On CE - For Dealers, Distributors and OEMs of Consumer Electronics throughout EMEA

Sony starts recalling 1.6M LCD TVs WW due to a defect reported in Japan causing overheating, smoke and melting parts.

The defective part (an inverter transformer used for LCD backlights) is found in models sold in international markets, even if Sony says it has not received reports of similar problems outside of Japan, where it received 11 such reports.

Sony is recalling the following Bravia models in Japan-- KDL-40X5000, KDL-40X5050, KDL-40W5000, KDL-40V5000 and KDL-40V3000-- and will release similar recall information in each affected market.

Go Sony Bravia LCD TV Notice

Korea's ESPlus announces the Seeser projector at the Korea Electronics Show-- a laser pico projector with an output of up to 25 ANSI lumens at SVGA (800x600) resolution.

Using a laser-based system it requires no focusing, and can produce images of up to 100" in size with projection distance of 20cm to 2m.

Connectivity comes through VGA port and integrated 1seg tuner, and it can also read various file formats from micro SD cards-- with a 1GHz processor running Android 2.2 (Froyo).

Go Seeser

Microsoft has a war fund of over €31 million (£28M) to give out to mobile makers-- and Nokia will get the biggest chunk, according to Mobile Today.

Nokia should receive around €23M (£20M) to promote its first Windows Phone device to the UK market, which should launch later this month.

The fund will go for advertising campaigns promoting the Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) launch, as well. The Mobile Today source says "Microsoft is funding a massive campaign with Nokia across every single media you can imagine... Microsoft is desperate to kick the hell out of Android. If they can get across how amazing Mango is they could really crack it this time."

Judging by those numbers, if Microsoft wants Nokia to sell 1 million Windows Phone devices, it will shell out €23 per phone.

Samsung will get the rest of the cash (around €8M) in order to push its major Christmas offering, the Omnia W.

The Mango update launched 2 weeks ago, and will be available on a number of new devices launching over the next few weeks.

Go Microsoft Pumpts £28M into Windows Phone Mango

Electronic Partner H1 2011 revenues decline by 3% Y-o-Y-- even if the market actually shows growth (by 4.3%), according to Manager Magazin.

Meanwhile international revenues drop even further to reach the double digit range, with Medimax retail outlets threatening to slip even further towards the red.

Manager Magazin quotes EP managing partner and director Oliver Haubrich, who says the retailer is "in an alarming state."

The reason for such a decline? Family in-fighting, as Oliver Haubrich struggles with his uncle (and EP Advisory Board Chairman) Harmut Haubrish for control over the retailer--  paralysing company management in the process.

Go Decline in Sales at Electronic Partner (Manager Magazin)