Sony was founded in 1946 in Tokyo and initially produced tape recorders and transistor radios. It was renamed Sony in 1958 and found success with the Trinitron color TV in 1968 and the Walkman personal stereo in 1979. Sony has since expanded into music, films, video games and other entertainment through acquisitions and partnerships. The company's founder, Akio Morita, emphasized individual capabilities over academics and believed R&D leads to meeting customer needs. He helped ease US-Japan trade tensions and was influential in Japanese business.