Speaker 1: This is Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Masser from Bloomberg Radio.
Speaker 1: Well check it out everyone, the c ES that Consumer
Speaker 1: Electronics Show happens virtually next week. I've been there. Uh.
Speaker 1: It's the annual show highlighting tech and global innovators and
Speaker 1: some really cool trends and gadgets as well, tech trends
Speaker 1: that may ultimately work their way into our lives and
Speaker 1: coming years. Joining us with what they are highlighting at
Speaker 1: the upcoming show is Sony Electronics North America President and
Speaker 1: Chief operating Officer Mike Fasulo. He joins us on the
Speaker 1: phone in San Diego. Mike Hate, nice to have you
Speaker 1: here on Bloomberg. I do want to talk about c
Speaker 1: E S and what you guys will be um showing
Speaker 1: off there, But I gotta ask you, and I think
Speaker 1: it would be careless and thoughtless for me, as a
Speaker 1: journalist and really an American not to talk to you
Speaker 1: and ask you about what happened in Washington yesterday. How
Speaker 1: did it unfold for you? How did it make you
Speaker 1: think about kind of where we are as a country
Speaker 1: and your responsibility as a leader overall? Well, thanks for
Speaker 1: having me, Carol. Yeah, sorry to start off as strong. Yeah, well,
Speaker 1: I think I felt, like many of us, you know,
Speaker 1: it was tragic, it was sickening, and you know we
Speaker 1: we and I condemn any lawlessness and violence. You know,
Speaker 1: I really feel sadly for those that were physically heard
Speaker 1: or mentally heard. I mean, I couldn't imagine being at
Speaker 1: the Capitol. But yeah, I mean I condemn it. It's terrible.
Speaker 1: So and I do want it, Yeah, absolutely, And I
Speaker 1: do wonder. You know, it's been a year if I
Speaker 1: you know, go back to excuse me, a year where
Speaker 1: I feel like there's a lot of problems that have
Speaker 1: been a part of our society and that they were
Speaker 1: just laid bare again because of the health pandemic, because
Speaker 1: of what happened with George Floyd and others, whether it's
Speaker 1: diversity and inclusion, inequities, the gap in wealth in this country.
Speaker 1: And I do think ultimately, as a leader, don't you
Speaker 1: know what can we do? What the role of the
Speaker 1: private sector? Do you think at all of this? Well,
Speaker 1: I think there's you know, looking at it from the
Speaker 1: silver lining side, which is really hard to do when
Speaker 1: this tragedy and lives involved negatively, But but you know,
Speaker 1: it has brought appropriate attention that we're not doing enough
Speaker 1: right and from the private sector side, from the from
Speaker 1: the sunny side, you know, CUSR, whether it's around the environment,
Speaker 1: whether it's around social justice, whether it's UM pandemic, COVID related,
Speaker 1: and everything in between. That's a commitment to ours and
Speaker 1: and something we take very seriously as one of our responsibilities.
Speaker 1: And this past year we have been very very active
Speaker 1: on that front, obviously inside our company, but also out
Speaker 1: in the marketplace, you know, working with a number of
Speaker 1: institutions that you know, I'd be more than happy to
Speaker 1: share with you should do once this pipics, but you know,
Speaker 1: trying to affect real change. You know, I think the
Speaker 1: social justice and I love it. I love specifics, and
Speaker 1: I promise you we're gonna talk about cs UM, but
Speaker 1: I want to so in terms of really be a
Speaker 1: game changer, how do you how do we we've all
Speaker 1: talked about like some of the inequities, uh and whether
Speaker 1: it's diversity and inclusion, you know, how do we really
Speaker 1: create real action and change? In your view, I think
Speaker 1: that I think the private sector has a large responsibility
Speaker 1: for this. You know, Frankly, I don't think my generation
Speaker 1: did a great job, you know, I've been in the
Speaker 1: workforce for almost forty years, so I'm the old white guy.
Speaker 1: But the you know, we haven't we haven't done enough
Speaker 1: to affect real change. It goes well beyond my belief
Speaker 1: words and even donations. You know, how do we truly
Speaker 1: impact change? You know? I think about COVID nineteen and
Speaker 1: social justice and and they're they're connected. It's not independent,
Speaker 1: al right, So how do we get to those under privilege?
Speaker 1: How do we get to those that we narrowly don't
Speaker 1: get the chance where the privileges that folks like I get,
Speaker 1: and really put them in a position for success, build
Speaker 1: on their confidence given the tools and invest in steam right,
Speaker 1: and they nut stand because arts equals creativity to us
Speaker 1: and innovation. But but there's tremendous we could do. I
Speaker 1: also think that the more we do together, not one
Speaker 1: single company but groups of companies and networks, etcetera. Be
Speaker 1: more we do together, you know, the more impact will
Speaker 1: have an alignment. So as promised, Um, Mike, I do
Speaker 1: want to talk about Consumer Electronics Show, which kicks off
Speaker 1: virtually next week. What are you guys going to be
Speaker 1: highlighting And I'm curious what you think are some of
Speaker 1: the big trends that we all need to know about. Well,
Speaker 1: it's gonna be a different uh CES this year. That's
Speaker 1: the sure being being virtual. But we're still very excited,
Speaker 1: and you know it's already being an entertainment company. We
Speaker 1: always have a lot of news to share in my
Speaker 1: role in electronics. UM. Even there, there's so many announcements,
Speaker 1: so let me try to try to boil it down.
Speaker 1: You know, we're we are announcing new audio applications UM
Speaker 1: that we call phishics and reality audio which is very
Speaker 1: immersive and surround sound and multiple applications, and we'll announce
Speaker 1: that next week, so I won't get too much into that.
Speaker 1: Robotics for all ages, whether it's you know, our robotic
Speaker 1: door Gibo or Cove for steme and children. I think
Speaker 1: what I'm most excited about today is our announcements around
Speaker 1: our new cognitive intelligent TVs, world's first cognit intelligent TVs.
Speaker 1: So can I just tell you. We were discussing this
Speaker 1: on our planning call and we're like, all right, cognitive TV,
Speaker 1: what exactly does it mean? It kind of freaks me
Speaker 1: out if it's going to know what's kind of going
Speaker 1: on in my head? So tell me exactly what it means.
Speaker 1: What's the experience for one who's got a cognitive TV.
Speaker 1: I mean it really when when you boil it down,
Speaker 1: it's immersive, it's really entertaining. It makes it connects sound
Speaker 1: and visual like your brain actually calculates it, not just
Speaker 1: one aspect, but puts it all together, including where you're
Speaker 1: focused on the on the TV. So it brings all
Speaker 1: of that together and brings everything to life and makes
Speaker 1: it lifelike. It's it's again it's going to be a
Speaker 1: challenge with virtual because I always say seeing is believing,
Speaker 1: and in this case, seeing and hearing is believing. But
Speaker 1: it is the best quality picture that I think is
Speaker 1: on the planet. So wait, so help me out. So
Speaker 1: is it just a case of an incredible processor? So
Speaker 1: exactly what we're seeing visually and or hearing is just
Speaker 1: like I've been pulling up some screens on on my computer.
Speaker 1: I mean, is it just what we see, what we
Speaker 1: hear is just kind of appt up from what we've
Speaker 1: got right now. Potentially it is definitely an incredible processor. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I think my engineers would be just an incredible thanks boss,
Speaker 1: But it is, it is an incredible processor. But it's
Speaker 1: different than AI artificial intelligence, and that it's simultaneously calculating
Speaker 1: multiple variables, including including sound, so you know, it will
Speaker 1: not only in all content, so it will not only
Speaker 1: make us feel lifelike, but if you're watching a concert,
Speaker 1: you'll feel like you're at the concert. You know, if
Speaker 1: you're looking at interest, if you're listening to Bloomberg, your
Speaker 1: voice is gonna sound spectacular. That's all we care about.
Speaker 1: It remarkable. Yeah, But from what I understand is if
Speaker 1: you're looking at a screen, um that the screen is
Speaker 1: actually divided into different sections so that as you kind
Speaker 1: of focus on it, I guess it adapts. Is that correct? Well,
Speaker 1: that's correct. So we call it zones. So the you know,
Speaker 1: the processor calculates zone by zone and then tries to
Speaker 1: think as if your brain thinks in your eyes, you know,
Speaker 1: where your eyes will be at a point in time.
Speaker 1: It's not looking at you. There's no watching you, okay,
Speaker 1: processor oriented. Yeah, I got to say that. The experience
Speaker 1: I think that you know, we've all been able to
Speaker 1: build with kind of our home systems, it's pretty phenomenal
Speaker 1: and and all of us appreciate that even more since
Speaker 1: we've been stuck home watching so much content that you
Speaker 1: do think about, you know, the systems that are around
Speaker 1: you and are constantly looking for upgrades. Something I want
Speaker 1: to ask you, it's a constant conversation in my home
Speaker 1: about kind of what the next car will be, and
Speaker 1: we want it to be some form of green car
Speaker 1: whatever that will be. Um but it's also increasingly you know,
Speaker 1: greater technology and the car I've got almost contrive itself.
Speaker 1: Autonomous vehicles. Where are you guys on that? Are you
Speaker 1: part of that as well? We absolutely have to total
Speaker 1: we are and we've we're in a number of different
Speaker 1: areas on autonomous or drive a lists cars, but but
Speaker 1: the one that we're most focused on right now is
Speaker 1: around our capabilities with sensors and image sensors and turning
Speaker 1: it into sensing. So you know, the human I has
Speaker 1: has capabilities but has limited a image sensor has much
Speaker 1: further capabilities. So we call it safety cocoon and think
Speaker 1: about your car, you know, being surrounded by sensors that
Speaker 1: create a cocoon of safety, so we can anticipate things
Speaker 1: that human I maybe would not, including changing in lights,
Speaker 1: going at the tunnels, you know, corners, etcetera. On incoming
Speaker 1: objects or oncoming objects. So we're working with a number
Speaker 1: of companies on including our sensors in in their models
Speaker 1: so that it's safe. And you guys are going to
Speaker 1: be Actually you unveiled it and I did. I think
Speaker 1: it's some testing. Is it kind of a year ago
Speaker 1: at CS and so where are you guys? And I
Speaker 1: wonder how are you working with Apple? By any chance,
Speaker 1: we work with a number of companies. But we'll leave
Speaker 1: it at that. Okay, fair enough, fair enough? What what
Speaker 1: do you make of because I feel like there's a
Speaker 1: lot of momentum, certainly coming off of Tesla. They had
Speaker 1: a batter year in but I do feel like in
Speaker 1: the last few weeks of last year we all kind
Speaker 1: of awakened again when it came to cars and e
Speaker 1: V and autonomous because of Apple once again, um becoming
Speaker 1: interested and involved once again. It's not their first time
Speaker 1: at the at this rodeo. But nonetheless, what do you
Speaker 1: make of Apple getting involved? I think I think the
Speaker 1: more the more companies that could involved, especially incredible companies,
Speaker 1: you know, the better you know, will will well com
Speaker 1: people will partner and we'll live and learn together. Um,
Speaker 1: I think it's it's a good it's it's to see
Speaker 1: other others joining in and in terms of yeah, I agree,
Speaker 1: you know, I feel like I don't know if you
Speaker 1: feel this way, Mike, I feel like, if anything, we
Speaker 1: learned this year in terms of UM community collaboration, especially
Speaker 1: when you think about a vaccine coming together and I
Speaker 1: understand it was a public private partnership, but it's amazing
Speaker 1: what we can all get done when we really even
Speaker 1: though we may be competitors, when we work together kind
Speaker 1: of how we can just advance things with a much
Speaker 1: faster time frame. Absolutely agree. We call it communities of
Speaker 1: interest of getting closer to people in communities. Yeah, it's
Speaker 1: pretty fascinating. Well, listen, thank you so much. Good luck
Speaker 1: with next year. UM, thanks so much for sharing us
Speaker 1: and giving us a little bit of window. What will
Speaker 1: be uh hearing coming out of you guys when it
Speaker 1: comes to ce S next year. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1: Mike Fasulo, he's president and chief operating officer at Sony
Speaker 1: Electronics North America, on the phone from San Diego, and
Speaker 1: as he mentioned, the Consumer Electronics Show, YEP, it does
Speaker 1: get underway virtually. Uh next year, next year, next week?
Speaker 1: Excuse me, so always a place to look for some
Speaker 1: headlines