Sony Japan has just released a compact bluetooth mouse that looks like a perfect complement to the Vaio P ultraportable laptop they introduced earlier in the year. The VGP-BMS10 features an aluminum sliding cover that powers the mouse on and off and also protects the scroll wheel and buttons while it’s stashed in a laptop case. Otherwise it’s not exactly swimming in extra features or functions, though it does have an 800dpi laser and a decent range of about 10 meters. The VGP-BMS10 will be officially available in August for about $67, and it appears to be only Windows compatible, so anyone who’s endeavored to install OS X on their Vaio P is out of luck.
With the announcement of a $250 price tag, Sony pretty much guaranteed there will still be a market for the old PSP once the PSP Go hits store shelves. And if the reason you’ve been holding off on getting a PSP 2000 or 3000 is because of the battery life and ergonomics concerns, you’ll be happy to know that Nyko has heard your plight.
Their Charge Grip Flex works with either model and features a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that increases your play time by about 1.5x. I also like that it uses the PSP’s included AC adapter to charge both the PSP and the Charger Grip at the same time, so you don’t need to wrangle or store another cord. And when it comes to ergonomics, there’s a set of fold-out grips that extend from the bottom, making the unit feel more like a dual-shock controller.
MAG is one of those titles that many people have been waiting to see more of. Imagine playing a FPS with 255 other people at the same time. I’ll admit to being a bit skeptical on the gameplay when it was announced, but check out the gameplay footage from the show. Each and every person you see, every single shot fired is from a real live person playing against the 8 guys that were demoing it at the conference.
It has been wondered aloud by many gamers, have we seen the last of Solid Snake? Well at Sony’s press conference today, Hideo Kojima made a guest appearance to confirm that no, we haven’t seen the last of him. In fact, he’s going to be sneaking his way onto the PSP sometime next year. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker will take place 10 years after Metal Gear Solid 3. It was greatly stressed that this was a “true” sequel, and not a spin-off or side story. Nothing speaks better than a video, so check out our official first look at Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.
One of the biggest pieces of news that came out of Sony’s press conference today was the announcement of the PSP Go, otherwise known as “the worst-kept secret of E3.” So what’s so different about this new portable system? Practically everything it seems. Obviously the slide-out control system is a big change, but also the lack of UMD compatibility is new. It is also 50% smaller and 40% lighter than the current PSP-3000.
Sony is targeting this device at people living the “digital lifestyle.” They’re looking at people that want their content delivered digitally, without the need to go to the store and buy a physical product. The lack of a UMD slot means that you will instead download new titles to your PSP directly. As such, all new titles will be sold in both UMD and digital formats. Both versions will contain the exact same features and functionality, as they aren’t actually aiming to replace the current PSP-3000 with the Go.
I will admit that other than the PS3 I am not a fan of Sony products. I especially loathe Sony cameras, not because they aren’t cool and don’t work well, but because you have to use Sony proprietary memory card formats that cost much more than the good ‘ol SD cards other cams can use.
If you don’t mind Sony’s proprietary nature, the company has announced three new DSLR cameras including the a380, a330, and a230. The a230 and a330 cameras are both 10.2-megapixel joints with adjustable LCDs and more goodies. The a230 is hailed as the most compact and light DSLR available at only 15.9-ounces.
I still think of those giant yellow cassette players from the 1980’s when I hear the Walkman name. It also reminds me of those huge headphones with the built-in FM radio sporting the giant antenna that I used to see people wearing when they ran. I’m surprised most joggers didn’t end up with neck injuries from the massive things.
Sony has added a new product to the Walkman line that is slick and sounds a lot like the iPod touch. The new gadget is the Walkman X-series and it is available in 16GB for $299 and 32GB for $399. Other than the amount of storage, the two models are the same. Both sport a 3-inch OLED screen for video in WMV or MPEG-4 formats.
I usually shoot pictures with a Nikon D80, but I still like to keep a nice, small point-and-shoot around for the times I don’t feel like hefting the behemoth D80 around. A thin point-and-shoot that can be slipped into a pocket or backpack is a welcome addition for most people who like to shoot with more advanced cameras typically.
Sony announced a pair of new cameras this week that are perfect for those looking for thing cameras. The DSC-T77 is very thin at under 5/8-inch thick — making it perfect to complement my DSLR. The T77 may be thin, but it still packs in lots of features including a large 3-inch touch sensitive LCD, Smile Shutter, face detection and ISO sensitivity up to ISO 3200.
Mobile products are generally limited by three factors: size, power and battery life. There’s not much that the end-user can do to change the power or size (except to make it larger) of their mobile device of choice, however, battery life is something that can be worked on. In the case of the Sony PSP, you can now find all of the power you’ll ever need just by walking out on a sunny day.
While this new battery may offer you extra power without plugging into a wall, I’m not so sure that I’d get too excited about it. First, it looks bulky; this means that it’s going to likely make your PSP a little more uncomfortable to play, and it’s going to be a little more of a burden to carry around. Now this is all fine and dandy, since you’re never going to have to worry about a dead battery, right?
Looking at the device you’ll notice that it’s going to mount to the bottom of your PSP. This also means that your solar panels will be facing down while you’re playing. Unless you like playing upside down, or you feel like carrying a mirror to reflect the necessary rays, you’re not going to get a lot of extra power from this bulky unit. Even at around $30, I’m not so sure that it’s worth it.
Related Tags: 
Permalink
