Sony boss Stringer apologises for massive data breach

Sony chairman, chief executive and president Howard Stringer has finally apologised for the hacking attack which may have exposed the details of up to 100 milion customers, as online collective Anonymous reiterated that it was not to blame.
Stringer said in an open letter to Sony customers that there is still "no confirmed evidence" that any credit card or personal details have been actively used by the hackers, and that Sony is providing ‘AllClear ID Plus' identity theft protection for all US customers, with further announcements to come for international customers.
The company will also offer a ‘Welcome Back' package, including a month of free PlayStation Plus membership for all PSN customers and an extension of subscriptions for PlayStation Plus and Music Unlimited customers to make up for the time the service has been down.
"As a company we - and I - apologise for the inconvenience and concern caused by this attack. Under the leadership of Kazuo Hirai, we have teams working around the clock and around the world to restore your access to those services as quickly, and as safely, as possible," he said.
"In the last few months, Sony has faced a terrible earthquake and tsunami in Japan. But now we are facing a very man-made event - a criminal attack on us and on you - and we are working with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies around the world to apprehend those responsible."
Stringer's response came as criticism of his continued silence grew, and he used the letter to try to diffuse customer anger at being kept in the dark for so long when the incident was first discovered.

 

 

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Sony confirms it will introduce tablet this year

Reports out of Japan say that Sony is on track to release a tablet in the very near future. Could it be the S1?

In February, just as anticipation over the Xperia Play’s existence and forthcoming release hit a fever pitch, rumors of a PlayStation-certified, Vaio-branded tablet cropped up. The original report included content plans and even early specs, including the fact that it would run Android 3.0 and join the small, elite cluster of Honeycomb tablets. Now, Sony CEO Howard Stringer has confirmed to Japanese publication Nikkei that the device will become a reality this summer.
Bloomberg first reported the confirmation this morning, which also revealed that the tablet (which early claims said is codenamed the S1) will hit US shelves first.
Of course, what about those S2 rumblings? Shortly after the S1 speculation began, there was also mention of a second project, the clamshell-shaped S2. The device (from early renderings and specs) takes an extremely non-traditional approach to tablets, and was even initially described as an “electronic book with enhanced features.” As you can see from the mockups, the S1 also puts a unique spin on the tablet, but at least keeps a more similar shape and size. This and the early look at its specs seem to point to the S1 for the first Sony tablet release. Early reports said that this could be by the end of summer, but since then has been amended to year’s end.
Sony’s been taking its good, sweet time entering the tablet wars. And being the major computing manufacturer it is, you had to imagine this was only a matter of time. The company has been investing ample time and money into product features, like its media platform Qriocity and its cross-platform gaming model PlayStation Suite – all of which Sony may be planning to solidify before it introduces a tablet based on this content.
Suffice it to say we’re excited to see what Sony can bring to the table. Here’s a quick refresher on the S1:

• Tegra 2 processor
• 9.4-inch touch display; 1,280 x 800 resolution
• Rear- and front-facing cameras
• USB-A port
• Built-in IR port
• Android 3.0 (Honeycomb)
• (Relatively) button-free chassis; volume controls and (possibly) designated Qriocity button
• Wi-Fi only version rumored to cost $599 and ship in September

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