CES 2010: Sony updates Vaio and Bravia ranges

Sony has been showing off new additions to its television and laptop ranges at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The firm is pushing three new ranges of Vaio laptops, the S, Y and F versions. The Vaio S is the most likely to appeal to business users, since it incorporates Sony's Everywair system for connecting to mobile and wireless networks. The Y and F lines are aimed at media creators and consumers.

The S models offer Intel Core i7 processors, the Nvidia Geforce 310m graphics card, and 512MB of GDDR3 Video RAM. Selected models include a feature that will dim or brighten the 13.3in screen depending on the surroundings, while HDD security protects data even after a system crash.

The Y models also have a 13.3in screen, but are lighter and designed to be carried around easily. Weighing just 1.8kg, Sony said that the Y Vaio would " suit cafeteria bloggers and commuters".

Supporting this is a decent sized keyboard that the firm said would allow for error-free typing. Both will be out by the end of February and Sony is taking pre-orders now.

Also out soon is the F series of Vaios, which Sony said combine a private home cinema with media editing capabilities. The laptop screens offer HD 1,920 x 1,080 resolution and anti-glare to improve movie watching, while the quad-core Intel Core i7 processors, GeForce GT300M graphics and Blu-ray disc writer should make media creation and distribitution easy.

Other features include Sony's Picture Motion Browser, which is designed to make home movie creation easier, and ecologically sound screen dimming tools. The F Vaios will be out on 18 January.

Sony also showed off some additions to its Bravia television range that offer 3D viewing. This will still require the wearing of special glasses, but Sony said that the televisions are sylish and designed to enhance the living environment.

The sets offer internet television on demand, supplied by Channel 5 at launch, and movies on demand, courtesy of Lovefilm.

The new Bravias also include face recognition technology, which can detect when no-one is looking at the screen and dim it accordingly.

Sony said that the 3D televisions will be compatible with upcoming services, such as those by Sky, and will be available in time for the World Cup.

"Sony is leading the way in this field, being the first to market televisions complete with the integrated Freeview HD tuner," said Christian Brown, senior category marketing manager for Sony UK.

"Not only will this further simplify the home entertainment experience for consumers, it will allow them to watch all their favourite programmes in brilliantly clear high-definition detail."