Announced today in Tokyo not one, but two Sony® Tablets

By: Sukhjit | Posted: 4/25/2011 | Posted in NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS, VAIO

Months of rumor, speculation and excitement about a Sony tablet were topped in Tokyo just moments ago as – not one, but two new Sony tablets were unveiled to a group of journalists at a press event. The new tablets identified, for now, by the code names S1 and S2 will be powered by the latest Android 3.0 operating system and are WiFi and WAN® (3G/4G) compatible.

Take a look at this video that gives you a closer look at the unique shapes and sizes of the new devices.

Both devices are primed for easy and portable entertainment, web browsing, access to email, viewing videos, games, books and more. The tablets will also have access to networked content via Sony’s Qriocity™ Music and Video Services as well as PlayStation® Suite and the Sony Reader™ Store. Get more info from the official press statement here.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the two new devices:

With its off-center of gravity form factor, the 9.4-inch S1 offers stability and a sense of lightness, offering comfortable use for hours.

The dual screen S2 (pictured in featured image above) comes with two 5.5-inch displays which can be used together as one large screen to browse websites and more. They can also be used for different functions as users can watch a video on one screen and input commands on the other, or check email on one screen and use the other as a soft keyboard.

Stay tuned for updates… these tablets will be available globally this fall.

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SONY Announces Spring Refresh for VAIO® Line

SONY Announces Spring Refresh for VAIO® Line

By: Gina | Posted: 1/22/2012 | Posted in ABOUT OUR PRODUCTS, NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Just off the heels of CES, Sony throws in another little surprise announcement for us including new CPU options and enhancements plus new color options on various laptops. The Sony Store team is also giving away a free gift with purchase of a C series laptop in celebration of some new designs. Details are below and here are some of the highlights of the new announcement.

Let’s first start with the Z series. Rounding into spring is a new Carbon Fiber Silver option has been added along with an optional LTE mobile broadband built-in, supporting 4G data service. The Z series also received the latest 2nd generation Intel® Core™ processors ranging from the Intel Core™ i5 and up to the Core™ i7 with Turbo Boost speeds of up to 3.50GHz  and RAID 0 solid state drives. Now technically we’re calling this a “refresh” however with spec changes like this, one could consider this a healthy upgrade from the already massively spec’d out power house of the VAIO line. Starting prices are $1949.99 and that includes the Power Media Dock ™ drive.

Also getting a spiffy new refresh is the S series. It now boasting the newest generation of Intel® Core™ processors. Both the 13” and 15” models include this update with up to Core i7.  The S Series includes Hybrid Graphics with either an AMD Radeon™ HD 6470M (512MB VRAM) or AMD Radeon HD 6630M (1GB VRAM). The 15” will come standard with a 15.5” Full HD display (1920 x 1080) with IPS technology for improved image quality and viewing angles. The 13” S Serieswill start at $799.99. The 15” S Series will start at $979.99 and includes the Full HD display and Intel Core i5 processor. Both 13” and 15” models will be available starting early February. Now both the Z series and S series have the extended sheet battery worth checking out. The E series is also getting the CPU upgrade to the latest 2nd generation Intel Core processors.

My personal favorite are new designs for the C series laptop. Move over butterflies and bunnies.Kaleidoscope Pink  (with an international alias “Elegant Flower”)is giving the spring mascots a run for their money. The design was inspired by an Art Nouveau floral pattern. Sony VAIO designers had an intention to give this design an intention to reflect light. In order to achieve this, the material which this design is on is actually paper and gave it two different layers for depth; one pass with a thick line and one pass with a thin line. Now the paper has a pep film lamination over it and if you see it up close, it looks engraved and textured. Even if you’re traditionally not a happy person, this computer could certainly give the impression you are. We were fortunate enough to get photos of the actual printing plate sent to us which we’re sharing here. This design is offered on both 14″ and 15.5″ screen sizes.

Next up is the Geometric Black model with it’s international alias of “Modern Geometric”.  Think 60’s retro meets the Matrix. It’s shapes and shadows in various tones and not only is featured on the top case but creatively spreads onto the inside keyboard area (see the photos). Designers planned to give this laptop design a stereoscopic effect and in order to do that, they intentionally created layers of several geometric patterns and when you see it, it expresses a shining ripple across the top of the casing. This too replicates the same paper laying production process as above. What is especially interesting about this design decision is that it allows the owners I know who prefer the basic black design of laptops to have some personalization/expression without something being too obvious or over-the-top. I’m excited to see what our VAIO designers have up their sleeves next.

And to celebrate the fun, our Sony Store team is offering  a free laptop sleeve with purchase of any 14” or 15”  C series computer. Worth about $40, it’s a durable nylon outer layer with a super-soft interior. This special is offered now through 2/4/2012.

Now that’s the hardware and design, let’s chat software as the VAIO team also made some changes here this season. The new Media Gallery™ 2.0 includes a new look and feel along with new features for popular social networking services. The S Series will come with the update already installed and is available for other VAIO computer owners to download.  Also  available is the Music Unlimited promotion, providing 180 days of Music Unlimited basic service for free for first time users. The F Series laptop and L Series All-in-One come preloaded with Sony Imagination Studio™ Multimedia Edition, a collection of audio and video editing software, including the award winning Sony Vegas® Movie Studio HD.

So there you have a spring refresh extravaganza. Now obviously you may have some favorites so be sure to let us know. Write us in  the comments area below. We’d love to hear from you.

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Justin Bieber Autographed Hyundai Genesis Coupe Sells for $40K in Canada

Posted by William Lee at 11:47 PM

The Hyundai Genesis Coupe pop star Justin Bieber signed and put on auction for charity sold late yesterday for $40,000 CAD.


Most of the time when a celebrity has something to do with cars, it means there’s a specialty line being made, like a Funkmaster Flex edition Ford Explorer – ugh! This wasn’t one of those cases. Bieber decided to sign the car’s dashboard in silver pen ink and set it up for sale on Ebay. The goal? Raising money for a good cause.


The cause in question? Well, the young lad wanted to fix up the skate park in his home town of Stratford, Ontario up in Canada. It didn’t look like the car would actually bring in the minimum bid he had hoped for, but at the last minute someone swooped in to scoop the car up, though we don’t know who.


Don’t be surprised if it shows up on an upcoming episode of something like MTV’s My Super Sweet 16 series. There really aren’t too many people willing to drop that much cash on a car that starts at $22,250 aside from a one percenter with a spoiled 15-year-old who’s crushing on the Biebs

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New Study Examines Why Luxury Car Buyers Stay Loyal to their Brands

Brand loyalty is a priority for any car manufacturer. It ensures that they have a healthy core of buyers who will remain loyal when the time comes to change their car for a new one. Luring customers away from a rival, or “conquest” sales, as it is commonly known in the industry, is also one of their key objectives.

Therefore, when a report like the 2012 New Luxury Vehicle Loyalty Study comes out, you can bet automakers pay attention. Conducted by Polkand AutoTrader, the study examines the reasons why luxury car buyers stay loyal or “defect” to another brand.

“Understanding behaviors and attitudes is critical in helping automotive marketers to more effectively reach and influence luxury shoppers during their decision making process”, said vice president of automotive insights at AutoTrader, Rick Wainschel.

The survey took place from September to November 2011 among 1,485 U.S. buyers focusing on six luxury manufacturers: Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz.

The results showed that the top five reasons a premium car buyer purchases a model from the same brand are:

1. Brand Affinity (cited by 44 percent)
2. Qulity/Realibity (33 percent)
3. Driving Performance (24 percent)
4. Price/Finance/Value (16 percent)
5. Styling/Design (16 percent)

Not all buyers have the same criteria or level of dedication to one particular brand, though. According to the survey, brand affinity (how much one likes or feels close to a brand) ranks significantly higher among Cadillac loyalists than any other luxury maker.

BMW owners, on the other hand, are the ones who mostly name driving performance as the main reason for continuing to purchase its products. Most Mercedes-Benz and Acura loyalists say they are attracted by their cars’ quality and reliability, while Audi can count on its styling and design to keep the majority of its buyers at bay.

Technology and innovation ranked among the top five reasons only with Acura buyers, whileLexus and Mercedes-Benz customers said dealership loyalty matters.

The flip side to the coin is the top five reasons why luxury car buyers decide to switch to another brand:

1. Price/Finance/Value (quoted by 24 percent)
2. Size/Body Style (20 percent)
3. Brand Affinity (17 percent)
4. Time to Change (14 percent)
5. Driving Performance and Styling/Design (13 percent each)

"This study illuminated important differences for staying loyal or defecting from luxury brands and how those key drivers of loyalty and defection are different for each luxury brand," Mark Pauzé, senior solutions consultant with Polk, commented about the results.

“The insights gained from this study will be very useful for luxury brands as they strategize on how best to retain more of their customers and key drivers that could attract new buyers or keep current owners from defecting," he added.

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TRIUMPH SPEED TWIN CONCEPT

EXCLUSIVE Here’s the most exciting new motorcycle concept we’ve seen in a while—and it doesn’t come from an in-house design studio. It’s the work of two young English designers, Roy Norton and Tom Kasher, in a collaboration with Triumph Motorcycles and Barbour Outdoor Clothing. The base platform is the Triumph Bonneville, heavily restyled and fitted with girder forks.

The idea for the Speed Twin started when Norton and Kasher were in their final term at university. They started sketching ideas for a “a bike taking retro themes in a modern direction”. After landing a placement with motorcycle design studio Xenophya, the pair contacted Triumph. Product Manager Simon Warburton liked what he heard, and agreed to get involved. He wrote a brief requesting a modern re-interpretation of a classic theme: “A bike based around our 865cc air-cooled parallel twin, styled to appeal to younger riders.” Warburton wanted to see “the bike the Bonneville might have evolved into, in an alternative universe”.

After visits to the Ace Cafe London and the National Motorcycle Museum, Norton and Kasher set to work, taking inspiration from cafe racers, bobbers and Triumph bikes of old. They agreed a design direction with Triumph, and a ‘digital tape’ was created: Photoshop images of the proposal in side projection, which allows the design to be evaluated against the vehicle package and check constraints such as seat height, tank volumes and ergonomics. According to Norton and Kasher, “Triumph provided huge amounts of support and guidance through the design stage,” ensuring there would be no engineering, manufacturing or homologation issues.

The motorcycle in the images we’re looking at was created using a mixture of model board, foam and Automotive Styling Clay—a wax-like substance that can be shaped by tools to create the tank, seat unit and swing arm. “A design can become a three-dimensional object quickly. The nature of the material means it can be molded and sculpted very easily to refine and perfect the design.”

The frame of a production Bonneville—supplied by Triumph—was heavily modified. Chopped and refabricated, it’s the basis for a strong and contemporary look. The contrast comes from the front, where girder forks pay homage to the bikes of the past. Barbour cloth is used on the seat fabric and grips, adding durability and style to the finish of the Twin, and the filler cap and instruments were also redesigned.

Once the basics of the model were in place, the bike was transferred from the Northumbria University studios to Xenophya Design. The prototype was refined and painted, transforming it from a blend of clay, foam and metal into a full-scale model. Firestone tires, inverted levers and Thruxton brakes were added to round out the build.

Triumph is pleased with the result of the project. “The bike looks great,” says product manager Warburton. “Some elements may have an influence on some of our future projects.” And Norton (right, bottom) and Kasher (left) now have an insight into how production motorcycles are designed, at the highest level in the industry. They’ve landed full-time jobs at Xenophya, which means their work is likely to hit the streets in the future, in the form of production motorcycles. Judging by the aesthetics of the Triumph Speed Twin, that’s good news indeed.

SALE: We have a few copies of the Bike EXIF custom motorcycle calendar left, and you can now grab one direct from the publisher for just $10 plus shipping. And with thirteen bikes taking you right up to January 2013, you’re not missing out. Get your copy here.

Read more: http://www.bikeexif.com/triumph-bonneville-xenophya#ixzz1lRRRtzPO
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Surrealism, realism, and Steven Meisel Written by Tania Braukämper.

Surreal or Real – it’s not quite a statement, not quite a question but rather a punctuation-less piece of typography floating across the cover of Vogue Italia’s February 2012 issue. Whether or not it begs you to mentally add a question mark, it does set the mood of the issue. The main editorial, like the cover, stars Laura Kampman as photographed by Steven Meisel. It’s not your instructional type fashion shoot and nor is it exactly cinematic; in this case Meisel’s work borders more to frameable art.

The surrealism hinted at on the cover weaves in without too much fanfare. It’s all created through small twists in styling and photography rather than through cluttered Dali-esque sets or vast attempts at mind-bending futurism. If anything, some of Meisel’s black and white shots feel like they’re channeling 1920s silent films (owing some influence to The Artist, perhaps?) – clawed gloves and tree-like headpieces more akin to theatrical costume than anything you’d find in modern cinema. Kampman is a little expressionless throughout, but has just the right features to justify her casting in such a dark, vintage-esque editorial endeavour.

Click the thumbnails for full pictures

Styled by Karl Templer. You can answer the ‘surreal or real’ question (if indeed it is one) by clicking on the thumbnails above.

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Nature-defying colour: Bonnie Strange Written by Tania Braukämper.

In Butterfly Caught, photographer Mohamed Gaff takes us on a magic carpet ride through a world steeped in colour. Bonnie Strange’s lavender hair and matching lavender eyes, red lips and vibrant nail colours – all styled by hair and makeup artist Anja Fichtenmayer – turn her into the perfect inhabitant of this rainbow world. She is the titular butterfly, photographed amidst backdrops and floral props that defy nature with their vibrance.

Click the thumbnails for full pictures:

Jennifer Hahn’s beautiful styling plays with bright, sweeping dresses. You can enter the daydream world of colour created by Mohamed Gaff (mohamedgaff.com) at the gallery above.

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