Don’t let the size of Sony’s 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo(TM) media card fool you. This product has the largest storage capacity of any Memory Stick flash media card on the market.
At one-third the size and half the weight of the standard-size Memory Stick® card, the 4GB PRO Duo media is designed to store large amounts of rich, multi-media content, including movies, music and high-resolution digital photos.
“As we’ve increased capacity, the Memory Stick format has advanced beyond serving primarily for storage of digital still images” said Mike Kahn, senior manager for Memory Stick Media at Sony Electronics. “With our postage-stamp sized 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo media card, people can store all of their vacation photos and wedding videos, along with their favorite movies, music and even game-scores from a PlayStation Portable device.”
The new media card is compatible with a wide selection of currently available devices, including Sony’s Cyber-Shot T Series and W Series cameras, Handycam camcorders and the PSP system.
For added versatility, all Sony Memory Stick PRO Duo media cards are sold with an adapter for devices with a standard-size Memory Stick® media slot. It also offers the industry’s highest durability with a standard operating temperature range of -13 F to +185 F.
Like all Memory Stick media products, the 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo card incorporates MagicGate copyright protection technology to allow for secure distribution of commercial content such as digital music and downloaded movies.
February 26th, 2006
Roxio today released MyDVD 8 Premier, which introduces significant enhancements including advanced video editing capabilities and authoring tools, high-quality transitions and effects, customizable menu templates, and support for high definition (HD) video. MyDVD 8 Premier will have particular appeal to the tens of millions of existing MyDVD users looking for more creative control and greater authoring flexibility. MyDVD 8 Premier is available today at www.roxio.com and www.sonic.com for $69.99.
MyDVD 8 Premier includes everything users need to present personal photos and videos in a professional fashion. Automated video editing features allow users to create polished video productions in a few mouse clicks, while straightforward authoring tools enable them to generate DVDs with attractive motion-video menus, animated buttons, and Dolby Digital sound. MyDVD 8 Premier’s DVD engine is built on the same technology that is trusted by Hollywood studios and high-end post-production facilities to ensure DVDs created will play back on the widest possible selection of set-top players and computers.
Key features and enhancements
– Hollywood -style authoring - MyDVD 8 Premier makes it easy for users to create personalized DVDs with custom designs and full-motion, multi-chapter menus with advanced navigation. It features a new project tree viewer, which provides a hierarchical view of the DVD project layout, allowing users to easily navigate through project layers during the DVD creation process. MyDVD 8 Premier gives users full control over menu and submenu customization, as well as navigation, including the ability to define play sequences for titles, chapters, button properties and actions. Output options include standard and widescreen formats to allow users to optimize discs to take full advantage of modern living room entertainment systems.
– Breathtaking slideshows - MyDVD 8 Premier allows users to easily import and create photo slideshows with up to 999 photos in full-screen or widescreen format, and add transitions, motion effects (pan and zoom) and audio tracks. It also enables users to touch-up photos if needed using the built-in photo editor, which includes functionality for making common adjustments such as removing red-eye, rotating, cropping (including a predefined 16:9 widescreen setting), and AutoFix.
– Powerful, flexible video editing - MyDVD 8 Premier gives users the freedom to choose how much control they would like over the video editing process. It includes the automated CineMagic(R) Editor, which quickly turns raw video footage into a professional-looking video production complete with soundtrack and effects , as well as Storyline and Timeline Editors, which offer richer, hands-on control for detailed editing. The powerful Timeline Editor provides users with finite, multi-track editing control and even greater flexibility with in-place editing and video alignment control.
– New, refined user interface - MyDVD 8 Premier features an elegant new interface, designed to maintain ease-of-use without sacrificing power. It also includes MyDVD Home, an intuitive launch pad providing easy access to all components and task assistants such as CineMagic and SlideShow Assistant, which provide step-by step guidance.
– Easy video capture - MyDVD 8 Premier now enables users to easily capture high definition video from HDV camcorders . In addition, it provides unparalleled HD video file support - including DivX HD and MPEG -2 HD - as well as support for a wide range of analog and digital camcorders and video formats, including MPEG -1/2, DV-AVI, TiVo, WMV, and DivX 6. MyDVD 8 Premier also includes SmartScan, which allows users to quickly capture specific scenes from their DV camcorder , and Plug & Burn(R), which automatically transfers the entire contents of a DV camcorder tape to DVD with a few clicks.
– Artistic transitions and effects - MyDVD 8 Premier includes a library of more than 300 Hollywood -style transitions, 2D/ 3D effects and overlays. Transitions can be automatically added to buttons, slideshows and tracks, as well as applied to individual clips or to entire video projects. In addition, MyDVD 8 Premier allows consumers to use multiple video overlays to create dramatic picture-in-picture and chroma key effects .
– Attractive new templates - MyDVD 8 Premier provides exciting new menu template designs for the creation of attractive, customizable DVDs that rival professionally produced DVDs . Each new style features an entire family of coordinated menus, and can be customized with users’ personal videos and photos. In addition, MyDVD 8 Premier now includes professional-quality 16:9 (widescreen) motion menu templates in addition to 4:3 (full-screen) templates.
– Robust media management and sharing - MyDVD 8 Premier offers a number of new capabilities to help users better manage, organize, and access their digital video and photos. This includes support for UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) sharing, allowing users to easily access their media stored on any UPnP-enabled device on a home network, and LiveShare(TM), which allows users to permit family and friends to easily browse and download their photos to a PC using any Web browser. In addition, enhanced Windows Media Center file support and TiVoToGo(TM) capabilities allow users to easily create DVDs of their favorite TV programs and play them back on a notebook or DVD player.
In addition to MyDVD 8 Premier, Roxio today also introduced MyDVD 8 Essentials, designed for entry-level users and individuals requiring basic authoring and light editing features. MyDVD 8 Essentials offers the same elegant user interface, new styles, transitions and effects as MyDVD 8 Premier, and supports standard definition camcorders and formats.
February 26th, 2006
Sony shed light today on its new “Share Everywhere” program, which will give ImageStation members photo sharing capabilities through web-enabled camera phones, televisions, computers, and portable entertainment systems.
One element of the program is Sony’s new Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition 2.0 (J2ME) application developed for distribution through wireless carriers. With this application, ImageStation members can use their web-enabled camera phones to access, view, upload and share photos and video clips through an easy-to-use interface. The application will also be compatible with handsets that are not compatible with J2ME.
“People want to enjoy the convenience of sharing photos from all of their devices — their phone, TV, PlayStation Portable, or computer — and be able to access them anywhere, anytime whether they are at home, at work, or on-the- go,” said Bob Nell, vice president of ImageStation at Sony Electronics. “This is one of our new applications to make Sony ImageStation an integral part of people’s lives.”
According to Nell, “With this latest application, wireless service providers, handset manufacturers, and mobile service aggregators can attract new customers who are looking to enhance their mobile lifestyle.”
The application is currently scheduled to be available for wireless providers beginning in April.
Another element of the “Share Everywhere” program is compatibility with Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Media Center Edition 2005. Customers using this software on a PC can access their photos for viewing on a compatible television. This application is bundled with the Sony VAIO(R) VA series TV PCs. A link to upgrade previous versions of Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Media Center Edition is available at http://www.imagestation.com/mediacenter.
February 26th, 2006
iTunes have been counting down over the last few days to their one billionth sale and a day ago it finally hapenned. The lucky buyer will be showrered with Apple gifts including $20,000 of iTunes vouchers, an iMac and a spanking new iPod.
The beneficiary of these prizes is a resident of Michagan, USA. Alex Ostrovsky won’t be able to grab the loot and return to obscurity however, as Apple will set up a scholarship to the world-famous Juilliard School of Music in New York in his name, something that will probably fox students in years to come. The billionth song “Speed of Sound” was purchased as part of Coldplay’s “X&Y” album.
Apple thanked all their users in a statement. “Music lovers like you in 21 countries around the globe have purchased 1 billion songs from the iTunes Music Store,” the note read. “And for helping us reach this massive milestone in digital music history, we’d like to thank you.”
Steve Jobs himself also weighed in with an attack on music piracy and a slap on the back for iTunes for slowing the march of illegal downloading. “I hope that every customer, artist and music company executive takes a moment today to reflect on what we’ve achieved together during the past three years. Over 1 billion songs have now been legally purchased and downloaded around the globe, representing a major force against music piracy and the future of music distribution as we move from CDs to the Internet.”
February 26th, 2006