Just before the Photokina Trade Show in September, the upcoming follow-up model to the Sony Cyber-shot N1 has been exposed. Dubbed as DSC-N2, the new digital camera boasts of 3x Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar lens.

Aside from these, it also promises an increase in resolution as it now has 10.1MP. Its predecessor came only with 8MP. Its sensitivity is also upgraded as we see now an ISO of 1000. Not to mention its rather unique color, which can be mistaken for as silver when it's not, Cyber-shot N2 also comes with a three-inch touch screen.

Because of the leak, official announcements from Sony are now being expected to be given in the Cologne Exhibition Center, Germany as the digital photography show unfolds this September 26.

So you want to play a wholesome game of Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 with your friends and family out on the patio, but everyone won't be able to see the action because your TV is too small? Fret not, for Pearl is here to save the day!

At least, we hope that's the case.

Pearl is the name of Sony's new projector, which is meant to be somewhat more affordable yet just as dependable as its predecessor, the Ruby. There's not a lot of details yet, since the primary information source was a Japanese forum and free translation isn't 100% accurate. Let's see if we can give you the lowdown, though.

The Pearl, model number VPL-VW50, is supposed to be a lot sleeker than the Ruby, but there's still going to be a lot of HDTV goodness. Since it's got progressive scanning and 1080 lines of vertical resolution because of Sony's SXRD technology, the Pearl is almost surely going to be wonderfully widescreen in its presentation. It's also supposed to have a 22-decibel fan cooling system to keep the 200-watt bulb that shows the widescreen goodness from overheating.

Some of the rumored information, as a result of weird translation, talks about a dynamic contrast ratio of 15,000:1, as well as a static contrast ratio of 5000:1. The press release also mentions only having 2 HDMI ports and no components, which limits its utility for thrifty movie buffs. Since these are rumors, however, let's hope they're wrong.

Till then, expect this gem to to shine in stores come October.

 
 

DSC-T10	DSC-N1	DSC-T50

Photos of the supposed Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T50 has surfaced the web just recently. Along with the pictures are specs, claiming that this new camera from Sony will be a 7.2MP digital camera with 3x optical zoom, Super SteadyShot, high sensitivity with ISO 1000, a 3" touch panel at the back and slideshow with music feature. Nothing fancy really, especially when you realize that it's basically a combination of features of the DSC-T10 and the DSC-N1. It's like their offspring really. It mostly takes after DSC-T10. Just look at the overall design. while the 3' touch panel comes courtesy of DSC-N1. According to reports it will be due out this coming October and will come in silver, black and red.

When my parents bought a digital camera for one of their out-of-town trips, I just can't help but laugh my behind off when my Dad asked the salesperson "where does the film go?". It took them quite a while (and a lot of lectures from their loving kids) to understand that a digicam doesn't need film, that it has a memory card that they could re-use, and that they could always buy another one if memory is running low.

But in general, a lot of people do not really get the difference between the wide variety of digital memory cards that has popped out nowadays. Most digicams could accommodate two or more types of memory cards. So, maybe we could help you out a bit with that. To kick things off, there are a lot of memory cards you can choose from, here are some of the choices:

The SD Memory Card - Small size and acceptable capacity is the name of the game. SD Cards hold between 32Mb-2Gb, also there's a 3GB SD Card in development. A 2GB SD Card may cost you around $55-$60, depending on where you buy.

The XD Memory Card - Has a maximum capacity of 1GB and works like the SD card with a price ranging from $20-$70 depending on memory capacity, brand and where you shop. Unless you're a professional photographer taking hundreds of shots per session, you might want to consider it.

The Compact Flash Card - Robust and reliable with a solid form, they come in substantially greater capacities (up to 8GB). Aside from capacity, they also have differing speed cards. Perfect for the digital photography aficionado or a professional photographer. Prices could go as high as $180.

SmartMedia Cards - The old timer of the group. Launched in the summer of 1995, they are somewhat sidelined for newer more advanced options of image storage. You may find that your Digital Camera isn't compatible with SmartMedia Cards so always read the manual.

Memory Stick - Originally used primarily in Sony cameras, you may recognise Memory Sticks from other devices such as your mobile phone or your PSP. Available in several capacities and from different manufacturers. However, they are slightly more prone to becoming damaged due to being physically more vulnerable than its Compact Flash counterpart, which has a more solid and hardened plastic body.

And we come to the difficult part: what should you use? The answer: it depends on what will you use it for. If you want something that you can use in your other contraptions, then maybe the Memory Stick is for you. If you're the type who just take pictures during holidays and kiddie parties, then you might wanna size up an XD or SD memory card. Serious about becoming a digital photographer par-extraordinaire, consider the compact flash card.

In the end, if you just don't get it then maybe you oughta stick to the old school film cameras. A classic never goes out of style, anyway. We leave the decisions to you.

Here's another interesting product from Sony Electronics: the GPS-CS1K. This GPS device will help you map out the places you've been - using the digital photos you yourself took.

How does it work? Using the time stamp from any of Sony's digital cameras or camcorders and the time and location recordings from the GPS-CS1 GPS device, you can create a map to showcase your globe-trotting. You just have to transfer the photos you took to a computer and import the logged data from the GPS device before the GPS Image Tracker software synchronizes the information.

With the help of the Picture Motion Browser software included in the latest Sony digicams, your online map will have your photos as virtual markers of the places you've visited. Cool, huh? Just imagine pictures you've taken with faces of your friends or relatives popping up whenever you click locations like Barcelona or Florida on the map.

The 12-channel GPS device - which weighs two ounces, is 3 1/2-inches long and comes with a carabiner to easily attach to your bag or belt - will cost around $135 and will be available starting September.

Who wouldn't forget the good old Walkman you used to tote around with when you were younger? Back then, it seemed as if it was THE gadget. Since its release in 1979, Sony has been riding the waves of success.

Now that Sony has turned 60 this year, writer Yuri Kageyama poses this question: Is Sony losing its magic touch? According to Kageyama, Sony seems focused on producing ultra-luxurious products that are conforming less and less to consumers' wants and needs.

One such example was the Qualia line of luxury products released three years ago, which included a "$3,300 digital camera and a $13,000 audio console that automatically centered a compact disc regardless of how carelessly it was tossed into the player." Kageyama says that products such as those widen the gap between Sony and consumers. It seems that consumers are more after practicality than luxury, even if the said products were made by an established name in the business.

However, if you go by the numbers, Sony hasn't entirely lost the plot. In fact, this year, things are looking up for the Japanese company - they earned $276 million for its first fiscal quarter, not a spectacular figure but still a turnaround from their $65.2 million loss last year. Also, Sony President Ryoji Chubachi believes that their TV sets and portable music players are still number one. To ensure this, revamps were made, such as bringing Apple's Tim Schaff to develop its software, and cooperating with Samsung Electronics to work on light crystal displays for TV sets.

Moreover, Sony is now lending an ear to its consumers (which resulted to pulling out the Qualia line) and maintains a "full scope of its business."  With its motto, "Sony United," the company strives for more inter-connectivity with its other departments, a lesson learned after a mishap with the production of its digital music player (which initially supported ATRAC3 files instead of the MP3 format, which doesn't have protection against illicit copying) which could have been prevented if the software designers maintained strong communication lines with the product designers.

So is Sony still the king in the biz? We really can't tell just yet. How about you, what do you think?

Yep you read it right, Office Depot is now selling Sandisk Memory Stick Pro Duo for $29.99, no mail-in rebates, no coupons, nothing but a great price. You can go to the Office Depot Product Page (link below) and pick a couple out for you camera, PSP, or any other gadget you have that uses the format.

The Sandisk stick have been tested and have faster data transfer than a Sony branded one (which is great for any PSP owner transferring large movies). Now this is a great deal (I paid more than twice that about a month after the PSP came out) but you can also get a 4GB memory stick of questionable (read fake) quality on eBay for about $50-$60, although who knows how longs that it will last you. And if something goes wrong, they don't come with the Sandisk five-year warranty.

Sony has announced its new Memory Stick Entertainment Packs. (We told you about the previous batch here.) These contain either 1GB or 2GB Memory sticks bundled with an installer DVD. This is (obviously) a collaboration between Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Sony Electronics.

Aside from being able to use the Memory Sticks in devices such as Sony's digital cameras, camcorders and some Sony Ericsson phones, you can also use these to watch movies in your PSP.

The Packs come with installer DVDs for PCs which contain four Sony movies, one of which you can access with the complimentary unlock code, and then transfer to your PSP's Memory Stick media.

The movies included in the Memory Stick Entertainment Pack are "S.W.A.T.," XXX: State of the Union," "The Grudge" and "Hitch."

The 2GB and 1GB Memory Stick Entertainment Packs will become available next month and will cost $100 and $60 respectively.

Finally, Sony Europe have announced that the 4GB Memory Stick Pro Duo will hit shelves in September. The 4GB micro memory stick, compatible with Sony's PSP as well as digital cameras and other Sony products, has been available for a while in other territories and will be a welcome addition to the Memory stick range for European PSP owners. According to the Sony press release, the 4GB stick can hold up to 1000 MP3 songs, 3000 digital photos in 5 megapixel resolution or more than 9 hours of MPEG-4 video, which probably means it'll hold around 2/3 of that.

The new 4GB stick will come in a new package, presumably to tear apart differences between fake sticks from auction site eBay and legitimate ones, as well as a free Memory Stick Pro adaptor and a 5 year warranty for approximately €170 (approximately US$274). Not bad if you ask me, but they have probably been priced to compete with Sandisk's 4GB Memory Stick Pro Duo. I want one, and I'll get whatever one is cheapest: Sony or SanDisk!

The H range by Sony is infamous for its high pixel quality and its long range zoom. After the H1 and H2, we now have the H5. The H5 incorporates alot of the features found within H2, however there are a few differences. Hardware wise, the H5 has a 3" screen (whereas H2 has 2"), a 7.0 MP sensor (h2 having 6.0 MP) and a higher resolution screen at 230K pixels (H2 having 85K pixels). Color wise, the H5 is available in both silver and black, but as it stands silver is only available to those purchasing off the Sony Style site. The zoom is supplied by a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens in a whopping 12x scale, adding the digital zoom (2x) thats a total of 24x. Wide ISO has a range from 80 to 1000, Super Steady Shot image stabilization and a Real Imaging Processor. Not only is there the given 3" display, but also there is a 0.2" 200K pixel electronic viewfinder. Memory wise there is a 32MB internal memory chip, and a Memory Stick Pro Duo slot.

The internal software has a wide range of options for picture taking, including various modes and effects. The contents of the box has the unit, 2x NH-AA-DB batteries (which may suggest poor performance), a battery charger, A/V and USB cables, shoulder strap, lens cap with strap, lens adaptor, and lens hood. Overall, the specification of this camera make it a worthwhile upgrade from your older models. Sony Style currently have this camera listed at $499.95 which doesn't seem that bad at all.