Panasonic has finally stopped making VCRs for its domestic market. The company disclosed that it ceased production of the outdated tape-based recording and playback devices at the end of last year. Once its existing inventory is exhausted, the company will stop selling the players in Japan.
Three large Japanese electronics makers are involved in talks on merging assets to build computer chips. Renesas, Fujitsu and Panasonic will at first spin off their separate chip design and development divisions to create a joint company, according to Japan's Nikkei newspaper (login required). The three are doing so in order to better compete in the industry for devices and vehicles.
Mobile chip and network gear maker Qualcomm has now proposed an in-flight wireless network that would bring speeds as fast as 300Gbps. It would use spectrum in the 14GHz to 14.5GHz bands for this, and the so-called Next-Gen AG system would use about 150 towers located throughout the US. The network would use familiar airwave techniques to get ther, including a time division duplex communications mode and orthogonal multiplexing, which stitches together multiple signals into a coherent whole.
Panasonic compounded the troubles at Japanese electronics firms on Friday after it anticipated a steep $10.2 billion yearly loss for its fiscal 2011, which ends in March. The record drop was blamed near exclusively on the costs of buying Sanyo and its Electric division, including reorganization and write-offs. President Fumio Ohtsubo apologized, but promised corporate reform that could produce a "V-shaped" turnaround in performance.
Both Panasonic and Samsung are reportedly engaged in talks that may lead to a financial partnership with Olympus. Details posted in the Mainichi newspaper corroborate earlier leaks surrounding a potential deal with Samsung, while also pointing to separate negotiations with Panasonic and another Japanese company.
For the second time in a year, Sharp has announced that it will be cutting production of LCDs screens in its Sakai City (Osaka) Japan production facility. Nikkei is reporting [subscription required] that the company plans to reduce its output by one-half. Sharp will continue pushing out the screens at these levels for at least one month, and possibly longer.
Panasonic's Lumix line got one more update Tuesday night with pricing for the five point-and-shoots we saw at CES. The range-leading SZ1 and SZ7 cameras will cost $180 and $200 each. Both have 25-250mm equivalent lenses, with differences mostly revolving around 720p video in the SZ1 and going to 1080i in the SZ7.
Panasonic's Lumix line got further upgrades Tuesday with two new rugged cameras. The TS4 is its new, toughest camera and can withstand water depths of up to 40 feet, drops of up to 6.6 feet, most dust, and temperatures down to 14F. Like some of the newest rugged cameras, it has an altimeter and a barometer log, although it now has the new GPS system of the ZS20 to load map data from a DVD for advanced geotagging.
Panasonic used the lead-in to the CP+ show to introduce even more Lumix point-and-shoot cameras past what it showed earlier in the month. The 20X, 24-480mm ZS20 as the flagship hopes to cure some of the problems of compact superzooms with a new internal structure and nano surface-coated lens that hope to cut back on lens flares and ghosting. A new GPS system both handles the usual geotagging and can even load map data from a DVD like one would car navigation, filling in much more information for 82 countries, such as landmarks.
Panasonic is using a tablet with an integrated WiGig prototype radio to provide a proof-of-concept of the ultra high-speed wireless technology. With it, the company is showing off the ability of transmitting data at 1Gbps speeds over distances of up to three feet. Panasonic hopes to miniaturize the technology and have it available on an SD card when it ships actual products.
Two Japanese camera lens manufacturers have signed onto the Micro Four Thirds standard pioneered by Olympus and Panasonic. They include Kenko Tokina and Tamron, while a third Japanese company, Astrodesign, has also jumped onboard, though it makes video measuring equipment and not lenses. This should give those how have bought into the new type of camera, which allows for interchangeable lenses on digital camera bodies that are smaller than DSLRs, more options for lenses.
Panasonic today unveiled two 12.1-inch notebooks in its home country. The Let's Note SX1 and SX2 offer Intel Core i5 processors in a compact, ruggedized magnesium form factor with batteries that provide up to 16 hours of run-time. Panasonic is also offering the J10, a 10.1-inch laptop targeting business customers.
Panasonic this week launched its 2012 range of camcorders. This year, the company has trimmed its product line-up and dropped its hard disk-based models instead opting for non-moving flash memory. As can be expected, the Panasonic camcorder range has added a number of new features designed to capture user interest.
Panasonic brought five new Lumix point-and-shoot cameras to CES and we got some initial impressions. They include the mid-range FH6 and FH8 and the entry-level S2. All cameras felt really light, with their construction largely plastic.
Panasonic has announced a huge lineup of new TVs for 2012 at CES. Previously reserving the large screen sizes for its line of plasma displays, Panasonic has now introduced two new lines of IPS LED LCD displays, the DT50 and the WT50. The new sets come in 47- and 55-inch sizes, which are surrounded in by an ultrathin metal silver metal frame.
Wells Fargo has leaked virtually every camera designer's plans for CES and PMA next week but has provided unusually large amounts of detail for major Canon releases. The PowerShot G1X is Canon's long-awaited if indirect response to mirrorless rivals and carries a large, 1.5-inch, 14.3-megapixel CMOS sensor to let it take in more light and detail than most compacts. Although the 4X, 28-112mm equivalent lens is still non-removable, it now has a wider maximum aperture of f2.5 (better than f2.8) to improve low light and soften backgrounds.
(Update: official details) Samsung, Panasonic, NTT DoCoMo, Fujitsu, and NEC are working together on smartphone processors, according to apparent slips from the industry early Tuesday. A joint venture as cast by the Wall Street Journal would probably have Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo have majority control over the project, which would go live by late March. Little else is known other than that official news could come as soon as later on Tuesday.
A coalition of companies have proposed the Next Generation Secure Memory standard to lock down movies and other content stored on flash memory. Panasonic, Samsung, SanDisk, Sony, and Toshiba are working on a system that would put unique IDs on embedded and removable storage like SD cards and encrypt content based on public keys. The move would let studios offer movies on a non-disc physical format but theoretically keep it from being freely copied without relying on protection in the file itself.
Panasonic has announced plans to enter the highly competitive smartphone space with a new Android line that will start in Europe with a view to expanding to the US and beyond. It will mark the first time in six years that the company has sold phones outside of Japan and comes only weeks after the company signaled a shift away from consumer electronics to alternative energy technology. It aims to move 1.5 million units in the next fiscal year and ultimately 15 million units a year globally by 2016.
Leica continued its recent tradition of upscaling Panasonic compact cameras on Thursday by unveiling the V-Lux 3. A close cousin of the Lumix FZ150, the superzoom centers on a 25-600mm (24X) equivalent, f2.8-5.2 lens. It makes a rare step down in resolution, from 14 to 12.1 megapixels, but the CMOS sensor both helps in low light as well as offering the same 1080p, 60 frames per second video and 12 frames per second burst still shooting as its Panasonic counterpart.
Google chairman Eric Schmidt made an aggressive prediction at the Le Web conference in Paris (video below) that Google TV would dictate the TV landscape by summer 2012. He believed that the "majority of televisions you see in stores" should have the Android-based OS build inside over the course of the next several months. No indication was given of which companies were involved and how many of their models would make the leap.
Today's deals from DealNN include price breaks on camcorders, HDTVs, and more. JR.com is still offering discounts on many of its Cyber Monday deals, such as the Panasonic HDC-TM900 32GB High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom, a 3.5-inch widescreen touch LCD display, and 3D support. Currently featured at DealNN, this camcorder is available to purchase for only $699 and offers savings of up to $400.
Panasonic's rejuvenated plans for an international smartphone launch were revived after a potential scoop from Japan's Nikkei [sub. required]. The Japanese electronics firm was reportedly in talks with a major carrier that operates at least within Europe. Asia and North America were also part of the plans, the business paper said.
Panasonic is looking for a PR firm to help it market smartphones outside of Japan, PRWeek reported on Thursday. The move would mark a return to the smartphone market, which Panasonic last visited in 2005 by selling smartphones in Japan. The new devices would be Android-based and be sold in several countries in 2012.
Apple has posted a new Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update, v3.9. The patch extends support for different RAW formats within Aperture 3 and iPhoto '11. Newly supported camera lines include Nikon's 1 J1, 1 V1, and CoolPix P7100, as well as Sony's NEX-5N, Alpha SLT-A65, and Alpha SLT-A77, and Olympus' PEN E-PL1s, PEN E-PL3, and PEN E-PM1.
Panasonic formally launched into Android tablets on Monday night by rolling out the Toughpad. The 10-inch A1 and seven-inch B1 are considered "professional-grade" and have the durability more commonly associated with Toughbooks. Either can meet US military 810G specs for resistance to shock, dust, water, and sometimes temperature, and they have extras intended for years-long use, such as removable batteries.
Panasonic as anticipated switched its focus back to more experienced photographers with a new compact Lumix Micro Four Thirds camera. The GX1 is the first in the small-body series to get an upgraded 16-megapixel CMOS sensor and has better low-light performance along with an ISO 12,800 sensitivity ceiling. Customization is also once again more important: it now has C1 and C2 modes that support a total of four user presets, two programmable buttons, and a thumb wheel.
Panasonic gave a minor surprise with its Lumix updates by unveiling its first 3D camera. The DMC-3D1 guns after the same market as the Fujifilm Real 3D line. It revolves around two 12.1-megapixel cameras, each with 25-100mm lenses, that together produce a stereoscopic 3D effect.
A Panasonic promo page (video below) has inadvertently tipped the company's hand for the launch of the Lumix GX1. As hinted, the camera should be a return to more professional-like control for Panasonic's smallest Micro Four Thirds body with a thumb wheel and other customizable controls. It will be the first compact MFT camera from the company with an upgraded sensor, likely taking the 16-megapixel sensor from the G3, and a likely updated Venus image processor.
Earlier this year, Toshiba, Sony and Hitachi agreed to spin off their small- and mid-sized display making operations to Innovation Network Corp, a Japan-based investment fund. Today, Nikkei has reported [subscription required] that the fund is planning to buy Panasonic's LCD manufacturing factory in the Chiba Prefecture in Japan for 20 billion yen ($255.5 million). The company anticipates investing another 100 billion yen ($1.28 billion) to convert the plant, which makes larger TV LCD panels, to produce LCD panels for smartphones and tablets.
Panasonic's shift back to experienced photographers became apparent early Saturday after a new leak of the GX1. The details caught by Mobile01 in Taiwan had it using both a 16-megapixel sensor and a new image processing engine, the combination of which could reach ISO 12,800. Dedicated controls and expansion make their comeback, such as a command dial on the thumb grip and a combination of both a pop-up flash and a hot shoe.
Panasonic is exiting the small-to-mid-sized TV LCD panel business. Instead, according to the Japanese news service Nikkei [subscription required], it will focus on producing panels for tablets and 50-inch and larger TV panels. The company claimed that demand for the smaller TVs has dropped since the Japanese government stopped offering subsidies for energy efficient appliances, effectively making the larger screens more attractive.
Leica has brought back the D-Lux 5 point-and-shoot camera in a new luxury model, the Titanium. A rebadged Panasonic LX5, its core addition is the use of the genuine, anodized titanium. The insides remain unchanged and include a 10-megapixel, compact-sized CCD sensor.
Adobe has posted the final editions of the Lightroom 3.5 and Camera Raw 6.5 updates. In both circumstances the software adds support for over 20 cameras. Consumer-level additions include the Fuji FinePix F600EXR, Nikon Coolpix P7100, Pentax Q, and Ricoh GXR Mount A12, as well as Olympus' E-P3, E-PL3 and E-PM1, Panasonic's DMC-FZ150, DMC-G3 and DMC-GF3, and Sony's NEX-C3, NEX-5N, SLT-A35, SLT-A65 and SLT-A77.
Intel and Samsung partly confirmed rumors by unveiling Tizen. The effective successor to MeeGo still uses Linux as an open-source foundation for a mobile OS but is focused on a much broader coalition of LiMo supporters that includes Japanese phone makers NEC Casio and Panasonic Mobile, OS developer Access, and carriers NTT DoCoMo, SK Telecom, Telefonica (O2), and Vodafone. The group will focus more on HTML5- and Wholesale Applications Community-based apps that can run on MeeGo and can share much of their code for other platforms and devices.
Nikon on Tuesday slipped out a teaser page giving a strong clue as to its mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. While just saying "I am coming," the page has a countdown that ends on Wednesday, coinciding neatly with the rumored launch date. The camera maker rarely ever builds up the public for a launch, either for its regular compacts or its DSLRs, supporting the notion that it's a genuinely new platform and not just a sequel.
Nikon's long rumored mirrorless interchangeable lens camera received not just a vowed release this year but also a tentative price. A report [sub. required] in Japan's Nikkei pointed to sources who understood the camera would cost the equivalent of between $900 and $1,300. At the cost level, the camera would be equivalent to higher-end mirrorless cameras like the Olympus E-P3 or Sony NEX-7, although Japanese pricing usually includes tax and tends to be higher.
Hulu on cue has launched Hulu Plus for Japan. The country is the first outside of the US to get Hulu and gives it a very different business model. Plus is the only option in the country and costs the equivalent of $19 per month, almost twice as much as the $8 it does in the US.
At the preliminary IFA days in Berlin, Panasonic is showing off two 3D-capable cameras. The first is an unnamed Lumix 3D prototype and a dual-lens digital camera with the ability to shoot 3D HD video and capture 3D images. It uses two newly-developed 4X zoom lenses with thin, folded optics. The lenses allow wide angle through to telephoto shooting and have optical image stabilization. 3D HD video is captured through a stereoscopic side-by-side method.
One more Panasonic camera rounded out a series of introductions on Friday with its own distinct edge. The Lumix FZ150 ultrazoom focuses most on its sensor and new processing power. A fresh 12.1-megapixel CMOS sensor not only helps improve its performance in low light and motion but lets it record 1080p video at 60 frames per second in the new AVCHD 2.0 spec.
Panasonic's point-and-shoot Lumix cameras got their own upgrade Friday with the line's first Wi-Fi capable version. The FX90 after an initial setup can push photos and videos directly to Facebook, Flickr, Picasa, or YouTube without needing a computer or an Eye-Fi card. When away from home, it also has a matching app for Android and iPhones, Lumix Link, to share photos locally and use the device's 3G or 4G if the owner wants to make them public.
Panasonic addressed one of the most common complaints of mirrorless interchangeable lenses, the mismatch in size between the body and lenses, with a new set of Lumix lenses and a new camera bundle. The Lumix G X 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 is just over an inch long, as thick as some pancake lenses, but still has the same fast focusing, stabilization, and optics as the original Micro Four Thirds kit lens. Instead of the traditional zoom ring, it has a motorized lever to reach its 3X range.
Fujifilm's plans to expand its premium cameras beyond the well-known FinePix X100. Sources maintained Monday that a new model, the X10, would sit in between the DSLR-grade X100 and compacts. The Quesabesde details gave it a two-thirds-of-an-inch sensor in between a Canon G12 and Micro Four Thirds, or enough to help quality but not to rival pro cameras.
LG has cut its 2011 sales target for TVs by 20 percent, from 40 million to 32 million units. The South Korean electronics giant follows rival Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic in lowering its expectations for the year. The weaker sales are primarily the result of the struggling economies in the US and Europe.
Panasonic has just added its latest Toughbook with the ultra-portable 12.1-inch S10. The 12-inch ultraportable weighs just three pounds but has a claimed battery life of 12.5 hours. The rugged notebook is powered by a 2.5GHz Intel Core i5 and so can still manage full-size performance even in the small size.
Panasonic Japan has just announced the DY-PS10 wireless streamer. It will send videos, photos and audio from SDXC memory cards to Apple's iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The device has a built-in 802.11g Wi-Fi to share the content and an integrated rechargeable battery that is said to last 4.5 hours.
Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and XPAND 3D on Monday said they will jointly collaborate on a new 3D active glasses standard. Called the Full HD 3D Glasses Initiative, it will build Bluetooth-enabled RF- and IR-based glasses that will work with 3D-enabled TVs, PCs, projectors and 3D theaters. The standard will include IR system protocols to help active 3D glasses and displays communicate.
Sony was a relative latecomer to mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, but when it arrived with the NEX line, it shot back with very small designs which were barely larger than compact cameras, although they sometimes controlled like it, too. The NEX-C3 is a second generation and brings a new 16.2-megapixel sensor, overall better performance, and an even smaller design. We'll examine in our review of the NEX-C3 if it's worth trading up from a point-and-shoot or as an alternative to rivals from Olympus and Panasonic.
Panasonic Japan has made official a new e-book reader, the Raboo UT-PB1. It sports a seven-inch, 1024x600 color touchscreen and a dual-core processor, though no clock speeds or other details are available. There is 8GB of memory onboard, though only 4.5GB is available to users.
Panasonic has introduced two new cameras the Lumix FZ47 and LS5. The FZ47 is the latest addition to Panasonic’s FZ-series super-zoom line and brings 24x optical zoom (25mm ultra-wide angle) and the ability to shoot video in 1080i. It is powered by a 12.1-megapixel Hi-Speed CCD sensor and can take high-resolution consecutive shots at 3.7 fps in 12.1-megapixel full-resolution and maximum 10 fps at 3-megapixel recording.
