Sony’s entry-level Alpha A68 has ‘4D focus’ for low light
Sony just reminded us that it makes more than mirrorless and compact cameras by launching the Alpha A68, an A-mount model with a 24-megapixel APS-C sensor. As with Sony’s APS-C Alpha A77 II and full-frame A99 models, it uses a hybrid electronic OLED viewfinder with 100 percent coverage and “faithful color reproduction,” according to Sony. That’s complimented by a 2.7-inch TFT LCD that tilts 135 degrees up and 55 degrees downwards. The killer feature is the translucent mirror, which allows for what Sony calls “4D Focus” — a 79-point phase-detection AF that works continuously at up to 8fps, even in low-light. Slideshow-339147
Sony’s A7 II camera gets a faster and more accurate autofocus
The Sony A7 II is one of the best mirrorless cameras available right now, although it isn’t perfect. After trying it out earlier this year, one of our main issues with the full-frame shooter was its autofocus performance, which was at times slow and unreliable. But Sony has an update coming soon that, along with bringing a new feature, promises to fix some of these woes. In addition to activating the phase detection AF on the A7 II, the company’s also turning on support for uncompressed 14-bit RAW image capture — something that already exists in models such as the A7S II, A7R II and RX1R II. You can grab the refreshed firmware, version 2.0, on November 18th from Sony’s support website.
Source: Sony
[Deal] You can now pick up a Xperia M4 Aqua for just $199.99
If you’ve been looking for a budget-friendly waterproof smartphone that wont break the bank, then we may just have the perfect deal for you. In an effort to clear inventory, Amazon has just slashed $100 off the 16GB, GSM/LTE variant of the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua’s price tag — so you can now pick one up for $199.99. The handset is only available in its traditional black colorway and comes with a 12-month warranty.
It’s important to note that as this is an unlocked variant of the device, it will only work on T-Mobile and AT&T in the United States, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take it abroad. A full list of supported carrier bands can be seen below:
- 2G : 850/900/1800/1900
- 3G : 850/900/1900/2100
- 4G LTE : 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 17(700), 20(800), 28(700)
If you like the sound of the Xperia M4 Aqua and would like to take advantage of this deal – hit the source link below.
Source: Amazon
Come comment on this article: [Deal] You can now pick up a Xperia M4 Aqua for just $199.99
Cult horror game ‘White Day’ is coming to PSVR
The first-person horror game White Day: A Labyrinth Named School is being ported to Sony’s PlayStation VR headset. To call White Day a sleeper hit would be an understatement. It debuted in Korea in 2001, offering a chilling (and very jump scare-y) story set in a high school populated by ghosts. Although White Day was scheduled for translation into English and a western release in 2004, that never materialized. Sonnori, the game’s developer, fell off the map, and the game seemed destined to be forgotten. Fast-forward five years or so, and thanks to a rough English translation, its popularity began to rise.
Source: YouTube
PlayStation Now adds 105 games, including 21 from Capcom
PlayStation Now is Sony’s game-streaming subscription service, and its library basically just doubled in size. With today’s addition of 105 titles, PlayStation Now offers more than 250 subscription games for the PlayStation 3, PS4, Vita and PS TV, all of which should keep you occupied through 2016 at least. Today’s game dump features 21 Capcom titles, including six Resident Evil installments, Ultra Street Fighter 4, Mega Man 9 and 10, Dead Rising 2 and Asura’s Wrath. Other new games available via PlayStation Now include Guilty Gear Xrd – SIGN, Proteus, Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark, Double Dragon Neon, Dragon’s Lair, Karateka, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams, Penny Arcade Adventures 1 and 2, Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD, Starwhal, MX vs. ATV Alive and Fatal Fury. PlayStation Now subscriptions start at $20 per month in the US (£13 in the UK).
Source: PlayStation Blog
Sony’s pricey noise cancelling PS4 headset launches next month
Sony already offers a varied range of official accessories for the PlayStation 4, but in-ear headphones have mostly been shunned in favor of on-ear headsets. The good news is that if you’ve been waiting for a pair of branded buds, the company is finally ready to step up to the plate. With its new In-ear Stereo Headset, Sony will debut its noise-reducing AudioShield technology, adding more immersion to your gaming sessions, while filtering out any unwanted background noise during your daily commute.
Slideshow-338483
Source: Sony Europe Blog
Contradictory Samsung Galaxy S7 camera rumors surface
New devices of course mean new rumors, but not all of them end up coming to pass. We have two reported camera specifications for next year’s Samsung Galaxy S7 to bring you, but surely only one of them, if either, will end up being correct.
The first report suggests that Samsung will try to make use of Sony’s latest high-end Exmor RS IMX300 image sensor. The IMX300 features a 25-megapixel resolution and a very fast 192-point hybrid autofocus system. This is the same sensor that powers Sony’s latest flagship Xperia Z5 range, which currently tops the DxOMark camera benchmark.
For Samsung, having a best in class camera in its flagship smartphone will be a big selling point, and Sony would also likely be interested in the deal to secure more shipments for its prospering image sensor business.
See also: Feature Focus: up close with Sony Xperia Z5’s camera
The second rumor points to Samsung using one of its own Isocell image sensors for the Galaxy S7. The big difference this time around is that the company may be looking to increase the sensor light cell size in the Galaxy S7 in order to improve camera performance, rather than opting for another increase in pixel resolution. The Isocell sensor in question is said to feature 12 megapixels, while the Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+ make use of 16 megapixel modules. Samsung is also said to be integrating dual-photodiode technology into its new sensor, allowing the pixel cells to double up for phase detection auto focus duties as well.
Samsung flagships 2015:
.rvs_wrapper
width: 350px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
font-size: 24px !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (min-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
width: 100% !important;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos
width: 100%;
float: none !important;
overflow-x: auto;
overflow-y: hidden;
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
overflow: auto;
max-height: none;
body .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: left !important;
clear: none !important;
Samsung isn’t opposed to mixing and matching camera components in its smartphones. Both a Sony Exmor and the company’s own Isocell sensors made their way into different Galaxy S6 batches, but specifications like resolution are matched to ensure consistent camera features across devices.
Do you have a preference about which image sensor you would like to see go into the Samsung Galaxy S7?
Sony wanted Xperia Z4 to be in Spectre, but Daniel Craig and Sam Mendes refused
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
It should be relatively obvious to most of you that the recent James Bond movies have been helmed by Sony, and that has meant plenty of product placement during their past movies. However, while Sony obviously has the financial clout to make these decisions, it appears that the crew working on the latest Bond film, Spectre, had some qualms about including some of Sony’s products. As the story goes, Sony wanted their latest device (at the time) the Sony Xperia Z4 to be in Spectre, however in particular, actor Daniel Craig and director Sam Mendes felt that using the Xperia Z4 went against what Bond stood for – even when offered $5 million USD to use it in the movie. According to an internal Sony email:
“BEYOND the $US factor, there is, as you may know, a CREATIVE factor whereby Sam and Daniel don’t like the Sony phone for the film (the thinking, subjectively/objectively is that James Bond only uses the ‘best,’ and in their minds, the Sony phone is not the ‘best’).”
I’m trying really hard not to yell out “oh buuurn” right now.
Sony wasn’t the only one trying to get their device into Spectre – Samsung was credited for offering the same $5 million USD fee and another $30 million on top of that to help market the film. We’re not sure which device ended up making it into the movie, but we’ll likely find out when the film is released globally later this week.
What do you think about Sony offering money to have the Xperia Z4 in Spectre? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Business Insider
The post Sony wanted Xperia Z4 to be in Spectre, but Daniel Craig and Sam Mendes refused appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Battlezone’s PSVR reboot is the ultimate fan service
It could be argued that Atari’s 1980 arcade classic Battlezone was the first virtual reality game. In a simple duel of tanks, players looked through a small opening in the cabinet to maneuver their lumbering vehicle, firing at a single enemy and avoiding being struck by projectiles. The game’s wireframe design was graphically simplistic, but stenciled in thin green lines on the horizon was a single object that drew the attention of fans: an erupting volcano. Rumors swirled of a secret route that would lead players to the volcano’s crater where a castle lay awaiting brave explorers. “Of course, none of this was true,” Atari engineer Lyle Rains pointed out in Van Burnham’s 2001 book Supercade. But that didn’t stop the dreamers. In one case, a fan even wrote to Atari to tell the company he’d reached the mythical castle.
After decades of speculation, developer Rebellion, best known for the Sniper Elite series, is rebooting Battlezone for Sony’s PlayStation VR and taking players into the heart of the volcano.
Battlezone’s PSVR reboot is the ultimate fan service
It could be argued that Atari’s 1980 arcade classic Battlezone was the first virtual reality game. In a simple duel of tanks, players looked through a small opening in the cabinet to maneuver their lumbering vehicle, firing at a single enemy and avoiding being struck by projectiles. The game’s wireframe design was graphically simplistic, but stenciled in thin green lines on the horizon was a single object that drew the attention of fans: an erupting volcano. Rumors swirled of a secret route that would lead players to the volcano’s crater where a castle lay awaiting brave explorers. “Of course, none of this was true,” Atari engineer Lyle Rains pointed out in Van Burnham’s 2001 book Supercade. But that didn’t stop the dreamers. In one case, a fan even wrote to Atari to tell the company he’d reached the mythical castle.
After decades of speculation, developer Rebellion, best known for the Sniper Elite series, is rebooting Battlezone for Sony’s PlayStation VR and taking players into the heart of the volcano.
AIVAnet 