Showbiz and gizmos unite

January 08, 2009 Top executives from Sony and Disney called on hardware manufacturers at the Consumer Electronics Show on Thursday to step up cooperation with Hollywood given their shared interests in reaching consumers. In separate keynote speeches, Sony chairman and CEO Howard Stringer and Disney-ABC Television Group president Anne Sweeney emphasized the intertwined fortunes of showbiz and technology with regard to delivering simple user experiences on new content platforms. The company's two-hour presentation was bookended by an introduction from Tom Hanks, who brought along a trailer of his upcoming "Angels & Demons," and a closing musical performance from Usher.

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