Strengthen Your (Inner) Bond with Sony

By Geoff Duncan October 20, 2006

Strengthen Your (Inner) Bond with Sony

Sony Pictures is ramping up to the premiere of the latest James Bond film, Casino Royale in mid-November, so it should be no surprise that some of the corporate giant’s numerous other divisions are getting in on all the secret-agent action. To whit: Bond-themed Vaio notebook computers and Cyber-shot cameras.

In the U.S., in addition to Bond-themed Sony-Ericsson Cyber-shot phones, espionage fans can get their hands on a the matte-black Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T50/JB digital camera, which matches the specifications of its more-generic T50 siblings (7.2 megapixel resolution, 3-inch LCD screen, 56 MB internal memory, ISO 1000 sensitivity, nd more: see Digital Trends’ review) but adds the 007 gun logo and carrying case for a price tag of $449—which is, oddly enough, $50 below Sony’s own asking price for an unbranded T50.

However, in the Great White North, Sony’s Canadian customers can get their hands on Sony’s VGNTX007C Limited Edition Spy Gear, featuring a bond-themed Sony Vaio TX notebook computer, the Bond Cyber-shot T50, a sleek attache case with molded-foam pockets for ever Bond item, and a privacy filter for the Vaio’s screen, which makes the display visible only to viewers directly in front of the computer: would-be interlopers viewing your computer at an angle—even with a telephoto lens—will be out of luck. The Vaio packs an Intel Core Solo processor (1.2 Ghz), weighs just 2.8 pounds, measures 1 inch thick, offers 11 hours of battery life, and sports an 11.1-inch WXGA LCD display. The Vaio also touts an 80 MB hard drive, Bluetooth and 802.11a/b/g wireless connectivity, dual-lawyer DVD writer, 100Base-T Ethernet, a PCMCIA slot, 2 USB 2.0 ports, and a four-pin FireWire jack. Canadians can pre-order now for $4,299.99 (about $3,800 USD); no word if Sony requires security clearance an an agency ID, or whether arms export regulations will permit them to make this high-tech gear available stateside.

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Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

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