Daily Roundup: Fitbit Surge review, VAIO's first smartphone and more!
Get caught up on all of today's news in the Daily Roundup. Find out what we think of the new Fitbit Surge, learn about VAIO's first smartphone and get the details on when USB-C will come to new Android phones. Head past the break for all this and more.
Fitbit Surge review: a top-notch tracker with a flawed design
Confession time: I'm a bit of a wannabe when it comes to self-quantification. The idea of counting every step I take, every calorie I eat, every day I don't have a cigarette and every minute I lie in bed restlessly tossing and turning sounds great. I want to be able to look at my life as a series of easy-to-understand numbers that I can act upon to improve myself. And every time I review a new wearable or fitness tracker I think, "This'll be the one to make it stick." The latest in the long line of would-be life-changers is the $250 Fitbit Surge.
Here is VAIO's first smartphone
No longer a part of Sony, VAIO likes the look of that smartphone market, and has decided to go up against its former parent company's Xperia series with its own creation - one that looks very familiar to our smartphone-seasoned eyes. It's called the VAIO Phone, and it's launching in Japan in collaboration with one of the country's smaller carriers, b-mobile, on March 20th.
Android phones will soon use a smaller, simpler USB connector
That tiny USB Type-C port you've seen on the latest MacBook and Chromebook Pixel? Don't be surprised if you see it on your smartphone soon. In a video accompanying the new Chromebook, Google's Adam Rodriguez says that his company is "very committed" to the new USB spec and that you'll see it on both Android phones and more Chromebooks in the "near future."
PS4's next update brings Suspend for games, 60fps Share Play
Confirming the leaked information from last week, Sony announced tonight that it's testing a big update for the PS4. Codenamed "Yukimura", v2.50 it will add the Suspend/Resume feature we've been awaiting since before the system launched. That feature will let gamers put the system in standby, then come right back and resume playing like nothing happened. According to a blog post the feature will be supported by "almost" all PS4 games, although there's no word yet on which ones.
The BBC is creating a TV drama based on the making of 'Grand Theft Auto'
As part of a major initiative to get the UK into coding, the BBC is creating a new TV show based on the making of Rockstar's best-selling game series Grand Theft Auto. Not much is known about the show; the BBC simply states that a "new BBC Two drama based on Grand Theft Auto" is on its way.
You won't miss camera cables with Eyefi's latest wireless SD card
Eyefi's always had an intriguing hook: Wouldn't it be easier if you could just transfer photos from your cameras over Wi-Fi, instead of manually plugging into your computer? Its wireless SD cards haven't always worked flawlessly, and they're a lot more than standard SD cards, but they're still worth it if you take photos regularly. Now, the company is announcing its latest card, the Mobi Pro ($100), which appears to fix many of the annoyances its customers have had over the years.
Gotham Air is the helicopter taxi you can order from your smartphone
Gotham Air, a new ride-sharing service in New York City, has released its iOS and Android apps to the general public. They probably won't be replacing Uber or Lyft in most people's lives though, because as the name suggests, Gotham Air rents out helicopters not cars. Plus, its choppers only fly from Manhattan's Downtown Heliport to either JFK or Newark airport, and passengers can only have one 25-pound carry-on bag with them.
