Sony Electronics today announced the addition of two new home devices powered by the Google TV™ platform. Sony was one of the industry’s first to launch the ‘Google TV’ products in 2010, and is now taking another step into the future of the home entertainment convergence. The NSZ-GS7 Network Media Player and NSZ-GP9 Blu-ray Disc™ Player will both arrive on shelves in North America and Europe in early summer 2012, and distribution is planned to expand and include other countries and regions.
“The first generation of devices powered by Google TV combined the powerful Android platform with Sony’s legendary home audio/video hardware to deliver on the promise of converging entertainment,” said Charles Speidel, vice president of Sony Electronics’ Home Audio and Video Division. “These brilliant additions advance positive features of the previous models, bringing an intuitive remote control and cross-device connectivity with smartphones, tablets and Sony Internet Audio & Video products – enhancing the home entertainment experience.”
In 2010, Sony introduced the world’s first television and a Blu-ray Disc player powered by Google TV. In 2011, the platform was updated and added the Android™ Market, making the first-generation Sony Internet TV devices easier to navigate and giving viewers access to thousands of apps, including about 150 apps optimized for TV, for an enhanced customized entertainment experience.
The Google TV difference starts with the cross search functionality, which crawls all content sources available from broadcast providers* and the Internet to deliver customized video results on demand. Both new boxes come complete with a redesigned remote control equipped with a backlit QWERTY keyboard, a touch pad for easy operation and a three-axis motion sensor to enjoy games. Additionally, the remote control can also be utilized as a universal remote to control connected devices such as TV, set top box and amplifiers – the NSZ-GP9 Blu-ray Disc Player even incorporates voice search capabilities. By using Sony apps Media Remote™ and TrackID® for Android and iOS mobile devices, users may achieve cross-device connectivity. TrackID is also pre-installed in NSZ-GS7 and NSZ-GP9, allowing customers to search on their connected TV. The new remote control can manage basic operations on select compatible 2012 BRAVIA televisions and seamlessly display Android Market or apps on the menu screen.
NEW YORK (AP) – Sony Corp. said it is rebuilding its PlayStation Network to bring it back online after an “external intrusion” caused it to suspend the service.
The company said it turned off the service, which lets gamers connect in live play, so that it could strengthen its network infrastructure. Qriocity – the company’s online entertainment platform – was also affected.
“Though this task is time-consuming, we decided it was worth the time necessary to provide the system with additional security,” the company said in a blog post Saturday.
An email message to the company seeking further details was not immediately returned. The PlayStation Network and Qriocity had been turned off Wednesday evening so that the company could investigate an external intrusion.
The company said the following day that it could take a “full day or two” to get the service back up and running.
On Saturday, the company said in a blog post that it was “working around the clock” to bring the services back online.
“We thank you for your patience to date and ask for a little more while we move towards completion of this project,” the company said in the post.
The outage came just after Tuesday’s release of the game “Mortal Kombat,” which is available on the PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360. It also comes as Amazon.com restores computers used by other major websites as an outage stretched into a fourth day.
For anyone who wants a smartphone that packs the features they crave without the extra size they don’t, HP today introduced the powerfully small HP Veer smartphone running HP webOS.
Veer is one of the products HP announced today to introduce a unique experience for customers around connected mobility. It’s one of the building blocks in HP’s vision to seamlessly connect all your worlds through the power of HP webOS.
Veer is the smallest webOS phone to date – the size of a credit card and no thicker than a deck of cards – yet it offers the higher-end features of a smartphone, such as easy messaging and access to apps, social networks and the web, including support for Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 beta in the browser for access to rich, Flash-based web content.(1)
It has a full slide-out keyboard, vivid touchscreen and access to thousands of webOS apps(2) in a surprisingly small, modern package that fits easily into a pocket or purse. It’s everything a smartphone should be, but in a smarter size.
“While much of the industry is trending toward larger and larger devices, we believe there’s also a whole lot of room for thinking small,” said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP. “Veer bridges the gap for a new generation of smartphone users, proving they really can have it all without sacrificing the size they want.”
Less is more
At just 54.5 mm x 84.0 mm x 15.1 mm and only 103 grams, Veer touts an 800-MHz processor; a vivid 2.57-inch glass display; full slide-out keyboard; 8 gigabytes (GB) of internal user storage; a high-performance browser with full access to the web,(1) including support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 beta; Wi-Fi(1); integrated GPS(3); robust messaging support(4); and multimedia options, including music, photos, video recording and playback, and a 5-megapixel camera.
Veer also includes HP Synergy, which is exclusive to webOS devices. Synergy brings together information from multiple sources across the web automatically, so the information you need is all in one place.(5) In one incredibly small design powered by HP webOS, Veer gives you many features per square inch:
More than just text – With Veer, messaging means more than just text.(4) Integrated messaging conveniently combines all your text messages, picture messages and IM conversations with one person into a single view. You can read and write email with ease and view your email accounts together or easily toggle between them.
More ways to connect – Sign in to your Facebook®, Google, Microsoft® Exchange, LinkedIn and Yahoo!® accounts and the HP Synergy feature automatically populates your information on your phone.(5) Mobile social networking apps such as those for Facebook and Twitter allow you to stay connected, update your status and upload pictures in real time.(1) The webOS App Catalog features thousands of apps for fast and easy access to all the things you need from the web, including games, weather, movie info, news, recipes – you name it.(2)
More than just search – With Just Type, whatever you want to do on your phone – searching the web, texting, updating your status or almost anything – all you have to do is start typing and Veer takes you there.(1,4)
More apps open – Veer lets you keep multiple websites and apps open at the same time and easily switch between them with just a swipe of your finger. Pause a game, read a text message, check your calendar, reply to the text, then switch back to the game without closing anything.(1,6)
More ways to get where you want to be – Veer lets you get directions, find points of interest or discover fun things to do on the go. Built-in GPS turns your phone into your personal navigation system, and apps such as Fandango and OpenTable work with GPS to pinpoint your exact location, get directions, find places of interest around you and provide turn-by-turn directions.(3)
More power to you – With HP Touchstone (sold separately), Veer gives you a unique and innovative way to charge your phone. Simply place your phone on the dock and it charges automatically; there’s nothing to plug in. And the new Exhibition feature lets you run apps designed specifically for Touchstone. Set your phone on Touchstone, and Exhibition launches automatically, showing you anything from today’s calendar to a slideshow of your photos.(7) Veer also supports the HP mobile hotspot, enabling your phone to act as a mobile Wi-Fi router so you can share wireless internet connectivity with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including the new HP TouchPad, as well as notebooks, gaming devices and portable media players.(8)
Veer is one of three webOS products announced today (see separate announcements for HP Pre 3 and HP TouchPad). Each product plays a distinct role in the growing webOS family, designed to meet the varying needs of customers in a rapidly evolving mobile landscape.
Availability
The HP Veer smartphone is scheduled to be available in the early spring. Exact pricing and availability will be announced at a later date.
HP Veer features and specs
HP webOS
High-speed connectivity(1)
Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM7230 800-MHz processor
2.57-inch multitouch screen with a vibrant, 18-bit color, 320 x 400 resolution display
Gesture area, which enables simple, intuitive gestures for navigation
Full slide-out QWERTY keyboard
8 GB of internal storage(9)
High-performance browser with full access to the web, including support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 beta for access to rich, Flash-based web content(1)
Wireless connectivity:
Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n with WPA, WPA2, WEP, 802.1X authentication(1)
Integrated GPS(3)
Bluetooth® wireless technology 2.1 + EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support
Wi-Fi router functionality for up to five devices using HP mobile hotspot(8)
Multimedia options, including music, photos, video recording and playback, a 5-megapixel camera with geotagging and 3.5 mm stereo headphone adapter
Email, including EAS (for access to corporate Microsoft Exchange servers) and personal email support (Google Gmail push, Yahoo!, POP3, IMAP)(5)
Robust messaging support (combining IM, SMS and MMS capabilities)(4)
Proximity sensor, light sensor and accelerometer
Rechargeable 910 mAh battery
USB mass storage mode to transfer your media and other files quickly between desktop and device
Ringer switch, which easily silences the ringer with one touch
Compatible with HP Touchstone (sold separately)
Tri-band UMTS, quad-band GSM/EDGE world phone(10)
Dimensions: 54.5 mm x 84.0 mm x 15.1 mm (2.1 inches x 3.3 inches x 0.6 inches)
For professionals who require powerful mobile productivity with an eye on personal connectivity, HP today announced the versatile HP Pre3 smartphone running HP webOS.
With a large 3.58-inch touchscreen, fast 1.4-GHz processor and a full slide-out keyboard, Pre3 is a multitasking professional workhorse that’s perfectly balanced for speed and serious fun.
Pre3 is one of the products HP announced today to introduce a unique experience for customers around connected mobility. It’s one of the building blocks in HP’s vision to seamlessly connect all your worlds through the power of HP webOS.
“In the suite of webOS products we’re introducing today, Pre3 is our premier phone, designed for the speed of business,” said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP. “It enables professionals to accomplish more of their important workday tasks while easily keeping their fingers on the pulse of their personal lives.”
Pre3 is the ideal smartphone for multitasking professionals who rely on advanced messaging and voice capabilities to stay connected with all aspects of their busy lives.(1) With a slim design and high-capacity battery,(2) it is comfortable to carry and use all day. The phone’s fast performance and large, high-resolution display accentuate the unique webOS experience for both professional and personal use.
The portrait layout enables optimal readability for email, attachments and web, and the new vertical slide-out keyboard – the widest and largest keyboard on any webOS phone to date – helps ensure quick and comfortable error-free typing. It’s ideal for heavy email and messaging needs, web browsing, enjoying multimedia and for staying in touch with business and social circles.(1,3)
For professionals who demand more than productivity With an array of features that are critical for professionals balancing work and personal use – including the speed of 3G and Wi-Fi,(1) a comfortable keyboard for typing and a large vivid touchscreen – Pre3 offers the best of both worlds on the powerful HP webOS platform:
Business-class email – Pre3 offers business-class email and encrypted data storage to protect critical information and supports industry-standard VPN to connect to corporate networks. You can read and write email with ease, view your email accounts together or easily toggle between them.(1,3)
More ways to connect – With the HP Synergy feature, you just have to sign in to your Facebook®, Google, Microsoft® Exchange, LinkedIn and Yahoo!® accounts. Your information – email, contacts, calendars – automatically populates your phone and stays updated so it’s always at your fingertips.(3) Integrated messaging conveniently combines all your text messages, picture messages and IM conversations with one person into a single view, and you can connect through SMS, MMS, Google Talk, AIM and Yahoo! Messenger.
The whole web – Pre3‘s high-performance web browser offers support for HTML5 features and Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 beta for access to rich, Flash-based web content on the phone’s big, vivid display.(1)
Video calling – Pre3 has a front-facing camera, a great speaker and noise cancellation for a state-of-the-art video calling experience.(1,4)
True Multitasking – webOS works the way you do. Begin an email, pause to answer a call, check your calendar, send a text, then switch back to your email without closing anything. Pre3 lets you easily manage multiple open applications and notifications using natural touch gestures. Whether you’re planning a meeting or a night on the town, webOS keeps related items together so managing multiple tasks is easy.(5)
Just Type – Start an email, create a message, update your status and search your favorite websites – all before you’ve even opened an app. Because webOS works the way you do, whenever you want to do something on your Pre3 – whether it’s emailing, texting, searching or almost anything – just type.
Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite – HP is working with Quickoffice to include the Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite, which offers support for viewing Microsoft Office Word and Excel and provides integration with a variety of services, including Google Docs and Box.net.
Touch-to-share – With HP’s new and exclusive touch-to-share feature, you’ll be able to simply tap your Pre3 phone to the new HP TouchPad to share web addresses between devices.(6)
GPS – Get where you need to be with built-in GPS on Pre3. Apps such as Fandango and OpenTable work with GPS to pinpoint your exact location, get directions, find nearby places of interest and provide turn-by-turn directions.(7)
Apps to keep you connected – The webOS App Catalog features thousands of apps for fast and easy access to all the things you need to keep your day moving, such as weather, news, hotel and restaurant reviews and reservations, flight info and games.(8) Mobile social networking apps such as Facebook and Twitter allow you to stay connected throughout your hectic day and update your status and upload pictures in real time.
HP mobile hotspot – Pre3 also supports the HP mobile hotspot, enabling your phone to act as a mobile Wi-Fi router so you can share wireless internet connectivity with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including the new HP TouchPad, as well as notebooks, gaming devices and portable media players.(9)
Pre3 is compatible out of the box with HP Touchstone (sold separately). The webOS Exhibition feature lets you run apps designed specifically for HP Touchstone – showing you anything from today’s agenda to a slideshow of your photos – turning charge time into useful time.(10)
Pre3 is one of three webOS products announced today (see separate announcements for HP Veer and HP TouchPad). Each product plays a distinct role in the growing webOS family, designed to meet the varying needs of customers in a rapidly evolving mobile landscape.
Availability
The HP Pre3 smartphone is scheduled to be available in the summer. Exact pricing and availability will be announced at a later date.
HP Pre3 features and specs
HP webOS
High-speed connectivity(1)
Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8x55 1.4-GHz processor
3.58-inch multitouch screen with a vibrant, 24-bit color, 480 x 800 resolution display
Gesture area, which enables simple, intuitive gestures for navigation
Redesigned vertical slide-out QWERTY keyboard with backlight
8 or 16 gigabytes (GB) of internal storage(11)
High-performance browser with full access to the web, including support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 beta for access to rich, Flash-based web content(1)
Wireless connectivity:
Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n with WPA, WPA2, WEP, 802.1X authentication(1)
Integrated GPS (and A-GPS)(7)
Bluetooth® wireless technology 2.1 + EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support
Wi-Fi router functionality for up to five devices using HP mobile hotspot(9)
Multimedia options, including music, photos, video recording and playback, a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash and a 3.5 mm stereo headset jack
Rear-facing autofocus camera with flash, HD camcorder (capable up to 720p video recording)
Front-facing VGA fixed-focus camera for live video calling(4)
Email, including EAS (for access to corporate Microsoft Exchange servers) and personal email support (Google Gmail push, Yahoo!, POP3, IMAP)(3)
Robust messaging support (combining IM, SMS and MMS capabilities)(12)
Proximity sensor, light sensor, accelerometer and compass
Removable, rechargeable 1,230 mAh battery
USB mass storage mode to transfer media and other files quickly between desktop and device
Ringer switch, which easily silences the ringer with one touch
Compatible with HP Touchstone (sold separately)
Dimensions: 111 mm x 64 mm x 16 mm (4.37 inches x 2.52 inches x .63 inches)
Today at 2011 International CES, T-Mobile USA, Inc. and LG Mobile Phones announced the upcoming Android™ Honeycomb-powered T-Mobile® G-Slate™ with Google™, by LG. Expected to be available in coming months, the G-Slate will be the first 4G tablet from the two companies powered by Android 3.0 (Honeycomb), the upcoming version of Google’s Android platform optimized for tablets.
“T-Mobile is proud to add a new milestone in the evolution of the Android platform with our first 4G tablet powered by Android 3.0,” said Cole Brodman, chief marketing officer, T-Mobile USA. “The T-Mobile G-Slate with Google will build on our rich history of Android innovation and leadership and deliver deep integration with Google services.”
“LG is dedicated to continuing its role as an innovation leader and is thrilled to announce its entry into the tablet marketplace with the G-Slate,” said Jeff Hwang, president of LG Mobile Phones. “Streamlining everyday tasks and enhancing entertainment with blazing fast 4G speed, the T-Mobile G-Slate by LG will deliver the latest in Android technology and provide users with an advanced tablet experience.”
The T-Mobile G-Slate will be among the first 4G tablets to fully benefit from the tablet-optimized Android 3.0 platform, which was designed from the ground up for devices with larger screen sizes and addresses the unique aspects of tablet use cases and form factors. The Honeycomb user experience improves on Android favorites such as widgets, multi-tasking, browsing, notifications and customization. It will also feature the latest Google Mobile innovations including Google Maps™ 5.0 with 3D interaction, collection of more than 3 million eBooks and Google Talk™ with video and voice chat.With the ultra fast 4G capabilities, this is also the closest to the best home broadband speeds on offer currently.
Today according to Sony’s Twitter & Sony PlayStation Twitter.. The PSN Network has a glitch. Sony Reports Via Twitter that this problems is only effecting the PS3 Originals and not the Slimline Editions. Stay Updated by following us on twitter @TheGadget411 or@SonyPlayStation (*Check Out Snapshot Below*)
Hardly a surprise, but Sony got on stage today at GamesCom and confirmed what we’ve all known deep down in our hearts: the new, slimmer PS3 is really real. It’ll be out in the first week of September (September 1 in North America and Europe, September 3 for Japan), and will retail for $300 (or 300 Euro, or 29,980 Yen). It’s smaller and lighter, has a 120GB HDD, and packs “all the same features” of the regular PS3 while consuming 34 percent less power and taking up 32 percent less space. Existing PS3 SKUs have their prices dropped a hundie apiece tomorrow in anticipation, so be .
The new 3.0 firmware will be released concurrently with the PS3 slim, which should provide a breath of fresh air for existing machines. Other new features of the PS3 slim include BRAVIA Sync, which allows you to control the PS3 XMB over HDMI through your BRAVIA TV remote, and System Standby to shut off the PS3 when the BRAVIA TV is off. Sony also claims this new machine will run more quietly than existing PS3 systems, which is good news for people who like to watch movies or have conversations in the general vicinity of their game console. There’s also a Vertical Stand, which will retail for $24. Not so awesome is Sony’s removal of the Install Other OS feature… farewell, Linux. We hardly knew thee.
