TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Matsushita to Make Sony Disc Players: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. will start making mini-disc players, entering a market that has been cornered by rival Sony Corp., a spokesman said in Tokyo. Matsushita, best known for its Panasonic label, will start production on the digital machines by the end of the year, the spokesman said. Sony created the mini-disc product, branded by the company as MiniDisc, and introduced it to the market in 1992. The system is designed to let users hear digital sound while also having the ability to record. Sony welcomed the Matsushita decision, calling it a “positive sign for the mini-disc industry.”