Smartphone crapware: worse than laptops?

Monday, August 22nd, 2011

A couple of years ago I holed myself up in the PC Pro Labs with some new laptops to see what impact their pre-installed software — known as crapware, bloatware and shovelware — had on performance.

The results proved shocking but, when it comes down to it, that software is pretty easy to deal with – it’s just a matter of uninstalling everything and, if you’re really particular, running an app like CCleaner to get your Registry back to its fighting weight.

Not so with smartphones. On Friday, I eased the Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro from its box, turned it on, and was greeted with a message urging me to set up McAfee WaveSecure before I’d even set up the phone with my Google account. (more…)

Sony VAIO Z Series (2011) review: first look

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

***We’ve now published our comprehensive review of Sony’s VAIO Z Series, so click here for the full lowdown *** Sony’s VAIO Z Series is one of the finest ultraportables to ever travel the Earth, but now, several years after its 2009 debut, Sony has ripped up the rulebook and started afresh. At a launch event in London, we caught our first up-close look at the all-new Z Series.

(more…)

Where hacked Sony went wrong, and Lastpass got it right

Friday, May 6th, 2011

Unless you have been living in Osama Bin Laden’s old cave, you can’t have failed to notice that Sony is having a bad time of it right now.

First the PlayStation Network is hacked and customer data compromised, and then we discover that the Sony Online Entertainment network has suffered the same fate. There has been plenty written, including some excellent editorial here at PC Pro, covering the what and why of the breach, so there is little point me going over that again.

I’m more interested in how Sony responded after discovering the breach. Did the gaming giant get it right regarding disclosure in this case? Is the Pope a belly dancer?

(more…)

Sony VAIO S Series review: first look

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011

After our exclusive reviews of Sony’s brand-new CA Series notebook and L Series touchscreen all-in-one, Sony’s launch event in London’s Century Club promised to be tinged with an overwhelming sense of deja-vu.

(more…)

Sony VAIO F Series 3D laptop review: first look

Friday, January 7th, 2011

Sony may have waited longer than Dr Livingstone for his friends to arrive before releasing a laptop capable of 3D playback, but it’s taken the plunge with gusto at CES this year. The VAIO F Series isn’t just for playing back pre-created 3D content: it can instantly transform 2D video into 3D too.

(more…)

Sony’s new eBook readers: first-look review

Thursday, September 9th, 2010

I’ve just returned from an event to launch the new generation of Sony eBook readers and I came away as intrigued as I was impressed. The new Reader Touch Edition and Reader Pocket Edition were on show, and lovely devices they are indeed.

(more…)

3D TV: in the home, on a budget and… on the news?

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

This is the final part in a series of blogs based on a seminar by Buzz Hays, chief instructor for the Sony 3D Technology Center in Culver City, California.

It’s the most important consideration when it comes to filming in 3D: what types of production does the technology really suit? The huge vistas of Avatar used the 3D effect better than any film we’ve seen so far, but can shots still look good when scaled down to less epic proportions? Buzz Hays believes it may be something far smaller scale than cinema that eventually shows what 3D can achieve.

Filming on a hand-held budget

If we move way down the scale from Avatar towards smaller productions, one technique crops up more and more. (more…)

Why 3D and modern filmmaking techniques don’t mix

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

This is the fourth in a series of blogs based on a seminar by Buzz Hays, chief instructor for the Sony 3D Technology Center in Culver City, California.

To be done well, a 3D film really needs to be 3D from the outset, as the tools and techniques that work in three dimensions are very different to those most cinematographers have grown used to. In fact, some even require a step back in time to a more artistic age of cinema, as Buzz Hays explained.

Depth of field

Take depth of field, for example. It’s a staple of modern films, commonly used to direct the viewer’s eyes to the key point of the screen, guiding us through the scene as the director intended. Yet it’s an effect that simply doesn’t work in 3D. (more…)

From the Pole to Pandora: the shaky progress of modern 3D

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

This is the third in a series of blogs based on a seminar by Buzz Hays, chief instructor for the Sony 3D Technology Center in Culver City, California.

As senior producer of 3D Stereoscopic Feature Films for Sony Pictures Imageworks for more than five years, Buzz Hays has been there for the peaks and troughs involved in getting 3D cinema into the mainstream. Over the course of an afternoon he led us through many aspects of 3D, but for this blog I’ve collated his experiences of working on various films into one timeline. It begins a mere six years ago on a train, and ends with the revelation that Avatar was, in some respects, a disappointment…

(more…)

Why bad 3D, not 3D glasses, is what gives you a headache

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

This is the second in a series of blogs based on a seminar by Buzz Hays, chief instructor for the Sony 3D Technology Center in Culver City, California.

3D is an ever-evolving process, which is why the effect can be such a hit-and-miss affair. But those who insist 3D glasses give them headaches are a little wide of the mark, according to the man who trains the filmmaking pros.

“It’s not the technology’s fault, it’s really the content that can cause these problems,” explains Buzz Hays. “The more care taken when making the content, the better off everyone’s going to be. My mantra is that it’s easy to make 3D but it’s hard to make it good – and by ‘good’ I mean taking care to make sure that this isn’t going to cause eyestrain.”

There are several common mistakes that can cause discomfort, and easy ways for that to be reduced, yet they’re only just being learned and put into regular use. (more…)