People to Watch

Ryoji Chubachi
President of Sony

Chubachi wants the world to know that Sony can still make cool stuff. On December 1, Japanese consumers will be able to get their hands on Sony’s (and the world’s) first organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TV, an 11-inch wonder that’s only 3-millimeters thick and more energy-efficient than existing televisions. Chubachi wants this wee TV to be “the symbol of the revival of Sony’s technological prowess . . . the flag under which we charge forward to turn the fortunes around.” Wave that tiny flag!

Wu Yi
Vice Premier of China

The top trade negotiator and troubleshooter in chief for the People’s Republic, Wu leads a committee charged with improving safety standards and ensuring that “Made in China” doesn’t become synonymous with pet-killing kibble, poisonous toiletries, and tainted toys. The 69-year-old Wu, who is retiring shortly, will speak for her country one last time when safety issues are discussed at U.S.-China trade talks set for the week of December 10 in Beijing. Note to the American delegation: Bring your own toothpaste.

Daniel Day-Lewis
Method Actor

Oil. Religion. Greed. Family business. If you’re tired of hearing about all this on the news, you’ll probably want to skip There Will Be Blood (adapted from Upton Sinclair’s 1927 book Oil!), opening December 26. In which case you’ll miss Day-Lewis’s Oscar-baiting performance as an oil tycoon in a small Texas town at the turn of the last century.

Chris Sacca
Head of Special Initiatives at Google

Sacca brashly announced last summer that Google was ready to bid at least $4.6 billion in January’s FCC auction of the 700MHz wireless spectrum–that’s penetrate-your-walls stuff–but only if the feds agreed to “open access” rules that would allow consumers more flexibility. Careful what you ask for: The FCC said it would accept some of Google’s proposals. Sacca has since been unusually coy about Google’s plans. When the auctioneer bangs the gavel on January 16, we’ll see if Sacca puts up or shuts up.