Sony releases theme creation tools in beta for Xperia line

Sony has released a tool to allow for easy creation of Xperia themes for Androids running their version of the operating system. This application installs on your computer, and when used in conjunction with an image editor (Photoshop is recommended and well-supported) allows you to customize over 300 different assets. Using custom icons, buttons and backgrounds it's now pretty easy to create your very own theme for Xperia phones and tablets.

The tool is still in beta, so expect a few issues here and there, but Sony has set up a support forum to address the inevitable questions. To learn more about the tools and for installation instructions, visit Sony's developer site.

Sony retires 'Walkman' brand for its built-in music player

Once synonymous with portable music, Walkman has been one of Sony's most iconic brands. From classic cassette-based offerings of the early 1980s to the wackier, Android-based versions of 2015, the purpose of a Walkman product is clear — it's all about music on the go. So it wasn't surprising to see Walkman name used in Sony's own music app, which is preloaded on all the manufacturer's Android smartphones. Renders of new Xperia phones would give valuable screen realestate to the purple Walkman icon, and it'd also be preloaded on the default home screen.

But not anymore. As Sony unveiled its first 2015 Xperia products, the Xperia Z4 Tablet and Xperia M4 Aqua, the familiar Walkman icon and name are no more, the app having been renamed to the more generic "Music."

The new app name appears on phones running updated Lollipop-based firmware; older phones onKitKat continue to show the current Walkman-branded music app. Sony reps on the show floor at MWC confirmed that "Music" would indeed replace "Walkman" as the default Sony music player going forwards.

It's not the first time we've witnessed this kind of change from a brand once used interchangeably with portable music. Apple stopped calling its iPhone music app "iPod" back in 2011, as the rise of smartphones — including its own — made portable media playback more of a feature than a standalone product. Of course Apple still sells iPods, just as Sony will still let you drop up to $1200 on a new Walkman.

It's taken longer, relatively speaking, for Sony to move on from the Walkman brand on its smartphones and tablet, but perhaps it's inevitable given the brand's diminishing value. Let's face it, it's increasingly unlikely that anyone under the age of 30 will have feelings of nostalgia for this iconic Sony product. And arguably, as streaming services continue to dominate music on mobile devices, standalone music apps are becoming increasingly obsolete anyway. Indeed, Sony will soon be retiring its Music Unlimited service in favor of a deal with streaming giant Spotify.

And so as Sony as a whole continues to experience turbulent times, the music will go on — only without a very significant Sony brand on mobile.

Sony accidentally reveals Xperia Z4 Tablet ahead of March 3 unveiling

It looks like Sony accidentally let a few details about an upcoming Xperia Tablet slip today. According to an appearance on the official Xperia Lounge application, the tablet is (predictably) called the Xperia Z4 Tablet and features a 2K display, along with an "ultra fast processor."

The post has since been pulled, but not before the folks at Xperia Blog managed to snag a screenshot showing off a side view of the tablet, pictured below.

There wasn't much else revealed outside of the references to the display and processor. However, the post does note that the tablet will be shown off during Mobile World Congress on March 3. In any event, keep it locked on Android Central for much more coverage from Barcelona next week.

Source: Xperia Blog; Via: Android Police

Sony teams with Spotify for new streaming service to replace Music Unlimited

Sony is teaming up with Spotify to launch PlayStation Music, a new streaming music service coming in spring 2015. The service will replace Music Unlimited, which will shut down everywhere that it is currently available on March 29, 2015. Beginning Feb. 28, current active Music Unlimited subscribers will get free access to the service until its closure.

Users will be able to link their PlayStation ID to their existing Spotify account, allowing for an easier sign-up process. PlayStation Music will be available for both the PlayStation 3 and 4 gaming consoles, as well as a number of Sony's Xperia devices.

From Sony:

The new service will launch initially on PS4 and PS3, as well as Xperia smartphones and tablets. You'll of course be able to listen to your favorite playlists – including existing playlists from current Spotify users as well as Spotify curated playlists – and enjoy the service on all of Spotify's supported devices.

PlayStation Music will be launching in 41 markets, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. Sony will also change the name of its Video Unlimited service to PlayStation Video in February but it will not be getting a third-party partner.

Source: Sony, Spotify

Sony reportedly open to new options for its mobile division, including a sale

A new report claims Sony is now open to some new options with its mobile phone division, including possibly selling it off or launching a joint venture with another company.The news comes a few months after Sony announced a plan to restructure its phone business with 1,000 job cuts.

Reuters reports, via unnamed sources, that no such deals are on the table but it does quote one source as saying "every segment now needs to understand that Sony can exit businesses". Sony did make the decision in 2014 to sell off its VAIO PC division and spun off its TV business.

Sony's CEO Kazuo Hirai seemed to hint at some changes might be coming to its mobile phone division when speaking to reporters last week at CES 2015. He stated, "Electronics in general, along with entertainment and finance, will continue to be an important business. But within that there are some operations that will need to be run with caution - and that might be TV or mobile, for example."

Businesses of all sizes, even as big as Sony, are regularly exploring options for their different segments — it may be some time before we know how seriously these talks are being taken inside the company.

Source: Reuters

Sony launches the first Folding@Home beta app for Xperia Z smartphones

Sony has launched the first beta version of its Folding@Home Android app for all of its Xperia Z smartphones. The app is designed to use a smartphone's idle processing power to help simulate the unfolding process of proteins for medical research.

Sony previously launched a Folding@Home application for its PlayStation 3 game console and it held the world record for the biggest distributed computing network in the world. Now the Sony Mobile team hopes to bring that same effort to smartphones, where it will help to find cures for diseases such as Alzheimer's. It states:

The processor in a single Xperia smartphone is capable of performance in the 50 – 100 GFLOP range, though around 30 GFLOPS is more typical, meaning that it would take around 50,000 phones, working full time to equal the 2007 world record. With half a million smartphone users running the app we would more than double the power of entire the Folding@Home network today.

In addition to the Xperia Z smartphones, the Folding@Home app beta can currently be used on Sony's Xperia T3, T2 Ultra, M2 Aqua and C3 devices. The company hopes to make the app available for all Android 4.4 and higher devices later in 2015. HTC launched a similar app in February 2014.

Source: Sony

Sony SmartWatch 3 to sport stainless steel and support regular watch straps

It looks like Sony is kicking off 2015 by removing as many potential objections to the SmartWatch 3 design as possible. The one real negative against Sony's first Android Wear effort was its comparatively plain design and no support for third party watch bands. Sony's answer to users who want a classier design and the ability to add their own band is to release both a stainless steel version of the watch and an adapter for existing SmartWatch 3 owners.

The stainless steel edition of the Sony SmartWatch 3 is exactly that - the rubber casing has been replaced with a shiny metal casing. On the inside there's no real difference, and the only noticeable change for users outside of the looks is the IP rating. The stainless steel casing takes the SmartWatch 3 from an IP58 rating down to an IP68 rating, which means the watch is slightly more likely to get dust on the inside. The water resistance up to one meter is still in effect, and the watch still charges through a microUSB port built in to the casing.

If stainless steel isn't your thing, the SmartWatch 3 holder will act as a replacement shell for your existing rubber casing and allows you to connect any 24mm watch strap to the outside. This obviously makes the core watch a little taller on the top and bottom to accommodate the pins for your strap of choice, but that's a small price to pay for the ability to add a personal touch.

Sony plans to launch the stainless steel variant of the SmartWatch 3 in February, with the holder accessory following shortly behind. Pricing hasn't been made available for either product just yet, so if you're looking for either a classier SmartWatch 3 or just a way to add your own strap, keep your eyes peeled.