Sony Corp.

Sony Splits Contacts App on Android; Updates to 16.1.B.3.2

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 16, 2014 | 0 comments

If you’ve been rocking Android 4.4.4 on your Xperia Z1, Xperia Z1 Compact which the US is finally getting, or the Z1 Ultra then this news is for you. In a trend that current affects the mentioned phones which will likely expand to all current Xperia smartphones, Sony is separating the Contacts app from all firmware updates and instead is planning on treating as a standalone app. Sony already does this with their media apps like Walkman which was just updated to build 8.4.A.1.4. With that move, the Contacts update 16.1.B.3.2 went live as well.

After the jump, we discuss why this is an important step for Sony and what Contacts 16.1.B.3.2 brings with it.

Sony Walkman 8.4.A.1.4 App Update Now Live

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 11, 2014 | 0 comments

If you’ve been enjoying the Sony Walkman app on your Android phone then listen up. Sony is rolling out the Walkman 8.4.A.1.4 update which brings with it some good UI tweaks and the inevitable “bug fixes” that tend to come with all software and firmware updates. Those looking to get their hands on the latest Walkman app update need Android 4.2 or higher on their smartphone and can download the small in size Walkman 8.4.A.1.4 update over the air (OTA).

After the jump, let’s talk details and device compatibility for the new Walkman app.

Official: New Sony Xperia C3 is Made for Selfies (Update)

by Jonathan Nolan | Jul 7, 2014 | 0 comments

Are you a selfie fan? Do you like to get the best snaps you can with friends but are frustrated by the lower quality of the front camera? Well get ready for the Xperia C3, Sony’s answer to this problem. The Xperia C3 has been officially revealed and it sports a front-facing flash to help you achieve the best lighting no matter the time of day or weather.

Official specs:

Snapdragon 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Quad-core
1GB RAM
5.5″ HD (1280×720)
5 MP Front-facing camera (720p)
Soft flash for front camera
8 MP camera with auto focus
4G LTE
7.6mm thin
Android 4.4 (KitKat)
2500 mAh

Read on to find out more.

Sony Pictures Television Acquires CSC Media Group in UK TV Market

by Jonathan Nolan | Jul 3, 2014 | 1 comment

Sony Pictures Television has recently announced plans to expand further into the UK market with its acquisition of CSC Media Group, adding a further 16 television channels to it’s UK portfolio.

Currently Sony owns TV channels in the UK including Sony Movie Channel, Movies 4 Men, and Movie Mix. These channels are ad-supported and are will now be complemented with the addition of popular channels including True Entertainment, Pop and Chart ShowTV.

The acquisition of CSC further demonstrates our commitment to the UK market and our intent to continue to grow our tremendously successful global portfolio of networks,

Andy Kaplan, president of worldwide networks for Sony Pictures Television

Read on for more details.

FIFA Bans Players Using Beats Headphones at World Cup; Sony Remains Official Sponsor

by Jonathan Nolan | Jun 23, 2014 | 0 comments

Football may celebrated as the ‘international sport of the world’, bringing people together from every corner of the world in a way that few cultural events truly do, but it’s easy to forget that behind the glamour and fun, it’s big business too. For example, this is estimated to be the most expensive World Cup ever, costing Brazil more than the previous two Cups combined at roughly $14-16bn. It also represents the biggest single-event sporting competition in the world, with more than 1 billion unique viewers expected to watch online, by smartphone, TV and in public places. Just imagine what those figures mean to companies in communications, PR, marketing, also for merchandise producers and a whole lot more. Like Sony, for example.

FIFA has just announced that it’s banning players from wearing Beats branded headphones from all stadia involved in the World Cup.

Read on to find out why.

Sony Partners with Hydro-Québec for Energy R&D Venture

by Jonathan Nolan | Jun 16, 2014 | 2 comments

Sony Corp. has just teamed up with Hydro-Québec to create a joint venture called Esstalion Technologies, Inc. that is designed to utilise Sony’s expertise in battery technology as well as Hydro-Québec’s knowledge of electric power systems to further research in large-scale energy storage solutions. This covers including integrating renewable energy into power grids, by addressing natual imabalances created by irregular natural energy supply. Disaster recovery is also expected to benefit from further exploration of this area and other areas.

…the subject of the joint venture company’s research and development (of) energy storage systems for power grids that use lithium-ion battery technologies…

This piece of news is a rare look into what’s going on in Sony’s Devices segment. It can be about as mysterious as Wayne Enterprises’ R&D department at the best of times.

Read on to find out more about Esstalion and the Devices segment.

New Horizons with Sony Real Estate Corp

by Jonathan Nolan | Jun 13, 2014 | 3 comments

In yet another effort by Sony to diversify its income, the 68-year old Japanese corporation has announced plans to move into property sales and consulting services starting this August. Sony Real Estate Corp is being created with a capital of ¥250m ($2.4m / €1.7m) and will involve brokering property sales and providing consulting services in real estate asset management to companies. This comes at a time when Sony has just leveraged the value of its Japanese and US headquarters in the past year, selling them off. Active asset management is now a more prominent part of their activies in-house too. Sony real estate envisages ¥50bn ($491m / €362m) annual sales in five years and list its shares for trading within 3 years. This latest move is the result of in-house inspiration, coming from CEO Kaz Hirai’s plan to source new investment opportunities from within the corporation.

Read on for more details.

E3: Exclusive PlayStation Content for Diablo III Revealed

by Trevor Rodenberger | Jun 11, 2014 | 0 comments

As we reported on Monday, Sony announced that there would be new and exclusive PlayStation content for Diablo III: Reaper of Souls-Ultimate Evil Edition when it launches on August 19th for both PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. This content is inspired by two popular titles from the PlayStation universe: The Last of Us and Shadow of the Colossus. Keep reading to get more details and see this new content in action.

E3 2014: PlayStation Press Conference Recap

by Trevor Rodenberger | Jun 9, 2014 | 2 comments

Sony just finished their E3 2014 Press Conference and just as expected there was a ton of exciting news and announcements. From the announcement of LittleBigPlanet 3 which we exclusively reported on here to the reveal of a trailer for Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, it was a very exciting presentation. Keep reading to see a full recap of everything featured at PlayStation’s Press Conference.

Sony Lifelog App Preview (Video)

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 5, 2014 | 0 comments

Are you still confused by what Lifelog, the companion app to the Sony SmartBand can do? Luckily, Sony has put together a video that explains exactly how what the company calls a “life tracker” is able to store more than your fitness info and incorporate your social life as well. As a refresher, beyond being able to see how long you’ve slept, where you’ve been, and how the weather was during those times, Lifelog is also able to tie into your social life and tell you the number of photos you’ve taken, how much video/music you’ve consumed, and other social metrics. After the jump, the video that better explains it awaits you.

Meet the Sony Xperia T3 – The “World’s Slimmest 5.3-inch Smartphone”

by Jonathan Nolan | Jun 3, 2014 | 2 comments

Sony just unleashed the Xperia T3, a 7mm, 5.3-inch HD device with 8MP main camera, 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage all wrapped in a stainless steel frame. Sony tells us that it is intended for global release from the end of July. The specs suggest an upper mid-range placement. So what’s different with this one? They teamed up with German photographer Benjamin Kaufmann for the design of this smartphone, taking inspiration from “landscapes and art.” So we can add this to the OmniBalance design langauge that they’ve been using. Xperia just took a new direction.

The unique stainless steel ‘mirror’ that frames the device is represented in the reflective waves of the sea, while the device’s white, black and purple variations are also characterised in the landscapes breath-taking palette.

Come check out the specs and gallery.

More Xperia Updates for: SP, M, M2, Z, ZR, Z1 Compact, Tablets Z, Z2 LTE/Wi-Fi

by Jonathan Nolan | May 29, 2014 | 1 comment

It’s time for a full check up on KitKat and Jellybean updates for the 2013, 2014 lineup.

Various updates are available for the following models: Z1 Compact, SP, Z, ZL, M2 and M.

Some of the models have minor Jellybean updates (e.g. SP, M), some make the jump to KitKat (e.g. Z, ZR) and others have minor KitKat increments (e.g. M2, Z1 Compact). There is also an update for the Tablet Z, Z2 LTE and Wi-Fi versions.

Read on for more details.

Sony Xperia M Update 15.4.A.1.9 Coming Globally in June (Update)

by Jonathan Nolan | May 29, 2014 | 1 comment

Exciting times for Sony smartphone owners, updates sure are getting faster. Xperia M users watch out for a pop-up in PC Companion / Bridge for Mac in the coming weeks with the label of update 15.4.A.1.9.

This update has just appeared over at the American firmware registration authority and there is reasonable jump in the build number – new features are coming! This has come up for both the C1904/C1905 models which covers all Xperia M users globally. This is the “4.3 feature release 2” that we’ve been following and waiting for.

Let’s take a closer look…

Sony to Focus on Profitability, Not Market Share

by Sohrab Osati | May 29, 2014 | 4 comments

With good news coming from PlayStation, Sony CEO, Kaz Hirai has been talking with reporters about the company’s future. Despite a disastrous 2013 fiscal year ending in March where Sony reported a loss of ¥130bn / $1.27bn / €929m, Kaz believes that the company will return to profitability come 2015. Kaz also sees Sony achieving this with no more job cuts or division closures, a good sign that the company is seeing results from their past action. So how else is Sony hoping to get profitable? By focusing on profitability and not market share.

Wait what? Yea, us too. Let’s talk, after the jump.

New Xperia ZL2 Spotted in the Wild, Expected for India

by Jonathan Nolan | May 28, 2014 | 0 comments

An elegantly-designed Xperia device seems to be coming as a successor to 2013s Xperia ZL. The updated model sports a 5-inch 1080p screen with 3GB of RAM, a 20.7MP powered by a 3000 mAh battery. It’s seen in white, black, and cyan. It may not be a new flagship, but it still packs some meaty specs nonetheless.

This model is not expected to be released internationally, but instead in “select markets”. The original ZL was released in India, and likely the updated ZL2 will follow suit. No release date is known yet but a summer launch seems likely.

Read on to see the full specs that we know so far and a large gallery of images.