Sony Confirms PlayStation 4


With Wii 2 due to be shown at E3 and hints of new Microsoft hardware abound, it was only a matter of time before Sony dropped hints about its plans for the next gen. Sony’s executive vice president and chief financial officer Masaru Kato has confirmed that the company is putting together a “future platform” – the almost assured PlayStation 4. He referred to Sony’s next console during a conference call to investors when asked to clarify an increase in research and development costs, according to Eurogamer.
Kato said:

“For the home equipment the PS3 still has a product life but this is platform business, so for the future platform – when we’ll be introducing that product, I cannot discuss that – but our development is already under way, so the costs are incurred there.”

The news contrasts claims made by Sony Computer Entertainment chief Kaz Hirai earlier this year, who said that the firm was “not deliberating” a PS4.

Introducing the people widget

Posted by Zohair Hyder, Software Engineer

(Cross-posted on the Google Enterprise Blog)

Email is just as much about the people you communicate with as it is what you communicate about. We think it can be helpful to view relevant information in context, which is why over the next two weeks we’re rolling out a new people widget located on the right hand side of your messages. The people widget surfaces content from friends, family and colleagues that is already available to you but may be hard to find and makes it easier to connect with them.





Next to every email message you can now see contextual information about the people in that conversation including recent emails you received from them, relevant Buzz posts, shared documents and calendar events. You also have quick access to a variety of ways to communicate with individuals, start a group chat or schedule a meeting with groups of people.


We hope the people widget will improve your Gmail experience and we’re eager for you to try it out.

Google Wallet vending on Nexus S hands-on


We just got done watching the unveil of how Google is going to revolutionize the way you pay for denim shorts at the mall, and we just got to try it in a slightly different way — buying a Coke out of a vending machine. The process is as easy as can be: just select your beverage and, when you’re ready to pay, swipe your phone. In a few seconds out pops your frosty beverage and somewhere Santa Claus laughs merrily. It’s retail bliss and a lot easier than fishing filthy coins out of your skinny jeans. Check out the short video after the break — the break that refreshes.

Continue reading Google Wallet vending on Nexus S hands-on

Google Wallet vending on Nexus S hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 May 2011 13:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Motorola on the XOOM OS 3.1 upgrade: “Our best estimate… in the next couple of months”


Even though the Motorola XOOM with Wi-Fi is now widely available across Canada, those owners want the latest Android OS 3.1 upgrade. Motorola Canada noted on Facebook a couple weeks back that it should be “coming soon”, but gave no clear date. We reached out to Motorola for a bit more insight on when the update might be available and they stated “We know you are eager to update to Android 3.1 software. We are working with Google to make this happen as quickly as possible. When we have more details, we will post them. Our best estimate is that it will be available in the next couple of months.”

Hopefully they are kidding around when they say 2 months because then it’s not really “coming soon”.

Update: Motorola has now put this quote on Facebook

Related posts:

  1. Motorola says Xoom upgrade to OS 3.1 “is coming soon”
  2. Quick contest: Win a Motorola XOOM Protective Gel Case
  3. Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi available in April and “XOOM 3G will also be available in Canada mid-year”

Video Game Movies by the Numbers [Infographic]

Video game based movies are a tough sell and the numbers reflect that. Gamers want a movie that captures the spirit of the game and non-gamers want a movie they can get into without playing the game first.

It’s a mixed bag and the infographic above shows that things don’t always work out for the studios. Even the most popular/best grossing of game-based movies still do poorly in comparison to other Hollywood films.

[via IGN]

Soluto Solves PC Crashes and Speeds Up Boot Time. Download It Now! Download the HTG Photography Cheat Sheet (Wallet-Sized!) How To Remotely Backup Your Data for Free with CrashPlan

Coming soon: make your phone your wallet

(Cross-posted on the Google Commerce Blog and Google Mobile Blog)

Today in our New York City office, along with Citi, MasterCard, First Data and Sprint, we gave a demo of Google Wallet, an app that will make your phone your wallet. You’ll be able to tap, pay and save using your phone and near field communication (NFC). We’re field testing Google Wallet now and plan to release it soon.

Google Wallet is a key part of our ongoing effort to improve shopping for both businesses and consumers. It’s aimed at making it easier for you to pay for and save on the goods you want, while giving merchants more ways to offer coupons and loyalty programs to customers, as well as bridging the gap between online and offline commerce.

Because Google Wallet is a mobile app, it will do more than a regular wallet ever could. You’ll be able to store your credit cards, offers, loyalty cards and gift cards, but without the bulk. When you tap to pay, your phone will also automatically redeem offers and earn loyalty points for you. Someday, even things like boarding passes, tickets, ID and keys could be stored in Google Wallet.

At first, Google Wallet will support both Citi MasterCard and a Google Prepaid Card, which you’ll be able to fund with almost any payment card. From the outset, you’ll be able to tap your phone to pay wherever MasterCard PayPass is accepted. Google Wallet will also sync your Google Offers, which you’ll be able to redeem via NFC at participating SingleTap™ merchants, or by showing the barcode as you check out. Many merchants are working to integrate their offers and loyalty programs with Google Wallet.

With Google Wallet, we’re building an open commerce ecosystem, and we’re planning to develop APIs that will enable integration with numerous partners. In the beginning, Google Wallet will be compatible with Nexus S 4G by Google, available on Sprint. Over time, we plan on expanding support to more phones.

To learn more please visit our Google Wallet website at www.google.com/wallet.

This is just the start of what has already been a great adventure towards the future of mobile shopping. We’re incredibly excited and hope you are, too.

Posted by Rob von Behren and Jonathan Wall, Founding Engineers on Google Wallet

Google Wallet mobile payment service, Google Offers announced

It may not be as big a surprise as Google hoped it would be at this point, but the company has now officially announced its NFC-based Google Wallet mobile payment service, complete with backing from a number of retail and financial partners including Subway, Macy’s, Walgreens, Toys ‘R Us, First Data, Citibank and MasterCard — plus Sprint on the carrier side. In the case of MasterCard, that partnership means Google Wallet will be fully compatible with the PayPass contactless payment system that’s already widely in place today. Trials are beginning immediately in New York and San Francisco, with a full release planned for this summer. Initially, the Sprint Nexus S 4G will be the only compatible phone, but support for more phones is promised “over time,” and Google even suggested that phones without built-in NFC could simply use an NFC sticker (the Google Wallet app itself will work on non-NFC phones as well). You’ll also have to use either a Citi MasterCard or Google Prepaid Card with the service, although the latter can obviously be funded from any other card.

Also announced today is Google Offers, which will deliver an “offer of the day” to your inbox, and let you seek out other offers from retailers. Of course, it also ties into Google Wallet, and you’ll be able to both redeem offers and receive loyalty rewards from retailers with just a tap of your NFC-enabled phone. As far as Google is concerned, however, mobile payments and special offers are just the beginning for Google Wallet. It eventually sees everything from boarding passes to tickets to IDs (and even keys) being stored on your phone. Not surprisingly, all of this is US-only for the time being, but Google is apparently working on international expansion. Head on past the break for a video and the complete press release.

Gallery: Google Wallet

Gallery: Google Offers

Continue reading Google Wallet mobile payment service, Google Offers announced

Google Wallet mobile payment service, Google Offers announced originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 May 2011 12:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceGoogle Wallet, Official Google Blog  | Email this | Comments

Smart Rotator Restricts Android Screen Rotation to Specific Apps

If your phone’s auto-rotate feature is a bit too sensitive, Smart Rotator allows for selective application-by-application rotation.

Many people turn off the auto-rotate feature on their phones because it flips the screen at awkward times. Smart Rotator allows you to specify which programs you want to rotate and which should stay in portrait mode. It’s a simple application that stands to save a lot of frustration. You simply install it, flag the apps you want to rotate, and it runs in the background automatically toggling the auto-rotate feature based on which apps are in focus.

Smart Rotator is a free app, Android 1.6+.

Smart Rotator [Android Market via Lifehacker]

Soluto Solves PC Crashes and Speeds Up Boot Time. Download It Now! Download the HTG Photography Cheat Sheet (Wallet-Sized!) How To Remotely Backup Your Data for Free with CrashPlan

How to Receive Your Android Phone’s Alerts on Your Desktop Computer

banner-01

Ever leave your Android phone around the house while doing some work only to find missed calls and text messages? With Android Notifier, your phone’s alerts will pop up on your computer. It’s free and it even supports Growl!

Soluto Solves PC Crashes and Speeds Up Boot Time. Download It Now! Download the HTG Photography Cheat Sheet (Wallet-Sized!) How To Remotely Backup Your Data for Free with CrashPlan

Kingmax flaunts world’s first 64GB microSD card

In case you’d forgotten (and who could blame you), Kingmax used to have a thing for setting small records — even if it meant one-upping itself. Four years later, the king is back and he brought a 64GB microSDXC card with him; the world’s first, wouldn’t you know? If history repeats itself, we can expect similarly sized storage from SanDisk and other manufacturers soon. We love passing storage milestones, but don’t get too excited: only a handful of devices currently have the architecture to support microSD cards bigger than 32GB, so make sure you have a compatible device before you empty your wallet. Don’t have one? Don’t sweat it; there’s no word yet when the new cards will be available, so you have plenty of time to upgrade. Head past the break to check out the press release.

Continue reading Kingmax flaunts world’s first 64GB microSD card

Kingmax flaunts world’s first 64GB microSD card originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 May 2011 04:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Phone Arena  |  sourceKingmax  | Email this | Comments

HTC’s 10-inch ‘Puccini’ Honeycomb tablet still rumored for summer release

What would a morning be without a little injection of rumorjuice courtesy of DigiTimes? Today’s tattle has HTC’s 10.1-inch LTE “Puccini” tablet hitting mass production in June with AU Optronics and Wintek pegged as the touch panel suppliers. Other specs, like the 1.5GHz MSM8660 processor and Android 3.0.1 build, seem to have been culled from that 911sniper leak which DigiTimes graciously cites as “sources in the supply chain.” Of course, the June date has been tossed around before by DigiTimes but it’s good to hear it again so close to the 10-incher’s rumored summer release.

HTC’s 10-inch ‘Puccini’ Honeycomb tablet still rumored for summer release originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 May 2011 01:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceDigiTimes  | Email this | Comments

WebP: 39.8% faster than JPEG

A WebP image of a man breathing fire

Google has used their insanely smart engineers to create an image compression algorithm that’s just as good as JPEG but 39.8% smaller. It’s called WebP and it’s pronounced “weppy”. You can create WebP images in Acorn, PixelmatorImageMagickLeptonica and XnConvert. If you use Photoshop, you can also install the WebP plugin.

Here’s a gallery comparing WebP to JPEG.

The problem is it’s currently only supported by Chrome and Opera, but if all of us in the web community make enough noise, we might succeed in getting it to be adopted by all major browsers. Please voice your support of WebP by …

  1. Commenting below. If we can get 500+ comments, then we’ll send this post to our contacts on the IE, Firefox and Webkit teams
  2. Re-tweeting this post
  3. Telling your followers, friends and clients about WebP

If we all voice our support of this awesome new image format, the web might just speed up by about 38.9% 🙂

If you can’t see the image above, then your browser doesn’t support WebP. Come on and help us get this adopted by all browsers!

Sony makes good, doles out identity protection activation codes for PSN and Qriocity users

Still feeling burned by Sony’s record-breaking PlayStation Network outage? Fret not, promised reparations have arrived: a short form on the PlayStation website is now distributing activation codes for a free year of Debix AllClear ID Plus identity theft protection. The offer is good for all US PSN and Qriocity account holders who activate before June 28th, netting users up to $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage. Feel better? Hit the source link below to get your redemption code.

Sony makes good, doles out identity protection activation codes for PSN and Qriocity users originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 May 2011 00:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq  |  sourceSony  | Email this | Comments