The ultimate in technology: a tennis ball
What I'm hoping to see in future Sony products is a little room for improvement. Current products give us helpful features designed for intelligent operation, but that's not enough. They just get in the way of improvement in users themselves. I'd prefer to see features that give ample opportunity for us to sharpen our senses or reflexes. Not the impression that we have mastered a device, thanks to a series of new features that were introduced.
VAIO type X Living: An enormous capacity of 2 TB holds three weeks of programming for eight channels (VGX-XV80S)
We can truly improve in ball games, for example. These sports involve balls that are precision instruments, of a sort. They are a form of senseware that puts us in touch with gravity or other universal laws, letting us experience them physically. Keep playing with a ball, and your body and senses will help you grasp the laws of nature at work. The more you play, the better you become. There's a process of improvement. In tennis, if you hit the ball erratically, the ball reacts erratically. But hit it carefully, and the ball will go as directed. It's by observing this phenomenon over and over that we gradually master it. For this reason, I find products that fulfill the role of a tennis ball appealing. In cameras, some multifunction models will do everything for you. I prefer a camera with many features that may await your discovery, depending on your familiarity with the camera. Use it carefully for a couple years, and you'll shoot like a professional. This way, our own "sensors" when using the product will become much keener and our reflexes better, until we have mastered the camera. I'd be happy to see this kind of interaction and technology with depth that helps users improve, in products that may seem as plain as a tennis ball.
Sony recently introduced a hard disk recorder that can automatically record all TV programs for about three weeks. This to me was an amazing discovery. There's no need to check what programs you want to record. Just decide what you want to watch, without limitation. Sure, there's still a moment, after you turn on the set, when you must decide whether to watch live TV or a recording, but this system blurs the line between past and present. It struck me that this would transform television and broadcasters.
"White" Sony, prevailing against chaotic technology
In my field of communication design, we might call the Sony design image "white." I'm not talking about the color of corporate logos or particular products, of course. To us, white represents a concept, not a color. In a chaotic world, "colors" of all kinds get mixed up over time, and everything turns dark gray. Ultimately, this maelstrom doesn't just subside; a totally opposite force breaks through. And I think that's what "white" stands for. White is the will, the mindset to prevail against the chaos as something special. I began by discussing an attitude and spirit of originality I sense in Sony products, and in these, I see the will to design formidable innovations from chaotic technology. But we must remember, white is easily stained, easily spoiled. If the will is weak, it won't stay white for long. In this sense, I hope this impression of "white" Sony design endures.
