Sony and Circuit City Take the Headache out of Holiday Shopping with Online Educational Courses for Shoppers.

AUSTIN, Texas -- With consumer electronics at the top of many holiday shopping lists this year, Sony Electronics and Circuit City Stores, Inc. launched an online education resource to help consumers learn about the latest consumer electronics products and technologies.

The amount of information available regarding consumer electronics can overwhelm consumers, but the free online courses, accessible on the Web at http://learning.circuitcity.com, take the confusion out of purchasing electronics by clearly explaining all of the jargon, features and technologies available. The courses, developed by Powered Inc., feature topics such as digital photography, videography and basic Web site design.

"By helping consumers understand the technology behind their favorite electronic devices, they are able to make more educated purchase decisions and find the right products that can add value to their lives," said Barbara Miller, director of corporate marketing Web services at Sony Electronics.

By accessing the information online, consumers can research products and features in the comfort of their own homes, where they can educate themselves on the technology and feel more comfortable once they arrive in store. Course lessons are accessible 24/7, and students can interact with expert instructors to answer questions while taking the courses.

"A large percentage of consumer electronics shoppers research products online before they buy through retailers," said David L. Mathews, Circuit City's senior vice president, president of Circuit City Direct. "We are continually looking for new ways to add value for consumers, and the online education programs are a wonderful way to provide consumers with valuable, relevant information."

A recent study by advertising researchers Next Century Media showed that 94 percent of consumers taking online education courses had a favorable impression of the company's brand; 93 percent are likely to recommend the product to a friend; and 20 percent made a purchase of the product or service as a result.

About Sony Electronics

Headquartered in San Diego, Sony Electronics is a leading provider of audio/video electronics and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. Operations include research and development, design, engineering, manufacturing, sales, marketing, distribution and customer service. Sony is the co-developer of Blu-ray, Disc[TM], CD, DVD and Super Audio CD technologies. The company is noted for a wide range of consumer audio-visual products, such as the BRAVIA[R], Grand WEGA SXRD[R] and FD Trinitron[R] WEGA[R] televisions, alpha DSLR and Cybershot[R] digital cameras, Handycam[R] high-definition camcorders, Walkman[R] personal stereos, and Memory Stick[R] flash media. Also an innovator in IT products, including VAIO[R] personal computers; and professional products, highlighted by the XDCAM[R] HD System, HDCAM[R] 24-P, Digital Betacam[R] and DVCAM[R] VTR and camera formats. More information and digital images are available at the company's news and information website at www.sony.com/news.

About Circuit City Stores, Inc.

Circuit City Stores, Inc. (NYSE: CC) is a leading specialty retailer of consumer electronics and related services. The company's domestic segment operates through 640 superstores and 10 other locations in 158 U.S. markets. The international segment operates through more than 950 retail stores and dealer outlets in Canada. Circuit City also operates Web sites at http://www.circuitcity.com , http://www.thesource.ca and http://www.firedog.com.

About Powered Inc.

Austin-based Powered Inc. is the market and technology leader in online consumer education. Powered provides a proven way for the world's largest brands to use online education to drive sales, build brand loyalty and deliver a significantly higher ROI than other marketing programs. Manufacturers, retailers, media properties and Web publishers also rely on Powered to gain new insights into consumer attitudes and buying behavior. Powered clients include Atkins, BusinessWeek, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, Procter and Gamble and Sony, among others. For more information, visit www.powered.com.