Every year in Japan, Sony holds a special Dealer Convention that shows off the latest products and a glimpse of what is coming. The event, held this year in Shinagawa, Tokyo, has always been interesting as sometimes reveals products and prototypes that Sony hasn’t even announced yet. While the big focus at this year’s Dealer Convention was 3D products, there was also a small exhibit showing a very exciting development that could one day be used in future Sony Reader devices.
Sony had a never before seen prototype of flexible electronic paper display technology at the 2010 Dealer Convention. Usually, E-paper has used glass substrate in the past but this new technology uses plastic substrate. Glass substrate is heavier and more prone to damage than plastic substrate, which is much lighter and can also be bent. Electronic paper with plastic substrate is also very difficult to break even when you drop it, and can even be rolled up like real paper.
Sony has not mentioned when it will bring this technology to Reader devices, but judging by these highly advanced concepts we imagine it can’t be any longer than a year or two. Can you imagine the compelling new product designs that will result from this technology?
Sony announced that its European subsidiaries have agreed with Ficosa International, S.A. and COMSA EMTE SL, both headquartered in Spain, to sell the Sony Espana S.A. (Barcelona Technology Center, Viladecavalls). Ficosa and COMSA EMTE will now become the primary owners of the location, which manufactures LCD TVs for the European region. The transition should occur by the end of 2010, and of course is subject to certain regulatory and other approvals.
With this transaction, the Barcelona technology center will be divided into two new companies, one focusing on manufacturing and the other focusing on development and engineering. The manufacturing company will be wholly-owned and operated by Ficosa, while the development and engineering company will be a 50:50 joint venture between Ficosa and COMSA EMTE. Between them, the new companies intend to assume employment of the majority of employees at the Barcelona technology center.
Sony will source LCD TV production to the new manufacturing company for two years after completion of the transfer. Both the new manufacturing and engineering companies will concurrently develop new businesses. The major labor union which represents the majority of employees at the Barcelona Technology Center have threatened a strike in reaction the deal on September 21st, according to local media. The uncertainty of Sony’s presence after two years and looming job cuts seems to be fueling the fire, which is an additional strain on a labor force that has already experienced a salary freeze for the last two years.
The Sony Espana S.A., Barcelona Technology Center (Spain) was established in early 1973. The site area is rather large at 206,000m², and in recent times was a production facility for LCD TV’s and related components. The center employs approximately 1,100 individuals as of late August.
Although a loss is expected to be incurred by Sony in connection with the transaction for the rest of the current fiscal year, no material impact is anticipated on Sony’s consolidated financial results forecast for the current fiscal year that was released at the time of the first quarter earnings announcement, as such loss has been included in the forecast as a part of the 75 billion yen of estimated restructuring charges.
At the IBC Conference in Amsterdam, Sony Creative Software announced the most recent upgrade to Sony’s nonlinear HD video and audio editing application, Vegas Pro 10. The software application provides broad audio and video support for media ingest, editing and delivery workflows for a wide variety of professional production.
New features in the 32 and 64-bit versions of Vegas Pro 10 include powerful stereoscopic 3D editing tools. Additional features include enhanced closed captioning, broadened video effect support and new event level audio effects, as well as workflow and user interface enhancements. These updates will enable professional media creators to quickly produce and deliver compelling content for broadcast distribution, theatrical releases, YouTube 3D and prepare content for DVD and Blu-ray titles. Vegas Pro 10 should be available around October 11th.
Vegas Pro 10 Feature Highlights:
Stereoscopic 3D Editing: Vegas Pro 10 facilitates the creation of 3D projects by enabling users to import, adjust, edit, preview and export stereoscopic 3D projects with no additional tools or plug-ins. While fully compatible with the latest 3D TV technology, anaglyph viewing is also provided making it possible to preview in 3D on any monitor
Improved Closed Captioning: Improved support for closed captions enables broadcasters to preview captions in the Preview and Trimmer windows for increased accuracy and ease of editing. Other improvements include increased support for line 21 closed captions, HD-SDI closed captions, multiple closed captioning file types as well as the ability to export captions for Sony DVD Architect, YouTube, RealPlayer, QuickTime, and Windows Media Player
Expanded Multicam Functionality: Updated multicam feature provides a more robust editing and preview experience by offering the ability to view the multicam source clips and the full-screen edited program output simultaneously
Improved support for DSLR video: Performance improvements make editing video from popular DSLR cameras faster and easier
Track Grouping: This update offers a quick and easy way to organise and manage complex projects by grouping related sections of video and audio together for a cleaner working environment
Advanced Transport Controls: UI modifications offer more efficient access to important editing tools, providing a more intuitive workflow while improving overall productivity
Image Stabilization: New stabilisation tools greatly reduce jittery or ‘shaky’ video sometimes caused by hand-held recording
Video Plug-in SDK: Video Effects Plug-in Architecture: Vegas Pro 10 now offers completely new video effects plug-in architecture based on the Open Effects Association standard. This open, industry leading standard was created from the combined experience of the leading companies in the visual effects realm. The new architecture is accessed by a software development kit (SDK) which is more powerful and reduces the developer’s workload by automating UI – both of which will benefit editors by expanding greatly the available visual effects for Vegas Pro 10
GPU Accelerated AVC Encoding: Users with CUDA-enabled nVidia video cards are now able to encode to the Sony AVC format with improved rendering performance and speed
Device Support: Sony continues to add expanded device support with each new version including HD-SDI adapters, Sony NXCAM cameras, and broader support for DVD and Blu-ray optical burning drives
Audio Event FX: For more precise control over the placement of audio effects, Vegas Pro 10 allows editors to assign audio effects at the master output, bus level, track level and now the event level for greater flexibility when working with multitrack projects
Input Busses: Input Busses now enable editors to record, mix and monitor audio from external hardware devices
VU meters: The Vegas Pro Mixing Console view becomes even more powerful with the addition of VU metering
Track Meters: Track Meters provide direct feedback and a faster editing workflow throughout the record, edit and mix process
It’s been a long road for Sony Ericsson in the last few years, but you couldn’t tell at the official introduction of their new Americas HQ in Atlanta yesterday. SE held an exclusive event with Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue, Sony Ericsson worldwide CEO Bert Nordberg, Sony Ericsson USA President Anderson Teixeira, and others for a ribbon cutting ceremony introducing the new location. While SE has faced numerous layoffs in recent times, loss in profits and so forth, their improved strategy and current portfolio signal a company that is on a turnaround. SE is becoming a robust, reformed company that is playing a pretty great hand this generation and has some killer prospects for the future.
The building that houses the new headquarters is simply outstanding in appearance. It’s the shared Terminus 200 building in Buckhead, which is north of Atlanta and coincidentally a place where I grew up. I’m quite jealous of their new location, because it is next to my favorite place to eat breakfast, the Flying Biscuit and several other interesting restaurants. When I arrived, got on the elevator and it opened, I knew something was going to be unique about this place as the main sign at the reception desk is so bold and green.
The whole place had a Sony Ericsson marketing feel with product demo kiosks, unique European styling, and giant motivational phrases and sentences on the windows. Bold, expressive colors were all over the place, and the furniture which had exotic shapes and appearances. I really liked the atmosphere, and even noticed a couple of Sony BRAVIA TV’s, PS3, etc. You can see more of the new headquarters and the interior of the headquarters further in the video below we created of the ribbon cutting ceremony.
Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue spoke to the crowd and thanked Sony Ericsson for choosing Atlanta as its new Americas home. Perdue went on to say that Sony Ericsson is a “great, visionary company” and “..we’re delighted we look forward to not only welcoming you, but to grow and help Sony Ericsson grow in a way for good business.” He concluded that Atlanta was “honored you recognize that the business climate here is friendly” and boasted Atlanta has “connectivity that is unparalleled.”
Sony Ericsson CEO Bert Nordberg said about choosing Atlanta as its new home, “To us it’s been quite the easy decision; we wanted to find the optimal place where we can manage the Americas region. A place with the perfect infrastructure where its easy to access our customers and employees in Latin America.” He later went on to say that “I hope that you will get as well known for Sony Ericsson as you are for CNN.”
Sonny Perdue replied to a chuckle, “We are beginning to call Atlanta the headquarters for headquarters.”
Bert Nordberg later presented Sonny Perdue with a XPERIA X10 and a Sony Ericsson notebook, and said “this is for the unwritten chapters in our history.”
It was a good event. I could tell that it was important for everyone in the company to get together. And believe it or not, I think in some ways the mood indicated SE has has become much more focused and capable of capturing the lead in Android sales. In the last several years, there have been several issues with the company strategy and the notion of Sony Ericsson being at the top of anything was hard to believe.
I sat down with Anderson Teixeria, President of Sony Ericsson USA (left, photo from earlier this year) and discussed with him several questions that were on my mind as of late. Teixeira, who has been with the company since it begun in 2001, has overall responsibility for Sony Ericsson’s sales and marketing within the Americas Region, and reports directly to Sony Ericsson’s President and CEO, Bert Nordberg.
I queried Teixeira about the Engadget rumor of the upcoming Sony Ericsson PlayStation phone, and he gave me a bit of a deflection with words about how Sony Ericsson is a joint 50/50 company with Sony and so forth. I wasn’t expecting any confirmation or anything of that sort, but he seemed humbled by the question.
Towards the end of our conversation I had also noted that the official Sony Ericsson Product Launch blog is littered with comments from frustrated users who are tired of waiting for Android upgrades, as many of the SE devices that are currently available have firmware 1.6. Teixeira stressed that having the latest vanilla firmware wasn’t priority in Sony Ericsson’s strategy, but rather having rich user experiences. He noted that one of the strengths of Sony Ericsson phones is the custom software that styles the experience and adds compelling functionality, such as Timescape for communication, Mediascape for media playback and organization, and other touches they integrate into their phones. They have also added updates to enable some of the most requested features, like Exchange, and other benefits are coming. A good example of this is the ability to record HD video in a future firmware update for the XPERIA X10.
I really tried to stress the importance of maintaining Sony Ericsson’s unique style and software add-ons as a key strategy, but I also mentioned the importance of having the latest Android firmware on the phones quickly as possible. Having Android firmware 1.6 on a phone in late 2010, no matter how you cut it, is something that turns away some consumers because its so old now. It’s something that turns consumers away before they even attempt to go out and try the phone. I hope that the SE will not make this mistake again in future products, as they must recognize it will limit their opportunity to succeed.
“Radioactive” is a song by American rock band Kings of Leon (a Sony Music artist), and is the first single to be released from their 2010 album Come Around Sundown. It is the second track on the album. The song, along with its accompanying music video, premiered today on the Kings’ website courtesy of VEVO. The video shows the band engaging with underpriveleged African children, and playing the song while the children represent a gospel choir. The song will start playing in regular rotation on US Alternative Radio stations starting September 13th.
Come Around Sundown will be released on October 19th, but available for pre-order via iTunes starting September 14th. Fans who pre-order the record will receive “Radioactive” immediately as a free download. The album will be available in two configurations- standard as well as a deluxe version that will include bonus tracks.
The tracklisting for Come Around Sundown is:
The End
Radioactive
Pyro
Mary
The Face
The Immortals
Back Down South
Beach Side
No Money
Pony Up
Birthday
Mi Amigo
Pickup Truck
Come Around Sundown was recorded in New York at Avatar Studios and produced by Angelo Petraglia and Jacquire King. Kings of Leon are finishing up their second leg of their 26-date North American tour at the end of this month (September 25th at St. Louis) and will be doing several European Arena shows in Belgium, Austria, Germany and the United Kingdom.
The long wait is nearly over. The PlayStation Move, revealed in June of last year, is now coming to North America on September 17, the PAL region and most Asian markets on September 15, and in Japan on October 21. It’s really exciting to see such an incredible accessory like the very accurate Move controller system coming to the PS3. Move is going to have innovative titles at launch and unlimited potential for the future of the console. In some ways, the PlayStation Move is something that almost reinvents the PS3. It’s a really accurate motion controller attached to a HD-capable powerhouse. Sign me up. For existing PS3 owners, its almost a no brainer to buy this. I’m pretty lucky I won’t have to spend as much as others, as I already have an PlayStation Eye camera.
Want to learn more about the Move? You have to check out the post on PlayStation blog, “PlayStation Move: The Ultimate FAQ.” The information there is really comprehensive and answers so many questions about the PlayStation Move. And it’s not just the usual boring FAQ. There are some gems in there, especially since the majority of the questions are user-submitted from the community. Must read.
I know that some of you may not play your PS3 as much as you used to. I have several friends who are like that and have seen that rhetoric elsewhere. Even I go for little stretches of time and play games on my PC (currently addicted to BF:BC2). I miss console gaming, though, and while I loved the Wii there was something missing in it for me. I wanted something in HD, mind blowing graphics (and long draw distances), online gaming, and had the FPS titles that could keep me locked in and satisfied. So when I saw the Move sub-controller demonstration for SOCOM, where someone played a FPS very accurately, I knew i had to get into it. And the Move it’s something my girlfriend and I can do together.
She’s very competitive, so this will easily tire her out on those certain nights.
The PlayStation Move has received critical acclaim overall with most major sites giving it positive reviews. If you are more of the type to look at a product on video, check out this search link on YouTube that has many video reviews and demos of the PlayStation Move. Be sure to check out the links below as well for more detailed analysis of the whole experience.
Game Informer gave it an 8 out of 10 saying “The PlayStation Eye and motion controller are a killer combination for accurate and highly responsive motion-based gameplay, and we applaud Sony for getting the hardware right the first time.”
Kotaku praised its accuracy, design, use of augmented reality and said that “The Playstation Move is a intuitive, natural feeling way to play games and it brings with it not only a sense of increased immersion to already graphically immersive games, but a new way to play with your reality and a refreshing form of colorful feedback.”
IGN gave the Move an 8.5 out of 10, noting that the launch line-up of games for the controller was insufficient though it summarized by saying “At the end of the day, the PlayStation Move has the potential to be the best motion control system on the current crop of consoles.”
Joystiq praised the Move saying “The hardware’s great, and I can see it being used in a multitude of really cool ways, but of course it’s only as cool as the games that use it” and that the launch line-up was not worth the purchase at launch though it believes that the Move would be worth the purchase in early 2011 due to a stronger line-up of games such as SOCOM 4 and Killzone 3.
CVG gave the Move an extremely positive review awarding it 9 out of 10 saying that “Sony’s motion control gets beyond being a gimmick. We found ourselves constantly itching for “one more go”.” The Guardian strongly criticized the Move’s launch line-up, though it noted that the hardware was strong and that after playing with the Move it was “very hard to go back to the relative inaccuracy of the Wii.”
Sony Japan has updated their headphone line for 2010, and one of the most exciting introductions set for release on November 10th is the flagship model MDR-Z1000 (Y61,950). Sony is aiming these stereo headphones towards professionals, and has engineered them to excel in audio post-production. There are several new features in this headphone that have never been integrated in a Sony headphone before. In the official press release, Sony states that the development of the technology within the Z1000 has taken years of expertise in headphone design to accomplish.
The design of the Z1000 is quite unique, but still attractive in its own way. The Z1000 most certainly does not look like headphones Sony have released in the past. The housing component is actually made of magnesium alloy, and is 10% thinner in comparison to conventional models. Portability and ease of use was also kept in mind as the Z1000 has the ability to use 1.2m/3m cords that can be detached from the base of the headphone (as seen above).
One of the biggest features of the Z1000 is the 50mm driver unit and the ability to handle frequencies of 5-80,000 Hz. This is very similiar to the previously released MDR-Z900HD, but a major difference is that the Z1000 can handle a maximum input of 4,000mW.
The Z1000 is also one of the first headphones by Sony to use a liquid crystalline polymer diaphragm, which is nearly five times as strong as conventional designs and reduces inner plate vibration significantly. If you eliminate or greatly suppress vibration in a headphone, it enables a much more accurate listening experience and greater fidelity. Signal purity is almost no question with the integration of oxygen free copper (OFC) wires, which boast a 7N signal grade, and will ensure low distortion and minimal signal loss. There is also a new gasket that covers the gap between the housing and the driver unit to enhance sound isolation from the outside world while preventing sound leakage.
The design of the headphone pads in the Z1000 have been greatly improved in comparison to past models, and after dozen of trials Sony Japan feels they may have the perfect fit. With a wider fit and an improved foam cushion, the Z1000 reduces hair pinching and has less of a squeezing feeling on the ears.
So we were wondering when we finally see any 3D VAIO pop up on the horizon of our scope as Sir Howard Stringer himself mentioned those back in 2009 at CES and a number of slides from Sony showed the VAIO presence in 3D roadmap. Well it looks like Sony put one together in the prototype form and showcased it in Berlin at IFA. It makes sense to incorporate this technology into a desktop replacement notebook with a wide and big LCD. So most likely it won’t be a VAIO like TT series where we first spotted Bluray drive. I think it would have been nice to have a small form factor 3D enabled VAIO, so it sort of becomes a portable 3D player.
Anyways, do you see yourself playing with a 3D enabled notebook? I can definitely see gaming happen, however I am not aware of that many 3D PC games. It will most likely be used as a Bluray 3D powerhouse. In the video below you will learn a little bit more details about this new VAIO. Sony has incorporated the transmitter into the bezel and you can use your Bravia 3D active shutter glasses to view the content. In addition to hardware buttons (ASSIST and VAIO), Sony added 3D button to get you into three dimensional world.
More details will be revealed at CES 2011 and expect to pick one up in late spring.
Sony has unveiled two new digital photo and video frames at IFA 2010: the DPF-XR100 (pictured above) and DPF-VR100 (pictured below), each with 2GB of internal storage that boast a generously-sized 10.2 inch WSVGA (1024×600, 16:10) LED backlight LCD screen for a big, beautiful view of your photos and videos. And it isn’t just lousy video support; Sony has raised the stakes by giving these new models the ability to play HD video with support for various formats.
This is truly the display for those of you who use high end cameras and video equipment and want to proudly show off your multimedia within the home or office. In a first by Sony, the S-Frame XR100 and VR100 can show your camcorder, camera, and DSLR AVCHD clips with clear, rich stereo sound. Maximum file size for AVCHD video playback is 2GB, which is quite impressive. The XR100 also has support for the Motion JPEG, MPEG-4, and MPEG-1 video formats and can display nearly any picture format. Pretty amazing this device can play HD and SD video.
An advanced image processor (BIONZ) inside the frames scales and displays content up to 256 megapixels, making these frames capable of handling footage taken with even the most advanced digital cameras or HD camcorders. Enjoy your video’s soundtrac or a choice of pre-installed background music tracks. Both models can play back the popular music formats MP3, AAC, and WAV through built-in stereo speakers. Alternatively, you can further enhance the mood of videos and slideshows by transferring your favorite music tracks to the frame’s internal memory.
The flagship XR100 adds TruBlack technology for even richer, high-contrast images with practically no reflection. Both products also feature an extra-wide viewing angle (160° x 160° degrees) which ensures that your photos and videos will be viewable nearly anywhere in the room. Sony has also brought back the popular auto orientation sensor, which automatically displays your pictures at the right angle when you change how the display stands.
Sony Professional announced today a revolutionary new display product during IFA 2010 in Berlin. The new VPL-VW90ES is Sony’s first 3D home projector, and gives movie fans the opportunity to enjoy an unrivaled 3D cinematic experience in the comfort of their own home. Based on the active shutter glasses technology used in Sony’s 3D TV range, the VPL-VW90ES has been designed to deliver an optimal 3D experience that feels natural on the eyes.
To achieve the excellent image quality required in a home theater environment, including true depth of color and brightness, the VW90ES is equipped with Sony’s Advanced Iris 3 technology. This enables a dynamic contrast ratio of 150,000:1.
With the ability to project 3D in Full HD 1080p, the VPL-VW90ES features an upgraded SXRD 240Hz Panel which minimizes image distortion or “crosstalk.” The projector is also capable of taking 2D video and simulating 3D images, bringing new life to classic movies from the past and allowing a wide variety of video content to be enjoyed.
“The launch of our first 3D home projector marks the latest step in Sony realizing its 3D World vision,” said Tak Nakane, product manager at Sony Professional. “From capturing images in 3D, through to the production and delivery stages, Sony is uniquely placed to deliver an incredible 3D viewer experience both at home and in the cinema. The projector also opens up another dimension for gamers too. People will be able to play a rapidly increasing number of 3D titles such as Gran Turismo 5, and Wip3out in crystal clear high definition, something we believe is going to appeal hugely to the gaming community.”
Key to the VPL-VW90ES is customization. The projector is simple to setup and ideally suited to meet a wide range of installation configurations. Customers can personalize the projector depending on the content they are showing and the size of the room they are in, whether it be a small living room or large home theater. The projector is quiet too, thanks to its incredibly low fan noise of just 22db0.
The projector will be available across Europe in November 2010, and most likely an announcement in the USA later this month during CEDIA 2010.
Sony Develops “SmartAR” Integrated Augmented Reality Technology
Sony Memory Stick Gets a Speed Boost of Up to 50 MB/sec
Sony Bravia HX929 Firmware Available, New Features Abound
Sir Howard Stringer Addresses PSN/Qriocity Customers
PSP®go Phase Out
Music Unlimited Service Coming to Your PSP
