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Panasonic intros 2012 LED line-up, 47 and 55-inch WT50 and DT50
Ready for a bevy of new Panasonic TVs? 2012's lineup shifts almost entirely to LED, with 14 out of the 16 new sets using the tech. There's a metric ton of info packed into one release, but highlights for this year include larger IPS LED TVs and a 25 percent reduction in power consumption across the line. Most impressive are the 47 and 55-inch DT50 and WT50. Differentiated primarily by design -- the WT50 has a super-narrow metal frame and a crescent stand -- they're both IPS LED panels with Viera Connect and can convert 2D content into 3D. And both have four HDMI ports and three USB ports. PR detailing all awaits you after the break.
Sony Ericsson Kurara getting April debut in UK?
Sony Ericsson's slightly lower-spec cousin to the Satio -- the so-called Kurara -- is now said to be on track for an April release in the UK, according to the too-familiar "sources close to the matter" (whom, after months of research, we now believe to all be cousins of Mr. Blurrycam). That would seem to line up the 8 megapixel, Symbian-based touchphone for a possible announcement at next month's Mobile World Congress, an event at which the company introduced the Satio one year prior -- perfect timing, no? It's likely that a UK release would be closely followed by launches in other European markets -- and Sony Ericsson's been making a habit recently of launching some of its hottest models through Sony's US SonyStyle store, too, so we might get some love all over the globe with this one. [Image via mobie-review, thanks ugotamesij]
Color changing Luxeed U5 LED keyboard is a rave at your fingertips
Luxeed's got a fine history of making the keyboard a fantastical piece of wonder, and its newest offering is not exception. The U5 LED keyboard has pretty much everything one could ask for in a colorful peripheral -- programmable, patterned LEDs which are guaranteed to brighten up your day. It boasts support for Windows, Linux and Mac (previous versions were Windows only), so if it's ever made available outside of Korea, we can guarantee you we'll be getting one for every member of our dance posse. They're available for pre-order in Korea now for KRW 99,000 (about $77 USD). One more mountain-moving shot after the break. [Via Technabob]
Samsung YP-Q2 and YP-U5 hands-on
Samsung has rounded out its line of DAPs with the new YP-U5 and YP-Q2, both squarely targeted at what have come to be well-defined DAP categories in recent years. The Q2 (pictured) has a friendly icon-based interface, with familiar touch-sensitive controls below the screen -- though we found ourselves futilely tapping at the large bright icons out of habit. The interface is fast, the screen is great, and the feature set builds on Samsung's typical kitchen sink, now including DNSe 3.0 sound enhancement -- though we'd say the 50 hour battery life steals the show. The U5 looks thoroughly dated, though it's more ergonomically friendly to those athletic types among us than some thumb daps. The teensy black and white OLED screen makes it a bit of a chore to run through the functions, but at least it's there.
Samsung officially intros YP-U5 and YP-Q2 media players
We've already seen Samsung's Q2 and U5 media players out and about, but just today the company has made the pair official here in the US of A. Starting with the YP-Q2 PMP, you'll find both 8GB and 16GB variants with 50 hours of battery life, a 2.4-inch QVGA display, black and white color options, DNSe 3.0 sound enhancement technology, FM radio / recorder, a text viewer and a Smart Button that allows the user to designate a specific function for quick access. The YP-U5, on the other hand, was tailor made for gym rats; said audio stick sports a touchpad, 1-inch OLED display, USB connectivity, up to 20 hours of playback, an FM radio module and 2GB of internal storage. Check 'em this April for $99.99 (8GB Q2), $129.99 (16GB Q2) and $39.99 (U5).
Samsung U5 DoReMi, out of pocket and in the wild
If you can set aside the emotional ire evoked by its unfortunate DoReMi subtitle, French site Le Journal du Geek has procured a Samsung U5 pocket audio player and posted a plethora of pics of it dans la nature. No impressions here, but it does appear to come with a handful of colored face plates. They certainly won't cover the player the ones we saw in the official photos, but if you need a change of scenery, we guess every little bit helps. Still no word on pricing, availability, or that certain je ne sais quoi that'll help the player rise above the fates of its U3 and U4 predecessors.
Samsung's U5 DoReMi rekindles hatred of DRM
You know, you'd think that branding executives would actually stop and have a think about things before just putting it out there, but no. As we've seen in separate instances before, Samsung's U5 DoReMi unnecessarily highlights itself in the worst possible way, capitalizing the three letters -- in order, no less -- that remind us why digital downloads still aren't as accessible and easily manageable as they should be. If you can get past all that, the USB stick music player boasts 2/4/8GB of internal capacity, a tiny OLED display, FM radio / recording and up to 18 hours of battery life. Look Sammy, we know the U3 and U4 basically went unnoticed, but is this really the light in which to paint the U5?[Via AnythingButiPod]
Cowon hacks prices on practically every PMP it makes
Cowon already lowered the primary barrier to entry on its PMP line once this year, but evidently that wasn't enough. In order to entice prospective buyers to go ahead and snag that Cowon-branded player they've been on the fence about, the outfit has taken a sling blade to the stickers of the F2, D2, I7, Q5W, A3 and U5, leaving just the O2 as-is. The cuts aren't exactly small beans either, with discounts ranging from $10 to $70 off of MSRP. For the full list of new and old prices, hop on past the break.
Cowon's iAudio U5 heads to America
Don't feel bad if the iAudio U5 hasn't creeped into your mind since it "debuted" at IFA last September -- it's not like Cowon's doled out any sort of marketing blitz to keep us intrigued. Nevertheless, this somewhat stylish little DAP is apparently making its way to the US of A for those who like to avoid the me-too crowd. Specs wise, you'll find a 1.8-inch 160 x 128 resolution LCD, up to a full day of battery life, 4GB / 8GB of internal memory, MP3 / WMA / WAV playback, a built-in FM radio and voice recorder, user adjustable five-band EQ and USB connectivity. Good enough for you? Cough up $149.99 / $109.99 to snag one in 8GB or 4GB, respectively.
Come and get your love: Alltel's upcoming lineup?
With major releases like the Motorola RAZR 2 V9m and BlackBerry 8830 in its rear-view mirror, Alltel's been doing a commendable job keeping up with its larger, national rivals -- and if our intel's accurate, we can expect the trend to continue. In the smartphone department, the Palm Treo 755p should be launching pretty shortly (alright, granted, they're a little late on this one) along with the 8130 variant of the so-called Pearl 2 from RIM, a nice stablemate for the more businesslike 8830. One wildcard that we're hearing about here is the UTStarcom 6850 -- it's not clear what this device is, but given the UTStarcom branding on HTC's PPC-6800, it's conceivable to think that this could be some sort of mild refresh. Then again, it could be some totally boring low-end device sourced from a generic ODM, so we'll just have to play the waiting game on that one. From Motorola, look for two: a U5 (likely a new CDMA PEBL, given the "U" prefix on the model number) and the MOTOROKR Z6m. Not bad if it all pans out, eh?[Thanks, dizzy]
Cowon unveils iAudio U5 DAP at IFA
Those impressed with the looks of the iAudio 7 are likely to warm up just fine to the newest digital audio player from Cowon. Reportedly unveiled at IFA, the presumably flash-based U5 looks to be aimed at lower-end customers, and touts an ultrathin enclosure, 1.8-inch 160 x 129 resolution LCD, FM tuner / recorder, voice recorder, USB 2.0 connectivity, MP3 / WMA support, up to 20-hours of battery life, and built-in equalizer presets as well. Apparently, the U5 will land in 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB flavors, but pricing and availability details have yet to be divulged.[Via PlayerBites, image courtesy of CNET]
