Video offerings through the PlayStation Store should be getting a bit of an upgrade soon. But, before rolling out a brand new streaming tech to the entire catalog, Sony is beta testing the faster and more adaptive format with select discounted titles. Though the company is being a bit tight-lipped about what exactly the new tech entails, it's letting anyone who wants to take part in the trial period. Simply log into the store, scroll down to movies and you should see the "beta" section right on the front page. Movies in here will be delivered at a steep discount as a thank you for helping Sony put the more efficient format through its paces. HD films will set you back $1.99, while SD videos are just $0.99. Let us know in the comments if you notice any discernible differences.

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Sony

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Source: Sony

What does the PlayStation 4 look like? We didn't find out back at Sony's big New York City reveal gala in February, but it looks like we're edging ever closer to that moment: June 10th at 6PM PT seems to be exactly when we'll find out. Hey, wouldn't you know it, that lines up with Sony's E3 2013 press conference, which we'll be liveblogging right here on Engadget. The coincidences simply won't stop! A new tease video today gives us a few glimpses at what we might see in a few weeks, but for now you'll have to be sated by looking through individual video frames. Take a look (and then another, and then another) just below the break.

The PlayStation 4 has a projected launch of "Holiday 2013," and is Sony's next entry in its long-running PlayStation line of game consoles. The company's already shown off its new DualShock 4 controller, as well as its PlayStation 4 Eye motion camera (akin to Microsoft's Kinect), and we expect to see not just the console, but a smattering of other PlayStation-related news at the June 10th press conference. Today's tease comes just one day before Microsoft's expected next-gen Xbox reveal event kicks off in Redmond. Oh you guys!

Update: Intrepid commenter GoldenRabbit snatched all the stills from the tease and put them all in one place, right here. Thanks dude!

Update 2: And gaming forum NeoGAF goes even deeper in this thread. We're pretty sure it's a game console. Or a fancy scale. Or maybe a panini press?

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Sony

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Source: Sony

The Sony Entertainment Network, which is already live in the US and Brazil among other countries, will launch in Japan on May 29th. As you may recall, the service is a browser-based marketplace with games, movies and other media available for download. SEN is especially targeted at PlayStation users; games and videos purchased will automatically show up in the PlayStation store. Given that Sony calls the Land of the Rising Sun home, it's high time its Entertainment Network opened its doors to Japan. And with E3 less than a month away, the world may get a taste of Sony's next-gen hardware for enjoying this service -- stay tuned.

Filed under: Gaming, Sony

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Sony Computer Entertainment Japan

The FCC may have spoiled the surprise, but Sony's now gone official with yet another smartphone and this one's for its native Japan. The Xperia UL appears to be a slightly thicker riff on the Xperia Z, matching the display of the company's early-2013 flagship, with a quad-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro (APQ8064) ticking behind the 5-inch 1080p screen. It's worth noting that it's a substantial resolution bump from the similar-looking 720p NTT DoCoMo Xperia A. Although it's not the Snapdragon 600 rumored, Qualcomm's S4 Pro flexes its muscle through Exmor RS 13-megapixel camera sensor, offering up the ability to capture 15 frames in a second. NFC, naturally, is already in attendance as well as the Felica wireless payment system. You'll also get the benefits of both a physical camera button and water (IPX5/8) and dust resistance (IP5X) -- two features in tandem that should help separate it from Sony's pair of existing 5-inch 1080p smartphones. The Xperia UL will launch on KDDI's au network in white, black and hot pink colors on May 25th. Check out the obligatory close-up ad after the break.

Update: The Xperia UL runs on an S4 Pro processor, not the Snapdragon 600 initially stated.

Gallery: Sony Xperia UL press shots

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony

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Source: Sony (Japanese)

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought a new handset from Sony to the US and UK, updates to Nokia Creative Suite and three new (and very inexpensive) smartphones from Blu Products. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of May 13th, 2013.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Sony

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Even though we don't yet know what the PlayStation 4 looks like or how much it will cost, one of the many details revealed at Sony's February event was that games will be playable even as they download. Now it turns out we won't have to wait for the new hardware to experience that feature on a console -- Steam, for example, does this on PCs with some games -- as The Last of Us leaders Bruce Straley and Neil Druckman told Game Informer the PS3 game will be available as a download the same day it arrives on discs, and is playable once the transfer is 50 percent complete. There's no word whether other developers will have access to the "magic" Naughty Dog worked out with Sony to make it happen, but as least there will be as little delay as possible before you begin exploring its post-apocalyptic landscape June 14th.

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Sony

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Via: Joystiq

Source: Game Informer

Sony gifted its flagship Xperia Z smartphone with an Android Open Source Project (AOSP) build just last month, and now the stock operating system has made its way to the device's tablet counterpart, too. AOSP is now available for the Xperia Tablet Z -- it'll live on GitHub, along with instructions and other resources. Community Manager Marcus Hansson dropped by YouTube to demo AOSP. You'll find that Jelly Bean (4.2.2) walkthrough posted after the break, along with a warning to non devs: "The software is not intended for everyday use, and therefore does not include all apps and services usually expected in ordinary software." That could always change in the future, but if you're expecting a seamless stock experience for personal use, you probably won't find it here.

Filed under: Tablets, Software, Sony

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Source: Sony Blog

Project PlayStation Input Output has been trying to load PlayStation 1 game images through the game system's parallel I/O port since 2010, and now it's ready to show off the first prototype. If piracy is your aim, then modchips that let users play burned discs and emulators that have been available through the console's 19-year history should suffice, but this project aims to bypass those methods. The potential benefits include easier homebrew support and playing of ripped discs on the original hardware without worrying about wearing out an aging console's laser. Eventually the team wants to load games and saves from an SD card, but in this demo video it's playing Klonoa: Door to Phantomile from an attached PC. As seen in the nearly ten minute video it does work, albeit slowly. As the video notes, optimizations for the USB controller and CD sectors that should speed things up have not been implemented yet. According to its FAQ, the PSIO team aims to have a final version done this year, you can check out the fruits of their labor after the break.

Filed under: Gaming, Sony

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Source: PSIO, PSIO (YouTube)

Earlier this week, we learned of Sony's plans for a 13.3-inch e-ink slate with stylus support pitched at students, and now Diginfo has caught up with the prototype device at the Educational IT Solutions Expo in Japan. The A4-sized tablet is said to be the first piece of hardware with an E Ink Mobius display that's flexible and light due to its new plastic construction. Co-developed by Sony and E Ink, the display only contributes 60g to the overall weight, which is apparently 50 percent lighter than similar screens built with glass. Sony says the software isn't quite as slick as it'd like it to be just yet, but nevertheless, you can check out people scrawling, annotating and highlighting on the prototype in the video below.

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Source: DigInfo (YouTube)

It was only a couple of weeks ago that we got an early peek of T-Mobile's Xperia Z thanks to the FCC, but we've now already gotten word of another unannounced Sony handset. While the published FCC report doesn't offer much more than a label, Blog of Mobile has turned up some images of what's purported to be the Xperia UL (codenamed "Gaga"), giving us an early look at the 5-inch device clearly inspired by other members of the family design-wise. What's more, the UL is allegedly sporting Qualcomm's Snapdragon 600 chip, along with 2GB of RAM, 32GB of built-in storage, a 2,300mAh battery and waterproof / dustproof attributes (these being common Japanese standards). Word on the internet is the Xperia UL will be launching as a KDDI exclusive, though we'll have to wait for something more concrete to see if that's indeed the case. Until then, you can peruse the gallery after the break to get a slight idea of what to expect.

Gallery: Sony Xperia UL

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony

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Via: UnwiredView

Source: Blog of Mobile, FCC

Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi has announced that the series' next racing title will arrive later this year, with a demo scheduled to appear this July, ahead of a holiday launch. Expect a heady 1,200 cars to make the new edition, with 33 locations (and 71 layouts) to drive them around. Polyphony Digital has developed a new game engine for Gran Turismo 6, one that "pushes the limits of the PS3," but the incoming game might make another appearance on the incoming PlayStation 4. At a 15th anniversary event at the Silverstone racetrack in the UK, Yamauchi teased to IGN that they had a PS4 version "in mind, but for this holiday season, we thought it would be best for users to release on [the] PS3." Gran Turismo remains Sony's most successful franchise ever and has sold over 70 million copies to date. Sony adds that we'll hear even more about the sequel at E3 -- likely alongside a next-generation console we can see.

Filed under: Gaming, Sony

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Via: Joystiq

Source: PlayStationEU (Twitter), IGN

Fancy some of the 4K magic from Sony, but are living over in the UK? Well you can get one step closer by pre-ordering today. The Bravia X9 -- as it's known over there -- comes in two sizes (55- and 65-inch) both of which will land in bricks and mortar stores in mid-June. The price? Well, £4,000 and £6,000 respectively. That outlay will get you upscaling on all your media, and Sony's 4K X-Reality PRO engine handling the full-resolution stuff. Still not convinced? Well there is NFC and plus a TV SlideView app for Android and iOS if that sweetens the deal?

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Sony

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Sony is adding another option to its smartphone lineup with this Xperia A it just announced in Japan. Spotted a few days ago in an FCC filing, the SO-04E will be released on the 17th on NTT DoCoMo. It slots in a step below the Z and ZL models on the spec sheet however, with a 1,280 x 720 4.6-inch LCD. It shares most of their internals, with a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU and Android 4.1, which are nice, but not the latest out (Snapdragon 600 and Android 4.2.) It also packs a 2,300mAh battery, 13MP rear camera and 0.3MP front camera. Like all of the phones announced today in NTT DoCoMo's summer push it supports LTE, and it will have NOTTV access after an update this fall.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony

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Source: NTT DoCoMo (PDF), (2)

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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Sure, Google I/O may not focus on new products, but it might just take a moment to unveil the firm's take on music streaming. According to The Verge, Mountain View has inked licensing deals with Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment for YouTube and Google Play. With Fortune having reported that a similar deal with Warner Music Group is already in the can, it's entirely possible that the search titan could reveal its Spotify-like service at the developer event, now that it's reportedly reached critical mass with major music labels. If things pan out as the Financial Times sees them, the tune streaming would complement Google Music, and likely sport paid and free, ad-supported experiences. Page & Co.'s dev shindig may not have skydivers this year, but on-demand music may be on the program.

Filed under: Internet, Sony, Google

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Source: The Verge

Sony's Xperia Z took the company into the big leagues this year: the company finally has a handset that turns heads and can compete with the established Galaxy and One brands. The Z and its plainer ZL variant weren't the only bullets in the Xperia revolver for 2013, though. Back in March, the company announced the Xperia SP and Xperia L handsets to fall in line behind its flagship. While the L is undoubtedly targeted at the low end of the Android spectrum, the Xperia SP sits in a strange middle ground, with a 720p display and internals that rival the flagships of 2012. It's not some kind of Xperia S and P fusion, either. The design is vastly different from the sum of its moniker, although the transparent element that defined those devices makes a comeback here.

And thus, with intrigue, we must put the Xperia through its paces the Engadget way. Is it just another Android handset put out so there's something with the Sony name available at a lower price point than the Z? Is there anything other than a transparent piece of plastic to set it apart from the plethora of other touchscreen rectangles that live in the shadow of their top-tier peers? Instead of pondering the answers to those questions yourself, save time by heading past the break for our full review.

Gallery: Sony Xperia SP review

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony

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Sony's Xperia ZR isn't reaching the market all by its lonesome: it's accompanied by a high-end Bluetooth headset, the SBH50. The sequel to the Smart Wireless Headset Pro mostly ups the ante with NFC -- listeners just have to tap the smart remote against their Xperias (or many other NFC-aware devices) to get going. There's still the emphasis on higher-than-usual quality for wireless audio; likewise, the remote continues to preview calls and messages, play FM radio and take the owner's pick of wired headphones. Sony has only committed to launching the SBH50 "soon" and hasn't mentioned prices, but we'd use the previous headset's $150 price as a rough benchmark. Catch Sony's overview video after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Portable Audio/Video, Mobile, Sony

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Via: Sony Mobile (Facebook)

Source: Sony

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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Look, we're well aware that you're already fantasizing about the PlayStation 4, but how do you think that makes your existing PS3 feel? (Hint: Not awesome.) For those still focused on remaining in the here and now, Netflix has issued an update for its PS3 Player that "is more consistent with the Netflix player on the web as well as [its] mobile and tablet applications." The key feature in this update is the ability to easily manage your audio and subtitle selections; before, you had to hop out of whatever you were watching in order to tweak those elements, but now you can make said changes while the content is still on screen. There have also been improvements made in the "trickplay" mode mode when scanning forward or reverse in play mode -- essentially, these images now load a lot faster, which ought to keep your blood pressure at a safe level. The update is out now for PS3 users, and should be hitting select Smart TVs and Blu-ray Disc players soon.

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: Netflix

An unannounced Sony phone with the model number S39h has been spotted by Xperia Blog. There are no specs or launch details to share, but Engadget China has it pegged as a dual-SIM phone. It's similar to the Xperia L (S36h), albeit with some small differences like a relocated front-facing camera. Not as glamorous as a dual-SIM Galaxy S 4, perhaps, but two signal bars are always nice to see.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony

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Via: Engadget China

Source: Xperia Blog

Sony's no stranger to the odd e-ink device, but its latest prototype creation isn't targeted at the bookworm, it's intended to educate. The e-paper slate is quite a lot bigger than most tablets, let alone e-readers, sporting a 13.3-inch screen (1,200 x 1,600) to match the standard A4 size of normal, boring paper. That display is also an electromagnetic induction touchscreen for poking at menus and scrolling, but more importantly, it supports stylus input for scrawling notes and annotating PDFs (the only file format it currently supports). The prototype device is also only 6.8mm (0.27 inch) thick and weighs 358g (12.6 ounces) -- perfect for slipping into school bags. There's 4GB of on-board storage (with a microSD slot to increase that) and WiFi, which Sony plans to use for sharing notes with those who didn't make it to class on time. With WiFi off, the rechargeable battery inside is expected to last for three weeks of solid learning. These specs are for the prototype, of course, so after the late-2013 field trials at three Japanese universities, we might see some revisions before commercialization goes ahead sometime during the 2013 fiscal year.

Filed under: Sony

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Source: Sony (Japanese)

Sony's ratcheted up its water-resistant device tech a notch with the launch of the Xperia ZR, a new 4.6-inch, 720p Android smartphone that's waterproof to 1.5 meters (5 feet). Sony boasts that its new device will let you film your snorkeling adventures in full HD quality, with HDR in both video or 13-megapixel stills thanks to the Exmor RS image sensor -- there's also a dedicated camera button like the one on the Xperia ZL. The handset packs a Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core 1.5GHz CPU, 2GB RAM, LTE, NFC, Sony's Walkman album and movie apps and a notable OptiContrast OLED screen with Bravia tech to reduce glare "even in bright sunlight." There's no word yet on pricing or availability, but as soon as we hear more, we'll try to prep you ahead of that next beach-bound holiday. Meanwhile, you can check the galleries, PR and video after the break for more.

Update: As Xperia Blog found out, the Xperia ZR is actually the international version of Japan's upcoming Xperia A SO-04E -- the one we saw popping up in the FCC database.

Gallery: Sony Xperia ZR

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony

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Source: Sony (Facebook)

You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought hints of changes to the Droid RAZR lineup, a peek at Sense with Android 4.2 and the arrival of the Lumia 520 to Canada. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of May 6th, 2013.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

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