Hello,

My name is Christopher MacManus and I am the founder of ATRACLife. Years ago when I started this blog I never dreamed that we would come this far. To think back on everything that ATRACLife has accomplished is staggering. Broke news stories about unreleased MP3 players way before anyone else. Had some of the best coverage of Sony’s audio during CES 2006. This blog truly changed Sony’s audio division forever through your feedback (yes you, the consumer); we defeated Connect Player and gave the final budge to get Sony to release MP3 players that have little restriction.

Unfortunately, attrition came in the form of phasing out ATRAC, which this blog was all about. I told you before that I would create Sony Insider, and I have. It’s not done yet (about 75% there) but we are nearly there. I apologize for closing news postings at ATRACLife (the forums will still remain however), but we will continue to cover the same content (along with everything else Sony) at the new site.

So please visit us now at Sony Insider, and thank you for being a part of an amazing community and experience. I will never forget it.

As a follow up to the previous report regarding the planned sale of Sony’s chipmaking unit – the Japanese the company said Tuesday that it is still looking at ways to improve its chip operations and has reached no decision on whether to sell it; essentially denying Japanese media reports that it has struck a deal with Toshiba.

Toshiba Corp. spokesman Keisuke Omori also said no deal has been decided.

Japan’s top business daily, The Nikkei, reported Saturday that Sony has decided to sell its advanced computer chip production operations to Toshiba, which partnered with Sony and IBM Corp. in developing the “Cell” microprocessor. Cell powers Sony’s PlayStation 3 video game console, some IBM servers and specialized, graphics-intensive hardware, but it has yet to emerge as a mainstream processor.

The speculation about the future of Sony’s chip operations comes amid a restructuring at Sony and intensifying competition among the world’s computer chip makers. In general, prices have been dropping not only on lower-end chips but all gadgets, making it harder for manufacturers to maintain profits.

“There’s probably two or three things going on in concert,” said Charles King, an analyst with Pund-IT Research. “It’s very expensive not just to produce or develop but also to maintain a hardware platform. It’s not something that ends when the finished chip comes out.”

Sony shares fell 2.2 percent amid market expectations that the company will have to shoulder losses in selling its chip-making facilities to Toshiba. Toshiba shares dipped 0.6 percent.

Sony has been saying for months it’s exploring ways to streamline its chip business as it focuses on home entertainment devices. “But nothing concrete has been decided,” Sony spokesman Tomio Takizawa said.

In the weekend report, The Nikkei said Sony will sell its chip operations to Toshiba and then form a joint venture with Toshiba to use its products. IBM, which also produces Cell chips in East Fishkill, N.Y. — at a facility that got a $325 million investment from Sony in 2004 — declined to comment.

News source: Associated Press

Financial Times reported yesterday that Sony is in talks to sell its advanced semiconductor facilities to Toshiba in a move that would represent an effective retreat from high-end semiconductor fabrication. This strategy is in line with Sir Howard Stringer’s desire to slim down the industry giant and if the deal with Toshiba goes well, Sony may stop making advanced chips and instead focus on audiovisual equipment come 2008.

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At long last, Sony has determined that is no longer in their best interest to pursue the advancement of the ATRAC codec. After more than a decade of development, it is becoming more and more obvious that market demand and consumer interest in the format is waning. Recently released Sony portable audio devices no longer support it, and now the Connect music store is shutting down and moving away from the codec as well. A Sony Connect Europe press release reports:

To Our Valued Sony CONNECT Customers,

Today Sony announced its intent to move to a Windows Media Technology platform for Walkman® products in the United States, Canada and Europe. We strongly believe that the decision to embrace a more open platform will enable us to provide you with a better music enjoyment experience. As a result of this change, we will be phasing out the CONNECT™ Music Service, based on Sony’s ATRAC audio format, in North America and Europe. Specific timing will vary by region depending on market demand, but will not be before March 2008.

All of Sony’s new Walkman music and video devices will be supported by a very wide range of third party services around Europe.

We are fully committed to helping you through this important transition away from a proprietary music service. In the coming weeks and months, we will keep you closely informed of the status of the CONNECT Music Service phase out in your country, and provide you with the best possible guidance on how to successfully transfer your music library to an MP3 or Windows Media-compatible format. Periodic updates will also be posted on the CONNECT music store and on the Sony Europe customer service site, http://support.sony-europe.com

We recommend that you use any outstanding promotional vouchers or account credits prior to March 2008.

Thank you for all your purchases and feedback so far, and for your continued support as we work to complete this transition with as little disruption to you as possible.

Yours sincerely,

Sony CONNECT Europe Team

Click here for further FAQ’s regarding this subject. Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts and feelings.

What does this mean for ATRACLife? Well, as mentioned in the forums, our team will move on to a new domain, dubbed Sony Insider. Stay tuned.

The console war continues…. as writers of Forbes notes: “you’ve been hit with a disruptive attack. A competitor you dismissed has successfully changed the game in your industry. Analysts and investors are clamoring for your response…or your head. What should you do? “

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Years ago if someone ran a news report saying that Nintendo was worth more in market value than Sony it would be quite humorous. After a dominant run in the 90’s, Nintendo had defined console gaming with NES, N64, etc. which was quickly smashed by Playstation empire. As the next generation Gamecube launched and failed, Sony and Microsoft’s console dominance seemed certain.

My my, how things have changed. The PS3, a struggling contender (but certain to rise to the top as evolution occurs), is causing massive headaches at Sony. Microsoft and Nintendo have carved their own comfortable niches that live peacefully amongst each other with no real sense of friction. The only console that seems out of place is the PS3; it desperately tries to cater to the desire amongst entertainment enthusiasts for a rich online marketplace and a outside the box (in terms of interaction) gaming experience. Those words may seem scornful, but then again once you play a PS3 a lot of anti-hype fades in the pure delight of a matured gaming experience with killer graphics.

Too bad Nintendo hasn’t made a portable music player yet.

Nonetheless, Nintendo Co. Ltd. briefly zipped past Sony in market capitalization on Monday to become one of Japan’s 10 most valuable companies as it elbows the PlayStation maker out of its decade-long dominance of the game industry. Further details follow.

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Photo - Music - Video; QVGA; 262,144 colors; TFT color display with white LED-backlight; ATRAC, ATRAC Advanced Lossless, MP3, WMA, AAC, MPEG-4, AVC (h.264); 53 grams & 8.3mm width; 30 hours music, 8 hours video playback. Click to watch rad video introduction of NW-A800.

The Walkman of the 21st century has arrived.

After speculation induced by ATRACLife with our stunning initial spy pictures and specifications, Sony has announced the NW-A800 series on March 1st, 2007 or what will forever be known as V-Day. Three models will be available: NW-A805 (2gb), NW-A806 (4gb), and NW-808 (8gb) in black, white, pink and violet. Drag and drop video and picture functionality will be present, however audio transfers will still require the assistance of Sonicstage. The product will ship with Sonicstage 4.3, Image Converter 3, and a new Walkman portal-esque program dubbed Walkman Launcher to ensure true ease of use for newcomers and seasoned veterans of the Sony personal entertainment experience.

How is the screen? QVGA (240×320) and 30fps, which is about twice the size of the Nano display. For a 2 inch screen, that is stunning. Brightness is somewhere between the iPod Nano and iPod Video, and color reproduction and contrast is higher than the aforementioned competition. Videos and pictures can be played vertically, or horizontally (both ways, left and right). Don’t want the annoying 16:9 bars with status information at the bottom? No problem, take it full screen and enjoy the content. Watch a photo slideshow whilst listening to music. Video playback will ooze a sense that this is a high-quality premium device.

The user interface is akin to the NW-A3000/A1000’s 3×3 interface, but has been revamped and features a more attractive flow. Icons glow, menu transitions are steadfast and there are a sea of options to ensure that the experience is right for everyone. There are three methods of search: Artist, Album and Song. Searching for music is easier now as the letters can be side-scrolled alphabetically at the top to get to your favorite artist quickly. Albums can be searched via title, title and cover art, or cover art only. This is only the tip of the iceberg; there is much, much more.

Audio offerings are good; Linear PCM is not supported, but ATRAC Advanced Lossless is. MP3, WMA, AAC and ATRAC are all supported up to 320kbps (ATRAC3plus to 352kbps). Three sound technologies are also included: DSEE, Clear Bass, and Clear Stereo. MDR-EX082 13.5mm headphones are included with the package to ensure a relatively decent stock listening experience.

The NW-A800 series will debut worldwide in April. More pictures (high resolution shots here) after the jump.

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