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Mitsubishi's 3D-ready and Unisen HDTV lines in the flesh


Toshiba already showed us what its freshest line of HDTVs looks like, and now its Mitsubishi's turn. The outfit was on hand in NYC to showcase a few of its now-shipping sets, including the 3D-ready Home Theater line and its speaker-infused Unisen crew. We won't bore you with the specs (which can be found here and here, respectively), but we will confess that the 82-inch WD-82737 has us squirming uncontrollably. Have a peek yourself in the gallery below.

Automakers agree on common plug to recharge electric vehicles

Just hours after General Motors put forth a proposal for a standardized plug for electric vehicles, in flies this. German energy firm RWE has stated that a cadre of respected automakers and energy firms have all come together in agreement on a three-point, 400-volt plug that will enable electric cars the world over to be recharged anywhere, regardless of which recharging station they stop at. Caroline Reichert, an RWE spokeswoman, noted that the idea here is to ensure that "a car can be recharged in Italy in exactly the same way as in Denmark, Germany or France." We're told that the agreement includes nods of acceptance from the likes of Volkswagen, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Fiat, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Eon, Vattenfall, EDF, Npower, Endesa and Enel, and while there's no time frame for when it'll be introduced, we're pretty stoked to hear that at least something has been decided upon.

Mitsubishi's i-MiEV electric vehicle officially headed to the US


It isn't exactly providing a whole lot of details just yet, but Mitsubishi has confirmed at the New York Auto Show today that its i-MiEV electric vehicle will indeed be making its way to the U.S., and sometime "before 2012." Interestingly, according to AutoblogGreen, that delay apparently isn't due to any hang-ups with the vehicle itself (it's hitting roads in Japan this summer), but rather whether battery-maker GS Yuasa can scrounge up enough lithium-ion batteries to keep up with demand. It also looks like the car that eventually hits the U.S. won't be exactly the same as the model bound for Japan and Europe, with the i-MiEV name likely the first thing to go. Of course, there's no official word on a U.S. price just yet, but the car, which boasts a range of around 100 miles on a single charge, should be selling for the rough local equivalent of $30,000 when it hits Europe and Japan.

Mitsubishi introduces 16-speaker Unisen LCD HDTV line


With Mitsubishi's LaserVue lines humming along once more, it's time for the company to bust out a few more big announcements in the HDTV space. First up is the new Unisen line, comprised of the 151 Series (40-, 46- and 52-inches), the 153 Series (40-, 46- and 52-inches) and the high-end Diamond 259 Series (46- and 52-inches). Each set in the line comes with a built-in "5.1-channel" 16-speaker audio bar, much like the iSP LT-52149 that we reviewed last fall. Each model also incorporates a new UltraThin Frame design, Smooth 120Hz Film Motion technology, four HDMI 1.3a inputs and a USB media port. The top end crew also includes an iSP calibration microphone, Plush1080p 5G 18-bit digital video processing, a wired IR input and a few swank blue accents to really woo the ladies. The whole family should ship to the United States next month and range from $1,799 to $3,299. Exact pricing is just after the break.

Mitsubishi affirms that LaserVue HDTV production is back on


After Mitsubishi suddenly and unexpectedly suspended production of its flagship LaserVue HDTV in early February, many took the liberty of believing that the end was nigh for this extremely high-end set (given the not-exactly-booming economy). We contacted Mitsubishi in order to follow up, and today we've received direct confirmation that the LaserVue is indeed "back in production." In other words, the supply channels are all moving smoothly again, and whatever caused the issue to begin with truly was simply a snag and not a foreshadowing of the set's death. Too bad this thing is still up near seven grand in many places -- after seeing one in action, it's hard to look at any other technology the same way.

Mitsubishi shows off "3D touch panel" display


Bothered by all the touching involved with touchscreens? Then you may want to keep an eye out for Mitsubishi's latest and greatest bit of technology, which promises to detect the distance between a finger and the touch panel to allow for a whole host of new interface options. That's done with the aid of an array of sensors that can also be used to calculate the speed at which the finger is approaching, and allow for a so-called "mouse-over function," which would essentially let your finger control a cursor without actually touching the screen -- something Mitsubishi says would be ideal for devices with small screens. Of course, it is still just in prototype form (currently a 5.7-inch capacitive VGA display), but Mitsubishi says it's based on panels that are already on the market, which should help ease development and reduce costs. Not surprisingly, Mitsubishi also says that "it will first be used for our products," although it naturally didn't say exactly what those product might be.

Magna, Mitsubishi show off electric vehicle concepts in Geneva


We're not sure if it has anything to do with its falling out with Telsa or not, but auto-parts maker Magna International looks to have really gone all out for this year's Geneva Motor Show, where it is showing off its new Mila EV concept vehicle. Apparently, in addition to proving that it can build more than just parts, Magna is hoping that the vehicle will appeal to manufactures who want a turn-key EV platform that they can quickly get into production. Magna even seems to be going so far as to supply the batteries for the vehicle, which it says could have a charging time of just 2.5 hours and a range of 150 kilometers. Also offering up an EV concept at the show is Mitsubishi, which has rolled out an update to its iMiEV electric vehicle in the form of the iMiEV Sport Air (pictured after the break). In addition to getting an even more eye-catching, head-scratching look, this one also gets a boost in range from 100 to 120 miles, and a bit of an increase in performance from a new 60 kW motor. Dive into the links below for a closer look at each.

Read - AutoblogGreen, "Geneva 2009: Magna Steyr Mila EV concept"
Read - Autoblog, "Geneva 2009: Mitsubishi iMiEV Sport Air streamlines the bubble"

Mitsubishi unveils prototype in-dash Blu-ray player


Difficult though it may be to believe, Panasonic showcased a conceptual in-dash BD deck of its own back in October of 2007. Obviously, nothing has really come of that, so Mitsubishi's stepping in with a prototype of its own. It's stated that the player has only a third of the volume compared to a traditional "home Blu-ray player," with it somehow being able to slip into a standard single-DIN opening. Better still, we're told that the final unit -- which is slated to hit production during fiscal year 2009 -- could also boast a mobile TV tuner in select markets, giving us even more reason to not pay attention to pedestrians, road signs and stop lights while taking that Sunday cruise.

Zero-emission i MiEV begins testing in New Zealand


Slowly but surely, the i MiEV is making its way out to test fields around the globe. Just months after a smattering of the zero-emission vehicles hit the west coast of America, we're now being told that a new crew of guinea pigs have waltzed into New Zealand. Over a hundred government representatives and key stakeholders were invited to drive Mitsubishi Motors' oddest, greenest vehicle, and of course, to talk business about how this bean could fit into the nation's transportation system. As it stands, Mitsu is still looking to launch the vehicle for consumer use this summer in Japan, though no word was mentioned on when it would arrive Down Under, across the pond or on US soil.

Mitsubishi temporarily suspends production of LaserVue HDTVs


We had heard that certain Mitsubishi representatives had been telling Diamond dealers that production had been suspended on the outfit's flagship LaserVue HDTV, and sure enough, the story is true. We have confirmed with Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America that the outfit has "temporarily suspended production of LaserVue televisions due to a problem with manufacturing equipment used to produce LaserVue TVs." We're also informed that "Mitsubishi Electric engineers are taking the necessary action to ensure that the company resumes production as quickly as possible, while maintaining the highest standards for product quality and reliability." So far as we know, this isn't a sign of sudden discontinuation, as Mitsu has affirmed that it's "expecting production to resume in early 2009." We'll update with more as we get it in.

Update: We asked a few followup questions, and we did find that Mitsu isn't anticipating any supply issues, which indicates the problem may be short lived (or at least it hopes so). As for an official comment on what went wrong? "LaserVue production was suspended due to a manufacturing equipment issue." That's all we've got.

[Thanks, Chuck]

NanoTouch: like your parent's LucidTouch, but now with more nano!


Microsoft and Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs in Cambridge, Massachusetts -- the cats that brought us LucidTouch a while ago -- are back with NanoTouch, a further refinement of the technology aimed at making UIs practical on tiny devices. Utilizing a 2.4-inch screen with a touch pad on the back, users can select or drag items from the underside -- meaning that the entire screen is visible at all times. According to researchers, targets as little as 1.8mm (less than half the size of, say, the buttons on an iPhone) are easily hit using this method -- bringing the advantages of touchscreens to smaller form factors, with a number of possible applications including electronic jewelry, wearable computers, and virtual finger puppets. Video after the break.

Update: It appears that unlike LucidTouch (which was in fact developed in Cambridge), NanoTouch was actually the product of work done by folks from Microsoft and the Hasso-Plattner-Institute in Berlin / Potsdam. Sorry for the mix up!

Wakamaru's latest gig: distraught thespian, clothes rack


After a failed career of house cleaning and guarding your kids, Mitsubishi's Wakamaru was left with a choice: toll booth operator or actress -- she chose the latter, easier option. Osaka University's 20-minute play titled, "I, Worker," focuses on a young couple whose seductive (don't you think?) housekeeping robot has lost her will to work after struggling with the idea of human servitude. The play is expected to go full-length by the year 2010, at which point we expect Wakamaru to extend her brooding to the insatiable lust she feels to violate her programming and enslave humanity. It's not like she can pull off a broad emotional range thanks to that chiseled face of apprehension anyway.

Mitsubishi's i MiEV electric car makes it to the States, but not to you


If you've been keeping an eye on the i MiEV, the word from the street (or, in this case, Wired) is that four of the cartoonish vehicles are on their way to SoCal Edison, where their Electric Vehicle Technical Center will put 'em through their paces, testing not only the vehicles themselves but how they interact with the grid. Not that the car will be selling Stateside any time soon -- until it bulks up enough to pass federal side-impact tests and its range is extended beyond the current 70 miles, it looks like the vehicle will be a no-show at the dealerships. Apparently the vehicle sports a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery and optional regenerative braking mode, and the 47 kW (roughly 64 horsepower) motor shouldn't have any trouble keeping up with city traffic. But on the other hand, the car doesn't fly through the air, play VCDs or impress the ladies -- so what's the big deal, then?

Mitsubishi debuts XD95U XGA micro projector


Mitsubishi's new XD95U DLP projector may not technically fall into the "pico" category, despite the company's attempts to proclaim it as such, but that doesn't mean it isn't tiny, with it weighing in at just a bit over three pounds and measuring a very portable 7.5- by 8.1-inches. The projector's specs also look like they should be up to most anyone's presentation needs, and include a full XGA resolution, 2,200 ANSI lumens, a 2,000:1 contrast ratio, and just the bare necessities when it comes to ports (composite, s-video, and VGA). Not surprisingly, you'll have to pay a considerable premium for that all that portability, with the XD95U boasting a suggested retail price of $1,495, which might just be enough to get some folks to reconsider the $500 Dell M109S and its non-standard 858 x 600 resolution.

[Via Gearlog]

Mitsubishi's $6,999 65-inch LaserVue HDTV now hitting retailers


Just in time for your holiday wish list, Mitsubishi has announced that its stunning 65-inch LaserVue HDTV is now on sale at select specialty retailers nationwide. From what we've personally seen and from what we've gathered from those lucky enough to critique it in detail, this here set is a real winner. Of course, coming up with the $6,999 in order to bring one home is another matter entirely, but those who feel like stimulating the economy and their retinas can absolutely do so starting today.




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