Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Software : Sonos Controller for Android finally hits the Market

Software : Sonos Controller for Android finally hits the Market

Sonos Controller for Android finally hits the Market

Posted: 19 Apr 2011 06:00 AM PDT

From today, the Sonos Controller for Android hits the Android Market, meaning that Sonos-owning Android fans can ditch the remote and instead use their smartphones to wrangle their tunes.

The free app has been a long time coming; while iPhone users have had the same functionality for over a year, the Android version was first announced in February 2011 and we were expecting to see it released in March.

Sonos had pushed the release date back in order to carry out further testing on the app, which allows you to make playlists, control volume, skip tracks and link or drop Sonos Zone Players all from your phone.

Testing, testing, one-two

As Craig Wisneski, senior product manager at Sonos, explained to TechRadar in a briefing, "We've been testing the app thoroughly over the past couple of months.

"Because of the diversity of phones running Android and all the differing manufacturers, it took us a little longer to make sure everyone would have the same experience. That level of quality is really important to Sonos."

Another reason for the hold-up is that the company didn't want to inconvenience customers with multiple firmware updates where one could do the trick; the company's other big news today (Apple AirPlay compatibility) requires an update too.

"We really wanted to consolidate the firmware updates so that it's as easy as possible for Sonos customers to update," continued Wisneski.

There are a couple of nifty features that iPhone owners will be jealous of in the Android app, particularly the ability to control the speakers' volume using the physical volume buttons on an Android phone.

TechRadar went hands on with the Android app at Mobile World Congress; you can read our thoughts here. But here's the Cliff Notes version: if you own both an Android phone and a Sonos wireless speaker system, it's a must-have.

Exclusive: Microsoft MD: Post-PC era is not here

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 11:28 AM PDT

Microsoft UK's managing director, Ashley Highfield, believes that we have entered the next phase of the PC's evolution, but that talk of a post-PC era is premature.

Asked if Steve Jobs' suggestion that we are moving away from PCs at the launch of the iPad was premature, Highfield answered in the affirmative.

"This is beginning of the next phase of the PC's evolution," Highfield told TechRadar.

"With 29 million PCs in UK homes and 9 million more going to be sold this year [the PC] is clearly not over.

"The iPad can fit in with the ecosystem in your home, but not going to eschew your PC.

"It's still the machine that you are going to load your heavy duty software onto and sync with your other devices."

Multiple devices

Highfield points out that Microsoft's strategy does not revolve around one single device, with the market so big that differences of consumer need and desire must be brought together.

"Clearly one size can't possibly fit all," he added. "When you're at that 29 million figure you are not in niche market.

You have to have a range of device fitting ever more sophisticated needs of people who want to be ever more individual.

"Obviously people now have more than one device – a Smartphone, an iPad, a PC and maybe other things as well – and yet the PC is at the heart of home network, if you like.

"That's our vision, and our strategy is of social computing – a number of devices talking to each other with your apps and software or whatever, kept in sync on whatever machine you use and the cloud."
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