Sony drops VAIO T from free PlayStation offer, hikes real cost of entry to $970

Sony drops VAIO T from free PlayStation offer, hikes real cost of entry to $970

Remember how it seemed too good to be true that Sony's back to school promo would let you buy a VAIO T and get a free PlayStation 3 or Vita worth a third of the value of the Ultrabook you just bought? Well, it was. Sony has quietly dropped the $750 laptop from the PCs that qualify for the deal, raising the real qualifying price to $970 for a 15.5-inch VAIO S. Some will cry foul at being denied such a killer bargain without warning, but it's easy to see why Sony backed out: that's a lot of gear to give away for little in return. Dreams of heading to class with an ultraportable in hand and a PS3 at the dorm will have to be postponed, then, even if it's still an ample discount.

[Thanks, Gabriel]

Sony drops VAIO T from free PlayStation offer, hikes real cost of entry to $970 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 14:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How would you change the PlayStation Vita (Japanese Edition)?

How would you change the PlayStation Vita

How would you change: a regular feature where we ask people about their experiences with gadget's we've reviewed, when they reach the real world. This week we're looking at the Japanese edition* of the PlayStation Vita, which instantly made us feel old when we realized the OG model was seven years old. Times have changed, and the Vita's biggest competitor is smartphone gaming: leading to our dismay when we found its battery conks out after just three hours, not to mention the high cost and that measly VGA camera. We know there's a market for hardcore gamers who want blockbuster games like Uncharted: Golden Abyss, but is that hefty price-tag worth it? Let us know in the comments below.

*We'll be looking at the US edition in a few months time, for those of you who didn't import the device when it was released.

How would you change the PlayStation Vita (Japanese Edition)? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 10 Jun 2012 22:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GameStop Mobile launches as AT&T virtual carrier, gives us rare bring-your-own GSM in US (update)

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Here's an expansion of mobile competition in the US that comes out of left field, even for us: GameStop as a cellular provider. GameStop Mobile, as it's called, is that rare bird of an AT&T-based MVNO that relies on a bring-your-own-device strategy. As long as your hardware works on AT&T's 850MHz and 1,900MHz bands and isn't locked to another carrier, you can bring any GSM- and HSPA-based phone (or data-only device) and use it contract-free: rates start at anything from a strictly pay-as-you-go $5 through to a $55 monthly plan with unlimited voice and text, if just an anemic 500MB of data. Tablet owners and other data-only fans can pay the same $55 for 1GB per month -- a bit stiff considering that those on AT&T proper can get 5GB of data for slightly less. No doubt this is to take advantage of iPad and iPhone trade-ins, PlayStation Vitas and the overall rise of unlocked devices. We're just wondering whether GameStop will catch a few customers subscribing as they pick up their Diablo III pre-orders or else face the uncertain future that befalls many MVNOs.

Update: As our friends at Joystiq have pointed out, the GameStop Mobile website is no longer publicly accessible. Looks like someone may have pulled the switch a bit too earlier.

GameStop Mobile launches as AT&T virtual carrier, gives us rare bring-your-own GSM in US (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 19:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Facebook for PS Vita adds photo uploading, support for all system languages

Facebook for PS Vita adds photo uploading, support for all system languages
If you were disappointed with the Facebook app for the Vita due to not being able to share your Unit 13 high score screen grabs, then maybe it's time to reconsider. Version 1.01 just landed, and despite sounding like the tiniest incremental increase, there is, in fact, some decent new functionality. Not only can you finally upload images (and therefore those brags scores) to your news feed, you can also tag them, and enjoy any of the system languages of the device while you do so. Enough to win you back? Then point your Vita at the PS store for the goods.

Facebook for PS Vita adds photo uploading, support for all system languages originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Apr 2012 09:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo 3DS outselling four Sony devices in Japan, now has 65 percent of the market

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The latest figures from Japan's Media Create are in, showing that last year's trend has been fully reversed. Now the consumers are hungry for Nintendo's 3DS, given that it shipped 121,921 units in the week ending April 1st. That put it comfortably ahead of the PlayStation 3 (23,771), PSP (18,356) and PS Vita's (12,105) sales combined. The stats reveal that the 3DS is now accounting for 65 percent of all hardware sales in the country, a marked turnaround from when the console's future looked gloomy. Meanwhile, the biggest selling game was Kingdom Hearts 3D for Nintendo's newest handheld, which managed to shift over 200,000 units in just seven days.

Nintendo 3DS outselling four Sony devices in Japan, now has 65 percent of the market originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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