Panasonic news and reviews

The RP-SPF01-K speakers from Panasonic was specially designed for the R7 notebook and it comes in the same color as the original Ford Model T - black and nothing else. The “K” suffix stands for kuro, which means black in Japanese. Other than the rather boring design, you won’t be able to find anything fancy here soundwise as the RP-SPF01-K speakers feature an output of 2 x 25W. There is no word on pricing though, but the final revision shouldn’t be too harsh on your pockets.

Permalink | Comment | Uberbargain | Uberphones

Tags: tech, panasonic

These new notebooks from Panasonic aren’t as “rugged” as the Ruffneck Zone 1, but they can handle quite a spill. They are made to be able to withstand a fall of up to 30-inches, or about desk height, and also feature a spill-resistant keyboard. That doesn’t mean we suggest going swimming with one of these. One great feature of these ToughBooks is their light weight. The 10.4-inch R7 weighs in at only 2.1 pounds, with the 12.4-inch W7 weighing only 2.8 pounds, and the 14.1-inch Y7 weighing 3.3 pounds. All of the ToughBooks come with a low-voltage Core 2 Duo Processor, with a base configuration of 1 GB of RAM and an 80 GB hard drive, all which can be opted for more heavy gear. These notebooks will ship in Japan through October and November.

Permalink | Comment | Uberbargain | Uberphones

Tags: panasonic, electronics

Panasonic has unveiled the next generation in biometric security with the release of the BM-ET200 eye scanner. After scanning a person’s iris the device can make an accurate identification within 0.3 seconds. Fitted with dual mirrors (for proper eye alignment) and USB access, the BM-ET200 also includes voice guidance.

The voice guidance system issues directions, such as “please move a little closer,” in Japanese, English, French, German, and Swedish, just in case you didn’t understand the instructions muttered by the Stormtrooper manning the entrance to your work cubicle or airplane flight. The BM-ET200 is available in the U.S. immediately for $2,417. Panasonic also has a great little video showing the BM-ET200 in action using scores of willing Japanese workers happily being scanned here. — Adario Strange

Via Panasonic

Tags: tech, panasonic

The Panasonic Lumix L10 has finally arrived in Japan, featuring Live View function that enables you to shoot from the screen complete with autofocus capability, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg as the Lumix L10 comes with a slew of features found on other digital SLR cameras. One of the drawbacks would be coming up short in the ISO department, but apart from that minor gripe, you could say that Panasonic is heading towards the right direction when it comes to attaining perfection for a product. No idea on how much this 10 megapixel camera with a rotaing LCD monitor will cost though, but cheap it definitely won’t be.

Panasonic Portable DVD

Tags: tech, electronics

Panasonic has unveiled the HDC-SX5 and HDC-SD5 High Definition camcorders that are extremely portable. In fact, the latter has been dubbed the “smallest palm-style 3CCD full HD camcorder in the world”. Strangely enough, both devices don’t shoot 1080p, which leads me to wonder where the “full HD” compliment comes in. The HDC-SX5 is the cheaper of the two, and comes with a couple of recording choices - SD cards and regular DVDs. As for the slimmer HDC-SD5, it uses only SD memory cards as the storage medium of choice. The Panasonic HDC-SX5 and HDC-SD5 will retail for $900 and $1,000 respectively.

Permalink | Comment | Uberbargain | Uberphones

Tags: tech, electronics

Panasonic’s latest pair of HD camcorders, the HDC-SX5 an the HDC-SD5, are pretty damn small. So small, in fact, that they are calling the HDC-SD5 the world’s smallest “palm-style 3CCD full-HD camcorder.” While that’s just a bit of press mumbo-jumbo, we got to see both of them in the flesh and can tell you that they are in fact light and easy to handle. It’s a shame they don’t shoot 1080p, though that would mean jacking up the price considerably.

The SX5 is the cheaper model and records onto both SD cards and DVDs. Being able to record on two different formats not only gives you some flexibility, but if you find yourself full you can always switch over to the other in a pinch. The SX5’s even slimmer cousin, the SD5, only records onto SD cards, but those of you in the market for a new TV might be interested in Panasonic’s PZ77 series of 1080p plasma televisions, as they can play the footage straight from an SD card, as well as view pictures. The SX5 is cheaper at $900, while the more portable SD5 costs $1000. — Kevin Hall

Panasonic

Tags: electronics, tech

Apple iPod movies

Looks like those using Panasonic P2 High Definition cameras are in for a treat, as Panasonic has released more storage solutions in the form of P2 cards that hold up to 32GB of data. Space is definitely a premium when it comes to high definition video, as recording a movie in 720p resolution at 60fps onto an 8GB card will take up the entire card with just 8 minutes’ of video. At least with the 32GB model, you’ll be able to store half an hour’s worth of information before whipping out a replacement. The P2 cards are, in essence, four SDHC cards packed into a PCMCIA shell. No idea on how much it costs though.

Tags: electronics, panasonic

Panasonic has unveiled the Strada CN-GP50N GPS navigation system which will finally make its mark on European shores shortly after the Japan and American launch. What can you expect from the Strada CN-GP50N? How about a 5″ widescreen touch sensitive LCD display for starters, followed up by support for 21 languages, Bluetooth connectivity, a JPEG image viewer, and an SD memory card slot? I must say that the vast amount of languages packed inside this makes it superb for driving around in Europe where there is a healthy potpourri of languages. The Panasonic Strada CN-GP50N GPS navigation system will be available in Europe from October onwards, retailing for €400.

Permalink | Comment | Uberbargain | Uberphones

Tags: panasonic, electronics

Panasonic isn’t new to the High Definition game, but the company has released yet another two plasma HDTVs known as the TH-42PZ77 and TH-50PZ77. You get full HD with both models, featuring an SD memory card slot that allows you to view snapped images on the big screen instead of squinting your eyes via a cramped digital camera display. The contrast ratio stands at 10,000 to 1 while connectivity options include a couple of HDMI inputs, three S-Video inputs, a trio of composite video inputs, and a pair of component video inputs. The screen itself has an anti-glare coating for superior images even with all the windows open. Both HDTVs are scheduled to ship sometime this month, with the TH-42PZ77 and TH-50PZ77 retailing for $1,799.95 and $2,799.95 respectively. It takes approximately 100,000 hours of viewing to arrive at half brightness, so by then we’d probably move on to Ultra HD. Image courtesy of Yahoo!.

• Cheap movies online
• Panasonic digital cameras