that a man, Dave Farrow, will be living in a store window for 30 days, reading from Sony’s Reader. For every page he reads, Sony will donate eBook libraries of 100 classic titles to schools. Check out all the links below to learn more about the Reader Revolution, this man in the window, and how you can join the cause.

• What is the Reader Revolution?
• Watch Dave LIVE in the window
• Watch Dave Farrow’s Daily Vlogs at YouTube.com/ReaderRevloution
• Join Dave’s page on Myspace
• Join the Reader Revolution Facebook Page
• Check out daily photos from the event
• Get your school involved

I have two items to share with you related to the Sony Reader this week. 

First, we just announced the next generation of the device model PRS-700, which offers some exciting new features.  Among them:  word search, electronic highlighting, annotation, greater text size flexibility, lighting ability for reading in darker places.  Still no wireless, which is not the most pressing issue at the moment.  I expect this will come in future models when the main application goes beyond book reading to other forms such as newspapers.

Second, a month long promotion tied to National Book Month where speed reader and world record-holder for memory, Dave Farrow, will be in the storefront window of DataVision on 5th Avenue in New York City — right near the renown New York Public Library — reading electronic books from the Sony Reader for 30 straight days (which will be a record in its own right).  As part of the celebration, Sony Electronics will be providing eBook libraries of 100 classic titles to schools for every page he reads.  By the way, there will be some famous and not-so-famous "guest readers" (including yours truly) filling in for Dave when he needs a bio-break from time to time.

Check out the Sony.com/Reader and videos from the event that we’ll be linking to on the blog. 

One of our business partners, David Paine who heads Paine PR in Irvine, Calif., is a founding member of an organization that came about as a result of the events on that tragic day. Before the month of September passes, I asked David to take a moment and offer the guest post below.

 This year, MyGoodDeed.org was proud to have Sony as one of our sponsors.  

MyGoodDeed.org is an initiative founded by all 22 of the leading 9/11 family member organizations. 

I am one of the co-founders along with, Jay Winuk, who lost his brother in the collapse of the World Trade Center. MyGoodDeed.org’s mission is to transform 9/11 into an annually recognized national day of voluntary service, and give individuals and organizations the power through dynamic online networking to make a difference in the world, one good deed at a time. MyGoodDeed.org seeks to honor the thousands who were killed and injured on 9/11, pay tribute to the many who aided in the rescue and recovery efforts, and remember and rekindle the remarkable spirit of unity that existed in our nation in the days following 9/11. 

More than a 250,000 good deeds are posted annually on the MyGoodDeed.org social "cause" networking Web site. The site connects people who share common cause-related interests and encourages participation in community service around 9/11 and throughout the year.  Nonprofit organizations and individuals are encouraged to set up a profile on www.MyGoodDeed.org to support organizations you believe in, start your own causes, connect with others with similar interests in community service, and stay involved throughout the year.

In addition to launching the site, MyGoodDeed.org partnered with ServiceNation to participate in a summit in New York on Sept. 11 and 12. More than 1000 leaders of all ages from every sector of American life came to celebrate the power and potential of citizen service, and lay out a bold policy blueprint for addressing America’s greatest social challenges. The event began with a presidential candidates’ forum on Sept. 11, where Senators McCain and Obama spoke about their views on the role of citizenship and service in post-9/11 America. Sept. 12, other national leaders spoke about the importance of service as well. These included U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton, Orin Hatch, and Christopher Dodd, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Also attending were Leonardo DiCaprio, Toby MacQuire, Alicia Keys, and Jon Bon Jovi among others.

MyGoodDeed.org thanks Sony Electronics for donating 30 DCR-SR45 Handycam camcorders to the ServiceNation youth leaders who have been posting video blogs to their profiles on MyGoodDeed.org, capturing the community service projects they are organizing leading up to the ServiceNation Day of Action on Sept. 27. 

I’ve been amazed at

Second, Hollywood has only scratched the surface as far as Blu-ray movie and television titles are concerned.  As we witnessed with DVD, you can expect thousands and thousands of high-definition titles to becoming to a Best Buy, Wal-mart and Blockbuster near you — not to mention via the mail through Netflix.
 
Third, consumers by the millions are making the digital transition and purchasing fabulous flat-panel HDTV sets, including Sony’s high-performing BRAVIA LCD line.  They’re investing hundreds and, in many cases, thousands of dollars for these sets, which feature full HD, 1080p resolution.  And once they have HDTVs like these, you better believe they’ll invest a few hundred dollars more for a dedicated Blu-ray player or PS3 console to get the most out of their precious new home entertainment acquisitions.
 
And fourth, while the world of networked entertainment is now emerging and Sony will be one of the leaders in its emergence, the reality of getting full high-definition video content quickly and efficiently downloaded to millions of American homes around the country where broadband is still evolving (not to mention many countries around the world) is still a ways off. 
 
With all of this said, I believe the Blu-ray format will not only coexist with the networked era, but will actually enhance it for many years to come.  In fact, you’ll see it evolve this way in new products from Sony and, I suspect, others, including some of the early naysayers.
 
Oh, and for those expressing doubts about BD player sales, while we’d always like more, at Sony Electronics here in the U.S. we are doing quite well in this regard.  And I encourage you to check out the latest models featuring BD Live, which are just the start of the format’s embrace of networked connectivity and benefits for consumers.
 

 I attended Operation Smile’s “Smile Gala” Thursday night at the Beverly Hills Hilton. Sony Electronics donated $100,000 toward the organization’s $2 million fundraising goal for the event and I attended as part of Sony’s contingent, which included Ted Okada, senior vice president, digital imaging, Ed Wallace, vice president, community affairs, Phil Lubell, director, digital imaging and Karim Noblecilla, senior product marketing manager, digital imaging.

The funds will be used to provide free physical examinations and reconstructive surgeries to children with facial deformities. Each surgery costs approximately $750, so Sony’s gift will pay for approximately 133 surgeries.

When we arrived there was a red carpet set up. Dozens of photographers were set up on a platform, snapping pictures of the evening’s honorees. Okada, Wallace, Lubell and Noblecilla got to walk the red carpet, which I thought was pretty cool. I clamored between the professional photographers and was able to snap a few pix too – using an Alpha 700.

During the cocktail reception, Operation Smile volunteers walked around snapping photos of the attendees, demoing the Smile Shutter feature of Sony’s Cyber-shot cameras. They were wearing displays around their necks which allowed the subjects to see the photo before it was taken. This was a huge hit with the crowd, who got to see their photos at the end of the evening.

In August, Sony also donated 30 Cyber-shot cameras to Operation Smile volunteers, who took them on missions around the world to document the children’s transformations.

The fundraising event featured a silent auction – with original artwork from Picasso, Miro and Salvador Dalí for sale – and raffle tickets were sold for a raffle that included a Badgley Mischka couture gemstone ring and two Cyber-shot cameras. I may be biased, but the two cameras generated more excitement in the crowd when the raffle began.

It was definitely a star-studded event – attendees included Jamie Lynn Sigler of The Sopranos fame, Mario Lopez from Saved by the Bell and Mark Burnett, creator of Survivor and The Apprentice as well as his wife, Roma Downey, from Touched by an Angel. Burnett and Downey were honored for their work with the organization, which spans more than a decade. Lopez was presented the 2008 Universal Smile Award.

I felt proud to be representing Sony at the event. It’s such a worthwhile cause and the before and after pictures of the children were so amazing. It’s incredible that $750 can change a child’s life forever, and I am proud that I work for an organization that’s helping to make that happen.

 Check out more pictures here.

• Welcome to the VAIO My Graphic Splash Contest event
• The fashion show and announcing the winners
• Interview with the 3 contest winners
• Talking with Mike Abary, Senior Vice President of VAIO Marketing
• Lauren Conrad talks about the event, fashion show and where you can see her next
• Artist Maya Hayuk shares her thoughts on inspiration and design
• Photos from the event
• Buy the winning designs!

Hi everyone-

This is Jen, PR Specialists for Sony- I am writing live from the VAIO My Graphic Splash Contest event in New York City at the Mansion. So far, the event has been fantastic! As we mentioned earlier on this blog, Sony held a contest asking people to submit their personal designs for the lid of a VAIO notebook. Thousands of people entered their best designs, making it hard to narrow it down to the finalists. However our judges - Lauren Conrad, fashion designer and star of MTV’s The Hills and Maya Hayuk, renowned artist and previous VAIO splash designer - did an amazing job choosing the top 3 winners. Tonight, Lauren and Maya presented to the top three designers personalized VAIOs with their winning designs – all of which will be available on SonyStyle.com. 

In a fashion show featuring models carrying the top 8 finalists’ designs, America’s Next Top Model winner Jaslene was the first hit the runway. From the flashing lights and chic atmosphere to the personalized VAIO notebooks on display, this event was the perfect complement to VAIO style.

Before the night was through, I had the privilege of speaking with the winners as well as Lauren Conrad and Mike Abary, senior vice president of VAIO marketing for Sony Electronics. Check back in the next couple of days for videos and tons of pictures. 

One of the most interesting parts of my job are the discussions I have with the many market analysts who cover various sectors of the consumer electronics industry. These folks are very smart and knowledgeable about the areas they focus on, tend to have strong and informed opinions, and ask insightful and penetrating questions.  In the interest of transparency, they are also interested in selling their research and or consultative services to companies like ours, and most (but not all) love to be quoted in the press.

This week we hosted about 20 of the leading analysts from around the country for a full day at Sony Electronics headquarters here in San Diego. I sat in a couple of the sessions that I found particularly intriguing. 

One was with the head of our global digital reading business, Steve Haber, who recently participated in a podcast on the blog. The analysts were impressed to learn more about our roadmap for this business — both in terms of Reader electronic reading devices and the sales of digital books through the Sony eBook Store. They were also favorably surprised when Steve shared a clear sense of the fast-growing sales for both devices and e-books, as well as his projections for the future. Looking a few years out, this may become a very big business!

Another session featured a free-flowing Q&A with Stan Glasgow, our president and COO. The questions and comments were wide ranging, touching upon: 

 – Our portable CE business, the youth market and how people share entertainment on-the-go, where we touched on initiatives like Playstation Portable (PSP), Sony Ericsson, the reemergence of new Walkman digital music players (stay tuned for more to come at CES).

 – The strength of the Sony brand and consumer loyalty, a very important asset that we are working hard to build upon each and every day (including this blog; your comments are welcome).

 – Sony Style stores:  Brand showrooms or real business opportunity?  Both. Great place to test new concepts, enhance the brand, demonstrate merchandising strategies to our retail partners, and engage with consumers.  But also now one of our top consumer product distribution channels, along with sonystyle.com.

 – Circuit City.  The industry needs a strong No. 2 retailer.

–  VAIO TZ recall impact. Got the word out to customers around the world.  Main interest is to "do the right thing" for our customers. A great product; business continues strong.

 – A Window-less PC in Sony’s future?  No plan at this time, but keeping an eye on the possibilities.

 – Status report on Sony television leadership?  Clearly, one of the top players in the U.S. market.  Lead in design, performance and environmental friendliness. Check out the latest BRAVIA XBR7&8 models.

 – New market considerations?  Yes…medical/health related, noting aging Baby Boomer population could use digital electronics to monitor their health.  One analyst even suggested (I think jokingly) a "My Last Sony" product. 

 Any ideas?  What do you think?

Hello again from Mark Weir, in Sony’s Digital Imaging group.

 Today, Sony announced the next expansion of the α (alpha) Digital SLR system, our flagship DSLR-α900. We’re proud of this new model and I wanted to provide some insight on its characteristics and positioning.

The heart of α900 is its Full-frame 24.6MP Exmor CMOS imager and dual Bionz processors. DSLRs with Full-frame imagers provide photographers with compositional freedom (especially depth of field) difficult to match in other cameras.  By combining Full-frame size and this sensor’s uniquely high resolution, we believe that α900 achieves a higher level of imaging realism, with subtle detail, tonal gradation and color accuracy. We’ve seen the image quality, and we think you’ll share our excitement too!

 Although image quality was our first priority, we felt that responsiveness, and in- use performance was equally important.  Even with a 24.6MP full-frame imager, we still felt 5 frame/sec continuous shooting was required, so α900 includes dual Bionz processors (to handle the massive data) and all new mirror and shutter mechanisms. The world’s first Full-frame in-camera image stabilization (which some thought impossible) benefits every α (alpha) system lens.  Intelligent preview lets you make fine adjustments to a RAW pre-capture so you can shoot with confidence.  But what will be most noticeable in everyday use is the extraordinarily large and bright 100% coverage, 0.74x magnification viewfinder – it will give you a new outlook on your subject!

Because Full-frame cameras often demand the very best lenses, we’ve expanded the Carl Zeiss® and G series with the 16-35 f/2.8 Vario-Sonnar T* Zeiss Alpha and 70-400 f/4-5.6 G.  Combined with the other Zeiss and G models, the VG-C90AM vertical grip and the HVL-F58AM flash, the α (alpha) system offers not just versatility, but innovation that’s a bit different from others.

Even with its unique balance of performance and innovation, α900 is remarkably affordable – well within reach of advanced enthusiasts.  Even so, we think it will rapidly become the camera of choice for many working pros, including portrait, landscape and wedding photographers.

We are always listening to your feedback, both in this forum and others.  Acting on this, α900 features some functional improvements from earlier models, including expanded EV bracketing (±2EV/3shots) for High Dynamic Range composting, as well as Noise Reduction “off” for those who prefer the control of post processing NR.  I’m also happy to announce that we’ll make these updates (and some others) available through firmware upgrade to α700 users on Sep 16th on Sony’s eSupport website.

We hope you’ll share our excitement with α900!