Sony working on e-paper watch Sony is developing a watch made out of electronic paper for release as soon as next year in a trial of the company’s new venture-style approach to creating products. Sony to cut TV, smartphone rolloutsSony unveils online TV service, PlayStation VueSony Xperia Z4 specifications, features leakedPlaystation hacking: Userss information safe assures SonySony reports narrower Q2 loss than expected Sony Corp is developing a watch made out of electronic paper for release as soon as next year in a trial of the companys new venture-style approach to creating products, according to people familiar with the matter. The watchs face and wrist band will be made from a patented material that allows the entire surface area to function as a display and change its appearance, the people said, asking not to be named because it hasnt been announced. The device will emphasize style, rather than trying to outdo more technological offerings like Apple Incs watch and Sonys own SmartWatch, they said. At stake is more than a win against Apple and Samsung Electronics Co. A decade of cost reductions and job cuts has soured Sonys culture of innovation, once celebrated for the Walkman and the Trinitron television. Chief executive officer Kazuo Hirai formed a business creation division this year under his direct control to fast-track promising products, and the watch is one of the efforts first results. The innovation programme is very important, but it will take time and require some risk-taking, said Sadao Nagaoka, a professor at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo who studies innovation and serves as an economic adviser to Japans Patent Office. Its not that Sony ran out of new ideas, but rather, its taking too long to restructure, and gigantic losses have starved new businesses of funds. New ideas Hirais new division is aiming to come up with products and services that dont fit the mold of Sonys existing businesses. Besides the e-paper watch, the group is developing technology building blocks designed to help professionals and amateurs rapidly create prototypes of new products. The MESH project — for make, experience and share — is a collection of sensors, light-emitting diodes and buttons encased in colorful blocks smaller than a pack of chewing gum. The devices are linked wirelessly and can be operated via a tablet interface, friendly to people without programming or engineering skills. The division also includes Sonys Seed Acceleration Program, which was set up so any employee with a good idea can pitch for venture financing. Would-be entrepreneurs make their proposals either to other employees or to a panel of outside experts, in which case their pitch remains anonymous, said one of the people. The startup process includes an audition, incubation and implementation stages that emphasize speed and profitability. Teams of up to five people face off every three months and can include outsiders, according to an internal newsletter published in July. Those that pass have at most six months to prepare a business plan and may work on the ideas full-time. The final product could fall under an existing division or become an independent company. The first round, held in June, attracted 187 applications, of which 80 passed to the next stage, according to the document. Litmus test Koji Kurata, a spokesman for Tokyo-based Sony, declined to comment when reached by phone yesterday. The e-paper watch will be a litmus test for Sonys new division. Though the market for wearable technology is still small, with only 22 million of the gadgets sold worldwide this fiscal year, the industry is set to grow fivefold in the next five years, according to MM Research Institute Ltd. More than half of all wearable devices already target the wrist, with competition Fitbit Incs rubber band-like fitness trackers to the $780 luxury Veldt timepieces. Focusing on appearance may help distinguish Sonys new product from the crowd of devices serving as a second screen for smartphones. The companys own SmartWatch acts as a music player remote control, while Samsungs Galaxy Gear offers hands-free calls. Both push e-mail and Facebook notifications and require a phone. General ugliness Consumers surveyed by Nomura Research Institute cited the general ugliness of wearables as the third-biggest obstacle to adoption, after price and weight. Apple, which hired celebrity designer Marc Newson in September, will offer a choice of stainless steel, aluminum and 18-karat gold when its watch goes on sale next year. Smartwatches dont sell now because there is little reason to buy one, since your smartphone can do it all anyway, said Taichiro Nakayama, a senior consultant at Nomura Research in Tokyo. Many people choose their watches based on the brand and design. Convincing them to replace whats on their wrist now is no mean feat. Hard things Hirai has struggled to turn the company around as he faces rising competition in mobile phones and games, and soft demand for televisions and cameras. Sony is set to pile up more than 1 trillion yen ($8.5 billion) of losses since 2010. Hirai sounded an optimistic note when he addressed investors in May, saying the innovation programme will create new businesses while also nurturing young talent. He said it will become the driving force for our new Sony. A Sony engineer who participated in the programme said it has created a stir among younger employees, though there are still hesitations about trying something that may fail. He chose to pitch his project to a panel of outside experts rather than putting it up for a public vote, in part because he didnt want his bosses to know he was trying to leave. The engineer, who asked not to be named because hes not authorized to talk about the programme, said his proposal didnt get funding. Sonys trouble is not just with targeting the right technologies — they also have problems in terms of management, corporate governance and so on, said Keun Lee, a professor of economics at Seoul National University who writes about disruptive innovation. Tapping diverse sources for knowledge and communicating across the companys silos can be one source of recovery.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 10:59:13 +0000
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