RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM Photographers flock to new Sony electronics on display at a press conference at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

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Behind a veil of
industry jargon, Sony
releases cool toys

Sony Hawaii Co. unveiled several products yesterday to local English and Asian media amid presentations to its retail dealers, which began Monday. These events were not open to the public. The new products expo for public consumption is usually in November before the Christmas shopping season.

Never too early to shop for Christmas ... Network Walkman digital music players, starting at $90, are tiny: » The 100 series models weigh less than 1 ounce » They are about the same size as a poker chip A 400-disc CD and DVD player, at $400, has key features: » Upgrading of video and audio signals » Parental controls

At the media briefing, alphanumeric product codes such as RDR-HX715 (for a DVD recorder) and technological acronyms such as HDMI (for High Definition Multi- media Interface) regularly rolled off presenters' lips. They left one attendee wishing aloud for simpler names, such as Callaway Golf's Big Bertha, Bigger Bertha and Biggest Bertha golf clubs.

The dozens of new products include tiny digital music players at $90; a 400-disc combined DVD and CD player for $400; a digital camera smaller than a deck of cards for $500; digital video cameras that also take still shots, starting at $400; and the new go-anywhere-and-be-online Vaio laptop computer for $2,200.

"It's not easy being a Sony employee," because all their paychecks go to buy new products, laughed Karl Okemura, vice president of the Consumer Electronics Group.

Most of the new products will be rolled out in the coming months, said spokeswoman Jamie Lum.

A mini digital video recorder, called the PC 1000, made its U.S. debut at Hilton Hawaiian Village yesterday. It was the first time the small camcorder had been presented to an audience outside of Tokyo, the presenter said. Such debuts are normally done at large consumer electronics events in major cities, but Honolulu got this one because Sony's Japan headquarters appreciates Hawaii's brand loyalty, Lum said.

The local market provides one-third of Sony Hawaii Co.'s estimated $200 million in sales. Two-thirds of the total comes from Sony Hawaii's business with U.S. military exchanges around the world. "We're proud to serve all the military bases internationally -- globally," said President Don Kim.