, Two Different Full-Screen Images

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 06:29:48 PST

I'm not gonna lie; this PlayStation 24-inch 3D Display is too rich for my blood at $500, but what it does is practically magic. It allows two gamers to play the same game and see just one full-screen image. Gone are the days of split-screen gaming thanks to Sony's SimulView Technology, since you'll see your character (or car, or whatever) in full-screen mode even when you're playing with one of your pals.

Basically, the display works just like 3D does - it broadcasts two signals, and the included pair of glasses picks up either the left or right signal at one time, so you and a friend can see two totally different images while playing. Although, there are a few downsides; there's only one pair of shutter glasses included with the set (a second pair will set you back $70), and SimulView works with only a handful of games (Killzone 3, MotorStorm Apocalypse and Gran Turismo 5) in dark rooms. Still, you can hook up the PlayStation 3D Display to your laptop, PC, PlayStation 3 (obviously) or cable box, which makes this a great - but pricey - gift for a dorm room, bedroom, man cave, or game-addicts office.

Back-to-School Gaming Deals: Free Xbox With Laptop Purchase

Kelly Schwarze — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 04:41:28 PDT

Good news gaming fans: major tech players Sony and Microsoft are tempting you to buy their products this Fall by throwing gaming units in with the purchase of qualifying computers.

Students who are also Xbox 360 fans can select from a nicely priced ($700 or more) Windows 7 Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, or Toshiba laptop or desktop to qualify for a free Xbox 360 console. Better yet, you don't even have to leave the dorm as you can buy online with a valid .edu email address or buy at a Microsoft store with a student ID.

Gamers not currently in school also benefit from Sony's current deal; purchase a Sony VAIO F Series notebook with a Sony Playstation 3 console for a total of $950. Just remember to leave time for studying between games.

So You Got Your First Ereader: A Starter Kit

Angelica Marden — Sat, 14 May 2011 06:36:49 PDT

Attention e-reader worms! If you've picked your side in the great Sony Reader vs. Nook vs. Kindle debate and are lucky enough to have a new shiny e-reader device, take note of these simple starter tips. And then, power that thing up and read on!

Sony Unsure If Your PSN Credit Card Numbers Were Stolen: How to Protect Yourself [Updated]

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:34:26 PDT

Update: Sony has confirmed that PlayStation Network users' personal information has been compromised (including names, addresses, phone numbers, birthdates, and email accounts), so be sure you take the necessary steps to protect yourself from phishing scams, change all of your passwords, and alert your banks for potential fraud.

You may have noticed by now that the PlayStation Network is down. There's no time frame as to when it will be back up and running, and Sony is still unclear as to the nature of the "external intrusion." Another thing Sony is unsure of: whether or not your credit card numbers have been stolen during the hack and subsequent outage.

Keeping your credit clean is important, so having a hacker go wild in your name could spell trouble for you down the line. I asked credit expert Emily Co of SavvySugar what gamers can do to protect themselves while Sony investigates the outage. Here are three ways you can keep your credit safe from possible fraud:

Monitor charges: The most basic thing you can do is to keep an eye on credit card charges. If you see any suspicious activity going on then it's time to call to your bank or credit card company.
Give banks a heads up: Be proactive and give your bank or credit card company a heads up on the situation. This way, your bank knows to be on the lookout for suspicious charges, and you'll be protected if things do go awry. Pro tip: it's best to use a credit card for all online charges (verses a debit card), since credit cards offer the most protection against fraud.

One last tip after the break.

Sony Introduces Two New Honeycomb Tablets: S1 and S2

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:47:34 PDT

Itching to get your hands on a tablet that's not an iPad? Sony is answering the call with two new models: Sony S1 and S2. Due to hit this Fall for your mobile computing needs, both of these tablets are running Android Honeycomb 3.0, are 3G and 4G compatible, and come equipped with some awesome gaming integration - like first generation PlayStation titles - thanks to the included PlayStation Suite. Plus, readers will be pleased to know that you can also download books easily from the Reader store. Get the scoop on how these two tablets differ below!

Sony S1
The Sony S1 comes with a 9.4-inch screen and a unique "off-center of gravity" form. It's heavier on top, so it's easier to hold for longer periods of time, and the soft keyboard has been optimized for the larger screen. No word on if there's any cameras included with this model, but I can't imagine there wouldn't be.

Sony S2
Looking a lot like a cross between the Kyocera Echo and a Sony Bloggie, the S2 comes with two 5.5-inch screens that can be used together to surf the Internet (though a big crease in the middle of your webpage might get annoying), or separately to draft emails, text, or watch movies. The S2 folds up nicely, so it should fit into the smallest of bags and could be handy for travel.

Get a different look at both tablets in a demo video from Sony, and tell me what you think of these offerings after the break.

Could Sony Pull Its Music From iTunes?

Kristen Hawley — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 05:00:14 PST

Sony's music streaming service, Music Unlimited, debuted in Europe last year, and now it's poised to launch in Australia. The service's library of six million tracks from Sony music streams wirelessly to Sony products like its Internet-enabled TVs, blu-ray players, and PS3s and will soon add mobile device support. But during an interview with Australian press, a Sony exec hinted that, if the service takes off, Sony could potentially remove its songs from iTunes. In fact, the exec was quoted saying, "Publishers are being held to ransom by Apple and they are looking for other delivery systems."

While it's true that Apple currently has a clear majority stake in the digital music space, I find it sort of silly that anyone would pull content from the iTunes store. To me, this would be like a label refusing its music be sold at Best Buy or any other record store because it has its own storefront somewhere else.

Then again, there are plenty of other options for users' listening enjoyment, so maybe there is room for this sort of fragmentation.