After sitting on its laurels for quite a bit, it seems Sony is ready to fight Apple for the digital media market. The Financial Times (registration required) is reporting that Sony will unveil a new service for the PlayStation Network at the IFA technology show in Berlin, mere hours prior to Apple’s press conference today in California. Sources told the Financial Times that the service would offer music and video for PSN, with further expansion onto other internet-ready devices like Bravia TVs, Walkmans, Ericsson phones, and Blu-ray players.
Sony has long attempted to create their own digital media service, with the company closing down their ill-fated Connect music service in 2007. In 2008 the electronic giant acquired Gracenote, a service for identifying songs across different devices. It’s possible that Gracenote’s technology could find its way into Sony’s new service.
Apple is expected to announce new social networking features for iTunes, including Twitter and Facebook integration. Sources are also pointing to the announcement of a hardware refresh for the iPod Touch.
