Sony has announced that it is launching a new video download service in 2007 (exact date not determined). It will allow users to download full length/ feature movies to their personal computers and PS3 systems. Movies downloaded to the PC can be stored and transferred to the PSP consoles with a memory card. Sony Pictures Entertainment will provide the bulk of movies with movies from other studios being added later.

Read [Sony]

Adobe Systems Inc. will make a download available for an early public beta of its next-generation graphics editor, Photoshop CS3 tomorrow (Friday 14th Dec), .

In order to download the Photoshop CS3 beta, users will need a valid serial number to one of the various Creative Suite 2.0 distributions. The release will be made available exclusively in English, but that will not preclude users of international distributions from participating in the beta test.

Press Release

Source [Adobe] Via [Appleinsider]

As announced, Skype has launched the new Skype 2.2 Beta for Windows Mobile devices. It now supports Smartphones and has enhanced support for Pocket PC devices.

Key features and benefits in Skype 2.2 for Windows Mobile beta include:

* NEW: Support for Windows Mobile Smartphones and more Pocket PC devices;

* NEW: Enhanced today/home screen: presence status, event notification (missed calls, new chat messages and voicemails);

* NEW: Proxy support: Supports regular HTTP or HTTPS proxies, and authenticating HTTPS/SSL and SOCKS5 proxies

* Skype calling features: Free Skype-to-Skype calls, support for SkypeOut, SkypeIn?, voicemail and call forwarding;

* User-friendly look and feel: As easy and familiar as using Skype on a computer;

* One-click Skype access: A Skype icon on the home screen lets users view and call contacts easily;

* Multi-person chat: Users can have multichat sessions using animated emoticons. When mobile users are offline, chat messages will automatically update the next time user logs in;

* Enhanced contact list: Users can see their contacts avatars and mood messages;

* Profile personalization: Users can take a picture with the camera on their mobile device and immediately update their profile.

Download it from here.

Source [Skype]

SanDisk and Sony yesterday announced the development of the new “Pro-HG Memory Stick” which is designed to deliver faster continuous write speeds (up to 60 MB/sec) and larger capacities up to 32 GB.

This new “Pro-HG” format appears to be aimed more at future flash based video recorders and would be backward compatible with conventional “Memory Stick Pro” media.

Specifications:

* Dimensions: Duo size (31 x 20 x 1.6) mm
* Connector Pin: 14-pin
* Capacity: 32GB (format maximum)
* Max. Data Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps (theoretical)
* Min. Write Speed: 120 Mbps (As of 8-bit parallel transfer), 40 Mbps (As of 4-bit parallel transfer)
* Operating Voltage: 2.7 to 3.6 V
* Interface: 8-bit / 4-bit parallel I/F and Serial I/F
* Max. Clock frequency: 60MHz

Press Release

SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) and Sony Corporation today announced the development of the “Memory Stick PRO-HG” format expanded from the “Memory Stick PRO” format.

The continuing increase in the capacity of IC recording media has broadened its usage as a practical way to store high-resolution digital photos, music and video content (from the Internet or TV programs) on portable devices that are designed to handle digital entertainment content. The demand for real-time recording and transfer of multiple gigabytes of data using IC recording media is expected to increase rapidly, due to the growing popularity of high resolution video and digital still image applications.

“Memory Stick PRO-HG” media offers high performance to meet the stringent demands of end users. This new media format uses an enhanced, 8-bit parallel interface in addition to a conventional serial and 4-bit parallel interface. The interface clock frequency also increases to 60MHz from 40MHz. This means that maximum data transfer speed increases up to 480Mbps, or 60MB/s (theoretical value), three times as fast as that of “Memory Stick PRO” media. The minimum write speed at 8-bit parallel transfer is 120 Mbps, or 15MB/s*1. These enhancements allow large data amounts of up to several gigabytes to be quickly transferred, as well as the real-time recording of high-resolution video and still images.

Since “Memory Stick PRO-HG” is an extended format of the “Memory Stick PRO” format, “Memory Stick PRO-HG” compliant host devices support the conventional “Memory Stick PRO” media as well as “Memory Stick PRO-HG” media. In addition, the “Memory Stick PRO-HG” media can be used conventional “Memory Stick PRO” compliant host devices as well as “Memory Stick PRO-HG” compliant host devices. *2

Licensing for the development of “Memory Stick PRO-HG” compliant host devices is scheduled to commence in January 2007.

“Sony and SanDisk share the common goal of providing exciting new digital audio and video applications to consumers,” said Eli Harari, Chairman and CEO of SanDisk Corporation. “This is the driving force that is behind our relentless efforts to leverage our expertise and extensive intellectual property in flash memory cards to develop the Memory Stick PRO-HG. I am proud of the close cooperation we have with Sony over the years and look forward to seeing the exciting new products that Memory Stick PRO-HG media enable.”

Akira Kubota, President of Core Component Business Unit, Sony Corporation said “Sony has successfully collaborated with SanDisk Corporation in promoting the Memory Stick formats. Significant milestones have been the Memory Stick PRO format in 2003 and the Memory Stick Micro in 2005. I am delighted by today’s joint announcement of the Memory Stick PRO-HG format. This new IC recording media allows the speedy sharing of high definition video and digital still camera data between products.” Through the introduction of this new format, Memory Stick will greatly expand its entertainment applications.

Since the September 1998 market introduction of Memory Stick, cumulative shipments of media have achieved 200 million units as of September 2006. The Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo media will be made available in 2007.

Source [Sony]