For most of us buying gifts this Christmas will undoubtedly have a request for a tablet. If the request is not brand specific then the Sony Xperia Tablet S is worth considering. The price is reasonable (just about) for what you are getting and the features are comparable to other tablets on the market.
Master of the Living Room
Sony is known for their ability to create great home entertainment systems and Control4 is known for their home management and automation products. Now both companies have merged their technologies to create the world’s first range of AV Receivers with built-in home automation capabilities. The new models of Sony ES receivers (STR-DA5800ES and STR-DA2800ES) will work seamlessly with Control4’s systems and at the same time offers full 4K resolution viewing experience with 9.2 channel surround sound.
Google and Sony are sticking to their partnership to develop the Google TV platform. For the first time Google TV services will be available outside the US. Sony has announced that its Google Android base NSZ-GS7 player will be available in the UK, in July. According to Sony the new Internet player is due to launch in Canada next followed by Australia, France, Germany and Netherlands, Brazil and Mexico.
Sony has announced plans to launch a new 500GB NAS device for today’s digital home. The new “Nasne” device as it is called comes with built in digital terrestrial and satellite broadcast tuners. Nasne works with other Sony Apps such as "Torne" for PlayStation3 (PS3) and "VAIO TV with Nasne" for VAIO so that you can watch and record digital TV and satellite broadcast programs.
Screen Dreams has launched its first paid TV application for the Yahoo! Connected TV platform. Screen Dreams specialises in developing Wallpapers, Galleries and Screensavers for flat-panel, HDTVs and DVD players. The new application is to allow users of the Yahoo! Connected TVs to access and stream to their devices well known art works, photography and their own Fireplace and Aquarium videos.
Last year this time the tech world’s attention was drawn to the Connected TV platform. This was due to the release of Apple and Google TV. This year the same thing has happen but this time the tone has changed. Notable partners such as Intel, Adobe and Logitech have made announcements saying they are changing their strategy around the Connected TV platform - which mainly affects Google TV.
The rebranded Sony Entertainment Network (previously Qriocity) is to offer MUZU.TV music videos to Sony customers via selected range of Bravia HDTVs, Blu-ray players and home theatre systems. With more than eighty thousand music videos in the MUZU.TV library plus those from Sony means viewers will have an endless choice of artist and genre to choose from.
Last year at CEDIA Sony released its first 3D home projector, this year they launched the world’s first 4K home front projector, the VPL-VW1000ES. The projector offers the highest resolution for a home theatre projector, over four times that of a HDTV. The VW1000ES also employs an entirely new SXRD 4K panel, which produces outstanding deep blacks; when combined with Sony's Iris3 technology, the projector can achieve an incredible 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast.
Sony has announced that they will be integrating the Opera browser into their Bravia television and Sony Blu-ray players. Earlier this month, at CES Sony demonstrated a new range of Blu-ray players that they will be rolling throughout this quarter. The integration of Opera on the television will give users a more intuitive user interface from the television and a platform that is more web friendly.
Sony has introduced a new range of Blu-ray players and Blu-ray Disc Home theater systems for 2011. There are four standalone Blu-ray Disc players (BDP-S780, BDP-S580, BDP-S480, and BDP-S380) and three home theater systems (BDV-E780W, BDV-E580, and BDV-E280). Both ranges of systems are designed with the latest connected solution to allow access to the latest in online entertainment and in home connectivity. They have also introduced a 5.1 channel audio system to complement the Blu-ray player and home theater system.