Sony Corp.

Leaked Sony 4K TV Ad; Is Sony Ready For a Full Marketing Campaign?

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 13, 2015 | 9 comments

Thanks to an anonymous tipster who sent us the above video, we may have our very first look at a proper marketing campaign from Sony for their 4K lineup. As you can see from the 30 second ad, Sony is highlighting their ludicrously thin X900C and X910C 4K TV. What strikes me beyond that we’re finally getting a Sony ad is how beautiful the commercial is. Unlike past Sony commercials which at times are too artsy and lose the message or too wordy and try to over sell what the device is, this ad is brilliantly simple. No voiceover, no talk about specs, and certainly not all over the place. Instead the ad focuses on one of the biggest selling points of the X900C line, their thinness.

A few more thoughts after the jump.

Review: Free Your Phone with Bumpies

by Allegra Osati | Feb 7, 2015 | 1 comment

Last month at CES 2015, we perused the case section of the convention – with rows and rows of phone case companies, we had access to a dizzying selection of cases for every phone on the market. Yet, with all the choices available, there was a singular company that stood out in form, function, and lifestyle: Bumpies. We met up with company founders Michael Chapp and Victor Chung to chat about the product, the company, and their dedication to the community surrounding them.

Bumpies are not your typical phone case. Most phone cases protect your device by covering up the very thing that drew you to the phone in the first place – the design. If you have invested your hard-earned money in a beautiful phone that you’d love to show off, then why should you have to cover it up? Bumpies set out to solve this problem with minimal square footage. Covering just the four corners of your device, Bumpies give you the best bang for your buck – offering a unique and eye-catching design that doesn’t take away from the beauty of your phone despite its better-than-military grade shock absorption tech with ProDyn.

Join us after the jump to learn what makes this company and their product unique.

Sony Q3 2014 Financial Results – Better than Expected and Profits Rising Again

by Jonathan Nolan | Feb 6, 2015 | 0 comments

Sony has finally posted the results of its third quarter for the financial year 2014 ending this March. The results were delayed as a result of the recent Sony Pictures hack. Sales and profits were double analyst expectations, with a profit of ¥178 billion ($1.5 billion / €1.3 billion / ₹93 billion) for the quarter. Operating income was up a whopping 100% year-on-year with net income up 237%. The full year net loss predicted was trimmed, owing to the a healthy performance in the past quarter.

Financial services have again become Sony’s most profitable segment. #2 is Devices, which includes smartphone camera sensors – e.g. for rival smartphones. The corporation’s margin, the profit based on sales, was the best since 2007.

Has Sony’s new Central Finance Officer steered Sony back on-track? Read on for the full results from the Sony Q3 2014 financial results and some analysis.

Sony Mobile Lowers Sales Forecasts Again Despite Shipping 11.9 Million Units

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 5, 2015 | 4 comments

Sony has been slowly releasing results from Q3 2014 and there is a lot of encouraging news from it. PS4 as expected continues its gangbuster sales, having sold 6.4 million units in the quarter. Net profits for Sony as a whole were up nearly 238% indicating that not only has the company been able to get its costs down, but that more products are being sold with a Sony logo on them. This could also been for Sony’s mobile division which pumped out 11.9 million units during Q3 2014. For the quarter, sales were up 11% compared to Q3 2013 and as a whole, sales were up 6% year-on-year. In fact, this was the highest number of units Sony has ever pumped out in a quarter.

While things seem rosy, Sony doesn’t see this trend continuing. Let’s talk.

Cyberattack Won’t Impact Sony’s Bottom Line

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 4, 2015 | 0 comments

According to Sony, though the cyberattack on them which played out on such a public manor was one of the more vicious attacks in history, the incident itself won’t be affecting the company’s bottom line. To wrap up the incident, Sony is putting aside $15 million (¥1.8 billion) in “investigation and remedial costs.” Due to not releasing The Interview in theaters nationwide and offering fewer releases in general, Sony Pictures projects a 11.7% decrease in revenue. Still, the division estimates an operating profit of $20.4 million (¥2.4 billion) for the quarter. Despite the lack of direct financial loss from the attack, there likely lies costly and unforeseen ramifications from the hacking attack.

Let’s talk after the jump.

Q3 2014 – Sony Net Profit Up 238% From a Year Earlier

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 3, 2015 | 7 comments

Hot on the heels of announcing a spectacular quarter for PlayStation which saw Sony sell 6.4 million PS4 consoles and, in turn, keep the division in black, Sony has another stellar number to announce. During Q3 2014, which falls between September 1st and December 31st, Sony’s net profits were up 238% from the year prior. Thanks to a rise in their TV business, alongside a slightly up mobile division, Sony estimates a net profit of ¥89 billion ($756 million).

More details after the jump.

Sony to Invest $805 Million to Increase CMOS Image Sensor Production

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 3, 2015 | 0 comments

On the heels of announcing the closure of the Japanese Sony Semiconductor Oita Technology Center, the plant responsible for the Cell processor and RSX chip inside the PS3, Sony has revealed a hefty invest plan. According to their press release, Sony will be investing $805 million (approximately 105 billion yen) in their Nagasaki TEC and Yamagata TEC plants. These two factories are responsible for Sony’s CMOS image sensor production which powers the company’s imaging division. Beyond Sony’s own fleet of smartphones and DSLR, Sony has been ever expanding its reach into the medical space by utilizing their image sensors and 3D technology to create better scanners and other related equipment for doctors. Apple has also been one of Sony’s largest clients and has been using Sony sensors in their smartphone lineup since the iPhone 4S.

So what does Sony hope to achieve with their hefty investment? Let’s talk after the jump.

Sony to Close PlayStation Chip Factory

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 3, 2015 | 3 comments

It’s no secret that, despite the success of PlayStation, most divisions in Sony are hurting. While their TV business has seen an uptick in recent years, it’s still following a decade of losses which isn’t an easy trend to erase. Mobile has also been disappointing to say the least for Sony where they accounted for less than 1% of smartphone activations in the US during Q4 2014. To focus their business, Sony has been selling parts of their business they no longer see relevant like VAIO and shutting other divisions like Music Unlimited. Just yesterday Sony also announced the sale of Sony Online Entertainment, the studio behind EverQuest and PlanetSide to name a few. On the heel of those announcements, Sony has revealed yet another closure and this time, it hits at the heart of the PlayStation nation.

Let’s talk details after the jump.

Irony: Sony Updates ‘Music Unlimited’ App On the Same Day It Announces Its Death

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 28, 2015 | 12 comments

In what may be its final update before the service is put to pasture, Sony has given the Music Unlimited app on iOS an update….on the day it announced that it would ending the service. So what can we expect from Music Unlimited Version 2.3.0, which weighs in at 7.7 MB? From the official changelog:

New: Skip & skip back by swiping the album cover art
Fixes minor bugs on player features

The update will likely go by unnoticed as the reason Sony is shutting down the service is due to lack of consumer interest, i.e. enough subscribers to warrant the cost of the service. While I’m sure that it’s purely coincidental that an update was pushed the same date that Sony would announce the service’s death, (and I’m 100% certain that those working on the app have had no idea that Sony would be killing Music Unlimited) the situation is comedically and sadly very representative of the internal disarray that Sony faces. No division is safe and no plan/initiative/service has a long term vision where software and hardware are working together to achieve it.

Sony’s ‘Music Unlimited’ Reaches End of Line

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 28, 2015 | 5 comments

Likely in an effort to streamline their internal operations and cut where the feature usage does not warrant the costs, Sony has announced that it’s killing its Music Unlimited program. Previously dubbed as Qriocity when it launched in 2010, the streaming service looked to tackle iTunes and other similar services like Pandora and Spotify by allowing users to stream music for a monthly fee. Come March 29th, 2015, Music Unlimited will reach end of line in the 19 countries it operates in. More details after the jump.

PlayStation Store Update (01-20-15)

by Trevor Rodenberger | Jan 20, 2015 | 0 comments

Welcome to the PlayStation Store update for January 20, 2015. We have a great update this week packed full of new content and sales. PlayStation 4 users can now take advantage of the updated version of Saints Row IV Re-Elected, the intriguing Ironclad Tactics, and Motorcyle Club (also available on PlayStation 3).

PlayStation 3 users now have access to an updated version of the original survival horror game Resident Evil along with Best of Arcade Games (also available for Vita). PlayStation Vita users now have access to the fantastic, Atlus published RPG Citizens of Earth (also available on PlayStation 4). There is also a very large sale this week which includes games for all 3 platforms along with classics from the PSP, PS1, and PS2 library.

Finally, as you are probably aware PlayStation Plus users now receive all of their free games at the beginning of the month and then are given discounts on extra content the rest of the month. PlayStation Plus users get discounts on Citizens of Earth and Ironclad Tactics.

Sony Open to Sale and Joint Venture Offers for its TV & Mobile Divisions

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 13, 2015 | 9 comments

Like clockwork, after getting back from CES and being dazzled by the extensive fleet of new products Sony had on display, a bucket of cold water has been poured over us which reminds us of the very real challenges that Sony faces. When speaking to reporters, including us during his opening keynote at CES 2015, Sony CEO Kaz Hirai noted that reforms have succeeded “in some parts but not in others.” Kaz was specifically referring to the resurgence of PlayStation, which just saw the PS4 climb past 18.5 million units sold and the embrace of their digital imaging business which has expanded beyond consumers into the medical field and perhaps automotive field in the future.

Where the company still lacks is its mobile and television division, which have each lost considerable grounds to rivals. The two divisions have singlehandedly caused billions of dollars in losses for Sony. To put that in perspective, Sony forecasts a 230 billion yen ($1.9 billion) net loss for the business year to March. Speaking behind closed doors, Sony seems to be further emphasizing that not all of their turn around plans are succeeding and that “no business is forever.” That comment is not only directed at investors, but to Sony divisions as well, iterating that

every segment now needs to understand that Sony can exit businesses

As you’d probably guessed, the segments in question are Sony’s television and mobile divisions. Details after the jump.

Sony Teases CES 2015 With ‘Welcome to the New World’ Video

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 19, 2014 | 0 comments

It’s hard to believe it, but CES 2015 is nearly two weeks away. CES has always been an important convention for Sony where in the past, the company had debuted their 4K TV fleet, new Xperia smartphones, and much more. For CES 2015, Sony wants us to ‘Welcome to the New World’ in a teaser video. The cryptic video features shots of beautiful color, lollipop, and human emotions among other things. Those three likely hint at new 4K televisions from Sony while lollipop is surely a reference to the latest Android build that’s expected to hit Sony’s entire Xperia Z line in early 2015. As the human emotion, you sometimes have to hear to believe, referencing Sony’s growing line of high-end speakers.

The video is available after the jump.

Sony’s Qrio Smart Lock In Action (video)

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 15, 2014 | 2 comments

Late last week, we reported on the Qrio Smart Lock from Sony. Part of Kaz Hirai’s Seed Acceleration Program which seeks to raise Sony’s pioneering spirit of the past by funding smaller and more risky projects, the Qrio smart lock aims to make the installation of a smart lock not only simple, but one that lacks tools as well. In addition to a simple installation process, the Qrio is more affordable that other smart locks in the market like Lockitron ($179) and August ($249) and carries a nearly $130 price tag. Seeing how the project isn’t directly from Sony, Qrio launched on Makuake, Japan’s equivalent to Kickstarter in order to gain part of the funding it needs.

After the jump, the Qrio Smart Lock can be seen in action.

Sony Considered Selling Crackle to ‘Save the Year’

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 12, 2014 | 0 comments

One of the lesser reveals from the hacking incident from Sony Pictures that frankly I feel is far more important than what Entertainment Chairman Amy Pascal said privately to somebody else in an email is the fate of Crackle. For those unfamiliar with Crackle, Sony’s free streaming service, I encourage you to read our previous in depth take on the service to really get a feel for it. According to information, Sony Pictures considered selling Crackle as late as November though since that time, the deal seems to be off. Who considered purchasing Crackle and for how much? All those details after the jump.