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Sony's latest Cyber-shots boast 3D sweep panorama, background defocusing
It's getting to be that time of the year again -- time for Sony to expand / refresh its Cyber-shot lineup. Say hello to the 14.1 megapixel T99 and the 12.2 megapixel WX5 and TX9. All three feature BIONZ processors and 32MB internal memory (no word on external options). The T99's your underwater-capable option, capable of shooting sweep panorama shots submerged as well as 720p 30fps HD video -- or if you want something of an upgrade, the TX9 is also snorkeling-friendly, but itself can tout Full HD 1080i video recording, a Sweep Multi Angle for "3D-style" imagine, and the 3D sweep panorama with which the NEX series was just graced. Another neat trick of the Tx9 is its "background defocus" that gives you the DSLR-like effect of sharp foreground images with a blurry background (c.f. most of our headlining phone review images). If you're willing to sacrifice water resistance for a 5x optical zoom and Sony G lens (the previous two feature 4x and Carl Zeiss) while still retaining TX9's cool 3D tricks, you're gonna want the WX5. At this point, they carry no price tag, but you've got a bit to wait anyway: the trio will all debut in mid-September. Update: Akihabara News is reporting these cameras also support TransferJet. Additionally, AV Watch has listed some expected prices for Japan, so without further ado: the WX5 for 35,000 yen (about $400), the TX9 for 45,000 yen ($512), and the T99 for a more budget-friendly 29,000 yen ($330). %Gallery-97122%
Japanese software sales, August 21 - August 27: OMG edition
Commentary will follow after you regain control of your jaw. Software - This Week | Total Sales 1.) Final Fantasy III (NDS, Square Enix) - 503,051 | NEW 2.) New Super Mario Bros. (NDS, Nintendo) - 65,556 | 2,901,264 3.) Rune Factory (NDS, Marvelous Interactive) - 42,210 | NEW 4.) Brain Training 2 (NDS, Nintendo) - 41,784 | 3,073,195 5.) Cooking Navi (NDS, Nintendo) - 37,326 | 384,045 6.) Tamagotchi 2 (NDS, Bandai Namco) - 30,504 | 430,934 7.) Mario Basketball 3-on-3 (NDS, Square Enix) - 30,355 | 233,762 8.) Animal Crossing Wild World (NDS, Nintendo) - 30,023 | 3,149,130 9.) Brain Training (NDS, Nintendo) - 22,866 | 2,736,150 10.) English Training (NDS, Nintendo) - 17,465 | 1,401,669 That's right. Every single game in the top ten is on the Nintendo DS. I mean, we knew this thing rocked faces in Japan, but this is ridiculous. Leading the pack is the sold-more-units-than-pancakes-at-IHOP Final Fantasy III, selling over half a million in a few days. Rune Factory, another newcomer, is doing well at spot number 3, and the rest are familiar faces. We truly believe that if the political party of Nintendo were to run for office in Japan, they would win in a landslide victory. [Thanks, DownloadingData!]
Sensory Sweep Studios join the ranks
According to a job posting on their official site, independent development team Sensory Sweep Studios is looking for talent to aid in the development of an action title for the Wii. Looking for junior and senior game designers to help in level and character design for this title, Sensory Sweep's most recent releases include Need For Speed: Most Wanted and Tiger Woods PGA Tour on the DS.While we can't be all that enthused about this development considering the only major titles of note from the company were on a handheld, the more support for Nintendo's newest console the better. [Via Codename Revolution]
