Sony announces Next Generation Portable handheld

In a move that shocked precisely no one, Sony confirmed months of speculation by officially unveiling their next handheld video game system at a press event in Tokyo on Thursday.
Codenamed “NGP” for Next Generation Portable, the system packs a load of impressive technology, including two analog sticks, a 5-inch OLED touchscreen (for reference, an iPhone’s screen is 3.5 inches), a second touch pad on the back of the device, and a new flash-card media format.
Sony announced that the system will be released before the end of 2011, though no word on whether that’s a worldwide date or just for Japan. No pricing details were released.
To better compete with longtime rival Nintendo’s soon-to-be-released 3DS system and Apple’s formidable iOS devices, the NGP will also feature 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, front and rear cameras, an electronic compass, and six-axis motion-sensing capability. Yikes. Five to one it will also cut through this tin can!
Sony revealed a few other NGP functions, such as a location-based application that lets users find nearby players and a user-interface that ties social-networking features to every game.  The system has a new rounded form factor as well (Sony calls it the ‘Super Oval Design’) and is physically a bit larger than the current PSP-3000 model.
A slew of first-party NGP games were announced — including new titles in the Hot Shots Golf, LittleBigPlanet, WipeOut, Killzone, Resistance and (gasp!) Uncharted franchises — as well as games from publishers like Capcom, Sega, Tecmo, Konami, and Activision, who will be bringing blockbuster franchise Call of Duty to the system.
Much of Sony’s presser focused on the NGP’s varied control schemes. In addition to standard game fare like a D-pad and shoulder and face buttons, the system is the first of its kind to include dual analog sticks — a feature widely requested by PSP fans. Motion-sensing control via the built-in gyroscopes was also on display, but perhaps most impressive is the dual touch interface. The touch pad on the back of the device is positioned directly underneath the main touchscreen, which allows for innovative ‘pinch’ control by using the two simultaneously.
The device is a serious step up from Sony’s last handheld release, the underwhelming PSP Go, which did little to help Sony gain ground on Nintendo’s league-leading DS line. However, DS sales have slipped in recent months in anticipation of the 3DS, which produces 3D visuals without the need of special glasses.
While Sony failed to announce a PSP-capable phone (as many had expected), the company did find time to unveil the Playstation Suite, a cross-platform service that will make Playstation games available on Android phones and tablets.

Sony introduces the WALKMAN S750

Sony introduces it's latest addition to the WALKMAN family.

Nowadays most of us take portable media players pretty much for granted, but back in the 1980s, when Sony released its first personal cassette player, they were revolutionary. Thirty years on and cassettes have all but gone and, despite numerous other worthy contenders, Apple holds the media player crown. For many, however, the Walkman is still regarded as the media player of choice and Sony has just revealed a new addition to its iconic family, the supermodel-thin S750. The audio and video player features noise canceling, audio enhancement technologies, a Karaoke mode and 50 hours of audio enjoyment on a single charge.
To some, the very first Walkmans were just annoying, tinny noise on an otherwise fairly quiet subway train. To those lucky enough to own one, though, they provided freedom from interfering radio DJ chatter, the ability to listen to a personal track list and a means to escape the dreary conversations of those around you. Sony has now announced the next addition to the brand, the S750 video MP3 player.
The player is shipped with EX vertical in-ear headphones and features digital noise canceling which is claimed to cut out about 98 per cent of background sound, allowing users to turn down the volume without losing audio clarity. Also included is a special adapter for air travelers who want to make the most of the Walkman's noise canceling capabilities while enjoying the in-flight entertainment.

The S750 benefits from five Clear Audio technologies including Clear Bass and Clear Stereo, and a Digital Sound Enhancement Engine which restores the high frequencies lost in compressed music files such as MP3. Its 2-inch (51mm) LCD display features TruBlack technology to give screen contrast a bit of a boost, and the supplied software allows drag and drop file transfer. Sony's SensMe technology creates themed channels for access to mood music, and for those moments when your own music collection becomes too familiar, there's also an FM radio.
Party people will find the Lyric Sync and Karaoke Mode a useful addition. As the name suggests, the former displays lyrics on the screen while the other reduces the volume of the vocal track to allow users to take center stage. The S750 even allows the playback pitch to be adjusted to cater for those who have trouble reaching the high notes. The player also offers the chance to turn a private sing-along into a public performance via the AV-out port, which also provides for standard definition 720 x 480 video content on a connected TV.
Those wishing to nail a foreign language can take advantage of the player's phrase looping, which repeats a chosen passage at reduced speed without changing pitch or clarity.
All of these multimedia features, along with a battery claimed to give 50 hours of audio or 10 hours of video playback, has been squeezed into a form factor just 0.283-inch (7.2mm) thin. The Walkman S750 will be available in either 8GB or 16GB from October, although Sony's Japanese site also shows a 32GB version. There will also be a splash-proof dock available at the same time.