‘Destiny’ launches tomorrow — watch us play it live today!
The folks who created Halo have a new game, Destiny, and it launches tomorrow on both last-gen and current Xbox and PlayStation consoles. While that prospect might be enough for some folks, there are no doubt many more of you unsure if Destiny is worth your ducats. Thankfully, the game’s servers are online one day early and we’ve got a PlayStation 4 copy handy to give it a live run before it’s officially available tonight at midnight (via retail and for pre-load on current-gen consoles). Join us for a jaunt through the next big online game from Bungie Studios, just beyond the break. And bring your best Peter Dinklage impersonation!
Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD, Sony, Microsoft
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Farewell, IFA 2014
Everything that goes out of fashion, we’re told, will eventually come back, which is why we still have a pair of tight leather pants and some bell-bottom flares stashed in the back of our wardrobe. It’s a similar trend with consumer technology, and this year’s IFA has seen fit to bring back head-mounted VR (last seen in the early ’90s), netbooks (declared dead a in 2011) and digital watches. Of course, it wasn’t just these devices that got unveiled at the show, after all, there was also Samsung’s bent-screen phablet and Kobo’s waterproof e-reader. Still, if you think that you missed out on any of the devices that were announced over the last week, why not check out our gallery for a few of the highlights.
Filed under: Samsung, Sony, ASUS, Google, LG
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The ugly truth about wearable technology
When it comes to putting computers on our bodies, everyone’s an armchair Anna Wintour. Take a look at the comments on any story about wearable technology, just about anywhere. Ugly is in the eye of the beholder. And with good reason. While some of us view our PCs, smartphones and tablets as status symbols, our clothing and accessories are more closely tied to our identities than anything else.
Over the past few years, the frenzy for wearables has reached its peak. This week alone, Sony, Samsung, LG and Motorola have all shown off their next attempts at wrist-worn technology. And with each announcement comes a new set of sartorial critiques.
And yet, despite a seeming consensus from the tech press about the aesthetic appeal of devices like the Moto 360 and Pebble’s Steel, the world is still waiting for the one wearable that will have us all strapping a computer to our wrists, faces, waists or whatever. But the real obstacle to wearable adoption isn’t a matter of style; it’s a matter of taste.
The real obstacle to wearable adoption isn’t a matter of style; it’s a matter of taste.
New York Times tech-scribe-cum-style savant, Nick Bilton recently penned a speculative editorial proclaiming the as-of-yet-unannounced iWatch as the device that could finally take wearables mainstream. Apple will no doubt roll out a beautiful piece of machinery — it has an excellent track record and a proven team of designers, engineers and businesspeople on board — but the truth is, no matter how good the software, no matter how innovative the functionality, no matter how versatile and beautiful the design, there will never be one wearable for everyone.
Almost every player in the wearable game thus far has proven an ability to produce successful consumer technologies. Some of us can even agree that they’re starting to get the style right, but the truth is we all fancy ourselves individuals when we get dressed in the morning. No single company, whether it’s Apple or Motorola or even Swatch is ever going to make a single device that we all want to wear.
Apple’s wearable device, whether it’s a watch or a fedora or even a condom, will no doubt be a meticulously designed piece of hardware, but it’s going to take a much more robust and diverse market, full of choice for wearables to really take off. It’s going to take more than NFC, fitness tracking and Jony Ive’s magic touch. It’s going to take more than killer features and refined hardware.
It’s going to take time.
[Images: Evgeny Dubinchuk and Fuse, Getty]
Filed under: Wearables, Apple, Samsung, Sony
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Download the Sony Xperia Z3 wallpapers
Sony announced their new portfolio of devices yesterady, Sony Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Compact, Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact and Xperia E3. Xpera Z3 is Sony’s new flagship device and comes with a Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM and 16 or 32GB of internal storage (expandable via MicroSD card up to 128GB). The device sports a 5.2-inch 1080p (1920 x 1080) IPS LCD Triluminous display and comes with a 3100mAh non-removable battery. On the back of the device you can find a 20.7-megapixel camera while there’s a 2.2-megapixel shooter on the front. The Xperia Z3 comes with Android 4.4.4 KitKat out of the box with Sony’s very own UI on top of it. Click here for more information.
I know many of you would love to get your hands on Xperia Z3 wallpapers, you can do so by following THIS link. There are 35 wallpapers for you to check out when you download the pack, be warned though, it’s kind of a big download due to the amount of wallpapers. Enjoy!
Source: XDA
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Engadget Daily: Galaxy Note Edge, hands-on with the Xperia Z3 and more!
Today, we take a look at the Galaxy Note Edge’s bent display, test drive Samsung’s Gear VR headset, go hands-on with the Xperia Z3 and more from IFA 2014! Read on for Engadget’s news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Filed under: Misc
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Sony tries to stay relevant in the wearables game with its new watch and fitness band
At today’s conference in Berlin, Sony quickly announced two smart devices that happen to fit on your wrist. Both wearables are followups to previous versions: The 229-euro Smartwatch 3, which is a plainly named Android Wear sequel, and the 159-euro SmartBand Talk, which takes last year’s fitness band and adds an e-paper display, mics and speakers. Each device got some face time during Sony’s presser, but were overshadowed by the rest of the company’s mobile lineup, so I spent a little extra time with them both after the show.
Let’s start with the Smartwatch 3, which uses a 1.6-inch square display. Compared to the ZenWatch, Moto 360 or the LG G Watch R, Sony’s new offering isn’t meant to be classy; it comes with a very sporty wristband that hugs the entire perimeter of the device, and unfortunately it just makes the watch look even larger than it already is. Keep this in mind if you’re small-wristed (like I am), because you might constantly worry that it’s going to eat your entire hand for dinner. You can replace the wriststraps, but they aren’t the normal 22mm kind you use on your analog watch; you’ll have to get them through more official channels, and there will be more strap color options beyond black and white sometime after its launch.
There’s no special charging cradle or secret sauce here, so you just need to use your run-of-the-mill micro-USB plug to get it juiced up. And according to Sony, once it’s fully charged, you can expect anywhere from two days of battery life to four days of standby. The sad news: That claim is actually an improvement over most other Android Wear watches, which are lucky to last that long on their best days. With a 420mAh battery, however, it’s really not that much better than the G Watch or Galaxy Live, so I’m curious to see if Sony has some tricks up its sleeves. Additionally, it also has NFC, a waterproof rating of IP68 (just like the Z3 series phones), an ambient light sensor and a physical power key.
And I believe there are a few things that Sony isn’t telling us. The devices on display at IFA are in the infamous retail mode, which means you can’t actually use it in real-life — it just shows the same screenshots over and over. A Vice President for Sony America told me that it may have some bells and whistles that other watches don’t have, but he couldn’t go into any more detail; given earlier rumors that the Smartwatch 3 may have a custom UI of some sort, I certainly won’t be surprised if we see a few more reveals between now and time of launch. Another clue: In its press release, Sony noted that this watch was the first one “specifically designed for the latest Android Wear updates” and would offer software innovation. Nothing like a good mystery!
What we do know is that the Smartwatch 3, in addition to the SmartBand Talk, is compatible with Sony’s Lifelog Android app, which is available in the Play Store. The idea is that it logs various parts of your life, and I’m not just talking about fitness; it’ll also track the music you listen to, the movies you watch, how much deep and shallow sleep you get each night and so on. All of the details will sync with your phone (if you’re away from your device, it’ll initiate the transfer once you’re in range) and displays it in a handy chart and even shows an animated graphic that lets you see where you were and what you were doing at any specific time.
The SmartBand Talk improves upon its predecessor by adding a mic, a couple of speakers, an altimeter for tracking hikes and climbs, and a battery-sipping e-paper display (the first SmartBand had no display at all). Thanks to this, the tiny 70mAh battery should last you up to 3 days, according to Sony. It charges in less than hour, apparently, so its time plugged in will hopefully be just a tiny blip in your lifelog instead of a major disruption. (If you’re using it to monitor sleep, however, just make sure it’s not going to power off on you in the middle of the night.) And much like the Smartwatch 3 and Z3 devices, the band is waterproof.
The display itself shows things like the time, music you’re playing and fitness activities like steps taken. It’s activated via accelerometer, so it changes screens when you move your wrist around. There’s also a volume button for your speakers if or when you want to make calls, and another button that changes the screen to preset panels that you can customize through your phone app.
Sony was one of the earliest manufacturers to come out with a smartwatch, but now that everyone else is joining the party, it’s tough to stay relevant. The watch is a tad on the expensive side, so whatever mysteries it holds needs to be unique enough to turn heads; the band is a great improvement over the previous version, thanks to its display, but I’m concerned that the inclusion of mic and speakers raised the price of the band a little too high. As always, we reserve our final opinions for the reviews, so be on the lookout for those sometime later this fall.
Filed under: Wearables, Mobile, Sony
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Sony SmartWatch 3 and E-Inck SmartBand Talk are Officially Announced
Continuing with the barrage of news from IFA from all the big name OEM’s, we have news coming from Sony about their two new wrist options. Sony has announced two new devices to grace the smartwatch scene and both are uniquely different from past devices and from each other. The SmartWatch line from Sony traditionally ran their own version of software. With the new SmartWatch 3 though, Sony shifted its efforts over to Android Wear.
The Sony SmartWatch 3 brings a 1.6-inch 320 x 320 TFT LCD transreflective display. In English, it should look great even in direct sunlight. It carries along the traditional 4GB of on-board storage, ARM Cortex A7 quad-core processor at 1.2GHz, 512MBs RAM and a 420 mAh battery that is rated for 2 days of usage (charges via traditional micro USB). The silicon band is more of a holder for the watch face. Think the KYROS smartwatch, where you can pop the main unit out of the band and stick in something else. More so another colored watch band. The Sony SmartWatch 3 is IP68, carries NFC, GPS and Bluetooth. Yes, this is one that you can leave your phone at home and still track your run via the built-in GPS. It will come in Black and Green at launch.
The SmartWatch 3 is clearly geared towards the more active lifestyles with its colorful bright color options. It is scheduled for an Autumn launch in Europe with a price tag of 229.99 Euro’s.
The second device they announced is the SmartBand Talk. This device is a redone SmartBand SWR10 with the addition of a curved 1.4-inch E-Ink display. Think Pebble. Sony took the device a little further though and added in a mic and a speaker to give you the full Dick Tracy phone calls on your wrist type of thing. The SmartBand Talk also has an altimeter inside to let you track elevation as well. The SmartBand Talk is scheduled for an Autumn release as well in Europe for 159.99 Euro’s.
Both devices will utilize Sony’s LifeLog app that is free in the Play Store.
Source: Sony Mobile Developer Blog | Sony Press
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Sony’s new tablet lets you play PS4 games and call your mother
There’s a French phrase, un beau affreux, which means that something is ugly and beautiful at the same time. As soon as we got our hands on Sony’s Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, we wished the French had also come up with a word that means simultaneously colossal and small. That’s the paradox at the heart of the company’s tablet, which packs an 8-inch display, but thanks to its 6.4mm thickness and 0.6 pound weight, feels almost insubstantial, as if you’d still try to fit this into a pocket. That’s not a criticism, either, because if you found the Galaxy Note to be a bit too small for your needs, this could replace it in your affections.
That’s because, thanks to its LTE modem, so long as you have a pair of Bluetooth headphones to hand, you can actually harness its cellular connectivity to make calls. The company has even left the dialer on the front page of the homescreen here, leaving you in no doubt of its prowess. There’s also NFC and an option to add a mobile wallet, although it’d be rather amusing if you tried to use an 8-inch tablet to buy your morning coffee.
Packing a quad-core 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 and 3GB RAM, the Z3 tablet is also no slouch in the performance department, and you can extend its 16GB of built-in memory all the way up to 128GB if you have such a powerful microSD card. The TFT display itself has a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 and the viewing angles are pretty great, meaning that the device would happily pull a shift as an impromptu dorm room cinema. That ability is also helped with the forward-facing stereo speakers above and below the screen, which may not be BoomSound-levels of quality, but are a huge improvement on a lot of the tablet market. The same can’t be said for the headphone jack, which now comes out at the top of the right bezel (in portrait). When used in landscape, that’s a perfectly fine design decision, but if you do decide to make this an ever-present in your shoulder bag, you might find the location a little grating.
Imaging-wise, there’s an 8.1-megapixel shooter on the back and a 2.2-megapixel lens up front, although the huge preview screen is actually a little disturbing, so maybe this device will discourage selfie shooters. Thankfully, even though it is a tablet, the company has seen fit to ensure that it’s as rugged as its junior siblings, shielding it with IP65 and IP68 waterproofing.
As we’ve already established, this is one of the few devices capable of running Sony’s PS4 remote play, and we can certainly imagine ourselves playing games on this great display. Of course, there’s still no word on when that might actually happen, but hopefully Sony won’t keep us in the dark too long about release dates and prices.
Jamie Rigg contributed to this report.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Sony
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Sony’s Action Cam Mini packs just as much power in two-thirds the size
While some users might not love everything about Sony’s current adventure camera lineup, you can hardly fault the Action Cams for being too large. Still, when size and weight really matter, such as when you’re mounting a camera on a helmet or a drone, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to shave off an inch or two. That’s exactly what Sony’s done with its Action Cam Mini, which replaces the AS100V we first met at CES with a camera that’s two-thirds the size. Fortunately, you won’t have to compromise on image quality, and all of the former model’s accessories work with the Mini, too.
The battery’s been scaled down, so longevity is reduced slightly, but the camera’s now splash-proof, so you don’t need a waterproof case when shooting mountain bike treks or trips down the slopes. Popping on the included case adds even more protection, making the Mini dust, sand and waterproof to five meters. As for specs, there’s an 11.9-megapixel Exmor R BSI CMOS sensor, a 170-degree ultra-wide-angle lens, a stereo mic, 120 fps high-speed recording at 720p and support for Sony’s super-sharp 50 Mbps XAVC S codec when you’re shooting at 1080p.
The Mini will run you $250, or $350 Mini when bundled with the new live-view remote, which gives you complete control over up to five cameras, including image-quality adjustments, flip, timecode and shooting mode. The remote is waterproof to five meters and also sports an integrated GPS — data is pushed to the camera — as well as video playback (without sound). Both products launch October 19th, and while you can’t pick up the new remote a la carte, you can still order its predecessor for $150.
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Sony updates ‘lens camera’ lineup with QX30, interchangeable-lens QX1
At last year’s IFA in Berlin, Sony announced its first two “lens cameras,” a pair of point-and-shoot cams that clip onto your smartphone. You use your phone’s display to control the camera, and while you can technically fire off shots using the integrated zoom toggle and shutter release, there’s no built-in LCD. Given the limitations, they’re not for everyone, but there’s apparently been enough interest for Sony to keep the QX line going, with a 30x zoom version and a unique interchangeable-lens model that accepts any E-mount optic now making their debut here in Berlin.
The first model, the QX30, sports a 30x, 24-720mm f/3.5-6.3 optical zoom lens. There’s a 20.4-megapixel, 1/2.3-inch Exmor R CMOS sensor, a 12,800 top ISO and 1080/60p video support. You can store shots both on the camera’s microSD card and on your smartphone as well — images and videos can be transferred instantly via WiFi, and you can push pics to the web straight from your phone. The replaceable battery can keep you going for 200 shots or 45 minutes of HD video, and you can charge up the camera via micro-USB. The QX30 ships next month for $350.
Sony’s QX1 is by far the most interesting model of the bunch. There’s an interchangeable lens mount and a large 20.1-megapixel APS-C sensor, essentially giving your smartphone DSLR-like image quality. You’ll have access to many of the same features as Sony’s mirrorless camera lineup, including a 16,000 top ISO, 1080/30p video, advanced shooting modes and support for RAW captures. There’s also a pop-up flash and a much beefier battery (the same pack that Sony ships with its mirrorless cams), letting you capture up to 440 stills or 150 minutes of video on a single charge. The QX1 is expected in stores in November for $400.
Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Sony
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AIVAnet 