Sony announces Bloggie at CES

CES gets under way today in Las Vegas so expect to see plenty of new products announced over the next few days. Sony are the first to start firing over press releases to us this morning and a couple got my attention.

First of all Sony have just announced that they will expend their memory card offering and will start selling SDHC and MicroSDHC memory cards in 2 to 32GB capacities. Until now Sony only offered their Memory Stick memory card products.

Secondly Sony have announced a new HD camcorder called the ‘bloggie’. The thing that caught my eye about the bloggie is the Facebook and YouTube integration allowing you to easily share your content with friends and easily upload your clips and photos. There’s even a funky option to take 360 videos on one model which sounds interesting!

Check out the press release below, there will be plenty more over the next few days!

The Sony bloggie

Sony bloggieT: upload in style

Fun and easy to use new Mobile HD Snap Cameras

· Slim, compact MHS-PM5/PM5K and MHS-CM5 capture 1920×1080 Full HD MP4 video clips and 5 megapixel still photos

· Eye-catching styling and premium features

· 270° swivel lens for perfect self portraits (PM5/PM5K only)

· Embedded PMB Portable software and built-in USB connector for quick, easy web uploads via PC and Macintosh

· Shoot and view amazing 360 Videos (MHS-PM5K only)

It’s all about capturing the moment. And it’s the spirit of fun, spontaneous still and video shooting and sharing that comes alive with the launch of bloggieT – a fresh concept in style-conscious, premium quality Mobile HD Snap Cameras by Sony.

The bloggieT makes its European debut with two exciting, new models. Both cameras make it brilliantly easy to grab crisp photos and video clips for quick, hassle-free sharing on the web.

Slipping effortlessly into a pocket or bag, the bloggieT MHS-PM5/PM5K and MHS-CM5 are perfect partners for parties, days out or trips away when you don’t want to miss the action.

Colourful, light and easy to carry, bloggieT is the fabulously spontaneous way to share memories, update your personal blog or post to social networking apps while you’re travelling. Just point and shoot: then walk into any internet café, hook up bloggieT and upload your life using the camera’s embedded PMB Portable software.

Both new bloggieT models are fun and simple to use. Press a button and shoot crisp, clear 5 megapixel still photos. Press another button and capture the moment in sparkling Full HD MP4 video.

The PM5/PM5K and CM5 can record both super-smooth 1280×720/60p video and high resolution Full HD 1920×1080/30p clips. On-board SteadyShot image stabilisation* cuts camera shake when you’re shooting handheld, and Face Detection fine-tunes camera settings for clear, captivating portraits.

*Available with 720/30p shooting mode only

Styled in a choice of four vibrant colour finishes, the PM5/PM5K features a rotating lens that swivels 270 degrees to capture life from any angle: get down low, aim high or record yourself. The bright, high resolution 6.0cm LCD screen shows camera settings in the bottom half of the display while you’re shooting. When you want to see the results, turn bloggieT horizontally and enjoy your clips and photos in screen-filling landscape format.

The PM5K also includes a special 360 Video lens adaptor that lets you experience incredible panoramic videos. Just slip on the adaptor and start shooting in 360 Video mode: there’s no need to make any other adjustments. bloggieT captures panoramic video as specially encoded files that can be ‘unwrapped’ for PC viewing using supplied PMB software and 360 Video Player application. It’s a completely new way of seeing the world from every angle.

Featuring ‘pistol grip’ vertical styling, the CM5 boasts a high-quality 5x optical zoom lens, plus a swivel 6.2cm LCD screen that flips out for comfortable shooting and viewing. The CM5 also sports an HDMI connector, letting you enjoy photos and Full HD clips on your BRAVIAT or any HD TV.

bloggieT includes everything you need to keep track of your digital lifestyle. After shooting, both cameras link directly to your PC or Mac via the built-in USB connector that tucks away snugly when not in use.

The embedded PMB Portable software launches automatically when bloggieT is connected to your PC or Mac, letting you view, select and upload clips to popular social apps and media sharing sites like PicasaT and YouTubeT. There’s no need to install any editing or file transfer software on the computer, making bloggieT ideal for use in any internet café while you’re travelling. You don’t even need to carry a charger with you: the camera’s battery is automatically charged while it’s connected to your computer via USB.

The simple integration for sharing content on Facebook® will also be available as a downloadable update to this software in spring. This complements the existing sharing capability with such sites as YouTubeT and PicasaT Web Albums. With the new version, users will have the ability to share photos and videos on Facebook® directly from PMB Portable software.

*Updates for PMB Portable software will be available for download from Apr 2010 onwards.

A slot for Memory Stick PRO Duo and SD/SDHC memory cards (sold separately) caters for users’ personal shooting preferences. There’s also a full range of optional accessories by Sony to help you get the best out of your bloggieT.

The bloggieT PM5, PM5K and CM5 Mobile HD Snap Cameras are available from Feburary 2010.