Sony announces new slim line PS3 this week

Sony on Tuesday finally unveiled the new slim line PS3 that has been rumored for months and has mentioned that the price tag for this magnificient unit is going to be around €299 when it is launched on September 1st across North America and Europe.
Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai performed the unveiling at a press conference in Cologne, Germany, preceding the opening of the Gamescom Expo. He took the stage and announced the PS3 was "getting a new model" and that, indeed, it was called the PS3 Slim.



The new PS3 continues to offer the cutting-edge features and functions of the current models, such as the ability to enjoy high-definition Blu-ray disc (BD) movies and games, as well as various content and services downloadable through the network. PlayStation Network members can also download free applications, such as PlayStation Home, a ground-breaking 3D social gaming community available on PS3 that allows users to interact, communicate and share gaming experiences, as well as Life with PlayStation, which offers users various news and information on a TV monitor in the living room by connecting the PS3 to the network. It is 33 percent smaller than the old PS3 and 36 percent lighter and comes with a impressive 120GB hard drive.

Even though on my own older version of the PS3 fan noise was never a problem, according to Sony the power consumption of the Slim has been reduced by two thirds helping to reduce fan noise.

On the cosmetic front, this model has a textured surface finish that gives the PS3 a fresh, casual look that the company hopes will make it more appealing to a wider audience.

As on the older version you can also upgrade/replace the hard drive without voiding the warranty, though Sony has moved the hard drive from the side of the unit to the front for "easier access." (To remove the hard drive, you simply unscrew two screws a simple operation performed on the old PS3).

The Good:
With an affordable price tag of €299 you not only get a fantastic console but also a blu ray player, web browser, media storage device and so much more.

The Bad:
Backward compatibility for PS2 games has always been a known issue with sony followers and it is a shame to see it wasn’t corrected on this new device. Would have been nice to see an infrared port included so that it could be used with all in one remotes to give a better media experience.

Overall:
With an impressive array of capabilities at an affordable price the PS3 slim is a great new addition to Sony’s range and just in time for the Christmas rush.

Gstore Exclusive - Purple Slanket

Cant believe that I havent posted in nearly a week, have been having a real hectic one two weddings in the space of three days it has been a great but crazy expensive weekend.

So we have added the new purple slanket to our range and it is exclusive to Gstore you will not find this on any other Irish website. Due to be in stock for the 4th of September this is guaranteed to be a big hit and the pre-ordering for this one has already taken off so in all honesty get in soon to avoid disappointment. I have also added the alaskan blue which is another great colour.



Another crazy week planned heading to some trade fairs in the UK this week to start the christmas order its all new to me but a great learning experience. Hope to pick up some really good products there. Speak with you all soon.

P.S. The plane is delayed so might get a lot of blogging done :)

Gstore.ie Teams up with Dad.ie

For the last few weeks we have been talking David from Dad.ie its a great new site for all the expecting Dads out there and really is a fantastic resource, David's story is below


Who's the Dad.ie?

When my wife became pregnant like all new dads-to-be I needed to know what I was letting myself in for, I desperately wanted information on what to expect over the nine months so the obvious place to start off with was on the net. What I found on there was a distinct lack of information for dads-to-be written from a male perspective. Now don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of great pink & fluffy sites for the expectant mammy, but not one for us dads. I was also working in Waterstones at the time so I was familiar with the limited number of pregnancy and parenting books on offer for men.

My decision to go ahead and set up Dad.ie was further reinforced whilst attending the scans at our obstetrician’s office. You see, although the mums-to-be were chatting freely together exchanging tips and recommending various prenatal products, the dads looked very out of place, and if I must be honest, a little lost!

As the site began to develop I discovered that what was needed was more than information just for the dad-to-be, there were other major areas of interest that needed to be included such as articles on fatherhood, health issues, money & legal advice and general areas of interest including motoring, travel, grooming, sport & fitness, gadgets and entertainment. What is also of great significance on the site is a forum where dads and dads-to-be can talk about a range of issues from childbirth to everyday dad life. Dad.ie is designed in the style of a modern men’s magazine with articles updated regularly and with all previous articles available through the site’s archive.

Visitors can subscribe to newsletters and take part in online polls. I am delighted to have onboard a host of writers whose contribution is based not only on their professional experience but also on their practical experience as dads & dads-to-be. This includes the popular RTE Clinical Psychologist David Coleman (“Teens in the Wild”) and John Lowe – ‘The Money Doctor’, known for his bestselling books on personal finance. Padraig Murphy, formally of the RTE programme ‘Health Squad’, John McHale - Sports Editor with Cork’s Evening Echo newspaper, Brian Byrne – Managing Editor of ‘Irish Car + Travel’. Journalist and author of the dad-to-be diary -‘That’s My Baby!’, Pól Ó Conghaile, men’s health correspondent – Dr. Tony Foley, GP, and Dr. John Waterstone – Medical Director and Co-Founder of Cork Fertility Centre. August sees the launch of dadblog - a platform for all dads and dads-to-be to submit their own diary entries on dad life.

Sony announces new Cyber-shots

Had to post about this new Sony Camera it has a great function for partys

Sony has developed a base unit for cameras that swivels them around through 360 degrees and tilts them up and down to follow people in a room and, when the time is right, snap a picture.



The device, called Party-shot, runs on a pair of AA batteries and is compatible with two new digital cameras that Sony will begin selling in September. The dome-shaped device includes some motors but all of the tracking is done by the digital camera.

Aiming is done by facial recognition software that works off the image coming through the camera's lens. The camera monitors the image and scans for faces and, when it finds one, sends instructions to the base so that it can continue to track someone who might otherwise go out of the frame.

It then judges when the composition or pose is right and snaps a picture.

In a demonstration on Thursday the camera coped quite easily with tracking a small number of people close by although sometimes got confused when a greater number of people were in range or people were further away. The automatically snapped pictures were a mixture of good, funny and bad. Owners probably wouldn't want to keep all of the photos but during the limited demonstration it did snap some that would probably be worth keeping.

The Party-shot will go on sale in Japan on Sept. 4 and costs approximately €140. It will launch simultaneously with one of two cameras that can be used with it.

The Cyber-shot TX1 is a stylish and slim model at 14 millimeters thick and comes with 4X optical zoom and a 3-inch touchpanel screen. The second camera, the Cyber-shot WX1, has a conventional 2.7-inch display and 5X optical zoom.

Both cameras use Sony's 10-megapixel "Exmor R" image sensor, which has better sensitivity then previous sensors so works better in low-light conditions. With the new sensor the cameras can manage 10 full-frame pictures per second so you can burst shoot a short scene.

They also have Sony's "Sweep Panorama" feature that allows for super-wide panorama shots. The camera takes up to 100 pictures as the user swings it from one side of the panorama to another and automatically matches and stiches the images together so the result is a very wide picture.

The TX1 will launch on Sept. 4 in Japan and cost around €300 and the WX1 will go on sale on Sept. 18 and cost €280.

Our First Feature Video

Created this video last night to give a little insight of what is available on our site, only managed to add 15 products but this is a small number of the items that we are stocking at the moment, will be creating more Gstore videos soon so keep coming back to check them out.

Introducing Terrence, Trixie, Towgo and Frieda

We have just added the cool Trunki cases to our range of products. This is something that I personally wanted for a long time so when I eventually got the chance I jumped at it.

The Trunkis featured on Dragons Den a few years ago and were shockingly turned down by all dragons, luckily for the Trunki its inventor did not give up and it has gone from strength to strength. Even Duncan from dragons den has said that this is the one deal that he regrets not getting a piece of, its a real success story.

I am really excited about Frieda its a cool looking case and I am hoping that people will agree check it out below, how could anyone say no.


I spotted a clild on one of these in the airport about 6 months ago and ever since then knew that I was going to have it on the list.

www.WeddingDates.ie - Superb idea

So Mrs Gstore has finally started looking for wedding venues and after spending my entire saturday going to only three venues I thought there must have been an easier way. So I came across www.WeddingDates.ie and spent about 20 minutes and had a perfect list based on the dates that we had in mind. It is also a one stop shop for all the wedding suppliers that you had in mind.



I would highly recommend this site its the perfect solution for anyone planning a wedding and believe me the point I am at now looking at different venues, bands, menus and even little boxes for the table, I WOULD KNOW :) .

Wishing Ciara all the best with this venture.

Regards
Tony

www.gstore.ie

Some Pubs will go the extra mile

Had to post about this bar in melbourne that seems to be going the extra mile to keep their customers happy, check out the picture below of their rear projection urinal. Crazy stuff



Horse Bazaar is a unique fusion of art, music, technology and alcohol. Upon entry one is greeted by a warm and welcoming playground for the senses. The leafy front area and free wireless internet make for a serene serviced daytime oasis as an alternative to your desk. Or if late night shenanigans are more your style, the friendly staff are willing to pave your way into oblivion.

The central feature of Horse Bazaar is an immersive projection environment. The bar contains a 20m continuous digital canvas on which new media and digital artworks are projected. The Horse also runs Australia's richest annual digital art prize, and has created a world first, the Rear Projection Urinal (RPU). It's art for peeing on.

Hope you are all well

Regards
Tony
www.Gstore.ie

The latest at Gstore

Hi All,

Hope you are all well, just to give you an update on what has been going on at Gstore so far this week.

We have just added the happy nappy cakes to our range of products we spotted them on Billie's fantastic site http://www.happynappycakes.ie its well worth a visit. The happy nappy cake is a fantastic gift for any expecting mother and is something a bit different and will be remembered for a long time to come.



I have also restructured the categories to allow for the new range of products that I have added in over the weekend. Bought myself a full gas barbaque at the weekend and was gutted I did when I had to clean it afterwards, they are a mess. I should have stuck with the disposable ones and just used one of my new Asado disposable BBQ frames, would have been much easier, but lesson learned.

Speak with you soon.

Regards
Tony

http://www.gstore.ie

follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/Gstore_ie

Top tips for chinese lanterns

Many people find lighting their Chinese Lantern an easy task, however, here are some tips to ensure you get it right everytime.



1. Always check weather conditions are clear and calm prior to lighting your Wish Lantern, never use the Lanterns on a windy day or near tree, electricity poles, etc...
2. Always use two people to light the Wish Lantern.
3. Have one person hold out the corners of the lantern while the other person lights each corner of the fuel cell, we’ve found it easiest to light with a cigarette lighter.
4. Wait for the lantern to fill up with hot air before releasing, try not to get too excited and throw it into the air, wait for it to fill up fully and then release it, the lantern will rise faster this way.

Using this technique you can be assured that you will get the maxinum benifit out of your sky lantern.

Happy Flying

Now obsessed with Saving

Well after receiving a unexpected bill from my mechanic last weekend I have started building up an emergency fund in my euro money counting Jar, and I am now obsessed with it.

Its cool to see it building up and up and a week in I am up to €48, wohoo. The only problem now is that I never have coins in my pocket and I end up spending using notes.



If I dont stop opening boxes I wont have any stock soon, its like a showroom in my house at the moment as I have taken a lot of stock for myself. Need to start ordering again soon :) .

Talk to you all soon