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VAIO Z is a pricey laptop with a '3D molded' carbon fiber body
The new VAIO Z is allegedly the world's first laptop to sport a "3D molded full carbon fiber body," as in each carbon fiber piece is contoured around all sides on the lid, the palm rest and the base assembly. The result is a stronger structure while keeping the overall weight to a little under 2.3lbs or 1.04kg.
VAIO's port-loaded 12-inch laptop goes on sale in the US
Following its launch in Japan, VAIO's small but mighty SX12 -- which offers just about every conceivable I/O you could ever want -- is now available in the US. Its starting price of $1,119 means this isn't a cheap deal, but how could it be when such a diminutive 12-inch model somehow crams in three USB-A ports, one USB-C port, a HDMI port, a full-sized SD card slot, a headphone/mic port, an Ethernet port and even a VGA port. Got literally anything to plug in to something? This'll do it.
Gundam fans can bring home a lifelike Haro next year
Gundam fans will no doubt recognize this adorable Haro robot from the anime, as did I on the CEATEC show floor in Tokyo. As it turns out, Bandai, Bandai Namco, IBM and VAIO have joined forces to bring us a lifelike "Gundam Concierge Haro" aka "Gansheruju Haro" -- including a 19 cm-wide spherical body (pretty much the size featured in the original series), a variety of gentle movements (bobbing and spinning), glowing eyes and mouth, extendable arms and legs plus a pair of subtly flapping ears. Better yet, if you're fluent in Japanese, you'll be able to have Gundam-related conversations with Haro, courtesy of IBM's AI software.
VAIO's slick metal Windows Phone is resurrected for Android
VAIO, freed from the Sony yoke, made one ropey-looking Android phone all on its own. Then, learning several lessons, it made a gorgeous, machined slab of aluminum that, unfortunately, ran Windows Phone 10. Now, like practically all other phone makers, its changing tack, introducing the VAIO Phone A: an identical phone that's running Android 6.0.
The big VAIO, Toshiba and Fujitsu merger is still on
We've been reporting on rumors that three of Japan's PC makers, VAIO, Toshiba and Fujitsu are planning to merge their computing divisions for a while. Now, Bloomberg has apparently received confirmation that a deal is on the cards thanks to Hidemi Moue, CEO of Vaio's parent company. If the news organization is to be believed, the agreement to bring together the three businesses will be signed by the end of March. The new firm (which is likely to be called VAIO) will control more than 30 percent of Japan's market, making it bigger than current number one Lenovo.
VAIO's debut Windows 10 phone is prettier than its name suggests
A few years ago, Windows phone tried to make a splash with vibrant colors, sharp contours and unusual palettes. Then things got a little quiet. Now Windows 10 phone is suddenly upon us, and Japanese phone makers are generally keeping colors a little bit more muted, while moving to classier-looking materials. Going toe-to-toe with the textured beauty of the NuAns Neo Windows Phone, here's VAIO's second smartphone. It's called the VAIO Phone Biz, but I'd prefer if you were more distracted by the pretty aluminum shell than the ridiculous name. It's dressed for business, even if no-one's looking to shake hands with a Japan-only (for now) Windows phone.
For some reason, VAIO announces a Windows 10 phone
Japan is getting more Windows Phones. In October, Windows Japan announced that six companies were tackling Windows 10 for mobile, and following the gorgeous NuAns phone, VAIO has revealed its second ever smartphone. (The funny part is that VAIO's once-parent company went so far as to make a Windows Phone slider, but it never saw the inside of a phone store.) Anyhow, here's the VAIO Phone Biz. It's for business use. It's not a slider, and it's launching next month, but only in Japan for now. Let's see if it's worth getting jealous about.
VAIO's new laptops look a lot like the old ones
Sony stopped selling laptops two years ago, but you wouldn't know it from looking at the latest VAIOs. Though the company's PC line has new ownership, the machines' design and even naming convention remain the same as when Sony was in charge. Case in point: The VAIO Z and S, both of which are arriving in the US soon, and which attempt to fill the holes left by Sony's earlier VAIO Z and S laptops. As ever, the Z is a halo product, one that puts an emphasis on both thinness and performance. All told, it weighs just 2.9 pounds -- not bad considering it packs both a 13-inch 2,560 x 1,440 touchscreen and a 28-watt Core i5 or i7 processor.
Fujitsu spins out its PC and mobile divisions
Much in the same way that Sony got rid of its PC division last year, Fujitsu has announced that it'll do the same in 2016. The outfit's leadership has revealed that its laptop and desktop firm will be spun out into a new wholly owned subsidiary, Fujitsu Client Computing Limited, on February 1st. In addition, the firm will do the same to its mobile arm, tossing it out to become the newly-formed Fujitsu Connected Technologies Limited.
Toshiba, Fujitsu and Vaio could merge their PC divisions
The PC business as we know it is dying, and whenever an industry reaches this point in its life, it has to team up with the other survivors to avoid oblivion. To that end, Nikkei Asian Review believes that Toshiba, Fujitsu and Vaio, Sony's spun out computing division, are considering merging their PC divisions together. The move would create a desktop, laptop and tablet-manufacturing supergroup that controlled more than 30 percent of Japan's market -- making it bigger than Lenovo, the current local champion. The paper believes that Vaio would be the name that survives, absorbing its rivals into its existing operations.
VAIO's convertible PC for creatives lands in the US
As promised, VAIO (Sony's now spun-off PC brand) is returning to the US. To start, it's just a single model, the Z Canvas. The 12.3-inch convertible Windows 10 PC comes with a stylus capable of 1024 levels of sensitivity, a wireless keyboard and with pretty sharp WQXGA+ screen it's pitched to sketchers and photographers, and trying to appeal to the same crowd that's eyeing up that incoming iPad Pro. It's on sale now, online at VAIO and Microsoft's retail sites, with prices starting at $2,199 with 8GB of memory and a 256GB SSD. Those looking to do serious business can upgrade all the way up to a 1TB storage setup and 16GB of memory.
VAIO returns: coming to a Microsoft Store near you this October
When Sony announced that it was spinning off its PC business, many mourned the passing of the premium -- but not quite best-selling -- VAIO series. The company was reborn in Japan, focusing on far less PC models (only two at the start), and a Made In Japan ethic that stretched from design to manufacturing. Now the company says it plans to start selling its newest machines outside of its homeland. VAIO's Z Canvas PC will be available both online and some Microsoft stores across the US starting this October. Prices will start at $2,200, depending on specification options. In an interview with the WSJ, the new CEO Yoshimi Ota added that the company plans to sell a slimmer laptop with cellular capability-- a feature that occasionally appears in niche laptop models.
Sony wants you to delay upgrading your old VAIO PC to Windows 10
Sony might not be making PCs anymore, but it's still on the hook for supporting its older systems -- and that's creating a big problem for Windows 10 upgrades. The electronics giant is warning owners against installing Microsoft's latest software on older VAIO PCs until it has the drivers needed to get all the hardware working properly. And unfortunately, that's going to take a while. If your computer first ran Windows 8.1, the Windows 10 drivers won't be ready until October; if it's old enough to have shipped with Windows 8, you'll have to wait until November.
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.
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.
VAIO resurrects its flagship Z series with two new hybrid laptops
Now that the independent company's got rid of those pesky excess components, it's time for VAIO to make something new. And it's not a smartphone. Yet. The PC maker has announced two new PCs here in Tokyo: the VAIO Z and VAIO Z Canvas. The latter is actually eventual final version of the prototype tablet that did the rounds last year -- but we'll get to that. First, inside the flagship 13.3-inch VAIO Z which goes up for preorder in Japan later today, you'll find a second -generation high-speed SSD and an unspecified fifth-generation Core i7 processor, all bound up in aluminum-carbon shell. However, bare specs aside, the company reckons its a lot of the little details that matter, and we'll get to those right after the break.
Engadget Daily: Facebook tackles anonymity, Vaio post-Sony, and more!
Zuckerberg and Co. are in hot water regarding the social giant's real-name policy, but it looks like all the outcry may have paid off. Well, sort of. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours, including Facebook's purported anonymity app, Vaio's new hybrid tablet, a magical product called Carrot, and more!
Life after Sony: Vaio shows off hybrid laptop prototype
Lenovo proved that its possible to buy an unwanted business (PCs) from a giant company (IBM) and turn it a massive success. After buying Sony's portable PC business, Vaio is hoping for the same and just revealed its first prototype: a 12.3-inch hybrid tablet that would cost at least 200,000 yen ($1,800). This is the first prototype it created without any Sony influence (though it still sells Sony's current models) and the Japanese company has shown it's taking a completely different tack than Lenovo.
VAIO launches its first laptops without Sony and they're very, very familiar
VAIO's back. It's no longer Sony's PC business, but it's own independent beast. Teasing its relaunch online, the company says that it's free and that things are going to change. The Japanese blurb says that's largely due to the fact that it's now a "small" PC maker -- and it's the same message the new company is trying to deliver at its launch event today in Tokyo. Unfortunately, its debut range is more than a little familiar, being identical to the Pro and Fit models its parent company launched almost exactly one year ago. Minus that old Sony branding, both go on sale today in Japan. However, VAIO currently has no plans to sell laptops outside of its homeland. A spokesperson said that it's focusing on success in Japan first.
Sony expects huge loss after bailing on PC business
Here's a euphemism to start your morning: Sony just issued a news alert, giving investors a heads-up that it's "revising" its earnings forecast for the 2014 fiscal year, which actually ended back on March 31st. Revising! Here's what that really means: Sony previously said it would generate 80 billion yen in operating income for the year. The company is now dialing that estimate down to 26 billion yen -- a decrease of 67.5 percent. All told, the company expects to book a net loss of 130 billion yen (final numbers to be announced later this month). Previously, it said it would lose 110 billion. Ouch, Sony.
