Sony Profits Plunge 72% on Strong Yen, Slow Exports

S1, S2 computers coming later this year

(NEWSER) - Sony's engineers have come down from the mountain with not one, but two tablet computers. The company says the computers—code-named S1 and S2—will hit stores worldwide this fall, reports the Wall Street Journal . The S1 will be a slate-style tablet, and the S2 will be a shell-shaped device with twin touch-screen displays that opens and closes. Both will run a version of Google's Android operating system designed for tablets. More»

Search king teams up with Intel, Sony for TV project

(NEWSER) - Google is scrambling for a piece of the action as more and more people use their TVs to access web content. The search giant has teamed up with Intel and Sony to build a new generation of TVs and set-top boxes using its Chrome browser and Android cell phone system, the New York Times reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Sony will delay production of its next-generation ultrathin television as the struggling electronics giant seeks to avoid further losses, reports the Wall Street Journal. The organic light emitting diode, or OLED, television was to succeed a three-millimeter-thick model released in late 2007, but will be held back until at least next year. At present Sony is on track for a sixth straight year in the red. More»

Company angles for bigger share of fast-growing market

(NEWSER) - Sony plans to fire up competition in the E-reader market with a pair of affordable releases next month, Bloomberg reports. The Sony Reader Pocket Edition, with a 5-inch screen, will be priced at $199. A touch-screen version will sell for $299. Amazon dropped the price of its Kindles to $299 last month in an effort to dominate the market. More»

Though first-quarter profit beat expectations, a growth story is absent

(NEWSER) - The fact that 66% of American companies beat their first-quarter earnings expectations is good, writes Henry Blodget in Clusterstock, but not as good as it looks. A closer examination of the data shows that while profits increased, revenues did not, and “you can’t fire your way to prosperity.” Earnings show companies adjusting to recession—not pulling out of it. “Until companies start surprising on revenue, all this particular ‘green shoot’ shows is that companies are reacting quickly to the recession.” More»