Sony Android TV : Australia

Sony Android TV : Australia

Android on the big screen is coming of age with Sony's latest Smart TVs.
Running Android on a television or set-top box is one of those ideas which looks great on paper but generally fails to live up to expectations.

Sony's latest effort, available on most of its 2015 range including the 75-inch Ultra HD model I looked at Monday, offers the slickest Android television implementation I've seen yet, but it comes at a price.

We're not just talking about a re-skinned version of Android as you see on many home entertainment devices. Android TV is a flavour of Android 5.0 Lollipop designed from the ground up by Google to run on a Smart TV.

This means that the interface and apps are all customised for a 10-foot user experience from the couch and they play nicely with the remote control. It also means that you don't get dumped into clunky phone-style Android menus as you delve into the advanced settings.

The trade-off for this elegant user experience is that you're limited to a small corner of the Google Play App Store which offers apps optimised for Android TV.

It's an understandable restriction when you consider that it's intended as a form of user experience quality control, but it's still frustrating if you're under the impression that any old Android app will run on the television.

Keep in mind that even the apps available for Android TV might lag behind the mainstream Android app version when it comes to updates with new features.

Entertain me
Living within this app ecosystem might not bother you, depending on why you want your television to run Android. For me it's all about content and media players and here Android TV excels.

I'd say tight access to Google Play movies, TV shows and music is the number one reason to embrace Android on your television. All you content purchases, rentals and subscriptions are at your fingertips without the need to reach for a mobile device and mess around with local streaming – it's the equivalent of what iGadget owners enjoy via the Apple TV.

It's also great to see a wide range of third-party Android local streaming media player apps like Plex, VLC, MX Player and Kodi (formerly XBMC) all optimised for the television and remote control. If you use these apps on other devices then you'll feel right and home and Android TV might let you retire your media centre PC or streaming media set-top box.

To top things off, the television's built-in media player apps also support DLNA. You won't find any of these great local streaming features on an Apple TV, not without hacking it.

Get Smart
Scroll through the slick Android menus and you'll also find standard Smart TV apps such as FreeviewPlus, Netflix (with Ultra HD support and an HDR update on the way), Quickflix, iView, SBS, Plus7, Crackle, YouTube, Pandora, TuneIn and others.

The television's new X1 processor keeps everything smooth and responsive. You can also tap into a limited range of games, with the option of connecting a PlayStation or third-party controller.

There's a reasonable range of titles catering to casual gamers, although it's hard to see people getting too excited when these games are available on other devices. Serious gamers will find a few titles to grab their attention, but I don't see why you'd bother paying again for a limited copy of a game you already own on another platform.

Unfortunately there's no support for PlayStation Now game streaming service in Australia, which is the feature serious gamers are likely looking for from a Sony device.

If you want to use Android apps that aren't available for Android TV, the television supports Chromecast streaming and screen mirroring. This gives you the best of both worlds and might help overcome your frustrations over the limited number of Android TV apps.

So what's the verdict?
Think long and hard about what you want to do with Android on this television and whether it's worth the expense if you won't find the apps on you want in the app store.

In theory just about everything you can do in Android TV on this television, apart from gaming with a PS controller, you could do on your television using an Android smartphone or tablet via screen mirroring.

The beauty of Android TV is that it cuts down on your reliance on mobile devices for some tasks, particularly when it comes to multimedia. Now you can just flop down on the couch with the remote and watch your digital content the old-fashioned way.

If this sounds appealing then Android TV might be for you. Even if you're happy to drive your television from your phone or tablet, Android TV might appeal to members of your household who aren't.

Cr. SMH ,bangkok21st ,Synergy | Facebook

Ronaldo shopping in Melbourne

 

Ronaldo shopping in Melbourne

Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo delighted shoppers and fans when he hit Melbourne's trendy retail strip over the weekend.

The Real Madrid forward was spotted shopping at street wear clothing store Culture Kings on Queen Street after arriving in Australia ahead of the International Champions Cup ,no need any track of barcode scanner.

Several fans were lucky to catch a glimpse of the world's greatest player on Saturday after photos emerged on social media, showing the 30-year-old perusing the racks of clothes inside the store.

Excited onlookers hovered outside with their cameras ready as they surrounded the Portugal international star, who appeared to be treating himself to a shopping spree.

Ronaldo was dressed casually for his jaunt into town, wearing a red top, beige jacket, denim jeans and finishing his look with a black beanie.

Shoppers have taken to social media platforms including Twitter and Instagram to post photographs of the talented player following his public appearance Down Under.

Local hairdresser Angela Sassano uploaded a photograph of herself, alongside Ronaldo on Instagram after giving the superstar a haircut at Kings Domain Barbershop.

'Portuguese football super star [sic] looking fresh after a haircut,' the caption read.

Fans will get to see Ronaldo in full action as the Spanish giants take on English champions Manchester City and AS Roma at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on July 18, 21 and 24.

Cr. Daily Mail ,bangkok21st ,Synergy | Facebook

Apple Watch online !

Strong turnout for world's first glimpse at Apple Watch

(Reuters) - Consumers in Australia flocked to Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) store in Sydney on weekend to get the world's first up-close look at the tech giant's smartwatch, which the company expects will be its next runaway hit.

The Apple Watch, CEO Tim Cook's first new major product, was available for pre-order online and to try out in stores - but not take home.

On April 24, consumers will be able to buy it online or by reservation at retail locations including high-end fashion boutiques in Paris, London and Tokyo, part of Apple's strategy of positioning the wearable computer as a must-have accessory.

On Friday morning Apple's Australian flagship store in Sydney's financial district was packed with those hoping to peek at the device, although just around 20 die-hard fans queued out front, modest by the standards of a major Apple launch.

Alexander Bock, a backpacker from Germany, stood outside the shop's towering glass facade. He hopes to save enough money to buy the sports version of the watch, he said.

The Apple Watch sport starts at $349 while the standard version comes in at $549 in the U.S. High-end "Edition" watches with 18-karat gold alloys are priced from $10,000 and go as high as $17,000.

"I feel naked without a watch. I think I will buy the Apple watch with the sports band ... I'm working very hard right now so I can buy this watch," Bock told Reuters.

The watch marks the Cupertino, California company's debut in a fledgling wearable technology market.

Based on recent customer interest at its stores, Apple expects demand for the watch, which allows users to check email, listen to music and make phone calls when paired with an iPhone, to exceed availability at launch, it said on Thursday.

Reviewers this week praised the watch, which also helps users monitor their health and exercise, as "beautiful" and "stylish" but gave it poor marks for relatively low battery life and slow-loading apps.

For women, the various sizes and wrist bands make this smartwatch more pleasing than earlier versions from Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) and others, said Kantar World Panel market analyst Carolina Milanesi, who has been wearing the watch for a few days.

At the Apple Store in Omotesando, a high-end shopping district in the heart of Tokyo, dozens of shoppers huddled around two glass displays, snapping pictures of the range of options available on the different watch models.

"I actually tried it on briefly, and it's so light it doesn't feel like it's on my wrist," 26-year-old salesman Yosuke Hosoi told Reuters.

NOT FOR EVERYONE

Sales estimates for 2015 vary widely. Piper Jaffray predicts 8 million units and Global Securities Research forecasts 40 million. By comparison, Apple sold nearly 200 million iPhones last year.

"Is it for everybody? No, but I don't think any wearables are yet," Milanesi said.

Apple's watch is widely expected to outsell those by Samsung, Sony Corp (6758.T) and Fitbit, that have attracted modest interest from consumers. It will likely account for 55 percent of global smartwatch shipments this year, according to Societe Generale.
Underscoring its marketing strategy, Apple is selling the watch through a handful of high-end stores including Selfridges in London, Galeries Lafayette in Paris and Isetan in Tokyo.

Still, experts said Apple's offering was unlikely to displace the market share of luxury-brand watch makers.

"This is just Apple's interpretation of the watch, I don't think watch makers should be worried at all," Stephen Fenech, editor of the Tech Guide website, told Reuters.

"This is just Apple's expression where they've combined what they are good at with the fact that it's a watch with style so I think there's going to be room for everyone."

JMP analyst Alex Gauna said he and others on Wall Street would be at stores this weekend to gauge consumer reaction.

But the typically long queues at its stores on product launch days could be a thing of the past as the company emphasizes online sales, according to a leaked internal memo from retail chief Angela Ahrendts, reported by Business Insider.

"The days of waiting in line and crossing fingers for a product are over for our customers," she wrote.

"This is a significant change in mindset, and we need your help to make it happen. Tell your customers we have more availability online, and show them how easy it is to order."

A spokesman for Apple in Sydney declined to comment on the memo, citing company policy.

At an Apple Store in Hong Kong there was no queue, although half a dozen customers gathered near the shop door, cheering when it was opened. Demos were by online registration, after which a Reuters reporter received a demo without having to wait.

"I didn't know it's the first day. I am here to buy an iPad," said a 26-year-old customer who gave her name only as Ms Jian, visiting from China's Chongqing. "I will take a look at the watch later."

Apple shares closed 0.76 percent higher at $126.56 on Thursday.

Cr.Reuters