Sony's latest recall had nothing to do with its hot-selling (and in short supply) PlayStation 3 game console, but it was one more setback among several that have dogged the company for the past year. Last week, Sony recalled eight models in its Cyber-shot line of compact digital still cameras to correct defects.
The specific problem appears to be a packaging-related defect in the camera's image sensor. The defective display screens can distort images and some units will not take photos at all, according to The Washington Post.
While Sony did not say how many cameras might be affected by the recall, it comes at the start of a hopeful holiday season for the troubled firm, which is still reeling from a massive 9.6 million laptop battery recall and several delays in ramping up its Blu-ray Disc products. The battery recall alone, according to various Sony officials in recent weeks, is likely to cost the firm a minimum of half-a-billion dollars (not including potential litigation from some PC partners).
Its sharply curtailed production of PS3 units led to a serious deficit of available game consoles in North America and Japan this month, which is a crucial time for all CE manufacturers.
