The ebook reader market seems to be gaining momentum if you take an increasing diversity of devices as an indicator. The idea of an ebook replacing your collection of dusty novels is still in its infancy, but with the PRS-300, the "Pocket Edition", we see Sony expanding its offerings, alongside the PRS-600, the "Touch Edition".

We liked the PRS-505, the original Reader that we reviewed last year and we've been using one ever since. There is as much a need to understand the limitation of an ebook reader as there is any features it offers: these devices are primarily designed for reading and the real issues are about content delivery and accessibility and how the device performs its core function. In some cases, like the PRS-300, less can be more.

The PRS-300, then, fits well into that convenient slot. The format is largely the same as Sony's other Readers. We reviewed the brushed silver version, which we prefer over the red/rose version, but if you feel the need to make a statement that's the one to go for. It's also worth mentioning that we are a fan of the accessory cover. Sure, it costs ?30 extra, but it does make prolonged use more like reading a book and you can close the cover to protect the Reader when it is in your bag. A neoprene slip cover is supplied in the box.

The device itself features a 5-inch screen, which gives you an 800 x 600 pixel resolution display. Like other ebooks, this is an E Ink display, meaning it doesn't have a backlight and it uses very little power, essentially only when changing the contents of the page. Some criticise E Ink displays, but it fits the purpose perfectly: it doesn't cause eye strain when reading, you aren't left feeling drained from staring at it whilst reading in bed, plus you get a battery life of weeks, rather than hours.

The front and the spine of the PRS-300 are metal, the back and edges are plastic. The back has a slight tactile feel to it, so it is a pleasure to hold in the hand. The plastic edge perhaps looks a little cheaper than the rest of the device, but it doesn’t matter. Overall, it looks good, and feels good in the hand.

Although the screen is only 5-inches on the diagonal, the PRS-300 is approx 7.3-inches overall on the diagonal (107 x 157.5 x 10.2mm). It weighs in at 220, heavier than most mobile phones. It will fit into an average suit inside pocket, whilst the larger PRS-505 was a bit of a squeeze.

The extra real estate on the front is where all the controls live. Below the screen are Home and Back buttons and Bookmark and a Zoom button, flanking a central four-way controller, and "ok" button. Running down the right-hand side of the screen are number buttons, which can be used to enter page numbers directly, or select options from the menu.

In terms of size and weight, the PRS-300 is comfortable to read in the hand. It is lighter than most paperbacks. Given the overall size, we found accessing the main control, the one to turn the pages, fell into easy reach of the thumb, which is an important point.

Around the edges of the PRS-300 you have the contact points. On the bottom is the Mini-USB and the 5.2V DC input. This uses the same charger as the (now old) PSP, so it is worth shopping around as you'll find one for a fraction of the ?25 that Sony would ask of you for the Reader charger.

The top of the device gives you a power slider and small LED indicator that lets you know when it is connected to the power and receiving juice (it takes 2 hours to charge using the charger, 4 hours via USB). Using the charger is preferable, as you can read at the same time, whereas once connect to your PC, the Reader enters USB mode and you can't get to your content.

Connect the PRS-300 to your PC and you'll find that the software – Sony's eBook Library for both PC and Mac – is onboard. It is basic and but allows you to organise your collection of eBooks, provides links to online stores (Waterstones, WHSmith and Borders) so you can buy titles, and move content over to your device or set folders to sync. You can also use it to read ebooks on your PC if you wish.

If you plan on buying content, for example from Waterstones online, you'll need Adobe Digital Editions to handle the DRM, effectively granting you a license to the title. This is free software, which you can download direct from Adobe, or you'll be prompted to when you come to purchase an ebook online. Again, it's simple, but essential for the process and once you have your verified file, you can move it over to the Reader.

You don't have to use Sony's software for the process and some users have reported problems with eBook Library, but we found it worked with no problems on the Mac (we already had Adobe Digital Editions in place).

File support on the PRS-300 is good, letting you read EPUB (the mainstay of purchased content), PDF, TXT, RTF, DOC and BBeB formats. We found it had some difficulty with Word documents, but it copes with PDFs rather well, allowing you to resize text in multiple page documents, although don't then trust the page count you are given. For the most part, however, you'll be using the EPUB format.

Reading feels natural on the PRS-300. The quality of the device in your hand combines with the E Ink screen that just works. It is comfortable reading it in the same situations that you would a book. Some criticise the lack of its own illumination, but that's exactly the same as a real book and that's exactly the point. What you can do is sit next to a window on a train and still read it.

The menu system is easy to navigate. The bookmark button will let you mark a page so you can dive straight back into that point and keep reading. It encourages you to explore multiple texts at the same time. Perhaps you have a biography and a novel on the go at the same time – here you can easily jump to something different as your mood changes.

Inherently E Ink pages do take some time to change the content, down to the mechanics of how it works. So when changing page there is something of a pause, as there is when navigating the menus but we’ve never found this to be intrusive. It's not that often you are in a hurry to jump to a particular book; no, the Reader is designed for when you are about to sit down and relax and enjoy a little time to yourself.

The Zoom button is really useful. Given the size of the display, you might want to see what text size works best for you and each will have a different preference of the small, medium or large on offer. We usually stick to small, which reduces the number of page turns, but when tired, might move up to medium. If you have trouble seeing smaller characters, large might do you justice, but then you'll be "turning" pages with increased frequency.

And therein lies the shortcoming of the PRS-300. The overall screen size doesn't give you that much text on the page, so you'll be turning pages more often than you would with a bigger device. It's a trade-off that has to be made: if you want a smaller, pocketable, device, you are looking at a smaller screen.

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Verdict:

Some might see the PRS-300 as something of a step back. It doesn't have the features that the PRS-505 offers or the more advanced offering of the PRS-600. There is no memory expansion, so you are limited to the 512MB onboard, but still good for over 300 books. You also don't get to play music at the same time, but then we've never really wanted to do that anyway. If there is anything we'd change then it would be to expand the screen size whilst maintaining the dimensions of the device, so you get a few more paragraphs to each page, but we don't miss those features that have been removed.

Getting access to the content you want is a separate issue and it isn't fair to criticise the device because of the immature market. If you are considering investing for the first time, it is worth checking out what you will have access to by browsing the various bookstores online.

The PRS-300 isn't cheap, but it looks and feels like a quality device and does what it is supposed to do, which is let you comfortably read your books, without having to lug around a bag of paper copies.

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Tags: Gadgets ebooks eBook readers Sony Sony Reader Pocket Edition

Sony PRS-300 Reader Pocket Edition ebook originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:42:06 +0000

The PSP Go comes in as another reworking of Sony's handheld gaming platform, the PlayStation Portable. As such it is quite a drastic reworking on the original format, but in essence little has changed.

The biggest shift is the placement of a sliding 3.78-inch screen where previously the PSP saw a straight slab-like device. The screen retains the same resolution at 480 x 272 pixels, so despite the change in size, it still looks sharp. The changes mean the unit can shrink down to approx 122 x 66 x 15mm, meaning it is easily pocketable, where the previous versions weren't.

The PSP Go is dependent on the sliding screen which has a precise sliding action with plenty of pop. It feels like a quality device and is free from twist of lateral movement: when open, you don't need to be scared it is going to break off. The same goes for the rest of the build – it feels well constructed.

The exterior finish is mostly glossy, which will attract fingerprints, whilst the inner deck is a matte finish, where you'll find the main controls. These controls are ringed in silver, matching the edge of the unit, giving it a distinctive and premium looking finish. It's a fetching design for sure, and one we like.

One of the effects of moving the controls around is that the bumper buttons now sit behind the screen, with the screen brightness, volume control and mute buttons sitting right behind the screen so in-use they are more difficult to get to. It perhaps doesn't matter, but it does at least keep the device looks clean on the front.

Otherwise we found that we preferred the new layout of controls, with the PSP Go lying in a different grip on the hands, we found it easier to play for longer periods without feeling the thumbs cramp up, which was always a problem for previous editions. But this will come down to personal preference, the size of your hands on so on.

The new design also sees the removal of the UMD drive, so it no longer accepts the discs of previous versions. If you are already a PSP owner, this may be a serious consideration if you are looking at an upgrade – you won't just be able to slap in your existing games.

Those upgrading don't get left totally in the cold – there is an upgrade reward scheme that lets you register your old and new PSP on PSN, then you get access to three reward downloads to get you started. Three? Yes, that's right. Your past loyalty is rewarded with three downloads, rather than the conversion of every UMD you already have.

The move to download also kills the secondhand market so for those on a budget who like to play the trade, you are effectively stuffed.

Sony instead are moving gamers over to a download system using PlayStation Network. It's relatively simple in truth and something that people are now familiar with, especially on the music front. Here you simply visit the PlayStation Store, either on the device itself, your PS3 or a PC (using Media Go) to download games and install them on the PSP Go.

It's not a great process however, especially as you can't download in the background on the console itself, so you'll be sitting there looking at it slowly dripping in, rather than listening to music or playing something else.

To accommodate these games you now have an internal "16GB" of memory, although brand new out of the box you only get to use 14GB of it. An M2 card slot lives around the side for further expansion.

The PSP Go offers the same Wi-Fi as it did previously letting you connect to the Internet, now a core concern for the PSP. The Wi-Fi also lets you dive into Remote Play of your PS3, so you can access content, configure PlayTV or whatever whilst you are on the move. Wi-Fi on the PSP has never been great, compared to the simplicity of modern mobile phones, which will happily dive in and out of connections intelligently, something the PSP Go doesn't seem to want to do.

The new PSP Go also rocks out with Bluetooth, so you can connect to a Bluetooth device, or a new PS3 controller. This means you can tether your PSP Go to a mobile phone to access the Internet on the move using your phone's data connection, or simply go for Bluetooth headphones. We tried the data connection, but it didn't work, so don't get too excited.

There is a standard 3.5mm headphone jack sitting on the bottom of the PSP Go, alongside a new bespoke connector. In the box you'll find a new USB cable, providing your power and PC or PS3 connection. It's a shame to see another bespoke connection, as you'll have to carry around yet another bit of cable.

The PSP Go, with its new format really lends itself to being a PMP, albeit an expensive one. The screen looks fantastic and with the 16GB storage capacity, you can fill it with music and movies to take with you on the move. You'll be more likely to slip into a pocket for listing whilst on your commute, something that the old PSP didn't really excel at.

But in terms of overall functionality, the PSP Go isn't a revolution. Little has changed from previous versions. You still get the XMB interface which makes it easy to get around, but essentially the PSP Go offers you an external format change and little else. For this reason, it is unlikely to appeal to existing users, who will still be able to download games and can use the memory card slots on their existing device to expand storage.

The overall gaming proposition of the PSP Go remains the same as before, which might come as something of a disappointment for some. With the PSP Go closed it is begging to be tapped on the screen, but there hasn't been a move to touchscreen here.

Purists will argue that the screen looks better without touch which is probably true, but with the iPhone and Nintendo DSi enjoying successes in gaming with a touch-interface, it seems like Sony is holding back on something.

Verdict:

Overall we can't fault the handware on offer with the PSP Go. It looks excellent and is a pleasure to play with. The compact format means it slips into a jacket pocket more readily than before, but the removal of UMD means a whole stack of games are sitting in the corner, unloved.

And then there is the price. Launched at ?225, you can pick it up for just under ?200, but it is seriously undercut by the Nintendo DSi, with the iPod touch also offering an alternative. Sure, the PSP Go may be better for pure video, but from a gaming point of view, the Nintendo DS range has been storming.

For those who were just about to put a PSP on their Christmas list then overall they get a better looking device, with expanded memory, but for us we'll be sticking to the old hardware and our old games.

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Tags: Gaming PSP Go PSP Gaming hardware Sony

Sony PSP Go console originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:21:37 +0000

Sony's PlayStation 3 hadn't quite enjoyed the success it deserved, thanks to lofty launch prices for the original version and strong competition on the gaming front from the Xbox 360. Both consoles have evolved over time, with the PS3 Slim following Sony's trend of trimming down.

The PS3 Slim now measures 290 x 65 x 290mm, so it is more compact overall, especially in height. The overall design is still instantly recognizable as a PlayStation 3, but it is leaner and meaner. The construction materials have changed too: gone is the elegant glossy, to a matte black finish. It is perhaps less showy than the previous edition, but you don't have to spend your time polishing it either.

The redesign brings with it a new price point, which some will credit with its success: a 120GB PS3 Slim retails at ?249, a new entry point for the console. Considering what the PlayStation 3 offers you, it is something of a bargain in its new guise. Those wanting more storage can opt for a 250GB version, currently available for around ?285.

Those who jumped in for the original console will find changes: the lift-up flap housing and array of memory card readers is gone, as are the four USB connections, the PS2 emulation and the ability to install a different OS. These niceties are perhaps not worth premium prices that the older PS3 model asked: whatever you are trying to do, the two USBs on offer will pretty much handle it.

Internally the big guns are still here. You have a Blu-ray disc drive and you have Wi-Fi built-in, something that the Xbox 360 cannot boast. Perhaps this accounts for the current price contrast: the Xbox 360 120GB version comes in at under ?200, but you don't get the benefit of a Blu-ray player, and you'd have to fork out for the Wi-Fi adapter too.

This is one area that makes the PlayStation 3 look like a tempting offer. Now you have your high-definition TV wall-mounted in your lounge, it deserves to be fed a diet of HD content. Blu-ray looks fantastic on the PS3 and it is widely regarded as one of the best Blu-ray players out there, thanks to the easy updatability and connectivity that the rest of the box offers. If nothing else, the PS3 Slim saves you buying a standalone Blu-ray player, which might be ?100 alone.

Before you even approach gaming, the PS3 slim is screaming in with media from all corners. Connect it to your home network, either by Wi-Fi or through the Ethernet connection on the back and it opens a world of media possibilities. It not only lets you take advantage of BD-Live functionality on Blu-ray discs, but it will also find media servers (or other DNLA devices) on your network so you can stream media into your TV. We hooked it up and it instantly found our Cisco Media Hub to stream video, music or photo content into the TV, or you could stream direct from a PC or Mac.

It's blissfully simple, and again, it saves you forking out for some sort of media bridge. File format support isn't fully comprehensive with MPEG4/H.264, MPEG2, AVI (MJPEG), AVCHD, DivX and WMV video support. If you have a diverse collection of video you'll find that there are holes in codec support for some of these file types, but some sort of conversion software will cure those evils and save you repeated "This file is corrupted" messages. Music support gives you WMA, AAC and MP3. The PS3 now offers BBC iPlayer access direct from the XMB too.

In terms of connectivity, besides the networking features we have mentioned, around the back you get an HDMI connection, which will satisfy most users, an optical out, for connecting into your AV receiver to take advantage of the PS3's Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding. Finally you have Sony's AV Multi connection which, with the cable bundled in the box, will allow you to hook up to TVs which don't have HDMI.

All that, and we haven't yet mentioned games. For many people gaming is the PlayStation 3's primary calling, but it stands its ground as a home media hub in a way that the Xbox 360 really can't compete with. The PS3 is a hulking great power house of a gaming machine and now is a better time than ever for PlayStation 3 gaming, with the likes of Uncharted 2 receiving rave reviews.

The PS3 admittedly beats the Xbox 360 on raw power, but we've seen over the last few years that this hasn't manifested itself in a mass of better gaming titles. Graphically, there is little to separate the two once you get into big name titles and there is little difference between loading times or response either: both offer a sublime gaming experience.

Exclusive gaming titles will always be a consideration the aforementioned Uncharted 2 being an example. With many big titles coming out cross-platform, exclusives are the exception rather than the rule in many cases, but the toughest decision you might have to make is which camp to set yourself in. There are some great exclusives on both sides and ultimately, if you are going to dive into online multiplayer, the decision might come down to what consoles your friends have.

Control of the PlayStation 3 now comes in the form of the DualShock 3 controller, which adds a little extra oomph over previous versions. The controller is, ironically, one of the points that divides the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3; when it comes to the crunch, we prefer how the Xbox 360 controller feels. This is common among those who have both consoles and if you are lucky enough to be in this position, you'll probably find yourself doing most of your gaming on the Xbox and almost everything else on the PS3. As we've just said, this has nothing to do with how the games look or play, it simply comes down to choice of controller.

Sony's XrossMediaBar lies at the centre of the PS3 and offers an easy to navigate interface. We like the Xbox interface, but the PS3 is more accessible overall. It also gives you access to the PlayStation Network, which isn't as slick as Microsoft's Xbox Live, but at least you don't have to fork out for membership to get full advantage, another cost of ownership that needs to be considered.

One of the biggest changes you'll notice with the PS3 Slim is volume. Not in terms of audio output, but purely in terms of fan noise. This is one area that the PS3 and the Xbox 360 both struggled in the past. The Xbox hasn't improved dramatically, but the PS3 Slim has overcome the heat and noise problem. It is perhaps a little louder than your average Blu-ray player, but it is no longer a distraction. You don't feel like it is pumping out heat into your room like a fan heater either, which makes it much better suited to slipping under the TV. It is more energy efficient too.

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Verdict:

The PS3 Slim makes a number of changes over its forebear, making this the best PlayStation to date. Being more compact and quieter makes it more appealing as a home media hub, reinforcing the solid performance that it delivers.

The new price, though, is really the killer blow. It is more affordable than ever and with stores pushing out game bundles with the new PS3 Slim, if you have been holding off, now is the time to step out and buy one.

The PlayStation 3 Slim is an accomplished piece of home entertainment hardware, with something for everyone from streaming media, to high-definition movies, to adrenaline fuelled gaming, and we love it.

Tags: Gaming Gaming hardware Sony PS3 PS3 slim

Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) Slim console originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Sony’s VAIO CW1S1E sits smack in the middle of the company’s laptop range, offering impressive value for money without compromising on features or style. With a 14-inch screen and weighing 2.3kg, it’s slightly larger than Sony’s ultra-portable laptops, but it offers better usability as a result.

The screen has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, which is average at this price point. Images are crisp, and LED backlighting offers bright and vivid colour reproduction. That said, it was possible to see the individual LEDs at the bottom of the display on our review sample – which affected colours and also proved distracting.

The design is attractive and cohesive, with a range of bright colours on offer. The palm rest stands higher than the rest of the chassis, giving this machine an individual appearance, and is the same colour as the lid – including deep red, blue, black and light pink. The area surrounding the keyboard is a slightly more subtle colour – from light pink on some models, to black.

Identical in style to most recent VAIO keyboards, the CW’s chicklet style board offers a decent and comfortable typing action. There’s plenty of space between each of the keys, and it’s a responsive and firmly attached interface. The touchpad is larger than many of those found on rival laptops, offering a precise way of navigation, and the mouse buttons are also large and comfortable. ?

The Nvidia GeForce GT 230M graphics card is a surprise inclusion in a machine of this size, giving the compact Sony serious 3D power. With the relatively low screen resolution, it means that even the latest games will run without issue, along with regular home and office applications. As a result, you’ll be able to use the VAIO CW as your sole PC.

Office performance is equally adept, with a mid-range 2.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7450 processor in place. It’s backed by 4096MB of DDR3 memory, and we found this an excellent machine to carry out office work or run a host of applications simultaneously. The 320GB hard drive offers more than enough space for most music and photo collections.

There are a trio of USB ports for adding peripherals, with two on the left-hand side of the chassis, and one on the right. Other ports include VGA and HDMI, offering connectivity for analogue and digital displays. As with most other VAIO models, there are two card readers on the front of the chassis, supporting Sony’s Memory Stick and SD formats. 802.11n Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet provide decent networking options, but it’s a shame to see 3G/HSDPA omitted.

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Verdict:

The VAIO CW may not be Sony’s most desirable laptop, but that doesn’t stop it from being a great choice. The combination of size and power make it an ideal machine for all types of user, and that it’s just at home on the commute, in the living room or in the office is testament to just how good an all-rounder it is.

PHOTOS: Sony Vaio CW

Tags: Hardware Laptops Sony Sony Vaio CW1S1E Sony Vaio CW

Sony VAIO CW1S1E notebook originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:39:08 +0000

It’s easy to imagine that Sony has been hit harder than most by the current netbook explosion, with little point in paying a premium for high-end ultraportable machines when a netbook will suffice. The Sony VAIO VPC11Z1E/X-series aims to change this, proving far more portable than any laptop or netbook we’ve seen so far.

It’s even thinner and lighter than the company’s own miniscule VAIO P-series, although a lot more conventional in design. It measures just 16mm in depth, and weighs comfortably under 800g, and genuinely is a laptop you can put in your bag, take with you everywhere you go and forget it's there.

The 11.1-inch led-backlit screen is excellent, and every bit the equal of other similarly priced ultraportable laptops. The resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels results in sharp image quality, and colours are also vivid and true. With a screen coating that sits somewhere between matt and glossy, brightness levels are good, and reflections are also well suppressed when working outdoors.

The keyboard is tiny, but is surprisingly usable, even for those with larger hands and fingers. The keys themselves are also small, but it’s not problematic due to decent spacing between each one. The main issue is the amount of travel – or lack of – caused by the thin size of the laptop itself. It means the keys only move a fraction when typing – it’s not an issue once you get used to it – but it’s unlikely to suit all users.

The square touchpad is smaller than the one found on Sony’s VAIO W-series netbook, but it’s precise and responsive. Like the keys, the touchpad buttons are large enough for comfortable use, but are also restricted in movement.

Sony has used carbon fibre to help keep the weight as low as possible, distinguishing this machine from the netbooks it will inevitably be compared to. Quality is excellent, with a perfect fit and finish to all of the panels, with an attractive glossy carbon lid. It’s not a machine you’ll be able to throw in your bag without any protection, however, with the skinny chassis flexing more than most laptops or netbooks.

Those of you expecting to find a CULV processor at the heart of this machine will be disappointed as, like the VAIO P-series, Sony has stuck to an Intel Atom Z550 chip. That said, at 2GHz, it’s quicker than the current crop of netbooks – further helped by 2GB of memory and a 256GB solid state drive. Battery life is also decent – lasting for over 6 hours with the standard four-cell battery.

Unsurprisingly, you won’t find that many ports on the chassis. The two USB ports are located annoyingly close together on the left-hand side of the machine, there’s a VGA port but no HDMI, and a couple of card readers on the front supporting both Sony’s Memory card format and the more popular SD format.?

You’ll also find a half-sized Ethernet port, with the lower half dropping down when you want to connect an Ethernet cable. Because this lowers one side of the X-series slightly, there are a couple of little legs on the bottom of the machine, helping to keep it stable. Wireless connectivity on the range topping model is top-notch, with 802.11n Wi-Fi and a 3G/HSDPA adapter both built-in.

Verdict:

There’s no doubt about the amazing portability on offer from the Sony VAIO VPC11Z1E/X, but whether it’s worth the money will depend entirely how much you value that portability. Think of it as a Sony VAIO TT replacement – a high-end ultraportable for executives – and it’s an excellent little device. It’s difficult to escape the fact that it does the same job as many netbooks however, and although none can match it for wow-factor or quality, several can better it for battery life or performance.

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Related links:

• Photos - Sony Vaio X netbook

Tags: Hardware Laptops Netbooks Sony Sony VAIO VPC-X11Z1E/X

Sony VAIO VPC-X11Z1E/X notebook originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:22:57 +0000

"Oh that's a nice picture" you hear one of your family or mates say when they are around your house looking at a photo on your mantle piece. "Can I have a copy?"

You've then got the hassle of finding that picture, printing it out and then probably sending it to them as the whole process has taken so long they've given up and gone home. Sony is hoping to cut out the waiting with the launch of a digital photo frame with a built-in printer, so you can create and deliver the print there and then.

Sounds great, but is it?

The DPP-F700 sports a 7-inch, 16:10 WVGA screen with a resolution 800 x 480 and can print 4 x 6-inch, 300 x 300 dpi photos in 45 seconds.

The frame, which features a large black boarder offers touch-sensitive controls, that like other frames on the market, appear only on touch, however for some reason Sony has opted to use a different non-gloss material - a matt plastic it seems, which doesn't work.

Controls allow you to navigate through the basic menu system and here you can edit images before printing with options including enlarge, reduce, crop, date stamp on/off, border/borderless as well as brightness, contrast, hue, and sharpness adjustment.

Images can be transferred onto the frame via USB from a PC, and there is an array of memory card slots around the side including support for SD, MMC, Compact Flash and xD.

Failing that, there is 1GB of on-board storage. Storage levels will vary, with Sony boasting 2000 images as a headline grabbing number, but as this is only at a 2-megapixel resolution, expect this number to be around 200 if you're using a 7-megapixel or higher camera.

The DPP-F700 uses dye-sublimation as the printing technology, the print quality was good, not amazing, however they were able to be handled straight away when we played with the printer at a trade show.

The concept is perfect, unfortunately the realisation isn’t. The biggest problem isn't the quality of prints, or the software interface, it's the form factor.

As you might imagine adding a printer into a photo frame will add some bulk to a photo frame. Sony has surprisingly done a pretty good job of hiding this underneath the frame (see pictures) and the end result therefore is that it looks like you've perched a regular digital photo frame on to a box, no problem there.

The problem, however, is that rather than then put the photo paper tray within this box or to the side, it sits rather awkwardly out the front giving the game away that there is a printer hiding inside.

Yes it is detachable, but that's not the point. There is no way you could place it anywhere like a window ledge or mantle piece because of the width of the overall footprint. So you might as well give up on the idea altogether and use a small compact printer.

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Verdict:

In the future, if we are still printing photos, all digital photo frames will have a printer built in. It makes sense, it's a nice idea and we can see why someone at Sony approved the making of the DPP-F700.

However, it seems that "approving person" walked away after they were pitched the idea, as the end result neither looks good or has a form factor that would make it suitable (from our brief play) for where it should live in the living room.

This really is one of those moments where the end result could have been so much better.

The DPP-F700 digital photo frame-printer will be available in the States for about $200 in January.

Tags: Cameras Sony Digital photo frames Printers Photo printers Sony S-Frame DPP-F700

Sony S-Frame DPP-F700 digital photo frame - First Look originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

While most gamers have pinned all their Holiday gaming hopes on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Uncharted 2, despite the mass hype, had slipped a touch below radar, until reviews started appearing that is.. The sequel to Nathan Drake's Tomb Raider-esque exploration seemingly expected to be decent enough, but not quite hitting the heights of the Call of Duty juggernaut.

Uncharted 2 starts out with a cliffhanger. Literally. You begin with a stunning set piece, with Indiana Jones-a-like explorer Nathan Drake clinging onto the remains of a half obliterated train that's precariously hanging over a huge cliff face. Slowly and methodically you pull yourself up and finally come to rest on solid ground. Only for all hell to break loose.

This supremely bombastic opening does its level best to show off right at the very start every major asset that Naughty Dog have crammed onto a Blu-ray disc. Most obviously there's the huge attraction that are arguably the greatest visuals witnessed in a video game thus far. Everything from eye popping vistas, through to incredible character animation, via stunning lighting effects. It all culminates in quite a stunning visual spectacle.

Similarly high levels of production have been plunged into the aural experience too. The voice acting – in part due to the hefty quality of the script – is absolutely top notch, with none of the usual hammy over the top, or bored sounding individuals simply eager to grab their pay cheque. This helps bring about the almost unimaginable; cutscenes that you will want to witness multiple times.

The high quality continues with some superb physics, more obviously helping make Drake's regular climbs and jumps seem all that more real, but also enemies that perish and move in stunningly realistic manners. We spotted one recently blasted enemy caught on a high railing, and couldn't resist giving him a nudge off his precarious resting place and watch him land bone-crunchingly hard on the rocks below. Yet another sign that some real love has been fed into this game.

Enemies also show a huge amount of intelligence in the way they duck behind cover, try to flush you out with grenades and flank your position, rather than wait to be slowly picked off one by one. With combat outnumbering exploration/platforming by a factor of about 2:1, it helps make the most of every single level of the game.

Drake's adventure isn't quite the new Tomb Raider that some might have you believe, with gunplay playing a major part to proceedings. Weapons are well powered and sound wonderful, and the cover system is as fluid as any other title out there. But when you do get the chance to climb, Uncharted 2 makes it feel so incredibly fluid when compared to Lara Croft's still somewhat stilted nature. There's no slow methodical lining up of jumps required, and you can easily cover huge distances in seconds. It just feels so natural.

Spread throughout the entire game there are a number of fantastic set pieces coming your way. Where some titles may keep the most spectacular experiences for passive cutscenes, Uncharted 2 sets you as the star, allowing you to frantically run from a truck, or swiftly jump across a crumbling bridge. You can always assume that one more breathtaking moment is only a few minutes away.

The single player experience described above lasts a solid 8 to 10 hours of game time, and certainly contains enough to keep you coming back time and time again. There are a few less than stellar moments however. While the latter enemies who can soak up a number of bullets are explained away, one earlier human who can withstand clip after clip of ammo is a strange anomaly.

And then there's the online multiplayer. All the usual standards apply, with the usual Deathmatch and Capture The Flag options made available. But they've been crafted with the same unnerving brilliance that the single player story offers, culminating in something which might not be brand new, but you can't help falling in love with.

Verdict:

Uncharted 2 is just an incredible package. One of the most stunning single player outings in years is fantastically complimented by such an impressive multiplayer offering that all PS3 owners can't pass up this opportunity. It might not have the hype of Modern Warfare 2 behind it, but Activision have got a real test on their hands if they want to be sure of being the PS3's Christmas must have.

Tags: Gaming PS3 Sony Uncharted 2 Among Thieves Action

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - PS3 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:42:28 +0100

If the recession has eaten into your Blu-ray player budget then all is not lost - there are some great-value decks on the market that deliver the high-def basics without making a large dent in your savings. We’ve already looked at the Samsung BD-P1600 and Philips BDP3000, both of which deliver solid features and performance for under ?150, and now there’s another one to add to the list - the Sony BDP-S360.

The follow-up to last year’s BDP-S350, the S360 once again offers full 1080p picture quality and support for HD audio but strips away the fancy flourishes found on the step-up S560 announced at IFA. This time round it supports BD Live from the box (the S350 had to be firmware upgraded), so you can vent your spleen over the latest Saw instalment online, or download trailers to your heart’s content.

Understated, minimal looks are the order of the day - a large flap covers the entire fascia, hiding the buttons and disc tray, while a blue light gives it some much needed glitz. Around the back you get a limited selection of sockets, including an HDMI v1.3 port, Component and Composite outputs, plus optical and coaxial digital audio outputs.

Of course, being a budget player the lack of built-in Wi-Fi, multichannel analogue outputs and built-in memory is no surprise. But less forgivable is the Sony’s limited digital media support. The rear-mounted USB port is only for BD Live storage, and it only plays MP3 and JPEG from discs - surprising from the company that brought you the PS3, a device more media-friendly than Max Clifford.

The S360 makes up for it with a fantastic operating system. Dubbed the Xross Media Bar, the main menu presents its options as intersecting horizontal and vertical rows, while the cursor skates around the funky icons and colourful backdrops with pleasing fluidity.

There’s also a quick start mode that boots-up the Sony in 6 seconds, but it comes unstuck when you load a disc, taking close to a minute to fire up Java-heavy platters like Spider-Man 3 when other decks do it in half the time.

Limited features, slow disc loading - it’s a good job this deck’s pictures are up to scratch. Decent detail retrieval gives images that searing sharpness that you expect from Blu-ray, while strong colour saturation injects warmth and vibrancy into the picture, without compromising the accuracy of skin tones.

Noise is kept to a minimum and motion looks generally judder-free with 24Hz output engaged. We won’t deny that you get better picture quality from step-up decks like the Pioneer BDP-LX52 or Panasonic DMP-BD80, but it easily matches other players at this price. The Sony even provides impressive DVD upscaling, with crisp detail, vivid colours and effective suppression of edge jaggies.?

Verdict:

If you’re looking for your first Blu-ray player then the BDP-S360 is a definite candidate for your cash. The feature list is unduly sparse, but its user-friendly operating system, BD Live support and solid picture quality just about make it money well spent.

That said, in our eyes the Samsung BD-P1600 is still a better bet, boasting wider digital media support, faster disc loading, a USB port and the option of adding Wi-Fi.

Tags: Home Cinema Blu-ray players Sony Sony BDP-S360 Sony BDP-S360

Sony BDP-S360 Blu-ray player originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:00:00 +0100