Adobe to Introduce New Android Apps for Upcoming Sony Tablets

Adobe and Sony have announced the new ‘Adobe AIR App Challenge’ to entice developers to create and develop unique high-performance mobile applications - a precursor to their upcoming ‘Sony Tablet’ rumored to become available in the global market starting Fall 2011.

Both companies will enable tapping into native device capabilities to combine Adobe Flash technology and HTML 5 to enable a wide range of applications including media, gaming and data-driven applications. Adobe says that their Creative Suite 5.5 and their latest developer tools combined with Sony’s upcoming tablets will provide content publishers with a platform to deliver better tablet experiences. 

Sony Tablets to get taste of Adobe Air

 

Sony, as we've already reported, are developing two tablets - the S1 optimized for media and the S2 designed for mobile communication as well as entertainment. As part of the collaboration, Sony will pre-install Adobe Flash Player on ‘Sony Tablet’ devices enabling a more 'complete' Web browsing experience that includes an array of videos, games and other multimedia content.

This sounds like good news for developers as it’s relatively easy to build AIR applications with Adobe tools and deploy them as native applications via the Android Market. The new apps, it seems, will have tight device integration, including support for camera, video, microphone, multi-touch and more. Also, support for geo-location allows developers to create location-based applications and services. However, only time will tell if this new tablet with ‘new’ applications will satiate the ever-increasing needs of the consumer. 

Buying Guide - Digital Point and Shoot Cameras

We’ve all used mobile phones and it’s easy to say that the cameras on the smartphones don’t provide the same kind of performance and functionality as a digital camera would. This is the very reason people like to go out and buy a decent point and shoot camera. Digital cameras, like mobile phones and notebooks are a very hot topic and there are plenty of players in the market. Each brand releases a new range of camera once or twice a year, so there are plenty of choices. And when there’s plenty of choice, there’s also plenty of confusion all thanks to the marketing gimmicks that each one uses. This quick guide should hopefully demystify most of the claims of the companies and you should end up with the best deal possible.

Megapixel is not everything!

Many of us might assume a camera to be good if they have a high resolution. It’s not the case. Point and shoot cameras have tiny sensor size and beyond a certain sweet point, you aren’t getting any more detail from it.

Small sensors with large resolutions offer little performance improvement

These days any camera with a resolution of 10 to 12 MP is more than sufficient. It’s enough resolution and detail for you to be able to take printouts and enough to fit any display. Don’t go out hunting for a 14 MP point and shoot camera.

Zoom capability

What is more interesting than the sensor resolution is the optical zoom lens on a camera. It allows you to zoom further. Look for a larger optical zoom lens on a camera. The cheapest of cameras today come with a 3x or 4x optical zoom lens. Something in the range of 6x is optimum for both indoor photography and outdoors.

A large optical zoom lens is more useful than a large image resolution

If you like taking wildlife photographs, then even a larger zoom lens camera is recommended. Ultrazoom cameras or Superzoom cameras, as some people like to call them have optical zooms anywhere between 12x and 30x. The quality of zoom lens may not be excellent, but at least you have the capability. Ignore everything to do with digital zoom as it only helps deteriorate the quality of the image, rendering it useless.

Manual focus

Focus, on all point and shoot cameras and all digital cameras, in general for that matter is automated. All DSLR cameras and the recently introduced micro four-third cameras come with a manual focus feature. If you’re a slightly more serious photographer and want to experiment with your camera, look for cameras that have a manual focus option.

Aperture and shutter priority features

Just like manual focus, there are some other controls that are handy while shooting in different situations. The aperture and shutter priority mode are two such features. While camera manufacturers very proudly display all sorts of colour profiles and shooting modes, very little emphasis is given to the aperture and shutter priority modes. These two modes allow some control over the camera and it’s handy when you’re clicking fast action shots or shooting in low-light areas.

Display size A camera with a large screen is a great thing to have to view photos on, as well as while shooting photos. Look for cameras that have a 3-inch display. The resolution of the display might also be stated by the manufacturer. A large screen on a camera is handy while shooting photos The higher the density, the better it’s bound to be. This is not to say that all high resolution displays are excellent, but it’s an easy way to filter out the good screens from the bad. Video recording capability Video recording on point and shoot cameras have been around for ages now, but in recent times, there have been some advancements. Camera manufacturers are providing HD resolution recording on almost all point and shoot cameras, today. Look out for cameras that have a minimum of 720p video recording. Make sure that the recording frame rate is a minimum of 24fps. While the video quality isn’t directly comparable to a good HD camcorder, it’s still a bonus feature, worth having on your point and shoot. Aesthetics and build quality The aesthetics of the camera is an important factor of the camera. Look for a camera that comes with a solid build. The zoom trigger is bound to be used the most after some of the buttons at the back such as the directional keys. A comfortable grip on the camera is a good thing to have Loose zoom triggers and buttons means that you’re likely to run into issues a few months down the line. If you’re visiting a mall or a camera showroom, try and get a hands on feel of the product before you buy it. You’ll also get an idea of how compact the device is and how easy it is to operate the menus and hold in your hand. Touchscreen, 3D anyone? Some manufacturers have tried focussing their efforts on newer features such as touchscreens and 3D. For features such as touchscreen, the interface and the touch functionality has to be flawless, to be practical. 3D, although a neat feature to have is still not mainstream. Best to wait till 3D is more refined There are very few users using 3D TVs and so the only ones viewing the images you shoot will be you. Since 3D is still in its early stages, you’re likely to end up with an average quality camera with bugs. It’s a good idea to wait a while till the technology matures. Bundled freebies To make offers more attractive, manufacturers bundle freebies with the product. Look out for offers where free memory cards and carry pouches are bundled with the cameras. Of course, be careful and make sure that you’re not being overcharged for those freebies. If a bundled memory card is of 8GB capacity and higher, it might be a good freebie to have. Otherwise, 4GB SD cards are really cheap and are worth no more than Rs. 400 in the market. Cheap pouches are also available for that much. Keeping these points in mind and it will be hard to go wrong with your next camera purchase.

Sony's Upcoming A77 and A65 Camera Details Leaked

Sony has been on a camera release spree and they’ve been paying more attention to their translucent mirror models. We’ve also seen their A33 and A55 models from their SLT range. Now there are new models on the way - the A77 and A65, which should be officially launched sometime in late August. The A77 will use a 24 MP APS-C sized sensor. Although not officially detailed, ISO range is expected to be between 100 and 1,02,400. The old SLT models had average electronic viewfinders, but the A77 should have an all new 3 million dot EVF which should offer better image quality. Continuous shooting mode is said to be capable of clicking 10 photos in a second and as expected, 1080p video recording will also be supported.

Won't arrive till sometime in August

USB 2.0 goes out the window and it will be replaced by the much faster USB 3.0 standard. There’s also integrated GPS support, so you don’t have to buy a separate module. Suggested pricing for the body only will be around $1000, which isn’t too expensive if you consider the competition's products with similar specifications. The bundled kit lens with the A77 will be an all 16 - 50 mm Zeiss one and it will support SD, CF and MS format cards.

Sony Projector Handycam, HDR-PJ50, Now Available

Popular consumer electronics manufacturer in the country, Sony has unveiled its latest holiday companion, the Projector Handycam – HDR-PJ50. Packed with a 220GB hard disk drive, the main feature of the Handycam remains the in-built contrast projector, which, according to Sony makes for an ideal addition to the Handycam.

For those memories..

The contrast projector, as per Sony, can project images for as much as 60-inches (diagonal), almost 3 meters in a dark environment, completely eliminating the need for any additional plug-in wires, cables, computer or television. Additionally, the projector Handycam comes with a powerful stereo speaker, which Sony claims helps bring alive the entire experience. Here's a look at the other specifications of the Handycam:

Sony G Lens
3.0-inch LCD screen (Clear Photo LCD Plus)
Still Image Resolution: 7.1 megapixels
Image Stabilisation: Optical SteadyShot

The Sony Handycam Projector has been made available in the country, across all Sony dealers for a price tag of Rs. 59, 990.

Sony Adds The NWZ-E363 to its Walkman Range

Popular technology brand, Sony has today announced an addition to its Walkman range – the Sony Walkman NWZ-E363. As the name suggests, Sony is forwarding this newbie as a perfect accompaniment for a music enthusiast, who is looking for a good experience with music, at an affordable price.Sony has lent its ‘clear audio technology’ to its new range, which Sony claims, renders a crisp and clear feel to the audio. The Walkman also comes with, what Sony calls a Dynamic Normalizer that takes care of the sudden changes in volume between tracks. The Walkman boasts of a capacity of 4 GB.

More, for less?

Here’s a look at the detailed specifications of the Sony Walkman NWZ-E363:

• 2.0 TFT color display, with white LED backlight
• FM radio
• Mini USB
• SensMe channel
• MP3, AAC, WMA(DRM), L-PCM, WMV(DRM) 

The Sony Walkman NWZ-E363 is being made available starting from today, for an MRP of Rs. 4,990.

Sony Pictures Confirms Data Theft of 37,500 User Accounts

Last week we reported that hacker group Lulzsec had breached Sony Pictures websites with them gaining access to a number of user details found on Sony servers. Sony Pictures have recently released a statement confirming the authenticity of this breach. Sony issues notice to 37,500 affected users The statement from Sony Pictures reads that they have provided notice to the approximately 37,500 people who may have had some personally identifiable information stolen during the recent attack on sonypictures.com. It also states that Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) did not request for any information, and that the stolen information did not include any credit card information, social security numbers or driver license numbers from these affected people. The statement goes on to say that they are continuing to investigate the details of this cyber attack; however, they believe that one or more unauthorized persons may have obtained some or all of the following information that users may have provided to them in connection with certain promotions or sweepstakes which include user’s name, address, email address, telephone number, gender, date of birth, and website password and user name. The company ended the statement by saying that they thank users for their patience as they complete their investigation of this cyber attack, and that they regret any inconvenience caused. To know more about the recent hackings on Sony, click here.

Sony PlayStation Store Resumes Service, Finally!

After being taken down for more than a month, the PlayStation Network finally resumed services. Although the PlayStation Store was disabled for a while in the beggining, it is now up as well.  So as of now, all services including its music service, called Qriocity, have been enabled, except the Welcome Back package. The service resumed first  in some areas of America, Europe, and parts of Asia, and is now reported up in all parts of the world.

Gamers await free game bundles

The new store comes online with a ton of content that includes trial games, free games, DLC packs, and avatars. Players weren’t able to make purchases all the while that the network was disabled. Several game launches were affected. For example, gamers couldn’t use any redeem codes for the popular Dirt 3 title without the PlayStation Store. The news comes just when some of Sony’s other services have been under attack by other hacking groups. The Welcome Back program that includes the option to download a few games for free and the trial PSN+ feature is expected to be made available sometime soon.

A Series of Sony Websites Hacked

Sony recently announced that the restoration of the PlayStation Network would be complete by the end of this week; however, the multinational corporation has been victimized yet again with a number of their websites including Sony Pictures, Sony Music Belgium, and Sony Music Netherlands being hacked. Hacker group Lulzsec has claimed responsibility for stealing information of around 100,000 users’ personal information that includes passwords, email addresses, home addresses, dates of birth, as well as Sony optional information that is related to their Sony accounts. Lulzsec has set sail for Sony to fail! The group has been promising attacks on Sony since a week claiming “the beginning of the end for Sony.” According to Lulzsec’s post on Pastebin, in addition to the stolen user data, the group is also in possession of admin details of Sony Pictures (including passwords) along with 75,000 'music codes' and 3.5 million 'music coupons.’ Lulzsec said that they did not have the resources to copy all the information but are posting samples to prove the information gathered is genuine. More information could have been gathered but it would take several more weeks to be acquired. The hacker group said that gaining access to the network wasn’t a difficult task and all it required was a single SQL injection. What was worse was that every bit of data they took wasn't encrypted. Sony stored over 1,000,000 passwords of its customers in plaintext, which means it's just a matter of taking it. Criticizing Sony’s security measures the hacker group said that this was disgraceful and insecure and Sony was asking for it. Lulzsec posted on their Twitter page that they would accept contributions in the form of BitCoin virtual currency that will be used to help it do more hacking. This comes as major blow to the company that has announced the restoration of its PSN services

Sony Evaluating Compensation for PlayStation Network Downtime

Sony said in a Friday blog post that it is considering how to "show appreciation" for its customers' patience in dealing with the ongoing PlayStation Network outage.

Sony Online Entertainment also said that it will be holding "special events" for subscribers to its "DC Universe Online" and "Free Realms" massively multiplayer online games.

Sony's online network has been down since April 20, when the company took down the PlayStation Network and the related Qriocity cloud music service due to a external intrusion, or hack into the network. Sony has since been sued over the hack, accusing the company of failing to adequately protect, encrypt, and secure its customer data. The suit seeks damages for the data loss and PlayStation Network downtime.

That may have been on Sony's mind on Friday, when the company's latest blog post addressed what will happen to customer's saved games, data, and other aspects of game play.

Perhaps the most interesting bit of information is listed at the bottom, however: "Will there be a goodwill gesture for the time we haven't been able to utilize PSN/Qriocity?" the blog's FAQ asks. "We are currently evaluating ways to show appreciation for your extraordinary patience as we work to get these services back online."

The blog also addresses the two MMOs.

"What if we have a subscription to PS3 MMOs DC Universe Online or Free Realms? Will we get compensation for that?" it asks.

"From Sony Online Entertainment: 'We apologize for any inconvenience players may have experienced as a result of the recent service interruption,'" the FAQ states. "'As a global leader in online gaming, SOE is committed to delivering stable and entertaining games for players of all ages. To thank players for their patience, we will be hosting special events across our game portfolio. We are also working on a "make good" plan for players of the PS3 versions of DC Universe Online and Free Realms. Details will be available soon on the individual game websites and forums.'"

Sony also goes on to say that download lists, friends history, and settings will not be affected, and that trophies (Sony's version of the Xbox "Achievements") will also be intact and sync with the server when the PSN is restored. Cloud saves will also be "retrievable," Sony said.

Sony has also said previously that its credit-card data has been encrypted, theoretically preventing it from being stolen. Still, it said, it cannot rule out the possibility that it was obtained by the hackers.

On Friday, reports circulated that the credit-card information had in face been obtained and was being circulated by hackers.

Sony sued for PlayStation Network data breach

Like clockwork, the first lawsuit resulting from the security breach of the personal data of more than 75 million Sony PlayStation Network customers has been filed.

The suit was filed today on behalf of Kristopher Johns, 36, of Birmingham, Ala., in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Johns accuses Sony of not taking "reasonable care to protect, encrypt, and secure the private and sensitive data of its users."

He also believes Sony took too long to notify him and other customers that their personal information had been exposed. Because of that, the complaint alleges, Sony did not allow its customers "to make an informed decision as to whether to change credit card numbers, close the exposed accounts, check their credit reports, or take other mitigating actions."

The lawsuit is asking for monetary compensation and free credit card monitoring, and is seeking class action status.

Yesterday, Sony warned customers of its PlayStation Network and Qriocity service that their personal information--including customer names, addresses, e-mail addresses, birthdays, PlayStation Network and Qriocity passwords, and user names, as well as online user handles--was obtained illegally by an "unauthorized person" between April 17 and 19. The company says there is "no evidence" that credit card information was compromised, but it can't be sure yet.

In the aftermath of the breach Sony has temporarily turned off PlayStation Network and Qriocity, contracted with an outside security firm to investigate the intrusion on its network, and started to rebuild its system and security.

Johns' complaint echoes the concerns of Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat. Blumenthal yesterday wrote a letter to Jack Tretton, president and chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment America, saying he was troubled that the company had not notified customers sooner about the breach. He also called for Sony to provide affected customers with financial data security services, including free access to credit reporting services for two years to protect against identity theft.

Sony Ericsson announces W8 Walkman phone

Using just a post on its Web site, Sony Ericsson unceremoniously unveiled its next Android-powered phone today, the W8 Walkman. Looking nearly identical to last summer's Xperia X8, the smartphone features a 3-inch touch screen, a 3.2-megapixel camera, and a 600MHz processor.

The W8 Walkman runs Android 2.1 with Sony Ericsson's custom Timescape UI so it should be able to run most games and applications. Virtually indistinguishable from the Xperia X8, both offer Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth support as well. I might expect apps centered around music and media playback, but the Sony Ericsson blog mentions new or exciting.

Initially, the W8 Walkman phone will be offered in Asia-Pacific markets in three color options: Azure Blue, Metallic Red, and Iconic Orange. As of this time there are no indications that we'll see this phone at a U.S. carrier.