Sony PlayStation 3 pricing unveiled

All right folks, the Japanese have finally lifted the shroud of secrecy over the launch details for its next-generation console with an announcement from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. The long-awaited PlayStation 3 will be making its debut throughout mainland Europe and Australasia on November 17, 2006. Two models are expected on shelves: A 20GB hard drive-enabled version at €499 and its 60GB equivalent at €100 more.

Both models will ship with a built-in Blu-ray drive and a whole skew of advance features sorely omitted by the competition, such as a high-bandwidth Gigabyte networking, one-cable digital HDMI output and 1080p-compatibility.

Other nice touches include operating heat and noise suppression, a refined controller based on the tried-and-tested PS2 design and Super Audio CD playback support.

More images of the Euro PlayStation 3:

More info here

DIGA's trident thrust

Panasonic fulfills its easy operation claim by outfitting the DMR-ES15 with super multiformat recording and playback features. Out-of-the-box compatibility includes all +/-R formats available in the market inclusive of the latest Dual-Layer, while 1-second quick-start recording and task-based navigation menus round up the user-friendly functions of this new model.

On top of the promising two-time LP mode recording capability, playback performance is beefed up with a pair of high-performance digital-to-analog converters (DAC). Expect better pictures and pristine audio with the onboard 12bit/108MHz video and 24bit/192Khz audio DACs.

Filling in the shoe of networking is the EMR-ES15's DV terminal for videocams. This is enhanced with automated recording and playlist creation designed to simplify video transfer plus easy retrieval and editing.

The new DMR-ES15 is now available for sale in Singapore at S$399 (US$262.50).
More info here

High-power NEC projectors for heavy-duty tasks

The bright 3,500 and 4,000 ANSI lumens NP1000 and NP2000 are NEC's latest entries in high-performance multimedia projectors for the corporate, education and home cinema environments. Equipped with five optional quick-swap lenses ranging from wide-angle to long-zoom variants, these light canons project images of up to 500-inch sizes from a short throw distance of 12.4m.

Both models also excel in advanced connectivity with High-Definition-ready component-video and digital DVI sockets. Users will also get away with messy cords and cables via an upgradeable wireless video interface which supports multiple PC connections and advanced projection image management and sharing.

The NP series projectors will be available in early May at a retail price of S$5,500 (US$3,618.42) (NP1000) and S$6,500 (US$4,276.32) (NP2000) .
More info here

Hello Kitty 13-inch TV-DVD combo

Preschoolers are spoilt for choice when it comes to bedroom TV/DVD combo sets. There's Disney going straight for parents' jugulars with its cute Mickey and Princess color TVs. SpongeBob SquarePants has a line all for kiddies who prefer the yellow sea sponge. If your wallet can take the pain, Hannspree has also been spotted at CeBIT with LCD TVs in the shape of almost everything from a helicopter to a red fire engine. Nothing, however, beats our favorite lipless one. We're betting little girls will embrace the cuddly feline even if it's a TV, while older gals will fall for the pretty in pink candy-floss hues. Sweet.

See the big picture

Price: US$264.99
Availability: At Sanrio Store
Device: TV with built-in DVD player
Basic specs: Onscreen display, programmable sleep timer, front A/V jacks, remote control uses 2 AAA batteries (not included), CD and CDR/RW compatibility, 18.75 x 18 x 19 inches

StarHub revs up broadband speed

StarHub announced recently its collaboration with Motorola to upgrade its hybrid fiber coaxial cable network to comply with the latest broadband specification (DOCSIS 3.0). This partnership will pave the way to higher broadband speeds of up to 100Mbps, expected in the second half of 2006.

"This upgrade will ensure that our broadband network continues to stay ahead of the demand, providing our customers with a smooth, seamless transition to greater broadband speeds, should they require it in the future," said Thomas Ee, senior vice president of IP Services.

When queried on the possible ventures leveraging on the enhanced speed, StarHub told CNET Asia that negotiations are underway with key strategy partners in the following areas, but stopped short of elaborating on the details and availability of these services below:

Online gaming
Multimedia conferencing
Online data storage
Real-time collaborative projects
Local content streaming

In addition to current upgrades, the company has also set it sights on catering a 1Gbps broadband network with plans set out for a staged implementation in the next two to three years.
More info here

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