Sony Ericsson's Xperia Acro and Xperia Arc get PlayStation Certified in Japan

By Darren Murph posted Nov 9th 2011 10:53PM

Hello, PlayStation Certification! Looks like the Xperia Play is getting a bit of company in Japan, where Sony Ericsson's Xperia Arc and Acro are getting that coveted seal of approval. Updates are actually rolling out across a number of SE phones on NTT DoCoMo, enabling dozens upon dozens of new games to be tailored (and available) for the Arc and Acro in particular. Hit the source link for the official word, and if you aren't camped out in the Land of the Rising Sun, hang tight -- we get the feeling Sony proper is going to be pushing this initiative a lot harder than it has been thus far.

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Sony VAIO F Series review (late 2011)

By Sean Buckley

Review

Sony barreled into CES earlier this year flaunting a 3D monster laptop boasting a 16-inch 1080p display, a built-in 3D transmitter and a fancy button that promised to instantly add an extra dimension to your boring "regular" 2D movies. It was the latest in the outfit's VAIO F Series, and it was ready to snatch $2,000 straight out of your wallet -- but not all of us can throw down that kind of scratch. Still looking for a suitably powerful desktop-replacement that won't decimate your bank account? That same 2011 VAIO F Series rig just might be your ticket, sans 3D trickery -- and knocked down to a base price of $980. Does this somewhat more budget-friendly variant still pack enough punch to knockout your hefty desktop PC? Let's find out.

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Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S review

By Mat Smith 

Review

It seems like nearly all the phone makers are doing it. Take the latest flagship release, add some welcome (but relatively minor) technical tweaks, slap an extra S on it and release to an adoring public not much more than six months after the original hit stores. Sony Ericsson's Xperia Arc is the latest (but certainly not the last) to undergo said refresh. The new Arc S appears identical on the surface, still carrying the stylish curvature that wooed us the first time round. Internally, most of the parts remain the same as its predecessor, aside from a bump to a new CPU, a 1.4GHz Qualcomm chip. Alongside the minor hardware change, this is the first Xperia handset arriving with Sony's 3D sweep panorama feature, capable of creating 3D stills for consumption on your compatible TV back home. Does the extra 400MHz make enough of a difference? Are sweeping panoramas enough to warrant a phone refresh at a time when dual-core, big-screened Android phones are the high-end standard? Read on to get the full picture.

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Dell Inspiron 14z review

By Dana Wollman 

Review

It's called rebranding, and by golly, Dell needs to do it. Once the world's top PC maker, it's ceded market share to the likes of HP and Acer and earned a reputation for bland designs and subpar customer service. So, we can see where the outfit would want to give its laptops a makeover as a way of distancing itself from its tarnished rap.

That's precisely what seems to be going on with the Inspiron 14z, a 14-incher with a slimmed-down aluminum body, available in a surprisingly staid color palette (sorry, guys, bubblegum pink isn't an option this time around). With a low starting price of $600, it's ideal for college kids and pretty much anyone looking for a good-enough laptop for the home. Then again, so are lots of reasonably priced 14- and 15-inch laptops. Is this one extraordinary enough to make your short list? Let's see.

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Samsung Focus Flash review

By Terrence O'Brien 

Review

The Focus Flash is really a rather unassuming device. Sure, it packs Mango and a 1.4GHz Snapdragon, but its 3.7-inch Super AMOLED screen (no Plus here) and $49 price point aren't the sort of thing that scream "buy me" to gadget fiends and power users. In fact, since it was first announced, the Flash has been living in the shadow of its bigger brother (literally and figuratively), the Focus S. But, considering the number of similarities between the two devices (and most of WP7 handsets for that matter), is it right to regard the Flash as the runt of the litter? Is it the Windows Phone equivalent of those bargain-basement Android devices that aren't worth the paper your receipt is printed on? Obviously, we're not gonna tell you up front -- you'll have to keep reading after the break.

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