Looks like Vudu made a streaming stick, and it's a Walmart exclusive

Walmart's Vudu Spark: really, really awesome if you only like Vudu

Only Walmart would have the balls - or the stupidity - to launch a streaming dongle that only supports a single service.

Welcome to the Vudu Spark, a streaming stick that only runs Vudu, according to an FCC filing.

Vudu is owned by Walmart, so it makes a perverse sort of non-sense the device would be dedicated to only that app.

You know, in Bizarro World.

The Spark will likely arrive in time for the holidays, though Walmart and Vudu haven't made any announcements yet.

Even so, there's no doubt as to its functionality, because the FCC leaked the Spark's user manual as well. It appears to have been taken down since.

The manual describes the set-up process, wherein you connect the Spark to Wi-Fi and it boots straight into the Vudu app. And there's no mention of any other functions.

Meanwhile the Chromecast, Roku Streaming Stick and Fire TV Stick definitely still exist, making the Vudu Spark objectively the worst option among many streaming dongle competitors, unless Walmart is literally giving it away for free. Who knows?

Via GigaOM

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Exclusive: Sony: no to bringing PS4 remote play to other phones - except our own

Come on - give the Z2 owners a little thrill

Sony has confirmed it's considering bringing PS4 to other smartphones – but only Xperia devices.

One of the big headlines of IFA 2014 was the news that the new Sony Xperia Z3 range would allow you to remotely play your PS4 games.

However, it was limited to just the Sony Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Compact and Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact.

Pierre Perron, Sony Mobile president for North West Europe, told TechRadar that while there was no chance of the service coming to other phone brands, unlike the now-retired PlayStation Mobile app that was available on most Android phones.

When quizzed on plans to roll the Remote Play service out further, Perron was unequivocal about the fact it would stay in the Sony family:

"It is important to highlight that this functionality will be exclusive on Xperia, and there is no intention to roll out this on any other competitor device," he said.

However, when asked about whether older Sony phones could also see the compatibility, he confirmed that while it was possible technically, the brand hadn't decided whether it would bring it to phones such as the Xperia Z2:

"Today we cannot answer whether we will be [allowing older Sony phones to have PS4 remote play capabilities]; the Z3 series will be the only series compatible with the remote play, and then we will see in the next six months.

"There is no reason technically [why we don't do it], the only limit we would have is the processing power of the smartphone. So depending on that, there is no reason why at a certain point we wouldn't bring the functionality as we did on other Sony features.

"But for the time being we are committed to bringing this out on the Z3 series."

Given the Sony Xperia Z2 has a largely similar internal architecture to the Z3, there should be no reason why it couldn't support Remote Play as well – here's hoping in six months time, probably when Sony launches the Z4, we see the Z2 shown some love as well.

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Exclusive: Nokia Lumia 1020 sequel still in the works?

Microsoft plans to carry Nokia's cameraphone torch

Microsoft still intends to bring out high-power cameraphones now the deal to purchase Nokia is complete, confirmed Jo Harlow, Corporate Vice President of the Phones Business Unit at Microsoft.

The Pureview brand, which was first shown off by Harlow at MWC 2012, was the first phone to use the powerful 42MP sensor, a tool that has since been brought to Windows Phone on the Lumia 1020.

However, it's been over a year since the 1020 launched, leading some to speculate that Microsoft was more focused on using the Pureview brand to improve lower-end devices.

But Harlow confirmed to TechRadar that the brand was still looking at the dedicated cameraphone space when asked if a phone with the power of the Lumia 1020 could still appear:

"Absolutely – we're not end of the mission in camera technology, or in computational photography.

"We continue to invest in that area to bring the next greatest thing in high end imaging."

While Harlow predictably wouldn't be drawn on a timescale for such a device, its feasible that it could launch before the end of the year, given cameraphones can be seen a better gift in the holiday season, and it would make sense for Microsoft to launch something by November to take advantage of that.

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Exclusive: 'Nobody wants a smartwatch that looks like a calculator,' says Moto exec

Moto 360 - definitely not looking like a calculator

Motorola believes that it will remains a step ahead of its rivals in the smartwatch world, despite the first round competitors for the Moto 360 beginning to surface.

Speaking to TechRadar at the UK launch event for the 360, corporate vice president for EMEA & APAC, Magnus Ahlqvist, expressed his joy at the smartwatch's early impact and told us about the decision to back a round design that has captured the imagination.

"I think the cool thing about Motorola as a company is that it is very focused on what the consumer wants," said Ahlqvist. "Lots of companies say that they are but we actually care.

Moto 360 - a head-turner

"The early smartwatches looked like gadgets - like small calculators on your wrist - and that's not what people wanted.

"They wanted their smartwatch to look good to wear and to be proud of it, so that was the basis of what we did for the Moto 360.

"A lot of craftsmanship went into the design - to maximise the screen size and make the display so vibrant and there is a lot thought gone into the details."

Ahlqvist at the UK Moto event

Given the attention the 360 garnered it is no surprise that a number of manufacturers are now jumping on a more traditional watch shape for their next generation of smartwatches.

The LG G Watch R was announced at IFA 2014 in Berlin, and many other options are in the pipeline, but Ahlqvist is not fazed.

"First of all we are well positioned," he said. "I personally don't think there is anything as beautiful and well-crafted as the Moto 360 in the market.

"And we are not sitting still so we are a step ahead. There is a lot of competition but I don't think that's a bad thing because it spurs innovation.

"There remains a lot of room for us to continue to innovate."

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