Gadgets
The Vaio phone is overpriced and under-specced
Sony‘s rogue Vaio branch which has become its own boss decided that it would venture into the smartphone domain with the very inconspicuous Vaio phone. There’s not other name for it, like the F3 or Vaio Steel, it’s just the Vaio phone. Vaio is Sony’s former branch responsible for the rather expensive, but high-quality, premium build Sony Vaio notebooks. Although the new company has been mum about their new products in the past few months, it seems the Vaio phone is their next big venture. But it seems the company hasn’t quite got the hang of marketing a smartphone to the masses, seeing as the Vaio phone is a lot less than what Vaio fans would have expected from the company.
The Vaio phone is but a mid-range smartphone, which doesn’t stand out from the crowd at all. Although Vaio laptops were pretty appreciated for their premium builds, that design language hasn’t been ported to the Vaio phone whatsoever. Actually, when it comes to the design of the smartphone, it can’t be called anything but generic. Although mid-range smartphones usually don’t get flattering designs, because there’s a budget element that seems more important to the manufacturer, Vaio didn’t put much effort into making the phone desirable, appealing or at least a niche-device.
As with any run of the mill mid-range smartphone, the Vaio phone aims to provide a go-to, daily driver for the not-so tech savvy individuals who just need a smartphone to cover their social media needs, a bit of gaming and a lot of organizing stuff. Before getting into the specs of the Vaio phone, notable is that the company is launching it with a rather small carrier in Japan on March 20, b-mobile. Although a small carrier, the partnership enables the Vaio phone to be as bloat-ware free as possible, which can be considered a plus for the mid-ranger. Another plus that is worth mentioning is that the phone will run on Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box and will be updated to subsequent Android 5.1 in due time.
As for specs, the Vaio phone is just as bland as it is in design. It gets a 5 inch display with a 1280*720 resolution, which is not exactly flagship resolution, but it is a tad above what other companies are selling with their mid-range phones. A non-descript 1.2 GHz processor is supposedly running the show, backed by 2 GB RAM under the hood. A 13 MP camera adorns the back of the phone, which should be a decent sensor with good video recording capabilities and nice low-light shooting abilities. Not guaranteed by the company, though. There’s also a 5 MP camera on the front of the device, for the occasional selfie.The whole shabang gets its juice from a beefy 2500 mAh battery, which might just help in the long run.
Although the Vaio phone is as generic as you get, the Japanese company decided that it would merit a premium price tag, similar to the one on the metal-clad, discontinued, Samsung Galaxy Alpha. According to the release notes from the company, the Vaio phone price is set at the equivalent of $420, which is not only a high price to ask for a mid-range smartphone, it’s an even higher price to ask for something that looks just like the Panasonic Eluga U2, launched in Japan last month for half of that price. Even if Vaio has a certain demographic in mind with this smartphone, it hardly presents any interest towards power-users or premium build fans. In my humble opinion, the Vaoi phone will end up a flop, even if it gets a near-stock Android interface that users will most likely enjoy.
Video games have transcended entertainment to become powerful tools for promoting health and wellness. One notable genre in this realm is fitness gaming, exemplified by titles like Hatsune Miku Fit Boxing, which motivates players to engage in physical activity to enhance their fitness levels. Building on this foundation, developers have ventured into women’s health with games designed to raise awareness and empower players to take control of their well-being. Here are 3 video games on women’s health that provide valuable health information and foster a sense of agency to uplift women around the world.
Tampon Run – Menstrual health
Created by Girls Who Code alumnae Andrea Gonzales and Sophie Houser in 2014, Tampon Run is an old-school 8-bit online game where the main character, Luna, lobs tampons to destroy enemies, who will confiscate the tampons if she lets them pass by. Interestingly, the concept of weaponized tampons is based on a real incident that occurred in 2013, where Texas state troopers confiscated tampons as potential projectiles, but not guns, from visitors observing a vote on abortion restrictions at the Texas State Capitol. The goal of Tampon Run is to destigmatize periods and menstrual products, which, up until recently, have not been properly studied to measure their absorbency, which underscores the need to address menstrual health so that women can get better care.
In between tossing tampons, Luna shares empowering messages about how periods are a natural part of women’s lives and should not be a source of shame or embarrassment. The game is available to play on the Tampon Run website and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store for iOS users.
PCOS Vitality – PCOS
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a complex hormonal condition and the leading cause of female infertility that affects approximately 5 to 6 million women in the US, according to the Endocrine Society. Common features of the condition include having irregular menstrual periods, hyperandrogenism, and polycystic ovaries. Additionally, some studies estimate that up to 88% of women with PCOS are overweight or obese. While there are weight loss programs helping women tackle PCOS, focusing on aspects like lifestyle, symptom management, diet, and other tips for how to lose weight with PCOS, the condition itself remains grossly under-researched. For some women, it may take years to confirm that they have PCOS, as there are other disorders that mimic PCOS signs and symptoms that must be excluded.
The lack of research has extended to a lack of awareness among the general population and is what clinicians from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland are trying to address with the 2023 game PCOS Vitality. Essentially a learning tool, the game takes users through a simple obstacle course. As you click toward the finish line, you are asked simple trivia questions about PCOS. The game is free to play on Focus Games’ website.
Bound by Blood – Period poverty
Period poverty refers to the lack of regular access to period products, painkillers, or underwear during a menstrual cycle. In the US, where 16.9 million menstruating women live in poverty, two-thirds cannot afford basic menstrual products. Period poverty has also been associated with mental health issues and urinary tract infections.
Available to play on the itch.io website, Bound by Blood was created by Jessica Gates in 2017 and aims to educate players about the reality of period poverty. Users take the character of Beth, a homeless woman who wakes up in her car and realizes that she’s started her period. Players then make a series of choices to try to stay as hygienic as possible in spite of lacking resources such as menstrual products and clean restrooms. There isn’t really a way to “win” the game, and it is instead a peek into the reality of life where period products are inaccessible and how this affects women’s quality of life.
Through these games, players not only gain valuable insights into various aspects of women’s health but also find themselves actively engaged in their own well-being. As developers continue to explore this emerging field, the potential for video games to serve as educational tools and catalysts for change in healthcare remains promising
PS4 sales in the UK climbed by a shocking 633 percent year-over-year in 2023, so apparently the old system isn’t dead yet. The previous year’s very limited supply of the system is likely a major factor in this figure, since the console’s lifespan was drastically reduced because of chip shortages caused by the pandemic. Still, it’s proof that PlayStation’s original platform has unmet demand.
With the very low prices of PS4 software (both in-store and online at the PS Store), this strategy makes a lot of sense. Plus, it’s future-proof, so there’s no harm in stocking up on PS4s while new-gen pricing is still high, since if you decide to switch to a PS5 in the future, you can transfer all of your purchases across. Not to mention that the majority of new releases still come out on the PS4, with several offering free PS5 upgrades.
While the percentage rise may seem huge, real PS4 sales will probably be much lower. It’s a sign that the gadget, which is now a decade old, isn’t completely dead yet, and we expect it to keep receiving maintenance for a while longer. Of course, this is great news for Sony, because the company would rather have PS4 players playing on its last-gen gadget than none at all, even if it would love to have them upgrade to PS5.
A PS5 firmware update on a cold winter morning is unmatched. The latest PS5 system software update is 23.02–08.40.00 from Sony. Does this one add useful features or just boost system performance?
Though closer to the latter, it’s more than Sony’s favorite patch note. It fixes security issues, improves messages and usability, and boosts system software performance. Official patch notes for this 1.185GB update:
- We updated system software security
- We improved system software stability and performance
- Some screens now have better messages and usability
That’s it. PS5 gets another win to recover from its midweek slump. Do you share our enthusiasm for this firmware update? Comment below. To spice things up, make your comment rhyme.
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