With softening demand, sales prices of screens have declined, hurting profits. The tough road in the LCD panel market is affecting more than Samsung; it’s also affecting Samsung rivals LG and Sony. Some analysts place some blame for the soft market and falling prices on the panel makers themselves for continuing to produce screens over and above market demand. By producing too many screens, panel makers have forced themselves to slash prices to sell the excess production.

Strangely, despite the LCD panel market as a whole being in an oversupply situation Chinese firms are entering into the market and building new production lines only adding to the oversupply in the industry and forcing prices even lower. Prospects for growth in the LCD industry overall are slowing, but the OLED segment is set to boom in the coming years so many of these companies are expected to refocus on OLED panels to spur profits and growth. Samsung has estimated that OLED revenues will increase by 600% from now until 2014. With the difficulty in the LCD market, a spinoff of the Samsung LCD unit would help streamline Samsung’s business.

[via BBC]

Other elements of the campaign include sponsored Twitter messages, online and real-world adverts and radio ads on the Howard Stern show, along with a commercial filmed in Buenos Aires. One theme Sony is particularly keen to push is the relatively seamless integration of gameplay between the PS Vita and the PS3, with the advert storyline showing how one gamer picks up the same title on the portable that he began playing on the home console.

The challenge, though, will be avoiding the same fate that befell the Vita in Japan. Despite having initially sold out in preorders, sales subsequently dived and retailers cut pricing in response. The decline was blamed in part on a shortage of solid early titles, something Sony had even said it would avoid being an issue back in December.

Even before the PS Vita arrives on the US market, set for February 22, some are already predicting that it will be the last of Sony’s dedicated portables. Even Sony might have quietly come to the same conclusion; the PS Vita OS itself is tipped to show up on future Sony smartphones as the company pulls together its future mobile strategy.

Sony’s Kaz Hirai – at the time chief of the company’s Computer Entertainment division, and since made overall CEO – said that the PlayStation Suite platform “isn’t an ecosystem where we want to keep everything within the Sony family.” Instead, it’s intended to be Sony’s first “cross-platform endeavor” he explained.

The PlayStation Suite has, so far, been limited to Sony and Sony Ericsson hardware. As well as the gaming smartphone, certification has been extended to Sony’s Tablet P and Tablet S hardware, giving the slates access to the PlayStation download store with various classic PSOne titles.

The news goes some way to addressing the question of whether Sony intends to try to sell customers all of the hardware – phone, tablet, TV and computer – in its “four-screen” strategy, or of ceding some of the market by embracing a cross-manufacturer ecosystem. Hirai has been blunt in suggesting that Sony must look to user experience not simply hardware if it wants to turn its fortunes around, and part of that strategy appears to be bringing other OEMs onboard to fill in potential gaps in its line-up.

But just because the PlayStation Vita seems attractive, it doesn’t mean that it’ll be a winner. In fact, I’m a firm believer that the Vita will be Sony’s last portable, and the device that could very well put an end to the company’s entire mobile-gaming division.

Believe it or not, that anticipated decline has nothing to do with Sony’s own strategy. The company is doing just what it should — delivering a top-notch portable that serious gamers can enjoy.

However, that serious gamer is changing his or her mind on what they’re looking for in portables. There was a time when only companies like Nintendo or Sony could deliver what they wanted. But with iPhones and Android-based smartphones becoming increasingly popular, and developers creating high-quality games for those platforms, the need for a standalone portable has declined significantly.

It’s also not a good idea on any company’s part nowadays to focus solely on the so-called “hardcore” gamer. The hardcore segment once drove much of the game revenue the industry generated, but it’s now a small portion of the entire market. In order for a console or portable device to become popular, it’ll need the mainstream’s help. And right now, the mainstream has no interest in buying a portable gaming device.

I’m also concerned about the PlayStation Vita’s price. Yes, $250 is the sweet spot in the mobile space right now, but that’s only for devices that do much, much more than Sony’s portable. Worst of all, the most popular smartphone on the market — Apple’s iPhone — comes in at just $199 to start, making just about anyone wonder why they should be spending $50 more to get a device that does less than their smartphone.

Sony also hasn’t made a convincing argument for getting consumers to opt for the PlayStation Vita over the Nintendo 3DS. For years now, Sony has been trying to catch up to Nintendo, and so far, the company hasn’t been able to do so. Remember the mainstream I was talking about? It loves Nintendo. And based on PlayStation Portable sales, it appears it wasn’t as fond of Sony’s device over the years.

At the end of the day, I think the PlayStation Vita will be Sony’s last portable. The company was late to understand the mainstream, its new device can’t compete against smartphones, and eventually its incoming CEO Kaz Hirai will realize that focusing solely on consoles is the way to go.

For major game companies, portable gaming is a toxic market. Microsoft knows it. Nintendo is realizing it. And Sony will soon be a victim to it.

It’s always awesome to hear of a new competitor for the mobile space, especially when that competitor comes from such a giant as Sony. Sony is in a position with the PlayStation Vita to make it such a success that it brings the operating system from it over to new devices in the near future. While its true that it seemed the Sony Ericsson last year did tell the world they’d be sticking with Android, now that Sony has purchased the remaining stock of that mobile venture from Ericsson, Sony’s now just “Sony” sect of mobile can do whatever they please. as Matsumoto spoke with AV Watch just a couple months ago:

“[Translated:] I’d like to point out that I mentioned the first thing Vita is is a hardware that provides digital entertainment only, and there there is the Vita OS which at the moment is just the OS made to provide it. The OS will continue to provide entertainment of all kinds, and though it’s made here to provide for a portable machine the best gaming experience for game enthusiasts, this is the thing edge of the wedge first.” – Matsumoto

Matsumoto went on to speak on how the operating system on the Vita is already receiving rave reviews on its speed and workability, noting how it was made using a mobile telephone network from the beginning. Because its basis is in the mobile world, even though it’s made for games right this moment, the operating system does have a bright future ahead of it, be it mobile, gaming, or both.

“[Translated:] We considered room for development in various directions including OS for smartphones from the beginning. For gaming consoles, the best hardware only must be considered to elicit top performance – but because we wanted the operating system to be scalable, we built this system from scratch with communication functions on mobile telephone networks from the outset. The touchscreen interface elements do not correspond exactly with a smartphone or tablet at the moment, but scalability makes it a possibility in the future.” – Matsumoto

We can’t wait for Sony to expand on not just Android now, but Vita OS (if this is what they keep for the name) in the very near future! Have at the mobile world, Sony, we’re ready for expansion!

As has become standard with GameStop’s midnight launch events, the time between 11 PM and midnight is when you’ll actually pay for your Vita and finalize the transaction. Then, when the calendar turns to February 15, the store will begin handing out the units to expedite the process and get everyone out of the store as close to midnight as possible. It appears that most gamers will have a participating store within just a couple miles of their home, though we did a quick search and found no midnight launch stores in Manhattan.

The Vita, which was originally scheduled to launch in the US over the past holiday season but was pushed back to the devastating Japanese earthquake and tsunami, is Sony’s first new gaming platform in more than five years. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding it, but also questions from critics who wonder if there is still room for a dedicated portable game machine in a world of Android and iPhones. Sony is eager to prove that indeed there is.

[via PlayStation LifeStyle]

The PS Vita First Edition bundle will include the 3G-enabled unit itself along with a 4GB PS Vita memory card, a limited edition carrying case, and a physical copy of the Little Deviants game. The bundle will also include a set of AR Play game cards that enable augmented reality play with a host of mini games that can be downloaded for free.

Additionally, the PS Vita First Edition bundle packs an AT&T DataConnect Session Pass good for one free 250MB data session when you purchase one 250MB data session and a free PlayStation Network game that can be redeemed when you activate 3G for your PS Vita.

[via PlayStation Blog]

We’ve seen Sony experiment with TransferJet before, launching memory cards with the wireless technology integrated as far back as 2010, though it’s yet to see significant market penetration. Like NFC it only has a few centimeters range, but TransferJet boasts significantly higher speeds: 560 Mbit/s in theory, or around 375 Mbit/s in practice. Sony has coupled the system with an inductive charging plate, to rejuice the camera while it shuffles data.

The Multi-Cradle dock itself can be USB bus powered, and since the TX300V has GPS your photos are geotagged too. If you’d rather watch your images and video clips on a bigger screen, there’s WiFi Direct support as well.

The wireless-equipped Cyber-shot will go on sale March 9, with Japanese pricing still to be confirmed; Sony estimates the camera will be around 50,000 yen ($409) however. Unfortunately there are apparently no current plans to launch the TX300V in any other markets.

[via Engadget]

Inside, Sony has used eleven elements in ten groups, three of which are Extra-low Dispersion glass. The company has also debuted a new Nano AR Coating system which promises to reduce internal reflections by up to 80-percent over earlier models, cutting down on lens flare and ghosting. The carbon-fiber lens hood is also lined with black velvet fibers, so as to absorb incident light.

On the outside, there are interlocking seals front and back to keep out dust and moisture, which Sony says are good enough to keep driving rain from ruining your shot. There’s also a new autofocus drive, up to four times as fast as regular Sony lenses for tracking speedy subjects.

A smattering of buttons – including four focus-hold buttons, evenly spaced around the barrel – round out the main features. The 34 cm long lens will go on sale in March, built to order and with pricing on request.

A £5 initial top-up is good for 250MB of data (that expires after 30 days) over Vodafone’s 3G network. Of course, there’s also WiFi if you’d rather not use the 3G. Those who buy the PS Vita 3G elsewhere will be able to get WipEout 2048 themselves by slotting in a Vodafone SIM and topping up £5.

Released in Japan in December 2011, the PS Vita has struggled to gain a grip on sales, with a lackluster line-up of titles blamed for continuing disappointment at the checkout. That will hopefully change by the time the Vita drops in the US and Europe, with the promise of cheaper downloaded games; however, Sony is courting further disappointment with the news that, in the US at least, PSP owners won’t be able to port their UMD games over to their new PS Vita.

The PS Vita has a 5-inch OLED multitouch display, twin analog sticks, Bluetooth, WiFi and a rear-mounted trackpad. Inside there’s a quadcore ARM Cortex-A9 processor, and Sony loads its own NEAR location-based gaming app.

Japanese gamers with a large collection of UMD games can tie those games to their PSN accounts and then downloaded digital copy of the same game to the Vita for roughly $13. That didn’t seem like a very good deal for a game you already own when I first heard about the UMD Passport. Bt’s infinitely better than just being SOL as gamers in the US are. I’ve seriously begun to think Sony is content to shoot itself in the foot in the portable gaming market.

In short, if you have a large library of UMD games that you enjoy playing on the current PSP, you better keep the PSP around because that is the only way you’ll be playing them short of paying full price and hoping they’re available as a digital download on the Vita. What do you think about this move? Will the lack of the ability to transfer UMD games over mean you’re no longer in the market for PS Vita?

[via EscapistMagazine]

Sony decided to buy out its long-time mobile partner Ericsson so it could focus on creating a more unified vision for its mobile unit. In a world where consumers are increasingly connecting all their consumer electronics together, Sony wants to have complete control over how smartphones and tablets play into its equation. The company now refers to its cell phone division as Sony Mobile Communications.

And that division is holding a press conference at this month’s big mobile trade show, though we don’t know anything beyond that. As far as the Xperia brand goes, it has been hit or miss in the US. The Xperia Play, a PlayStation-certified phone, was a real dud, while others like the Xperia Arc received solid reviews. It’ll be interesting to see how Sony progresses in the market without Ericsson breathing down their back.

[via Unwired View]

Line art shows a tablet style controller that has some kind connectivity with a sensor on top of the TV. The set-top sensor connects to the console, which looks very much like the current Nintendo Wii in the artwork. Making things even odder, one of the pictures with the patent shows what appears to be the gamer turned into a robot with a laser gun in the tablet controller screen. The smart thing would be to use the PS Vita rather than some other controller, which is what this patent appears to be showing.

Engadget reports that patent text outlines a “position-dependent gaming, 3-D controller, and handheld as a remote,” that acts like an “input for video game.”" I really don’t want to make this; it is very odd. I am not surprised Sony is trying to go this route; it doesn’t want to be left out on a new and hot feature that Nintendo will be using. What do you think? This could be part of that Sony four screen strategy.

[via Engadget]

Those questions have been put to rest, though, as Square Enix producer Shinji Hashimoto has confirmed that it will only be an “HD remaster.” This is what most gamers had expected. After all, there is decreasing hope of a full-fledged remake of any recent Final Fantasy title after Square Enix has continously refused to reinvision the penultimate Final Fantasy VII on a modern-generation platform.

There does remain one question, though – will the Final Fantasy X re-release be based on the American version of the game, or Final Fantasy X International, which included an “Expert” gameplay mode and increased the customization and flexibility of play. This special version was never released in North America, so if the PS3/Vita relaunch uses the International edition as the base game, we could be looking at new content for American gamers. There is still not much information released about the project, and we have heard nothing about a release date.

[via PlayStation Lifestyle]

The rebranding to Sony Entertainment Network will be applied to the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in upcoming software updates, but it will not affect the PSP at this time. This change is part of Sony’s efforts to associate the service with the company’s broader entertainment services, including Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited.

The discontinued use of the PlayStation Network name may help sweep away the bad memories of last year’s security breach and month-long outage. The company reported a massive loss and recently appointed new CEO Kaz Hirai. Unifying its services appears to be part of the company’s strategy to turn things around.

[via VentureBeat]

This isn’t necessarily retailer error, though with Walmart we wouldn’t automatically give them the benefit of the doubt. It’s possible Sony didn’t put an embargo on the game because giving out early units isn’t that big of a threat (you still need the Vita before you can play it). Or perhaps it’s a way to grab some early sales from customers who would otherwise have had no interest in ModNation Racers but jump are too anxious for their Vita to turn away an early copy.

A third possibility is that the early copies are only available to Walmart. Game publishers have been known to give special bonuses or perks to the world’s biggest retailer because it is such an important part of any game company’s bottom line. In any event, it doesn’t really matter *why* it’s there, just that it is there. So if you absolutely positively need to hold something Vita-related in your hand before February 22, head down to Wally World.

[via Kotaku]

The full list of playable games is: Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational, Little Deviants, EA Sports FIFA Soccer, ModNation Racers: Road Trip, Virtua Tennis 4: World Tour Edition, Escape Plan, and Wipeout 2048. The Vita launch is exciting since it is the first new generation of Sony gaming hardware in nearly six years. Analysts are also eager to see how it fares against the Nintendo 3DS, which had a surprisingly poor reception in the US in its 2011 launch.

And it wouldn’t be GameStop if there wasn’t some sort of related offer that encourages budget-conscious gamers to get rid of their old treasured game equipment. The retailer is offering an extra $25 trade-in credit on a Nintendo DS, 3DS, or PSP for customers who use that credit toward the purchase of a PlayStation Vita. The Vita is due out in just a couple weeks, on February 22. It’s available for $250, or $300 for those who want an AT&T 3G-equipped unit.

[via Engadget]

RPGs are all about big, vast experiences that require players to navigate through virtual miles of caves, valleys, and dungeons. So it’s almost a fitting feature for Disgaea 3 to measure the distance you’ve gone in the real world. This will be captured by an in-game value known as your “Honor Quotient.” As players increase their HQ, they will earn all sorts of enhancements within the game.

There have been a lot of unique ways that games have tried to tap into real-world elements. Some are the normal, to-be-expected kind, like augmented reality titles that use a system’s built-in camera to incorporate real-life scenery in the background while others, like the Nintendo GBA’s Boktai, which required players to go out in the sun and collect energy via the cartridge’s built-in solar panel. Disgaea 3 will fit in nicely with those quirky titles.

via Shack News]

The first thing you should know here is that Final Fantasy XIII-2 is a time-traveling game with plotlines that fit in several places after the original XIII. There’s one timeline 700 years into the future, one 100 years into the future, and one just 10 years into the future, each of them after XIII. Reviewers seem to have mixed feelings on this installment of the game for a variety of reasons, but one thing seems clear: everyone who has reviewed this game has played several Final Fantasy games before.

“Final Fantasy XIII-2 feels less like a standalone sequel than a concerted effort to bring back fans disappointed by the last game. Somewhere within the bowels of Square Enix, there’s a memo that details every major criticism of XIII. The sequel addresses enough of those points to make it feel different from FFXIII, but without making the game as a whole all that much better.” – Garrett Martin of Ars Technica

The story for this game, to be fair, will give any new person to the series quite a run for their money – but like every single Final Fantasy game before, this is part of the whole project. Final Fantasy games are sort of like chapters in a book series – not necessarily a series that’s meant to go together, but one told many times in the same sort of tenor. The greatest part of this series is still in-tact here as well: the combat system.

“I found “XIII-2″ more absorbing than its predecessor, in part because I’ve gotten used to its “paradigm”-based combat. Instead of controlling all three characters in your party, you control just one — though you can switch the paradigms used by the other two so they concentrate on physical attacks, magic or defense. Boss battles force you to constantly adjust your paradigms, so while the fights are fast-paced, they require strategy.” – Lou Kesten from AP for ABC News

So what this game really adds up to is a rattlingly difficult to follow storyline littered with entertaining bits of combat and fabulous graphics. There are loads of entertaining cinematic segments, the whole game feels good to play, but in the end it comes up short – unless you compare it directly to its predecessor.

“Weirdly enough, on a piece by piece basis Final Fantasy XIII-2 manages to one-up itself in almost every department. At the same time, you get the distinct feeling that Square Enix has lost its way with the franchise, especially in the story telling department. The game is littered with moments throughout that just don’t add up. For a game that starts out as strong as Final Fantasy XIII-2 ,with Lightning battling through Valhalla, it immediately squashes all hopes of a exciting journey by beginning to loosely explain what is transpiring, and what your ultimate goals of the game are to be.” – Bill Hess of Attack of the Fanboy

You’ll be able to pick up Final Fantasy XIII-2 for your Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 for the cool price of $59.99 from all great places sweet games are sold. If you’re a Final Fantasy fan, this game is of course not to be missed – unless you’d rather spend the cash on several iterations of the game from years past. Never played Final Fantasy VII? Maybe a quick dash to the store and $10 later you’ll have the greatest RPG experience of your life in your hands instead!

BONUS: You can also download the demo direct from your Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 today – go grab it and test away!

We’re awaiting Russian scientists to enter Antarctica’s largest subglacial lake. The PlayStation Network is down for maintenance today. Facebook has once again decided it’s time to tweak its UI. There’s an undeniable charm in the set of three colorways for the brand new Pentax K-01.

There’s a strange event coming soon from Apple with an iPad 3 debut in March – so says sources. There’s once again talk of a Facebook phone. Microsoft decides to roll out a Gmail Man and Google is none to thrilled about it. HTC is launching a White Sensation with ICS. Qualcomm and Ericsson team up to show off VoLTE to 3G switching without dropping calls. And just in time to get you going crazy in the afternoon, there’s a brand new absolutely fake Samsung smartphone press photo out there pretending to be the Galaxy S III or the Galaxy S II+.

Hirai says that corporate structure is what has kept Sony from capitalizing on product innovations, and in fact has kept the company trapped in the past. “We really need to buckle down and be realistic,” he told the newspaper. “I don’t think everybody is on board, but I think people are coming around to the idea.”

To deliver on that, Hirai will use the same strategy that worked so well in Sony’s gaming division. The exec turned the PlayStation around from $2bn losses to profit in just four years, though mediocre sales of the PS3 had a detrimental effect on fiscal Q3 2011 results.

“I thought turning around the PlayStation business was going to be the toughest challenge of my career, but I guess not. It’s one issue after another. I feel like ‘Holy s—, now what?” Kazuo Hirai, CEO and President, Sony

“User experience” not just solid hardware is the way forward for Sony, the new CEO believes. His predecessor, Howard Stringer – who will take position as chair of the Sony board later this year – set out plans for a “four screen” strategy last year, integrating TV, PC, tablet and smartphone in an overall ecosystem; however, that means Hirai has to persuade would-be customers to buy not just one Sony device, but four of them.

“We can’t just continue to be a great purveyor of hardware products,” Hirai concludes, “even though some people expect us to do that.”

The good news is Sony claims that most online play will be unaffected. Sony also notes that users who are already signed into their account on the PlayStation Network before the maintenance starts should be able to stay signed into their accounts. However, a number of services will be unavailable for the entire length of maintenance. The services that will be unavailable during maintenance includes the PlayStation Store via the PS3, PSP, and Media Go.

PlayStation Network users will also be unable to access account management and account registration features. PlayStation HomeMusic Unlimited and Video Unlimited services will also be unavailable during maintenance. It is worth noting that during the maintenance, gamers will be able to collect in game trophies and the trophies will be updated to their account when maintenance ends.

[via Blog.US.PlayStation.com]

Meanwhile, the S-LCD business – Sony’s share of which has now been sold off to partner Samsung – contributed to a loss despite Samsung paying for Sony’s half, because the company’s shares went cheaply when they were sold last month. Repairs after the flooding in Thailand cost $114m, though much of that was covered by insurance.

Profit from LCD televisions declined, thanks to lower retail prices that didn’t cover Sony’s own costs, while the company’s game business struggled to make back what Sony had spent on marketing to promote the PlayStation Network. Lower sales of the PS3 itself didn’t help either.

The ray of hope is Sony’s movie business, which saw a 7.7-percent increase year-on-year with sales of $2.1bn. Still, Sony predicts a larger than expected loss for its full 2011 fiscal year, with Hirai to focus on boosting its core businesses of cameras and games, increase investment into mobile and restructure the TV business, in addition to ditching the more unprofitable areas the firm has found itself in.

The search giant confirmed that the update is in the works through the official Google TV Twitter account. The company promised to roll out the new firmware “this week.” Of course, this update only applies to the Sony Internet TV line from around a year ago, and the 3D aspect applies to the small numer of Sony Blu-ray players with Google TV functionality. It does not include the Logitech Revue which was discontinued due to sluggish sales.

Google TV is hoping for a major comeback in 2012, with much-needed support finally confirmed from other high-end television manufacturers. But the question remains whether or not consumers see any value in having what is essentially a computer built into their TV, which still remains a largely passive consumer electronic device. The big thing it still needs is a healthy collection of apps and content that can truly revolutionize the TV experience, not make it more convoluted.

[via Engadget]

The PS Vita has been available in Japan since last December and will be launching in the US on February 22 along with more than 20 game titles. Since Sony is pushing for more digital downloads, it only makes sense to give consumers added incentive with discounted digital copies.

Best Buy has already begun selling codes to redeem games from the PlayStation Network for MLB 12 The Show at $35.99, Reality Fighters at $26.99, and Uncharted: Golden Abyss at $44.99. The difference is about a 10% discount from boxed copies.

ShackNews reached out to Sony regarding the matter and a company rep responded with the following confirmation:

I can confirm that there will be a discount on the downloadable PS Vita titles from PSN. Exact details have not yet been revealed, but be on the lookout for an announcement in the very near future.

[via PlayStation Lifestyle]

It’s possible that this image represents the future of BlackBerry 10. As far as everyone who uses their smartphone on the pot, Android takes the cake. There’s a little board out there called PunkThis by CUPP Computing that’ll put Android on any laptop. We’re one step closer AGAIN to the Galaxy S III as Samsung prepares for a pre-June reveal at an event all their own.

Nikon revealed a whole heck of a lot of cameras this morning with the L810, L26, and S30 for budget shoppers, S-series for compact goodness, and P510 42x and P310 for higher class shooting. Apple has been tipped to currently be in Smart TV component negotiations, so says an analyst. Those of you wondering if you’re going to get your Megaupload data back after the cut-down of its leaders, you’re in luck! And since we’re on such an odd roll, let’s have a short conversation off a long pier with strange objects at the bottom of the Baltic Sea.

Hirai’s promotion has led to a small bout of executive shuffles. Most notable is the company’s new Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President Tadashi Saito, who until now has been President of Sony’s Semiconductor Business Group and Deputy President of the Professional, Device & Solutions Group. Although little has been said about overall strategy – Sony will likely outline more on its approach on Thursday, when it reveals its latest financial results – the promotion of a chipset exec likely recognizes the increasing “smart” potential of home entertainment devices like TVs.

“We can more rapidly and more widely offer consumers smartphones, laptops, tablets and televisions that seamlessly connect with one another and open up new worlds of online entertainment” Stringer said of the four-screen strategy back in October 2011. “This includes Sony’s own acclaimed network services, like the PlayStation Network and Sony Entertainment Network.”

Hirai’s big decision is exactly how closed an ecosystem Sony can afford to push. Apple’s approach – with iTunes, the iPod, iPhone, iPad and the App Store – has arguably worked because of the brand’s unique cachet with iOS. Sony, meanwhile, has struggled in the Android marketplace with its tablets, while Sony Ericsson has lingered behind Samsung and HTC in Android smartphones. The company’s TV business is also in trouble – a fourth year of losses for Sony, fueled by its underperforming TV division, is expected to be confirmed on Thursday – and it lacks the exclusivity of OS X or the cheap prices of Dell, HP, Acer and ASUS in computers.

If Sony goes for broad appeal – hoping to be at least one or two of the screens in front of non-Apple adopters, and adopting open standards like DLNA for content streaming – then it opens itself to rivals not only stepping into its ecosystem but doing better than it can. If the company takes the opposite approach, mimics Apple with proprietary systems, then it runs the risk of not finding enough buyers willing to splurge on an all Sony setup. The obvious halfway measure would be some degree of generic features with an exclusive subset solely for Sony devices, though that would require a careful balancing act.

It’s that balancing act that Stringer and the Sony Board apparently believes Hirai is capable of. Sony’s shares have plummeted in recent years, while those of its Cupertino rival has skyrocketed; the new CEO has plenty of work to do to convince not only buyers but investors that Sony has the ability – and he himself the vision – to deliver the compelling Apple alternative that has so far been conspicuous by its absence.

“Kaz is a globally focused executive for whom technology and the cloud are familiar territory, content is highly valued, and digital transformation is second nature” Stringer said of his replacement. “I believe his tough-mindedness and leadership skills will be of great benefit to the company and its customers in the months and years ahead.”

Stringer and the Sony board had begun the search for replacement leaders back in 2009, and Hirai had been an early standout candidate. Hirai has been leading Sony’s Consumer Products & Services Group, encompassing the firm’s TV, home video, home audio, digital imaging, PC, gaming, and mobile products, along with networked services.

“The path we must take is clear: to drive the growth of our core electronics businesses – primarily digital imaging, smart mobile and game; to turn around the television business; and to accelerate the innovation that enables us to create new business domains” Hirai said in a statement. The foundations are now firmly in place for the new management team and me to fully leverage Sony’s diverse electronics product portfolio, in conjunction with our rich entertainment assets and growing array of networked services, to engage with our customers around the world in new and exciting ways.”

A cornerstone of those “exciting ways” will be Sony’s four-screen strategy, pulling together the quartet of displays users spend most time looking at – TV, computer, tablet and smartphone – into an interlinked environment of information, entertainment and content creation. That strategy will be accelerated now that Sony has sole ownership of its smartphone business, the final “screen” of the four.

The Tester, which is released in weekly installments through the PlayStation Network’s video store, pits self-proclaimed PlayStation fanatics in a series of wacky and outrageous stunts until only one is left standing. The winner gets a $5,000 cash prize and the opportunity to become a full-time entry-level game tester. The show has been maligned from the beginning for its terrible prize and for the ridiculous way it tries to tie in the show’s obstacles into actual responsibilities of being a game tester (having cockroaches running up and down your face shows that you’re good under pressure, which is a trait of all good game testers. Yeah, sure).

UPDATE: Sony has updated us to note: “This year, we’ve changed things up and the prize is a position as a Production Associate at Santa Monica Studios.” Exciting stuff!

In the “where are they now?” files, The Tester season 1 winner Will “Cyrus” Powers is now an “Associate PR Generalist”, and season 2′s victor, Matthew “Gaymer” Brown now works for Sony Pictures. Who will be the next to walk through the revolving door at Sony? Find out when The Tester 3 begins “airing” on the PlayStation Network on February 7.

[via PlayStation Blog]

Of course Sony and Samsung complained just as quick as the advertisements were released, finding in both situations that NAD both took their case and challenged LG separately, finding essentially the same thing: LG’s findings were simply unfair. One of the most telling examples is listed by NAD here, siting the actual units used to do the tests:

“NAD, in considering the advertiser’s evidence, noted that LG’s “broad line claims are premised upon a single test of the parties’ entry-level model 3D televisions” although the record was clear that all three parties make several models of 3D televisions within their respective lines – from entry-level models to high-end technological 3D sets – each configured with any number of combinations of features and attributes. … NAD also recommended that the advertiser discontinue its characterization of the tested Samsung 6420 model as Samsung’s “leading model.”

Claims ranging from LG’s largest advertising point, that “4 out of 5″ consumers preferred LG 3D televisions, to the quite similar claim that consumers preferred LG 3D technology “3 to 1″ over Samsung 3D technology, have all been recommended by NAD to be permanently discontinued. LG prepared separate statements for both cases and outright disagreed with the findings, saying they still respect NAD, but wouldn’t be agreeing to this situation:

“LG supported its claims with an innovative national consumer preference study that was designed and administered by a leading ISO 9001:2008 certified survey research firm. LG believes that the study firmly established consumers’ overwhelming preference for the LG 3D television over the challenger’s comparable 3D television. …

“The advertising claims at issue in this challenge have run their planned course; nevertheless, LG respects the NAD self-regulatory process and will take the NAD’s views into consideration in its advertising going forward.” – LG

Some of the statements brought up in both cases that Samsung and Sony felt should be removed from advertising on the part of LG were as follows. And don’t forget that NAD actually did find in favor of LG for one of these: “[LG Cinema 3D provides] Picture Perfect 3D. From Any Angle,” saying it’s monadic. These are the statements in question:

• “FOUR OUT OF FIVE CONSUMERS PREFER LG CINEMA 3D OVER SONY AND SAMSUNG ACTIVE
3D IN HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON”
• “In 3D TV Tests, 4 out of 5 People Choose LG over Sony and Samsung for Overall 3D
Experience”
• “4 out of 5 People Choose LG Cinema 3D over Sony and Samsung for Overall 3D Experience”
• “4 out of 5 People Choose LG Cinema 3D over Sony and Samsung for Brightness”
• “4 out of 5 People Choose LG Cinema 3D over Sony and Samsung for Color”
• “4 out of 5 People Choose LG Cinema 3D over Sony and Samsung for Picture Quality”
• “4 out of 5 People Choose LG Cinema 3D over Sony and Samsung for Glasses”
• “[LG Cinema 3D provides] Picture Perfect 3D. From Any Angle”;
• “Consumers favor passive 3D technology, like LG Cinema 3D, because they prefer every
aspect of the passive 3D TV experience”
• “Consumers’ clear preference for passive 3D” has been demonstrated by “independent,
unbiased research”

Again the most notable case here is the fact that Samsung’s Model 46” 6420 was the only one used in consumer tests. This model, as Samsung notes, is not only just one of 43 Samsung televisions currently out there with 3D capability, it’s not even a general distribution model. Samsung has two different screen types on the market now with televisions with 3D capabilities ranging between 40 to 65-inches and prices between $1,000 to $5,000. Because LG was in no way clear on this point (or even that it used that one TV) in its advertising, “the advertiser’s broad claims convey the unsubstantiated message that the test results show that 4 out of 5 people prefer all televisions in the LG Cinema 3D line to all Samsung 3D televisions when that was not the case.”

It appears to this editor that LG has acted in very bad taste in this situation, and the full report has one whole heck of a lot more issues to burn through than this. Advertising can be a wicked world to be a part of, and it’s no small deal when you’re found to be doing the false brand of it. We’re expecting this case to move on past this set of reports without a doubt.

So here’s the nitty gritty. If you want to enter, you’ll need to buy a 5 Buck Box, which as everyone knows includes a Cheesy Gordita Crunch, Burrito Supreme, Crunchy Taco, and a medium drink. On the packaging of your box of meaty goodness, there will be a code that you can enter at unlock.tacobell.com. The first winners will start receiving their Vitas around February 8.

The Taco Bell partnership goes beyond the sweepstakes deal. The two companies also worked together to created an Augmented Reality game on Android and iOS called Reality Fighters Dojo. It’s a basic fighting game app. As for the contest, winners not only receive a Vita unit but also a 4 GB memory card and a free game. The contest runs until March so even if you still want a Vita after it hits stores, and you have a rumbly in your tummy, you can still win.

[via PlayStation Blog]

There’s also support for 1080/60p video recording, and up to 10fps full-resolution continuous shooting of stills. A speedy BIONZ processor is good for super-fast focussing, Sony reckons, as well as handling intelligent selection of which of the 36 difference scene modes is most suitable. That happens in just 1/30th of a second, Sony claims, with the TX200V automatically shooting two frames back-to-back in low-light or otherwise troublesome conditions, using difference settings for each, so that you can pick your favorite later.

Automatic background defocus, optical image stabilization and face detection, as well as a flash-pairing mode which uses two shots taken in rapid succession – one with flash, one without – to create a single frame that has the benefits of both, round out the key specs. Sony has also made the TX200V dustproof and waterproof to 16 feet.

As for the Cyber-shot DSC-WX70 and WX50, they each have a 16.2-megapixel sensor, 25mm 5x optical zoom and full HD video recording. They can also capture 12-megapixel frames while simultaneously recording video. Both have an XtraFine LCD touchscreen – 3-inches on the WX70 and 2.7-inches on the WX50 – and optical image stabilization.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX200V is up for pre-order now, priced at $499.99, and available in silver, violet or red from March 23. The Cyber-shot DSC-WX70 and WX50 are priced at $229.99 and $199.99 respectively.

Aaron Luke, a designer on the game, has confirmed that users will be able to save their games to the cloud. This includes Franchise, Road to the Show, and Season modes. This means users can pick up where they left off at a friend’s house, and they won’t lose any data if their PS3 hard drive happens to malfunction. That’s a pretty neat and handy feature.

There’s another interesting part of this feature, though. MLB 12 The Show is also coming out on PlayStation Vita, and save data will be transferrable between the two systems. So Road the Show mode will actually be playable, well, on the road. The MLB “The Show” franchise has long been heralded as the most realistic baseball simulation series in the gaming industry. It’s also been a favorite for Sony to showcase its new technology, including HD graphics, 3D functionality, and now cloud saving and PlayStation Vita compatibility. The game is due out on both platforms on March 6.

[via PlayStation Blog]

The company now enveloped by Sony noted that they had a sour economy, price erosion, restructuring charges, and a whole lot of Thailand flooding to blame when they spoke of their loss earlier this month. Sony Ericsson also announced a relatively clear pathway for 2012 to update their device line to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, this leading consumers perhaps to pick up their devices in 2012 to stay ahead of the pack. New devices showing up at CES 2012 showed the company to be well on track for creating new and innovative Android-based smartphones for the year, devices such as the Xperia ION and the XPERIA S packed with high definition displays and specifications to be proud of.

The purchase price for Sony picking up Sony Ericsson from Ericsson totals in at €1.05bn ($1.47bn) and we’re still guessing that Ericsson is more than ready to give up control to the larger company. Meanwhile we’ll be continuing to review devices from the newly minted Sony mobile sector while we move through this 12th year on the century. Feel free to dive into our Sony Ericsson archive to reminisce on this soon to be extinct brand name.

[via Reuters]

The first deal called the PS Vita First Edition Bundle has already been available for pre-orders. It initially included the PS Vita 3G/Wi-Fi hardware plus a limited edition case, a 4GB PS Vita Memory Card, and Little Deviants game, but now Sony is adding an AT&T DataConnect Session Pass good for one free 250MB session and a PlayStation Network game, both of which you’ll receive upon 3G activation. And if you’ve already pre-ordered you will still be getting it all a week ahead of launch.

The new bundle meant to draw the masses on launch day, packs the PS Vita 3G/Wi-Fi hardware, an 8GB PS Vita Memory Card, an AT&T Data Connect Session Pass, and a PlayStation Network game all for only $299, the regular retail price for the hardware alone. Sony emphasizes that it’s a very limited edition offering, so you want it you better lineup on launch day.

[via PlayStation Blog]

Lumines Electronic Symphony will take full advantage of the Vita’s unique touch panel on the back of the device, making it easier for players to move and position blocks onto the play field. Other new additions include special skills that are unlocked as players collect new avatars, and a graphical overhaul that will turn the flat 2D blocks into much more visually pleasing 3D cubes. The core gameplay, however, remains unchanged.

The brain-busting finger-twisting bundle of joy is scheduled to be available as a launch title for the Vita, which is due out late next month. It will be one of the rare franchises to be available at launch for both the PSP and the Vita. Make sure you have enough hair to pull out and enough time to kill before you pick up your copy.

[via PlayStation Blog]

The games released with the PS Vita have yet to garner much fanfare in Japan with its titles absent from the country’s top charts. However, this week’s Tales of Innocence R by Namco Bandai is expected to give sales a boost as one of the handheld’s highest profile releases so far. In two more weeks, Sony will be releasing its own Gravity Rush title, which could also help boost PS Vita sales.

Sales of rival handheld Nintendo 3DS also continued to slide, but it remains well ahead in the lead with 80,960 units sold in the latest week, compared to the PS Vita’s 15,219 units sold. The PlayStation 3 console is in second place with 21,155 units sold followed by the PSP in third with 17,181 units sold. The overall progression of PS Vita sales over the last six weeks is shown below:

Week 1: 324,859
Week 2: 72,479
Week 3: 42,648
Week 4: 42,915
Week 5: 18,361
Week 6: 15,219

The PS Vita is expected to launch here in the US on February 22. It will launch with more than 20 games along with major franchise titles lined up in the following months that should keep sales momentum going stronger than what we’ve seen in Japan.

[via Gamasutra]

The HTC Titan II features a massive 4.7-inch display with a 16-megapixel camera and support for LTE. The device is priced at $199.99 with a two-year service agreement and is expected to be released on March 18, the same day the Nokia Lumia 900 will launch. The Lumia 900 features a 4.3-inch screen with LTE support and is priced at $99.99 with a two-year service agreement.

The slew of Android devices include the smartphone-tablet hybrid Samsung Galaxy Note, sporting a 5.3-inch display, the Samsung Galaxy SII Skyrocket HD, and lower end Samsung Exhilarate, most all of which we’ve seen and heard about before. But what we’re hearing about for the first time is a Sony Crystal tablet, which BGR says will support AT&T HSPA+ and will be priced for $409.99. Dates have not been revealed for these devices yet, but they are planned for release in Q1.

The price you’re seeing here comes from Negri Electronics, a store which your humble narrator has never before dropped cash on so cannot vouch for personally, but the price is telling. Inside this device you’re going to get a smashingly sized 4.55-inch HD display, a fabulous dual-core processor from Qualcomm, and a gigantic camera on the back. The camera is set at a whopping 12 megapixels strong and works with an Exmor R sensor while the processor is a dual-core Snapdragon clocked at 1.5GHz.

We’ve got our very own hands-on with this device if you’d like to take a look. Notice the 720p display, the ability to go from asleep to taking a photo in under 1.5 seconds, and the excellence of having a microHDMI port right beside your main microUSB port. There’s also a dock in there too that you’ll probably want to pick up for this device specifically, it having a couple of USB ports, microHDMI, and microUSB to get you rolling on your HDTV. Xperia on the way!

[via PocketNow]

The layered structure allows the CMOS sensor to provide better image quality and functionality. The new sensor is also smaller and when the internal components get smaller, cameras can often get smaller as well. Sony is calling the development a stacked CMOS sensor. Another big feature of the chips is its ability to offer faster speeds and lower power consumption while increasing the image quality.

Sony notes that it developed the new sensor due to a demand for cameras that have more functionalities and are adaptable to a wider range of conditions. The stacked CMOS sensor will allow higher pixel numbers and a more compact size. Sony has used the sensor to build a camera already that has integrated signal processing; typically signal processing needs an external embedment according to Sony. The new CMOS sensor will start sampling in March.