Industry Information Station

Sony be liable to infringement of a patent, PlayStation game consoles sold under threat United States federal judge ordered the Japan Electronics companies Sony stops in the United States selling PlayStation video game machine, to the California company and Immersion Corp. pay $ 90.7 million compensation, this ruling will affect this as an important source of Sony profits of sales of video game products.
This ruling does not immediately have an impact on the market, Auckland District Court judge delaying the implementation of this decision, Sony will file an appeal, which may take 1 year’s time.

Judge Wilken issued over the weekend on the Sony PlayStation and PlayStation 2 in the United States the manufacture, sale and import ban. The Court found that Sony violating the Immersion of the game more realistic common technical patents.
This ruling comes as Sony restructuring of management at the rally, Sony’s Howard Stringer, head of entertainment business recently appointed the company’s Chief Executive Officer. Sony hopes that video games will become a part of this reorganization. Just last week, in order to expand its video game business, the company in the United States launched the PlayStation Portable, this new mobile entertainment devices in the United States sells for $ 249.
Sony’s two games use the Court of the alleged infringement of Immersion patent technology, the technology and “force feedback” system, installing this system gaming joystick to shake to simulate different effects in the game. If mistakes in Sony’s appeal, this ruling – affirmed last September in favour of the Immersion of the jury award – many may also be refused with PlayStation game vibration function for many video games in the United States outside the market, jury finds a total of about 48 video games violates Immersion’s patents.
Immersion management said if the judge in the Sony in the process of Appeal upheld the retailers, game publishers, and other companies are likely to be affected. Immersion is headquartered in San José, California, developed and licensed for games, medical and automotive industry related technology. Immersion CEO Victor Viegas said, if you consider a permanent restraining order and its impact on the retailer or Sony’s other partners, that may spread to many companies, many industries, and many vendors.
Sony United States video game unit spokesman declined to comment on pending litigation, but confirmed that Sony plans to appeal. Sony video games as of December 31 of the most recent fiscal quarter operating profit of more than 30%.
After the company announced that the judge, Immersion in the duck market shares closed up 55 cents to us $ 6.3, or 9.6%. Sony in New York Stock Exchange-listed United States depository receipts closed flat at $ 41.16.
Lawyers and analysts said that this ruling has greatly increased the Sony seek to reach a reconciliation with Immersion, to be allowed to continue in the United States market possibilities of sales of its PlayStation video game machine. Sony Immersion model patent licence cost may be far higher than earlier because of this ruling of the cost. 3 years ago, Immersion commented on Sony’s co-accused Microsoft Corporation filed suit in July 2003, Microsoft reached a settlement with Immersion, as part of the deal, Microsoft agreed to pay US $ 19.9 million licensing fee.
Clifford Chance in the Silicon Valley intellectual property lawyer in the Office of Daniel Harris, Immersion and Sony on the motivation of dispute settlement, as 30% per cent of such judgment was overturned in the appeal. Harris said in the appeal process, both parties face many uncertainties, and are most likely to reach a settlement.
Sony is the leading manufacturer of home video game consoles, the PlayStation 2 game consoles worldwide has sold more than 82 million, while North America is the biggest market of the company’s gaming products.
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News source: the Wall Street Journal

On May 17, with Microsoft and Nintendo launched a new round of games in the great war, Sony launched a new PS3 console. This new PS3 game machine will be listed in the spring of 2006. The same form factor as the current PS2 game, however, look more round. In addition to black, PS3 game consoles also have silver and white.

Sony officials said the PS3 games console, codenamed “Cell” of the new processor technologies, provided in the game and the real effect of a movie, and has a high-definition movies and other features.
Sony has not provided any supporting game of PS3 games prices and supporting information, even though Sony showed many under development in the game.
PS3 gaming machines using the storage capacity of 50GB Blu-ray format discs. That the CD is the capacity of the current DVD of six times. PS3 gaming machine is configured with a memory card slot, external hard drives and up to 7 wireless controller Bluetooth wireless interface.
Sony officials said the PS3 game consoles can run thousands of old PS2 and PS1 games for use of the game. Sony is at the E3 Expo opens two days before the publication of PS3 Games News.
Microsoft MTV last week 30 minute special program opens up new “Xbox 360-” game. Microsoft said, this new game of the year of Thanksgiving in North America listed, listed in Europe and Asia before the end of this year. Microsoft did not disclose the price of this game.
Nintendo will be introduced on Tuesday morning, codenamed “Revolution” of next-generation game consoles.
According to market research firm Jupiter forecasts that by 2010, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 per cent of the world games market share of 38%, Sony game machine market share 32%, Nintendo game machine market share 22%.
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News source: CNN

Sony’s new CEO Howard-sidingge (Howard Stringer) said yesterday that the company will launch a profitable plan in late September, at which time may involve cutting product lines or compress non-for profit business.
Analysts point out that, to reinvigorate the Sony’s core businesses – consumer electronics, sidingge and Bowl good governance in the new President will be faced with severe challenges. Due to fierce price war, Sony’s consumer electronics business in the past two fiscal year has never managed to get rid of the red.

Sidingge in the company’s annual general meeting of shareholders also said: “we cannot launch an attack on all fronts, there must be selective. So we gathered together to discuss Sony should focus areas into which. ”

The end of last year, Sony announced a three-year restructuring plan, trying to cut fixed costs by $ 3 billion and plans to cut thousands of jobs in the consumer electronics sector. But industry analysts believe that Sony should take more extreme measures to ensure its competitiveness in the market.

Lehman Brothers (Lehman Brothers) analyst Yuki Sugi said in front of the Sony introduced the new profit, investors took a wait-and-see attitude. In that period, Sony shares will still be not much improvement. In addition, Sony’s upcoming release of depressed earnings next month also shares cast a shadow.

Analysts also pointed out that the Sony need to focus on adjusting the TV business, the sector reached 236 million dollars in losses for the previous fiscal year. At the same time, sidingge also like Sony in portable music players up.

Sidingge also recognized, and the United States compared to the market, in Japan to reform more difficult is larger. After the sidingge in the United States market have implemented a “United States projects” plan by cutting thousands of jobs significantly reduced costs. But sidingge said: “I cannot in the Japan market cuts of this size, we need to work around. The whole world is developing, our competitors are also growing. ”

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News source: CNN

, Toshiba come from IBM, Sony’s long awaited by researchers today opened a veil Cell microprocessor. The multi-core, multi-threaded game engine was called “a single supercomputer on a chip”.

The three companies was disclosed a four-year project of some first-hand technical information. Cell will be a Sony PlayStation 3 chip, he achieved effectiveness of existing PC processor 10 times.

An IBM official, technical director of the Center for Cell technology design, Jim Kahle said Cell is designed mainly for digital home applications, the chip can be used for a wide range of design patterns, but also to work reliably under the system. Company is developing open source compilers provide programmers with software development tool it.

Prototype for these based on 90-nanometer process technology for wafer and chip manufactured by IBM in East Fishkill facility to produce. Sony Japan Nagasaki production part of the chip.

The chip by a 64-bit PowerPC processors and 8 be referred to as “collaborate on element” referred to as SPEs processor form. This core can support multiple operating systems and virtual reality technology of program modules, Kahle said.

Chip makers are turning to multi-core designs in recent years, because single-core processor was difficult to continue to develop. Single-core processors are designed to perform multithreaded instruction, but he must accelerate their speed as possible to increase effectiveness, this produces a lot of heat. Multicore processor to parallel execution, this means multithreaded orders can be concurrently. Using multi-core design, chip makers to lower energy consumption and fewer emissions to achieve greater efficiency.

Kahle said Cell designers already know how to promote both frequency and parallel operation. 4.5GHz frequency Cell can at least run on, but the company has not decided the final product frequencies. He said the chips will use air cooling design similar to the PS2.

A technical analyst says Cell is estimated to consume about 30W of power, similar to the PS2 ‘s emotion engine processor, and Intel Pentium m processor energy consumption are also similar.

PowerPC chip will double thread as an additional eight single threaded SPEs processor controller. SPEs processors are used for floating point operations. Floating point operations capability for image processing and super computer applications are extremely important factors.

Each SPEs chip 256KB cache, PowerPC chips 32KB cache, and 512KB secondary cache. Due to its ability to implement the directive 10 threads, the chip requires extremely fast memory and I/O buses. So it will match 3.2GHz Rambus XDR bus company as a storage medium, and FlexIO bus to 6.4GHz as a I/0 medium. Compared with traditional processors, Cell rather large, occupying 221mm square dimensions. Pentium m processor and the latest is 84mm square. Large processors can result in huge increases in manufacturing costs.

The Cell processor is just a prototype on display today. Probably wait three companies to service its mass production only after using 65 nanometer process it. 65-nanometer process not only for its compressed volume, but also to reduce manufacturing costs.

News source

In the BBC special report on the digital life show in New York, BBC article suggests that Sony’s PlayStation 3 can only be published until 2007.

“Microsoft’s Xbox 360 than rival PS3 listed 22 months in advance, which will help it win recognition of the vast majority of players, cut out light ahead of the player’s wallet. “BBC article tone of voice is very positive.

At the same time, Xbox United Kingdom Manager Neil Thompson also predicted the PS3 is not landed in Europe in 2007 years ago.

However, rumors of the IT industry is always colorful and contradictory, not long ago, aren’t there a Chief Financial Analyst claims that Xbox 360 will be finished in 2008 defeated PS3?

For the players, currently listed there too early to discuss PS3, don’t forget, there are more than 20 days, listed on the Xbox 360 is just about, Oh.

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News source: driving home

SONY has supplied its new Walkman NW-A series of micro hard disk firmware, upgrade later without conversion, support of WMA files play directly, to other sound formats for Sony for conservative, this changes say that has its special meaning.

Thanks tomjames posted.

Access: news sources
Download: upgrade addresses

In industry of a questioned sound in the, Sony announced is about to held of DevStation developers General Assembly will specifically discussion PS3 problem. DevStation 2006 will Yu this year March 1-2nd (Wednesday and Thursday) in London Brick Lane Atlantis Gallery Museum held, for a period of two days. General Assembly of theme is PS3 game host, involved its performance, and picture quality, and sound effects, and network, and middleware, and Cell processor and operating system, each aspects.

There will be more than more than 20 PS3 experts attended the meeting, explaining the various aspects of PS3. Sony official Havoc physics technology provider and Aegia will also be present. in addition, many middleware vendors will showcase their latest PS3 related products, and answered attendee questions.

From the current situation, Sony is likely to only show on the current session of the General Assembly introduced the PS3, author of possibility is not too big. as for the PS3 exactly when to move in and out with Wizardly elusiveness GA, I’m afraid I’ll wait until the Conference can only be known.

On January 19, Konica Minolta official site informed, Konica Minolta Photo Imaging Division business is fully transferred to Sony SLR digital camera!

In July 2005, Konica Minolta and Sony signed the agreement on joint development of SLR digital cameras. in November the same year, due to the medium-term settlement of substantial losses, Konica Minolta was once rumored exits the digital camera field. but after Konica Minolta denial issued a statement that it would not retreat from the digital camera market.
Now, Konica Minolta and Sony officially announced that optical imaging division of Konica Minolta digital SLR partial Sony. Meanwhile, the related after-sales services also will be transferred to Sony SLR digital camera.
Under the agreement, to March 31, 2006, Sony will all take over Konica Minolta SLR digital cameras and all the design, production and Maxxum/Dynax lens system business. the summer of 2006, Sony will launch the first independent development through the Maxxum/Dynax lens system SLR digital cameras. transfer of business, while Ke Mei will also transfer of assets to Sony imaging business unit management.
As of April 1, 2006, Sony is fully responsible for all after-sales service of Konica Minolta SLR digital cameras.
Otherwise reported that Konica Minolta full deregulation within the imaging department in global, where optical instrumentation, or imaging business unit business from Sony SLR digital cameras take over, imaging business by nuorishi taking over. Konica Minolta wasn’t made official statements.

According to reliable message reported, recently Guangzhou, and Shanghai between of game machine shipping commercial/seller are was all detention, and seized its large numbers of on toilet paper cargo prepared trafficking of PSP host, and PS2 host,, so from yesterday up very with popularity of PSP are suddenly in Guangzhou, and Shanghai, and Beijing three large city of game shops shelf Shang anechoic go into hiding, dang received related information Hou, author immediately to popularity peak of stores in see a what, sure enough, missing has PSP Hou shelf is special empty, businesses also said this segment during stock, Before the new year may also be out of stock of the State and the prices are expensive scary.

PSP has been off the shelf disappeared

Because currently domestic can buy to of PSP host is from Japan, and Hong Kong, to smuggling came of, no after national legitimate way sales, so is does not legitimate of, so Ministry right to combat series of sales forms. one unwilling to revealed identity of industry channel commercial understanding learned that, Qian segment time has batch are from Hong Kong smuggling to Guangdong of PSP host was customs by seized, number up thousand Taiwan of more, number of more caused has SCEH (Hong Kong Sony electronic entertainment Department) concern, SCEH combined with the Ministry of culture in action in recent days killing domestic smuggling and sales channel mixer.

Even with the selling price higher scary

According to we by understanding, currently Guangzhou, and Shanghai between basically has no businesses then dare openly sales smuggling channel and to of PSP host, even dare secretly sold, price also climbed was badly, charcoal black v1.5 Deluxe version host set breakthrough 2000 mark even rose to 2,250 around of price, ceramic white words is more your, even also effect to PS2 host, PS2 Department host purchase price also General Rose has 150 around, due to purchase channel by combat, future of price may more has rose of space, But business in the short term there is still a certain amount of accumulated goods, prepared to make a little money can buy.

Starting price even in PS2 PSP version, we realized that v2.0 of the host (can be reduced to v1.5) have already started production in January 2006, to v2.5 system may have heightened tension.

From: PCPOP. COM
Posted: QisQ

Looking forward to is the digital camera industry’s largest this year Sony digital SLR, after a few months after the storm, which was named for the exposure of the Alpha 100 digital SLR camera is finally official! Carrying a new 10.2 million pixel CCD, with CCD dust protection, Super SteadyShot shock, would become a hot spot of the digital SLR market. Sony into the DSLR industry means that the once-lofty professional DSLR is starting “in” consumer goods market, while also breaking the amateur Sony digital camera images.

Sony Alpha 100 specification: 23.6 x 15.8 mm CCD, effective optical 10.8 million pixels, CCD shutter anti-shake-the equivalent of 2-3.5 document results, minimum ISO 80, the highest shutter speed 1/4000s, fuselage size 133 x 95 x 71 mm, weight 638g.

Sony Alpha 100 fuselage price $ 899, plus 18-70 lens cover price $ 999. Listing early will launch the 20-30 lens support.

Alpha was ranked first of the Greek alphabet, its meaning as “start” and “pristine”. Use it as a brand were reflected Sony Sony digital SLR cameras on the great confidence in the sector. At the same time, inherits the Konica Minolta Alpha brand “Alpha lens gate system”, the system is the Konica Minolta company began research and development in the era of traditional film and great reliability.

访问: Sony DSLR website

Related knowledge: digital SLR cameras

Digital SLR cameras is the digital single lens reflex camera system, the DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex). In this system, mirrors and prisms unique design allows the photographer to directly observed through the lens from the viewfinder image. Light through the lens of the camera when the reflector is reached, refraction allied itself to the top of the focusing screen and image through the eyepiece and pentaprism, photographers can see the scenery outside in the viewing window. When shooting when you press the shutter button, the reflector to bounce up, in front of the CCD shutter curtain will open at the same time, through the lens of light (images) is projected onto the CCD make it on the PC, then the reflector was immediately reinstated, view window, you can see the image again.

DSLR cameras of this building, it has been confirmed it is completely through the lens-focus shot of, it makes viewing the images you see in the window and on the final photographs taken forever, its viewfinder scope and actual coverage basically consistent, eliminating the side shaft head-eye camera’s Parallax phenomenon, from a photographic point of view, very favorable to Visual composition. In addition, the characteristics of digital SLR cameras also have a very large, is the ability to Exchange lenses of different specifications.