With the Sony PlayStation 3 Slim and the price cut for the PS3 grabbing all the headlines recently, Microsoft’s retaliatory trimming of its own prices doesn’t come as a surprise.
The Xbox 360 Elite (with a 120GB hard drive) will be getting a price cut in the US and the Asia-Pacific region, as prices drop by $100 in America to bring the console’s cost to $299.99; and in Singapore, the price will be slashed to Sing $499, which is about Rs 17,000.
The Xbox 360 Pro will also be cheaper in the US as prices fall to $249.99. Microsoft announced that this model will be phased out and no new units will be produced once the current lot of Pro consoles sell out.
Going forward, Microsoft will offer only the $299 Xbox 360 Elite with its 120GB hard drive, and the $199 Xbox 360 Arcade which comes bundled with five games and a 256MB memory unit.
There is a catch, though: The new, cheaper Xbox 360 Elite package will not include an HDMI cable in the bundle, like the current ones have.
Microsoft's director of product management for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live, Aaron Greenberg, defended the company against talk of this being a retaliatory move to Sony's new product and prices.
"I'm sure some will think this is a response to competitor pricing," Greenberg told CNET. "But we had planned this reduction months in advance. Retail circular ads and store merchandising were all lined up."
250GB model rumoured; 360 Pro to be phased out
PRICE DROPS FOR XBOX 360 ELITE
TRANSCEND'S ECOFRIENDLY PEN DRIVES
We have often dropped our pen drives, literally thrown them across rooms, and forgotten them in our jeans’ pocket only to hear the familiar ‘clang’ in the washing machine. Still, our trusty companions carry on, tough little soldiers that they are. So we aren’t quite sure why you would need rugged and eco-friendly USB flash drives, but Transcend apparently sees a market in India and wants to cater to it with the new JetFlash V70 series of pen drives.
The new anti-shock USB flash drive is made out of a durable eco-friendly rubber that makes it highly resistant to survive shock, splashes and dust. Created with sporty outdoor adventurers in mind, the device allows users to express their individuality and unique personal style with attractive bright colour schemes.
Mr. Austin Huang, Regional Head - Sales, SAARC & APAC, Transcend, said: “We are extremely proud to have introduced our new range of rugged flash drives. Combining exceptional durability with performance, stylish sporty design, and environment friendliness, the JetFlash V70 USB flash drive is a great storage device that allows users with active lifestyles to take their important files wherever they go.”
Unlike USB flash drives that are made of plastic or metal materials, Transcend has made the new drive of eco-friendly silicone rubber that provides a pleasant tactile feel and offers excellent protection for stored data while working, exercising, or travelling outdoors, meeting the stringent and rigorous U.S. military drop-test standards.
Additionally, the JetFlash V70 is equipped with a unique tethered cap holder that prevents it from getting lost when removed from the drive during file transfer.
The drive – covered by a lifetime warranty – is currently available in three capacities, marked by their respective colours:
4GB (Purple) – Rs 700
8GB (Orange) – Rs 1,000
16GB (Red) – Rs 2,200
TRANSCEND INDIA LAUNCHES 600X FLASH CARDS
When using a DSLR camera, the reading and writing speeds of your flash card as well as its durability are of utmost important. The new CompactFlash (CF) card from Transcend seeks to address these issues.
The Extreme Plus 600x CF cards use ultra DMA 6 (UDMA), the fastest speed available for flash cards, to deliver transfer speeds of up to 92MB/s read and 87MB/s write. This ability to instantly store extremely high-resolution image data makes consecutive shooting and non-stop video recording easier than ever.
To assure robust, long-life durability and guaranteed performance, Transcend’s 600X CF cards are manufactured using only the most advanced Flash controllers and premium quality NAND Flash memory chips. In addition, each card contains built-in ECC (Error Correction Code) that automatically detects and corrects errors during data transfer, and also utilizes a sophisticated wear-leveling algorithm for consistent long-life operation. For further peace of mind, all Transcend CF cards are comprehensively tested for compatibility, speed and reliability.
VGA SWITCH RGBHV
The VGA Switch has two RGBHV and two Audio signals. Output one set of signal to a monitor or an audio device.
When the Xbox 360™ game screen and a PC have to share one monitor, the VGA Switch helps you avoid the hassles of removing and plugging in VGA cables repeatedly.
The VGA Switch will allow you to have the Xbox 360™ and an HDTV plugged in at the same time without having to disconnect any cables.
VGA Switch can keep the input signal consistent without any increase or decrease in quality.
Audio output signal port is compatible with a standard AV and a headphone port.
Will support all resolution modes for the Xbox 360™, PC and many.
The screen frequency depends on the display device’s frequency. Xbox 360™ VGA Switch will never change the frequency.
DSC-TX1 & DSX-WX1
Sony has launched two new Cyber-shot cameras – one sleek and stylish, the other with a whole lot of zoom – in India, both of which are the first out of the company’s stable to use the new Exmor R back-illuminated CMOS sensor technology.
“By redesigning the way these cameras capture light, Sony is leading the industry by creating this easy way to take amazingly clear, vibrant photos in low lighting scenarios,” said Phil Lubell, director of the digital imaging business at Sony Electronics.
Conventional image sensor architecture has required wires and other circuit elements to be positioned above the light sensitive photo-diodes, limiting the imager’s light gathering capability. Positioning these elements behind the photo-diodes, the Exmor R image sensors can gather more light, resulting in approximately twice the sensitivity compared to conventional sensors.
To further extend low-light shooting performance, the TX1 and WX1 cameras incorporate the hand-held twilight and anti-motion blur multi-shot modes introduced in Sony’s Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. Using the Exmor R CMOS sensor’s high speed, these modes capture six separate images in less than a second and utilise Sony’s BIONZ processor to combine the shots into a single image of extraordinary detail.
In addition, the TX1 and WX1 cameras also include Sweep Panorama and 10 frames per second burst shooting features, in smaller, more compact bodies that match nearly any unique style. Capturing wide landscapes is as easy as “press and sweep.” The BIONZ imaging processor automatically stitches the pictures together to create one stunning panoramic photo.
With HD video capability, these cameras record HD movies in 720p high definition MPEG4 format for stunning large-screen home movie playback. You can record up to 29 minutes (or up to 2GB file size) in 720p format.
In its slim profile of just 16.5mm, the fashionable 10.2-megapixel TX1 features a new operation on the touch panel that lets you scroll through images with a flick of your finger and directly access menus on the 3-inch Clear Photo LCD Plus display.
With a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens, the TX1 camera lets you focus as little as 0.4 inches from your subject for extraordinary close-up shots. The 4x telescopic zoom is perfect for capturing far-away subjects, and Sony’s Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation helps overcome camera shake.
The 10.2 mega-pixel WX1 camera has a 2.7-inch Clear Photo LCD Plus display and is just over three quarters of an inch thin – an ideal choice for DSLR owners who also want to carry a compact, high performance digital still camera.
The WX1 camera features a Sony G lens with an extraordinary wide angle 24-120mm 5x optical zoom. This lens’ f/2.4 maximum aperture offers nearly twice the light gathering capability of conventional lenses, and works together with the Exmor R sensor and low-light shooting modes to provide low-light photography beyond the abilities of other compact cameras.
These cameras also include all the next-gen software technology that Sony cameras are famous for, such as intelligent auto mode, face detection, scene selection, red-eye removal, anti-blur, smile shutter, etc.
The TX1 is available in a grey colour scheme for Rs. 20,990, while the WX1 with black casing retails for Rs. 19,990.
PS3 BLUETOOTH HEADSET
The Gioteck EX-01 PS3 Wireless Bluetooth Headset has been exclusively designed for gamers and gaming, not mobile phones! So you can now maximise your game time without an irritating and uncomfortable earpiece.
DarkLite illuminated feedback, perfected for dark viewing conditions.
20-degree variable mic arm allows movement away or towards cheek, working with contours of face.
Ergonomically designed controls allowing instinctive location of volume and power/mute.
External speaker sponge designed to sit comfortably on the ear, without entering the earhole itself, allowing longer gameplay in comfort.
Charges via USB.
END OF INSTANT FILM CAMERAS
According to some reports Poloroid cameras, which will give instant film when we take a picture will come to an end in 2009. Poloroid introduced this type of cameras in the year 1948, in US. But these type of cameras are out of date now, So the company stopped the production of these Cameras one year before itself.
NEW CAMERA GADGET FROM SONY
Sony has come out with a new type of camera which will make the fans sony happy.
The device, dubbed Party-shot, has been designed to take pics at just the right time, without any input from humans what soever.
How is this possible? The device is a little unit that attaches to 2 digital cameras that Sony will begin selling in the fall, allowing the camera to rotate a full 360 degrees, tracking people and snapping pics.
The camera uses facial recognition software in the lens to focus on people’s faces, and when deemed the right time, snaps a pic.
We find it hard to believe that this device will be a big hit for Sony, simply because we can not imagine that Party-shot will ever be used besides in the occasional drunken party game night scenario.
The device is estimated as US$ 157.
NEW CONSOLES IN 2010
It is expected that Microsoft and Nintendo will have some new consoles by the year of 2010.
GPSMAP 76 CSx
This type of Handheld GPS receiver is manufactured by Garmin. It has highly sensitive GPS receiver and it quickly converges with accurate info. It has bright color TFT display in which you can easily findout details on the screen eventhough you are in sunlight. This handheld is fully waterproof and it floats in water.
GARMIN nuvi 255W CAR GPS RECEIVER
This GPS device has voice-prompted turn-by-turn, that speaks street names. It also has millions of destinations and maps around North America or Europe. This device is easy to operate and the Cost of the device is $130-$350.
HANDY CONSOLE...
YHS-LY2000 Video Game Consoles, Supports 32-bit Games Function, 3GP MP4 AVI Format Video Player.
- Capacity: 2GB
- Display: 3.5-inch TFT LCD
- Colors: black, silver, blue and pink
- Game player: supports 32-bit games function
- Movie player: supports 3GP MP4 AVI format video player
- Music player: supports multi-format music player and speaker
- Music and lyrics synchronization: supports ID3 and MP3
- Electronic album: supports JPEG picture browsing
- Recording functions: built-in good quality MIC
- Text reading: TXT text written records extraordinary features
- Support languages: Mandarin, Cantonese, English and other languages
SMART CONSOLE
MJ VIDEO GAME
Michael Jackson was ready to release a new videogame and introduce the gaming world to a whole new audience. A video game starring Michael Jackson’s likeness and speech recorded before the musician died. Rumors of a new Michael Jackson videogame have been talked about since his untimely death a few weeks ago. But these now appear to have been confirmed in this article as well as statements from MJJ Productions.
ADDICTED BY GAMING
MS XBOX
NINTENDO
PS3 SLIM
The PS3 Slim is hitting stores September 1 in North America and Europe and will cost $299 (or for those who live in regions, 299 euros or 29,980 yen). Hirai says the device has the same features and functions as the "old" PS3 but is 33 percent smaller, 36 percent lighter, and comes with a 120GB hard drive.
