Sony Dash “Personal Internet Viewer”
Dash Addict – Feast on Sony’s mesmerizing personal viewer…
Sony calls the Dash a “personal Internet viewer,” but I’m not sure that’s a fully accurate description. Truth be told, I’m not sure exactly how to describe this device since it does so many things: It can serve as your alarm clock, you can watch movies on it, peruse one of 1,500-plus widgets, watch Netflix and YouTube… the list goes on and on.
If this feature set sounds a little familiar, it maybe because I reviewed a similar gadget in this column exactly 2 years ago called the Chumby. And there’s a good reason for the similarities, since Sony partnered with Chumby and revamped the device.
The improvements are immediately obvious and all for the better. The screen has doubled in size to 7- inches, and the picture has that Sony Bravia crispness that’s a godsend to my 49-year-old eyes. The number of widgets available has increased well into the 4-figure range. And the Dash ($200; sonystyle.com) has a 500-MHz processor, a nice ramp up from the 350-MHz chip in the Chumby.
Dash setup is extremely easy: Take the unit out of the box, plug it in, and fire it up. You’ll then be prompted to join your wireless network. This entire process takes all of 2 minutes. You can set your apps and widgets either directly from the Dash or through their respective Web sites. I set mine directly on the Dash itself by browsing and choosing from the touch-screen. promptly adding some perennials like Facebook, the Weather Channel, the New York Times, TMZ. and my personal favorite, Google Trends. Having gotten used to the 3.5-inch Chumby screen, I instantly found video to be a much better experience on the twice-as-big Dash. The aforementioned Netflix and YouTube, as well as shows like 60 Minutes off the CBS News widget, all play well. There are a few music sites to choose from, like Pandora and SlackerRadio, and the sound is surprisingly good.
Actually, the biggest issue for me was where to put the Dash. I already love my alarm clock, and since I get up so early and am so rushed once I’m on the move. I spend very little time in my bedroom. I considered a kitchen locale but eventually settled on my home office, where the unit sits right next to the computer on my desk. But Gary,” I can already hear you asking, that seems like an odd place for it since you can find anything on the Dash on your computer, can’t you?” True, but this arrangement works for me because the screen is constantly scrolling and giving me info and updates; I don’t have to do it myself. News, sports scores, weather, headlines — it’s like having a news ticker at my fingertips. And during those times when I see an odd name or subject scroll through on Google Trends, I’ll throw it in a search and find something news worthy or interesting that I didn’t know.
I suspect that you’ll also ask why I (or you) need the Dash. After all, the ubiquitous iPad does more — but it also costs 300 bucks more. Cellphones and PDA scan do most of this stuff, too, but none of these devices was designed to sit next to your bed or re side in your kitchen. Having a dedicated. situated device for these functions is just easier, IMO. And consider this: For those of you with housemates and life partners not quite as tech savvy as yourself, this may be just the gadget to get them jump-started.
Whether it’s using the Dash for my vital needs (headlines, time, weather) or for more fun and frivolous uses (like the polar bear camera at the zoo or the 24-hour camera on Times Square), I’m digging my Dash.
Price $200
Dash Addict – Feast on Sony’s mesmerizing personal viewer…
Sony calls the Dash a “personal Internet viewer,” but I’m not sure that’s a fully accurate description. Truth be told, I’m not sure exactly how to describe this device since it does so many things: It can serve as your alarm clock, you can watch movies on it, peruse one of 1,500-plus widgets, watch Netflix and YouTube… the list goes on and on.
If this feature set sounds a little familiar, it maybe because I reviewed a similar gadget in this column exactly 2 years ago called the Chumby. And there’s a good reason for the similarities, since Sony partnered with Chumby and revamped the device.
The improvements are immediately obvious and all for the better. The screen has doubled in size to 7- inches, and the picture has that Sony Bravia crispness that’s a godsend to my 49-year-old eyes. The number of widgets available has increased well into the 4-figure range. And the Dash ($200; sonystyle.com) has a 500-MHz processor, a nice ramp up from the 350-MHz chip in the Chumby.
Dash setup is extremely easy: Take the unit out of the box, plug it in, and fire it up. You’ll then be prompted to join your wireless network. This entire process takes all of 2 minutes. You can set your apps and widgets either directly from the Dash or through their respective Web sites. I set mine directly on the Dash itself by browsing and choosing from the touch-screen. promptly adding some perennials like Facebook, the Weather Channel, the New York Times, TMZ. and my personal favorite, Google Trends. Having gotten used to the 3.5-inch Chumby screen, I instantly found video to be a much better experience on the twice-as-big Dash. The aforementioned Netflix and YouTube, as well as shows like 60 Minutes off the CBS News widget, all play well. There are a few music sites to choose from, like Pandora and SlackerRadio, and the sound is surprisingly good.
Actually, the biggest issue for me was where to put the Dash. I already love my alarm clock, and since I get up so early and am so rushed once I’m on the move. I spend very little time in my bedroom. I considered a kitchen locale but eventually settled on my home office, where the unit sits right next to the computer on my desk. But Gary,” I can already hear you asking, that seems like an odd place for it since you can find anything on the Dash on your computer, can’t you?” True, but this arrangement works for me because the screen is constantly scrolling and giving me info and updates; I don’t have to do it myself. News, sports scores, weather, headlines — it’s like having a news ticker at my fingertips. And during those times when I see an odd name or subject scroll through on Google Trends, I’ll throw it in a search and find something news worthy or interesting that I didn’t know.
I suspect that you’ll also ask why I (or you) need the Dash. After all, the ubiquitous iPad does more — but it also costs 300 bucks more. Cellphones and PDA scan do most of this stuff, too, but none of these devices was designed to sit next to your bed or re side in your kitchen. Having a dedicated. situated device for these functions is just easier, IMO. And consider this: For those of you with housemates and life partners not quite as tech savvy as yourself, this may be just the gadget to get them jump-started.
Whether it’s using the Dash for my vital needs (headlines, time, weather) or for more fun and frivolous uses (like the polar bear camera at the zoo or the 24-hour camera on Times Square), I’m digging my Dash.
Price $200
