Sony phone streams PlayStation games

Sony phone streams PlayStation games

BBC News

Sony's latest smartphones and tablets can stream PlayStation 4 video games.
Owners will be able to attach the new devices to an existing PS4 controller via a special mount to play titles powered by the console's processors.
Until now this "remote play" facility had only been offered to the firm's PlayStation Vita handheld console.
Experts said the feature should help Sony's kit stand out from Android rivals at a time when competition is intensifying.
But despite the popularity of the PS4, they added, the move was likely to have only a slight impact on sales.
The Japanese company also unveiled a new smartwatch and a fitness tracker at a press conference in Berlin, ahead of the start of the Ifa tech show.
The launches come a month after Sony cut its smartphone sales forecast by 14% for this financial year, saying its original figure was too "optimistic".
The firm's global handset market share has slipped from 3.9% to 3.1% over the past year, according to research firm IDC, as Chinese rivals have made gains.

'Best of Sony'

The Z3, Z3 Compact and Z3 Tablet Compact all rely on a wi-fi link to control the PS4 and view the graphics it generates.
The firm suggests the feature will appeal to gamers who have to share use of the living room TV.
"Our promise to the consumer has been to bring the best of Sony - all our consumer electronics experience - into a smartphone," Calum MacDougall, head of Xperia marketing, told the BBC.
"We've consistently delivered that in the Z series with digital imaging capability, with our TV screen technology, with our audio capability. And now this is a big step up to almost complete the set with gaming functionality."
Praise for the move was qualified.
"For the gaming fraternity this is certainly something that would pique their interest when looking across a kind of homogenous set of smartphones that largely look the same and do the same kind of thing," said Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight, a telecoms consultancy.
"But I'm not sure it will be a killer feature."
Ryan Reith, mobile devices analyst at IDC, agreed that the facility had appeal to a niche audience, but said at this point the majority of gamers' needs were met by existing tablet and phone apps.

Hard cornersOther features of the Z3 smartphone include:
A "face in" feature that allows the phone to record the view from the rear 20.7 megapixel camera and superimpose a selfie reaction shot taken simultaneously from the 2.2MP front one
A multi-cam function that combines the views from up to three connected Xperia devices into a single video recording
Software to "upscale" the quality of MP3 files to a "near high-resolution" audio
Durable nylon-based corners to minimise the risk of damage to the phone's aluminium frame
The ability to create a live video stream broadcast on YouTube
The firm has also taken the relatively unusual step of keeping the phone's 5.2in (13.2cm) screen at 1080p resolution rather than using a higher resolution panel.
While this limits the level of detail displayed, the firm says the benefit is that the handset offers a longer-than-average two days of use between battery charges.

Rejecting roundSony also updated its wearable tech range with two new products.
The Smartband Talk is a waterproof wristband that tracks the user's physical activity and can last three days between charges. It also acts as a remote microphone and speaker for Bluetooth-connected Android phones, letting owners make calls from their wrist.
The SmartWatch 3 is Sony's first watch to be powered by Google's Android Wear operating system, which is designed for small screens.
It also adds four gigabytes of internal memory, allowing it to offer "offline" music playback at times the owner does not have their phone with them.
Unlike LG and Motorola, Sony only offers its watch in a square design rather than a circular option, which some believe is more fashionable.
"We believe the squarer screen is the better way to go to offer better second-screen functionality," said Mr MacDougall.
"Whether it's looking at your life-log application or notifications, you get a much richer experience in that way."
However, he declined to rule out Sony releasing a circular watch at a later stage.
"Let's see if Sony has a round screen at CES in January," remarked Mr Cross in response.
"All the feedback we're getting is that for wearables to be attractive they need to become more fashionable, and the circular watches have resonated with the consumer and fashion media as to what we want.
"At least Sony now has a stake in the ground with Android Wear, which we believe will become the most pervasive smartwatch operating system outside anything Apple do."

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New Samsung phone with side display for holidays

New Samsung phone with side display for holidays

FRANK JORDANS Associated Press

BERLIN — Samsung's new smartphones aren't getting bigger, but one will have a side display for quick access to the flashlight, Twitter, news and frequently used apps.The Galaxy Note Edge was announced at a trade show in Berlin on Wednesday, alongside the new Galaxy Note 4 phone, which lacks the side screen, and a virtual-reality headset called Gear VR. They are due for release in October — in time for holiday shopping — and aim to compete with Apple's new iPhones due to be unveiled next week.

The Edge uses Samsung's flexible-display technology, which came out with much fanfare last year but has seen little use beyond a phone and a fitness device with displays that were slightly curved.
With the Edge, Samsung is offering a practical use for the curvature. While the main screen remains flat like previous phones, the right edge extends and curves until it reaches the back. That creates a side display so information such as weather and time can be seen from the side when the phone is laid on a table or nightstand.

With the side display, the phone's camera functions more like a stand-alone, point-and-shoot camera, as the shutter button and other functions appear on top when the phone is held horizontally.
The side display also provides one-tap access to various apps normally found on the home screen. It will also have a panel of tools, like the flashlight and stopwatch, akin to what Apple offers in the iPhone's Control Center with a swipe up from the bottom. Samsung will look to app developers to find new ways to use the feature.

Samsung didn't announce prices. In the U.S., last year's Galaxy Note 3 went for about $700 without a contract, or $300 with one. Prices are likely to be similar when the Note 4 comes out in October through all four national carriers in the U.S. The Edge will likely cost more.
Analysts said the new display feature could cut both ways.
"An edge-based display will give Samsung's smartphone clear differentiation in a crowded market," said Ian Fogg, an analyst covering the mobile industry at IHS in London. "But for Samsung to maximize the potential of an edge display it needs third party apps to support the display with additional Samsung-specific functions," he said.

If the South Korean giant wants to avoid paying developers to kick start the development of such apps, it might have to make the feature standard across its broad smartphone portfolio, said Fogg.
Samsung made the announcements at the IFA trade show, one of the world's longest-running showcases for consumer electronics and home appliances.

The new phones were announced amid expectations that Apple will unveil new iPhones next week. The iPhone 6 is expected to feature a 4.7-inch screen, up from the current 4 inches, to make it more competitive with larger smartphones made by Samsung and other companies. There has been speculation that Apple may also unveil an iPhone with a 5.5-inch screen.
Samsung's Galaxy S5, which came out in April, has a 5.1-inch screen. The Note is Samsung's line of larger phones and emphasizes note-taking with an included stylus. The Note 4 will have a 5.7-inch screen, while the Edge's will be 5.6 inches. To support such power-hungry large screens, Samsung says it has improved battery life.

The new models will have a 16 megapixel rear camera and 3.7 megapixels on the front. The front camera will be able to take sharper selfies than the typical camera phone. It will also have a wide-angle feature to fit more people into selfies by stitching multiple images together.

Meanwhile, Samsung will sell the Gear VR headset for about $200 as a companion to the Note 4. It won't work with the Edge or other phones. The Note 4 attaches to the headset, which has sensors to gauge the head's position and tells the phone which part of a 360-degree image to display. It can be used to give people an immersive experience with concerts, aerial footage and games.
But video and other content will need to be adapted for the device. Samsung says it expects to have content partnerships in place by the time the device goes on sale.

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Sony tries to stay relevant in the wearables game with its new watch and fitness band

Sony tries to stay relevant in the wearables game with its new watch and fitness band

Brad Molen

Engadget 

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.

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Find Out Why Justin Bieber Was Rushed to the Hospital

GETTY IMAGES

It has been a pretty crazy week for Justin Bieber, and it keeps getting more dramatic the longer he's in Canada! According to TMZ, Justin was rushed to Stratford General Hospital in Ontario after suffering from a wrist injury but it turns out it was just a sprain.

Since Justin has been fairly active during his trip home, from playing basketball to riding ATVs with Selena Gomez, we're not super-shocked that he got a little injured.

However, we know that his scuffle with the paparazzi got physical and there was a crash involved, so we hope Justin's wrist sprain wasn't a side effect of that! He's accused the paparazzi of putting his life in danger before.

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Ariana Grande Almost Refused to Record the Song Harry Styles Wrote for Her

Fans freaked out when we first heard that one of the tracks on Ariana Grande's album My Everything was written by Harry Styles, but we had no clue Ariana almost refused to record it! In an interview with Heat magazine, Ariana confessed that she almost didn't record "Just A Little Bit of My Heart" because she was too intimidated by the One Direction singer's demo.

When asked whether she felt pressure recording a song written by Harry, Ariana said, "No, I was more intimidated because he recorded a demo for me so I could learn the song. I was like, "I don't know if I wanna touch this song.'"

This isn't too surprising, because we already knew Harry's track made Ariana burst into tears the first time she heard it. We're just glad that she decided to record the song. It's so beautiful!

However, we're super-curious about what Harry's original demo sounds like. We never thought Ariana and Harry's voices sounded that similar

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You Won't Believe How Different Katy Perry's Style Was In High School

Credit: Tumblr, Getty

We can't remember a time when Katy Perry didn't have rainbow hair, food-themed stage costumes, and over-the-top makeup, but her current look wasn't always her go-to style. When Katy was in high school, she was actually a jeans-and-a-t-shirt kind of girl!

Credit: Vimeo

Credit: Twitter

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See Demi Lovato's Ghoulish Early Halloween Makeup

INSTAGRAM

Demi Lovato loves showing off silly costumes on Instagram and edgy rocker looks onstage while performing, but she may have just tried out her spookiest look ever. While prepping for her upcoming World Tour, Demi tried on some seriously frightening ghoulish Halloween makeup.

"You can never start celebrating Halloween too early," Demi wrote along with her picture. What a dramatic look!

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Demi Lovato Started Her Own Skincare Line

INSTAGRAM

Demi Lovato has been teasing an exciting new announcement on Twitter for some time, asking fans to guess what new project she had in the works. While we knew it was bound to be awesome, wenever would have predicted that she was working on her very own skincare line, Devonne by Demi! It actually all makes perfect sense since Demi pretty much has the most flawless skin in the world.

The new line, named after Demi's middle name, features a 3-part system of a Hydrating Protection Mist, Deep Facial Cleanser, and Moisturizing Primer.

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Is This Rita Ora's Most Over-the-Top Hairstyle Ever

Credit:

Instagram

We love how Rita Ora always switches up her hairstyles, flawlessly transitioning from Old Hollywood glam retro waves one day to colorful rainbow extensions the next! The Black Widow singer wowed us with yet another edgy new style at her latest red carpet event, and we think it just might be one of her coolest and most dramatic look yet: she totally rocked a bleached blonde faux-hawk with a shaved section and intricate side-braid!

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Check Out Lauren Conrad's Latest Rocking Hairstyle 

If there's anyone who's always giving us a major case of the hairstyle swoons, it's  Lauren Conrad. Am I right? Her latest look is no exception. Here's a peek at it from a couple different angles.

Lauren Conrad. Am I right? Her latest look is no exception. Here's a peek at it from a couple different angles.

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Asus Makes Its ZenWatch Android Wear Smartwatch Official

Asus Makes Its ZenWatch Android Wear Smartwatch Official

Darrell Etherington

TechCrunch

Asus has revealed its first Android Wear smartwatch, as we originally reported it would back at Google I/O in June. The Asus ZenWatch offers a slightly different take on the design of an Android Wearable, and features some pre-loaded software and gesture controls that also set it apart from similar devices like the LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live.

The ZenWatch features a sandwich-like design with a rose gold-colored middle layer and stainless steel top and bottom, with a brushed surface around the face. It has a 1.63-inch 320×320 AMOLED display with a slight curve to its surface, and a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, as well as 512MB or RAM and Bluetooth 4.0. There’s a heart rate sensor on the underside, and it uses standard user-replaceable 22mm watchbands. IP55 water and dust-proofing should help it fend off accidental splashes and rain, and it has a 9-axis sensor for tracking activity and movement.

It also includes a number of gesture control and pre-loaded features, which make it unique among Android Wear devices thus far. These features include a way to unlock your phone or tablet by tapping the face of the ZenWatch, auto-opening a function you set with a double-tap, covering the watch to mute and phone finding, remote camera operation and slide deck control apps. All of the above require that you install a separate, Asus-created watch manager app in addition to Android Wear on your companion device to work.

Asus’ pricing is the one part of the ZenWatch announcement that doesn’t fit with what we heard back in June – it’s supposed to retail for €199, or around $260 when it arrives later this year, which is more than Android Wear smartwatches currently on offer.

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HTC owners can now get 100GB of free cloud storage on Google Drive

HTC owners can now get 100GB of free cloud storage on Google Drive

by Jett Goldsmith

Neowin

HTC is capitalizing on their Windows Phone launch in a big way by bringing even more goodies to the table with their already great HTC Advantage program. Before, owners of any newer-model HTC phone – including the HTC One max, the HTC One remix, and the HTC One (M8) – were eligible for 50GB of free cloud storage via Google Drive. But now, owners of any of the aforementioned devices can get twice the storage space at no extra charge.

Owners of the HTC One (M7) and the HTC One mini still only get 25GB of free Google Drive storage space, but anyone with an HTC One (M8) or better can redeem the 100GB when they sign up for Google Drive via their device. Better yet, owners of an HTC smartphone who have already claimed their free 50GB of storage will automatically be bumped up to 100GB when they open up the Google Drive app.
Since Windows Phone uses Microsoft's OneDrive cloud service, owners of the HTC for Windows Phone will still only be eligible for 15GB of free storage space. But there's good news on that front too, as Microsoft dropped their 2GB file size restriction for OneDrive users and rolled out a flurry of new updates to OneDrive apps across all platforms.

HTC's Advantage program currently offers a wealth of features to HTC device owners, including free screen replacement within the first six months. A bump from 50GB in free storage to 100GB for most HTC users is just the most recent in the company's efforts to expand their market share and bridge the recent deficit between sales and profits. If all goes as planned, HTC may once again be a major competitor in the Android market -- and with recent offerings like free cloud storage, it's all to the consumer's benefit.

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