Hardware
Consumer electronics giant Sony in revamp mode
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MUMBAI: Consumer electronics major Sony has announced a restructuring plan that involves a seven per cent reduction of its global workforce and the selling off of about $1 billion in assets as the company prepares to post a loss for the year. |
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4,000 cuts will come from Japan and the remaining 6,000 from overseas. Half the cuts will be in headquarters or be administrative. Sony has said that it expects to post its first annual loss in more than a decade this year. The company said it now foresaw a loss of $90 million, for the fiscal year ending 31 March 2006, down from a previously forecast $90 million profit. The other cost cutting meassures will include product eliminations and clsoure of some factories. However Sony CEO Howard Stringer has said that cost-cutting alone is not enough to ensure Sony’s future. The plan also includes organisational changes aimed at improving communication between Sony’s notoriously autonomous divisions. Stringer is hoping that this cross-fertilisation will lead to new products that will enable Sony to stay ahead of low-cost rivals in China and South Korea, which are quickly climbing up the technology ladder  |
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Sony is aiming to have sales of over 8 trillion yen and an operating margin of five per cdent by the end of fiscal 2007. It will reduce the number of manufacturing sites to 54 from 65 and increase the ratio of components made in house. Sony also said it was cutting 20 per cent of its models. Sony expects to incur $1.9 billion in restructuring charges in the two years preceding March 2007. Stringer has promised to return Sony to profitability next year. One common criticism is that Sony products were technically advanced but too hard to operate. Sony products too often run on Sony-only formats, alienating many consumers. Some versions of the Walkman could download music from the Internet only using Sony’s Connect software, which is incompatible with the music format used on iPods. |
Hardware
Specs Inc. partners with Qualcomm for next-generation smart glasses
Snap subsidiary to power future Specs with Snapdragon XR platforms.
MUMBAI: Snap’s Specs are about to get a serious upgrade and this time, they’re teaming up with Qualcomm to make sure the future looks crystal clear. Specs Inc., a Snap subsidiary, has announced a multi-year strategic agreement with Qualcomm Technologies to power future generations of its advanced smart eyewear with Snapdragon system-on-a-chip (SoC) technology.
This marks the first flagship engagement for Specs Inc., which is preparing to launch its standalone, see-through smart glasses for consumers later this year. The Specs are designed to seamlessly blend digital experiences into the physical world, allowing users to see, hear, and interact with digital content as if it were part of their real surroundings.
By integrating Snapdragon XR platforms, the glasses will benefit from edge AI and high-performance, low-power computing. This combination enables intelligent, context-aware experiences to run directly on the device, delivering faster and more private interactions.
The partnership builds on more than five years of collaboration between Snap and Qualcomm, during which Snapdragon platforms have powered multiple generations of Snap’s Spectacles.
Snap Inc., co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel said, “We believe the future of computing will be more human and grounded in the real world. Our work with Qualcomm provides a strong foundation for the future of Specs, bringing advanced technology and performance that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible.”
Qualcomm Incorporated president and CEO Cristiano Amon added, “The next era of computing will be defined by devices that understand what you see, hear and say, and respond instantly to the world around you. Our collaboration on Specs will enable power-efficient interactive AR devices that feel natural and intuitive.”
The agreement establishes a scalable foundation for developers and partners building experiences for Specs, supporting a predictable product roadmap and increasingly sophisticated digital interactions over time.
In a world racing toward augmented reality, Specs Inc. and Qualcomm are ensuring that the next pair of smart glasses doesn’t just look good on paper, they perform brilliantly in real life. The future of wearable computing just got a powerful new lens.
