Hasta La Gadget!

Sony has just rolled out a spanking new firmware update for their Xperia Tablet S, which has been a tablet that saw better days when it was first introduced before it more or less faded into obscurity. This is going to be a minor firmware update, where it has been called as the ‘release6a’ firmware, taking up just 17MB of your download bandwidth. As for the kind of fixes that it offers, it is said to squash a few bugs here and there in addition to making sure that the VPN connection error will no longer be “in operation”, so to speak.

As for the Android firmware version, it will remain firmly entrenched in Ice Cream Sandwich territory, except that it will cite the Android 4.0.3 version number this time around, with a version 2.6 of the kernel. I guess you would be all right without applying this particular update, unless of course, you have suffered from VPN issues all this while.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Sony Xperia Tablet S sales to resume soon, Sony halting Xperia Tablet S sales due to manufacturing fault that could cause water damage,

Following the unexpected sales halt from earlier this month due to issues with build quality, Sony has taken to its Japanese portal to announce that the Xperia Tablet S will be returning to shelves later next month. Per the company, sales of the 9.4-inch, Ice Cream Sandwich slate are scheduled to kick off again starting mid-November (albeit in small dozes), with the outfit emphasizing that it’s still offering a free-of-charge inspection / repair service to customers who might be affected by the leaky woes. Unfortunately, a “mid-November” estimate is all we have at this point, but you can be certain we’ll let you know as soon as Sony gives us a more concrete date.

Filed under: Tablets, Sony

Sony Xperia Tablet S sales said to resume ‘gradually’ next month originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Nov 2012 05:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It seems rather ironic that despite Sony claiming the Xperia Tablet S is a splash-proof tablet, the company is currently recalling some units of the Xperia Tablet S due to a manufacturing fault that makes the tablet susceptible to water damage. According to a press release by Sony, the company has acknowledged this problem and has confirmed that this is due to a gap between the display panel and the body of the device, letting water get into places which hasn’t been splash-proofed. Sales of the tablet have also been halted temporarily and for customers who own the Xperia Tablet S, Sony has advised them to keep it away from water while offering to inspect and fix units for free. More details can be found in the press release although you will need to translate it from Japanese. Any of our readers happened to own one of these affected units? Let us know in the comments below!

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Sony Xperia Tablet S gets Android 4.0.3 firmware update, Sony Xperia Tablet S teardown,

Since no blockbuster movie in 2012 can have a home release without a second screen companion app for fans to dig through extra content while they watch, Sony has, naturally, announced one for The Amazing Spider-Man. Just like the only three movies to best its take at the box office this year (The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises and even The Hunger Games), Spider-Man’s app syncs with the movie in a Timeline Mode that pulls up featurettes, storyboards and the like, while Production Mode lets users sift through the moviemaking process, then select particular clips to play on their TV. Unlike some of the others it is not only on iPad but also Android, however the press release indicates it’s restricted to Sony’s own Tablet S and Xperia Tablet S. Still, we were able to initiate the 500MB+ download and access it on non-Sony tablets including the Nexus 7 and an CyanogenMod HP TouchPad, so your mileage may vary. You can check out the apps for free at the links below, a preview trailer embedded after the break and snag the movie itself for $25 on Amazon, delivered November 9th.

Continue reading Spider-Man Blu-ray comes with a Second Screen app for iPad and Sony’s Android tablets

Filed under: HD

Spider-Man Blu-ray comes with a Second Screen app for iPad and Sony’s Android tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 22:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For Sony, it’s all about the presentation. To be sure, since the company put all of its mobile products under one roof, it’s achieved more of a balance between style and substance than it did with the original Tablet S and Tablet P — two devices that had a lopsided emphasis on unique, proof-of-concept designs over user experience. It’s fair to say those initial tablet efforts failed to resonate with consumers, leaving the company with little recourse other than an all-out do-over.

Which is why the new Xperia Tablet S has a lot to prove: it can’t get by based on looks alone. Running skinned Ice Cream Sandwich and packing a quad-core Tegra 3 SoC, this 9.4-incher maintains the same 1,280 x 800 IPS LCD panel used on the first-gen S, and even assumes the same folded-over magazine shape — albeit, in thinner form. Yes, that full SD slot remains, but you might not need to rely on it now that the tablet comes with up to 64GB of built-in storage. So, will an emphasis on OS, ecosystem (Video Unlimited, Music Unlimited, Crackle, Reader, etc.) and a slimmed-down build make up for the blunders of the first-gen Tablet S? Will a $399 starting price help this WiFi-only tab stand out amongst the Android competition? Stick around as we find out whether this S is more than initially meets the eye.

Continue reading Sony Xperia Tablet S review: Sony’s second-gen Android slate has a slimmer design, faster guts

Filed under: Tablets

Sony Xperia Tablet S review: Sony’s second-gen Android slate has a slimmer design, faster guts originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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