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Stringer is an interesting way to make a playlist
Stringer for iPhone (free with in-app purchase) is an interesting way to shuffle music music on your iPhone. The app solves what was a problem for me, namely the desire to easily update a custom playlist on the fly. Its UI is quite unique in that it "strings" your music together. Adding music is easy and fun, though the app really is just for people who like to shuffle their music. Here's our look at Stringer. Looks Stringer focuses so closely on the visuals that this aspect deserves a good look. The idea here is that all of your songs are "strung" together, so a long "string" is the app's main feature, and it bisects the screen. The songs in your playlist are "attached" to the string, and the background takes on the colors of the current track. When you swipe left or right to access additional functions -- more on that later in this post -- the string "jiggles" into place as you move it. I'll tell you right now, skeuomorphism opponents will experience debilitating heart palpitations over this app. It's all about albums on a taut, bouncy string that you flick around with your finger. Take deep breaths, people. That's not to say there aren't any flat elements. Other than the stringed album art, everything else is flat enough to slip through a mail slot. So Stringer's looks will either leave everyone happy ("Best of both worlds!") or no one ("Why did they include that aspect?!"). I'm guessing a combination thereof is the most likely. Use Like I said in the intro, Stringer wants to solve a problem, and it does. Here's the scenario. You've set your iPhone to shuffle your Music library. As you're listening, you think, "Ooh, I'd love to hear that other track on this album, too." Apple's Music app lets you "flip over" the current album and select those songs. But doing so pulls you out of shuffle mode. D'oh! What if you wanted to add those to tracks to the current playlist? That's Stringer's bread and butter. While you're "listening to a shuffle" as Stringer's developers call it, simply swipe to the left. The current album's tracks appear along side the string. To add one or more, simply tap and drag it onto the string, thereby modifying the shuffled list on the fly. Neat, huh? You aren't limited to adding songs from the current album, either. After swiping left, swipe down to jump to add music from previously played albums. Note that you can't jump ahead in this way. There are a few other options here. To play/pause a track simply tap its album art. Press-and-hold a song to either mark it as a favorite or to tell Stringer to ignore it in the future. Additionally, the app's settings let you enable shake-to-shuffle, play music stored in iTunes Match and prevent screen lock. For the rest, you'll need to upgrade to premium. Stringer offers additional functionally for a one-time in-app purchase of US$4.99. Specifically, that purchase lets you: See related music. Swipe right to see all the other albums you've got from the current artist Import iTunes playlists Save custom strings for future playback Create strings quickly based on your favorite tracks Conclusion Stringer works great out of the box, and will be fun for people who like to hit "shuffle" and just let the thing run. It gets a lot more useful once you upgrade to premium. The ability to save strings is really nice and you're going to want that. That said, it's not for everyone. For every shuffle addict, I imagine there's someone who wants to hear Escape in its entirety every day. If you're among the former, give Stringer a try. The basic app is free, so why not?
Oculus game teaches journalists how to survive in war zones
You're sat in the back of an armored personnel carrier when, suddenly, something hits you and the lights go out. Stumbling out of the darkness, you emerge onto the battlefield armed with just a video camera and a first-aid kit. Laying in front of you is a wounded soldier screaming for help, but would you know what to do? This is Stringer, an Oculus Rift title designed not as an alternative to Battlefield or Call of Duty, but to teach journalists sent into war zones how to survive.
Sony said to be looking for new President to lighten Sir Howard's load
Sir Howard Stringer is a busy man. Currently holding the Chairman, CEO and President titles at Sony, the man's in charge of one of the vastest empires in the history of vastness, which is probably why the company's now said to be looking for someone to succeed him at one of those posts. Bloomberg's reporting that Sony is having internal discussions about appointing a new President, with Kaz Hirai and Hiroshi Yoshioka identified as the names at the top of the pile. The pair are currently responsible for handling one half each of Sony's broad consumer electronics portfolio and it's notable that the Japanese giant seems to be looking for its next great leader from the hardware side of the business. If this speculation does bear fruit, expect the next President to deputize Stringer in the short-term and to eventually succeed him as top banana when the current ruler decides to hang up his cornflower-blue tie.
Sony to debut 3D BRAVIA TVs by end of 2010, also eyeing 3D VAIOs, Blu-ray films, and PS3 games?
The Financial Times has it on good word what the major unveil in Sony chief Sir Howard Stringer's keynote tomorrow at IFA 2009 will, so much so that it's quoting him with phrases he hasn't even said yet. According to the report, the company is making a huge push into the third dimension, with 3D BRAVIA HDTVs hitting the retail channels by the end of 2010. Also on the menu is 3D-compatible PlayStation 3 titles (which we've kind of heard before), VAIO laptops, and Blu-ray movies, but it's unclear from the article if they shares the same 2010 timeline. Polarized glasses will be required for use, but hey, just consider it a fashion statement. We're now very anxious to see how close Sir Stringer sticks to this purported script for tomorrow's big event.
Sony Ericsson selects next president, appoints Howard Stringer chairman of the board
It's out with the old, in with the new over at Sony Ericsson as it tries to revamp both its image and its lineup in the face of stiff competition, weak financials, and an unfocused platform strategy. President Hideki Komiyama (pictured left) intends to retire at the end of the year, and stepping up to fill his shoes will be the current head of Ericsson Silicon Valley, Bert Nordberg (right). To get the dude up to speed, he'll become co-president as of September 1 and take over sole control of the operation on October 15. Speaking of October 15, that's also the date that Sir Howard Stringer -- yes, the one and only chairman and CEO of Sony -- will take over the chairmanship of Sony Ericsson's executive board from outgoing Ericsson CEO Carl-Henric Svanberg. Whether this signals a power shift in the joint venture from Ericsson to Sony is unclear, but they've specifically mentioned in a press conference today to announce the moves that they need to "address [their] smartphone weakness" -- and yes, we'd agree. Do exactly that, Bert Nordberg.
Stringer: Wii not a competitor
An article published by Bloomberg today concludes that the PS3 "is gaining ground" on the Xbox 360. The article cites the PS3's ability as a Blu-ray player and software exclusives such as Metal Gear Solid 4 and LittleBigPlanet as reasons why it will "hold onto its lead" after outselling the 360 in the first five months of 2008. According to the NPD Group, the PS3 sold 1.2 million units while the 360 sold 1.12 million units. Of course, Microsoft isn't about to give up so easily. When asked about the PS3's dominance over the 360 so far this year, Microsoft spokesperson David Dennis claims the race is "far from over and we are confident that we have a winning strategy." The most controversial comments in the article, however, were made by Sony CEO Howard Stringer at a media conference last week regarding another competitor: "I've played a Nintendo Wii, I don't see it as a competitor. It's more of an expensive niche game device." Nintendo has not responded to Stringer's current statements. The idea of the PS3 and the Wii targeting different markets isn't a new idea though. Back in 2006, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto stated that the PS3 is not in competition with the Revolution (the Wii's former name). What are your thoughts?
PS3 was on 'life support,' admits Sony CEO
Walt Mossberg managed to pull a mighty fun quote from Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer. During an on-stage interview at D6, Stringer said that the PlayStation 3 "was on life support for awhile," a pretty honest statement from the top executive of a multibillion dollar corporation about one of its flagship products. Of course, that bit of honesty was just a preface to how the PS3 is in good shape now, with special kudos given to Grand Theft Auto IV and upcoming games sure to give the console a boost (Snake, you there?). Somewhat peripheral to gaming, but our favorite line from the writeup is when Stringer "notes that if it had lost the format war, his gravestone would have read "Betamax 2." Video of Sir Stringer's interview after the break.
Stringer: PS3 is 'out of the woods'
If a PS3 falls in a forest and no one is around to play it, does it still make a sound? It's a vexing philosophical conundrum to be sure, but thankfully one that's easily resolved simply by paying attention to Sir Howard Stringer. Speaking to Reuters, the Sony CEO provided assurances that PlayStation 3 sales are improving, thus surrounding the system with players and removing it entirely from the metaphorical thicket. It's also a very quiet system, you know."PS3 has now gone past Xbox on the Christmas market," said Stringer. "It's moving into its own as it gets into higher bandwidth ... PS3 is out of the woods and beginning to hold its own." While the black (and possibly white) monolith still lags far behind competitors in the United States, there is a steadily tightening grip on the own in both Japan and -- according to SCEE chief David Reeves -- the European region. [Via Eurogamer]
Stringer says PS3 games "infinitely more fun" than Wii
We love Sony - you know we do - but sometimes the company's figureheads will come out with the most ridiculous things when a microphone is pressed against their faces. We're not going to reel off a list of previous atrocities, in order to prevent some peoples' blushes (Phil Harrison and Ken Kutaragi, we're looking at you). Instead, we'll look at the latest batch of hilarious sound-bytes-in-text-form, this time from Sony CEO Howard Stringer. He suggests that PS3 games are infinitely more fun than than the Wii's. We're perfectly happy to believe Stringer when he says this, but without clear proof (preferably on lined paper, worked out with a 2B pencil with the answer underlined) we're not going to be satisfied. PS3 and Wii games are very different, yes - but is one system more fun than the other? That's down to personal taste, surely. It's a shame, really, because everything else Stringer said in the article we've linked to below makes a decent amount of sense. Let's stay away from the "I" word from now on and we'll all be much happier.[Via Joystiq]
CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LIV: Stringer on flip-flop bender
Man, talk about being all over the map. One day Sony's Howard Stringer is calling the format war a "stalemate," the next he's claiming Blu-ray is "just a better format." Apparently, having a few weeks to think over that last comment made him realize that his heart was more connected to the first proclamation, as the exec has now come forward and acknowledged that the battle between red and Blu is far from over. Specifically, he stated that "[Blu-ray] had momentum," but he followed up by calling the aforementioned momentum "all it had at the moment." C'mon Mr. Stringer -- pick a line and hold steady, will ya?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Stringer: 'Actual innovation' and PSN expansion in Sony's future
After almost three years of restructuring, Sony's über Chief Executive Howard Stringer says the company's "next cycle is actual innovation." Heavy on promise but light on details, Stringer says the PlayStation Network will expand to offer other kinds of content. This is exciting, if only for the fact that if Sony actually puts some major drive behind PSN now and delivers something comparable to Xbox Live, we can finally say goodbye to the competition's yearly fee.Stringer notes that PS3 sales have become steady since price cuts were announced, a fact aided by constant Wii shortages. It seems 200k machines are now sold weekly in Europe, while 40k to 50k are sold each week in Japan. Poetically, Stringer says that the company has "momentum," which we hope gives Sony the push needed to catch up to what Microsoft has spent years establishing and tweaking with Xbox Live.
CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LI: Stringer's flip-flop edition
Merely days after Sony's Howard Stringer was scrutinized for calling the format war a "stalemate," the exec has apparently decided to tweak his tone a bit. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Stringer was quoted as saying that Blu-ray had "the momentum and the scale" it needed to eventually reign victorious over its rival. Additionally, he noted that Blu-ray was "just a better format," and he even went so far as to tout BD's excellent security features, which were effectively subverted just weeks ago after being hailed as practically impenetrable. Furthermore, he didn't seem worried over the new, lower prices associated with standalone HD DVD players, but who knows, maybe he'll be singing a different tune next week.[Via Electronista]
CE-Oh no he didn't! Part XI: Stringer's flip-flop edition
Merely days after Sony's Howard Stringer was scrutinized for calling the format war a "stalemate," the exec has apparently decided to tweak his tone a bit. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Stringer was quoted as saying that Blu-ray had "the momentum and the scale" it needed to eventually reign victorious over its rival. Additionally, he noted that Blu-ray was "just a better format," and he even went so far as to tout BD's excellent security features, which were effectively subverted just weeks ago after being hailed as practically impenetrable. Furthermore, he didn't seem worried over the new, lower prices associated with standalone HD DVD players, but who knows, maybe he'll be singing a different tune next week.[Via Electronista]
Stringer sees PS3's momentum gain similar to the PS2
Coupled with a cheaper model and an extensive marketing push, the PS3 is positioned to have a very successful holiday season. And despite the PS3's bumpy start, which we recently chronicled, Sony's CEO Sir Howard Stringer believes the PlayStation 3 will be every bit as successful as the PS2 for the rest of the year and onward. "The momentum shift and the energy behind PS3 in time for Christmas is extremely fortuitous," he said. "It was planned by the PlayStation group, but I think this momentum now -- particularly the number of games coming out, including our own as well as third-party -- is the same as it was with PlayStation 2."However, Stringer admits it's taken awhile for developers to gain the full understanding of PlayStation 3 development, but it was no different than when the PS2 was still in its infancy. "It takes time to build a new format [and the PS3 is] not behind the curve compared to PlayStation 2 in terms of momentum," he added. "The amount of bandwidth and the processing power of Cell give game manufacturers a lot more work to do to use this system to its full benefit -- and it's taken awhile to do it. The same was true of PlayStation 2." With PS3 titles increasingly pushing the graphical and gameplay boundaries once thought impossible, we absolutely believe him.
Sony's back: shifting from "recovery to profitable growth" -- 380 new PS3 games
Howard Stringer -- Sony Corp's CEO and man with the plan -- just exited stage-left from Sony's annual shareholder meeting in Tokyo. To say that the 6,000 attendees were skeptical of said plan would be an understatement given a year of fiscal losses, job cuts, PS3 under-performance (with an eventual Kutaragi dismissal), and an embarrassing and dangerous recall of some 10 million batteries among other missteps. Still, Howard stood strong, assuring investors that Sony has made the swtich from "recovery to profitable growth" and will be a "dominant company" in the digital age. So what's the plan?
Sony CEO is late to the party, says Wii is "wonderful"
First Peter Moore praises the thing (and even tries to adopt Nintendo's business strategy) and now Sony jumps on the bandwagon too? Looks like Sony's Chairman CEO, Sir Howard Stringer, is smitten with the system, as he lets his real feelings out during an interview on the show CEO Exchange. We're told the show hasn't aired yet, and frankly, we kind of wonder if it actually even exists.Regardless, it seems like publicly praising Nintendo for the Wii is becoming a pastime, as all are stepping up to claim their love. We couldn't be happier, because if Sony and Microsoft fanboys are paying attention to what the execs at the top of their favorite companies are saying, they'll perhaps be persuaded to get a Wii of their own. Let's hope that's the case.[Thanks, Andrew; via PS3Fanboy]
Sony Europe sez PS3 still coming in March, not April
Sony execs have been known to say a few less-than-recommended phrases in the past, and while usually it's all fun and games poking fun of their blunders, things get serious when the giant starts talking delays. In a recent interview with CNET, Sony's latest CEO -- Sir Howard Stringer -- somehow got his wires crossed up and proclaimed that "the European launch [of the PS3] would be in April," and that this momentous occasion "is very important to us." As expected, more than a few minor uproars ensued, but apparently March is the new April, as a SCEE spokesperson has now stated that the official PlayStation 3 European launch is "still on track for March, despite suggestions from the CEO proclaiming otherwise." Of course, no actual day in March has been officially selected, but that number could come as early as next week, and if Mr. Stringer is to be the one delivering the news, please, somebody get the man a cue card.
The future-proof risk takers talk total potential
Here's some more quote cud to chew on, this time from CEO Howard Stringer. The big boss has admitted that they're taking a pretty big gamble with the price of the new console, but if the full potential is realized then the console will essentially be "future-proof" while kickin' around for years to come.The "total potential" is the key point to that issue. The only way we're going to see the full potential lived up in the console is if third-party developers can push the hardware as far as they can (and how about some more innovation while we're at it?). Of course the more complicated the system becomes, the harder that's going to be. But once that happens, fans might be echoing his sentiments of the competition: "I don't think anyone will be worried about Nintendo or Xbox's cheaper price." We'll see!
Stringer: The Xbox 360 is an "obsession"
Well, you know what they say about what to do when you have nothing nice to say ... erm, say that the competing gaming platform (in this case, the 360) is an "obsession"?That's exactly what Sony CEO Howard Stringer had to offer in an interview with Walt Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal recently. While sharing how The Da Vinci Code from Sony beat up on "X-Men 3" (aka The Last Stand) over in Europe, he seemed to mistakenly throw in "Xbox 3" in the stead of Fox's great summer blockbuster hope. Following Mossberg's correction, Stringer is reported to have retorted, laughing, "There's an obsession!"We don't know if he's referring to the media's obsession with the corporate gaming rivalry, his own obsession with the console that would dethrone the PlayStation, or some combination of the two (irony really doesn't help here), but he does seem to at least outwardly admire Bill Gates' salesmanship (as well as his hypocrisy in delaying Windows Vista while lambasting the PS3 delay). Of course, a lot of supposed compliments could go both ways, so we've provided a few handy links below to check out what other "nice" things hardware execs have had to say about their competitors lately. We're sure it's all in good fun.[Thanks, JC & SickNic; also via GameDaily BIZ]See also: Nice words -- "Thanks," "flattered," and "flattering." Not-so-nice words -- "Plagiarism," "no need for PC," "not mainstream for most games," and "same old experiences with new graphics."
