Superb Violinist Ray Chen Signs With Sony Classical

Violinist Ray Chen, who captivated the classical music scene with his consecutive victories at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2009 (video below) and the Yehudi Menuhin Competition in 2008, has signed an exclusive multi-year recording contract with Sony Classical. In February of this year, Mr. Chen signed a worldwide general management contract with CAMI Music. His first album on Sony Classical, slated to be released at the end of 2010, will feature a selection of pieces – from Bach to Sarasate – that reflect the scope of Mr. Chen’s talent as well as his compelling personality. An orchestral recording dedicated to late 19th century virtuoso repertoire is planned for 2011.

Born in Taiwan and raised in Australia, Ray Chen made his solo orchestral debut at the age of 8. He was accepted to the Curtis Institute of Music at the age of 15, where he continues to work with Aaron Rosand on expanding his repertoire. Mr. Chen plays the “Huggins” Stradivarius, on loan from The Nippon Music Foundation, and the 1721 Stradivarius known as “The Macmillan”, provided as part of the award for winning the 2008-09 Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York.

His recent performances, including debut recitals at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and the Merkin Hall in New York, have enraptured both the audiences and the critics. “Ray Chen can do pretty much anything he wants on the violin” (Anne Midgette, The Washington Post). “From the first notes there was no doubt of being in the presence of something very special” (Dennis Rooney, The Strad).

Mr. Chen’s rendition of Bach’s Double Violin Concerto became the much-discussed highlight of the 2009 Aspen Music Festival. Maxim Vengerov, who met Mr. Chen while serving on the jury of the Menuhin Competition in Cardiff, immediately engaged him to perform with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra in St. Petersburg as well as at the opening concert of the next Menuhin Competition in April 2010 in Oslo. “I have had the pleasure of knowing Ray Chen since his triumph at the Yehudi Menuhin Competition,” says Maxim Vengerov. “Ray has proven himself to be a very pure musician with great qualities such as a beautiful youthful tone, vitality and lightness. He has all the skills of a truly musical interpreter.”

Ray Chen said: “I am very excited to become a Sony Classical artist and I am looking forward to this wonderful collaboration. Our joint mission is to capture the excitement, passion, and life in a performance of the finest quality and to bring them to the audiences worldwide”.

Bogdan Roscic, President of Sony Classical, said: “For me, experiencing the musicianship of Ray Chen for the first time was as exciting and the decision to sign him as immediate as with Gustavo Dudamel a few years ago. I was absolutely convinced only minutes into the very first piece I ever heard from him. Since then, I have become acquainted with a young musician who seems to have it all: an amazing, instantly recognizable tone; a charismatic personality and a musical authority quite unusual for someone his age. He is at the beginning of a major recording career and it is a privilege to be able to build it with him.”

Imagination Soars With Sony’s Rocket Project

The first rocket to reach the moon had less computing power than the latest Sony VAIO series notebooks. Can a new Sony VAIO design, operate and launch a rocket? Find out at The Rocket Project. Over the course of the next few months, eight students assisted by Tom Atchison and the Rocket Mavericks team will attempt to design, launch and operate a rocket using new Sony VAIO CW, F, and Z series notebooks.

These computers will be essential in the design stage, facilitating all Computer-Aided Engineering – CAD, aerodynamic simulation, computational fluid dynamics, dispersion analysis and Monte Carlo simulation. VAIO computers will also power the flight simulation software – ASTOS, RS-Pro, and Rocksim – and facilitate calculations for dispersion analysis, gas dynamics, aerodynamic stability, dynamic stability, structural loading, thermal heat transfer flux, fin flutter stability and much, much more.

On April 12, 2010, the Rocket Project students will travel to the famous Black Rock Desert in Nevada to put their experiment to the ultimate test by launching their rocket as high as possible into the atmosphere. A VAIO computer will operate GPS tracking, telemetry, avionics monitoring, video and anything else the team can imagine. Be sure to check out the constantly updated Rocket Project page, flickr stream and YouTube videos of the project.

As part of the Rocket Project powered by Sony and Intel, Sony Electronics has pledged to donate $1 to ReadySetLaunch, Inc. for every new fan of the Sony Electronics Facebook page leading up to the April 2010 conclusion of the Rocket Project, up to $25,000.

Sony Expands Newspaper And Magazine Selection In Reader Store

Giving readers greater access to an expanded selection of digital reading content, Sony today announced several recent newspaper and magazine additions to the Reader Store, which now offers a growing list of periodical content for wireless download on the Sony Reader Daily Edition or via Sony s Reader Library software on a PC or Macintosh computer. Since first unveiling periodical content on the Reader Store in December, Sony has worked with publishers to offer news lovers access to periodicals from coast-to-coast, including: The New York Times, International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, PC Magazine, The Dallas Morning News, Foreign Affairs, The Denver Post and San Jose Mercury News.

The expanded breadth of periodical content on the Reader Store illustrates our focus on bringing readers access to the widest selection of content as well as our belief in the value of daily and weekly content delivered on a device designed to enhance the periodical experience, said Bob Nell, director of business development for Sony Electronics Digital Reading Business. Reader owners from across the country now have the opportunity to bring their daily newspaper or favorite magazine with them wherever they go, all with a simple touch of the screen.

The Reader Daily Edition is optimized for newspapers and displays periodical content in an elegant, easy-to-read format. Its responsive, menu-driven, seven-inch touch screen lets consumers quickly and intuitively navigate newspapers and magazines, turn pages, highlight text and take notes with the swipe of a finger or by using the included stylus pen.

New additions to the Reader Store join exclusive content from The Wall Street Journal and New York Post, as well as bestselling eBooks and new releases, self-published pieces from independent authors, links to borrow eBooks from libraries nationwide and more than one million free public domain books through Google Books. Since its inception in 2006, Sony’s Reader Store has sold millions of titles.

The following periodicals are available now on the Reader Store:

• All Things Digital
• Chicago Tribune
• Financial Times
• Foreign Affairs
• International Herald Tribune
• Los Angeles Times
• MarketWatch Today
• New York Post
• National Review
• PC Magazine
• Reason
• San Jose Mercury News
• The Baltimore Sun
• The Boston Globe
• The Columbus Dispatch
• The Dallas Morning News
• The Denver Post
• The Nation
• The New York Observer
• The New York Times
• The Salt Lake Tribune
• The Wall Street Journal
• The Washington Times

Sony has agreements in place with a host of additional magazine and newspaper publishers. Subscriptions to the following newspapers, magazines and exclusive content will be available soon:

• Barron’s
• China International Business
• Contra Costa Times
• Oakland Tribune
• Orlando Sentinel
• Newsday
• Popular Science Special Editions
• The Providence Journal
• The San Diego Union-Tribune
• The American Scholar
• The Asahi Shimbun
• The Christian Science Monitor
• The Guardian
• The Hartford Courant
• The Mainichi Daily News
• The New York Review of Books
• The Wall Street Journal Plus

Sony BRAVIA NX Series HDTV Available And Shipping

Designed to create a remarkable sense of space, the BRAVIA NX800 HDTV features a stunning monolithic design and innovative six-degree tilt, so you can position your TV at lower levels for a more comfortable and enjoyable viewing experience. An Edge LED backlight and BRAVIA Engine 3 video processor delivers superior, life-like image with amazing contrast and color. Fast moving images will never look smoother either with incredible 240hz Motion Flow technology, which delivers an unbelievably smooth, crisp and fluid picture. Furthermore, break away from the norm with attractive features such as integrated BRAVIA Internet Video and widgets, built-in Wi-Fi, a USB input, LightSensor technology and Energy Saving Switch round out the feature set. There are three NX800 models available – 46″ BRAVIA KDL-46NX800, 52″ BRAVIA KDL-52NX800, and the mammoth 60″ BRAVIA KDL-60NX800. Unfortunately, the metallic stand is sold separately and seems to be only available for the 46″ and 52″ NX800 models – we think they should have just included it in the package.

Featuring a stunning monolithic design with a unique six-degree tilt option, the Edge LED backlit BRAVIA NX700 Series HDTV creates a remarkable sense of space by allowing you to position the TV at lower levels for a more comfortable viewing experience. Motionflow 120Hz refresh rate technology delivers smooth motion detail in fast-paced scenes while BRAVIA Engine 3 video processor produces superior, life-like image with amazing contrast and color. Integrated BRAVIA Internet Video and Widgets, built-in Wi-Fi, a USB input and LightSensor technology round out the feature set. There are two NX700 models available – 40″ BRAVIA KDL-40NX700 and the 46″ BRAVIA KDL-46NX700. The metallic stand is sold separately and is available for both models.
Here is a video of Sony USA President/COO Stan Glasgow introducing the BRAVIA NX series at CES 2010:

Sony’s Active Shutter 3D Glasses Battery Life Revealed

We’ve spoken to a high level Sony representative about some specifics regarding their upcoming 3D strategy as there are still many questions out there. One of the most important aspects of the upcoming 3D home theater experience is the active shutter glasses that you must wear to enjoy the experience. Active shutter technology is far different than the plastic polarized glasses one may have used at a movie theater – click here to learn more. Sony Japan recently gave us an idea about how much this necessary accessory would cost, but we were still unsure about a very important fact: battery life.

Sony expects the battery life for the TDG-BR100 and TDG-BR50 active shutter 3D glasses to be 100 hours of use. The glasses are only in use when they receive the 3D sync signal from the TV, otherwise they go into standby mode with no drain on the battery. At launch time Sony will only offer battery powered glasses, and have not detailed induction-based (e.g. Powermat) models. We were pleased to learn that you can also use as many glasses as you want as long as they can receive the IR signal.

Venezuela Cuts Sony’s Power Off

Venezuela’s Electricidad de Caracas CA, which provides electricity to the capital Caracas, will suspend power to 80 businesses tomorrow for 24 hours. The businesses, including Sony’s local unit, Sony de Venezuela SA, failed to reduce electricity consumption by 20 percent or more as ordered by President Hugo Chavez. He issued the decree to avoid a collapse of the power grid as a severe drought shrinks hydroelectric production that provides more than 66 percent of Venezuela’s electricity, according to a statement published today in the Ultimas Noticias newspaper.

Those losing supply mostly include restaurants in Caracas along with the Caraballeda Yacht Club, several hotels and the state-run Fondo Unico Social which handles financing for Chavez’s social programs, the statement said.

The businesses may lose power for as long as three days or face an indefinite cut if they fail to reduce power consumption in coming weeks, the statement said.

“We have to cut power to a group of nearly 100 high consumers,” Chavez said today on his “Alo Presidente” on state television. “Others are on a waiting list because they continue to waste electricity. If they continue like this they’ll lose power indefinitely.”

Danish food maker East Asiatic Co.’s local unit Plumrose Latinoamericana CA, Mexican food maker Grupo Bimbo SAB’s local unit, China’s Huawei Technologies de Venezuela, Canadian oil field servicing company Eveready de Venezuela CA and state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA were all recognized for complying with the energy decree, according to the statement.

Follow Up: Playstation Move

The launch of what Sony describes as their new “virtual platform” continues to gain steam: The PlayStation Move. Since the announcement at GDC 2010, it’s clear Sony is placing itself squarely in the versus position against the motion rivals of Nintendo and Microsoft. Adding to the “It Only Does Everything” marketing slogan since the launch of the PS3 Slim, a whole new segment of users seeking a motion experience are now looking at the PS3 as a viable option. And the existing install base has yet another to reason to be happy about their PS3 investment.

With news updates, and changes always constant, this will be more of a follow up, hitting the high points, and defining what we know and what we don’t. If you are considering a motion gaming solution, or have questions about if the Move is for you, this should help. I will try to aggregate as many links as possible, to give our casual readers a high level overview of what this is all about.

In a Nutshell what is the PlayStation Move?

The Move is Sony’s entrance into what is being defined as the “motion gaming” category. This allows having a players actions made with the controller to be analyzed, and then translated into gameplay on screen. Interactive titles such as tennis, bowling and racquetball can now be carried out (as they are on the Wii) by performing movements similar to the actual action. As the underlying technology is much different than that of the Wii, it allows movements to be more accurately translated in the gaming space.  To get an idea of Sony’s direction, I would suggest watching the Sony GDC 2010 press conference located here:

What additional hardware is required?

Initially, just The Move and the PlayStation Eye. The Move will connect via Bluetooth to your PS3 and the PlayStation Eye is connected to any available USB port. To take full advantage of the experience however, the additional Sub controller should be added, and it connects using Bluetooth as well.

What are those colored balls on top?

Inside the ball is a light that the PlayStation Eye camera uses to track the controller. The ball can emit any red, blue or green color, depending on design, but this is not yet clearly defined. From the demos shown thus far, it appears just a random color is being used.

Do I really need all the devices for this to work?

The Move has a ball on the end that lights up and is tracked in real time by the PlayStation Eye which is crucial for the system to position and track in 3d space. The Move also has a three-axis gyroscope and three-axis accelerometer which also work in conjunction to figure out your orientation and movement. From what we have seen thus far, the majority of games absolutely require at least 1 of these devices.

As the PlayStation Eye does the real time tracking and relaying dating back to the system for processing it’s an integral part of the system, and what sets it apart from it from other devices. Adding an Eye also gives you the ability to use it on the PS3 beyond just the move, for things such as video conferencing with friends and family who have internet access and also have an Eye. All in all a good utility and it’s set to be bundled with the starter kit.

PS3 Eye Camera

The Sub controller is slightly different. While it doesn’t have any of the same motion sensing hardware inside, it does allow for a subset of movements (hence the name) that can’t be done with the just the Move. For example, bow and arrow target shooting requires the action of holding the bow (using the Move), but also the action of creating tension to propel the arrow by pulling back (using the Sub.

How does the differ from the Wii?

From a technology standpoint, the implementation and design of the systems are completely different. Both systems offer motion gaming, but given the power of the PS3 in comparison to that of Wii, it allows for a more realistic experience to be created on the PS3 (especially in area of providing HD graphics). Further given the stronger online infrastructure of the PSN, users could feasibly play against each other online, as well as be able to purchase additional content or mini-games as they are created.

What games will be available at launch?

At this point, we aren’t entirely sure. A unnamed game is set to be part of the starter kit and it could be anyone of the following shown from the conference. Here is the assumed list based on what was displayed:

Move Party (working title)

Sports Champions (working title)

SOCOM 4

Slider

The Shoot

TV SuperStars

Motion Fighter (working title)

Brunswick Pro Bowling

Jack Tretton/President and CEO of SCEA stated that the move is being supported by over 36 titles, so be assured there will be more announcements before launch.

How much will it cost and when it is available?

A firm date hasn’t been provided beyond by the “holidays” which could really be anytime between now and December.

Sony did go on record stating the starter kit would be below $100 dollars and it would include the PlayStation Eye, The Move and an unstated game (which I imagine to be Sports Champions). No word has been given yet on the cost of additional controllers or if they will be bundled in any fashion (such as Move and Sub pack). There will also be a PS3 bundle including the Move, Eye, and a game bundle.

Any current issues or concerns with the hardware?

The lag of the device has been a topic of concern. Sony had stated the lag to be under one frame. In an attempt to verify this Digital Foundry did their own analysis of lag at GDC by making a fast on screen movement and then counting the frames between when the action is carried out after filming it on a Kodak Zi6. Admittedly not the most accurate test, but it put lag at 133ms.

Given the nature of the test and how it was performed, it’s hard to say what if any impact this will have on the device. Keeping in mind that some of what Sony showed were tech demos and or pre-alpha code, it’s hard to take the initial test and apply it to what will occur when the device finally ships. From what we have seen, even at this early stage, games appeared to be responsive, and for the most part fluid. Sony plans on having this become an integral part of their strategy moving forward, so I am sure any issues will be addressed prior to launch.

Hopefully if you weren’t familiar with the Move, you are now. As more and more details continue to surface, much like McFadden and Whitehead, we will continue to be on the Move.

Sony’s Backstage Service Comes To Japan

Sony’s Backstage service, which launched in the USA a while ago, is Sony’s support service for consumers that provides personalized care primarily for VAIO computers. Backstage offers a general range of support that is aimed towards those who aren’t familiar with procedures such as PC orientation and customization, memory/external hardware installation, data migration/recovery, etc. Sony Japan has recently launched their version of Backstage, which is very similar to the American version except it offers support for more products. Sony Japan has created unboxing and setup videos for nearly all of their current products, for example.

Sony’s Backstage service in Japan emphasizes on the personal interaction one would typically get at an Apple store. When you purchase a product at Sony Store Nagoya, yo can bring the product up to one of the counters and the helpful staff will help you with initial configuration and basic usage.

Digital camera owners (e.g. DSLR) can use Backstage to learn about how to use the media card, battery installation, proper ways to use the strap and other configuration options within.

There is also a special part of Sony Store Nagoya that has a little Backstage office with a windows so you can see your VAIO PC being worked on. Sony offers services such as OS upgrade, memory installation, virus removal, and so forth.

Sony can also come to you in their Backstage three-wheeled scooter. How rad!

My Experiences at SonyStyle Stores

This year I  have visited 3 SonyStyle stores and wanted to share my experience here. The first store that I hit was the flagship SonyStyle store  located in the heart of New York city on Madison Ave. If you have ever visited that store you may notice that it is different from other SonyStyle stores you would usually run into in any bigger mall. The store has two wings that feature digital cameras and camcorders as well as VAIO computers. There is also a lower area if you go downstairs where you will hit the Home Theater area. That particular area was pretty reminiscent to me because I once visited it there when they opened their Qualia store – the cream of Sony ingenuity in design and quality (the area had a specific infused scent to it as well which I thought was kind of cool too). I remember looking at Qualia products and being taken by the Minidisc model crafted out of the brass and the SACD player that had an amazing sound. Never thought I would own one of their high end products at that point, but later on had a delivery of first Sony’s LED LCD TVs featuring the famous Triluminos technology – Qualia 005 model.

As you can imagine the store square footage is pretty big and it has a number of staff members on site to help you out. After meeting the store manager Stacie, I learned that each staff member was sort of assigned to an area in the store so that they were able to answer specific questions. I thought it was a good idea because as a customer, you would like to speak to someone who knows all the details and ins and outs of the product rather than to a non-specialist that only knows the specs. I was lucky to talk to the staff member on the VAIO side who has worked there for several years now and we discussed some models that were released in the past and left some legacy behind like VAIO X505, VAIO MXS20 desktop with a built-in MiniDisc slot and VAIO PenTablet – all of these I still happily own.

The NYC SonyStyle Store is definitely a heaven to tourists as I felt like I was in Disney hearing all kinds of languages around me and seeing enthusiastic French and Asian guys checking out VAIO X notebooks. As you may know the price difference between European Sony Centres (they don’t call their stores SonyStyle there) and stores in the States is quite obvious and many tourists flood the NYC store to get a better deal and bring it back home, luckily pretty much all Sony products support 120 to 240V.

It’s interesting to note that Sony US Headquarters offices are located in the same building just a few floors above and Sir Howard Stringer pays a visit to the store from time to time and one could tell if the boss is in the house if his car is parked at the building. Also adjacent to Sony Plaza there is a Sony Wonder Technology lab which I also paid a visit. This unique, hands-on interactive experience allows visitors of all ages to explore communication and information technologies.  Sony Wonder Technology Lab is a free public attraction merging creativity, technology and education. Sony Wonder Technology Lab is a tangible reflection of Sony’s commitment to put the marvels of science and technology into the hands of the public. It is definitely a fun place to visit and be able to interact with some interesting technologies, see a line of products that Sony has been releasing since early 50s. I saw a bunch of 70 inch XBR3 TVs hanging there and one of them was begging to come home with me.

My next two stores I visited earlier this year were in Las Vegas and in DC area, at Tyson’s Corner. I have been lucky to meet a Sony employee Ana Reyes who I simply call Sony Mom as she has pretty much adopted myself and Chris and has been more than supportive to us. Earlier this year she took me to pay a visit to a SonyStyle located at the Forum Shops at Caesars where we toured the store and demoed its latest 3D experience. The store has crazy hours and is open until 11pm on Sun-Thur and till midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. The atmosphere in the store is pretty warm and it is always busy there. We previewed a couple of 2010 Bravia TVs and of course the 3D LX series TV.

Las Vegas SonyStyle store:

My Tyson’s Corner SonyStyle store visit was primarily to speak with a BackStage staff and learn about its services. I will be posting about BackStage soon, so stay tuned.

Google, Intel, Sony Working On Google TV Service

In a rather sensational story posted yesterday by the New York Times, apparently Google has courted Intel and Sony and they are actively working on a new platform called Google TV. The main goal here is to finally bring a cohesive web experience to the living room through next generation TV’s and set-top boxes. While this type of technology exists already, and has existed for a while, the whole scene is very fragmented. In terms of TV’s, nearly every major CE manufacturer has Internet video and content functionality, but it isn’t intuitive for many consumers to use.

The play is great for Google and Intel as they try to diversify their portfolio away from computing, and a total win for Sony who has had a roller coaster ride for the last few years with their TV strategy. NYT believes that this will enable Sony to get a “leg up on its competitors” by allowing them to have the first accessories and TV’s with this new system – it may even inspire a new sub-brand. However, I remain skeptical. Is this WebTV 2.0? Or the first real attempt at unionizing the best of the Internet on TV?

The partners envision technology that will make it as easy for TV users to navigate Web applications, like the Twitter social network and the Picasa photo site, as it is to change the channel.

Some existing televisions and set-top boxes offer access to Web content, but the choice of sites is limited. Google intends to open its TV platform, which is based on its Android operating system for smartphones, to software developers. The company hopes the move will spur the same outpouring of creativity that consumers have seen in applications for cellphones.

Google is expected to deliver a toolkit to outside programmers within the next couple of months, and products based on the software could appear as soon as this summer.

The three companies have tapped Logitech, which specializes in remote controls and computer speakers, for peripheral devices, including a remote with a tiny keyboard.

The project, which has been under way for several months, was described by people with knowledge of it. They requested anonymity because the partners were not allowed to speak publicly at this point, and details remained under negotiation.

Spokesmen for Google, Intel and Logitech declined to comment. A Sony spokesman said he was not familiar with the project. The companies appear to be hiring for Android-related jobs. Intel, for example, has listed jobs for senior application engineers with Android programming experience who can help extend Intel’s technology “from PC screen to mobile screen and TV screen.” Logitech also has several job listings for Android developers, including a position for an “embedded software engineer” with experience building “audio and video products based on the Android platform.”

Jacob Hsu, chief executive of Symbio, a contract engineering firm that does work for consumer electronics companies, said there was rising interest in set-top box technology among the traditional computing players. “The boxes are just getting more and more powerful, so there’s more you can do with them,” he said.

For Google, the project is a pre-emptive move to get a foothold in the living room as more consumers start exploring ways to bring Web content to their television sets. Google wants to aggressively ensure that its services, in particular its search and advertising systems, play a central role.

“Google wants to be everywhere the Internet is so they can put ads there,” said one of the people with knowledge of the project.

Based on Google’s Android operating system, the TV technology runs on Intel’s Atom chips. Google has built a prototype set-top box, but the technology may be incorporated directly into TVs or other devices.

The Google TV software will present users with a new interface for TVs that lets them perform Internet functions like search while also pulling down Web programming like YouTube videos or TV shows from Hulu.com. The technology will also allow downloadable Web applications, like games and social networks, to run on the devices.

A person with knowledge of the project said that Google TV would use a version of Google’s Chrome Web browser, which currently does not work on Android phones.

A person with knowledge of the Google TV project said that the set-top box technology was advanced enough that Google had begun a limited test with Dish Network, one of Google’s partners in the TV Ads program. A spokeswoman for Dish Network declined to comment. This month, The Wall Street Journal reported that Google and Dish were testing a TV program search service.