A truly unique industry personality – and unabashed technology enthusiast – Len Schneider passed away Monday, after a brief illness. Most recently known as the President of TechniCom Corp., an industry marketing company offering product development capabilities and technical writing services, Schneider had a long history working in largely product marketing roles for a variety of top brand names such as Sony, Marantz, and Onkyo. However, many more in the industry became aware of him through his well-researched and approachable writings, with many articles, white papers, books and posts – including one of the most popular posts ever on Strata-gee.com – having been published on a national basis.
Sony
Hot Time in the City, It’s CE Week Again
New York City in June sees temperatures rise in response to the onset of summer and also, hopefully, in response to the launch of the hottest new technologies being shown at CE Week at the Metropolitan Pavilion and Altman Building exposition spaces in Manhattan. We awaited this year’s edition with great anticipation as it occurs in the wake of a major change in the show’s backers – and is the follow-up to the surprisingly meaningful show last year.
What were the changes, and how did the show go? You’ll have to read on… [Read more…] about Hot Time in the City, It’s CE Week Again
DOW to Distribute Sony ES Line
Tampa, Fl-based DOW Electronics announced on Tuesday that it will distribute the entire Sony ES line of products, effective immediately. The latest addition to their line-up, DOW says Sony offers a line to dealers that is “protected from online shopping” and has “controlled distribution.”
See more on this development from DOW… [Read more…] about DOW to Distribute Sony ES Line
Sony’s Tightened Partnership with Best Buy Credited for Biz Turnaround
Newly Spun-Off TV Division May Show a Profit for 1st Time in 10 Years
In a new report out of Japan, Sony’s TV business is said to be expected to report an operating profit this fiscal year – its first after ten years of losing money. Due to an improved situation in the U.S. market, the report credits the turnaround in Sony’s U.S. results largely as a function of its tightened partnership with retailer Best Buy.
But the report featured the subheading ‘Outlook Remains Unclear’… [Read more…] about Sony’s Tightened Partnership with Best Buy Credited for Biz Turnaround
Azione Unlimited to Sell Sony
Azione Unlimited, a retail buying group of custom integrators, announced today that it has partnered with Sony Corp. to offer its line to Azione’s nationwide membership. The group will carry products from Sony’s AV specialty and custom integration channel division.
See more on this new partnership at Azione… [Read more…] about Azione Unlimited to Sell Sony
Bloomberg Reporter Asks ‘Why is Sharp Still With Us?’
We’ve been reporting for a while now on the epic survival struggles of some of this industry’s biggest brand names in Japan…most recently Sharp Corp. Some of the changes we’re seeing now were unforeseeable even 24-36 months ago – Sony spinning off divisions, JVC Kenwood pulling out of the consumer business, Pioneer first shutting down A/V, then selling that division to Onkyo, Toshiba pulling out of TV biz, Panasonic dropping consumer business, and on and on…
Now a reporter for the respected Bloomberg View asks, “…why Sharp should still be in business?”
See more on this surprising declaration and criticism of the practices of Japan, Inc… [Read more…] about Bloomberg Reporter Asks ‘Why is Sharp Still With Us?’
After Fighting Idea for Years, Sony is Ready to Dump TV, A/V, & Smartphone Businesses
In a revealing presentation with the press yesterday in Japan, embattled Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai told the media that the company is finally ready to consider alternatives for its TV, A/V, and smartphone businesses, including exiting them. This is a stunning turnaround in strategy, not just for the inventor of the Trinitron picture tube, but for Hirai himself who had previously identified their TV and smartphone businesses as a core categories when he first took over as CEO in 2012.
See more on Sony’s strategy to turn around their business…which has many skeptics… [Read more…] about After Fighting Idea for Years, Sony is Ready to Dump TV, A/V, & Smartphone Businesses
Irony: Apple Reports Historic Fiscal Quarter Results – Sony Announces More Layoffs
Two rather significant news stories emerged today – one about Apple’s amazing Q1 fiscal results and the other about Sony’s troubled mobile division – and we couldn’t help but notice an incredible irony. In a way, it’s almost a tale of two CE industries.
See more on the incredibly irony of today’s top news stories… [Read more…] about Irony: Apple Reports Historic Fiscal Quarter Results – Sony Announces More Layoffs
CES 2015 Opens with Great Fanfare, But No Real Surprises
Like a carefully scripted political debate, Day 0 of CES (Day 1 for most of the press) opened with great fanfare…but offered no real surprises. Day 0 – officially known as Press Day – is an endless series of press conferences in which major manufacturers make their significant announcements and present their plans for 2015. And this year these press conferences, for the most part, followed their expected path – not even a Michael Bay meltdown emerged to spice it up a bit like last year!
See the major themes emerging from the Press Day presentations… [Read more…] about CES 2015 Opens with Great Fanfare, But No Real Surprises
Another OLED Breakthrough? Japanese Consortium Forms to Test New OLED Production Method
A Who’s Who collection of significant panel and display manufacturers in Japan says they will collectively invest ¥20 billion ($193 million) into a test production line for OLED panels using a new manufacturing process that promises to move the industry closer to mass production of what many feel is the next-generation video technology. If all goes well, the consortium will be mass-producing large quantities of relatively inexpensive OLED panels by 2018.
