one of the largest and most successfulelectronicsmanufacturing companies in the world. Started by two Japanese men in 1946, the company has a history of innovations such as the first transistor radio, the Walkman portable cassette recorder and the compact disc (in cooperation with another company). In the late 1980s, Sony acquired CBS Records and ColumbiaPicture Entertainment, Inc. and became one of the world's largest entertainment companies-including music production and film. The name Sony was adopted in 1958 and comes from the word sonus (Latin for "sound") and sonny (which means "little son").