Sony shutting down Playstation Mobile service
Despite sexy hardware and arguably solid software, Sony mobile devices remain niche devices in most markets, due to a variety of factors including limited global advertising. The inability to generate real profits with its Android devices has caused Sony to reveal plans to slow things down a bit on the mobile front, and apparently this also means shutting down mobile-related services that haven’t caught on in a bigger way.
Last year, Sony dropped Android suport for Playstation Mobile, which meant no more new Android compatible titles for the app store. Now it seems that they are taking things a step further, and shutting down the service altogether. For Android users, this means that, come September 10th, you’ll no longer be able to buy or re-download games you already bought. It is also worth noting that Playstation Mobile isn’t just shutting down on the Android side, PS Vita users will also be effected, with no new PS Vita-compatible content after July 15th and the same September date for shutting down re-downloads and new purchases.
we can’t help but feel that Sony missed a big opportunity in mobile, by never properly finding a way to capitalize on the Playstation brand
Considering the power of the Playstation brand, it’s too bad that Sony never found a way to properly leverage its Playstation name in order to push more phones and tablets. Part of the reason for the failure is that most of the games were either PS1 ports, or smaller indie titles, with Sony never doing much in the way of true AAA quality new games — at least as far as Android devices are concerned. There was also a pretty limited number of games in the store, regardless of who made them.
Honestly, the service has already been all but forgotten by most Android users, so the loss isn’t that big, but we can’t help but feel that Sony missed a big opportunity by never properly finding a way to capitalize on the Playstation brand in the mobile devices world. What are your thoughts? If Sony had done more to push the PS brand on its phones and tablets, would this have helped sales?
HTC One E9 pics and specs leak: octa-core and Quad HD screen in a plastic body
Last year’s One E8 was the plastic equivalent of the top-of-the-line M8. For the E9, which just broke cover thanks to China’s TENAA certification agency, HTC appears to be shaking things up quite a bit.
The device, bearing the “E9pw” code number, has been spotted in the database of TENAA (China’s telecom authority) by Engadget Chinese, along with images, dimensions, and a handful of specs.
The pictures show a plastic design that is similar to HTC’s recent Desire series phones, like the Desire Eye or the Desire 826. The device is flatter and thinner than the metal M9, at 7.54 millimeters, and features a two-tone color scheme with what appear to be golden accents. The most distinctive design element is clearly the large camera module on the back, though its placement very close to the edge of the phone is a bit questionable.
In terms of specs, the listing reveals a Quad HD screen of 5.5-inches (a bump up from the M9’s Full HD), an octa-core processor clocked at 2GHz (probably a MediaTek model), 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 2,800-mAh battery, and a 20MP rear camera.
The One E8 had limited worldwide availability, though it did make it to the States via Sprint, and it’s likely that the One E9 will follow the same path. HTC has recently hinted at an upcoming “huge announcement” that would bring “extreme differentiation between Samsung and the iPhone.” Whether that’s the One E9 or a different device (the One M9 Plus comes to mind), we’ll find out in mid to late March.
What do you think of this device?
Android 5.1 Lollipop SDK is now available with support for devices with dual-SIM cards
Following the official announcement of Android 5.1, and after giving us factory images for a few Nexus devices, Google has released the Android 5.1 SDK for developers. The Android 5.1 SDK brings the platform to API Level 22, which provides the API that supports multiple SIM cards and enhances enterprise features to better support the newly-announced Android for Work platform.
Also in the update is support for “Carrier Services”, which lets applications developed by carriers modify provisioning tasks such as altering IP addresses for different data connections and multiple other functions regarding the placement of phone calls.
Android 5.1 doesn’t carry with it too many new APIs, so most developers might have a hard time finding something that will revolutionize their apps. However, its always smart to have support for the latest version of Android, as 5.1 carries thousands of fixes that could be beneficial to you. For developers who’d like to begin using the new APIs, head to the source link below.
Google also adds that it will begin rolling out the Android 5.1 update to all current Nexus devices, including the Nexus Player. We’ve already seen 5.1 come to the Nexus 5, and according to a Sprint document, the Nexus 6 should be receiving it today as well.
Verizon Nexus 6 finally arriving March 12th, with Android 5.1 in tow
Despite launching quite some time ago on other carriers, the Nexus 6 has yet to come to Verizon Wireless — until now. Starting tomorrow, March 12th, the Nexus 6 will be sold online for $249 on contract or $27.08 a month through Verizon Edge with 24 monthly payments. Those wishing to buy in store will need to wait until March 19th.
So what took so long? Was Verizon just being Verizon? As it turns out, it might have more to do with Big Red waiting it out for Android 5.1. After all, there are a number of Verizon-specific tweaks in the Android 5.1 changelog that might have been needed for the Nexus 6 to play nicely with Verizon’s network. Conversely, Verizon might have just been slow to roll out the device as is typical from the carrier, take your pick.
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Aside from including Android 5.1 out of the box and the addition of Verizon branding on the back, there’s really nothing different about the Nexus 6 on Verizon’s network. For those that need a remind of what to expect, be sure to check out our full review, as well as some of our great Nexus 6 hands-on videos.
For those on Big Red’s network, are you still interested in the Nexus 6 or have you instead turned your attention to the coming crop of 2015 flagship devices?
Cyanogen OS 12 will ship with Boxer as default email app
Boxer will be the default email app for Cyanogen OS devices, starting with the Lollipop-based release 12, due in the following months.
Through its boisterous CEO, Kirt McMaster, Cyanogen has made no secret of its plans to “take away Android from Google.” That’s a monumental task, and one of the biggest challenges is providing users with compelling alternatives to Google’s services, from Gmail, to Maps, and even the Play Store. To do so, Cyanogen is partnering with companies looking to mesh their apps and services into Cyanogen OS, and the latest one is Boxer.
Boxer will actually provide the underpinnings of the Email app that ships with all Cyanogen OS devices, replacing the current solution, developed by the CyanogenMod community. This new Boxer-powered Email app will include features that Boxer is currently offering to its premium users ($14.99 in-app purchase), such as unlimited accounts, custom quick replies, custom signatures, and Exchange support. The user interface will be revamped to match Cyanogen OS.
Other features of the Boxer-powered Email include extensive customization options, integrated task management, and integrations with a variety of services right in the inbox, including Evernote, Dropbox, and more.
The new Boxer Email app will reach users of the OnePlus One, Yureka Yu, and Alcatel OneTouch Hero 2+ with the Cyanogen 12 OTA, while new devices shipping with Cyanogen OS will be preloaded with it.
This is just the latest move from Cyanogen, a venture-funded startup that has been very active in the past months. Other apps that are integrated into Cyanogen are Nextbit’s Baton and the SwiftKey keyboard; the startup also announced a partnership with Qualcomm last week, and it’s been privately securing additional investments, including a high-profile one from Microsoft.
To get a taste of the upcoming Email app, check out Boxer in the Play Store (basic version free, $14.99 for all features).
What do you think of Cyanogen’s strategy of gradually adding new services to its OS? Will it fly, long-term?
Microsoft teams up with edX to offer free online IT classes
EdX is no stranger to teaming up with tech organizations to offer online courses, and previous partners include the Linux Foundation and even Google. Now, it’s Microsoft’s turn to join forces with the online learning platform. The company says its courses will help you “build innovative applications, services and experiences on the Microsoft platform” and will be taught by MS experts. There are seven choices open for enrollment at the moment, from basic intro to Office 365 APIs to classes that teach programming with C# and the fundamentals of Windows PowerShell. The best thing about them is that they’re free (aside from PowerShell, that is), so they’re a great way to spend your downtime if you’ve always wanted to learn about those topics.
We’ve listed all the courses below with descriptions from edX: check them out soon, since the first few classes will begin as soon as the end of March.
- Programming with C#
C# is a widely-used .NET programming language that is designed to provide a simple yet powerful language for general purpose programming needs. Students will learn the fundamentals of C# supporting cross-platform application development.- Introduction to TypeScript
TypeScript is a new highly-productive superset of JavaScript that is rapidly gaining currency amongst developers who build and maintain large JavaScript applications. In this course, co-authored by Anders Hejlsberg, students will learn language syntax and how to use TypeScript to generate JavaScript for any platform.- Introduction to Bootstrap
Bootstrap is a mobile-first web UI framework originally developed at Twitter that has become a foundational technology for front-end web development. This course will investigate the power of Bootstrap and how to implement it in applications.- Querying with Transact SQL
Transact-SQL is the structured query language for SQL Server. This course will show how to use Transact-SQL to code a range of solutions, ranging from retrieving data from a SQL Server database to implementing transactional programming logic.- Building Cloud Apps with Microsoft Azure
This course takes a patterns-based approach to building real-world cloud solutions on Microsoft Azure. Students will learn the latest tools and technologies in cloud development and study the techniques for cloud-based application design.- Introduction to Office 365 APIs
Office 365 offers the tools users need to get work done anywhere and on any device. In this course, developers will learn how to create robust cross-platform applications using Office 365.- Windows PowerShell Fundamentals
This course provides fundamental knowledge and skills needed to use Windows PowerShell to automate common administrative functions in Windows-based clients and servers. Students will get hands-on practice to replace manual, repetitive, and time-consuming operations with effective, automated solutions in both local and remote scenarios. This course is offered as part of the edX Professional Education series and has a fee associated with it.
[Image credit: Ammentorp Photography/Getty Images]
Source: edX
UK ISPs start restricting sites that help bypass The Pirate Bay blocks
The never-ending game of whack-a-mole between file-sharing advocates, internet service providers (ISPs) and copyright holders continues. The Pirate Bay (TPB) has become a tricky site for torrenters to access, and it’s given birth to numerous proxy sites that circumvent the blocks set up by individual ISPs. Copyright holders cottoned on pretty quickly and have been asking ISPs to block the proxy sites that are still giving torrenters access to illegal downloads. So what’s happening now? Well, some dedicated users have set up sites that keep an up-to-date list of the best TPB proxy databases. It’s all rather convoluted, but now, according to TorrentFreak, British ISPs are cracking down on those sites too.
Virgin Media and TalkTalk have reportedly blocked access to piratebayproxy.co.uk, piratebayproxylist.com and ukbay.org, among other TPB proxy sites, creating yet another obstruction for would-be torrenters. The grounds for such a move are difficult to justify though, as the sites in question aren’t hosting the information themselves. Like a search engine, these pages merely link to other sites that then point visitors to TPB.
In response, some proxy site owners have simply changed their affected domains to sidestep the new ISP blocks, which is creating problems for all parties involved. It’s now difficult for torrenters to find these ‘sites for Pirate Bay proxy sites,’ and copyright holders have a potentially infinite number of domains to request ISP blocks for. It’s an ongoing battle that neither side can ever hope to win, except perhaps for torrenters, who can still find relevant TPB links with a little bit of patience and internet know-how.
Filed under: Internet
Source: TorrentFreak
Google’s Nexus 6 will finally reach Verizon on March 12th
Yes, the rumors were true — after a months-long wait, Verizon has confirmed that it’ll launch the Nexus 6 on March 12th, with stores picking it up on March 19th. The Google-powered phone will still be relatively expensive, at $250 on a two-year contract or $27 per month on Edge, but you will get both HD voice calling (Android 5.1 comes standard) and a free 6-month subscription to Google Play Music All Access for your trouble. Is it worthwhile at this point? That’s hard to say. This is still the latest and greatest Android flagship phone, but there’s no question that Verizon missed the boat, as it sometimes does. If you wanted a relatively pure Android experience on Big Red, you probably bought a Droid Turbo or Moto X last fall.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google, Verizon
Source: Verizon
Super Note gets a dark theme, BlackBerry Passport support, plus more with its latest update
Whether you tend to use BlackBerry’s own Remember application or a third party one, we have some pretty sweet options when it comes to Note taking apps. In fact, many of them do more than just simple note taking, including Super Note.
Vodafone UK confirm they will carry the BlackBerry Leap, but for business users only
Just a quick heads up for UK BlackBerry users that are looking forward to the release of the low cost BlackBerry Leap. Vodafone have today confirmed they will be offering the latest BlackBerry 10 device, but if you were thinking of picking this one up as a consumer you’ll be disappointed. The Leap is only going to be available for business users, which in my opinion is a shame, but we already know that this is the segment of the market that BlackBerry wants to regain most.
AIVAnet 