Shortage of Japanese Products Expected – Analysts in Tokyo are forecasting that markets around the world could face critical shortages of products from Japanese companies late in the second or third quarter of this year, with a major supply cutback running into the key fourth quarter. Japan now accounts for 14% of the global production of computers, consumer electronics and communications gear. It is predicted that Chinese and Korean companies will start ramping up production in an effort to strip market share away from hard hit Japanese companies. Japan – which makes around a fifth of the world’s semiconductor chips – has seen many factories closed following the earthquake. The disruption of the supply chain in affected areas shows the potential for similar disruption at other companies elsewhere. Experts say reconstruction of infrastructure – from roads to rail, power and ports in affected regions – will take at least five years. Seven Sony plants and two research and development centers have stopped operations after the quake, and Sony shares have dropped 17%. One plant which makes Blu-ray disks and magnetic tape was severely damaged by the tsunami. Canon has suspended production at one of its main plants and Nikon says it may soon run out of parts. Toshiba is a leading maker of flash memory, and after it announced it would close five manufacturing and business sites, prices for flash memory jumped as much as 20%. The impact of the disaster may soon be felt in higher prices and shortages of Apple’s various popular mobile devices. The closure of Japanese car and parts plants will also affect sales thruout the world.
Musicians Raise Funds and Awareness for Japan Disaster – Musicians around the world are generously responding of time and talent to air the victims in Japan. The rock world has raised millions of dollars with arena concerts and extravaganzas, and classical musicians are dedicating their concerts and donating what they can from the box office, encouraging patrons to open their wallets by providing a list of non-profits to which they can contribute. Simon Rattle is joining forces with Daniel Barenboim today for a benefit concert featuring both the Berlin Philharmonic and the Staatskapelle orchestras. The New York Philharmonic is sending all the proceeds to Japan of downloads of their recording of Takemitsu’s Requiem. Violinist Hilary Hahn, whose tour of Japan had to be cancelled, has put together four concerts to benefit Japan.
Samsung Smart TV Strategy – Samsung is launching several new “Smart TVs,” allowing users to share content between multiple display devices not only in the home but also outside. It is called the Nth-Screen technology – a play on the math symbol which represents multiple, vs. the three screens some use as the ultimate in defining a TV-everywhere experience. The new sets promote connectivity and sharing with computers, computer monitors, Galaxy tablets and smartphones. A wide variety of apps will be either embedded into the new sets or available post-purchase thru Samsung’s Apps Store. In the U.S. the Apps Store has been expanded to a store-within-a-store concept. The Smart TVs also offer an integrated Smart Hub enabling users to search thru multiple content services for programs while also delivering suggestions based on user viewing patterns, and allowing for social networking as well – all on one screen.
Chesky Releases Binaural CD – The first part-binaural CD has been released by the Chesky Records label – “Explorations in Space and Time” with the All-Star Percussion Trio. This follows on the three recent past part-binaural discs of piano re-performances released by Zenph Studios, which feature recordings by Glenn Gould, Art Tatum and Rachmaninov in which you can put on headphones and experience the sounds the pianists themselves heard at the keyboard. The Chesky CD repeats the program twice: one recorded in stereo with the Soundfield mike, and then again in headphone binaural, recorded with a Neumann KU-100 binaural mike – which provides most listeners a more astonishingly accurate spatial experience than surround with speakers. Drummer Lenny White, from Return to Forever, joins world percussionist Jamey Haddad and classical percussionist Mark Sherman in the Binaural/Soundfield CD.
