We had a chance to get up close and personal with Sony’s latest TV set and sister Blu-ray player. Here are our first thoughts:

• We haven’t seen Logitech’s Revue Google TV device in person, but the Sony experience looks similar to it. Sony told us that the only Sony customization was a recommended channel area, so for you purists out there, it looks like this is a really clean Google offering.
• We caught some lag when hopping menu to menu and typing when using the remote sometimes took a second or two to catch up but all in all, the Intel Atom-powered TV seemed pretty zippy.
• Speaking of the remote, we’re completely torn about it. Andrew loves it, but I couldn’t care much for it. The size is definitely intriguing as it is way smaller in person than we expected it to be. Also, the feel is right — pretty light without feeling inexpensively cheap. However, the myriad of buttons sort of confuses us, especially when a bunch of them don’t serve a purpose 90% of the time in what we’d imagine would be your daily use. I’ll use my Android handset to control my Google TV device as opposed to a manufacturer remote, you can believe that. Last thing about the remote… no backlight! So sad.
• The picture in picture capability is practically the selling point here… if you’re a multitasker, you’re going to love with PIP on. It’s pretty amazing that you can have that picture window of the current TV show or recording you’re watching open on the screen and at the same time browse a website, check something on Google Maps, search for a program to record, and more.
• The range in sizes and price is pretty spectacular. At a cost of $1,399 for the 46″ edge-lit LED model is practically a steal — and the time to market is also delicious as the sets and Blu-ray player will be available this weekend.

All in all, this wasn’t something we didn’t expect, yet we’re incredibly excited for Sony to pioneer this new category of TV entertainment. Let’s see if they can knock it out of the park…

Click on over to our Sony Internet TV with Google TV gallery!

If you like to measure your cell phone in megapixels, listen up. Sony has just unveiled a 16.41 megapixel, back-illuminated sensor for mobile devices. The 1/2.8-inch thick, color-sensing beast — officially known as the Exmor R IMX081PQ – will be available to manufacturers this coming January and will carry a $30.30 price tag. Sony also announced a more modest 8.13 megapixel sensor that will retail for $18.18.

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While speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse was quoted as saying, “we thought we would have more of a head start than we’ll end up having.” The CEO was referring to his company’s first-to-market 4G strategy, and more specifically about their industry first 3G/4G hybrid phone; the HTC EVO 4G. Currently, the device is listed as “delayed,” and does not have a potential shipping date on Sprint’s website. Sprint has yet to release official sales figures for the handset, but analyst firm Macquarie Group is estimating that around 300,000 EVOs have been sold and that demand is still high. HTC, the manufacturer of the device, is citing part shortages from third-party vendors as the root cause of the delays. HTC has said that they have signed several different contracts with other vendors (including Sony) to provide LCD screens and other parts for future handsets in an attempt to prevent delays. Anyone out there trying to get an HTC EVO without success?

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Sony is adding a bit of flair to its PS3 Slim by offering the gaming console in white and upping the console’s on-board storage. Launching in Japan on July 29th, the PS3 Slim will be available in both 160Gb and 320GB capacities — up from the previous 120GB and 250GB sizes. The console will also be offered in the traditional black and the new Classic White with matching white controller. Pricing is set in the Japanese Yen with the 160GB retailing for ¥29,980 (USD$340) and the 320GB version for ¥34,980 (USD$400). Thus far, the launch is limited to Japan; but, hopefully, we will see these models come stateside in time for the holiday shopping season.

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The Wall Street Journal reports that electronics giant Sony is recalling over 500,000 laptops for a “temperature-control defect that may cause excessive heat and distort the shape of the laptop” and/or ” skin burns.” The WSJ goes onto write: “The recall concerns some of the company’s F and C-Series Vaio laptops sold since January 2010. [...] the recall applies to 259,000 laptops in the U.S., 103,000 in Europe, 120,000 in Asia and 52,000 in Japan.” Sony has stated that customers affected by the recall can fix the problem themselves by downloading a patch from Sony’s website, or have Sony pick the machine up to perform the repair work (which is just confusing ). Anyone out there rocking a hot VAIO?

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Announced earlier today after months of speculation, Hulu Plus has finally become official. For $9.99 per month, subscribers will be able to watch their favorite shows — including those from seasons past — on a multitude of internet-connected devices. Mobile devices are a go, with iOS devices including the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad, and iPod touch (3rd generation) being the main attraction at this point in time. The best part as far as mobile is concerned is that streaming will work on both Wi-Fi and 3G networks. Several internet-connected HDTVs and Blu-ray players from Samsung already have support for the streaming service, and later on in the year, both Sony and Vizio will introduce support in some of their sets ad Blu-ray players. The PlayStation 3 will support the service “soon”, while the Xbox 360 will play nice come 2011. Hulu Plus will officially launch is July, but if you’re lucky you might just be able snag a preview invite.

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Amidst a rumor that Hulu may be rolling out is premium video service next week for testing, another rumor is surfacing that suggests the online video streaming company may be close to inking a deal with Sony. The deal could be announced as early as next week and would bring Hulu’s $9.99 monthly subscription service, dubbed Hulu Plus, to the PlayStation Network as a value-added service for PS3 owners. Late last month, a similar rumor was circulating that suggested Hulu was negotiating with Microsoft to bring Hulu to the XBOX 360. With its Hulu Plus service ready to roll out and console distribution in the works, Hulu is apparently trying to grab a bigger slice of the online entertainment market while the market is still ripe for the picking. The timing of this market grab is apropos as Hulu’s licensing agreements with its content providers is set to expire at the end of 2011. A revenue-generating distribution method on two of three major console platforms would be a valuable negotiating tool, no?

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Sony’s first VAIO P was a was quite a disappointment considering how poorly it performed and the huge price tag it carried, but Sony seems to be confident that its second-gen VAIO P will right the wrongs of the past. Shipping one week ahead of schedule, the “Lifestyle PC” comes pre-loaded with Windows 7 Home Premium and has an Intel Atom Z530 processor and 2GB of RAM to help keep things flowing. Apart from that, the $900 rig has a 8″ 1600×768 display that’s straddled by optical trackpads, Everywair 3G, GPS, digital compass and an accelerometer. Of course if you lived elsewhere you’d have a lot more options than that to chose from, but who needs that much stress in their life?

[Via Pocketables]

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Remember that rumor of a premium subscription coming to the PlayStation Network? Well it’s a rumor no more. PlayStation Plus has just been announced at E3. A subscription to Plus will set you back $49.99 per year or $17.99 every three months. Benefits of joining Plus include beta invites, early access to demos, downloadable content and other exclusive perks. Free access to the PlayStation Network will not be shut off.

The wait for the PlayStation Move is finally over. Well, almost. Today at E3, Sony announced that the PlayStation move will be launching in North America on September 19th. This launch will be preceded by Europe on the 19th and followed by Japan on the 21st of October. The Move itself will retail for $49.99 with the navigation controller going for an extra $29.99. A PlayStation Move Sports Champions bundle will be available for $99.99 and includes a Move, Eve and a copy of Sports Champion. For those that don’t have a PlayStation, a bundle which includes the PS3, Move, Eye and navigation controller, and Sports Champions for $399.99. 15 to 20 titles will be available at launch and will retail for $39.99 each. By Christmas, Sony is expecting to have 40 titles in its catalog.

According to Ray Maguire, head of Sony’s UK PlayStation division, the future will see the majority of first-person games for the PlayStation available in 3D; Macguire made the comment during a recent interview with ComputerandVideoGames.com. As for when all of PlayStation’s top-billed titles will be in 3D — something which Sony expects all major gaming studios to do with their most popular franchises — Maguire believes this will happen around 2014, by which time Sony expects as many as 40% of households will have a 3D TV. Today marked the first day of sales for Sony’s first 3D PS3 titles which include WipEout HD, SuperStarust HD, PAIN and a single level demo of MotorStorm: Pacific Rift.

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We’ve got to hand it to Sony, they make some sexy looking hardware…and this attractive little number packs a punch. The Sony VAIO J marries a: Blu-ray player, Intel Core processor, dedicated NVIDIA GeForce graphics card, up to 8 GB of RAM, built-in webcam, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Windows 7, to a 21.5″ full touch-screen display (1080p). What could make this very attractive, very capable machine even better? It’s price tag. The J’s starting price-tag will be a manageable $900. Now, custom configuring your J with a Core i7 processor and 8 GB of RAM will, in all likelihood, get you north of $900 quicker than you can say American Express, but we think it’s worth it. We’ve got the official press release for you after the bounce.

[Via Engadget]

SONY UNVEILS NEW ENTRY-LEVEL PRICED TOUCH-SCREEN PC VAIO J 
All-In-One Puts Music, Photos and Blu-ray Disc Movies One-Touch Away

SAN DIEGO, June 8, 2010 – Sony today unveiled its new, affordable touch-enabled, multi-media machine- the VAIO® J Touch All-In-One PC.

With the VAIO J Series’ multi-touch screen, easy access to your PC, HD movies- your entire entertainment hub- is readily at your fingertips. 

Equipped with a 21.5-inch (diagonal) 1920×1080 widescreen panel, the unit displays high-definition content in Full HD. Select models feature a Blu-ray Disc™ optical drive so you can enjoy movies in stunning 1080p high definition. 

“The J Series changes the way consumers interact with their PC enabling them to tap, drag, zoom, rotate and engage with their content and entertainment like never before,” said Mike Lucas, senior vice president of the VAIO business at Sony. “And with its attractive price point, this cutting-edge technology will reach a whole new audience.”

The J Series comes with three unique hardware buttons-VAIO, ASSIST and DISPLAY OFF to get you to where you want to go with a touch of a button. 

Launch directly into Sony’s own Media Gallery software by pushing the designated VAIO button and simplify your music library. With Media Gallery you can automatically create 21 unique channels of music based on beat, tone, rhythm and other elements. It also enables you to rediscover forgotten favorites by recommending content you already own based on your unique listening and viewing habits.

Facilitate simple do-it-yourself PC maintenance procedures by pressing the ASSIST button and launching the included VAIO Care™ software program. Finally a DISPLAY OFF button is included so you can turn off your screen for privacy or to perform nighttime applications without sending your PC into hibernation. 

By utilizing built-in wireless 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi technology and your wireless router (required, sold separately), you can position the model virtually anywhere in your home and access the Internet, email or home network.

A built-in webcam with face-tracking technology and microphone let you video chat with colleagues. Included Webcam Message Board software makes it easy to create video messages or leave handwritten notes on the screen. A third-party internet service provider is required.
The unit packs a powerful 2010 Intel® Core™ processor (select models), loads of RAM, and an optional dedicated NVIDIA® GeForce ® series graphics for graphic-intense gaming and movies. It comes with Windows® 7 Home Premium or Professional 64-bit operating system. 

Featuring a stylish, compact design the PC comes with an adjustable stand to help you adjust it to meet your desired viewing or touch angle or simply to decrease the slant for space-saving. A wireless keyboard and mouse that can easily be stored under the unit’s display are included. 
The VAIO® J Touch All-in-one PC will start at about $900. It is available for pre-orders today online at www.sonystyle.com/pr/jseries. It will also be sold at Sony Style® stores and select retailers around the country starting next month. 

According to Joystiq’s sources, this year’s E3 will see Sony introduce a premium subscription service to the PlayStation Network. Dubbed PSN+, the service is said to differ from Microsoft’s Xbox Live Gold in that PSN+ will offer subscribers new features instead of stripping them away from non-paying users. Some of the features Joystiq has been told will be included in PSN+ include exclusive downloadable content, cross-game voice chat, a back catalogue of Classic PSX and PSP Minis titles, discounts in the PlayStation Store, and one hour demos of retail titles. One other major perk is said to be the automatic enrolment in the PlayStation Protection Plan. Rumored to becoming shortly after launch of PSN+ is the ability to save games to the cloud. Specifics about when the service will roll out and how much it cost aren’t all that clear, but it’s believed the cost will be around $9.99 per month.

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Combining the web and TV in an orgy of awesome, today at I/O 2010, Google announced Google TV. With the goal of mashing together the web and TV without accepting compromise, Google is hoping to let people take advantage of the biggest and best screen in their house. Check out all of the features after the jump! We promise it’s awesome.

The Quick Search box lets you search both TV and the web at once.

If you see a show you love, you can record it if your Google TV is hooked up to a DVR.

If what you want isn’t on TV, you’ll be able to purchase if from places like Amazon or Hulu. As Google puts it, “the transition from TV to web is seamless.”

For the times you aren’t sure what you want to browse, hit up the home screen and then check out Google’s suggestions based upon what you’ve watched before.

You can access any videos the web has to offer, all from the comfort of your living room.

But it’s not all about YouTube… You can bookmark your favorite sites and dive straight into your favorite content.

Missed something important like the State of the Union Address? Just look it up with Quick Search and watch it at your leisure.

Sports fans will love Google TV. You can check out box scores, monitor your fantasy league, etc. While you’re watching the game, you can keep track of the box score thanks to picture-in-picture. You can also check out what people are saying about American Idol contestants on Twitter while watching the show (not that we’re suggesting you hip cats actually watch AI…)

Since every advertiser has a website, ads can now be more interactive.

Bookmarks aren’t limited to website. You can bookmark your favorite TV channel.

Google says Google TV is awesome for photo sites like flickr, as well as streaming music sites like Pandora.

If you’re worried that your set-up won’t play nice with Google TV, Google says worry not. All you need is Wi-Fi or an ethernet cable and a HDMI cable to hook up your Google TV box your cable box / PVR. Google TV boxes come standard with a keyboard. This keyboard comes and “pointing devices.” You can use a built-in mic that lets you search by voice. You can also control Google TV with your smartphone. If you’re watching something on your Android smartphone, you can shoot it straight to your TV and watch it from there if you’re suffering from eye-strain.

Google TV runs on Chrome, Flash and Android. You will be able to search and run your favorite Android apps on Google TV.

You can push apps to Google TV from your computer.

Developers will be given web app and Android app frameworks. This means developers will be able to optimize their websites and apps for a “great Google TV experience.”

As for YouTube Lean Back, friends can push their favorite videos to your Google TV for you to check out. When new videos are uploaded to channels you subscribe to, they’ll automatically be downloaded to your Google TV.

If they chose, sites will be able to allow users to record content straight to their PVR.

Developers will be able to syndicate search results into the Quick Search bar to search within apps.

Sony will be launching a full line of TVs with integrated Blu-ray players. They will be powered by Intel.

Logitech will be offering a companion box. It, too, is powered by Intel.

Google has teamed up with the Dish Network. Dish subscribers will have their content “seamlessly integrated” into Google TV.

Best Buy will retail the Google TV devices.

Dying for a timeline? As of today, developers can begin to optimize their sites for Google TV. In early 2011, Google will launch the Android Market for Google TV, the Google TV SDK, and TV web APIs. Then, finally, in summer of 2011, Google TV will go open source.

Okay, folks, it’s now Q&A time. We highly doubt we’ll learn anything Earth-shattering, so please excuse us if the updates die off here.

Before we go… Anyone think Google TV will still be with us in a few year’s time?

UPDATE: Here’s the customary introductory video from Google.

According to a recent report from Bloomberg, Sony is in a holding pattern when it comes to the growing tablet market. Sony has been considering a tablet for several years but has been waiting for the market to prove there was demand for such a device. With the Apple iPad boasting of early success, Sony is said to be taking a closer look at the tablet segment but is still looking for additional proof that the tablet market is sustainable in the long run. While playing a conservative hand may prevent Sony from being burned, it may also put Sony in the unenviable position of being far behind the leaders in this explosive tablet market.

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