Sony Ericsson announced early February, their newest addition to their cellphone lineup, the Xperia X1. The X1 is set to rival Apple’s iPhone in features and, most likely, price.

The Xperia is Sony Ericsson’s first Smart Phone to use Windows Mobile software, instead of the Symbian OS, featured in their previous Smart Phones.

The X1 boasts a 3-inch high-resolution VGA display, and full QWERTY keyboard, encased in a metal-finish body.

The visual interface of Sony’s new phone is unique to the X1, using a system of Xperia panels to utilize the phone’s features. The Xperia panels give the user access to the Web, Multimedia, and Applications, and can be arranged to suit his/her preference.

Unlike Apple’s iPhone ,which is navigated via the touch screen alone, the Xperia can be operated in four different ways. The user is able to seamlessly switch between the touch screen capability, full QWERTY keyboard, an optical joystick, and 4-way key.

As far as accessing the internet is concerned, the Xperia has both Wi-Fi, and mobile web capabilities.

There has been no date set yet as for it’s release, but the Xperia will be part of AT&T’s new lineup mid 2008.

Specifications from Sony Ericsson:

Camera
Auto focus
3.2 megapixel camera
Photo light
Video recording

Music
Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
Media player
Music tones
PlayNow™
Windows Media Player Mobile
3D games
FM radio
Java
Video streaming
Video viewing

Internet
Internet Explorer® Mobile
RSS feeds

Communication and Messaging
Polyphonic ringtones
Speakerphone
Vibrating alert
Video calling
Email
Picture messaging (MMS)
Predictive text input
Text messaging (SMS)

Design
XPERIA™ panels
Optical joystick navigation
Navigation key
Picture wallpaper
Touch navigation

Organizer
Alarm clock
Calculator
Calendar
Document editors
Document readers
Flight mode
Handwriting recognition
Notes
Phone book
Tasks
Touchscreen

Connectivity
aGPS
Bluetooth™ technology
Modem
Synchronization
USB support
WLAN

Windows® Mobile® Operating System
Microsoft® Outlook Mobile: email, contacts, calendar, tasks
Microsoft® Office Mobile: Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Internet Explorer® Mobile
Windows Media™ Player Mobile
Windows Live™
Exchange ActiveSync®
Voice control
Utility Applications: file explorer, calculator, pictures & video, notes

Facts and Figures
Size: 110 x 53 x 16.7 mm
Weight: 145 grams

Available colors
Black
Silver
Main screen: 65,536 color TFT
Resolution: 800 X 480 pixels
Size: 3 inches

Memory
Phone memory: up to 400 MB
microSD™ memory card support

Networks
GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA 900/1700/1900/2100 MHz
UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA 850/1700/1900/2100 MHz

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Sony has announced the revival of its futuristic racing series, Wipeout, with the upcoming Wipeout HD. Wipeout HD is pretty much the same Wipeout Pulse, just re-finished for the PS3. It brings back photo mode to capture images of the game and save them to the PS3’s hard drive.

The music isn’t new for HD, the tracks are imported from previous Wipeout games.

Possibly one of the most fun, and maybe most annoying new features for HD will be the ability to control your vehicle using the Sixaxis feature. Not sure if that will be and advantage or disadvantage over the traditional controls.

As of this moment, a release date for Wipeout HD has not yet been determined.

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There’s a new addition to the Final Fantasy VII lineup, Crisis Core. Crisis core is a prequel to Final Fantasy VII. Set in the mako city of Midgar, you play as Zack Fair, a soldier of the Shinra Corporation.

Battle for the newest in the series is real time and uses a new system called Digital Mind Wave, (DMW), where three spinning reels sit at the upper left-hand corner of the screen. Once the three are aligned you give your character a power surge.

As is usual, the makers of the game, Square Enix, have stayed loyal to the Sony brand, launching it not on the Playstation 2 or 3, but on the PSP system instead.

Crisis core has been getting rave reviews from the gaming community since its release in March, by critics and players alike.

Screens from Gamespot.com

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Concerned parents??? No more worries about what your child is being exposed to on the net. KidZui is the newest kid-safe web browser to hit cyberspace. With it your child has access to over half a million websites, photos, videos, etc. With an account through KidZui, a parent or guardian can have complete control over what their children are exposed to on the web.

KidZui is similar to AOL service. With a subscription, KidZui brings you their own web browser with content filtered to be acceptable for children 3-12 years of age. There is a free 30 day trial available, after the trial expires you can continue your service for a monthly or yearly fee.

You can visit KidZui and get more info at www.kidzui.com.

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Sony Computer Entertainment of America (SCEA) announced that its newest installment of the wildly popular Grand Turismo, will be released April 2008.

The Gran Turismo franchise has been very successful since its inception, continuing on to the next-gen playstation 3 with its fifth installment.

From Playstation.com:

“The award-winning Gran Turismo franchise returns with its 5th installment, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, exclusively for PLAYSTATION®3 on Blu-ray Disc & PLAYSTATION®Network. With its signature realism and unrivaled physics, this highly anticipated precursor to Gran Turismo 5 continues to blur the line between simulation and reality.

Running in stunning 1080p at 60 frames per second, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue showcases new advancements to the Gran Turismo franchise. Race more than 60 meticulously detailed cars from worldwide manufacturers, including Ferrari, BMW, and Nissan. Each car features an all-new interior dash view with driver animations and gauges that track vehicle performance in real-time. In addition to racing with up to 16 players online, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue features Gran Turismo TV, a new dedicated online channel available via PLAYSTATION®Network that delivers motorsport and automotive content from around the globe.

Key Features:

Stunning Graphics — Race over 60 cars from worldwide automotive manufacturers, including Ferrari, Audi, BMW, Ford, and Nissan, precisely modeled both inside and out. Experience the race from right behind the wheel with the all-new interior dash view, featuring full driver animation and gauges that accurately reflect the car’s performance in real-time. Compete on 6 tracks with 12 total layouts, including Daytona International Speedway®, London City, and Suzuka Circuit. Every last detail is rendered in stunning 1080p at 60 frames per second with crisp, realistic lighting and camera effects (replays rendered in 1080p 30fps) for the most intense racing experience ever.

Robust Online Experience — Racing with up to 16 players online means there’s always someone new to challenge. View detailed rankings online to see how your lap times stack up against the competition, and then race against the top drivers’ downloadable ghost cars or view their race replays to learn from the best.

Automotive Lifestyle — Go behind the scenes and learn more about your favorite cars and manufacturers with Gran Turismo TV, a new in-game online channel featuring the best automotive and motorsport programming from around the world. Then catch up on the latest auto news from car manufacturers with streaming news updates, and check real-time weather conditions at top race tracks around the world.

Customization — Tune your car performance to shave precious seconds off your lap times. Adjust each car’s suspension and tires for improved handling, and boost performance with gear ratio and engine modifications to harness every bit of horsepower under the hood.

Enhanced Features — Experience ultra-realistic racing with brand-new driving physics and improved, smarter AI that reacts to your every move. Save your best races or download race replays of the top players to your hard drive and watch them with the enhanced Replay Mode.

Head Start on Gran Turismo 5 — Get a jump on the competition. You can transfer your Gran Turismo 5 Prologue progress to Gran Turismo 5 when it releases.

Added Bonus — Available exclusively on the Blu-Ray Disc version of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is the HD video feature “Beyond The Apex,” a behind-the-scenes look at the Gran Turismo franchise and developer Polyphony Digital.

Take Control — Fully compatible with the new DualShock 3 controller, as well as Logitech®’s Driving ForceTM, Driving ForceTM EX, Driving ForceTM Pro, and G25 Racing Wheel controllers.”

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Rockstar Games is releasing their newest installment of the Grand Theft Auto series this April. As would be expected, it will be released on both the Xbox 360, and Playstation 3.

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The new Macbook Air proves to be just a neat-looking novelty.Apple unveiled its newest laptop January of 2008, which happens to be the thinnest laptop on the market today. Yet some people are on the edge about having to choose style over functionality.

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