With all that’s going on in the world of politics – or perhaps because of what’s going on in the world of politics – two senators are calling for an investigation of the Smart TV industry, citing concerns about a potential compromise of privacy for users of which they are unaware. This move is in response to news that emerged a few weeks back suggesting that Smart TV makers were tracking users viewing, unbeknownst to them.
Sony
Newly Flush Sony’s Smart Employee Pay Strategy
Big Raises and Record Bonuses for Sony Employees in 2018
Sony Corp. is said to be planning to raise their employees pay rates by a very substantial 5 percent – and to pay record bonuses, according to a report by the Japan Times. This move is seen as a smart strategy by the company, newly flush with record profits after their successful turnaround by outgoing CEO Kaz Hirai, as it battles to secure top talent in a highly competitive hiring environment.
See more on how Sony is pressing their advantage to attract top talent… [Read more…] about Newly Flush Sony’s Smart Employee Pay Strategy
Restructure Done, Sony Sets Sights Higher – on Uber
We learned today from multiple media reports out of Japan that Sony Corp. is working on building a joint venture with at least six taxi operators in Japan this Spring. The goal comes in the wake of Uber Technologies Inc. saying that it seeks to improve its success in Japan through a partnership with another taxi company there.
Sony, jumping into the ride-hailing business?… [Read more…] about Restructure Done, Sony Sets Sights Higher – on Uber
Shares in Japan Display Jump 24% on OLED News
Japan Display Inc., a unique public/private partnership that was once Japan’s largest supplier of LCD panels but has been struggling of late, saw the price of shares of its stock jump as much as 24% Wednesday on news that it had developed a new lower cost manufacturing process for OLED panels. The company, which had been struggling with slackening global demand for LCD panels, will seek outside investment to pursue the opportunity provided by this new OLED manufacturing process.
See more on this surprising announcement out of Japan… [Read more…] about Shares in Japan Display Jump 24% on OLED News
Welcome to the Last CEDIA-Produced Show
As we all gather in San Diego for our annual pilgrimage to CEDIA, it can seem like another year/another show. But this show is different – it is the last CEDIA show produced by CEDIA. A fact leading many to wonder…what does the future hold, for both the show and the organization? We’ve spoken to several members and exhibitors to learn of their mood heading into this seminal event.
See how many are feeling about this, the last CEDIA-produced show… [Read more…] about Welcome to the Last CEDIA-Produced Show
Sony CEO Predicts 20-Yr High Op. Profit; Says Co. Needs More Innovation
Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai is feeling pretty good these days. After an incredibly tough turnaround period where many questioned his plan, Hirai said this week that the company expects to book an operating profit of ¥500 billion ($4.5 billion) in the fiscal year ending March 2018, its highest operating profit in 20-years according to a report by the Nikkei. But the CEO admits that, as good as this news is, the company is still short of a full turnaround.
What’s needed for a complete turnaround of Sony’s business? Innovation…
See more on what Sony’s CEO says the company needs to do… [Read more…] about Sony CEO Predicts 20-Yr High Op. Profit; Says Co. Needs More Innovation
Massive $6.3 Billion Writedown is Tanking Toshiba, Could It Collapse?
Toshiba Corp. announced yesterday that it will take a $6.3 billion writedown to account for the meltdown of its nuclear division. This amount of writedown is much higher than the markets had anticipated, forcing Toshiba into crisis mode having to secure lending commitments from their banks, reorganize their nuclear division, and sell assets to offset their losses.
Is Toshiba near the tipping point?… [Read more…] about Massive $6.3 Billion Writedown is Tanking Toshiba, Could It Collapse?
Film Flops Force Sony to Take $1Billion Writedown
Sony Corps’ struggling film division, which hasn’t seen a major hit movie in a long while, has finally forced the company to take a writedown against third quarter earnings of a substantial $1 billion. The difficult decision was necessary to adjust or right-size the value of their operations and will mostly be booked against goodwill – to reset the value of the various film-related divisions.
Why is Sony CEO Hirai setting up an office in Culver City, California?… [Read more…] about Film Flops Force Sony to Take $1Billion Writedown
Strata-gee Editor on Latest ResiWeek Podcast
ResiWeek, a podcast from AVNation.tv focused on the residential audio/visual market, once again invited Strata-gee editor Ted Green to participate on this week’s episode, recorded on Monday, January 9 and hosted this week by AVNation founder Tim Albright. The show, which has a strong bias towards the integration community, is known for its at-times vigorous and at-times humorous conversations with a rotating series of guests commenting on the topics of the day.
See what we talked about and view the episode below… [Read more…] about Strata-gee Editor on Latest ResiWeek Podcast
Sony Makes It Official – We Are OLED
It was a strange press conference as compared to those held by Sony in the past – only one speaker (Kazuo Hirai) who methodically gave a summary of the new models the company was launching at this CES. The whole press event lasted a mere 24 minutes. No Hollywood movie stars…no musical performances…no custom video clips…no movie clips…no cars driving on the stage. Just the Sony CEO calmly listing the new models. In fact, at one point, Hirai introduced Sony US President Mike Fasulo who stood and waved to the audience – then was told to sit down and not steal Hirai’s spotlight. Strange…
But there was one really big star of the conference – the company announced the new Bravia OLED TVs, a major expansion of the OLED camp.
