Sony Xperia Ion review (AT&T)

Sony Xperia Ion review (AT&T)

By Brian Bennett
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The good: The affordable Sony Xperia Ion has solid call quality and swift 4G LTE that ties into Sony's vast entertainment empire.
The bad: Lackluster images and video belie the Xperia's claimed 12MP camera. It's also held back by an old processor and an outdated OS.
The bottom line: The $99.99 Sony Xperia Ion looks like a good Android deal but its weaknesses make it not worth even the budget price.
The affordable $99.99 Xperia Ion is more than just Sony's first U.S. smartphone to bear the Sony name after its Ericsson divorce, it's also the company's first foray into 4G LTE. Though similar to its international siblings, this American model is less flashy than the Sony Xperia line available across the pond. That's a real shame too since I really liked the Sony Xperia S as well as the Xperia P when I saw them up close at CES in January. Those handsets, while no speed demons to be sure, at least had a seductively stylish look driven home by a clear illuminated notification bar in their base.
It's not that the Xperia Ion doesn't try to impress in other ways. Besides its swift LTE data connection, it links into Sony's large library of music and movie content. But even those attributes are overshadowed by its aging Android Gingerbread software and an old Snapdragon S3 processor. The same goes for the Ion's camera performance, which isn't as capable as I had hoped. To catch fire in the U.S. market and compete with other successful phone makers, Sony really needs to step up its game with a lust-worthy halo device. Unfortunately, the Xperia Ion isn't it.
Design
A glossy black monolith of a smartphone, the new Sony Xperia Ion is handsomely styled. While it lacks the daring design elements of its European cousins, namely the Xperia NXT series, the Xperia Ion does flaunt an elegant if sober look. For instance, the handset doesn't have the futuristic notification bar that splits the Xperia P, S, and U's base in half. Translucent, that bar illuminates to alert you when important system events occur such as new messages and missed calls. It's a shame it's only found on the international Xperia models.
That said, the Xperia Ion has a sophisticated feel enhanced by its curved metal back and soft-touch trim coating the phone's rear top and bottom edges. Further lending to the phone's premium aesthetic is its hefty 5.1-ounce weight. Both the metallic backing and large 4.55-inch (1,280x720-pixel resolution) LCD screen however smudge easily and are fingerprint magnets.
In addition, I'm not a big fan of the Xperia Ion's display, which is dark and has a bluish cast, resulting in inconsistent colors. Photos on Web pages looked muted, while details in dimly lit sections of video were lost. I especially noticed the Ion's poor display when I viewed it next to HTC's superphone on AT&T, the HTC One X. The One X's screen (4.7-inch, 1,280x720 HD Super LCD) was noticeably brighter (with both phones set at maximum brightness) and it's viewing angles were much wider than the Xperia's. The HTC One X also painted colors with a warmer, more pleasing palette.
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The Sony Xperia Ion's big 4.55-inch display serves as a decent stage for movies and other video.
Another drawback to the Xperia Ion's design is its lack of a removable battery, though the phone does have a microSD card slot to add more storage. Above the screen is a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera (720p) for vanity shots and video chat. Below the display are four traditional Android Gingerbread symbols for Menu, Home, Back, and Search. Don't be fooled, these symbols aren't actual buttons, merely pictures drawn onto the device.
A micro SD card slot is hidden under a compartment on the Ion's top edge.
Below the icons sit the real keys, thin white lines, which provide haptic feedback and are also backlit. Unfortunately, the icons don't illuminate, so picking them out in the dark isn't easy. Neither is tapping the keys accurately since your instinct is to hit the symbols themselves. I ran into this annoyance every time I picked up the phone and I feel it is a major oversight.
Other buttons include a small power key and trim volume bar on the Xperia Ion's right side. There's a dedicated camera button here as well, which unlike on many Android handsets will wake the phone up from sleep and fire up the camera. By default the phone will even snap a picture immediately after the camera is activated. Running along the Xperia Ion's left edge is a flap cover hiding a Micro-USB port plus an HDMI connection so you can view content on compatible HDTVs.
Sony doesn't bundle any fancy text entry methods like Swype or other one-handed keyboard software. By default the stock Android Gingerbread layout is selected, but you can choose the Xperia keyboard, which is similar but has wider spacing between keys.
The Ion's Xperia keyboard layout is close to stock Gingerbread but slightly better spaced.
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Features and software
Android addicts will no doubt have a major beef with the fact that the Sony Xperia Ion isn't running the latest version of Google's mobile operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich. Instead of version 4.0, the Ion runs Android Gingerbread 2.3.7. Even so, Sony is quick to point out that it has added many of the popular features ICS brings to the table.
The Sony Xperia Ion's Gingerbread 2.3 OS is showing signs of age.
For instance, you can quickly create folders by dragging and dropping app icons on top of each other within any of the Xperia's five home screens. Additionally, holding down the power button opens several options, including one for taking a screenshot.
As an Android device, the phone comes loaded with the standard allotment of Google apps and services, such as Gmail, Maps, and Navigation. There are also shortcuts to enter the Google Play digital entertainment stores for Books, Music, and Movies. Some useful third-party applications are here too, like Amazon Kindle, and MobiSystem OfficeSuite for viewing common business document formats. Of course, the entire Android software library is ready for you to download via the Google Play store.
Sony Xperia S gets Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
SONY HAS ANNOUNCED that it is rolling out Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) to its Xperia S handset and said that it will be available to all over the next few weeks.
In a blog post, the recently renamed mobile phone maker screeched that the update has started rolling out to its flagship phone today, saying, "Today, we bring you some exciting news! As planned, we're now starting our software rollout for Xperia S including, Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0.4 upgrade and new unique media applications."
This new app selection includes Walkman, Album and Movies, offering what Sony's calling a "completely new way to experience your media". Walkman, unsurprisingly, is an updated music player, integrating Sony's audio technology and the ability to share tracks on social networks. Album offers a new gallery app for viewing your snapshots, while Movies streamlines the playback of movies on your phone and grabs movie posters for displaying your film catalogue neatly.
Sony has revealed that the software update will also bring a revamped lock screen, resizable home screen widgets, a recent apps view and improved control of mobile data.
Android 4.0.4 ICS for the Sony Xperia S is available to download both over-the-air (OTA) and via Sony's Xperia Update companion, and users should get a notification when it arrives. Unfortunately it hasn't arrived on our SIM free Xperia S handset, suggesting that it might not be arriving here in the UK yet.
Of course, the update might not appear just yet if your phone is locked to a mobile network, but we're chasing operators for release dates.
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Sony Xperia S smartphone owners, you're about to get a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich.
Sony on Thursday announced it is rolling out Google's latest mobile operating system, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, to its Xperia S customers starting today. The update brings a number of new and improved features, such as resizable widgets, better control of your mobile data consumption, and a recent apps button to speed up the launching of frequently used apps.
In addition to ICS, Sony is providing three new media applications as part of the update—Walkman, Album, and Movies. The Walkman app integrates with Facebook and lets you share your favorite songs with friends and also discover new tunes they like. The Album app offers some new ways to sort and browse through photos, as well as share them on Facebook. The new Movies app displays films in high-quality format and provides a searchable database with movie posters and other information about a given title.
Users can update their phone via mobile networks and Wi-Fi, or else via their computer on either Sony's Xperia Update website, PC Companion, or with Bridge for Mac software. The software package comes in at around 200MB, so Sony recommends using Wi-Fi if you're upgrading an Xperia S over the air.
The upgrade will be pushed out "over the next few weeks" as availability may vary across different carriers, Sony said. Users will get a notification when the upgrade is ready for their device.
Sony introduced the Xperia S at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. The device is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, and features a 4.3-inch screen with a 720p display. The phone packs 32GB of internal memory and has a microSD card slot expandable to an additional 32GB.
The Xperia S features near field communication (NFC) technology, which allows users to share content with each other by tapping their phones together, and also paves the way for future NFC applications and services.
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Sony Xperia S to Receive ICS Upgrade with New Media Apps
Sony is pushing out the Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.4 upgrade to the Xperia S phone. On top of the update, the Japanese company also adds new media applications by Sony itself called WALKMAN, Album, and Movies.
The Sony WALKMAN app is more than a music player. Named after Sony's iconic cassette player, it integrates social media with music by allowing users to share music with Facebook friends. Facebook in partnership with Gracenote as well enables Walkman App users to see information about the artist, and album art.
Album brings to users an intuitive way of viewing photos taken by the Xperia S camera, and adds a social element by letting users write comments and share images on Facebook as well as other web-based galleries.
Movies, for its part, permit users to enjoy a smooth playback of videos. This app is integrated with a library where users can search for information about movies as well as view movie posters.
Meanwhile, Ice Cream Sandwich expands the Android phone's functionalities by including new lock screen functions, widgets that may be resized, more control over mobile data, and a fresh Recent Apps button.
Sony is making the upgrade easy by offering multiple options for downloading ICS and the free apps. The first option is to get it via Wi-Fi and mobile Internet. On the other hand, they may also download it though a computer. The update is available on the Xperia Update website as well as on PC Companion and Bridge for Mac.
That said, the update has a total size of about 200 MB, so Sony recommends directly downloading it from the phone itself. Sony has even produced an instructional guide on installing the upgrade which is available on the Xperia support page on Youtube for those who need assistance. The company is sending an alert to users when the update is ready for installation on their phone. However, this depends on the users' carrier.
The ICS update with the Sony enhancements will be available for the Xperia S in the forthcoming weeks.
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Sony announces ICS upgrade for Xperia S
Rahul Gupta, The Mobile Indian
New Delhi: Sony has finally, through its official blog, announced the roll out of the Android ICS upgrade for its Android based Xperia S smartphone. The roll out of the upgrade has begun but the availability of the upgrade will differ from market to market. Indian Sony Xperia S users can expect the upgrade in the next couple of days.
The upgrade brings along a whole new look and feel for the users as far as the user interface goes. The updated TimeScape UI has been improved a lot over its previous versions. Like in other devices, the Android 4.0 operating system has been optimised to work in the best possible manner with this device as well.
Sony has also included a host of new applications like "Walkman", "Album" and "Movies" applications with this upgrade.
The "Walkman" application blends the best of Sony's audio technology with social features, helping users to discover the music of their friends like and share personal favorites. It comes with Facebook integration for easy sharing as well.
The "Album" application brings new intuitive ways to sort and browse high quality photos and videos in blazing speed, as well as providing instant viewing, commenting and sharing of photos on Facebook and other online albums.
Lastly "Movies" application streamlines the playback and viewing of movies in high quality audio and video, while using intelligent database search to grab movie posters and information for a richer experience.
To install the upgrade, users need to connect their devices to their computers using Sony Ericsson PC companion software and follow the steps suggested by the software to upgrade their devices.
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Sony Xperia ion
by Aloysius Low
SINGAPORE--The Sony Xperia ion was first launched in the US with LTE earlier this year at CES. Sony will be making it available globally sans 4G in Q3.
Upside
The handset features Sony's NXT design, and you'll find it similar to the Xperia S, U and P. We like the styling, and it was quite comfortable to hold despite its size. The smartphone comes packing a 4.6-inch HD Reality 720p (1,280 x 720 pixels) display and also includes Sony's Mobile Bravia Engine technology.
The Xperia ion uses a dual-core 1.5Ghz processor, 1GB RAM and has 16GB of onboard storage. This can be expanded via a microSD slot. Performance seems quite snappy when we played with it. The rear 12-megapixel camera is also very fast and should be similar to the one found on the Xperia S. There's even a dedicated camera button that lets you snap a picture without unlocking your handset.
Downside
While the handset runs Android 4.0, it has been embellished with Sony's Timescape UI. We do note, however, that the menu button does almost nothing--it only calls up a shortcut button to add stuff to your home screens.
Pressing the menu should bring up the multitasking tray like how it is in stock ICS, or at least call up a Gingerbread menu like the Samsung Galaxy S III. To access the multitasking tray now, you have to hold down the home button.
The Xperia ion has a non-removable 1,900mAh battery. This could be bad for heavy users who rely on battery swapping to stay online.
Outlook
The Xperia ion will be available come Q3 in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Its price has not been announced. We also understand that there will not be an LTE version for Singapore, although Indonesia will be getting the LTE model. This is strange, as reports state that Indonesia's 4G network will not be ready this year.
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The Xperia S is a Worthy Android Smartphone, But Sony Needs To Deliver More To Survive
By Ewan Spence
While all eyes might be on the Samsung Galaxy S3, I've been spending time with another flagship Android handset, Sony's Xperia S. It's a masculine looking smartphone which has a lot going for it, but there are a few issues in Sony's first Android powered handset that will make a lot of people think careful before any potential purchase.
Following Sony's acquisition of the Ericsson part of Sony Ericsson, the Xperia S is the first '100% Sony' smartphone to be released. In parts it does feel rather rushed - the Sony Ericsson logo is prominent on the rear of the handset for some reason, while there are mentions of the joint venture still lingering in the UI and casing.
Attention to detail lifts any smartphone out of the world of 'stock Android handsets' and while Sony has made a number of efforts to make the handset feel 'Sony' and not 'Google' errors like the above undo the effort rather quickly. I want to see my smartphone manufacturers sweat the small software details as well as the broad strokes in the hardware and manufacturing process.
For the technically minded, the Xperia S has a 1.5Ghz dual core Scorpion CPU, the Qualcomm Adreno 220 GPU, 1GB of Ram, 32GB of internal storage, no support for memory cards or additional storage, and a 1750 mAh sealed battery.
While many people do buy their handsets on the strength of a spec list, I don't think that's a huge percentage. Those that do are going to make a bee-line straight to the recently announced Samsung Galaxy S3, which is marginally ahead in the numbers game when compared to the Xperia S.
Up until the S3 was launched, the Xperia's big advantage was the screen size - at 4.3 inches and a pixel resolution of 720×1280 it was one of the most densely packed screens in the Android world. Even though it is 'just TFT LCD' the Xperia S screen is impressive. The Galaxy S3 might be Super AMOLED with the same resolution, but at 4.8″ the larger physical size on the S3 does lead to some issues in terms of handling that the Xperia S does not experience - such as one handed operation. With a relatively small bezel around the screen, the Xperia S is as close to a one-handed smartphone as any other 4.3 inch Android device.
Acronyms aside the display looks gorgeous.
The Xperia S excels with its camera - a 12 megapixel shooter, capable of recording in HD with a 16x digital zoom. It's still not comparable to a digital SLR but it's sufficiently high quality to replace any point and shoot camera in your pocket. It's also very fast in terms of taking a second shot. With nifty fingers it is possible to take a second shot in under a second.
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There's something utilitarian about the design of the Xperia S. The angular lines are only broken apart by two elements - the slight curvature on the back panel that helps the handset sit in the palm of your hand, and the clear perspex strip at the base of the device.
If you look carefully through the strip, you'll see a tiny criss-cross pattern of wires, part of the radio system on the device. You'll also spot the three Android buttons of back, home and menu. For the first few days I was pressing these , hoping for the function, when the actual capacitive key is just above the bar, signified by three white dots on the casing. The perspex bar gives just enough feedback to my fingertips so I know where to press for the three default keys, but it is disconcerting for the first few days to hit the perspex bar and see nothing happen. This may catch many people out when they try the device in a store.
What they won't discover is the average to poor battery life. Even with the 1750 mAh battery, I struggled to get the Xperia S to get through a full day on a single charge while using all the connectivity and functionality on offer. The back cover of the Xperia S comes off, although this only gives you access to the SIM slot. I'm assuming it was a practical joke that there is no access to replace the battery - which would have been given me the option of having a second battery and allowing me to rely on the Xperia S while out and about. As it stands I need to be thinking 'where can I charge my phone' from the moment I step outside.
This isn't a unique issue to Sony, but I'd like to see them address it with something more than a 'power saver' application that simply switches a lot of the technology in the handset to standby (such as GPS, Wi-Fi, and synchronisation).
And then we come to Android itself.
By using Android, Sony can tap into an ecosystem of applications and the name recognition that Android has. This will make the handset instantly comfortable to many users. Sony are using Android 2.3 with their own skin on top of this venerable version of Android. I'm actually pretty happy with the changes Sony has made to the UI, but I'm conscious that it's been seven months since version four of Android (Ice Cream Sandwich, ICS) was announced and made available for the Galaxy Nexus.
Sony have promised that ICS will be provided to the Xperia S "in the summer", but as it stands the Xperia S is an Android 2.3 device. For a flagship handset, that doesn't feel good enough.
Can it stand up on in the marketplace? Not really. When it is placed next to Samsung's Galaxy S3, the only advantage it currently has is price - the S3 is slightly better in almost every area.
The Xperia S brings Sony into the Android game with something they can be relatively proud of. Unfortunately it hasn't really taken advantage of the time it has had since release to become established before the arrival of Samsung's 'super' smartphone. From now on, the Galaxy S3 is going to take the lion's share of the Android headlines.
Hopefully the Xperia S will win enough fans that Sony stay in the Android game. The handset does the job it set out to do, and it does it well, but with little frills. It's supremely competent, but I don't think that's enough. With a bit more focus and vision, the Xperia brand name could do very well in the medium to long term. Like everyone else in the Android handset game, Sony needs something to counter the Samsung steamroller, and it could be found in Xperia.
This handset is a solid start. I await the cheekily named Xperia S2 from Sony, but right now the Xperia S is a good phone with a few flaws. Those flaws don't kill the device for me in day to day use, and I think it deserves careful consideration from those looking for a high-end Android smartphone.
Disclosure: Sony Mobile Communications provided an Xperia S on loan for review purposes.
Sony Xperia S gets Android update
by Samantha Green
Sony's Xperia S mobile phone is getting a facelift after the manufacturer released its Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for the handset.
The cutting-edge software gives the Xperia S an entirely new look and feel, overhauling the user interface completely.
The Ice Cream Sandwich update is approximately 200MB. It includes an array of new features too, like enhanced phone locking, and resizable screen icons.
It also has a few changes under the hood, like a new way of dealing with multi-tasking and the ability to set data caps for apps so that free download allowances are not exceeded.
Three new apps have also been introduced by Sony. They are Walkman, Album, Movies.
"The Movies application streamlines the playback and viewing of movies in high quality audio and video, whilst using intelligent database search to grab movie posters and information for a richer experience," Sony noted.
Last month, Sony released its Music Unlimited app for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

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Google TV Box Gets Movie Streams From Android 4.0 Smartphones, Tablets

Google TV Box Gets Movie Streams From Android 4.0 Smartphones, Tablets

By Agam Shah
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An upcoming Google TV box based on Android 4.0 OS and an ARM processor will come closer to smartphones and tablets with the capability to play direct movie streams from Android 4.0 mobile devices, a set-top box maker said on Wednesday at the Computex trade show in Taipei.
Honeywld Technology, a device maker, is making a Google TV set-top box that allow TVs to play movies streamed directly from Android smartphones or tablets, said Bryant Liu, a manager in the sales division of the company. The set-top box will also be able to synchronize multimedia content including pictures.
Smartphones and tablets users will need to install a specific application on their mobile devices to enable streaming and synchronize with the Google TV box, Liu said. That application is under development, Liu said.
The feature is much like that of the Apple TV, which can stream content from an iPad or iPhone for playback on a TV set. Samsung also offers a feature on its tablet to stream content to a Samsung TV. However, Samsung TVs are not based on Google TV software.
Honeywld will start shipping the boxes in Taiwan around July, Liu said. Honeywld has only 30 to 40 employees and cannot afford to sell the set-top box worldwide, so the company is showing the device at Computex with the hopes that third-party device makers resell the product in other countries.
The Honeywld set-top box has a Marvell dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor, and runs a customized version of the Google TV software developed by the company, based on the Android 4.0 OS. The simplified user interface has a small video player, and a few icons that provide access to a web browser and links to sites such as Picasa and YouTube.
Google TV boxes running version 4.0 of Android, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich, will become widely available worldwide starting in the third quarter, Liu said. There are just a few ARM-based set-top boxes already out, with some running the new version of Google TV based on Android 4.0 or older versions of the OS, Liu said.
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The new devices also signal a reboot for Google TV software, which failed to find acceptance the first time round. The first version of Google TV was used in Sony's Internet TV and Logitech's Revue set-top box, which has been discontinued. In the wake of failure of the first wave of Google TV devices, Intel said it would exit the TV market. Google TV switched over to ARM processors with chip maker Marvell announcing support for Android-based software for TVs.
A price for the Honeywld box has not been set yet, but Liu estimated it would be between US$95 and $120. Users will not pay high prices for a Google TV box, Liu said.
The set-top box has 4GB of flash storage, 1GB of DDR3 memory and a MicroSD slot. The box also has ports for Ethernet and HDMI video. Wi-Fi is available as an option.
Sony's Next Generation Set-top Box With Google TV Arrives July 22
Internet Player's Versatile Remote Control and Library of Apps Customizes the Home Entertainment Experience.
SAN DIEGO, June 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Electronics Inc. today announced the availability and pricing of the NSZ-GS7 Internet Player with Google TV, originally introduced in January at CES. Powered by Google TV, the Internet Player will be available at retailers nationwide on July 22, priced at $199. Pre-orders begin on June 25, 2012 at www.sony.com/sonygoogletv.
"Expanding the reach and interoperability of the powerful Android platform with Sony's smartphones, tablets and renowned Audio & Video products, we are proud to continue our relationship with Google through the introduction of the new Google TV set-top-box," said Phil Molyneux, president and chief operating officer of Sony Electronics. "Entertainment content is available through so many channels and sites, and Google TV helps consumers easily find what they want to watch, listen to or play using familiar search engine technology, enhancing the viewer experience. TV will never be the same."
In addition to the NSZ-GS7 Internet Player, Sony's newest Internet Blu-ray Disc player with Google TV, the NSZ-GP9, will be available at retailers in time for the holiday season, priced at $299. The NSZ-GP9 player features Sony's proven Blu-ray Disc technology coupled with the robust Google TV platform.
Global Expansion of Google TV Platform
In 2010, Sony helped pioneer the Internet-TV convergence as one of the first manufacturers to launch products powered by Google TV. With the new NSZ-GS7 Internet Player with Google TV, Sony will also be the first manufacturer to launch Google TV products outside of the United States, initially starting with the United Kingdom in July, followed later by Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Netherlands, Brazil, and Mexico. The NSZ-GP9 Blu-ray Disc player with Google TV will be available this fall in the United States, followed later by Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Netherlands.
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Customized Entertainment Made Easy
Sony's evolution of hardware to complement the continually updating Google TV is the next step in the future of home entertainment convergence. Sony's NSZ-GS7 and NSZ-GP9 bring the best of Google to your TV, with new experiences arriving every day through the Google Chrome browser; thousands of supported mobile apps in the Google Play Store, including hundreds optimized for TV; YouTube with 72 hours of video being added every minute; and a global community of developers from around the world. Google TV's cross search functionality shows viewers all content sources available from broadcast providers* and the Internet to deliver customized video results on demand.
Both new products come complete with a redesigned remote control equipped with a backlit QWERTY keyboard, a touch pad for easy operation and a three-axis motion sensor to enjoy games. Additionally, the Bluetooth remote control can also be utilized as a universal remote to control connected devices such as TV, set- top-box and A/V receivers - the NSZ-GP9 Blu-ray Disc player even incorporates voice search capabilities.
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Google amping up video index in advance of its Google TV launch
by Todd Bishop
Google may own YouTube, but there's a lot more video than that in the world, and the company is getting serious about building that part of its search index in advance of its planned Google TV launch later this year.
That might have been the most timely piece of information to emerge from the opening session this morning at the SMX Advanced search conference in Seattle. Speaking on the panel, Google software engineer Matt Cutts encouraged the developers and search experts in the audience to make sure that they've submitted a video sitemap if they have videos on their sites, to help the company find the content.
"Video site maps is something that we're probably going to look at a little more closely. If you tell us where your videos are, we will try to index them a little bit harder," Cutts said. "For example, if you think about things like Google TV, coming out in the fall, it's in everybody's interest that all the videos that are on the web be able to be very discoverable and very searchable. If you produce videos and you haven't done a video site map, that is something that I would definitely recommend."
Google announced plans for Google TV in May, partnering with Sony, Logitech and Intel. The first Google TV-enabled set-top boxes and televisions are slated to be available this fall.
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Vizio gives a first look at its new Google TV set top box
By: Ray Walters
With Google I/O 2012 right around the corner we're beginning to see some of the new products that will be featured at the event. A perfect example is the new Vizio Stream Player that runs on the Google TV platform. A Vizio rep outed the device with KROQ's Kat Corbett at the station's Coachella house during the April 2012 music festival as you can see in the video above. As far as we know, this is the first live look at one of the next generation of Google TV devices that the world is going to see during Google's developer conference next week.
While we know that you're probably rolling your eyes at yet another attempt to revive Google TV, this new device from Vizio may actually have a shot at breathing new life into Mountain View's smart television platform. Starting with the physical feature set, the small footprint of the box plus the fact that the remote is chock full of features are both appealing. To have a touchpad on the front and a keyboard on the backside of the remote shows that Vizio's engineers put some thought into the development of the device. Couple that with the fact that the rep in the video states that it can serve as a universal hub that enables you to not have to switch inputs when you want to change content sources and you have a compelling product.
On the software side, Vizio looks to be trying to add a ton of consumer value by including various apps like OnLive, the cloud gaming service that enables you to play your favorite console and PC games without having to own a Xbox 360, PS3 or a PC. Having this ability in addition to having access to Google Play and the Google TV platform may be a strong enough combination to drive some consumer interest.
While all of the above is certainly compelling, we can't take anything more than a cautious stance when it comes to how this device is going to sell. While it certainly is going to enjoy some success due to the fact that Vizio is one of the most recognized brands with Wal-Mart shoppers, will it be able to compete with other devices from Roku or even the Xbox 360 when it comes to streaming content delivery? The good news is that the rep in the video stated that it was going to release at "just under $100," which is what the Logitech Revue should have launched at when the platform first released.
Time will tell of course, but until it hits the market we will be watching I/O with interest to see the full package Vizio is going to offer on its release.
Update: We've received word from Vizio saying that the Google TV will "hopefully launch this summer" and that it is "unclear if the Google TV platform will be at the I/O conference".
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L4 Media takes on Google with interactive TV service
By John Cook
Who wants to just mindlessly veg out in front of the TV anymore? Today, you've got to interact with what's on the screen -- chatting with friends, posting to Twitter or tracking sports scores in what amounts to a multitasking onslaught. L4 Media says it makes all of that possible. And the Kirkland startup is showing off its technology for the first time this week at the TelcoTV 2010 show in Las Vegas.
As part of the launch, the company also is announcing that its Panorama TV service will be integrated with Nokia Siemens Networks' IPTV solutions.
Here's how L4 describes their new offering.
Using the Panorama platform, companies can quickly deliver personalized content, such as sports scores, weather forecasts, or Facebook status updates, through useful and entertaining widgets that are specifically designed for use on the television screen with the touch of a button. Rather than try to force an Internet experience built for a computer into a television set, widgets deliver the content that consumers demand in an experience that takes into account the unique features and constraints of a television set.... Once in place, the widgets can be used to do everything from check the day's football scores to Tweet with a friend about the latest episode of American Idol - all without interrupting television viewing.
That sounds a bit like Google TV, which comes preloaded with apps from Netflix, Twitter, Pandora, NBA Game Time and others. Apple TV also is playing around in this space.
Of course, not all media companies want to integrate with the likes of Google or Apple. So, in that regard, there could be an opening for a smaller player to squeeze in. Or, maybe not.
L4 Media is a unit of L4 Mobile, which is led by former SNAPin Software executive Bruce James and former Action Engine executive Brandon Albers.
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BuddyTV Guide app turns your iPhone into a TV remote
by Aislyn Greene
Seattle startup BuddyTV has a new app that lets iPhone users turn their phone into a remote tailored to their TV-watching habits.
The BuddyTV Guide, which combines a traditional TV guide, personalized content, trivia and social media, builds on BuddyTV's earlier incarnations of its deeply social iPhone/iPad apps.
Users can customize the free app by adding their favorite channels, which are then displayed first in a TV guide, as well as change channels with the tap of a finger. The app is integrated with Netflix streaming, so users can easily watch videos and, like Netflix, it will suggest shows based on viewing history and preferences. The app also tells you if there is a HD version of a favorite show and if the episode is a new one or repeat.
The app also incorporates the social elements the company is known for: users can broadcast what they're watching to Facebook and Twitter, invite friends into TV chat rooms to talk about their favorite shows, and answer trivia questions.
Right now the app is only compatible with Google TV, the TiVo Series 3 and other devices controlled by Logitech Revue, but TechCrunch reports it should soon work with tablets and phones that have an infrared transmitter.
"To me, the BuddyTV Guide app is a must have app that I use daily now," said BuddyTV CEO Andy Liu in a press release. "In fact, the app knows that I like to watch the Seattle Mariners game, and recommends it to me whenever they are on TV. I can then tap on the game right on my iPhone, and before I even open the door to my condo, the game is already on my TV. It has truly changed the way I consume entertainment."
The app is currently only available for the iPhone, but the company said Android and Google TV versions are on their way.
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Sony NSZ-GS7 Google TV box goes to pre-order status
by Mark Raby
Oh, yes, Sony is giving Google TV another chance. You may recall that the last time it went all out with support for Google's television-based operating system, it sort of crashed and burned. Sony's line of Google TV-powered "Internet TV" models were so much more expensive than other Internet-connected TVs that they captured monumentally low sales levels.
On top of the increased price, Google TV was a nascent, under-utilized platform. In fact, to any sensible person, buying an Internet-connected TV from pretty much any other manufacturer made more sense because they were cheaper and offered more content. Now, though, Google TV has matured a bit, and Sony is willing to give it a second chance. This time, though, it's playing it safe and going for a high-margin, low-cost set-top box device.
The Sony NSZ-GS7 has just gone up for pre-order at J&R Electronics stores, with a price of $199. The most interesting part is the remote control that comes with the new box – it has an accelerometer, a touch pad, and a microphone. With no native support for them, Sony had to make those things come to life, by allowing for speech-based searches and accelerometer controls for navigation through menus and other content.

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