Sony today introduced the brand new VAIO Fit laptop built with Sony's innovative digital imaging, sound and display technologies. Alongside the new Fit laptops are enhancements to VAIO's All-in-One Tap 20 and L Series PCs and Sony's top-selling VAIO T Series 15 Ultrabook incorporating all around excellence in productivity and entertainment with rich touch experiences powered by Windows 8.

"We built the brand new VAIO Fit line from many of the same features as our amazingly thin and powerful ultra-premium models but at an entry-level price point," said Pedro LaFargo , SVP, Sony VAIO & Networked Products Division. "Our entire new Fit lineup is optimized for Windows 8 and incorporates the best technology that only Sony can provide from our innovative digital imaging, sound and TV divisions. The new Fit family is providing students and professionals' on-the-go with advanced performance and design."

AMD announced today a strategic focus on developing one-of-a-kind solutions through its Semi-Custom Business Unit based on the extensive set of intellectual property (IP) amassed across AMD processors, graphics and multimedia. Providing to customers a level of flexibility and differentiation that goes beyond standard AMD products, the business unit takes AMD to a new level of customer-centric design by integrating these building blocks with customer-specific IP to create tailor-made solutions using a flexible System-on-a-Chip (SoC) design methodology.

AMD's high-performance SoC processor design methodology provides a modular approach, leveraging best practices to readily re-use silicon IP and design building blocks. With the Semi-Custom Business Unit, AMD collaborates with customers to create customized chip solutions that help enable customers to push the boundaries in product development. The business unit features a strong team of engineers who are well-versed in graphics and compute processing, and is led by Corporate Vice President and General Manager Saeid Moshkelani. Moshkelani joined AMD last year from Trident Microsystems and reports to AMD Senior Vice President and General Manager of Global Business Units Lisa Su.

NVIDIA today announced support for Sony Computer Entertainment's PlayStation4 with the popular NVIDIA PhysX and NVIDIA APEX software development kits (SDKs). Game designers use PhysX and APEX technologies for collision detection and simulation of rigid bodies, clothing, fluids, particle systems and more across a wide range of platforms, including desktop PCs, game consoles, and mobile and handheld devices.

NVIDIA PhysX technology is the world's most pervasive physics solution for designing real-time, real-world effects into interactive entertainment titles. The PhysX development environment gives developers unprecedented control over the look of their final in-game interactivity.

Ahead of its unveiling last week, it was expected that Sony's PlayStation 4 console would be driven by little more than an AMD A-Series "Trinity" APU. It ended up being a lot more than that. The custom-design SoC that drives the next-generation console is a joint effort between AMD and Sony, which integrates an 8-core x86-64 CPU based on the company's new "Jaguar" micro-architecture; a GPU based on its Graphics CoreNext technology; a GDDR5 integrated memory controller, and certain enhancements by Sony. In an interview with The Inquirer, the company hinted that it's interested in porting the SoC over to the PC platform, minus Sony's share of the development.

Sony is unveiling its latest in flat-panel display technologies, a 20.5-inch organic LED (OLED) display panel, at Radiological Society of North America meeting, held in Chicago, USA. The 20.5-inch monochrome panel is still work-in-progress, and being developed for high-resolution imaging systems. Its output resolution is 2560 x 2048 pixels (5:4 aspect ratio), with extremely high contrast ratio, and up to 500 cd/m² maximum brightness.

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) today announced that the cumulative sales of the PlayStation3 (PS3) computer entertainment system reached a milestone of 70 million units worldwide as of November 4, 2012 - less than six years after the platform launched in 2006. SCE also announced that sales of the PlayStationMove motion controller surpassed 15 million units worldwide as of November 11, demonstrating continued growth and momentum of the PS3 platform.

The PS3 system has delivered high quality, award-winning entertainment experiences since its launch. Throughout its lifecycle, the PS3 system has continued to evolve with more streamlined design, larger Hard Disk Drive (HDD) capacity, and new features through software updates. In September 2012, SCE launched the new PS3 system, which has a reduced volume and weight of more than 50 percent compared to the original PS3 model, and of 25 percent and 20 percent respectively compared to the slim PS3 model launched in 2009. The new PS3 has been well received by consumers around the world.

Sony announced VAIO-branded keyboards and mice in Japan, under its fall/winter collection. Designed for its fleet of notebooks and Ultrabooks, the peripherals feature minimalist design, but with colorful, designer fascias. The replacement keyboards can by installed into the notebooks/Ultrabooks at a Sony service center, and enhance the look and tactile-feedback of your notebook's keyboard. The mouse, on the other hand, uses Bluetooth to talk to its host, features three buttons including the scroll-wheel, and features colorful replaceable front-panels. The keyboards are sold standalone for 2,980¥ (US $37), mouse for 5,780¥ ($72), and a Special Accessories Box package that includes choices of both for 7,760¥ ($96).

Sony Corporation today announced that Tim Schaaff, President of Sony Network Entertainment International (SNEI) and Group Executive of Sony Corporation, will retire as of December 31, 2012. Schaaff will remain on the SNEI board of directors as an external director.

Effective January 1, 2013, Group Executive of Sony Corporation Andrew House will assume responsibilities for SNEI during the transition, in addition to his current role as President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.(SCEI). The existing SNEI executive staff will manage daily operations.

According to a VG 24/7 report, Sony began shipping development kits of its upcoming game console, PlayStation 4, codenamed "Orbis" to developers. The kit is described as being a "normal sized PC," driven by AMD A10 "Trinity" APU, and 8 or 16 GB of memory. We've known from reports dating back to April that Sony plans to use a combination of APU and discrete GPU, similar to today's Dual Graphics setups, where the APU graphics core works in tandem with discrete mid-range GPU. The design goal is to be able to play games 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution, with 60 Hz refresh rate, and with the ability to run stereo 3D at 60 Hz. For storage, the system has a combination of Blu-ray drive and 250 GB HDD. Sony's next-generation game console is expected to be unveiled "just before E3," 2013.

Sony Corporation today announced additional steps it is taking to accelerate structural reforms of its headquarters and electronics business operations in Japan, including consolidating certain manufacturing operations and expediting measures to reduce its headcount.

Amidst a highly competitive business environment, Sony has been undertaking a series of measures to revitalize and grow its electronics business. As part of its mid-term strategic initiatives announced in April 2012, Sony identified resource optimization as one of the key initiatives for transforming its electronics business and Sony has since been progressively implementing various structural reform measures to optimize costs, streamline its overall organization, accelerate decision-making processes and establish firm foundations for sustainable future growth. In its prior corporate strategy announcement, Sony stated that through the combination of these structural reform measures and business portfolio realignment it expected to reduce headcount across the entire Sony Group, primarily in the electronics business, by approximately 10,000 in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013 ("FY12"), including approximately 3,000 to 4,000 in Japan.

Sony today introduced its first mobile Tabletop PC for the U.S. market, the VAIO Tap 20 PC, and its slider hybrid, the VAIO Duo 11 Ultrabook, combining innovative hardware designs with rich touch experiences powered by Windows 8. Alongside the new state-of-the-art PCs, there's an elegant T Series Ultrabook and portfolio of VAIO PCs that put touch right at the heart of the personal computing experience.

Built with Sony's innovative digital imaging, sound and TV technology, the latest VAIO Touchworld collection features bright, responsive 10-point multi-touch screens with engaging interactive applications, family computing options and new experiences in mobile productivity.

Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. announced today the shipping of the Kunai stereo gaming headset being released under the Company's TRITTON audio brand and compatible with the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and the PlayStation Vita portable entertainment system from Sony.

"The release of the Kunai demonstrates our commitment to the audio category, furthering our strategy to provide gaming headsets across all major hand-held, console, and PC gaming platforms." said Darren Richardson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. "We believe the ability to use the Kunai both for gaming and as a lifestyle headset provides a unique opportunity for us to expand our market share and deliver innovative products to the passionate gamers." Additional information available here.

Today Sony introduced its new Extra Bass headphone series, available in headband-type and in ear bud versions. This new line combines Sony's expertise in superior audio engineering, comfort, and style, while delivering an enhanced acoustic design. The range of sub harmonics is deeper than the more traditional line, ideal for today's music.

"Sony's sound engineers are committed to providing an unprecedented level of audio performance," said Andrew Sivori, vice president of the Personal Audio Division at Sony Electronics. "Our new Extra Bass lineup of headphones delivers solid low frequency response, enhancing the signature of today's music styles."

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) today announced that a new PlayStation 3 (PS3) computer entertainment system (body color: charcoal black / classic white), featuring a new design and a downsized form factor, will become available worldwide this holiday season. The new PS3 will come in 3 models including extended built in Hard Disk Drive (HDD) capacity of 500GB model and 250GB model, and a newly added 12GB flash memory model initially for Europe only.

Thanks to a complete redesign of the internal architecture, the volume and weight of the new PS3 has been reduced by more than half compared to the very first PS3 model with a 60GB HDD, and by 20% and 25% respectively compared to the current PS3. By adopting a sliding disk cover, the new PS3 continues with the characteristic sleek curved body design, which fits various places in the home and enables users to enjoy an array of entertainment content.

If you love music, chances are that a deep, characterful bass sound is important to your listening pleasure. It's the frequency where we literally feel the sound - the bass pulse that sets the heart racing.

That's why the MDR-XB headphone range is designed to deliver extra bass quality. The headphones are crafted to reproduce smooth, resonant low-end bass frequencies for whatever kind of tracks you want to enjoy.

Ultimate sound quality, comfort wear and design are beautifully harmonised in the new MDR-1 range of premium headphones from Sony. The pinnacle of over fifty years of design innovation by Sony, the ground-breaking MDR-1 range is the result of unique creative partnership with Sony Music Entertainment. Available in standard, digital noise cancelling and Bluetooth wireless versions, the new headphones feature a closed-back design for maximum isolation and exceptional bass response.

The headphones have been created with leading music industry figures, whose knowledge of current trends has directly influenced the design of the MDR-1. In a unique collaboration with Sony Music artists, singer songwriter Katy B and dubstep supergroup Magnetic Man joined evaluation sessions with Mastering engineer Naweed Ahmed at Whitfield Mastering, one of London's longest-established and most respected music studios.

Boost your productivity and creativity with VAIO Duo 11, the PC from Sony that also turns into a smart, intuitive touchscreen tablet.

With its premium Surf Slider design, the powerful VAIO Duo 11 PC switches smoothly between keyboard and tablet modes to give the best computing experience - wherever you are and whatever you're doing.

Pick up VAIO Duo 11 in one hand and use in tablet mode to browse the web or enjoy music and videos while you're traveling. In the office, slide out the keyboard and maximise your productivity with a fully-featured PC powered by latest-generation Intel Core processors.

With NFC technology you simply touch the speaker with your NFC-enabled smartphone to start streaming music with Bluetooth. Easy to carry anywhere in the house, the SRS-BTM8 can be used with AA/LR6 batteries or a mains adapter.

The SRS-BTM8 portable wireless NFC Bluetooth speaker from Sony lets you enjoy music from your smartphone or tablet in high quality audio, anywhere in the house. What's more, thanks to built-in NFC** (Near Field Communication) technology, you don't even have to worry about pairing your devices if they're NFC-enabled.

Now everyone can share exciting media experiences with VAIO Tap 20 from Sony. It's the fresh concept in home computing that's a tabletop PC and so much more.

Versatile VAIO Tap 20 is designed to leverage the intuitive ease of Windows 8, opening up exciting new possibilities to interact with apps and your media collection.

Portable, battery-powered VAIO Tap 20 fits right into any living space - from bedrooms and kids' play areas to the kitchen or garden. Lay it on a coffee table and let everyone join in games on the large multi-touch screen. Flip out the in-built stand and tilt VAIO Tap 20 at a comfortable angle for 'lean back' photo/movie editing by touch operation, browsing and entertainment. Or stand it upright and use as a fully-functioning desktop PC: it's easy to work on documents, surf or check emails with the supplied wireless keyboard and mouse.

Sony is reportedly shutting down Optiarc Inc., its subsidiary which deals with PC optical drives. The move could mark the company's exit from PC optical drive business, including its PC Blu-ray drive business. It is reported that officials at Sony find "fierce competition" responsible for lower than viable pricing, forcing the business to operate at a loss. Sony plans to wind up Optiarc by March 2013, and give some of its 400 employees early retirement, while transferring some to other divisions of Sony.

Apple might be diving into the world of console gaming yet again according to Shacknews and GI.biz The patent application shows a staggering similarity to Sony's DualShock controller and what seems to be an iPhone interacting with a Microsoft Xbox360. This might be an Apple style preemptive attack against future endeavors to create apps that interface with current generation consoles or it could be something new that Apple has in the works. With the current growth in Apples market share and the growing popularity of Apple TV it shouldn't come as a surprise it would want a piece of the console pie. Whether the big three (Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo) give any leeway to Apple has yet to be seen.

Sony's newest memory cards supporting the XQD specification are the fastest ever developed, with read and write speeds of 168 MB/s. The new "S Series" is perfect for professional photography applications where high performance and blazing fast image capture are critical, such as sports and live events.

Sony's S Series cards are based on the XQD memory card specification, which the CompactFlash Association approved and licensed as an open format. A unique controller and optimized flash memory enables high-speed data processing, resulting in faster write speed and performance that surpass the maximum interface speed of CF cards (167 MB/s). Transfer speeds may vary and are dependent on the host device.

Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) today announced that it entered into a definitive agreement on June 30, 2012 (Japan Time) to acquire Gaikai Inc., the world's leading interactive cloud-based gaming company, for approximately USD 380 million. Through the acquisition, SCE will establish a new cloud service, ensuring that it continues to provide users with truly innovative and immersive interactive entertainment experiences.

"By combining Gaikai's resources including its technological strength and engineering talent with SCE's extensive game platform knowledge and experience, SCE will provide users with unparalleled cloud entertainment experiences," said Andrew House, President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "SCE will deliver a world-class cloud-streaming service that allows users to instantly enjoy a broad array of content ranging from immersive core games with rich graphics to casual content anytime, anywhere on a variety of internet-connected devices."

Sony Corporation ("Sony") and Panasonic Corporation ("Panasonic") today announced that they have signed an agreement regarding the joint development of next-generation OLED (organic light-emitting diode) panels and modules for TVs and large-sized displays.

Sony and Panasonic plan to jointly develop next-generation OLED panels and modules by each utilizing their core and printing technologies. They plan to jointly develop printing method-based next-generation OLED technology, which will be suitable for low-cost mass production of large, high resolution OLED panels and modules. Sony and Panasonic aim to establish mass-production technology during 2013, by integrating their unique technologies to improve the overall efficiency of development.

Sony's VAIO Expo Tour at the Sony Wonder Technology Lab in New York heralded the brand new VAIO T Series Ultrabook as well as a new portfolio of VAIO PCs built with Sony's industry-leading audio, video, imaging and software technology.

The first Ultrabook to carry the VAIO name, the T Series packs high performance and responsiveness into a stylishly slim magnesium and aluminum chassis for daily trips to the office or campus. Also in the VAIO family are enhancements to the E, S, Z and L All-in-One Series models, incorporating advanced features and a platform of innovations for all around excellence in productivity and entertainment.