by Jay Garrett on September 1, 2010
Steve Jobs hasn’t finished playing with his pet Apple TV yet.
He has now made it smaller, it now streams cheaper HD content and it will cost £99!
There didn’t seem to be any mention of iTV either – perhaps someone told Steve that the UK already has it
The new Apple TV (which costs $99 over in the US) will offer first run HD movie rentals for £3.49 – apparently TV shows from ABC and Fox will be 99 cents across the Atlantic so perhaps 99p for similar networks over here as Steve Jobs expects the rest of the networks to get on board.
But how can the Wizard Jobs make the box so very ickle? Well, everything on the device will be rental only – which also means that Apple could see no point in including a hard drive
In that tiny frame Apple have squeezed in 802.11 Wi-Fi as well as an ethernet port and HDMI out – even the power supply has been shoe-horned in there.
iPod touch, iPhone and iPad users will also be able to use Apple TV to stream content from their mobile device using the new Airplay service. Handy for sharing that funny skateboarding Ermine clip with your friends – or, more reasonably, watching the end of that flick you started on the bus home on your big screen telly.
Netflix subscribers in the states will also be able to stream content to their TV, while there’s also access to YouTube and Flickr.
Has this made you want one now?
The device will be available in four weeks and it’s available to pre-order from the Apple Store right now.
by Jay Garrett on September 1, 2010
More Sony news – this time it’s visual.
Sony has been busy at the IFA trade fair in Berlin and here’s a few things that they’ve been showing off.
First-off, the new-generation Bloggie Touch MHS-TS20K is a really sleek and stylish mobile HD snap camera. It comes with a 7.6cm (3”) touch-screen and new interface, and the usual built-in USB and Social Networking friendly Bloggie software, which make it ideal for blogging-on-the-go.
It will snap 12.8 megapixel stills as well as recording 360-degree panoramic videos and photos to capture everything that’s happening around you – just clip on the supplied lens adaptor. 360 Videos are now twice the resolution of previous-generation Bloggie, and low-light video quality is also improved thanks to the Exmor CMOS sensor. In addition to fun 360 Video, Bloggie Touch features “free-style shooting” which allows you to capture movie both in landscape and portrait.
Despite its slim, compact size, Bloggie Touch allows nearly 4 hours HD movie shooting time (1280 x 720/30p mode) on its 8GB internal memory.
The Bloggie Touch MHS-TS20K will be available from the beginning of November 2010.
Then there are the Handycam DCR-SX15E and DCR-SR15E Standard Definition camcorders. These come with a powerful 50x optical zoom, SteadyShot, Face Detection and video lights and are really light and easy to carry. 
Light, compact and easy to use, the Handycam DCR-SX15E shoots crisp, clear video and stereo sound onto removable flash memory. Just slip in a Memory Stick or SD card and capture the moment for easy transfer to your PC after shooting.
If you’re looking for extra-long record times, Handycam DCR-SR15E stores up to 61 hours of Standard Definition video on its 80GB built-in hard disk drive. With no need to carry spare tapes or discs, there’s plenty of space for a long weekend of non-stop shooting.
Both models are rocking a 50x optical zoom lens for those frame-filling close-ups. SteadyShot image stabilisation keeps things crisp and clear, reducing the effects of camera shake when you’re shooting handheld. If you’re shooting portraits of friends and family, Face Detection automatically fine-tunes exposure for more natural looking faces.
Menus and settings are adjusted via a thumb-operated joystick next to the flip-out 6.7cm (2.7”) Clear Photo LCD. A conveniently-placed button switches on the built-in video light to illuminate indoor get-togethers, parties or night-time scenes. For extra convenience there’s also an Auto mode that switches the video light on when natural light levels are low.
After shooting, Direct Copy enables easy, PC-free transfers of video footage direct to an external hard disk drive (optional USB adapter is required). Compatibility with the optional VRD-P1 DVDirect Express by simplifies PC-free burning of video footage onto blank DVD discs for storing, sharing and archiving.
The Handycam DCR-SX15E and DCR-SR15E will be available from the beginning of October 2010.
Finally there’s the latest S-Frame range of digital photo frames. There are ten in total and the XR100 and VR100 come with HD video playback – a first for Sony – enabling you to show your camcorder, camera, and DSLR AVCHD clips with clear, rich stereo sound.
The S-Frame range will also be available from October 2010.