Tech Time! Feast Your Eyes On The New Xperia Z Smartphone By Sony

LAS VEGAS--Sony has just stepped up its smartphone game with the new Xperia Z. The flagship handset boasts a number of high-end features including quad-core processing, a massive 5-inch screen, and a 13-megapixel camera.

Design
Encased in an all-black chassis, though Sony plans to offer the phone in a selection of multiple color options, the Xperia Z is a real looker. The device's body is crafted in premium metallics with a back panel made from smooth glass. Also highlighting the Xperia's premium feel is its screen, which is set flatly within the device's trim bezel. This edge-to-edge construction helps the already large display to appear even bigger.

Another nod to the care Sony took in building this handset are the phone's buttons and controls. They sit flush against the handset's chassis, which further enhance its slimness and premium feel. In fact, despite the device's huge screen, it doesn’t look overly large. I also like the way Sony calls attention to the Xperia Z's circular power button, which is silver and relatively big compared with the wafer-thin volume rocker. READ MORE

Napster Founders Launch 'AirtTime'

Two of Napster's founders have rejoined forces to launch a new startup, this time a live social video network.

The new service by Sean Parker and Shawn Fanning is intended to bring users together through their social networks as well as their shared interests in a way that seems to combine the experiences ofSkype, Chatroulette and alsoGoogle's now-extinct Wave.

To use Airtime, which was launched at an event Tuesday in New York City, users need only a Facebook account and a webcam.

Once inside Airtime's website, users can choose to video chat or simply instant message with people from their Facebook friends list. They can also hit a button that says "Talk to Someone" and be placed in a random video chat with someone based off their interests and locations.

Airtime gets rid of some of the creepiness of Chatroulette by letting you limit your random call to friends of your friends, but after I tried it the first time -- and granted, I never once used Chatroulette -- I was still creeped out a bit and closed the call before the other person could even say "Hi." READ MORE