(1908–97), Japanese industrialist who patented the transistor and launched the modern electronics industry, born in Nikko, Japan, on April 11, 1908; graduated Waseda University 1933; defense contractor during World War II; with Akio Morita founded Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation 1946; first product, electric rice cooker, a failure; succeeded in marketing tape recorders; acquired patent license for transistor from U.S. Bell Laboratories for 25,000 dollars, 1952, and put company into forefront of electronics industry; U.S. manufacturers resisted adopting transistor; developed pocket-size radio and named it Sony, from Latin word for “sound”; marketed 1954; company name changed to Sony 1956; president 1950–71; chairman 1971–76; died on Dec. 19, 1997, in Tokyo.