Today we added Xperia Tablet Z to our Android™ Open Source Project (AOSP) for Xperia™ devices. Xperia Tablet Z follows in the footsteps of Xperia Z and Xperia S, which are open for developers to explore. Learn how to participate and get the latest technical status in the full post.
![Xperia™ Tablet Z added to the AOSP for Xperia™ project on GitHub [open source]](http://img.youtube.com/vi/16WZOqgFBI8/0.jpg)
Today we’re happy to tell you that a number of Sony devices have been made available at Testdroid Cloud, which is a premier cloud-based Android testing platform for apps and games. Testing and verification are becoming more and more important for app and game developers, as more software platforms and devices are introduced all over the industry. To make it easier to verify your apps and games, Sony and Bitbar (the company behind Testdroid) have added a number of different Xperia™ devices to the Testdroid Cloud service. Read on to learn more about Testdroid and what Sony devices are currently available.
***Update: Software binaries updated. ***
Remember our Android Open Source Project for Xperia S? Because of the great interest we saw in that project, we’ve now decided to create an AOSP project for Xperia Z as well. This means that the software will be open for you as a developer to use and contribute to. This is a way for us to continue our commitment to support the open Android community. It is also a tool for us to facilitate and verify contributions to AOSP on the APQ8064 Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ S4 Pro platform. Get the details after the jump!
![AOSP now available for Xperia™ Z on Sony’s GitHub [open source + video]](http://img.youtube.com/vi/74_1nB_Z1Hw/0.jpg)
If you’re a developer based in the US or Canada, and are eager to start testing your apps to ensure they work on the latest Xperia™ smartphones, you’re in luck! We’ve just added Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, and Xperia T to our Device Loaner Programme. And tablets and mobile accessories are also available, including the Xperia Tablet S and Sony SmartWatch. With the Device Loaner Programme, you can freely borrow a physical Xperia™ smartphone, tablet, or accessory device for up to 30 days, to ensure that your app works properly with Sony products. Read more about the programme after the jump.
One of the awesome features you’ll find in the recently announced Sony Xperia Z is its 5” screen, which boasts a display density of 440 dpi, and falls into a new class of screen called xxhdpi. With more and more xxhdpi devices coming out, it’s important to make sure you have configured your app’s Android manifest not to exclude such high density screens. Otherwise you might find that your app isn’t showing up on Google Play™ when searched from these devices. Read on to learn what to do, and what not to do, to support xxhdpi screens.
We are always striving to be as fast as we can with making the open source archives available after a software build has been released. Now, as we have released our first Jelly Bean SW for Xperia™ T, Xperia™ V and Xperia™ TX, we have seen quite a few requests for the latest open source archives – both for the Jelly Bean release for Xperia™ T, Xperia™ V and Xperia™ TX (SW build 9.1.A.0.489) and for the Xperia™ Z archives (SW build 10.1.A.1.350) for the Japanese launch. Read more about Xperia™ open source archives after the jump.
LTE networks are getting more and more common, allowing you to browse the web instantly, stream content, or download movies at high-speed. You’ll find LTE support in a number of Xperia™ smartphones, all the way from the just announced Xperia™ Z to the Xperia™ ion. Each device has a particular range of LTE bands, with corresponding regions that support the service. Read on to get the full list of LTE-enabled smartphones, supported bands, and the available countries where you can use LTE.
Have you ever tried to shoot a video of a scene that has a strong backlight, like when a person stands in front of a window or direct sunlight? Well, then you will know that it can be almost impossible to get the right exposure of all parts of the picture. Now with the HDR function of the Exmor RS™ image sensor in the new Xperia™ Z, you can get great videos and photos even in these high contrast scenes. For our implementation of HDR video, we use different exposures on every two lines of pixels, to create an optimal result, with really good contrasts. Read on as we explain more how this works!
Many of the regular Developer World readers surely know of the Small Apps functionality for Sony tablets, but did you know that the newly announced Xperia Z also includes Small App functionality? Small Apps are like super-widgets that run on top of other applications and can add smart solutions for daily routines requiring multi-tasking. And if you’re a developer, you can start creating Small Apps for Xperia™ Z today! If you’ve already created Small Apps for Sony tablets, those extensions will also work on all Small Apps-supported smartphones, including Xperia™ Z and Xperia™ ZL. Read more after the jump.
Yesterday we announced the Xperia Z, which includes the new feature Throw. This feature lets you seamlessly play your music, and share videos and photos on your smartphone on another device. With only a few clicks, you can easily connect your phone to a TV or a speaker by using screen mirroring, DLNA or Bluetooth®. To enable this seamless wireless content sharing, we have developed the Throw software engine which helps optimise and streamline your experience. Read on for more details about how Throw works!
