Sony Corp Turns 60, Looks for Innovation

As the inimitable Sony Corporation turns 60 years old this year, the new CEO, a foreigner named Howard Stringer [ed: Stringer was named CEO a year ago], is trying to reign the company away from esoteric hardware that costs much more than what the average consumer would consider paying for such as the 13,300 audio console which automatically centered the CD as the user tossed it about.  So far, his efforts have been paying off, especially because the primary focus is in growth, while downsizing much of the bloat which has been plaguing the company in recent years.

The first of Stringer’s cuts were to the Qualia line of luxury items, which there was a very very small niche market for, which did not make up for the costs associated with the products, which include the aforementioned audio console and a micro-sized digital camera.  The Japanese corporation has also sold off nearly $1 billion in assets, reduced its stake in a Japanese retail chain that deals in non-electronics, scrapped the Aibo electronic-pet division, and stopped the production of plasma television sets.

More recently, the company has decided to veer away from the traditional Japanese business practice of promoting former executives to advisory positions, and has done away with 45 of these symbolic advisors due to the costs related to their position in the company.  That is to say, of course, they were not really contributing, but were still draining the company dollar, especially with their individually chauffeured cars.

Analysts are optimistic but wary, as Sony tries to grasp at a future of prosperity as it had seen from the 1960s to the ’80s, with the transistor radio, the walkman, color television, and other pioneering products.

This past Thursday, Sony had posted the results of the first fiscal quarter, a $276 million profit which is being credited to strong sales of LCD television Sets, laptops, camcorders, and digital cameras.  This is good news for a company which hasn’t seen a full year profit since 2002.

Sony President, Ryoji Chubachi, has mentioned that TVs and portable music are the areas in which Sony must show itself as a winner, stating “If we lose in either category, it’s inevitable that people are going to have doubts about Sony.”

Sony has been slow to jump onto the portable music boat due to fears that they will be eating their own tail by thieving sales of compact discs.  To complicate this, Sony had at first used the ATRAC3 file format on their portable players to hinder piracy, although they are now seeing the genius behind using MP3 encoding for the basis of their player.

Sony’s new LCD Television sets are commanding the TV market of late, although Sony had to work with the South Korean Samsung Electronics in order to play “Catch Up” on the world market.  It had appeared that Sony had been too confident in the cathode-ray tube paradigm of television sets and had not given much thought to the newer, sleeker sets.

Copyright 2006 Garian Cashman.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may be re-broadcast, re-published, re-written, or re-distrubuted as the user sees fit provided this notice is retained in any and all copies.

source: www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/biztech/07/31/sonyat60.ap/index.html

Mini Sonic Season 7

The Coop writes:

Been a while, hasn’t it? Well, despite a few setbacks here and there, I finally got around to making a new season. Took a bit longer than I thought it would, but it’s ready to go. As usual, I’ll post a new one every two or three days until the season’s run is done. So, after a longer than normal break…”
Read the full thread and keep up on the new season here: http://www.ocremix.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=88316

OCR Pre-1500 Lockdown — 80+ Mixes removed!!!

Almost 24 hours ago (because it’s a bit over 12 am here), djpretzel posted a list that most certainly exposed scandals.

Over 80 mixes will be taken down before the release of the newly awaited torrents (thats right, torrents). Many things will be revamped. Tags are finally freakin’ fixed (you can probably tell that I’m picky about those things). Ormgas will take a hit. Why, might as well mention that apocalypse is near.
Take a look and see…it’s amazing to look at that list…you WILL probably find a mix that is one of your favorites, or will spur a memory because all of them are pre-1000.

I had some personal favorites in there including Bart Klepka’s Wanderer Flayer and Black Lodge’s Ocarina Boogie. Beatdrop’s Mortal Kombat Medley was the very first ocremix that I had ever listened to. Amazing. Just. Is. I can always remember (usually listening to Ormgas) hating Daknit’s songs, or realizing that cornflex (along with say…Astroboy, Ben Lewis, etc.) were simply the originals with some fancy stuff added. Hell, they didn’t even take the time to balance the volume for half the mixes.

We will remember you, OC_ReMoved…whether we hate you or not. All I can say is that I applaud djpretzel and the OCR panel for their great work. They have finally removed the worst and dysfunctional of the great OC ReMixes.

P.S.: cornflex and daknit were massively pwnt! no kidding! among many others too.

FORUM THREAD BY DJP – FULL CHANGELOG

DiscoDan – Downtime

We haven’t had a REAL featured song in quite sometime, but someone made a thread on OCR about an old song Dan made, it and made me dig up some of his old stuff…
Downtime is one of the most truely amazing remixer originals ever. Dan really outdid himself when he made this song some odd 4-5 years ago. It’s a MUST LISTEN for everyone and is highly recommended.

And yes, this song was made with Fruity Loops. Likely Fruity Loops 3 infact.

GET IT NOW

hellven members hunz and xerxes now have websites

hunz says, “Hey,

Just a quick msg to say my official web page is online. www.hunz.com.au. There is a new track to download called “you should never change” that will not be featured on my album. There is new video clips to download from past work I’ve been involved with so please download, listen and watch. Feel free to leave comments. I also spent a bit of time on the art work which is a small reflection of what’s on the album. It’s like graffiti but it uses real photography to to trace over.
Thanks everyone,
..::hunz..”

xerxes opened a website back in late June. http://www.xerxes-music.com/

Shael Riley plays July 23rd at Club Midway

Shael Riley writes: “Hey, kids! Long time no see, huh? I’ve been
working on a live set, and I’ve finally got something together. I’ll be
playing my first paid
gig–not counting the then-awesome grunge band I fronted in
highschool–on July 23rd at Club Midway (http://www.clubmidway.com/) in
NYC.”

Please come see me play and wear an OCR T-shirt so I can identify
you! I’ll be opening for the world’s 570th greatest rapper, MC
Frontalot. Details from the booking agent below:

AllOverBooking®

P r e s e n t s:

Club Midway

25 Ave B

NY, NY 10009

Ave B btw 2nd & 3rd St.

www.clubmidway.com


Sunday, July 23


$7 cover – 18 and over

Bands playing:

8:30 Shael Riley www.myspace.com/shaelrileytheband

9:30 Jess Klein www.jessklein.com

10:30 MC Frontalot www.frontalot.com