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currently i have sonic stage configured to convert mp3 to ATRAC when i transfer mp3 files to the device. Its kind of slow but i didnt want to convert all my mp3 to atrac and keep 2 copies, and i didnt want to commit my music collection to sony and abandon my mp3's

I do love my sony digital camera As far as quality of the pictures it take its great. The photo album software that came with it sucks majorly. When I installed it after it was done it said "Select another system to boot again" in other words reboot the system. Sony shame on you for including crap with a fairly expensive product. I use photoshop for any photo retouching/editing and the software that came with my hp printer is pretty decent when it comes to just selecting pictures and printing them and making sure the sizes are all good. The sony software had no option to print. Ony allowed you to organize photos into albums. Windows xp explorer is much better for browsing my pictures than that crap.

currently i have sonic stage configured to convert mp3 to ATRAC when i transfer mp3 files to the device. Its kind of slow but i didnt want to convert all my mp3 to atrac and keep 2 copies, and i didnt want to commit my music collection to sony and abandon my mp3's

I do love my sony digital camera As far as quality of the pictures it take its great. The photo album software that came with it sucks majorly. When I installed it after it was done it said "Select another system to boot again" in other words reboot the system. Sony shame on you for including crap with a fairly expensive product. I use photoshop for any photo retouching/editing and the software that came with my hp printer is pretty decent when it comes to just selecting pictures and printing them and making sure the sizes are all good. The sony software had no option to print. Ony allowed you to organize photos into albums. Windows xp explorer is much better for browsing my pictures than that crap.

I'd be more willing to just get a case if I could find one that wasn't bulky, awkward, and generally annoying.

About the digitizer thing, my Handera 330's still worked on the top half even with a crack leaking purple liquid crystal junk in the bottom half, though Handera did use a different screen type.

How is it different from this Sony system then. I'd take the Sony.

The TRV-22 is a digital video camera (specs here. All he needs is a 6pin - 4pin cable.

From the page:
Features:
i.LINK(R)* DV Interface (IEEE 1394)

I don't think Sony would like paying Microsoft royalties one bit on thier bread and butter.

Sony has invested heavily on the DVD format and is looking towards the future.

Remember Sony has a high aminosity towards Mircosoft due to circumstances in the set top box market and Sony's open support for linux.

Like in the Eric Frank Russell story "U-turn", "[m]ay you live in interesting times."

Try three of these, room for all the dvd's you have plus room to grow. Sony 400 DVD Jukebox

I think you are looking the wrong way my friend. Why go through all the pain/legal questions/hardware... Just plunk down a few bucks and by a mega changer.

Here is one that holds 400 DVDs from Sony for like $400 400 Disc Progressive DVD/SACD Player DVP-CX985V

Sometimes a dedicated device has its place.

Why go for a homegrown solution, which will end up costing a bit in both cash and headaches, when something already exists?

Out of the 1000 movies, realistically, how many are you going to watch more than once? I own about 350 DVDs, and seriously, I've maybe watched 200 twice, and less than 40 I watch more often.

Now, what you want to get your hands on is one or 2 of these babies. Sony 400 DVD Jukebox. Even 2 would probably end up cheaper than just the storage you'd need to rip all those DVDs (not to mention the time... and headaches.... Save yourself the trouble, and some cash.

So... Sony got out of CRT ? Well, according to this site, either some hacker took over Sony's web site or you are absolutely full of s... and have no clue of what you are talking about.

Part of the problem is that, in fact, many LCDs do NOT come with DVI connections. You say "most good flat panel displays" do, though that's not quite accurate. You mention Sony 17" and up... well, this 17" Sony doesn't use DVI, nor does this 19" Sony. Or how about this 24" Samsung, which includes connections for D-Sub, S-Video, RCA, Component (x2), Coax, and Scart (but no DVI) and will set you back $3-4k.

The fact is, contrary to popular belief, the majority of LCDs still do not come with DVI, whether budget or high-end. I learned this during Christmas when I had to shop for an LCD for my mother. Sadly, often times if you want a DVI connection, you pay MORE than the identical model which uses a D-Sub connection.

Which brings us back to the original post... WHY is this?? Doesn't DVI on a video card or LCD mean not having to use a DAC on the hardware? Which you would think would cut costs?? Not to mention DVI provides better quality to an LCD than D-Sub does... you would think monitor manufacturers, at least, would appreciate making their hardware seemingly perform better while saving money??

Hopefully someone will have some insightful knowledge to clue us in on the this seemingly backwards situation.

Part of the problem is that, in fact, many LCDs do NOT come with DVI connections. You say "most good flat panel displays" do, though that's not quite accurate. You mention Sony 17" and up... well, this 17" Sony doesn't use DVI, nor does this 19" Sony. Or how about this 24" Samsung, which includes connections for D-Sub, S-Video, RCA, Component (x2), Coax, and Scart (but no DVI) and will set you back $3-4k.

The fact is, contrary to popular belief, the majority of LCDs still do not come with DVI, whether budget or high-end. I learned this during Christmas when I had to shop for an LCD for my mother. Sadly, often times if you want a DVI connection, you pay MORE than the identical model which uses a D-Sub connection.

Which brings us back to the original post... WHY is this?? Doesn't DVI on a video card or LCD mean not having to use a DAC on the hardware? Which you would think would cut costs?? Not to mention DVI provides better quality to an LCD than D-Sub does... you would think monitor manufacturers, at least, would appreciate making their hardware seemingly perform better while saving money??

Hopefully someone will have some insightful knowledge to clue us in on the this seemingly backwards situation.

That having been said, I wound up with a MITS Altair for $100 because it was listed as "Vintage Altar Comp", and a "sonydcv1" for about $300.

My point being that as geeks, we should encourage all non-geeks we know who have an interest in selling items on eBay to forgo spellchecks and not worry about spelling in general. We stand to profit from it! Any attempt to educate the general populace (as this NYT article attempts to do) will reduce the number of magic bargains to be found on eBay ;)

I've been very tempted by these, but haven't been able to find many reviews. (I haven't looked for a few months though. Maybe there's more information available now.)

I've been very tempted by these, but haven't been able to find many reviews. (I haven't looked for a few months though. Maybe there's more information available now.)

Obviously, all handheld consumers must be idiots since we voted with our wallets to choose the new color models over the old AAA powered ones.

Obviously, all handheld consumers must be idiots since we voted with our wallets to choose the new color models over the old AAA powered ones.

Not exactly the same, but look what SonicBoy did with his Sony Clie UX-50 and Fun Cam software.

The AC points out the nicest earphones that are cheaply available (IMHO)

Sony Fontopia MDR-EX71SL

Earbuds with very good sound and lots of bass when inserted properly. I'm using them in replacement of the white thingies that were included with my iPod. There's no going back.

They are almost unnoticeable too.

these

I've used these headhpones almost exclusively for casual listening for about a year now. They're no good for serious audio quality, but for a discman or an mp3 player I like them the best. They come in multiple colors now too, ooooh.

I know this is a minor point, but the color will make it stand out like a sore thumb on most people's shelves. Why not make it black or gray? It would at least match Sony's own line of Wega TV's.

Maybe it their subtle way of getting it noticed:
"What's that big white box on your shelf"
"Oh that's the PSX!"

Try this

I just got a new Sony self system that has 'Wireless Audio Transfer' (WAT). Basically, it has a seperate RF attenna that you attach to the sound card of your PC (or other audio device) and the shelf system will pick up the audio feed wirelessly. Not quite as versitile as the system reviewed here, but the sound on this system is incredible! Plus, you get the whole system (has a 60 CD changer) for $299. If it had an MD player instead of tape deck it would be perfection.

Sony has surround sound headphones out. They track the orientation of the wearer's head and adjust accordingly. Check them out here. There is an IGN review of a pair here Okay, not the most reputable place for reviews so google for some others . . .

How about this?

Sony D-NE1 ATRAC3/MP3 CD Walkman. 5 3/8" x 5 3/8" x 5/8", 6.25 ounces, 90-150 hours on a charged set of batteries. [2 NH14WM(a) Rechargeable batteries for the player and 2 "AA" Batteries for the Backlight Remote] The NH-14MW are 1.2v 1350maH batteries.

Sony D-NE1

Apple iPod (40 GB Model)

4.1 x 2.4 x 0.62, 6.2 ounces. 630mah LiON Battery, 8 hours on a charge (Apple Literature)

SONY's PDA, Notebooks(Japanese only, use the fish), Apple's PowerBooks, are a few examples of BT+WiFi implementations. I am sure there are many other similar coming.

Unless you consider that Sony still makes "Digital-8" camcorders, so I wouldn't exactly consider Digital8 "obsolete" yet, at least until they stop making the camcorders...

Amen, brother. I'm willing to bet that Tiger Woods couldn't drive the green of a par-3 when he was 4 years old. Damn MTV attention spans. Patience!

I would have loved a lushious SonyEricsson phone with bluetooth and a headset, but it's $300.

If you're in AT&T Wireless' service area, you can get a SonyEricsson T616 for $50! (New activation, blah, blah, blah.) I used that justify escaping Sprint POS before number portability. Bluetooth headsets are still expensive, though.

BTW, anyone out there who's frustrated the crappy transceiver that comes with Microsoft's BT keyboard and/or mouse, check out sonystyle.com. (That's the OK electronics division, not the evil MPAA/RIAA member division.) They have one of the few transceivers I've seen that supports the HID profile MS uses, in addition to the profiles any decent BT device should. And compared to Microsoft's "travel" adapter, the Sony is downright miniscule. (Keep away from children under 3!)

It's very simple but you'll need to have a little muscle.

Carry a G5 in one hand (by the handle) and this Honda Genny in the other. All while running iTunes and wearing a pair of MDR-DS5100's.

Pure audio bliss.

The only problem that I have found is that the pre-installed Netfront browser can not open new browser windows, so I get error messages every time I am supposed to see a pop-up. Does anyone know how to allow more windows to open? Can Palm multi-task at all? Is there an alternate browser for my Palm that would work better for me? Thanks in advace.

Yeah, it's a really, really expensive PDA. But it's definitely an impressive one. God, I hate Sony. They belong to both the MPAA and RIAA, yet they still crank out uber-l33t electronic products.

However, you might not feel comfortable about writing "DON'T PANIC" on the cover. After spending $700 on something like this, you might get really paranoid about anything that would deface it.

Sony PEG-UX50 Uber Clie. Bluetooth, WiFi, Camera, Browser, Mail, Games, Palm OS 5. I just ordered one of these today. Here's the kicker: It's for my wife! She seems to have more geek gadgets than me. On the other hand, she had *no problem* with me picking up my new BMW two week ago. ;-)

UX50 CLIE(TM) Handheld (PEG-UX50) No question.

I decided to be more specific.

Sony SJ20 is available direct from Sony, but somebody enterprising could prolly turn up a better price. And, according to the Power48 web site, the emu will run on that hardware. Performance? No idea. But, the alternative is there.

I still don't understand what "educational add-ons" there are. All the HP48 peripherals and software I've ever seen are absurdly expensive. On the other hand, there's lots of free and Free Palm software out there.

The devices were obviously designed to scratch different itches, but somebody sufficiently flexible-minded can scratch both with one chunk o' plastic.

The new Sony models also use a faster processor (200 MHz Motorola MX) than the new Palm Zire21 and Tungsten|E (126 MHz TI OMAP) models.

The Palm Tungsten C ($500) and Sony Clie UX-50 ($700) include Wi-Fi. High chip cost and battery consumption are the main reasons why Wi-Fi is not yet standard on your average PDA.

Are you kidding? What do you want apple to do? Not have a computer with a speaker in it? And where do you think computers are going? Everyone's getting into this whole Digital Hub thing. And you want to ban Apple from it just because they happen to share the same name as the beatles who refuse to make their music available online?

Ever *seen* one of the Grand Wegas in person? I have. They look like sh*t if you're not directly in front of the screen in the sweet spot. Shift even a few feet (like to the edges of a big sectional sofa) and the contrast changes dramatically. This is a perennial problem on almost every LCD display I've ever seen (except the Apple 23" Cinema HD Display, which I'm currently sitting in front of) and I see no signs of it changing anytime in the near future for big TV sets.

The Sony KE-50XBR900 50" Plasma TV absolutely blows the Grand Wega 60" LCD TV out of the water picture-wise, IMHO. And it doesn't suffer from this angle-viewing problem like the LCD TV's do.

Of course, it costs a lot more :-)

'nuff sed.

I mean, Sony's Clies, while not the bestest looking devices in the world, are still certainly snazzy looking enough to warrant inquiries from passers-by and non-technically fluent peoples. The same went for Handspring's sexy but not all that useful Visor Edge.

Come on geeks, we can be smart, but we can be sexy too. Rinkydink textured ABS with ovoid buttons and felt-marker-script lettering doesn't do us any good. Go minimal. Go architectural. Go intelligent. That's what we represent, isn't it?

Alot cheaper than the Etymotics ($150-700 price range depending on model?). Probably not as good as the Etymotics, but they sound pretty darned good to me. Slightly less bass but much better midrange and treble response and much cleaner than the Sony Fontopia MDR-EX71SL Headphones.

The advantages of the in-ear designs: increased bass response, more precise sound reproduction, greater driver efficiency, and greater sound isolation from ambient noise (ie. great for airplane use) that results in your not needing to turn your music up nearly as much thus preserving your hearing. The downside is that you shouldn't really use them in situations where you would need to be able to hear some of what is going on around you (ie. jogging outdoors, cycling, driving, skiing, etc). The rattling of the very stout cables does transmit some noise to your ears if you're doing something very active (like running/jogging) so I like these less for when I'm doing cardio, but they are just fine for other less impact/jarring activities at the gym.

Review at Extreme Tech.

DaveC

...a more robust setup. I would recommend a monochrome laser printer for text operations, paired with a dye sublimation printer for color.

I use two Kodak 8650 printers (pick one up for a couple grand on ebay) for a commercial application that is probably beyond the scope of the submitter, but the quality (indistinguishable from a lab print), reliability (over 800 9x14" prints/week at times), and durability (light-fast for more than 20 years)

Olympus, Kodak, Sony, and others have items at more reasonable price points.

No doubt; for color, go dye-sub. Then again, I own an Epson 1280 photo that does really nice work as well. I have installed an Epson 2200 for a couple of clients and they are even better.

Seems Slashdotted--Here are some pics from Sony.com

Not so much a comment as a question...

What has really set the Vaio apart from ye olde everyday laptop was the interesting addition of the integrated still/video camera. Are there any other manufacturers out who do this? Also...is it really usable as an integrated camera?

I love it! I love it! Sony says here (if that bizarrely long URL doesn't work, just go to SonyStyle, search on UX40, and click the Specifications tab):

"Computer Interface: The computer industry lacks standards, and therefore, there are a multitude of varying software packages and add-on hardware options. This device is not manufactured to any specific software, and Sony does not and cannot make any warranty or representation with respect to the performance of this product with any particular software packages and/or non-Sony add-on hardware option except those mentioned in this document. Sony hereby disclaims any representations or warranty that this product is compatible with any combination of products you may choose to connect. While Sony representatives or Sony authorized dealers may be able to assist you and may make recommendations, they are NOT authorized to vary or waive this disclaimer. Purchasers must determine for themselves the suitability and compatibility of the hardware and software in each and every particular instance."

Now, I ask you, ain't that the truth?

You might have a look at Sony's voice recorders. Some of these record audio on exchangable memory sticks or built-in memory chips. You then download this audio to your computer via (typically) USB, and can also use Dragon software for voice to text translation. Should be perfect for the intended use.

As an example, check out Sony ICD-ST10VTP, which records more than 5 hours of sound. Should the link not work, try Sony's website, Electronics/Portable Audio/Voice Recorders/Digital Voice.

Note: I have not used any of these devices yet, but probably will.

Also, as a remark to a previous comment, I think the question is as relevant to Slashdot as many others are, and flaming him for asking is not only impolite, it's stupid. The political views of his employer are also beside the point. Furthermore, to paraphrase Spock, only american arrogance would lead to the assumption that the politician in question must be a republican or a democrat. He might of course be something else (in which case he will lose, but most likely he will anyway, which is also beside the point!)

Second, you'd think with the top-of-the-line Clie and a top-of-the-line Memory Stick Pro, you could at least play back sony's proprietary ATRAC3 files -- no such luck. MS Pro doesn't support them. (Of course you couldn't play them from the CF card anyway, so who really cares, unless you want to fit a lot of songs on the device.)

Third, Sony's audio API is completely proprietary, so the chances of seeing a VBR MP3 or OGG Vorbis player are slim-to-none, until someone reverse engineers it or they publish the API.

If the DSP in this UX50 can handle VBR MP3s and OGGs, I would be very tempted to return my Clie NX80 today and wait for it! (Of course who knows how long that could be -- September, probably.)

By the way, for anyone who cares, the major differences are:

• NX80 has 1.3mp camera, UX50 has 300kp.
• NX80 supports memory and Sony WiFi CF cards; UX50 has WiFi, but no CF support.
• sideways form factor
• new CPU of some kind, as yet unknown
• larger keyboard
• jog wheel on top front instead of jog dial on side

ohhhh, it's just good old sony style lawsuit.

Actually, AIBO is Sony's baby. Your thinking of ASIMO, which is Handa's.