Sony

Knowing there's a lot of interest in waterproof smartphones, Sony has been coming out with devices that not only can survive an accidental drop in the toilet but actually be used underwater. It's latest, the Xperia ZR, can even record HD video while submerged. The Japanese tech company said the phone, unveiled Monday, can be nearly 5 feet underwater for up to 30 minutes. The device can go in only fresh water, so users can't take it with them into the ocean where saltwater can corrode the phone.

It has the hallmarks of a colossal clash between two gaming titans. Microsoft Corp. and Sony Computer Entertainment separately unveiled details about their new game consoles Monday, ahead of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the big video game industry conference that starts Tuesday at the Los Angeles Convention Center. But some analysts say the new consoles may instead represent last-gasp attempts by the electronics giants to fend off smartphones and tablets, which have made video games more accessible and cheaper.

David Mitchell came to Los Angeles because of an 8-year-old book. Thanks to the movie by Lana Wachowski, Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer, Mitchell's novel "Cloud Atlas" has landed on American bestseller lists -- right behind the decidedly less literary trilogy "50 Shades of Grey. " Mitchell sat down with the L.A. Times' Carolyn Kellogg -- in this extended interview, which has been edited for length and clarity, he talks in detail about his writing process, what makes a book last and the "Cloud Atlas" adaptation.

Sony Corp. is pricing its new PlayStation 4 console at $399, $100 lower than the new Xbox One by rival Microsoft Corp. Microsoft recently announced a $499 price tag for its first new Xbox in eight years, which is going on sale in the United States in November. Sony also drew cheers from the audience at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles Monday  when it said the PS4 would run second-hand games and did not require an always-on Internet connection. Microsoft had earlier elicited groans from gamers when it announced restrictions on used games for the Xbox One and said players had to log onto the Internet for authentication.

Knott's Berry Farm will add five new mazes for Halloween Haunt 2012, including an up-charge VIP maze that promises to substantially increase the scare-quotient from years past. Photos: Halloween Haunt 2012 at Knott's Berry Farm The 40th annual Knott's Scary Farm will start on Sept. 21 and run on select nights through Oct. 31. The granddaddy of Halloween events will feature 13 mazes and four scare zones scattered throughout the Buena Park theme park. As part of the 40th anniversary celebration, Knott's entertainment supervisor Jeff Tucker promises higher quality mazes with more scares and better set decorations.

Samsung, Sony and Hewlett-Packard took to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, over the weekend to announce new tablets that could rival Apple's iPad. The most notable of the tablets is Samsung's Galaxy Note 8.0, which will be the South Korean tech company's direct competitor to Apple's iPad mini and the Google Nexus 7. As noted by its name, the Galaxy Note 8.0 has an eight-inch screen with a 1,280-by-800-pixel resolution. Like other Galaxy Note products, the new Samsung tablet will also come with the S Pen stylus.

Sony Corp. recalled 1.6 million Bravia flat-panel TVs sold worldwide since 2007 because a faulty component may cause them to melt or catch fire. Sony recalled the liquid-crystal display TVs after a September incident in which a customer noticed a small fire and smoke, said Yuki Shima, a Tokyo-based spokeswoman for the world's No. 3 maker of televisions. Eleven incidents have been reported in Japan since 2008, according to a company statement, and no injuries have been reported. A faulty component in the backlight systems may be the source of overheating that can melt the top of the TV set, Shima said.

Sony Corp.'s deal to acquire EMI's publishing assets has cleared U.S. and European regulatory hurdles and was closed Friday, the companies said. EMI's catalog will be merged with Sony's to create a library of more than 2 million songs, making the combined entity the world's largest music publisher. The deal, announced last November, called for an investor group led by Sony to pay $2.2 billion for EMI's rights to 1.3 million songs, including those written by David Bowie, Stevie Wonder and others.

Early fan interest in Sony's “The Amazing Spider-Man” looks to be just that - amazing. Audience surveys circulating around Hollywood this week show that the web-slinger reboot is generating a level of excitement reserved for only a handful of the summer's biggest hits. Even though “The Amazing Spider-Man,” which overhauls the creative team behind the first three movies, doesn't open until July 3, potential ticket buyers - even young women - already are more interested in the superhero story than they are in “Brave,” which will premiere this weekend to as much as $65 million.

After the coffee. Before ordering my limo for Sunday night. The Skinny: I'm starting to watch the Netflix series "House of Cards" It's my first foray into the world of Netflix, so if you don't see me for a few days (or weeks) you'll know why. Thursday's stories include a look at all the work Wolfgang Puck has to do as the chef for the Governors Ball, which follows the Academy Awards. Also, Walt Disney Co. has struck a deal with British Sky Broadcasting for a new channel and Sony unveiled its latest version of the PlayStation.

After the coffee. Before the ESPN and ABC upfronts. The Skinny: I got through the day without any pizza. Let's see if I can make it two in a row. Tuesday's headlines include Fox's new TV schedule for next season. Also, a hedge fund manager is pressuring Sony to split its entertainment assets from the rest of the consumer electronics giant. If you are interested in receiving an email alert when the Morning Fix is live, please send me a note . Daily Dose: Scott Sassa, the former president of Hearst Entertainment & Syndication who exited his job earlier this year after racy text messages between him and a young woman were sent to his bosses and leaked to the media, has landed a new gig. Sassa was named vice chairman of the El Rey Network, a new cable channel being launched by director Robert Rodriguez later this year.

Sony Corp. stock soared in afternoon trading after New York hedge fund Third Point proposed that the electronics and media giant make an initial public stock offering of up to 20% of its entertainment arm. That unit, known as Sony Entertainment Inc., includes film and television studio Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Sony Music Entertainment. The proposal also raised the specter of a possible Sony alliance - perhaps with CBS Corp., whose CEO Leslie Moonves has long dreamed of running a movie studio.

After switching from a major label to go independent, Solange Knowles is returning to a traditional label -- sorta. The singer-songwriter-model has announced that she is starting her own imprint called Saint Records. It will be distributed through Sony. Knowles took to Twitter to make the announcement early Tuesday after reports surfaced that she had signed a deal with Columbia (which is owned by Sony). Saint Records is where “I'll be releasing my full length album, and also future music projects that I'm excited about sharing," she tweeted . RELATED: Interview with Solange Knowles Fans, and critics, have awaited a proper full-length from Knowles since she broke out with her 2012 EP, “True.” Her slow sonic evolution has been a captivating one to watch since she released her 2003 debut of inoffensive pop-R&B.

New York hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb wants Japanese electronics giant Sony Corp. to spin off its Culver City entertainment business. CBS Corp. might like that, too. Loeb, whose Third Point funds own more than $1 billion in Sony stock, sent a letter Tuesday to Sony's chief executive, Kazuo Hirai, suggesting an initial public offering of 15% to 20% of Sony Pictures Entertainment. ON LOCATION: Where the cameras roll Sony said that its Hollywood operations are not for sale, and a CBS corporate spokesman declined to comment on "rumor and speculation.

Observers spent Tuesday morning reading Sony Corp.'s tea leaves in the aftermath of a hedge fund's proposal that the company take its entertainment arm public. Sony's stock soared about 10% in afternoon trading after New York hedge fund Third Point proposed that the electronics and media giant make a public offering of up to 20% of Sony Entertainment Inc. That unit includes film and television studio Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Sony Music Entertainment.  Brian Wieser, a senior analyst with Pivotal Research Group, said that there is "good value inside of Sony Pictures," but noted that some investors may not be aware of the strengths of the company -- which extend beyond its film business -- because it is part of a large corporation.

Knowing there's a lot of interest in waterproof smartphones, Sony has been coming out with devices that not only can survive an accidental drop in the toilet but actually be used underwater. It's latest, the Xperia ZR, can even record HD video while submerged. The Japanese tech company said the phone, unveiled Monday, can be nearly 5 feet underwater for up to 30 minutes. The device can go in only fresh water, so users can't take it with them into the ocean where saltwater can corrode the phone.

Sony sold 525,000 PlayStation 3 units during the crucial Thanksgiving week, the Japanese electronics giant said Friday. That's fewer than the 750,000 Xbox 360s that Microsoft sold the week of Thanksgiving, but it beat Nintendo's Wii U and its Wii, which sold 400,000 and 300,000 units that week, respectively. Sony said total sales of PlayStation hardware, games and peripherals were up 9% from Thanksgiving week 2011. The company said it also sold 160,000 of its portable PS Vita devices, whose sales have been struggling.

Sony Corp.'s U.S. unit agreed to buy Gracenote Inc., a maker of music infrastructure products for consumer electronics, for at least $260 million to improve its digital content and services. Emeryville, Calif.-based Gracenote's top management will stay at the company, which will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary, Sony said.

Master stop-motion visual effects artist Ray Harryhausen died Tuesday at age 92. There have been multiple farewells and remembrances of the man who brought so many mythical monsters to life on the big screen, but Sony Movie Channel is saying farewell the best way possible: actually showing his movies. On Saturday, the channel will air three of Harryhausen's films from its library: "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad," "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad" and "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger. " The films will follow a documentary about the man and work titled, "Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan," which will air at 9:45 a.m. PDT. PHOTOS: Ray Harryhausen -- Career in pictures "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" was released in 1958 and was the first of the three Sinbad movies Harryhausen produced for Columbia.