Ultra Cool Gadgets

Imagine holding a library of books conveniently in one hand. Begin a new chapter with the PRS-700BC Reader Digital Book. Boasting an impressive 6.0-inch, touch screen display, this Reader uses paper-like E Ink technology which makes it easier to read, even in bright-light situations. In addition to a built-in light, there’s an interactive touch screen that lets you turn pages with the slide of a finger or activate the bookmark. You can also create annotations with a virtual keyboard, highlight text with a stylus pen, search for text in your digital book, and easily adjust the font size. A faster processor gives you quicker response times when opening content or turning pages. Ideal for travelers or people who like to read while on the go, the PRS-700BC holds approximately 320 digital books. A sizeable 6-inch display with touchscreen technology lets you interact with the Reader just like a real book. A simple movement with the slide of a finger lets you easily turn pages or activate the bookmark. It also features a virtual keyboard that can be used for quick annotation or search. While most portable electronics lose power after only a few hours, the Reader Digital Book lets you turn up to 7,500 continuous pages (or up to two weeks of reading) on a single charge of internal rechargeable battery.

Technical Details:
- The Reader Digital Book allows you to search, browse, discover, and buy new releases, classics, and popular digital book titles from The eBook Store from Sony and other participating Websites. You can even go to other sites that have DRM Free eBooks in file formats supported by the Reader. This translates into an unbelievable amount of content suitable for the Reader
- With the included eBook Library 2.0 PC Software, you can easily transfer Adobe PDF documents, Microsoft Word documents, BBeB format, and other text file formats to the Reader. It also supports EPUB/ADEPT and connection with Adobe Digital Editions.
You can even play back of unsecured MP3 and AAC audio files. (Headphones not included.)
- 20MB Minimum available Hard Drive space
- USB connector for data transfer (broadband Internet service suggested)

Customer feedback:

1. I had a Sony reader PRS-505 for a year then bought the new PRS-700 model.
The new model comes with a touch screen put over the letter screen, allowing to turn pages back and forth with swiping motion like iphone. As a result there are fewer buttons for control; a stylus is provided to highlight or search words and make notes.
A little drawback: The added layer of the touch screen causes the underlying letters to appear slightly foggy. However, unless you have a previous model next to the new one to compare, you wouldn’t notice it. The appearance of the letters is still excellent. The new PRS 700 offers LED lights around the screen to allow reading in a dark environment. It is slightly thicker and comes in one color. (black). It can now take up to 8G SD card instead of 2G. The grey scale is 8; the resolution is 170 psi—no change from previous model. I upgraded to the new model after thinking about the slightly diminished appearance of the ink letters; I am very happy with the purchase.

2. I have been reading with the PRS700 for about a week. Quite user friendly, several ways to turns pages, easier to hold than a book, and good text size scaling make it worthwhile. I doubt I will ever go back to holding a clunky hardcover, or even a paperback. I am also using it for some MP3 listening. One note on the backlight: it is really a “frontlight”, considering you need front illumination to read.
As this is my first ereader, it has become somewhat surprising and intuitive that you can use your hands and your seating position differently compared to reading with a book. You can place the reader on your lap without it flipping closed, giving you a chance to grab a coffee cup or phone.

The new Reader (model PRS-505) features a svelte body design. Re-styled controls more closely mimic paper page turns and allow for quick, intuitive navigation. A next-generation electronic paper display delivers faster response and a higher contrast ratio for easy reading even in bright sunshine. Eight levels of gray scale provide for crisp and clear text, images, and graphics. This device is designed for people on the go, this device is compelling because it allows them to carry a wide variety of reading materials whether they are on a cross-country flight, in a doctor’s office waiting room, or at a beach resort. The Reader can handle a stack of books and other documents that people would rather not carry, yet offers a ‘book-like’ reading experience unavailable with other electronic devices. With the capacity to store up to 160 typical eBooks, the Reader can act as a mobile library. Expansion slots for Memory Stick Duo media or SD memory cards make the device’s library potential practically limitless.More advanced users will appreciate the USB-based mass storage capability that allows them to use the device as a portable drive for the direct transfer of documents, images and other files to the Reader. A new auto sync feature also lets users set up folders with books and documents that can be automatically synchronized when the device is connected to a PC.

Technical Details:
displays eBooks purchased from the CONNECT eBook online store
displays Adobe® PDFs, plus TXT, RTF, BMP, JPEG, GIF, PNG and Microsoft® Word files
plays MP3 and AAC files (protected files not supported)
internal 192MB memory
memory slot holds an SD Memory Card (up to 2GB capacity) and Memory Stick® Duo media (up to 8GB capacity)

Customer feedback:

1. The PRS-505 is Sony’s second version of its portable book reader. This unit supports written documents in Sony’s proprietary eBook format as well as PDF, RTF and text formats. The display on this unit is improved from the 1st generation, and the text is highly readable. The display could appear a bit brighter, but does not strain the eyes as the first generation did. Because of the display technology, the brighter the light in which the page is viewed, the more readable it is.
There are a great many public domain titles available around the Internet for free. And Sony’s CONNECT software enables users to brows the Sony bookstore and purchase titles.

2. I’ve read e-books for years on my PDA’s from Palm to Pocket PC. I recently bought this reader from Sony, and I really like it. It has a much bigger screen than the Pocket PC phone I’ve been using most recently (XV6700), or any PDA I’ve used for that matter.
Pros:
-Supports RTF, TXT and PDF formats without any conversion. The included software makes it easy to add books to either the main memory or one of the memory cards-simply drag and drop.
-Nice, clear text, readable under the brightest of lights. It’s easy on the eyes, and after reading for hours on it, my eyes are not strained.
-Supports mp3 playback while you’re reading. Not a feature I use, but it may be nice for some.
-It’s light enough that my hands don’t get tired holding it for extended periods.
-Supports additional books on Memory Stick Pro Duo and Secure Digital. It’s the first Sony product I’ve ever had that supported anything other than Memory Stick.
-Ability to store multiple bookmarks to keep your place if you’re like me and read many books at the same time.
-Reads PDF files. None of my PDA readers could do that, I had to use Acrobat on the reader, which I didn’t like.
-Good battery life. My PDA’s got 3 hours or so if I was lucky. Not sure how many hours I’ll get off of a charge, but it seems like it’ll be a lot.

Cons:
-No HTML support. Seems like it would’ve been easy to add this. There are free converters to convert HTML to RTF/TXT format.
-Refresh rate is a bit sluggish. On my PDA’s it would turn the page instantly, this one has a small delay to draw the page, but it doesn’t bother me. If you think it might, you might want to try a demo unit at a retail store first. Still, it draws the page in a second or less.
-No backlight. Probably not included due to battery life, but you can’t read it in bed at night with the lights off. I bought a 15 dollar LED clip on light and use that, and it works great with it. This way I can read at night w/o bothering my spouse.
-Price. This isn’t cheap. It was worth it to me since I read virtually all my books as e-books, and I was sick of the small screens on my PDA. So I guess the value depends on how much you’ll use it.

Revel in astounding HD clarity with the BDP-S350 Blu-ray Disc player. The most noticeable additions to this year’s model are the Ethernet port that lets you download firmware updates directly to the player, and — with one of those firmware updates — access web contetent encoded to Blu-ray discs via BD-Live, compatibility with the Bonus View feature of select Blu-ray movies, and a USB port that allows you to add more storage to access the growing number of special features that will be available given the immense storage capacity of Blu-ray discs themeselves. This player also outputs a Full 1080/24p True Cinema picture, and upscales your existing DVD collection to 1080p when using an HDMI connection. Dolby TrueHD capability delivers lossless sound that is true to the original studio master. Bringing it all together is the new icon based Xcross Media Bar, which provides simple navigation of the player’s menu system.

Key Features:
- True 1080p Output
- Dolby TrueHD compatible
- Ethernet connection for BD-Live Compatibility and firmware updates
- USB Port Allows More Storage for Access to More Special Features, Like Bonus View
- Higher Bit Rates mean less video compression
- Emmy-Award Winning Xross Media Bar Interface
- Bravia Sync for Easy Connectivity

Customer feedback:

1. The Sony player was a pleasant surprise. The start up time was very respectable, and was comparable to the Panasonic DMP-BD30K. After setting up the player I proceeded to run the same tests that I ran on the Panasonic. I had read online that people were impressed with the BDP-S350’s upconvertion abilities, but having owned multiple Oppo DVD players (in my opinion, some of the best out there) I was skeptical. I put in a SD DVD and could immediately see the improvement over the Panasonic. Although the image is a little softer compared to my obsolete Toshiba HD-A20 HD-DVD player, and my other Oppo DVD players, it was still excellent. It made the Panasonic’s upscaling abilities seem unrefined and outdated. Next, I then jumped into the players setup menu and changed the players output resolution. What really amazed me was that when I exited the menu the player began playing my disc where I had left off. Finally, I tried powering the BDP-S350 down while in the middle of a DVD. When I powered the player back on it remembered where I had left off and began to play the disc. The Sony BDP-S350 seems the winner in my opinion due to its superior upconversion and disc playback memory.

2. My previous Blu-ray player was a Sony until late last year when I purchased a Panasonic DMP-BD30 which had all the latest profile upgrades. The biggest problem with the Sony was its slow loading time. With the BDP-S350, this has all changed for the better. Load time have vastly improved and it is a Profile 2.0 player. Picture quality is stunning, but most Blu-ray players display this picture.
One of the best features of this player is its size. Sony has been able to reduce the size of the player to just over a 2″ height and only 8-3/4″ deep. Sony’s previous model was nearly 15″ deep and just over 3″ high. Finally Sony adds a remaining time function to the display. Previous models only had a elapsed and total time display, so you had to do the remaining time in your head. Most Sony DVD players always had this function, but this is a first for their Blu-ray players.

The C902 Cyber-shot phone is made for great pictures. The slide-out lens cover activates the 5-megapixel camera. Adjust settings via onscreen touch keys. If you have people in your photo, activate Face detection. Your C902 will automatically find and focus on a face. Don’t let poor lighting stop you. For still pictures, the photoflash automatically fires when needed. The flash can be used in BestPic mode and for videos too. Share your life. With your C902 you get your own personal blog. Post your pictures or videos in seconds, for all to see.
Connectivity - Bluetooth technology, Modem, Synchronization, USB support, and USB mass storage
Design - Auto rotate, Navigation key, and Picture wallpaper
Internet - Web browser, RSS feeds, and Access NetFront Web Browser
Messaging - Email, Instant and Picture messaging (MMS), Predictive text input, Sound recorder, and Text messaging (SMS)
Organizer - Contacts, Alarm clock, Calendar, Calculator, Flight mode, Notes, Phone book, Stopwatch, Tasks, and Timer
Networks - EDGE, GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900, UMTS 2100, and HSDPA Dimensions - 4.3 x 1.9 x 0.4 (108×49x10.5mm)
Weight - 107.0 grams, 3.8 ounces

Product Features
- 240×320 and 262,144 color TFT QVGA
- Camera - Picture blogging, Photo flash, Auto focus, BestPic, 5-Megapixel, up 16x Digital Zoom, Image and Video stabilizer, Video recording and Video light
- Entertainment - FM Radio RDS, 3D games, Java, Media, Video viewing, and Video streaming
- Communication - Polyphonic ringtones, Speakerphone, and Vibrating Alert
- Music - Album art, Bluetooth stereo (A2DP), Media Player, MegaBass, Music tones - MP3, AAC, PlayNow, and TrackID

Sony’s BRAVIA W series Full HD 1080p televisions take performance to the next level with advanced HDMI v1.3 features such as x.v.Color which greatly broadens the color space input capabilities to include 1.8 times as many natural colors as existing HDTV signals. In addition, Deep Color input capability works with the 10-bit processor and panel to deliver 64 times the level of color expression versus current 8-bit systems. Wrap all of this up with an elegant a new brushed metal picture frame design and there’s nothing like W-Series HDTV’s.
1920 x 1080 Panel Resolution — When it comes to high-definition TV the pinnacle of performance is achieved by using 1920 x 1080 display panels. And BRAVIA W Series televisions have them. Full HD 1920 x 1080 panel resolution with over 2 million pixels 5(more than twice that of 720p HDTV) is exactly what you need to reproduce the 1080p content that can be delivered by our cutting edge 1080p Blu-ray disc player.

Technical Details

* 10-bit 16:9 Full HD 1080p Panel (1920×1080 resolution): Picture Frame Styling/Distinctive Brushed Metal Finish
* 24p True Cinema (24p Input Capability via HDMI)
* Live Color Creation system with WCG-CCFL backlight
* Connections: 3 HDMI; 1 S-Video input; 2 Component Video; 3 Composite Video Inputs; 1 RS232 Control; 1 Digital Audio Output; 1 PC Video Input; 1 PC Audio Input
* 1,800:1 on-screen contrast ratio

Customer feedback:

1. 1080p, v1.3 HDMI, fantastic picture, all the latest technologies and it’s a Sony. Nothing much else to say but this TV is awesome. You won’t be disappointed. My buddy has a Pioneer 50″ 1080p plasma that costs almost twice as much and this LCD blows it away in picture quality, life like color reproduction and doesn’t show any reflections like the plasma definately does. I also own a Mitsubishi 52″ 1080p DLP and did not think the picture could get any better and I was wrong, way wrong. This TV has a phenomenal picture that I have yet to see on any other TV that I have looked at.

2. Strengths: Razor sharp 1080p and 1080i, wide viewing angles, vivid “Live Color Creation”, many connectivity options, anti-glare screen, excellent value.
Weaknesses: No 120Hz refresh rate. No LED backlight illumination.
Like most informed consumers, I did lots of research online and visited local stores to compare different brands. I decided on mid-tier models for heavy-duty family room viewing and narrowed down to the Sony KDL-52W3000 and Sharp LC-52D92U. The Sharp has better contrast, black shade levels, and 120Hz refresh rate while the Sony has better color and stock audio. The Sony won because I use stock audio 75% of the time and costs less.

Experience video gaming like never before with the DLC-HD20P HDMI high-speed cable and the PLAYSTATION-3. The DLC-HD20P cable enables Deep Color PLAYSTATION 3 graphics, high frame rate and high-speed performance while meeting HDMI Version 1.3, category 2 specifications. Also compatible with all HDMI-input equipped televisions.

Technical Details

* 1.3A Cable
* 1080P
* Full Hd Resolution
* 6 Ft

Customer feedback:

1. This cable appears to be well made and works well. I use it to connect my PS3 to a Samsung SyncMaster 245T monitor to watch blu-ray movies in 1080p hi-def. Glorious! If it matters to you, be advised that the cable I received (as well as the ones I’ve seen in local stores) was black, not white as shown on Amazon.

2. I made the common mistake of ordering a generic HDMI cable on amazon.com made by abacus just to save a few bucks. After I received the cable I could only get 1080i resolution from my PS3 and TV. At the advice from my local Gamestop who advised to get the Sony brand HDMI cable, I ordered one. When it came, I unhooked the generic cord and hooked up the Sony one and BAM!!! 1080p resolution. Don’t be fooled by cheap generic cables. Get the name brand Sony. The money spent on this cable is well worth it and alot cheaper than the Monster brand.

The concept of home-theater is very enticing. Sony has aligned this sound system to be compatible with their popular Bravia widescreen TV line. Yet, it will still deliver fine performance with most other HDTV sets on the market. As a leader in products with HDMI connectivity, Sony has created BRAVIA Theater Sync to go beyond simple audio and video transmission. When combined with a select number of BRAVIA Televisions and other Sony audio and video products, in addition to audio and video transmission, control functions will be transmitted via the HDMI cable. With ?One Touch Play,? operations that took several steps have been reduced to one. Press the PLAY button on the remote, watch the audio and/or the video component(s) turn on with the BRAVIA and switch to correct input. This model also includes an iPod dock for playthrough. HDMI - Reads the data on a standard DVD at 480P and maximizes the video resolution to best fit your HDMI compatible TV at up to 720p or 1080i XM Connect-and-Play Ready A World of digital radio is at your fingertips. Connect the optional Connect-and-Play antenna, sign up for XM service (subscription rate required) and enjoy the variety of digital radio with superior sound quality Digital Media Port (DMP) offers compatibility with various accessories which will include a PC Client device, Bluetooth receiver and Audio Docking Stations compatible with Network Walkman(R) and iPod products. Sony’s DIGITAL MEDIA PORT grants access, provides control and integrates your portable music into a traditional home theater system

Technical Details

* DIGITAL MEDIA PORT Accessory iPod Dock supplied
* XM Connect-and-Play Ready
* BRAVIA Matching and Adjustable Floor Standing Speakers
* BRAVIA Theatre Sync technology
* HDMI Output with 720P/1080i upscaling

Customer feedback:

1. Very pleased so far. Sounds great, plenty of power to rock your media room, and was easy to set up. There’s an on-screen setup feature that lets you easily customize the setup for your particular room configuration. An included microphone lets you do a push-button fine-tuning of the sound relative to speaker placement. It’s cool to see the system report exactly how far all the speakers are away from the microphone.
I also purchased the wireless surround kit from Sony. Setup for this was also pretty simple, and was supported by the HDX500 system. Remote is typical Sony - lots of buttons. But fairly intuitive thus far.

2. The new DAV-HDX500/I comes with the iPod Digital Media Port cradle (TDM-IP1) that allows you to connect an iPod device. With the old model DAV-HD500, the iPod Digital Media Port cradle was an option you had to buy separately. Other than that, both models are identical in features.

Feel the power of 100 amplified watts of pure bass. The Sony SA-W2500 Performance Line Subwoofer makes music come alive and elevates the movie-watching experience to theater-like levels. For cinematic effects, crank up the bass and let the 10″ mica-reinforced cellular woofer and advanced bass reflex design do the rest.

Technical Details

* 100 Watt Amplified Subwoofer
* 10 Mica Reinforced Cellular Woofer
* Motion Feed Back Technology
* Speaker and Line Level Inputs
* Frequency Response 28-200Hz

Customer feedback:

1. This subwoofer really performs. Have to keep the level turned down or else it is way too much bass. Like being inside a movie theatre.

2. Incredibly powerful subwoofer, I have to leave the volume turned down low to avoid disturbing the neighbors. I can’t hear the distortion. While I was waiting for the rest of my system, I ran audio out from my tv to sub, almost made it unnecessary to buy the rest (for tv programs at least). Auto on/off feature can get annoying because it shuts off in quiet periods, and then turns on with a click. (minor annoyance)

Display your iPod on the smooth and modern Sony TDM-IP1 Digital Media Port iPod Dock and unleash the power of your music. Take full advantage of your DMP compatible BRAVIA home theater system or audio receiver’s sound when you connect an iPod to the DMP. It lets you search through your music or view video from your iPod right on your television. For added convenience, the dock also charges your iPod’s battery.

Technical Details

* Connects with compatible Sony home theater systems and receivers with digital media port input
* Compatible with many iPod models (5G/4G/nano/mini)
* On-screen display feature to search songs and view iPod video on monitor
* Charges iPod when placed on dock

Customer feedback:

A) I own a Sony surround system DVD player with a digital media port on the back of the player. Instead of buying external speakers for the iPod, I purchased this media port iPod cradle and thus connected my iPod to my surround system. I gained several advantages by doing this:
1. I saved money by not having to pay for expensive external speakers for my iPod
2. I saved on space, for my iPod was connected on existing speakers.
3. The sound is great, unmatched by any external speakers made for the iPod.
4. I can control my iPod with my Sony remote control. This saved me from having another remote control (as with buying an external speaker system for the iPod for example). With the remote control, you can control all the functions of the iPod
5. I connected my iPod to my TV, allowing me to watch the movies stored in my iPod on my TV screen. That feature alone is worth buying this iPod cradle.
6. The iPod cradle is cosmetically appealing.

B) The unit came equipped with an attached digital media port cable, which connected directly to the Sony receiver’s DMPort. A separate video cable was supplied, which I connected directly to the TV’s video-in RCA connector. The unit can also be used with a separately purchased video cable connected between the receiver and TV. Setup was very simple and after I configured my Sony receiver to “DMPort1″ and the TV to “AV1″, a facsimile of the iPod’s screen appeared on the TV and I was able to control the iPod by way of the Sony remote.
Visually, the menu is a little on the chunky side, but highly legible. Screen color may be set to Red, Green, Blue, and a couple variants of Gray. There are also modest on-screen controls for a screensaver, song shuffle, and song repeat. The only moving part on the TDM-iP1 is a button, which allows users to switch between the iPod’s own controls and control by way of a remote control.

Revel in astounding HD clarity with the BDP-S350 Blu-ray Disc player. The most noticeable additions to this year’s model are the Ethernet port that lets you download firmware updates directly to the player, and — with one of those firmware updates — access web contetent encoded to Blu-ray discs via BD-Live, compatibility with the Bonus View feature of select Blu-ray movies, and a USB port that allows you to add more storage to access the growing number of special features that will be available given the immense storage capacity of Blu-ray discs themeselves. This player also outputs a Full 1080/24p True Cinema picture, and upscales your existing DVD collection to 1080p when using an HDMI connection. Dolby TrueHD capability delivers lossless sound that is true to the original studio master. Bringing it all together is the new icon based Xcross Media Bar, which provides simple navigation of the player’s menu system.

Key Features

* True 1080p Output
* Dolby TrueHD compatible
* Ethernet connection for BD-Live Compatibility and firmware updates
* USB Port Allows More Storage for Access to More Special Features, Like Bonus View
* Higher Bit Rates mean less video compression
* Emmy-Award Winning Xross Media Bar Interface
* Bravia Sync for Easy Connectivity

Specifications
Audio Features

* Dolby : Dolby Digital (Decoding): Yes (HDMI bitstream out)
* Dolby Digital plus Decoding : Yes
* Dolby TrueHD Decoding : Yes (HDMI™ bitstream out)
* LPCM : Yes (multi-channel decoding): Yes (HDMI™ bitstream out)
* MP3 Playback : No
* dts Decoding : Yes (HDMI™ bitstream out)
* dts Output : No

Video Features

* BD-R/RE Read Compatibility : Yes (BDMV and BAAB format)
* DVD+R Read Compatibility : Yes
* DVD+RW Read Compatibility : Yes
* DVD-R Read Compatibility : Yes (Video Mode AVR Mode
* DVD-RW Read Compatibility : Yes (Video Mode AVR Mode
* JPEG Playback : Yes

Customer feedback:

1. This one loads pretty fast. From what I read it is much faster then older models. I was upgrading coming from a Sony 5 disc up converting DVD player and that thing was slow so I’m very satisfied. The picture is awesome and the audio is great too. I don’t even have it connected to a amp that does Dolby Tru-HD or DTS-MA. That will be my next purchase.
There is only one thing that I’m disappointed with the player has the Bravia Theater Sync feature. Which works great with my Sony amp. But for some reason the DVD remote will only control the volume for the TV not the amp. So I still have to use a second remote for volume on my Sony amp. This makes no sense to me.

2. This is my first BluRay player. So far so good. The setup was very straightforward and I did appreciate the simple set up walk through the minute I turned it on. After setting up - I was a bit surprised (all right - fricking shocked) when sound played through my TV speakers because I specifically set it up to play through the digital audio output. Not a big deal - I can just mute the TV, but I did fear it was going to blow out the speakers.
So after the unit was set up (less than a minute with an HDMI connection and a digital audio out) I popped in my first disc. Granted, I did not test with a BluRay DVD, but the load-time was a pleasant surprise. I found it just as fast as the el-cheapo model DVD player that occupied the space before it. All the nightmares I have heard about ridiculously slow start-up times seem to have been for not. No problem with loading.