Business as usual: Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact and new SmartWatch get leaked ahead of IFA 2014 announcement
One thing that has always plagued Sony‘s device releases is the sheer number of leaks that happen prior to launch, and it appears that the release of the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact and new SmartWatch is no different. The image above was leaked by XperiaBlog and appears to show the existence of a mini-tablet, expected to be the Z3 Tablet Compact , and a rather slick looking wearable which we’re expecting to be the SmartWatch 3.
The SmartWatch in particular looks to be a very different design to its predecessors, and we know it won’t be running Android Wear thanks to Sony’s heavy investment into its in-house Android operation system, whereas the Z3 Tablet Compact looks to be a very familiar design. As depicted in the picture, the Z3 Tablet Compact looks like it’s going to be waterproof, and is expected to have a screen size of about 8-inches; last year’s SmartWatch was also waterproof so expect this new one to be the same. Both devices are expected to be announced at IFA 2014 in just a few week’s time.
What do you think about the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact and SmartWatch 3? Are either of these devices on your wishlist? Let us know your thoughts.
Source: XperiaBlog
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PlayStation Network goes down following cyberattacks
Sony may be experiencing a few unpleasant flashbacks this weekend. Both the PlayStation Network and Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) are slowly recovering from a denial of service attack that flooded their server connections, kicking many gamers offline. The group claiming responsibility, Lizard Squad, reportedly started out bombarding servers run by Blizzard (World of Warcraft), Grinding Gear Games (Path of Exile) and Riot Games (League of Legends) before swinging its attention Sony’s way.
The motivations are fuzzy at this point — the attackers don’t take themselves too seriously — but you likely won’t have to worry about your account being compromised like you did back in 2011. As SOE’s John Smedley explains, the culprits are simply trying to overwhelm Sony rather than break in. That won’t be much comfort if you wanted to squeeze in a few rounds of Killzone before the weekend was over, but it hopefully means that you can get back to playing without worrying that your data is vulnerable. In at least SOE’s case, some services are already back up and running — give it a try and let others know how it’s going in the comments.
Network update: our engineers are aware of the issues and are working to resolve them. We’ll keep you posted – sorry for the inconvenience
– PlayStation (@PlayStation) August 24, 2014
Services will be gradually restored. For some it’s up now. For others the route they take may be flooded so they can’t log in yet.
– John Smedley (@j_smedley) August 24, 2014
Source: PlayStation (Twitter), LizardSquad (Twitter)
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Sony’s Smart Tennis Sensor will outfit racquets in the US and Canada for $200
We got an up-close look at Sony’s tennis gadget back at CES, and after a May launch in Japan, the accessory is prepped to hit the court in the US and Canada. The Smart Tennis Sensor plays nice with rackets from Wilson, Prince and Yonex to capture information about your swing, serve and more to a companion app on both iOS and Android. You can also opt for Memory Mode to hold details on up to 12,000 shots with internal storage for post-match analysis. The add-on is IP65-rated to keep water and dust at bay while you collect data on your game. As you might expect, in addition to all the action tracking, you can broadcast your progress to all your pals via the social network of your choosing. There’s still no exact word on an arrival date in North America, but Sony says Wilson will start selling the $200 gadget through its tennis retail channels “by the end of January 2015.” Even if you have to wait a full year after the device first broke from cover, at least you’ll be able to grab one before the great outdoors tempt with spring weather.
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Engadget Daily: Lumia 930 review, remote-controlled moths and more!
Today, we visit Seattle’s Living Computer Museum, go hands-on with the Lumia 930, ponder remote-controlled moths, learn about Sony’s plan to reclaim “20 lost years,” and more. Read on for Engadget’s news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Filed under: Misc
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Sony’s secretive new idea division is trying to turn around ’20 lost years’
It’s been tough times for Sony, and it’s very much aware of it. While we hear all about the company cutting loose unsuccessful parts (whether it’s PCs or e-readers), the other side of the coin is ensuring Sony can make another hit. Nikkei has done a deep dive (in Japanese and paywalled, unfortunately) on the electronics manufacturers’ bid to drum up new business ideas. The next Walkman or the next PlayStation could well come from the New Business Creation department, first suggested by employee Shinji Odajima last April.
He was then appointed head of it. “There’s still plenty of employees in Sony looking for a challenge.” An initial meeting for new business idea ‘auditions’ was set to house 300 employees in June: over 800 turned up. Odajima has now received over 200 ideas — though he’s not sharing those with anyone just yet.
Unlike other parts of the giant Sony machine, the new division isn’t a top-down affair: Odajima-san’s focus is squarely on its younger employees. “Renewal is supremely important for Sony. If we don’t challenge, engage with our youngest…” He left the sentence there.
“We want to start something new, we just don’t know how…”
The department has held idea auditions once every three months. While the company continues its own internal plans and projects, it offers a chance for employees to get their new ideas out there, when they might have typically been lost in the mire of bureaucracy and complexity of a company like Sony. The aim is for the section to act as an incubator for fresh ideas — and fresh blood within the organization.
“We want to start something new, we just don’t know how…”, “Who can I present my new ideas to?” These were the things the new head was hearing from employees. Odajima built up a base of around 200 young hires, beginning with informal lunchtime meetings — most attendees apparently brought homemade bento lunches.
But why hadn’t Sony been able to birth new ideas in the lost 20 years, as Nikkei phrases it? Apparently, it was the hangover from those prior hits : “We were mired in an innovation dilemma”. Late to flat-panel TVs, beaten by Apple on flash-storage music players are both offered as missed opportunities.
Sony’s incoming PlayStation Now service is an example of the not-all-that-Sony ideas it’s hoping to foster. A console-free gaming service apparently wasn’t an easy sell to senior Sony executives at the start, who feared it would destroy its console business. Sony Computer Entertainment’s Shuuzo Kikuchi had a frank (and well, correct) response:
“SCE isn’t a business there to sell console. It sells games and content, that’s the essence of it. Delivering gaming from the cloud could be a very important part of this.”
“People might have negative things to say about us, but I don’t take much notice of that,” declared Odajima. The department’s final idea screening will happen at the end of the month — then it’s time to transform those chosen few into businesses and see what works.
Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Home Entertainment, Sony
Source: Nikkei (Japanese, paywall)
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Back to School 2014: The 11 best smartphones
If you’re in the market for a new handset to accompany you on campus this fall, your timing’s just right. You couldn’t ask for a better selection of choices, and plenty of the phones in the gallery below are downright budget-friendly. That said, if you can hold off for a bit, you might want to see what Apple and Samsung have in store — both companies are expected to announce new smartphones within the next month. Note that we’ve listed devices based on their unlocked and contract-free prices, though you’ll pay less up front if you sign up with a carrier. Oh, and don’t forget to check out the rest of our Back To School guide for more product picks.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, Samsung, Sony, HTC, Nokia, Google, LG
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Selfie cameras that look like perfume bottles are going to be a thing
It’s no secret that girls in China are obsessed with taking selfies, but there’s also a local trend of slapping a Chanel perfume bottle case onto their phones. No, we don’t understand, either. Nevertheless, Sony is seizing this opportunity by releasing a new Cyber-shot camera that not only looks like a perfume bottle, but its big lens — encased in a clear brick with a gold accent — can also be flipped around to suit your needs. While it seems that Sony’s seeded this bizarre device to several Chinese female influencers and models, they’re remaining tight-lipped about the specs, but all will be revealed in China on August 22nd.
Via: G 4 Games
Source: Sony, Digi-wo (Sina Weibo)
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Which 4K TVs are worth buying?
Both Netflix and Amazon stream in 4K. Cameras like the Sony a7S and the Panasonic Lumix GH4 can shoot in 4K. Even smartphones have been getting in on the act, with handsets like the LG G Pro 2 and Sony Xperia Z2 capable of recording 4K video. So with the amount of 4K content available increasing every day, you may have been thinking about buying a 4K set so you too can bask in the glow of 3,840 x 2,160 resolution. But 4K sets don’t come cheap, and you’re going to want to do a bit of research before dropping that much cash. While we don’t really review televisions here at Engadget, we’ve done the next best thing, compiling the opinions of trusted critics from across the web. Which set offers you the most bang for your buck? Do bells and whistles like a curved screen make a difference? Check out a few members of the 4K Class of 2014 below.
Panasonic Life+Screen AX800
Price: $2,300 and up
Samsung U9000
Walk into a room and the first thing you’ll notice about the Samsung U9000 is its curved screen, which CNET says adds a “unique, futuristic look” to a set that is overall “drop-dead gorgeous.” It says the picture is equally stunning, offering “deep black levels, accurate color and great bright-room viewing qualities.” But what about that curve? Though it’s meant to create a feeling of depth and immersion, CNET found it “didn’t have any major effect on the picture aside from reducing reflections somewhat,” and Reviewed.com found it actually made some reflections worse, such that “lamps and lights are occasionally stretched across the entire arc of the screen.” It’s worth noting that the U9000 also includes an improved Smart Hub experience, but you can also find other Samsung sets that are a lot cheaper (and less curvy).
Price: $3,297 and up
Samsung U8550
The Samsung U8550 is a set that eschews the curved screen of its high-end sibling U9000 in favor of “trim bezels and a very narrow panel” that Reviewed.com says “lend this television a modern air.” The picture also does it credit, with LCD TV Buying Guide complimenting its “brilliant images in 4K,” while Sound+Vision was impressed with the “crisp detail and the clean, smooth clarity” of its upconversions. As on the U9000, the Smart Hub has been upgraded with “subtle improvements” that “hit the mark” according to LCD TV Buying Guide, and Reviewed.com says it provides “all of the streaming content and web-browsing functions you’d expect for the price.” And that’s a price that undercuts the competition by $1,000, leaving you some extra cash for an awesome sound or gaming system on the side.
Price: $1,597 and up
Sony X900B
Price: $2,998 and up
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Samsung, Sony
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Sony’s launching a waterproof version of its mid-range Xperia M2
Sony’s mobile division still lags behind Samsung, LG and HTC in all but one area: waterproofing. That’s why it’s no surprise to see the company’s mid-range Xperia M2 getting an element-resistant remake as the M2 Aqua. The device comes with IP65/68 waterproofing — making it better than the IP58 Xperia Z2 — and will sit in depths of 1.5 meters for up to half an hour without complaint. The rest of the spec list is unchanged from the original that debuted five months ago, with a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400, LTE, a 2,300mAh battery and 8-megapixel camera. There’s no word on pricing, but we’d expect it to come in above the €220 ($300) that the vanilla M2 was marked up at, and it’ll launch in the fall, destined for Latin America, Asia Pacific and Europe. Yup, Sony still don’t got no love for North America.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony
Source: Sony Mobile
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‘District 9’ star cast in lead role for PlayStation’s ‘Powers’ series
Every story needs a hero, and comic-book based yarns aren’t any different. Good thing Sharlto Copely has some experience in that department because the upcoming Powers adaptation for PlayStation would be awfully different without Detective Christian Walker. The District 9 alum has been cast in the lead role alongside Michelle Forbes (Orphan Black, Battlestar Galactica) as Retro Girl. Series co-creator Brian Michael Bendis writes on the PlayStation Blog that while the actors don’t resemble their 2D counterparts in appearance, neither he nor co-creator Michael Avon Oeming ever intended a faithful version of the book to hit the screen. He says that the pair were looking more for actors that captured the spirit of the characters instead and he wants the show and the book to exist, more or less, in parallel universes and play to the strengths of each respective medium. How much will those universes cleave? Well, we should know come December.
[Image credit: Associated Press]
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Sony
Source: PlayStation Blog
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AIVAnet 