TechSevens

Sony Ericsson recently announced their latest Walkman phone, the W995.  It will include the Media Go sync system.  This software will take pretty much any file format of music or video and convert it into some the phone can play.  I also noticed this software will allow you to share media with your PS3 over your WiFi network.  The phone includes an 8 BG Memory Stick Micro and you can always add more.  This is packed with features that are impressive.  Here are the details on the Media Go and the Walkman.

Barcelona – February 15, 2009 –Keep amused like never before on one powerful video mobile phone; watch news, TV shows or blockbusters in premium video quality or check out the latest videos from YouTube™ using Turbo 3G or Wi-Fi™. Complete with an 8.1megapixel camera and Walkman™ player, with clear audio experience, the W995 Walkman™ is the ultimate mobile phone to keep you entertained when on the bus, lunch break or waiting for a train.

With Media Go™ it’s easy to bring your media with you. This unique Sony application makes its worldwide debut on the the W995 Walkman™ and lets you effortlessly and automatically transfer any audio, photos and videos between your phone and computer. You can even find podcasts with exciting content easily from the directory – just two clicks and you’re away, and watch the action in all its glory on the bright clear 2.6” screen.

“With Media Go™ there’s no need to worry about format, resolution and ‘frame per second’ anymore.” said Alexandre Cardon, Global Marketing Business Manager at Sony Ericsson. “No longer will the video you transferred from your PC to your phone play in low resolution or bad quality. With Media Go™ and the W995 the experience is as good on your phone as it was on your PC.”

“The W995 Walkman™ phone brings together the very best music experiences of any phone, augments this with best in class video and sharing capabilities to offer the most complete communication entertainment package to date.” said Alexandre Cardon. “This powerful mobile phone delivers the best possible video resolution that can fit in your pocket and with enough battery stamina to watch two full length feature films. The W995 also comes complete with the award winning clear audio experience and an 8.1 megapixel camera for the highest quality picture and sound available in a mobile phone.”

Set the phone on its built-in stand and watch videos with your friends while you pump up the volume on the powerful built-in stereo speakers. The W995 comes complete with excellent sound for both movies and your favourite tracks. Clear Stereo, Clear Bass and the included HPM-77 premium headphones make music on the move feel like you’re sitting in a recording studio listening to your favourite band live! For the next level of clear audio experience, in selected markets the HPM-88 noise cancelling headset will replace the HPM-77.

To complete the entertainment experience get picture perfect all the time with auto focus, photo flash and face detection. Capture images in their true colours with the 8.1 megapixel camera and you can print pictures up to a full A3 size without having to compromise on quality.

The W995 Walkman™
Anytime is showtime

* Optimised video playback with style and performance – get the best possible video resolution in your pocket
* Videos straight to your phone – Wi-Fi™ and Turbo 3G – easy video access to YouTube™ and other entertainment sites
* Clear 2.6” display – with desk stand, powerful speakers or 3.5mm audio jack
* 8.1 megapixel camera – take picture perfect images with Photo Flash and face recognition
* Clear audio experience – enjoy the best sound possible, the way it was meant to be heard
* 8GB Memory Stick™ Micro – save an inexhaustible amount of photos, video clips and sounds
* Tag a place-name to your memories or stay on track with aGPS and Google Maps™

Media Go™
Makes it easy to bring your media with you

* Transfer, play and organise – with Media Go™ you can easily transfer music, videos, photos and podcasts between your mobile phone and computer
* Automatic sync – sync your music playlists automatically to keep the phone updated with your new music
* Auto convert – Media Go™ gives you the best quality playback of multi-media content on a mobile phone. There’s no need to use extra applications to be able to bring your media with you.
* SensMe™ – create a playlist of songs in your library, you can also sort your music by mood or tempo
* Podcasts – it has never been easier to subscribe and download podcasts. Apart from adding your own favourites, the directory is there to help you to find the new and exciting content.
* Audio CD ripping – Use Media Go™ to burn your CDs and bring your music and audio books with you

The W995 Walkman™ supports GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 and UTMS/HSPA 900/2100. W995 will be available in selected markets from Q2 in the colours Progressive Black, Cosmic Silver and Energetic Red.

Media Go™ will be available for all markets from the W995 launch in 15 different languages.

The Sony Ericsson W995 Walkman™ at a glance

Camera
8.1 megapixel camera
Up to 16x digital zoom
Photo fix
Picture blogging
Video blogging
Auto focus
Face detection
Photo flash
Video recording
Image and Video stabilizer
Video light
PictBridge

Music
Walkman™ player
Clear Stereo
Clear Bass
Album art
PlayNow™
TrackID™
SensMe™
Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
Music tones (MP3/AAC)
3.5mm audio jack
Stereo speakers
Shake control

Web
Access NetFront™ Web browser
Web feeds
Photo feeds

Communication
Speakerphone
Polyphonic ringtones
Vibrating alert
Video call

Messaging
Email
Picture messaging (MMS)
Predictive text input
Sound recorder
Text messaging (SMS)
Exchange ActiveSync
Chat View
Instant messaging

Design
Picture wallpaper
Wallpaper animation
Auto rotate

Entertainment
3D games
Motion gaming
Java
FM radio with RDS
Video streaming
Video viewing
Media
YouTube™
Walk Mate

Connectivity
Bluetooth™ technology
Modem
USB mass storage
USB support
Synchronization
DLNA Certified™
Wi-Fi™

Organizer
Alarm clock
Calculator
Calendar
Flight mode
Notes
Phone book
Stopwatch
Tasks
Timer

Location-based services
Geo tagging of photos
Google Maps™
aGPS
Wayfinder Navigator™ (3-month trial version)

Accessories
In-Box:

* W995
* Battery
* Battery Charger
* 8GB Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™)
* USB Cable
* Stereo portable handsfree
* Sony Ericsson PC Suite
* Media Go™
* User book

Facts and Figures
Size: 97 x 49 x 15 mm
Weight: 113 grams

Colours:
Progressive Black
Cosmic Silver
Energetic Red

Main screen: 262,144 colour TFT, scratch-resistant
Resolution: 240 x 320 pixels
Size: 2.6 inches

Phone memory: Up to 118MB
Memory card support: Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™)

Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 9 hrs
Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 370 hrs

Talk time UMTS: Up to 4 hours
Standby time UMTS: Up to 360 hours

Video talk time: Up to 3.5 hours
Music listening time: Up to 20 hours
Video watching time up to 5hrs

Availability and versions
Networks
W995:
GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
UMTS/HSPA 900/2100

W995a:
GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
UMTS/HSPA 850/1900/2100

Available in selected markets from Q2 2009.

Good news for iPhone owners who are looking for the “entire home TV experience”.   It appears that sometime in quarter one Sling Media is submitting the SlingPlayer Mobile for certification. So hopefully soon you will have the ability to view content streaming from your Sling Box.  The press release below explains this as well as a SlingPlayer for Mac HD.  As a person who enjoys this functionality from my Dell Axim, I have really been looking forward to this on the iPhone.  There is nothing like sitting on my patio at home and watching the Tigers blow a late inning lead.   Read the release and let me know what you think.  For more information about Sling Media, check them out at www.slingmedia.com.

Sling Media to Demonstrate SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone and Slingbox HD Streaming on the Mac at Macworld

San Francisco – Macworld – January 6, 2009 – Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), is demonstrating a version of SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone being developed for the iTunes store at this year’s Macworld. Sling Media will deliver a version of SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone to Apple for certification in Q1.

Sling Media is also unveiling a prototype of a new SlingPlayer for Mac HD which allows Slingbox PRO-HD users to stream HD to their Mac desktop or laptop computer. The new SlingPlayer for Mac HD is a web-based version of the SlingPlayer software that will be accessible from Sling.com, Sling Media’s recently launched video entertainment web site.

“SlingPlayer Mobile is ideally suited for the iPhone’s large touch screen display and I know iPhone users are eagerly anticipating the application’s availability,” said Blake Krikorian, co-founder and CEO of Sling Media. “Add to that HD streaming support for Slingbox PRO-HD customers and live TV support on our video entertainment site, Sling.com, and you can see Sling Media is committed to delivering great solutions for Mac users.”

SlingPlayer Mobile gives consumers their entire home TV experience, including local channels, local sports teams, video on demand, pay per view, etc. Any program that you can watch on your sofa back home, you can now watch via your iPhone using a standard network connection (3G Cellular, WiFi). In addition, SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone users can also control their home digital video recorder (DVR) to watch recorded shows, pause, rewind, and fast forward live TV, or even queue new recordings while on the road.

Pricing and Availability

SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone will be submitted to Apple for testing and approval in Q1. The price has not been determined at this time. SlingPlayer for Mac HD will be available for free via the web-based SlingPlayer within Sling.com later in Q1. Mac customers will be able to use either Safari or Firefox web browsers to get both HD streaming and Live TV within Sling.com.

About Sling Media

Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), is a leading digital lifestyle company offering consumer services and products that are a natural extension of today’s digital way of life. Sling Media’s product family includes the internationally acclaimed, Emmy award-winning Slingbox™ that allows consumers to watch and control their living room television shows at any time, from any location, using PCs, Macs, PDAs and smartphones and the revolutionary new SlingCatcher™, a universal media player that seamlessly delivers broadcast TV, Internet video and personal content to the TV. Sling Media is also the company behind the video entertainment web site, Sling.com, offering consumers a wide variety of popular TV shows, movies and other entertainment free for viewing online or on the TV using SlingCatcher. For more information on Sling Media, the Slingbox or the SlingCatcher, visit www.slingmedia.com. To watch your favorite TV shows and movies, check out www.sling.com.