Do you have a Sony Dash? Where do you keep it? If you don’t have a Dash, you probably have some ideas of where you would you keep it if you did.
Our Sony Dash Facebook community has led the way, sharing its favorite apps and uses for Dash and we want to see more! Today we’re kicking off the Dash of Inspiration contest for all fans of the Sony Dash Facebook page. Share a photo of where your Dash lives or if you don’t have a Dash, where you would put it if you did. Use your creativity and you could win a $50 sonystyle.com gift card or our grand prize, a Sony BRAVIA 3D television!
Go to the Facebook.com/SonyDash and choose the contests tab, read the rules and follow the directions there to simply upload your photo.
Be creative with your entries. Dash can live in so many spots around your home or your office since it’s a connected, customizable device that gives you access to your favorite parts of the Internet without you having to do anything. Once you set Dash up with the apps you like, it provides the content you want, when you want it, which means the number of ways you can use Dash and where you use it is almost infinite.
We discovered, as many of you went out to purchase a Dash or two for your home or office, the best way to understand Dash is to see how it’s used by you!
Here’s how the contest works:
Upload a photo that shows where your Dash lives or where you’d want to put it, on the special tab we’ve created on our Facebook page. Make sure to caption it.
Let your friends know to check out the picture and vote!Be creative and have fun! We’ll have random drawings for each week for the gift cards. The grand prize will be judged by a panelist of bloggers /Dash users including Cathy Brooks, Chris MacManus and Peter Rojas.
So whether Dash is your morning wakeup call with Internet radio and your friend’s Facebook updates or a kitchen companion with a quick recipe of the day or your desktop view of what’s happening in the world, let us know by showing us!
Brook Aitken is a second generation director of photography and frequent user of Sony’s professional video equipment. Though Brook is almost always behind the camera, he has been involved in film making for globally recognized brands and more recently the award winning documentary, The Cove. And this isn’t just one of those statements when “award winning” means voted ”most likely to succeed” by the senior class. We’re talking Academy Award for best documentary, Sundance film festival winner, VH1 people’s choice winner and 13 other international awards.
Brook used various Sony camera models in filming The Cove and was featured on Sony’s professional site, VideON, for his work. I had a unique opportunity to chat with Brook a little bit about his experience working on the film and what advice he could offer amateur to aspiring filmmakers.
Your dad is in the business right? How and when did you know that you wanted to be in film?
Yes my father is an old time filmmaker. He used to drag me off to work everyone in a while and I didn’t really care for it. It wasn’t until just after high school he put the camera in my hand (Arri S 16mm) that I got the bug. I was suddenly excited to do what my Dad was doing. I then enrolled in film school to learn the other side of the art.
It’s a pretty intense film. You’re making a film but at the same, it was almost like a mission to capture the story since so much work went into uncovering this story. How were you able to achieve the artistic angle of shooting the film with the operations and truthfully emotions involved with obtaining the info?
Good question I am still asking myself the same thing. I grew up a bit of an adrenaline junky not afraid of much and having almost died in one near death accident. I think fear is just a matter of measuring risk and being comfortable with the risk and knowing how much control one has in the situation. I had my passport and a large sum of cash on me at all times & felt I could escape if need be. I knew I could make my way out of any physical confrontation and had all the plan B’s scenarios rehearsed. There wasn’t too much room for emotions to get in the way of what we were trying to accomplish. At times we were motivated by the bigger picture of what we were doing and other times we were motivated by the horror of what was happening with the dolphins right in front of us. It was just a matter of keeping my head about me and focusing on the shot at hand, while keeping the other eye open watching for danger. This allowed our team to work on the beauty shots in our “down time” and to keep it all together in “go time”.
You had hidden cameras, underwater equipment, etc. How did technology play a role in being able to shoot this film the way you did?
Technology was a huge part of the film. We had thermal FLIR cameras, underwater cameras/hydrophones, hidden rock cameras, mini helicopter cameras, you name it. We were planning ahead with what we wanted to do but really having to improvise everything in the field, almost making it up as we went along. At one point we were literally going to the hardware store daily for supplies to rig cameras and built housings and modify existing technologies. Out hotel rooms were like cluttered science laboratories.
What Sony cameras were used and why?
We used the XDCAM 350 series for HD quality and great optics. Also we bought 4 of them so we couldn’t afford that many 900′s with lenses. An F900 was used for a few misc shots in other locations that were controlled and safe. We would mount several XD cam cameras for time lapses in places that were legal like the local fish markets while using the other two at night on covert missions. This also served as a good decoy for suspicious police who never knew we were armed to the teeth with cameras. Many of the smaller cameras were tape based and others recorded to hard drive depending on their use/need. The hidden rock-cameras had to be able to record for 6-10 hrs after we planted them and hit record in the cove. We had them hot rodded out with larger drives and batteries.
What was the most difficult shot to get during filmmaking?
The footage in and around the actual cove was the toughest to get. We had to scale razor wire fences, steep rock cliffs and hide out all night in camo in the bushes. Trying to stay hidden and still work the cameras and line up an unobstructed shot was not always easy. At times we had flashlights from guards come right across us and other times massive search lights from boats below would scan the area looking for anyone before they did their dirty business in a few hours.
For the beginning filmmaker or film students, what advise can you offer them? If there anything you know now you wish you knew then?
The thing I wished I knew when I was a student was to remember that I know nothing. I used to think I knew a lot more than I did and I think that hurt me. I was all charged up with book smarts and scholastic knowledge but I didn’t realize that working on a set or out in the real world was very different. I am still picking up little tricks or bits of knowledge every time I am on a job so keep open mind open. Try to be a sponge, a very absorbent and eager one.
If you could have any gadget (even not yet invented), what would it be?
My favorite gadget would be “instant playback with hindsight”. Sort of like instant playback with retrospective feedback. I often look at work I have done and think about how I could have done it better. If I could have fixed this part of the shot or done this differently or light something a little better or how could I miss this or correct that mistake…
** Brook on location in Columbia working on another film.
Great gadget & thank you Brook for sharing with us .We look forward to checking out your future films. You can learn more about The Cove here , visit Brook’s site, and if you have questions for Brook about his film making experience or his Sony cameras, feel free to post.
Yes it’s that time of year again, the fantasy football competitions at the office are starting to take shape and at home football fans are getting ready to get their game on. This year will without a doubt, be one of the most exciting for sports fans as 3D home entertainment systems are available and 3D broadcasts of sporting events are underway.
Our latest addition to the Sony BRAVIA line are 3D capable NX810 60, 55 and 46 inch sets that let you watch in beautiful 2D HD or the new incredible world of 3D (when you’ve connected it to the 3D transmitter and are using Sony 3D glasses), which by the way might make you feel like you’re watching right from the sidelines. Remember, high speed internet and HDMI cables are also important to have for the best viewing experience.
These sets offer outstanding contrast with smooth, vibrant images and a picture quality that is great even in brightly lit rooms. If you’re in the market for a television, make sure to see how the 3D looks in a well lit room.
In addition to quality 3D the NX810 sets have built in Wi-Fi and access to Sony’s movie service called Qriocity so you can stream movies and have access to tons of content for free and with a fee for premium content. (fee may be required for premium content).
Sports fan or not, test out the new NX810 or any of the Sony 3D televisions at Sony Style Stores or visit a Sony Retailer in our network. Put on a pair of Sony active shutter glasses, put your feet up and take a look at sports, movies, games, nature content and more. We know, and we’ve heard from people who have tried it, that seeing is believing with 3D.
We recently unveiled the TV to a group at Sony headquarters in New York. I asked Arturo Jordan from the Sony Electronics television group for thisquick tour of the new television so you can get a closer look too.
You can also find more information from Sony.com/news.
As you’ve been reading, we’ve been up and down both coasts with Billabong on their High Five Movie Tour. And as we roll into the end of August, we’ve approached our final two tour stops.
To begin, we drove into Newport Beach for a unique screening at the historic Lido Theater. Opening its doors for the first time in 1938, the theater continues on to this day and stands as an authentically rare relic from the glamour of 1930’s Hollywood. Plus, being only a block away from the ocean and with surfers of all ages calling Newport Beach their home, the Lido has evolved into the surf film capital of Southern California running a full schedule of classic and new surf films.
With so much character the theater offered the perfect backdrop for a screening of High Five and to kick things off right, guitarist Wally P (right) – who contributed to the film’s soundtrack – performed live before the film began.
From Newport Beach, we then landed in San Diego for our final stop. Home to countless popular beaches, San Diego seemed like the ideal place to wrap things up. To celebrate the successful summer tour we headed downtown to Quality Social for one last hurrah and screening.
As always, we brought a camera crew along to both events to record all the fun and capture the reaction of Collin J. (left) – the second fan to win a new W Series in our three stop homestretch. Check out his reaction and all the highlights from the past two events in the clips below. You can also find photos from all the events on our flickr page and keep reading after the video for your chance to win free stuff.
Now for the best part. Because not all of our readers live in Southern California, we wanted to ensure you didn’t feel left out from all the excitement. So, starting today, we’ll be giving away 2 Imperial Lime W Series PCs and 10 Billabong boardshorts to some lucky fans.
Here’s how it works. Simply answer all 3 pop quiz questions below correctly by leaving your answers in the comment section. If you get stuck you can find hints to the answers by clicking the link to the related story. Next Friday, September 3rd, we’ll close the contest and randomly select 2 grand prize winners and 10 boardshort winners from the lot of those who answered all 3 questions correctly. We’ll announce the winners as a follow up to this post shortly thereafter. Good luck and be sure to let us know what you thought of the movie if you saw it!
Pop Quiz
What charity did this year’s Design for Humanity event benefit? Hint: Watch this video
What’s the official color name of the VAIO / Billabong collab? Hint: Read this story
Name the first fan to win the new VAIO / Billabong PC in our 3 stop homestretch? Hint:Read/Watch this story
P.S. Be sure that when you post your comment, you enter your real e-mail address in the e-mail field below (not in the comment area). Without a valid e-mail address in that field, I won’t be able to reach you if you win!
All the details our lawyers make us include:
OFFICIAL RULES
NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. PURCHASING ANY SONY PRODUCT WILL NOT INCREASE CHANCES OF WINNING.
1. ELIGIBILITY: This sweepstakes (the “Sweepstakes”) is only open to natural persons who are legal residents of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia and age 18 or older at the time of entry. Employees of Sony Electronics Inc. (“Sony”), their affiliates and members of immediate family (spouse and parent, children and siblings and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and persons living in the same household, whether or not related, of such employees, are not eligible to enter or win. This sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and is void where prohibited.
2. HOW TO ENTER: To enter the Sweepstakes, visit http://blog.sony.com/ vaio-news-recent-tour-stop-recaps-a-contest-for-you and post your answers to the pop quiz as a comment on the blog post “VAIO News: Recent Tour Stop Recaps + a Contest for You.” Additional profile information will be optional and not required to enter the Sweepstakes, and will not impact your chances of winning.
Alternate entry method: Participants can also mail in a sweepstakes entry. To enter, send a postcard with your name (first and last), address (street, city, state and zip) phone number or email address, and your answers to the pop quiz. Send Mail-in entries to Sony Electronics Community Giveaway Sweepstakes Mail-in Entry, Sony Electronics Inc., 16530 Via Esprillo, San Diego, CA 92127, MZ 1097.
3. PROMOTION PERIOD: The Sweepstakes starts at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on August 25, 2010 and ends at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time on September 3, 2010 (the “Promotion Period”). All entries must be received by Sony during the Promotion Period. Limit one entry per person. All entries submitted become the sole property of Sony and will not be returned. Online entries will be deemed to have been submitted by the registered subscriber of the e-mail account from which the entry is made. Entries generated by a script, macro or other automated means are prohibited and will be disqualified.
4. SELECTION OF WINNER: Selection of the winners will be at random from the lot of readers who answered all three questions correctly during the Promotion Period. This selection will take place within seven (7) days of the end of the Promotion Period. All decisions by Sony regarding selection of the winner shall be binding and final in all respects.
5. GENERAL CONDITIONS: This Sweepstakes is governed by the laws of the United States. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. Winners may be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Release of Publicity and Liability within fourteen (14) days of notification. In the event of noncompliance, if the winner cannot be reached at the e-mail address or telephone number submitted with entry, or if the prize or prize notification is returned as unclaimed or undeliverable, the prize will be forfeited and an alternate winner will be selected. No cash alternative or substitution of any prizes will be offered. No prize transfer permitted. If a prize is unavailable, Sony reserves the sole right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value. Limit one prize per person. Entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sony, which are final and binding in all respects. All taxes, fees, and surcharges on prizes are the sole responsibility of the prize winners. Any winner agrees to provide Sony with necessary information to complete any necessary I.R.S. 1099 and other forms. By participating and accepting a prize, so long as there is no legal prohibition, winner agrees to the use of his/her name for advertising or publicity purposes and to the use of statements made by or attributed to him/her relating to Sony or this Sweepstakes, and releases any and all rights to said use without further compensation. Any entrant who tampers with the Sweepstakes or provides fraudulent data will be disqualified. Registrations received from any persons or email addresses in excess of the stated limitation will be void. Sony is not responsible for lost, late or illegible entries.
6. PRIZE AND ODDS OF WINNING: Grand Prize (2): A Sony VAIO W Series. Approximate Retail Value (ARV): $499. 1St Place Prize (10): A billabong boardshort. Aprroximate Retail Value (ARV): $50. Twelve (12) winners will be selected, the first two selected will be deemed the Grand Prize winners. Odds of winning depend on the number of registrations received during the Promotion Period. Only one prize per person. A winner will be selected in accordance with Section 4 of these Official Rules.
7. RELEASE OF LIABILITY: All Sweepstakes entrants release Sony, its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers, directors, agents, employees and all others associated with the Sweepstakes from any and all liability with respect to or in any way arising from this Sweepstakes and/or acceptance or use of the prizes, including without limitation liability for personal injury, death, damages, or financial loss.
Sony is not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by website users or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Sweepstakes or by any technical or human error which may occur in the processing of submissions in the Sweepstakes. Sony assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries. Sony is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer on-line-systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, or failure of e-mail on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any web site or combination thereof, including injury or damage to entrants or to any person’s computer related to or resulting from participating in this Sweepstakes. Sony is not responsible for user cheating or fraud by any entrants. Any activities intended to disrupt or interfere with the Sweepstakes, or defraud Sony in any way may be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Entrants engaging in any of the foregoing activities will be disqualified and will forfeit any prizes won.
If, for any reason, the Sweepstakes is not capable of running as planned, including without limitation infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of Sony which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Sweepstakes, Sony reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Sweepstakes.
8. WINNERS LIST: A Winners List will be available within ten (10) days after the end of the Promotion Period. For a list of the Grand Prize winner, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Sony Electronics Community Giveaway Sweepstakes Winner List, Sony Electronics Inc., 16530 Via Esprillo, San Diego, CA 92127. All requests must be received within ninety (90) days after the end of the Promotion Period.
9. SWEEPSTAKES SPONSOR: Sony Electronics Inc., 16530 Via Esprillo, San Diego, CA 92127.
There is quite a bit of news to share from the Sony α (alpha) team today as three new cameras and three new lenses have just been unveiled. For you photographers who never want to miss a moment like a subtle smile or a sports action shot, our latest innovations will help you capture these perfect moments.
The first two, the α55 and α33, use a Phase Detection auto focus system for the highest level of focus speed and accuracy for both still and video images. The α55 can shoot and focus continuously at up to 10 frames per second, while the α33 can shoot seven frames per second, achieving shooting speeds that are the fastest in the industry for sub $1000 interchangeable lens cameras (as of Aug 2010).
These cameras use a fixed Translucent Mirror Technology, which allows them to continuously and quickly focus, helping you capture important moments with sharp images. The Translucent Mirror Technology also works while recording video in full HD. It’s the kind of performance that has been impossible to get in any traditional video capture technology.
The α55 has a large 16.2 megapixel Exmor™ APS HD CMOS sensor and the α33 has 14.2.
“This is the most innovative Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera that Sony has ever created,” said Kristen Elder, director of the digital imaging business group. “Our Translucent Mirror Technology is one of the most significant SLR structural changes in more than a decade.”
The new Translucent Mirror Technology allows light passing through the lens to be directed to the image sensor and the auto focus sensor at the same time. The new structure eliminates a moving mirror mechanism, making the body size smaller and focus time faster since the mirror does not need to be raised and lowered allowing it to focus while it’s shooting instead of in between shots like traditional SLRs.
These cameras boast both constant live view through the 3-inch diagonal Xtra Fine articulated LCD™ with 921,600 dots with TruBlack™ technology and the Tru Finder™ electronic eye-level viewfinder. This means what you see is what you get with 100% framing accuracy and real time view of the creative adjustments you make.
Also announced was the α560 which is a traditional DSLR using an optical viewfinder that now captures full HD video and stills at up to seven frames per second using the 14.2 APS HD CMOS sensor.
All three cameras are compatible with all A-mount lenses so video and photography enthusiasts can choose from macro to telephoto lenses.
A newly developed Autofocus sensor assures ultra-fast, high precision focusing. All three cameras use this new 15-point Phase Detect sensor, which significantly increases the auto focus system to lock on to subjects which may not be centered in the frame.
The 55 and 33 use Phase Detection for high speed shooting and HD video capture which tracks rapidly moving subjects accurately. These cameras are the first in the world to have this feature work while recording in Full HD AVCHD™ movie shooting mode. This is the kind of feature that will be very useful for capturing fast action and for catching subjects that move quickly towards or away from the camera.
Other key features to note:
· Exmor™ APS HD CMOS sensor, BIONZ® high-speed image processing engine and ultra-high ISO sensitivity (ISO 100-12,800) to get the best shot, even in difficult lighting situations.
· Auto HDR shoots and combines three frames into a single high dynamic range photo with rich shadow and highlight detail.
· Multi frame noise reduction. (shoots and combines six frames into a single photo) for smooth low-light imaging at half the noise level and Hand-held Twilight which shoots and combines six frames into a single photo, suppressing blur to enable clear night-scene imaging without a tripod or flash.
· 3D Sweep Panorama™ technology for panoramic photos that can be viewed in 3D on compatible 3D systems and other devices that support 3D technology.
The α55 will be available in October and cost about $750 for the body and $850 for the body and 18-55mm zoom lens. The α33 camera, which will be available in September, will be $650 and $750 for body and 18-55mm zoom lens. Watch out for them at Sony Style® retail stores and at authorized dealers nationwide. The α560 model with the camera body and 18-55mm kit lens will cost about $750 and will be available in October. With the body only, it will cost about $650.
If the new cameras are not enough for the Sony photo enthusiast, we also have 3 new lenses that add to your repertoire and grow the already expansive A mount system of lenses. New today are a Carl Zeiss® Distagon T* 24mm F2 ZA SSM (model SAL24F20Z), a DT 35mm F1.8 SAM (model SAL35F18) and an 85mm F2.8 SAM (model SAL85F28).
“These new lenses and cameras show our commitment to the DSLR market and that we will never stop innovating.” said Kristen Elder.
You can find more info on the cameras and lenses from Sony.com/news.
So whether Dash is your morning wakeup call with Internet radio and your friend’s Facebook updates or a kitchen companion with a quick recipe of the day or your desktop view of what’s happening in the world, let us know by showing us!
