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Sony's 2012 lineup of Blu-ray players, one with 4K
Another year, another slate of new Blu-ray players from Sony. The BDP-S790 is of particular interest with its ability to convert Blu-ray's 1080p to 4K. Both it and the BDP-S590 of course do 3D and include WiFi, which like those before it, facilitates the delivery of more video and audio streaming opportunities than we can list. In addition to favorites like Netflix and Hulu Plus, you can also access the Video Unlimited and Music Unlimited streaming services from the Sony Entertainment Network. If you've ever wished there was an easier way to share what you were watching with your followers and friends, the new Socialize viewing application lets you do just that directly from the player. The new 9-inch portable Blu-ray player, the BDP-SX910, has a rechargeable 4-hour battery, built-in speakers and a USB port for content that doesn't come on a shiny disk. The press release after the break has no mention of price or availability, but we'd guess Q2 2012 for less than what you probably paid last year.
Sony locks 93,000 PSN and SOE accounts due to 'massive' hack attempt
Sony's not having a good morning. In addition to having to recall 1.6 million Bravia TVs, it's also been forced to temporarily lock 93,000 customers out of their PSN and Sony Online Entertainment accounts. You won't be surprised by the reason: an attempt by hackers to "test a massive set of sign-in IDs and passwords" against Sony's network database. Some of the affected accounts showed "additional activity prior to being locked" and are being investigated. On the flip-side, Sony's Chief Information Security Officer, Philip Reitinger, stressed that most of the hackers' details resulted in failed logins and in any case credit card details are not at risk. Users are being told to expect an email if they've been affected, which will contain further instructions. Has Sony finally realized the value of timely communication?
Sony Video Unlimited-preview brings Gracenote metadata to SEN
Despite one of its execs pegging this spring's lengthy PSN outage as a "great experience" the folks at Sony have been pounding the pavement to drum up consumer morale. Back at IFA, the outfit unveiled its new all-in-one Sony Entertainment Network, and its already giving the VOD wing, Video Unlimited, a facelift. Starting today, PS3 owners holding a PlayStation Plus subscription can download the creatively titled "Video Unlimited-preview" app from the PlayStation Store. According to Sony, the new user interface is all about giving the people what they want, and in this case that means a streamlined UI, with big bright graphics and understated, glowing blue text. It also means Gracenote integration, opening up the possibility of endless rabbit-holes of related content searches. We had a few minutes with the new setup, and found ourselves searching content related to Danny McBride's Your Highness under categories like "Bumbling Buffoons" and "Mythical Beasts," although we could just as easily have called up titles featuring the film's director or any of its stars. If that's not enough of a departure from the conventional video on demand arrangement, the new UI also features "tumbler search technology," which abandons regular keyboard-style input for PS3 controls -- click the right button to select a letter as you scroll vertically through the alphabet. This "patented technology" also autocompletes your query and similarly takes advantage of Gracenote's database, allowing you to search by title, actor, director or tag. The new UI is specific to the company's video service and is currently only available via the PS3, but we're told it will roll out to the entire network and supported devices sometime in the future. All PlayStation Network users will be able to download the preview app starting October 11th, check out a video preview embedded after the break. %Gallery-134935%
