Sony Announces ICS Updates for Tablets, Tablet P SDK Now Available

Sony Ericsson has announced that the Sony Tablets – we assume both the S and the P – will be getting upgrades to Android 4.0 in due time. They didn’t have anything to announce regarding a timeframe but we’re glad they’ve committed to bringing it. In addition to that, they’ve made the SDK for the Sony Tablet P available online so developers can take advantage of its gaming roots. We’ll be right here with a post for you guys whenever those updates start rolling out (but I wouldn’t wait for one in the near future). [via Android Guys]...

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Sony confirms Ice Cream Sandwich update for Tablet S, P

Sony has announced on its official support forum that it will indeed release the official Android 4.0 update for both the tablets. Company however did not give a specific time-frame, but considering company’s timeliness with the updates till now, we would them to release ICS around Feb/March. Company had recently rolled out the second release of Android 3.2.1 on Tablet S. To remind you, Sony’s Honeycomb tablets come with dual core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, dual cameras and 1GB RAM on-board along with 9.4 inch (S) and dual 5.5 inch displays (P). Here is company’s full statement: Today we’re happy to confirm that an update to Android 4.0 will be available for Sony Tablet. Details including timing will be announced in due course, so please...

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Sony Tablet P vs Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition

Sony's Tablet P is nothing if not unique. The device's form factor and design has split opinion widely since it first surfaced a few weeks ago and now it's here with us we're still unsure what to make of the enigmatic little device.Its opponent in our comparison is another small tablet with plenty to offer, and we're aiming to find out whether the novel Tablet P can hold its own against then equally small, but more traditional Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition.ScreenThe Sony Tablet P features dual 5.5-inch TFT screens which operate at a resolution of 1024 x 480 and boast a pixel density of 206PPI.The dual-screen arrangement works well for the device and when closed the device is super portable, which is something that cannot be said for other devices...

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Sony Walkman Z-1000 Android-powered MP3 player lands at FCC

Sony launched the interesting looking Android-powered NW-Z1000 MP3 player in Japan a while back and the device looks really nice. It has a big 4.3-inch screen with 800 x 480 resolutions and a lot more. The Walkman branded player is a nice alternative to the iPod touch for Japanese music fans. That Z-1000 is now set to launch in the States reports WirelessGoodness with the device spied crossing the FCC test bench. Other than that large screen the Z1000 also has Bluetooth and WiFi inside along with an NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor. It also has 512MB of RAM and runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread. There are a few things we aren’t sure of for the American versions of the Z1000. There is no word on an official launch date or pricing for the device...

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Sony Tablet S vs Asus Eee Transformer Prime

Asus' Eee Pad Transformer Prime is a tablet that is enjoying a lot of publicity in the run up to its expected December release. But this isn't all that surprising when you consider its pakcing a next-generation chipset and bleeding-edge hardware.It's important to look past the 'power is everything' mantra though, as Apple's iPad 2 has decisively proven, and with that in mind we've selected a stellar Android tablet – the Sony Tablet S – to hold up against Asus' new creation to get a view of exactly how much it offers.DisplayThe Asus Eee Transformer Prime ships with a 10.1-inch Super IPS+ LCD display with a resolution of 1280x800 and a pixel density of 149PPI, which is well above average in the current market.Sony's Tablet S is similarly well...

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Sony’s Xperia Play has more than 200 optimized games

When Sony Ericsson launched the Xperia Play last year, one of the primary concerns was a dearth of games to take advantage of its PlayStation-style slide-out gamepad. Those concerns appear to have been unfounded: AndroidGuys reports that the company confirmed the availability of more than 200 Xperia Play-optimized Android games. That doesn’t hold a candle to the wide array of games availabe on the Android Market, or for that matter, any major gaming console you’d care to mention, but it’s an impressive feat none the less. Most of these games are stand-alone, high profile titles from the likes of EA and Gameloft, but there’s a pretty good selection of more indie-style games to choose from as well. The Android version of OCD enabler...

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Holier than thou: Pope Benedict lights Christmas tree with Android tablet

The Lord hath spoken: “What iPad?” MSNBC reports that at a tree lighting ceremony in a small Italian town, Pope Benedict XVI used a Sony Android tablet to remotely activate the lights on a huge electronic display. The Pope himself was in his apartments at the Vatican, and a remote trigger was rigged up for the special occasion. He greeted crowds gathered at the event via teleconferencing. The tablet in question is absolutely the Sony Tablet S, the company’s flagship slate. The lights in question were placed on a mountainside overlooking the town of Gubbio. MSNBC reports shock and surprise at the fact that His Holiness wasn’t using an iPad, but as Android Community readers know, Droid Does what iOS can’t. And after all, when comparing...

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Sony to drop Ericsson brand in mid-2012, focus only on smartphones

Sony has said that it will drop the Ericsson brand from smartphone devices in mid-2012 following its acquisition of Ericsson’s 50% stake in the Sony Ericsson joint venture for €1.05 billion in October. Speaking to Times of India, a senior Sony executive noted that the Sony Ericsson brand would be phased out as the company looked to become a “complete smartphone company”, selling its new smartphones under the Sony label. The move is aimed at galvanising Sony’s smartphone sales, which slowly picked up following Sony Ericsson’s decision to focus solely on developing smartphones that are powered by Google’s Android platform. With Sony Ericsson’s decision to phase-out its feature phone development, the new unit will invest significant amounts...

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Sony Tablet P taken apart by FCC

The Sony Tablet P dual-screen tablet recently received an official FCC tear down – right on schedule before it makes its way over to the US. I’ve never seen the insides of a dual-screen tablet, but then again there aren’t that many to go by. From the photos included in the below gallery, it’s obvious the wireless components are laid out in the lower clamshell. To be honest, most of the pictures center around the wireless components and the rest show us the exterior we’ve already known. The battery is actually quite large at 3080mAh, and it looks to be built into the device. Like the ASUS Eee Pad MeMo, it’s quite a unique tablet. If priced properly, I see it doing fairly well. I’m actually surprised this clamshell hasn’t already made...

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Google Music set to launch without Sony or Warner songs

The long-awaited Google Music service should arrive later this week at Google’s Spinal Tap-inspired event, but if Cnet is to be believed, it’ll launch without two of the biggest players in the US music industry. Sony and Warner will not be posting any of their artists on the new MP3 store, putting it at a major disadvantage to iTunes and other digital music vendors. The other two major labels, EMI and Universal, will be selling music through Google. According to anonymous insiders, the music labels want Google’s store to be an open experience available to anyone, whereas Google wants to make it an Android-only experience, likely rolling it into their existing Google Music app and selling songs through the Android Market. There are obviously...

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Xperia arc, acro get PlayStation certified in Japan

Sony has been promising access to its PlayStation suite for more Android smartphones for a while now, though only the Tablet S and Tablet P have seen an actual update, in addition to the original XPERIA Play. Now one of Sony’s newest Android phones, the XPERIA arc [sic] is getting the gaming service, but only in Japan at the moment. The XPERIA acro, a Japan-only smartphone, is also getting updated. While the XPERIA arc doesn’t appear on any carrier list in the US, Americans can get an unlocked GSM version, and the arc has been released to some fanfare in Europe. Unfortunately PlayStation certification and by extension the PlayStation store aren’t available in these markets, but hopefully it won’t be too long before westerners get...

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Devs can apply for PlayStation Suite SDK closed beta now

If you are a game developer for Android games that has been looking to get your games onto more devices the new PlayStation Suite SDK has hit the closed beta point. The PS suite SDK is the development environment using C# that allows games to be run on PS certified devices including Android smartphones as well as the PS Vita portable console that will be landing soon.Sony has announced that it is now accepting apps from individual developers and corporate devs for the SDK closed beta. Like any other closed beta, not all devs will gain access to the beta program. The SDK that Sony has developed will run on a virtual C# machine that is part of the Vita portable and PS Certified Android devices.The program will be open to devs in the US,...

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Sony Tablet S 16GB for $399 as Ebay Daily Deal

Are you in the market for a new Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet but also want some gaming options? Then look no further than the Sony Tablet S. With Sony’s Playstation Suite integration and a great price this could be a nice grab for the holidays. Today the Tablet S is the Ebay Daily Deal and is being offered at a $100 discount, for just $399. For those interested, the Tablet S features a 9.4″ 1280 x 800 resolution display and is powered by the popular NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor at 1.0 Ghz. With 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, front and rear cameras and more. With the option to play old school games like Crash Bandicoot this is a unique tablet that is for sure, not to mention the folded magazine design. We’ve enjoyed...

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Google TV 2.0 (Android 3.1) Reaching Sony Hardware Today

Somedays I feel like I am the only person in this world who loves Google TV. But not today. Today I can pretend everyone loves Google TV, and indeed everyone gets a second chance to fall in love. And second chances at falling in love don’t come frequently. So take advantage. If only one thing could spoil news that the Google TV 2.0 update (otherwise known as Android 3.1 for Google TV) is already arriving for some lucky owners of GTV hardware, it would be that Logitech Revue owners like me will still have to wait a few more days. Lucky dogs owning Sony’s hardware (including internet-connected TV sets and the GTV Blu-Ray player) should start seeing the update any time now, and some already have. God bless. [via AndroidCentral]Related...

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Sony Ericsson Announces Android 2.3.4 Rollout For All Countries – Adds Bonus Features

Back in September, Sony Ericsson announced that they would being rolling out the Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread update to their devices, unfortunately for us here in the states (and other parts of the world), it was only for Nordic countries. Thankfully, today, SE announced that the 2.3.4 update has begun rolling out for the rest of the world but with a few added changes. Highlights of the update include: Google Talk with Video Chat for smartphones with front-facing camerasUpdated Facebook inside Xperia™ functionality for enhanced like, share and discover abilities.Xperia™ smartphones introducing world’s first 3D Sweep Panorama functionality powered by Sony.16x video zoomThe software upgrade will enable consumers to turn their Xperia™ smartphone...

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Google TV apps already showing up in the Android Market

That didn’t take long. Just a few hours after Google’s official announcement of Google TV 2.0, apps specifically designed for integrated TVs and set-top boxes have started appearing in the web version of the Android Market. You can use this URL to check them out for yourself. There’s just 28 results when you specifically search “for Google TV”, and not all of them are true Google TV apps. The generic “Google TV” search shows thousands, most of which are just ordinary Android apps matching the search terms.Among the confirmed Google TV apps are Twitter, CNBC, Pandora, Fox News, CNN Money, and Motor Trend. We’re expecting a version of Angry Birds designed specifically for Google TV in approximately 20-30 seconds. Naturally these apps won’t show...

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Google TV 2.0 update coming to Sony next week, Logitech Revue later

Logitech appears more than ready for Google TV’s Honeycomb update, but according to a new blog postfrom the Google TV team, Sony’s TVs and set-top boxes will be getting it first starting next week. The Logitech Revue will follow “soon thereafter”. The updated post outlines some of the new Google TV features, includingAndroid Market support and an improved user interface.In an interesting bit of humility, the post admits that the original Google TV software “wasn’t perfect,” and focuses on the simpler homescreen with customizable video and app shortcuts. Search functions have also been refined, allowing for a broad search across live TV, Netflix, YouTube, HBO GO and other video services. It will also recommend content similar to what you’ve...

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Breaking: Sony Buys Sony Ericsson For €1.05 billion

We heard the rumors circulating for awhile now and it looks like the inevitable has happened — Sony has just bought Sony Ericsson for €1.05 billion. I’m sure some of you are confused with the news thinking, “Wait. Sony bought Sony?” Not quite. Sony Ericsson was actually its own separate company (Ericsson) that turned into a joint venture when Sony essentially bought half of the company back in 2001. This buyout now gives Sony full ownership of the company and allows them to expand their portfolio beyond audio, tablets, laptops and gaming and allows Sony to make a big splash in the smartphone market as well. The agreement also gives Sony a leg up thanks to “five essential patent families” that come with the deal. Nothing is finalized yet with...

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Sony Music Unlimited comes to Tablet S and other Android tablets

Sony has announced that its unlimited music streaming service is now available for Android tablets. The video streaming platform has been on tablets already. The service is Sony’s Music unlimited and it is first hitting the Sony Tablet S device. It will also be available as a download app for any Android tablet user to enjoy. The app allows access to the cloud-based Music Unlimited network. The new v1.2 app allows tablets to access the service, which has been available for Android smartphones for a while. The updated app also brings with it a tweaked user interface. The subscriber can now create playlists faster and discover related artists more easily. The navigation between album view and the catalog is faster as well. The Music...

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Sony’s PlayStation Store opens for Tablet S users

If you’re part of a considerable chunk of Tablet S users who bought Sony’s Honeycomb tablet on the promise of classic PlayStation games coming soon, you’re in luck. Today Sony has added the first round of original PS1 games to the PlayStation Store, and Tablet S owners can download them now. Prices start at a reasonable $5.99 a pop. Technically the store is open to Tablet P users as well, which might be relevant to the US market if Sony ever deems it fit for release here. It’s a shame, too – the dual-screen hinged design might make it all the more easy to emulate a traditional console gaming experience. With the company expanding the tablet line to include 3G models, maybe we’ll see a release of both Wifi and mobile broadband versions...

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