Surprising, but also to be expected, was the introduction of the Sony SD, SDHC and microSD/SDHC memory cards. With the introduction of the new Sony CyberShot cameras, the specifications showed that besides supporting Sony's own Memory Stick, they also now support the SD platform. This is a logical choice, seeing that almost all manufacturers made this step years ago, or in the case of Olympus, who made it recently. What the consequences will be in the long run for the Memory Stick is yet to be seen, but we expect that this is the first step in the complete conversion to the SD/SDHC and undoubtedly the SDXC flash memory cards in the coming year or two.

With the introduction of the new Sony CyberShot HX5V and Sony TX7, simultaneously a new function is revealed, namely the TransferJet. Sony is keeping the information about this new technology a bit in the background, partly due to the fact that Transfer Jet technology is still in an advanced development stage. This wireless technology was first developed by Sony and further co-developed and promoted by 18 other manufacturers. TransferJet technology makes it possible to transfer a maximum of 10 files between two devices that support TransferJet. The only thing necessary is that the two devices are held side by side for a short moment.

Delivering on its goal of getting the newest edition of its Reader family into customers’ hands for the holidays, Sony announced the Reader Daily Edition is now shipping. Pre-orders placed on via the SonyStyle website through December 20 have begun arriving to customers. The Sony Reader Daily Edition has garnered intense interest since its unveiling earlier this year, with pre-orders exceeding expectations. The device gives consumers wireless access to Sony’s Reader Store from most of the US, via AT&T’s 3G mobile broadband network. Book lovers can browse, purchase and download books as well as select newspapers on the go.

The IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference provides a view of the near future. Tomoyuki Suzuki, Senior Vice-President of Sony in Atsugi, Kanagawa, Japan, will be one of the various international speakers, and will speak about the challenges that the company is facing concerning the development of image sensors. Looking at the digital camera, a huge development has taken place. The first CCD sensors for consumer electronics were used in the mid-80's in video cameras. In the years that followed, the digital camera made its appearance and proved a great breakthrough. Several quality and performance breakthroughs became reality. The rest, as we know, is history.

Digital reading being the new way of reading is pretty much a fact by now. We simply can't get around it, since there are thousands of digital copies being sold on Bol.com, while at the same time we witness an increasing amount of E-readers. Sony and Bol.com have set their heart on digital reading, and are hoping for an actual reading evolution. Digital books have been available for quite a while now on various websites, and also Bol.com offers digital books in the ePub format that is perfect to read on the Sony E-readers. The latest model is the Sony Reader Pocket Edition.

• Read our full Sony eReader review.

Sony introduces the first Walkman Video MP3 player with built-in stereo speakers. Don’t keep your favourite sound tracks to yourself. Share them in rich, stereo sound with the slim, stylish new Sony Walkman S540 series that comes in a choice of four contemporary colours (Black, Pink, Violet and Red). The perfect choice or gift for anyone who loves sharing their music, it’s the first ever Sony Walkman video MP3 player that includes two integrated stereo speakers. Just 10.2mm thin, the compact new Walkman still manages to find room for two high-quality stereo speakers guarded by a tough, stylish aluminium speaker grille. The slimline Digital Linear Phase Speaker System delivers satisfying, sound with solid bass and crystal clear highs.

Also available, the new Walkman E440K is an ‘all-in-one’ kit that includes the Walkman E440 video MP3 player, plus a matching Digital Linear Phase Speaker System. Adding even more versatility to your Walkman listening experience, the slim, compact stereo speaker unit gives you even more great ways to share and enjoy premium Walkman sound. It’s a great alternative to headphone listening, whether you’re travelling, working or relaxing at home. The new Sony Walkman E440 music player slots neatly into the curvaceous docking speaker unit that’s available in a choice of co-ordinating black or pink finish options.

The slim, chic new Sony Walkman E440 Series is a perfect introduction to the amazing world of Sony Walkman sound and video quality. Just 9.3mm thin and available in black and red, the super-compact Sony Walkman E Series slips easily into a pocket or bag. Despite its small size, it’s packed with serious features to enhance enjoyment of your personal media collection. The generously sized 2-inch QVGA Colour LCD screen offers a crisp, detail-packed view of videos, photos, album art, playlists and other functions.

Perfect for today’s active lifestyles, the ultra-compact new Sony Walkman B140 Series teams hot styling and stunning value with unmatched Sony Walkman sound quality. Striking looks are enhanced by a choice of four appealing colour options with co-ordinated headphones. Black, red and pink finishes are the perfect match for this season’s hot Sony Vaio Type C notebook and Cyber-shot S Series camera models. Despite its tiny size, you’ll enjoy a generous 18 hours music playback time. And if you’re in a hurry, a fast 3 minute charge is all’s that needed to power up for 90 minutes of listening.

Sony has launched a large version of it's famous Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX, crowning the range with a massive 32GB Memory Stick model. Sony Memory Stick HX already delivers impressive speed, so the introduction of a 32GB Memory stick makes it the perfect choice for handling the very large video files created when filming in High Definition video. The huge amount of memory space on the stick is also ideal for digital photography, whether you are using a sophisticated Digital SLR like the Sony Alpha DSLR, or a compact Sony Cybershot camera. The Sony Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX range also includes 4GB, 8GB and 16GB Memory Sticks.