Category: Sony

Sony Opens World’s First Underwater Xperia Aquatech Store

While most companies pay a premium price to get real estate in popular malls to utilise their high foot fall, Sony is taking a very different approach. Recently, Sony opened its first of a kind underwater store called the Xperia Aquatech store. It is a promotional activity carried out by the Japanese company in Dubai, or rather 4 metre under sea level near the city.

The underwater store is only open to some lucky competition winners, a few people from the media and some special Sony VIPs. The three-day long event aims to demo the marine capabilities of some of Sony’s water-proof devices and most of all, build publicity.

Sony provided scuba training and dive instructor guides to help people reach the store, along with a boat. They also provided waterproof cases for people who owned an Xperia Z3 or Z3 Compact phone, because they are only waterproof up to 1.5 metres for fresh water.

Well, what can we say. Of course, the whole point of this marketing exercise is to underline Sony’s innovation and commitment to making waterproof devices. The whole experience looks extremely pricey and also little risky, but it definitely is very out of the box and should bring about a lot of viral heat.

December 8, 2014
Sony Pictures Employees Receive Threatening E-mails from Alleged Hackers

It seems like troubled times for folks working at Sony Pictures is not going to come to an end anytime soon. The company that faced a massive hack which rendered most of its computers useless also faced release of its movies online. The attack was handled by a hacker group which calls itself Guardians of Peace or #GOP. It is now being reported that the employees of Sony Pictures are now getting threatening e-mails.

Sony has lost a lot of ground in this attack. Not only has there been the loss of business days, but also they are not yet sure of the scale of the theft due to the hack. Four of Sony’s upcoming movies were released online along with the recently released and exceptional Brad Pitt movie, Fury. The hackers also released several documents relating to the company’s financial records, employee details and data relating to several movies.

Sony has hired security firm FireEye Inc and its Mandiant forensics unit to investigate the hacking. FBI spokesman Joshua Campbell has said that the department is aware of the threatening e-mails received by the employees at Sony. It is not yet clear though that if the e-mails were actually sent by the hackers or if it is a work of some prankster who scored the e-mails of the employees through the leaked documents. In either case, this is now a serious issue as this is criminal intimidation. The case has fast escalating from thievery and blackmail to terrorising the production company and the people who work for it.

This leak can lead to pernicious effects on people who work for the company. If the hackers have access to personal information, identification and financial details of people who’ve worked for Sony, they can attempt identity theft and cause harm to individuals. This attack can be easily be called a terrorist attack and maybe we could start seeing more of these in the coming future. The need of the hour is to train a massive workforce dedicated to cyber security just like a standing army. Our economies and identities have shifted from physical to the digital world, so it’s absolutely important to have soldiers online to protect our interests.

December 6, 2014
North Korea One of the Top Suspects in Sony Pictures Hack

A few days back, Sony Pictures faced an unprecedented cyber attack where all the computers connected to its servers got hacked. All the computers of this major studio were rendered inaccessible. The hackers warned that if their demands weren’t met, they would release sensitive data. They had released .zip files that showed all the data that they had acquired by their contemptible doxxing of the company’s systems. The hackers have now released many upcoming and recently leaked movies from the production house online, along with other important documents. The hacker group, which calls itself Guardians of Peace or #GOP, is now linked to the hermit kingdom of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) or as they are better known, North Korea.

The country had previously threatened US of ‘merciless retaliation’ if a movie by Seth Rogen and James Franco was released. The movie called ‘The Interview’ shows the Hollywood duo in characters of a reporter and producer going to North Korea to assassinate Kim Jong-Un, the hereditary tyrannical leader of the secluded country. The country said that the release of the movie would be perceived as an act of war. The country’s diplomat though denies any role of Pyongyang in the high-level hack.

Right now, FBI is working with the studio to track down the culprits who purported the hack. It was Re/code that first reported on the possibility of North Korea’s involvement in the hack. After this even a former top US expert on North Korea said that circumstantial evidence including the extremely vocal denouncement of the movie points the arrow towards the country.

North Korea had taken serious offense against the movie and threatened merciless retaliation.

DPRK had previously taken serious offense against another movie called ‘Team America’ that parodied its previous ruler Kim Jong-Il. The country is also blamed for several hack attacks including an attack last year in which more than 30,000 PCs at South Korean banks and broadcasting companies were hit. Cyber-security experts at Kaspersky Labs claimed to have found technical links between attacks on Sony and other cyber-attacks that occurred in the Middle-East and South Korea. The experts are also considering an internal hand in hack amongst other possibilities.

Well, the identities of the hackers are still shrouded in mystery, but they have managed to cause major damage. The hackers have released four films from the studio into the wild that are getting downloaded actively. These include – Mr. Turner, To Write Love on Her Arms, a reboot of Annie produced by Jay-Z and Still Alice, along with the recently released Brad Pitt movie called Fury. They also leaked a 210-page document which allegedly contains the budget of ‘The Interview’ and salaries of Seth Rogen and James Franco.

The story is still in the making, and we’ll keep our eyes on it. This is the new genre of terrorism in the internet-based information age; seems like cyberspace is where the next generation wars will be fought. So it’s finally the time for the nerds of the world to be the soldiers instead of just being technical support. So if you consider yourself a hacker with skills and want to make tons of cash, both sides of the war will now be open for you.

December 5, 2014
PlayStation Marks its 20th Anniversary By Bringing Out a Retro-Themed Limited Edition PS4 Console

This day marks the twentieth anniversary of the PlayStation, and Sony is celebrating this feat with the launch of a retro themed limited edition PS4 console. These limited edition PS4s are decked up in the same greyish attire similar to the original PlayStation. The grey coating PS4 will come bundled with matching controllers and even the same old school power cords.

For those of you who already own a PS4, or don’t fancy yourself to scoop one off the limited run, Sony has released a PSone theme for its current console. It comes with the original retro start up sound, all you need to do is just download the latest firmware update.

Sources indicate that only 12,300 units of these aanniversary edition consoles will go on sale, sometime during Christmas. As the company will be soon sharing information on how you get a dose of nostalgia in the form of these grey little beasts.

December 3, 2014
Sony Reportedly Shifting its Focus to PlayStation From TVs and Smartphones

According to recent reports, Sony is in the process of shrinking down its TV and smartphone business to focus more on gaming consoles. With PS4 sales reaching a 13.5 million milestone, it’s apparently the only division that is generating profits for the company. Following a recent forecast that predicts 30 percent downfall in Sony’s mobile division by next spring, the Japanese giant is now making the PlayStation brand its utmost priority.

A recent report from Reuters revealed that Sony has devised a 3-year plan for a shift that will focus primarily to boost the sales of PlayStation division by 25 percent, while reducing support for its mobile and television divisions. Thanks to the PS4, the company has generated a $265 million profit which compensated for the loss from its television and mobile business.

The Japanese electronics giant has been posting yearly losses that have eventually resulted in the fall of its share price. The PlayStation 4 sales have been so strong that despite facing losses in other divisions, the company’s revenue grew by 7.2 percent. Let’s see how beneficial will this step be for the company.

November 27, 2014
Sony’s Next Smartwatch May be Entirely Made Out of E-Paper

Sony is under a lot of pressure to return to profitability and reach back to the rank of the biggest consumer electronics brand in the world. Recently, apart from the Playstation family, no other device in the company’s consumer portfolio has seen an upwards momentum. In this trying times, Sony is working on something unique, a smartwatch made entirely out of e-paper.

There have been previous attempts into making an e-paper smartwatch. Central Standard Timing’s CST-01 is a Kickstarter-funded smartwatch with an e-ink display. With a ‘thinness’ of 0.80 mm, it holds the enviable spot of the world’s thinnest watch. It would be interesting to see what Sony comes up with its massive innovation budget.

Central Standard Timing’s CST-01 has an e-ink display and is 0.8 mm thin.

It is being reported by Bloomberg that the device will be developed by a new division within the company. This division is responsible for bringing innovative devices to Sony’s portfolio, and the e-paper smartwatch might just be the breakout star that this division was looking for. The watch is expected to be made almost entirely of e-paper including the straps.

The company is in an emergency reinvention mode and is working towards cutting down the heavy losses that have been incurred in the past years. The company is already planning on cutting down its smartphone and TV portfolio. This is the right time to come up with a unique and affordable product. Sony still has a lot of goodwill in the consumer market, which it can utilise to bring about the growth it desperately needs. Sony is known for design, and if a Kickstarter project can create the slimmest watch, we hope Sony can churn out something that upholds the brand we have come to appreciate over the years.

November 26, 2014
Sony Working Towards Reviving its Ailing Smartphone Business

Sony was once a name that people trusted when they went for electronics shopping. The company had its roots firm in every sphere of consumer electronics. But now, the Japanese giant is in trouble. The slow adoption of technology has pushed it back in several fields in which it earlier led the game, the most prominent example being its TV business. Sony’s other major electronic products, the smartphone family is in serious trouble.

Once Sony had aspired to become the third biggest smartphone company behind Samsung and Apple. This aim, they now realise, was overambitious. Instead, they are now trying to restore their ailing smartphone business.

The company recently posted a loss of $1.2 billion. The continued losses have forced the company to scale back their sales target from 50 million down to 41 million. Presently, Sony’s electronics fort is held up by the successful sales of the Playstation family.

Sony will be putting its focus on three areas: image sensors, video games, and entertainment studio. Sony is also hoping to make gains from its entertainment studio. But currently, the studio is facing a global hack and the stand-off is still in progress. The hackers are threatening to release sensitive documents if their demands aren’t met. This can be a cause of concern for the company as a whole as Sony Pictures is one of the major names of the industry and one of the Sony’s biggest cash cows.

Flagships smartphones from the company such as the Z3 have been appreciated for their features, but they have also been berated for their high prices. It is expected that the company will reduce the number of flagships it releases in a year and also cut back on the affordable smartphone portfolio.

Presently, the main goal of the company is to bring its business to profitability even if that means losing 25-30% of market share in the smartphone business. The company is facing issues in the markets of US and China, which are important for the industry. Sony commands 3% market share in both those countries and will be scaling back its investment in China soon. Plans for the US market are not clear yet.

Sony devices have been appreciated in the past for their quality and device cameras. The company can make a name for itself in the low-end selfie device market while the fad is still on. It can also take the Motorola path and release limited devices in a year but make sure that the devices are universally appreciated.

November 26, 2014
Troubled Waters Lay Ahead for Sony as it Registers $1.2 Billion Loss

Billion is an amazing number. It is used to signify the number of stars in the sky, the populations of India and China, and the number of atoms in a human body. But for Sony, the term means time to take drastic measures. The Japanese consumer-electronic giant has been in troubled waters for a while and seems like it’s not going to come to an end anytime soon.

The company has registered a record loss of $1.2 billion. This has led the company to decrease its smartphone sales figures from 43 million to 41 million. This came after the company has decreased its sales projection from 50 million to 43 million in this financial year that runs from April 2014 to March 2015.

There is some silver lining in this bleak news from the once-unanimously valued brand. The company saw an overall sales increase by 7.2% to reach $17.4 billion. Sony’s latest gaming console, the PlayStation 4, is the most visible product that is holding up its fort as of now.

The Japanese company has been in damage control mode for a while. It increased its marketing expenses, and research and development expenses, in order to expand sales. This may pay off in some key markets.

Sony’s latest flagships have been appreciated for their features, but they come at a flagship price range. Hence, the phones haven’t been able to provide the company the revenue they require. Sony has also given the charge of its smartphone business in the hands of a new head, Hiroki Totok. He will replace the current head, Kunimasa Suzuki, on 16th November. Hopefully, the infusion of new head might bring some ideas that will help get Sony back on track. Or else, it may go the way of Nokia, which is, fortunately, not a possibility as of yet.

October 31, 2014
Sony Xperia Z4 Leak Points to a 5.5-Inch QHD Display

After releasing two flagships back to back in the same year, specifications of Sony’s purported next iteration, the Xperia Z4, have been leaked. The Japanese Electronics giant had clearly stated earlier this year that they would be adopting a six month cycle for its smartphones. However, the source that leaked the Z4 specs points to the fact that it will not be followed by a successor later in 2015.

The Japanese manufacturer is reportedly dropping the idea of a six month cycle it adopted lat year with the Xperia Z and Z1. The primary reason could be that flagship devices have reached their threshold and there aren’t any major upgrades possible in a six month period.

According to Android Origin, the next flagship from Sony, dubbed as the Z4, is tipped to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core 64-bit chipset clocked at 2.8GHz, bundled with the the all-new Adreno 430 GPU. To back it up, is a massive 4GB RAM along with 32GB of internal storage.

In terms of connectivity, it is likely to feature Cat.6 LTE and Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity. One of the major design changes being attributed for the Sony Xperia Z4 is the inclusion of a dedicated amplifier for better sound output.

Finally, the Xpreia Z3’s successor is likely to feature a a 5.5-inch display with a Quad-HD 2560 x 1440 resolution, which is slightly higher than that of its predecessors.

October 20, 2014
Sony Promises to Update Xperia Z line to Android 5.0 Lollipop Soon

The new upgrade for the Android mobile OS, Android 5.0 Lollipop is finally here. However, it could be a while before Google’s new software becomes available on some of our favorite devices. Sony has confirmed that its entire Xperia Z lineup will make the jump to Lollipop starting next year.

Android 5.0 updates won’t roll out until 2015 for your Xperia device, they only confirmed that Lollipop is coming eventually. Sony notes that the Z Ultra Google Play Edition is first in line followed by the Xperia Z3 and Z2 families, also Z1 and Z devices won’t be left out either.

According to the announcement, “entire premium Z series” means the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z1, Xperia Z1S, Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Z1 Compact, Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3v, Xperia Z3 Compact and Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact will all be updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop.

October 17, 2014
PlayStation Shows Off New Superhero-Detective Series, Powers

During the New York Comic-Con 2014, the audience got a chance to witness the first red-band trailer for Playstation’s Powers series. It is an adaption of the popular graphic novel that will be coming to the PlayStation Network this December.

Powers is set in an alternate world where superpowers have become a part of everyday life. Detective Christian Walker with a new partner Deena Pilgrim has just been assigned to the “Powers” Division of the Chicago Police Department. The first story arc from writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Avon Oeming, “Who Killed Retro Girl?” follows the lead detectives as they investigate the murder of a popular super heroine.

The series stars comedian Eddie Izzard, Susan Heyward, Olesya Rulin, and Noah Taylor among others. The show will be available for download and to stream on PlayStation devices starting this winter. Those who have a PlayStation Plus membership can view the whole series for free, although Sony hasn’t said how much it will cost for non-PlayStation Plus members.

According to a press release, the show asks: “What if the world was full of superheroes who aren’t actually heroic at all? What if all that power was just one more excuse for mischief, mayhem, murder, and endorsement deals?.”

Watch the trailer below:

October 13, 2014
Sony Brings Out Sleek New Wireless Headphones for Bass lovers

Sony India today announced the launch of its latest wireless headphones, the MDR-XB950BT Extra Bass Bluetooth Headset. The latest pair from the audio stable of Sony looks and sounds a little different than some of its earlier over-ear Bluetooth headphones.

The headset implements support for SBC, AAC, and aptX wireless audio streaming codecs with an electronic boost circuit for more substantial low end. The headset features 40mm dome drivers to deliver a frequency response of 3 to 28,000 Hz with a sensitivity of 102 dB/mW when used passively with the supplied cord. In wireless operations, the headphones can transmit a frequency response of 20 to 20,000 Hz approximately 30′ by using the A2DP Bluetooth.

The headphone come with NFC that offers a One-touch connection with smartphones, allowing users to listen to rich wireless sound with soaring highs and rich, solid lows. Further, it also feature a built-in microphone, letting users take calls and chat hands-free while on the move.

Calls can be answered and terminated with a simple push of a button on the headset. When a call is over, any music or media that was playing will automatically resume. The swiveling earcups fold flat for greater portability and the headset comes with both a micro-USB cord for charging as well as a stereo connecting cable for passive operation.

Also, Sony is providing an option of a premium leather carrying case exclusively with the MDR-XB950BT. The new wireless headset is already available on online and offline stores for Rs. 12,990.

October 8, 2014

Battle of the Compacts: Z3 Compact vs S5 Mini vs HTC One Mini vs LG G3 Beat

A recent trend from the major smartphone companies is to release a mini variant of their popular high-end phones to create a namesake device. These devices come at diminished features and price.

Samsung was one of those who began the trend with the S3 Mini. This year saw the emergence of the Galaxy S5 Mini, HTC One mini, LG G3 Beat. These devices are now joined by Sony’s Z3 compact which comes with some impressive specs.

So we decided to have a spec battle of these mini/compact devices to check out how they stand against each other.

Specs	Xperia Z3 Compact	Galaxy S5 Mini	HTC One Mini	LG G3 Beat.
Display	4.6 inch, 720p HD (319 ppi)	4.5-inch, 720p (328 ppi)	4.3 inch, 720p (342 ppi)	5.0 inches, 720p (294 ppi)
Processor	2.5 GHz Quad Core Snapdragon 801	1.4 GHz, quad core	1.4 GHz Dual-core Snapdragon 400	1.2 GHz quad core, Snapdragon 400
RAM	2GB	1.5GB	1 GB	1 GB
Internal Storage	16 GB	16GB	16 GB	8 GB
Expandable up to	128 GB	64 GB	–	64 GB
Main Camera	20.7 MP	8.0 MP	4 MP	8 MP
Front Camera	2.2 MP	2.1MP	1.6 MP	1.3 MP
Battery	Non-removable 2600 mAh	Removable 2100mAh	Non-removable 1800 mAh	removable 2540 mAh
Operating System	Android Kitkat v4.4.4	Android Kitkat 4.4.2	Android Kitkat 4.4.2	Android Kitkat 4.4.2
Price	Rs. 44,999	Rs 26,499	Rs. 29,500	Rs. 25000

Well as we can see, Sony’s Z3 Compact clearly washes all others in the battle. But, of course, this wasn’t a level playing field. The Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact are rather like the new iPhones where the only major difference lies in screen sizes. Sony seems to have a great device and by losing some of that bulky price tag the device will be able to find a lot of new customers.

September 25, 2014

Sony Xperia Z3 vs Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

After a less than satisfactory year, Sony recently launched the Xperia Z3, the Z3 Compact and the Z3 Compact Tablet at IFA in Berlin. Today, Sony launched these devices in India.

The Japanese consumer electronics giant had recently brought the Xperia E3 for India. It was a budget device priced at Rs. 11,990 for the single-SIM version and Rs. 12,990 for the dual-SIM variant. Now it is bringing in its big guns.

The Xperia Z3 is a bumped up successor of the Z2, that was launched in February this year. This is the first time a company has brought the mini variant of their high-end phone along with the flagship.

Specs	Xperia Z3	Xperia Z3 Compact
Display	5.2 inch Full HD (424 ppi)	4.6 inch 720p HD (319 ppi)
Processor	2.5 GHz Quad Core Snapdragon 801	2.5 GHz Quad Core Snapdragon 801
RAM	3 GB	2GB
Storage	16/32 GB	16 GB
Expandable up to	128 GB	128 GB
Main Camera	20.7 MP	20.7 MP
Back Camera	2.2 MP	2.2 MP
Battery	Non-removable 3100 mAh	Non-removable 2600 mAh
Operating System	Android Kitkat 4.4.4	Android Kitkat v4.4.4
Miscellaneous	Great Battery Backup, Waterproof	Waterproof

The phones don’t come cheap. The Xperia Z3 is priced at Rs. 51,999 while the Xperia Z3 Compact at Rs. 44,999. These are sone of the best devices from Sony and might just give them the ground it was trying to regain.

September 25, 2014

Sony Brings Out the Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact, We Unbox Them!

Today Sony launched its latest flagship, the Xperia Z3 and its mini version, the Xperia Z3 Compact in India. The handsets were recently unveiled at IFA 2014, held in Berlin. The Sony Xperia z3 is priced for Rs. 51,990, while the smaller variant is available for Rs. 44,990.

This time Sony has focused on design, with the new smartphones being thinner and lighter than its predecessors. The smartphone comes in two stylish colour options. They have a curvier aluminium frame, which makes it easier to hold and use.

Sony Xperia Z3 comes with a 5.2-inch Full HD display which Sony claims is the world’s brightest display of all the leading premium smartphones. Other specs for the devices include a 2.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM and Android 4.4 KitKat.

The main difference between the Xperia Z3 and the Z3 Compact is the size of the display — the Z3 Compact features a 720p 4.6-inch screen. Other than minute differences, it’s nearly identical to the flagship. Both smartphones also have the same 20.7 MP front camera, and the 2.2 MP frontal camera.

Also, in terms of battery, the Xperia Z3 is packed with a non-removable 3,100 mAh whereas the Xperia Z3 Compact comes with a non-removable 2,600 mAh capacity. Without compromising on specifications, Sony has built two variations of a single smartphone in order capture a wider market base.

Stay tuned for our Full Review out shortly. Watch the Unboxing video below.

September 25, 2014