Sony Showcases New VAIO Pro 11 and VAIO Pro 13

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Sony today introduced the VAIO Pro 11, an 11.6-inch Ultrabook laptop, and the VAIO Pro 13, a 13.3-inch touch Ultrabook. Sony claims that both of these Ultrabooks are the "world's lightest" in their categories and perfect for the mobile professional or student who requires premium performance in a light-yet-durable design. In addition, the next evolution of Sony's slider hybrid PC, the VAIO Duo 13, features an improved design and pen solution for taking notes directly on the screen.

Sony Technologies At Work

Sony leveraged its heritage of delivering TVs with great picture quality, and the new VAIO Pro and VAIO Duo lines feature Full HD (1920 x 1080) displays. The TRILUMINOS Display for mobile technology recreates natural colors in the new VAIO Pro and Duo thanks to a wider color range that renders reds, blues, and greens more accurately. In addition to TRILUMINOS Display for mobile, the new VAIO PCs employ Sony's picture engine, X-Reality for mobile. X-Reality for mobile reduces visual noise creating sharper videos.

Meanwhile, the Exmor R CMOS Sensor technology developed by Sony provides high-quality camera functionality and Sony's ClearAudio+ technology provides a louder and clearer sound with dynamic bass and clear highs with less distortion.

VAIO Pro 11/13

The VAIO Pro models are extremely light. The VAIO Pro 11 is "the world's lightest 11.6-inch Ultrabook laptop" and Pro 13 is "the world's lightest 13.3-inch touch Ultrabook," weighing just 1.92 lbs. and 2.34 lbs., respectively. The VAIO Pro line features a carbon fiber chassis and includes an aluminum palm rest design.

The VAIO Pro 13 is the first notebook PC on the market to include a standard high speed PCIe SSD drive, allowing for faster performance than traditional SSD drives. For the road warrior, there is also an optional extended sheet battery in order to double the standard battery life for both the VAIO Pro 11/13 models. With the sheet battery, the VAIO Pro 11 model will deliver up to 14 hours while the VAIO Pro 13 model will deliver up to 13 hours of battery life.

With the new fourth generation of Intel Core processors, the VAIO Pro and Duo PCs will be available with up to Core i7.

VAIO Duo 13

Transforming between a touchscreen slate and a fully functioning conventional laptop, the all new VAIO Duo 13 slider hybrid Ultrabook is sleeker and now encased in carbon fiber with a weight of just 2.93 lbs. While increasing the screen size and minimizing the bezel in order to maximize the viewing experience, the new VAIO Duo 13 is still able to maintain nearly the same footprint and weight as the original VAIO Duo 11.

The new "Surf Slider" design features a slimmer hinge allowing for a quick transition between tablet and laptop modes. With one hand, users can slide the screen back to reveal a full-sized backlit keyboard and track pad. Returning the VAIO Duo 13 to its original position lets users interact with the device in tablet mode by touch or with the pressure-sensitive digitizer stylus.

Camera and Pen solutions

VAIO Duo PC's 8-megapixel rear-facing camera features the Exmor RS for PC image sensor combined with the new CamScanner application that enables users to take images of documents using the computer's camera as if it were a scanner and edit and organize multiple documents. CamScanner also has the ability to straighten images of documents and photos taken at odd angles, allowing individuals to focus on taking photos of important material instead of lining up the perfect shot.

Conveniently stored on the side of the PC, the digitizer stylus allows for a natural writing experience. Simply pick up the pen from its holder and instantly wake the PC to write, draw or tap the touchscreen. Users can take notes in the memo taking application, Note Anytime for VAIO, or easily crop an image with Active Clip using intelligent edge detection technology.

No Such Thing As Sleep

VAIO Duo PC's standby mode is different than what is found on conventional PCs. By maintaining a constant connection to the internet even while in sleep mode, the VAIO Duo 13 is able to continue updating applications and receiving emails even while asleep, eliminating the need to wait for the PC to resume. In addition, the VAIO Duo 13 is able to wake from sleep mode in less than a second but will still deliver up to 10 hours of battery life.

Full-Featured Standard Features

The VAIO Pro and VAIO Duo models include standard full-size backlit and full-pitch keyboard, track pad and instant PC resume technology. Also included is USB charging of personal devices even when the computer is powered down or in sleep mode. In addition, there is a USB charging port housed within the AC adapter.

With NFC (Near Field Communication technology) included in all of the new summer 2013 VAIO models, users can now quickly exchange website URLs and enable Bluetooth connections by simply tapping a compatible NFC device to the new VAIO Pro and VAIO Duo PCs.

Also included with both the VAIO Pro and VAIO Duo lines is ArtRage Studio (VAIO Duo includes ArtRage Studio Pro). ArtRage Studio offers painting tools such as oil paints and watercolors, along with utilities to make painting easier regardless of skill level. For those that want to try their hand at video creation, the VAIO Pro and VAIO Duo lines now include VAIO Movie Creator.

The VAIO Pro 11/13 models come with one-year limited warranties that includes in-home service and VAIO Care software. By pressing the ASSIST button users can install and uninstall new software and drivers, quickly identify and troubleshoot issues, create restore and recovery media, and connect with a Sony expert via phone, chat or online. For additional extended coverage, VAIO Protection Plus offers protection against accidental damage from handling, an onsite service plan and express ship coverage.

Pricing and Availability

The VAIO Pro 11/13 models are available beginning June 9 in Carbon Black and Carbon Silver for an MSRP of $1149 and $1249. The VAIO Duo 13 model is available beginning June 9 in Carbon Black and Carbon White for $1399. Both lines are available at Sony retail stores and other authorized dealers nationwide.

Where and how to get the best online gadget deals

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You can save a lot of money when shopping online for gadgets as long as you know where to look. ET lists some of the online stores that offer great deals and discounts:

Phones, Tablets & Cameras

If you are on the lookout for a handheld device, you can get some fantastic deals compared to retail stores on these sites

VIRGINMANGO.COM ( India's online shopping Portal )

Along with a deal of the week that offers promo codes for additional discounts on purchase, they also offer heavy discounts on slightly older devices.

SpeciaL Offers on Virgin Mango

The site has a clearance sale section where older products can be picked up for as much as 70% discount. They also offer the facility to collect a device purchased online from nearest Spice Hotspot store.

THEMOBILESTORE.IN

Although the rates are similar to other websites for a majority of the products, their 'Super Sale' section has some unbelievable deals at times.

ZOOMIN.COM

Although they show discount over MRP on most listed items, what sets them apart is their special offers where newer devices are listed with extra discount making them cheaper than other sites.

MIRCHIMART.COM

This one offers fantastic discounts on recently launched gadgets. Every Tuesday they have special discounts on various products under their dedicated sale day called 'Toofani Tuesday'.

Accessories Only

STUFFCOOL.COM

Stuffcool is a great source for accessories of phones, tablet and laptops. There is usually one or the other deal running and they also have clearance sale on accessories for older devices.

LOVE4APPLE.COM

As the name suggests, the site deals in accessories for various Apple devices. They have a hot deals section where you can get up to 70% discount on select items. The section is updated on a weekly basis.

FOMMY.CO.IN

This is the only site where accessories for devices by Indian manufacturer like Micromax, Intex, iBall etc are available. They have a dedicated daily deal page where a new product is listed everyday at a special price.

International Sites

THINKGEEK.COM

Thinkgeek has one of the best collections of quirky and unusual gadgets and accessories. The site ships to India via DHL or UPS Express due to which the shipping cost is slightly high.

DX.COM

DX (DealeXtreme) offers free worldwide shipping and has over 80,000 products (most unknown brands) in its roaster. They have some great clearance sales and deals available almost every week.

EBAY GLOBAL (http://GEB.EBAY.IN)

The site offer access to products that are not available officially in India along with the price inclusive of shipping and custom duties to India. Requires some searching around to find the various deals.

Smartphone users still prefer websites for e-shopping

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MUMBAI: Even as Indians are increasingly taking to smartphones but they still prefer websites for online shopping than using shopping applications on the device, according to a survey.

Close to 25 per cent of smartphone-users in country prefer to shop online than use shopping apps, a study by research firm Nielsen said.

"When it comes to accessing content on the smartphone, there has been an increasing preference for apps over websites. However, in the shopping genre, the smartphone audience still prefers websites," the study said.

"Shopping apps are still in a very nascent stage with just 3 per cent of smartphone users accessing them. On the other hand, 1 in 4 (25 per cent) smartphone users access shopping websites at least once a month, clearly indicating a preference for the website platform," it added.

According to the study, a greater percentage of smartphone-users aged over 40 years, access shopping properties at least once a month.

The data is culled from the responses given by over 10,000 smartphone-users in the survey conducted by Nielsen Informate Mobile Insights in October 2012.

According to the survey, it was found that more smartphone-users aged between 25 and 35 years engaged in m-commerce. Of these, 8 per cent said that they have made online purchases on their devices, which is higher than any other age group.

The study said that Flipkart is the most popular shopping website with a reach of 5 per cent closely followed by eBay at 4 per cent.

As far as shopping apps are concerned, eBay has the highest penetration with just over 1 per cent of smartphone-users accessing the app at least once a month, while Flipkart comes in second with a reach of just under one per cent.

E-tailing to touch $ 76 billion by 2021 in India Study

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MUMBAI: The total size of the business of selling retail goods on the Internet, commonly known as e-tailing, is set to touch $ 76 billion mark by 2021 in the country, according to a study by Technopak.

E-tailing, which is around 6 per cent of the total e- commerce, is estimated to be around $ 0.6 billion in 2012, said the study 'E-tailing in India Unlocking the Potential'.

"In India, e-tailing has the potential to grow more than hundred-fold in the next nine years to reach a value of $ 76 billion by 2021. The country's growing Internet- habituated consumer base, which will comprise 180 million broadband users by 2020, along with a burgeoning class of mobile Internet users, will drive the e-tailing story," the study said.

The total e-commerce business in India, including other products and services such as travel and financial services, is estimated to be $ 10 billion in 2012, it said.

It said in India, the retail market at present is primarily served by traditional brick and mortar stores which make up 93 per cent of the total market. Corporatised brick and mortar retail caters to nearly 7 per cent, while e-tailing's share is 0.1 per cent.

The study observed that the brick and mortar formats would undergo a few changes and the share of e-tailing in the total organised retail pie to grow from 0.1 per cent at present to 5.3 per cent by 2021.

"E-tailing will emerge as a viable third alternative by which corporatised retail can expand its share of the total retail pie.

"The key reason for this disruptive growth lies in the fact that the market-enabling conditions and ecosystem creation for e-tailing will outpace the same for corporatised brick & mortar retail. This growth will offer many advantages to the Indian economy, besides bringing in immense benefits to consumers," Technopak said.

With the Internet users spread across the country, it is an opportunity for e-tailers in India, it said.

"What makes the growth of e-tailing more compelling is the fact that such an Internet-habituated consumer is currently spread across India.

"This dispersion does not allow accumulation of enough demand for brick and mortar retailers to open stores. Yet these same consumers, aggregated at a pan-India level, become an attractive opportunity for e-tailers," it said.

The study estimates that by 2020, 150 million users will have either a laptop or a personal computer. In absolute terms, "traditional retail will grow from $ 455 billion in 2012 to $ 1,152 billion in 2021", the study said.

The growth of traditional retail, in the current form, implies the growth of neighbourhood convenience stores in new urban centres and clusters, and the continued growth of informal retail, it added.

"Corporatised brick and mortar retail will increase in value from $ 34 billion to $ 212 billion by 2021, and its share of the total retail pie will just over double from the current 7 per cent to 14.7 per cent.

"However, this type of brick and mortar retail will continue to face structural issues within the retailing ecosystem, which will be a challenge for retailers to address individually," it further said.

The report also found that the e-tailing sector can create jobs and provide employment to 1.45 million people by 2021.

"The e-tailing market will emerge as a destination for highly-skilled technology jobs employing nearly 0.3 million people by 2021. E-tailing can provide employment to 1.45 million people by 2021. Its growth will spur the creation of new capabilities and human skills in the areas of logistics, packaging and technology," it said.

Additionally, such growth will promote the rise of service entrepreneurs, who will have the potential to earn $ 7.5 billion, annually, by 2021.

It will open up international markets for the SME sector and can become an important facilitator for the growth of the telecom and domestic air cargo industries," it added.

The study also noted a disruptive change brought about by the proliferation of smartphones and tablets. "In 2012, India had over 900 million mobile subscriptions across 380 million mobile phone users. By 2020, mobile phone users are projected to increase to 600 million," it said, adding that most of the mobile phone users are expected to switch to smartphones.

Sony launches 65-inch 4K TV at Rs 4 lakh

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NEW DELHI: Sony India today added two new models to its 4K TV portfolio and refreshed its Bravia line-up by unveiling 20 new television sets. The new models in Sony's 4K range have displays measuring 55-inch (KD-55X9004) and 65-inch (KD-65X9004) and are priced at Rs 3.05 lakh and Rs 4.05 lakh, respectively. The previous 4K TV that Sony unveiled cost Rs 17 lakh and had screen measuring 84-inch.
These two televisions come with X-Reality Pro video encoding technology that upscales any video to match the 4K resolution of 3840x2160p. The Japanese manufacturer has added this technology in order to cope with the lack of 4K content available globally. Other technologies integrated in these TVs are Triluminous, QD Vision's Colour IQ, One-touch mirroring, TV SideView, magnetic speakers and 3D viewing.
Sony said it will launch 20 new Bravia televisions in India in 2013, including the 4K models. The series extend Sony's new design concept, called Sense of Quartz, to match the exterior aesthetics for home with an angular, faceted outer cabinet. All the models in the company's W Series of TVs come with Wi-Fi connectivity along with features like one-touch connect, direct 3G dongle plug in and MHL.
According to KenichiroHibi, managing director, Sony India, "Over the years, Sony India has established market leadership in flat-panel televisions category and we aim to further strengthen this position with the newly launched line-up of 4KBravia televisions. With the launch today, we are targeting a bigger market for 4K TVs by introducing the technology at a very strategic price-point. We will be increasing our Bravia marketing budget to Rs 250 crore and channel counters to 7,000 in FY13."
He added that the company would launch a new range of affordable and compact TV sets by the end of this year. "We will launch affordable television sets for tier II and III cities this year and keep prices around Rs 15,000," he said.
The company is expecting Tier 2 and 3 cities to boost volumes, while sales of high-end products in the big metro markets will push its revenue margins. It is also targeting 20% increase in revenue this fiscal. "There is huge growth potential hidden in the smaller cities... For big metro, we are focusing on value strategy. We are trying to sell high-end products in metros. We want to approach right customers with right products," Hibi said. Sony India, which imports 100% of its products from Malaysia, is aiming to sell 13 lakh television sets in the current fiscal as against 11 lakh sold in previous financial year, an increase of 18%. Bravia contributes 35% to the company's sales at present.