Live from Sony IFA 2009 press event
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Sep 2nd 2009 11:00AM
posted Sep 2nd 2009 11:00AM
5:48PM VAIO X-series preview. Weighs less 700grams, 11.1-inch screen, 14-mm thick, WWAN, and carbon-fibre casing, aluminum keyboard panel. The battery lasts "all day and well into the night and will set the new standard for battery stamina." Well then. Hands on time!
5:45PM Sony now covering new Sony Readers already announced, but pretending that Europeans don't know anything about them. An odd approach that's being met with a lot of uneasy seat-shifting by the journalists in the room. Coming to European shops very soon.
5:42PM "Like a fully functional laptop in your pocket," with TV-out and full office document readability. 8.1 megapixel camera, finger friendly browsing, Walkman music player. On sale in Q4.
5:41PM Fujio Nishida speaking in broad terms about Sony's commitment to eco-issues. The GreenHeart phone made with recycled plastics, low power phone charger, etc. Sony plans to push these developments throughout its portfolio in time.
Xperia X2 now official running Windows Mobile 6.5!
5:38PM Sony hosting "twilight football" event -- 7 locations around the world playing football in at, you guessed it, twilight. The amateur teams will be given new Alpha cameras to capture presumably amateur shots under perfect lighting.
5:32PM Covering latest imaging techniques found in Sony's camcorders and digital cams. These might be new to Europe but not new to us. Come on Sony, why not make.believe you're a global company, please?
5:30PM Bravia branded TVs will include DVB-T, DVB-C, DVB-S -- HD Triple Tuner -- technology eliminating the need for settop boxes.
5:29PM Bravia Internet Video will also consolidate content from sources such as YouTube, Daily Motion, and other online video sites.
5:28PM Short form video content, YouTube being the biggest expample, is a trend Sony's been watching. "70% watch less TV as a result." Broadcasters are now starting offer their content over the Internet and this on-line "catch-up TV" watched on the PC is becoming more popular. "But watching TV on a PC can be unsatisfying, wouldn't it be more enjoyable if these programs could be delivered straight to the TV?" Sony will launch TVs, Blu-ray players with new Bravia Internet Video next year with XMB inteface. Broadcasters from Italy, Germany, Spain, and UK will join the trail early next year.
5:25PM Fujio Nishida back on stage to talk about products. Hear that, products. New products.
5:24PM make.believe branding strategy just launched. It's global, a first for Sony says Howard. Howard's going into the deep philosophical roots behind the new strategy as our eyes glaze over with visions of tall, wheat-based beers and breads twisted into pretzels. The strategy begins a phased roll-out over the next 6 months. "It's a symbol of the new Sony, a truly united Sony."
5:19PM Digital distribution of content on all devices is another major direction for Sony. The PlayStation Network now has more than 27 million accounts -- 27 mil touch-points for devies and content, "just think about," says Howard with dollar signs in his eyes. PSN video deliver service in Europe will cover all the major studios as well as some smaller locals, specifically naming Germany.
5:16PM Sony actively engaged in 3D programming for Bravia and Blu-ray disc players with content next year. Demo time, again. Sports, wildlife, gaming, and more gaming... see where this is going. Sony's betting big on 3D for 2010.
5:13PM OMG, a giant pad of butter is sliding towards us! And a meatball, naturally. I'll write that down, "decent applause" jibes Howard. "Not really our target audience."
5:11PM 3D demo coming up using Sony 3D projector of "Cloudy with a chance of Meat Balls" trailer. Everyone, put on your nerd glasses. "You look great," jokes Howard.
5:08PM "We are aggressively running our business in a new and changed reality." Howard now running through his new executive team since the reorg in the previous months. Two new areas that Sony can blaze a path of leadership. First up, 3D. "The 3D train is on the track and Sony is ready to drive it home." Rapid expansion is being driven by appetite for 3D cinema and the higher ticket prices they demand.
5:05PM And that was quick, here comes Sir Howard who is "very happy to be with us again this year." Laments on how broad and deep the global economic crisis was, much deeper than expected. "We couldn't have anticipated the turmoil. Maybe the worst is over, though I'm afraid to say that."
5:03PM And we're off. Video, heavy on Sony Entertainment ending with John Connor terminating the bit. Appropriate. Fujio Nishida, pres Sony Europe on stage.
5:00PM Uh Sony, it's customary to have some music playing. The room is silent other than the snide remarks of jet-lagged journalists and otherwise, perpetually jaded bloggers. Not exactly the idea warm-up act wanted.It's Berlin and it's Sony: that should be enough to whet the ol' curiosity. We're here live at the Sony IFA 2009 press event hoping to get a glimpse at Sony's European, nay, global strategy from this day forward. Good thing for us, Sony has given us permission to blog on its WiFi network. Yay!
Are they coming out with something new?
now that was a difficult password
I know their wifi password!!
sup 1337 h4x0r?
OMGz nubbins u ttyl n33d their MAC address! Everybody knows that ;)
Blogging may be allowed, but I'm pretty sure they frown on wearing two pairs of sunglasses. Or maybe it's just me who frowns on it. :(
"Laments on how broad and deep the global economic crisis was, much deeper than expected. "We couldn't have anticipated the turmoil. Maybe the worst is over, though I'm afraid to say that.""
Obviously this guy is no economist. It was much better than most people anticipated.
News flash: I'm not buying another hdtv just because it allows me to wear headache causing 3D glasses. I hope this is a short lived niche that quickly turns into REAL 3D technology. (that doesn't require wearing glasses over your glasses)
uh, you mean holograms?
its not "REAL 3D" he just means "autostereoscopic", regular 3D but without glasses. This can be done now but the lensing makes it blurry from what I've read, and only viewable in a narrow viewing angle. Holograms are different because you can view them from different angles and see a different angle of the object, like possibly look at the side profile or the back/top of a 3d object.
3d tech will go like this
next year: polarized 3d goes mass market for home television, Bluray gets 3d 3.03d spec and movies are delievered to the home in 3d via bluray, on demand, netflix etc. PS3 goes 3d with firmware 4.03d, even older openGL 3d games get patches and most new games support a 3d option.
next 1-2 years: VR goggles like the vuzix vr920 set (retail 399.99) start to use high res OLED and improved head tracking, reduce in price to sub 200 dollars. PC gamers widely adopt, many current console gamers convert to pc specifically because of the high level of immersion offered by this hardware.
next 2-3 years: new generation of 3d panels offer autostereoscopic 3d, still needs improvement , viewing angle still smaller
next 3-5 years: autostereoscopic becoming standard, VR goggles become widely adopted for gaming and entertainment as well as in communications and eduction. Some development in video holograms
5-10+ years: video holography in progress, holodeck here we come!
Sony: make.believe [that you can afford our overpriced products]
this is fantastic. improved passive 3d tech like RealD 3D is really going to revolutionize home entertainment. Sony's full comprehensive plan here, which most impressively includes the PS3 and gaming, but also for bluray and psn video distribution, is very very exciting for me. I think that if the 3d gaming is as impressive as what they showed during E3 last year and if it covers all games ( possible because of the 3d drivers available for the rsx nvidea gpu) then I see 3D as being a major system mover.
"Bravia branded TVs will include DVB-T, DVB-C, DVB-S -- HD Triple Tuner -- technology eliminating the need for settop boxes."
except in the UK, of the big three only freeview ,DVB -T, will work in this way, although it is about to launch HD channels that use DVB-T2, both Virgin Media, DVB-C, and Sky, DVB-S, will not allow anything but their boxes to be used.
sure there are ways around it but it ain't easy.
How far is Stuttgart from Berlin? Why is no one covering Nokia World 09 ? engadget hates Nokia so much? pah!
..... In every disco I go in, my heart is pumping for love... pumping for love....
Oh. You said Stuttgart to Berlin? My bad.
About 6-8 hours driving. I Berlin.
X3 please, please please
Holy hell 14mm with a batter claim like nonetheless? Holy Hell! Back to the x505 roots we go.... take that Macbook Air!
Of course, the price will be puke-in-your-mouth absurd.
Self-portrait on Engadget, Thomas? ;)
Yawn.
Reading your live blogs backwards makes my head hurt.