Christopher

Awesome

I agree..it is really awesome to see people here who registered years and years ago still floating around every once in a while.

Actually, this post was written by our Editor Stan, but I will make sure he sees your kind words!

Have you been wondering when you finally get to witness Sony’s entrance into Internet with the big boys like Google and Intel integrated in its TV’s hardware? Sony has been sending out invites to press informing about the event taking place in NYC on October 12. It’s interesting to note, that Sony has been showing off the hardware and what the TV will look like since early May, however the platform and interface have not been fully revealed to the public. Recently Engadget reported that BestBuy at its event of holiday line up of products, sort of debuted this TV a little bit too early, but again all the details about its user interface were still scarce. As you can tell by looking at the pictures below, this TV is a totally different beast and we have not noticed any BRAVIA branding. The NSX-GT1 will be powered by Intel’s Atom processor

Preface Sony camcorders have not been my fix like VAIO computers have been, but I have been paying attention to its development throughout several years. So far I have had only 3 Sony camcorders and the usual reasons for me to obtain one were 1. style and design 2. ease of use 3. something really unique that would differentiate it from any other products in its line. Those are my 3 main points I adhere to when I purchase pretty much any Sony product. My first camcorder was a Sony DCR-IP220 – network camcorder, that utilized MicroMV tapes, had bluetooth built in, as well as ability to be connected to the Internet, upload pictures and video to an online service (SoNet), check email. Oh yea, almost forgot to mention, it was the first camcorder to shoot 2 megapixel pictures! Back then (in 1999) it was huge and I thought my $2000 camcorder was it. Later on I have upgraded to an HD camcorder DCR-CX10 – very light and capable of recording to Memory Sticks directly, no need to worry about internal hard drive failures. With recent NEX series introduction, I took some time to see how NEX-3/5 is being adopted by consumers, learn to see if Sony would continue its development through firmware upgrades (as Sony can be notorious for introducing a topnotch product and never improve it, even though the manual for it would state that “your Sony product is firmware upgradable for new features and improvements”). The idea of interchangeable lens really attracted my attention, as I got tired of regular CyberShot cameras and desired to create more professional looking shots as I review more and more Sony products. So I really wanted to have a compact DSLR camera that would look beautiful in public as I cannot stand the looks of real DSLR camera bodies. So NEX pretty much was the answer, and I just needed to figure out which model to go with, as the only big difference between the two is video shooting: NEX-3 does it in MPEG4 and NEX-5 ups it to AVCHD format. It’d be all great and easy to decide for me, but Sony put a recording time limit, kindly reminding a consumer that this is a DSLR camera to take pictures not long videos. I ended up picking up NEX-3 in Red and with the introduction of NEX-VG10, it sorts of brought everything together for me. All in all I ended up with two products that can share its lenses and create amazing content, even shoot 3D panoramic pictures! Check out pictures below and video is coming soon as well. From NEX-VG10 From NEX-VG10 From NEX-VG10 From NEX-VG10 From NEX-VG10 From NEX-VG10 From NEX-VG10 From NEX-VG10 From NEX-VG10 From NEX-VG10 From NEX-VG10 From NEX-VG10 From NEX-VG10 From NEX-VG10 From NEX-VG10 From NEX-VG10 From NEX-VG10 View the full article

Hello, I would like to welcome sfbp to the administrator team. Also, the forum has been upgraded, and some fixes are also on the way to increase speed and usability.

Fixed the my settings issue, thanks to sfbp. Board fixes have taken longer than usual because my host is taking forever with memory upgrades. I am so sorry.

The Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) is a global trade association of companies involved in the electronic systems industry. Founded in 1989, it has 3,500 members who specialize in home automation, networking, communication, security, lighting control, HVAC and entertainment systems. The organization influences public policy, provides referrals, promotes better business practices, educates members and provides other benefits. CEDIA hosts an annual trade show, the CEDIA Expo, to allow exhibitors to showcase the latest technological advances to industry professionals. CEDIA Expo has been held in Atlanta, GA (my home town) for the last several years, and will transition to Indianapolis next year. Sony had a healthy presence at CEDIA 2010, offering a robust booth experience that demonstrated their latest products in home theater receivers, Blu-ray, 3D gaming, 3D photography, LCD TV’s, and projectors. Sony’s big announcement during the show was the VPL-VW90ES, which is a $9,999 Sony ES 3D HD Projector With 240Hz. We also did a hands-on With Sony AV Receiver Remote App on an iPad, which was really cool. On a side note, I was hoping to see some kind of demo for Google TV, but apparently it remains confidential until its October 12th unveiling in NYC. Here is a video of various footage we caught during our time at Sony’s booth during CEDIA 2010, including VP of Television Chris Fawcett and VP, Home Audio and Video Brian Siegel talking about Sony’s refreshed Home Audio and Video lineup: Video coming soon – please check back in several hours. Here is our gallery of pictures taken at Sony’s booth during CEDIA 2010: View the full article

The Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) is a global trade association of companies involved in the electronic systems industry. Founded in 1989, it has 3,500 members who specialize in home automation, networking, communication, security, lighting control, HVAC and entertainment systems. The organization influences public policy, provides referrals, promotes better business practices, educates members and provides other benefits. CEDIA hosts an annual trade show, the CEDIA Expo, to allow exhibitors to showcase the latest technological advances to industry professionals. CEDIA Expo has been held in Atlanta, GA (my home town) for the last several years, and will transition to Indianapolis next year. Sony had a healthy presence at CEDIA 2010, offering a robust booth experience that demonstrated their latest products in home theater receivers, Blu-ray, 3D gaming, 3D photography, LCD TV’s, and projectors. Sony’s big announcement during the show was the VPL-VW90ES, which is a $9,999 Sony ES 3D HD Projector With 240Hz. We also did a hands-on With Sony AV Receiver Remote App on an iPad, which was really cool. On a side note, I was hoping to see some kind of demo for Google TV, but apparently it remains confidential until its October 12th unveiling in NYC. Here is a video of various footage we caught during our time at Sony’s booth during CEDIA 2010, including VP of Television Chris Fawcett and VP, Home Audio and Video Brian Siegel talking about Sony’s refreshed Home Audio and Video lineup: Video coming soon – please check back in several hours. Here is our gallery of pictures taken at Sony’s booth during CEDIA 2010: View the full article

The Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) is a global trade association of companies involved in the electronic systems industry. Founded in 1989, it has 3,500 members who specialize in home automation, networking, communication, security, lighting control, HVAC and entertainment systems. The organization influences public policy, provides referrals, promotes better business practices, educates members and provides other benefits. CEDIA hosts an annual trade show, the CEDIA Expo, to allow exhibitors to showcase the latest technological advances to industry professionals. CEDIA Expo has been held in Atlanta, GA (my home town) for the last several years, and will transition to Indianapolis next year. Sony had a healthy presence at CEDIA 2010, offering a robust booth experience that demonstrated their latest products in home theater receivers, Blu-ray, 3D gaming, 3D photography, LCD TV’s, and projectors. Sony’s big announcement during the show was the VPL-VW90ES, which is a $9,999 Sony ES 3D HD Projector With 240Hz. We also did a hands-on With Sony AV Receiver Remote App on an iPad, which was really cool. On a side note, I was hoping to see some kind of demo for Google TV, but apparently it remains confidential until its October 12th unveiling in NYC. Here is a video of various footage we caught during our time at Sony’s booth during CEDIA 2010, including VP of Television Chris Fawcett and VP, Home Audio and Video Brian Siegel talking about Sony’s refreshed Home Audio and Video lineup: Video coming soon – please check back in several hours. Here is our gallery of pictures taken at Sony’s booth during CEDIA 2010: View the full article

The Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) is a global trade association of companies involved in the electronic systems industry. Founded in 1989, it has 3,500 members who specialize in home automation, networking, communication, security, lighting control, HVAC and entertainment systems. The organization influences public policy, provides referrals, promotes better business practices, educates members and provides other benefits. CEDIA hosts an annual trade show, the CEDIA Expo, to allow exhibitors to showcase the latest technological advances to industry professionals. CEDIA Expo has been held in Atlanta, GA (my home town) for the last several years, and will transition to Indianapolis next year. Sony had a healthy presence at CEDIA 2010, offering a robust booth experience that demonstrated their latest products in home theater receivers, Blu-ray, 3D gaming, 3D photography, LCD TV’s, and projectors. Sony’s big announcement during the show was the VPL-VW90ES, which is a $9,999 Sony ES 3D HD Projector With 240Hz. We also did a hands-on With Sony AV Receiver Remote App on an iPad, which was really cool. On a side note, I was hoping to see some kind of demo for Google TV, but apparently it remains confidential until its October 12th unveiling in NYC. Here is a video of various footage we caught during our time at Sony’s booth during CEDIA 2010, including VP of Television Chris Fawcett and VP, Home Audio and Video Brian Siegel talking about Sony’s refreshed Home Audio and Video lineup: Video coming soon – please check back in several hours. Here is our gallery of pictures taken at Sony’s booth during CEDIA 2010: View the full article

During CEDIA 2010, Sony showed off its innovative multi-room (aka zone) remote control app that is available for iPhone (and iPad) called AV Receiver Remote. The app basically allows you to operate your Sony receiver and/or components connected to your Sony receiver (such as a Blu-ray player). The software is pretty amazing for its first version, and allows you to do many things. We were impressed with the ability to select zones and set custom backgrounds for them, and power control so you can turn on lights in the desired room. The app also allows you to select the input for the receiver, and also play specific music, photos and videos on your TV. Rhapsody, Shoutcast, FM, AM and Sirius options are also available that allow you to tune into your favorite feed. There are even macros you can program so your usual routine becomes extremely simple (e.g. theater, party, going away settings). I soon realized that this app, especially on an iPad, is an incredible all-in-one remote control. Not only odes it control media, but it can also do lights. What more do you want? While it cant rival more expensive custom solutions, the fact that the app is free is a great play by Sony. You can download the app on the iTunes store and actually play around with it in demo mode. The following Sony receivers are compatible with this application: STR-DA5600ES STR-DA4600ES STR-DA3600ES STR-DN2010 View the full article

During CEDIA 2010, Sony showed off its innovative multi-room (aka zone) remote control app that is available for iPhone (and iPad) called AV Receiver Remote. The app basically allows you to operate your Sony receiver and/or components connected to your Sony receiver (such as a Blu-ray player). The software is pretty amazing for its first version, and allows you to do many things. We were impressed with the ability to select zones and set custom backgrounds for them, and power control so you can turn on lights in the desired room. The app also allows you to select the input for the receiver, and also play specific music, photos and videos on your TV. Rhapsody, Shoutcast, FM, AM and Sirius options are also available that allow you to tune into your favorite feed. There are even macros you can program so your usual routine becomes extremely simple (e.g. theater, party, going away settings). I soon realized that this app, especially on an iPad, is an incredible all-in-one remote control. Not only odes it control media, but it can also do lights. What more do you want? While it cant rival more expensive custom solutions, the fact that the app is free is a great play by Sony. You can download the app on the iTunes store and actually play around with it in demo mode. The following Sony receivers are compatible with this application: STR-DA5600ES STR-DA4600ES STR-DA3600ES STR-DN2010 View the full article

During CEDIA 2010, Sony showed off its innovative multi-room (aka zone) remote control app that is available for iPhone (and iPad) called AV Receiver Remote. The app basically allows you to operate your Sony receiver and/or components connected to your Sony receiver (such as a Blu-ray player). The software is pretty amazing for its first version, and allows you to do many things. We were impressed with the ability to select zones and set custom backgrounds for them, and power control so you can turn on lights in the desired room. The app also allows you to select the input for the receiver, and also play specific music, photos and videos on your TV. Rhapsody, Shoutcast, FM, AM and Sirius options are also available that allow you to tune into your favorite feed. There are even macros you can program so your usual routine becomes extremely simple (e.g. theater, party, going away settings). I soon realized that this app, especially on an iPad, is an incredible all-in-one remote control. Not only odes it control media, but it can also do lights. What more do you want? While it cant rival more expensive custom solutions, the fact that the app is free is a great play by Sony. You can download the app on the iTunes store and actually play around with it in demo mode. The following Sony receivers are compatible with this application: STR-DA5600ES STR-DA4600ES STR-DA3600ES STR-DN2010 View the full article

Sony’s latest addition to ever expanding line up of Walkman Docks is this quite versatile, do it all multimedia hub – CMT-L7D. It is by far more than just a Walkman Dock. With its 9-inch LCD and an output of 100W, it will play your DVDs as well as become a Photo Frame with various transition effects, when not in use you can use it as a clock or a calendar. There is also support for an external USB device, SD cards and Sony’s memory stick with MP3, WMA and AAC file support. Quite a versatile system! I only see one thing that is missing – a touch screen. 9 inches of LCD estate would be perfect for touch functions, swiping and scrolling and even better if Sony could slap Dash features into this thing, it would definitely rock. But since we most likely will not see this product hitting US shelves (most likely), we will be content. It should be out in October for about $600. Check out video and pics below. You may read more about it in Japanese here. View the full article

Photokina is the world’s biggest trade fair for the photographic and imaging industries. It is held in September every two years at the Cologne Trade Fair in Germany. Sony got everyone buzzing with the preview of a new DSLR they are going to release soon, and according to the rumor mill this looks to be the A77. It will have translucent mirror technology like the A55/A33, and will also feature AVCHD movie recording. We found this exclusive high resolution picture of the A77 with vertical grip in Sony Japan’s press image repository. Imaging-resource, who attended the event, gave a very good summary of the upcoming A77: “Sony announced that what looks will be the A700 replacement will be based on their translucent-mirror technology, as seen in the A33/55. Sony didn’t give many details, but they did say that it’ll have a new sensor capable of full-resolution HD recording, and will be “much more powerful” than the A55.” View the full article

Photokina is the world’s biggest trade fair for the photographic and imaging industries. It is held in September every two years at the Cologne Trade Fair in Germany. During the event, Sony announced that a

Photokina is the world’s biggest trade fair for the photographic and imaging industries. It is held in September every two years at the Cologne Trade Fair in Germany. Sony showed off several interesting developments for their digital imaging products. One exciting proposition was the announcement of seven new E-mount lenses that will further compliment Sony hardware that uses this system, such as the NEX interchangeable lens cameras and camcorder. Here is the list of the new E-mount lenses Sony will offer throughout the next several years: Wide fixed focal length CZ available in 2011 Telephoto zoom available in 2011 Macro available in 2011 Portrait available in 2011 High performance standard zoom G available in 2012 Wide zoom available in 2012 Mid-telephoto available in 2012 Here is the completed family picture of all the currently available E-mount lens and the aforementioned newcomers: View the full article

Photokina is the world’s biggest trade fair for the photographic and imaging industries. It is held in September every two years at the Cologne Trade Fair in Germany. Sony showed off several interesting developments for their digital imaging products. Sony did a cool thing with the initial debut of the NEX by offering several color variations, such as black, silver, and red. At Photokina, Sony showed off a Pink, Orange, Brown, and Blue NEX-3. They also had a Gold, Pink, White and Beige NEX-5 to show that Sony has no reservations about making their future NEX cameras as stylish as possible. The NEX-3/NEX-5 interchangeable lens camera has had a positive reception since its debut. The NEX camera series are very small, yet powerful and has a new E-mount lens system. It also has a converter that you can use for A-mount lenses, which is helpful for photographers who have invested a great deal in that system. The quality of NEX pictures and videos are impressive and the user interface was full of features. I’ve used the camera several times to take pictures for the site and found it a marvel to handle. It’s not very often you can hold a camera which is slightly larger than a point and shoot that has features commonly found in advanced DSLR’s. With these color concepts, future NEX models will look even better than ever. View the full article

PlayMemories is a new picture viewing experience that is available on the PlayStation Store for the PS3. The software offers a great way PS3 users to view and organize their collection of photos. One cool feature is the ability to select a picture and zoom in or out using your PlayStation controller. PlayMemories also allows you to explore and enjoy 3D panoramic images on your PlayStation 3 and 3D BRAVIA or 3D-capable TV. Sony has a growing collection of digital cameras which offer an innovative 3D Sweep Panoramo mode, which allow you to simply press the shutter button and sweep the camera from side to side. Cameras offering 3D Sweep Panorama currently include the NEX-5/NEX-3, Cyber-shot WX5 and TX9, plus the new ?55 and ?33 translucent mirror cameras. Here is a cool video I found on YouTube (by PSN Stores, not us) showing off some of the functionality of PlayMemories: View the full article

Sony is working hard to contribute to the success of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through use of its advanced technology, human and intellectual capital, and global reach, and through innovative and collaborative public/private partnerships. In support of this effort, on September 22, Dr. Ryoji Chubachi, Vice Chairman, Sony Corporation, will participate in the 2010 United Nations (UN) Private Sector Forum on the Millennium Development Goals chaired by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and including approximately 300 Heads of State and Government, chief executives, civil society leaders and Heads of UN Agencies. Under the theme “For the Next Generation“, Sony works actively to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society. Most recently, a key aspect of Sony’s participation in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where it was an Official FIFA Partner, was the launch of a social contribution program called “Dream Goal 2010.” This program was designed to combine Sony’s unique technological and human resources with the power of football to bring people together, help address multiple social challenges, and inspire hopes and dreams in children. Specifically, Sony partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and a number of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to implement a variety of projects aimed at building a better future for Africa and its children. These projects included the staging of public viewing events in Cameroon and Ghana that enabled approximately 24,000 people who do not have access to television to experience World Cup matches, live, on large screens, in connection with HIV/AIDS education, counseling and testing. More than 4,800 people were tested for HIV over the course of the program, more than 2.5 times the goal set at the start of the initiative. In Ghana, Sony also piloted a new, portable open energy system capable of capturing, storing and distributing electricity from renewable energy sources, which powered public viewing screens. This system, if successful, has the potential to contribute to major improvements in people’s lives in terms of health, education, economic well-being and overall way of life, particularly in developing nations. Other projects in Sony’s FIFA World Cup program included the Siyakhona (“We can do it”) project, through which the Company donated its products to NGOs around the world to help children capture their surrounding environment and everyday life through photography and communicate it to the world at large, and the Ticket Fund, which enabled Sony, in partnership with a local NGO, to bring 15,000 South African children who had participated in HIV/AIDS awareness programs to FIFA World Cup™ matches. Building on these and other initiatives, Sony will continue to apply its products, services, technologies and expertise creatively to innovate new ways of contributing to the achievement of MDGs. Sony hopes that, through international and local partnerships, it can and will help change the lives of communities around the world. Image above is United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon giving a speech during the Millennium Development Goals Summit at United Nations headquarters in New York. Information courtesy of Sony’s global site. View the full article

It’s been some time since I have seen an attractive offering from Sony from its Audio/Video Division and Sony’s latest addition to their Blu-ray family line up is a pretty nice surprise. I own a number of Sony products that captured my attention because of its stylish looks and beautiful integration into home decor: Sony DVD/SACD DAV-LF1H, Sony Speaker set SA-FT7ED, Sony Integrated Home Theatre System TAV-L1 and it has been a couple years since the company brought something of a looker to the market. It just seemed like they had a number of cookie-cutter style BD players and home theater products. Let’s look what BDV-F7 brings to the table. I would say this home theater system is aimed at those who do not want to mess with 5.1 surround set up, but rather have a sound bar, a subwoofer and a blu-ray player. The BDV-F7′s sound bar packs the equivalent of two speakers into its long slim design, and can be easily mounted right under your TV. You’ll hear details in your favorite movie’s soundtrack that your TV’s tiny speakers probably muffled or missed. And the subwoofer lets you hear and feel powerful effects like explosions or booming cannons. Best of all, it tucks away discreetly in a corner or under a bedside table. You don’t have to see it, but you sure will hear the difference it makes. The Blu-ray player is ready for the latest 3D releases, and your 2D movies will also look crisp and full of detail. And the versatile BDV-F7 does more than play movies. It also includes a Wi-Fi

PIIQ and Jienne are new headphone/earbud series from Sony that debuted in 2010. The colorful PIIQ series was released several months ago in the USA (and eventually worldwide), and the Jienne series has not reached the USA. Both series of headphones and earphones indicate a bold new direction in headphone design, which Sony Design says is a “shift in focus of product development from utilitarian function to stylish form.” We couldn’t agree more. In this exclusive interview with Sony Design, we learn more behind the creative process behind Sony’s PIIQ and Jienne series. Wada: Sony is one of the few manufacturers that can develop headphone drivers in-house. Over the years, we’ve also built up a wealth of expertise on ensuring a good fit. But what makes success difficult in the headphone market is that refined features alone won’t necessarily win consumer loyalty. Like genres of music, people’s tastes in headphones are amazingly diverse. No matter how impressive headphones sound or how comfortable they are, many people just won’t pick them up if they don’t like the design. And this is now a growing trend. Headphones have always piqued people’s interest, and they’re a product that reflects personal tastes to an extreme. In this kind of product category, the user experience hinges on the thrill and satisfaction of finding and using headphones of your preferred design. That’s why, increasingly, designers must shift from traditional, function-oriented product development to design focused on people’s attitudes and sense of style. As a pioneer in styling products for sports and fitness enthusiasts, clubgoers, and others with special interests, Sony has responded to a range of diverse tastes for some time. Two lines that emerged from this kind of development are PIIQ, inspired by urban “street” culture in the U.S., and Jienne, designed mainly with the tastes of Japanese women in mind. Here, we’ll discuss PIIQ first, a project based on local market research, and one that brought together Sony offices in U.S. and Japan for design. Clark: We noticed something interesting when studying the U.S. headphone market. Sony sales were strong, and we hold a leading market share, but at the same time, some new brands were growing fast. In other words, these brands were carving out a new market without capturing Sony market share, which meant there was a segment we weren’t serving. The people in this market segment are mainly teens into urban street culture. For insight on their lifestyles, we interviewed local skaters, surfers, DJs, and musicians. What did they think was cool? What influenced them, when finding out about and buying new products? Acting on what we learned, we worked with our Tokyo design team to decide what products they would like. Designers led all efforts in this project, from planning to promotion. Clark: To reach people in our target market effectively, we needed a new brand. By itself, the Sony brand doesn’t resonate enough with younger generations who grew up around street culture. They recognize Sony quality but associate the brand with high-end products for older generations, not products this group uses every day. So, the design team in the U.S. developed the PIIQ name and logo. It comes from peak, as in “highest point.” The PIIQ name stands for headphones that are made for younger generations taking on challenges and pushing limits in many ways. At the same time, this group clearly appreciates the Sony brand itself, which is a distinct advantage in branding. PIIQ style, backed by Sony performance-help people make this connection, and they’ll know that the headphones not only look cool but are designed and built well. Wada: For this reason, PIIQ logos appear in prominent positions on the headphones while Sony logos appear on the inner housing, plug tips, and other areas where they’re a reassuring reminder of Sony quality. This was like a slap in the face to our product managers, whose headphones have borne the Sony name for decades. But to establish a brand that stands for new ideals in both performance and style, it was unavoidable. PIIQ product design was managed in Japan, but only because that’s where Rui was living at the time. He has lived in the U.S. for years, where he was immersed in street culture through BMX, DJing, and other interests. His contributions at the planning stage and throughout the project helped tremendously. Even the most seasoned Sony designers aren’t qualified to design for teens into street culture, if they’ve never ridden a skateboard. Under Rui’s guidance, we kept a user-oriented perspective to serve a market segment that’s hard to reach with traditional Sony design theory alone. Morisawa: Five models round out the PIIQ line, but in design, we sought one goal. Instead of viewing headphones as just a device to listen to music, we tried to design an enjoyable listening experience. Some things are very distracting when active youth trying to listen-worrying that your hair will get caught or tangled up in the headphones, that earbuds will come off your ears, or that the band will get scratched. We eliminated these problems as much as possible while adding details that will make you glad you own the headphones. For this reason, they combine all kinds of tweaks you won’t find in regular product design. Take the top PIIQ headphones (MDR-PQ1), for example. The cloth-covered housing is a first for Sony. It’s disappointing when gross painted headphones eventually get scratched, but with fabric, over time they develop a nice, worn look and you become attached to them. Another nice sign of use is how the pink base color gradually begins to show through the black surface of the buckles. This reminds me of how, right after some skaters get a board, they intentionally scratch it up a little. The way it’s scratched shows what moves or tricks the skater is good at. We brought this mind to the headphones and actually made it easier to show some character through wear and tear by embossing the surface. This thinking and fabrication is the complete opposite of “scratch-resistant” product design manner. MDR-PQ2 headphones have a cloth-wrapped headband, molded pads, and rubber hanger covers. Covering the sliders and mechanical structures prevents hair from getting caught, even with an afro or long hair. Meanwhile, MDR-PQ3 headphones have a very simple structure, shaped and constructed of a rubbery material to be tough. We chose this material so there’s no need to worry about scratching or abrading them. PIIQ earbuds come in two models. MDR-PQ4 earbuds gently clip on your ears, which keeps them on even if you’re upside-down. And when you’re not wearing them, you can hang them on a sleeve or pocket to show a little style. Slide them together, and you’ll notice that the shapes on each side form the PIIQ logo. MDR-PQ5 open-air earbuds are also available. Here, we took advantage of the holes (used to fine-tune the sound quality) to create an iconic “gas mask” from the bass ducts. Besides this, there are many other details you may not notice until you use the headphones. The cord junction is shaped like a P, fonts and finishes in L/R labeling vary by model, and so on. When you do notice these touches, we hope you feel more attached to the headphones. Zamani: PIIQ packaging was designed at our U.S. office. Rui’s cool, vibrant, and fresh product design is such a departure from the regular Sony design image that we wanted to break from tradition in packaging, too. Packaging generally follows product shapes, functions, and other elements, and this time, we matched the PIIQ logo style and headphone look-and-feel in the packaging. This helps us ensure a consistent brand image. Along these lines, we let the PIIQ attitude shine through while including understated Sony logos as assurance of quality. All PIIQ packaging looks fresher, brighter, and bolder than regular Sony packaging. This not only catches the eye of the younger generations the headphones were made for but also distinguishes PIIQ from competitive brands in stores. Blister packs for the two-earbud models hang by a ball chain-a bit adventurous in packaging design. Usually headphone packaging just hangs there on the racks, looking rather lifeless and unfashionable. We attached the chain to a corner so that the packaging hangs at a 45