Hasta La Gadget!

In the fast moving world of smartphones, giant HD displays just aren’t enough anymore. The new hot commodity in the land of mobile is “HD Voice.” Sure, the technology isn’t exactly brand new, but using it over post-3G high speed networks is. The selling point here is high quality noise cancellation, which allows a phone’s user to be heard clearly in the noisiest of environments. The latest device to hop on the bandwagon is Sony’s Xperia T. When describing this feature, the herculean consumer electronics maker got downright emotional saying, “you feel closer to the person you are talking to.” While we’re not too sure about that, HD Voice did impress during our ears-on session. The major caveat here is that this feature requires that both parties have HD Voice capable handsets. So, until this concept becomes more mainstream, Xperia T owners’ phone calls are likely to be close, but no cigar.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony

Bring the noise! Sony confirms HD Voice support for Xperia T originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 22:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Wikipad is an anomaly. It’s a 10.1-inch, $500 Android tablet aimed squarely at gamers — an expensive portal to a platform many mobile game developers have abandoned due to piracy. It’s got an IPS display with 1,280 x 800 resolution, an NVIDIA Tegra 3 T30 quad-core 1.4GHz processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (at launch). So … it’s not quite as sharp in the graphics department as some other tablets on the market, nor is it as pretty as its main handheld gaming competition, the PlayStation Vita. On top of that, it’s from an engineering firm that you’ve never heard of — Wikipad is also the name of the business behind the tablet, and this is the company’s first product launch. Oh, and did we mention that the main selling point is an attachable game controller that frames half the tablet in a mess of plastic buttons, joysticks, and speakers? And no, the controller won’t be sold separately, nor will it work with any other tablet.

Defying all logic, however, the Wikipad feels like a surprisingly solid piece of equipment (regardless of the fact that the prototype model we used was hand-built). From the light but solid construction of the tablet’s chassis, to its grippy molded rear — which helps both for gripping the tablet without the controller attached and assists sound amplification when the device is laid down — nothing about the device feels cheap. As a tablet, it’s speedy and responsive. Apps load quickly and smoothly, and it’s got extra loud speakers for gaming without headphones (or for David Guetta, as was demonstrated to us). The custom skin it was running felt a bit rough — the apps get reorganized with a gaming focus and slapped onto a flippable cube, which caused some visual stuttering from pane to pane. Another feature of the custom OS is a special 3D game launcher, which includes sections for Nvidia’s Tegra Zone, PlayStation Mobile games, GameStop-suggested titles, and Google Play. There are some less than exciting ad banners attached to this launcher, but they’re easily ignorable. Though Gaikai is still working with the Wikipad post-Sony buyout, CEO James Bower told us the game streaming service won’t be there at launch — he’s hoping it’ll arrive by year’s end, “but that’s up to Sony.”

Continue reading Hands-on with Wikipad, the $500 Android gaming tablet (video)

Filed under: Gaming, Tablets, Wireless, Mobile

Hands-on with Wikipad, the $500 Android gaming tablet (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 14:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It is a safe bet to say that the Android-powered tablet market is saturated with many different devices from various hardware manufacturers. After all, the Android fragmentation issue has added to that conundrum, but it should not be too large of an issue to prevent players in the market from making their own contributions. Case in point, Sony Mobile’s latest tablet announcement, the Sony Xperia Tablet S, will be in vogue with the times by sporting a thin and light design that comes packed with original applications as well as exclusive features from Sony. This new device will accompany other smartphones from Sony under the Xperia label, which is not too bad a thing, actually.

What is the reason that Sony wants to introduce the Tablet S under the Xperia family name? Well, Sony did so in order to offer users a consistent experience between the immediate convenience of an Xperia Smartphone as well as an immersive entertainment experience of an Xperia Tablet. After all, research has shown that common user experience across the devices will help enhance overall usability and intuitiveness. When merged with optimally designed hardware and software, the Xperia Tablet is said to offer consumers with a compelling way to play, watch, listen, share, discover and connect.

The Xperia Tablet S can also be considered to be an over-glorified universal remote control, since it has added macro functionality that lets you turn on multiple devices of most brands, ranging from the TV to Blu-ray Disc players and audio system, using but a single touch of a button. This means you can easily program sequenced commands such as “Watch TV” or Play Music”, while performing the sequences with one tap on the screen.

Not only that, there is a new app known as Watch Now, enriching the entire TV watching experience. Watch Now delivers an interactive, visual program guide that is fueled by personal preference and real-time trends from users’ social media feeds.

Apart from that, the Xperia Tablet S boasts of a splash proof design which will help provide additional protection from the elements. After all, you can never tell just when Murphy might strike, do you – especially when a wet disaster happens! IPX-4 splash proof rating allows the Xperia Tablet S to withstand splashing water at all angles, but this happens only when the multi-port cover is in place.

As for the Xperia Tablet S’ specifications, we are looking at Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a thin and light aluminum body, a NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor, an SD memory card slot, HDMI connectivity, integrated Wi-Fi, and ClearAudio+ mode amongst others. You can choose from 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities which will retail for $399, $499 and $599, respectively.

Press Release

[ Sony Xperia Tablet S – a whole new way to tab? copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Sony’s slow and painful transformation continues with a restructuring of its newly-minted mobile division. In October, it’s moving its headquarters from Lund, Sweden (presumably a holdover from its Ericsson days) to Tokyo — for deeper integration — and repurposing the duties of its facilities in Tokyo, Lund and Beijing. As part of the changes, Sony Mobile will slash 15 percent of its workforce, with 1,000 employees being let go by the end of March 2014, in a trend we’ve seen across the industry. Most of those affected are in Sweden, with 650 on-site staffers and up to 450 consultants being shown the door.

Continue reading Sony Mobile moving HQ to Tokyo, cutting 1,000 jobs in Sweden

Filed under: Cellphones

Sony Mobile moving HQ to Tokyo, cutting 1,000 jobs in Sweden originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Aug 2012 03:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC’s closure of its South Korean office may seem yet another blow to the company this year, but don’t be alarmed: we saw it coming. It’s a given that Peter Chou’s gang is cutting back in response to its recent weak performance, but the more interesting takeaway here is the fact that the South Korean smartphone market is one tough nut for foreign brands to crack open. Just walk into any carrier shop in Seoul and you’ll see the shelves dominated by devices from Samsung, LG and Pantech. If you’re lucky, you may spot the odd Sony, Motorola and HTC phones cowering in a corner. So why is that the case? Let’s take a look at the how it all started.

Continue reading Editorial: HTC’s departure from South Korea proves a tough fight for foreign brands

Filed under: Cellphones

Editorial: HTC’s departure from South Korea proves a tough fight for foreign brands originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 15:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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