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Distro Issue 103: Inside South Africa's TV white spaces experiment
In Africa, only 15.6 percent of residents have an internet connection and that figure clocks in below half of the global average. Google, Carlson Wireless and several other outfits are teaming up to employ Cape Town's unused TV frequencies, or white spaces, in order to bring high-speed connectivity to the masses. Darren Murph made the trek to South Africa get a behind-the-scenes look at the project and his account nabs top billing in this week's issue of our tablet mag. Eyes-On ogles Organic Transit's ELF; Weekly Stat tallies up the heroes of YouTube; and Modem World pleads the Hyperloop's case. Grab a copy from the source links below if your slate of choice hasn't already alerted you to do so and get comfy for another large dose of tech e-reading. Distro Issue 103 PDF Distro in the iTunes App Store Distro in the Google Play Store Distro in the Windows Store Distro APK (for sideloading) Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
Panasonic's 152-inch 4K-resolution 3D plasma ships this fall
Say goodbye to the former king of Panasonic plasmas, the old 103-inch that toured the country and took center stage in presidential elections is old news, moved aside for a new family of commercial displays including the 152-inch 4K resolution 3DTV towered over all at this year's CES. Just in case 4096 x 2160 is too much resolution, there are 103- and 85-inch 1080p versions available as well, but seriously, look at that thing. You know Mark Cuban is going to buy one -- why shouldn't you? Because you don't have $500,000+ laying around, because it can't possibly fit in your house, because you'd never go outside again if you owned one -- stop making excuses, it's unbecoming.
Panasonic slashes price of 103-inch plasma
Finding itself in the odd position of selling a suddenly low-end 103-inch 1080p plasma, Panasonic has responded by cutting the price of the professional model TH-103PF10UK by $20,000 to a mere $50,000. Despite waiting over two years to move to a much more reasonable, mass market price the company has racked up over 6,000 installs of the model, with displays starring at the Democratic National Convention, as virtual air hockey tables, on NBC's Sunday Night Football and Beijing Olympics studio, TNT's NBA Playoffs set and more. This seems like a good time to mention the display is also capable of being matrixed in a 5 x 5 video wall -- and at these prices, we can't see why anyone wouldn't. Of course, they could just be clearing stock to bring out the 150-inch behemoth or a more home oriented TH-103PZ800 model Stateside, so weigh your options carefully.
The 10-inch Acer Aspire One takes some beauty shots
Sure, the 10-inch Acer Aspire One isn't what you'd call classified material, but most of the leaked pictures we've seen so far have been pretty low-rent -- so this latest batch of leaked photos showing the Atom-powered netbook all gussied up for the camera might stir some deeper feelings in that cold heart of yours. It looks like we'll be getting multiple colors in addition to that new non-stupid trackpad button layout, so that's fun -- we're quite taken with the red model here. Now if Acer would just hurry up and tell us what we already know. More shots at the read link.
Velocity Mobile 103 shipping this month
After a spring intro, WinMo-powered start-up Velocity Mobile is ready to unleash its first product on an unsuspecting (or suspecting, as the case may be) world. The 103 -- a QWERTY-less device with quadband EDGE and tri-band HSPA, VGA touchscreen, 2-megapixel primary and VGA secondary cameras, TV-out, and 256MB of ROM with microSD expansion -- is now available for preorder with an expected launch by the end of the month. Considering the solid specs, the unlocked price of £334.99 (about $591) seems pretty reasonable, too; we'd probably hold out for the QWERTY 111 model, personally, but hey, this is a start.[Via Phone Scoop]
Panasonic's biggest plasma HDTVs get a fall makeover
Panasonic's finally shipping the larger editions of its latest plasmas, from the updated and suddenly more famous 103-inch model to the 65- and 58-inch PZ800 series that have been leaking into U.S. stores recently. Japan also gets the top of the line PZR900 series that takes the YouTube access available in the latest PZ850 series and throws in a 1 TB DVR to go along with the 30,000:1 contrast ratio and acTVila HD video on-demand support, packed into 42-, 50-, and 58-inch panels. Of course, for those with 5.1 million yen ($48,314 U.S.) laying around and a large amount of wall space, the king sized TH-103PZ800 is nearly entry-level priced compared to its $70,000 predecessor, so why not treat yourself? You deserve it.Read - TH-103PZ800Read - TH-65PZ800, TH-58PZ800Read - TH-50PZR900, TH-46PZR900, TH-42PZR900
Panasonic HDTVs take center stage at Democratic National Convention
Besides being covered in high definition for the first time, tonight when the Democratic National Convention kicks off, while comparing HD feeds, we'll be looking out for the three 103-inch Panasonic plasmas conveniently located behind the podium. As the "official" HDTV and High Definition Equipment provider it's also dropping 200 Viera Plasmas, 52 HD camcorders and DSLR cameras, 40 HD production monitors, two HD projectors and 100 laptops on the Obama/Biden camp. Of course we wonder where the 150-inch plasma is, but since appearing "elite" has already been a problem, we can see why they'd select a 103-inch model that's owned by at least one friend of ours. We wonder if anyone's vote will hinge on the all important issue of LCD vs. plasma.Update: You can check 'em out now on the live HD Silverlight / Move Networks powered stream at the Democratic National Convention website, along with hilariously out of sync and delirious dancing courtesy of convention attendees.
Velocity Mobile's WinMo-powered 103 handset splashes down in FCC's database
If you thought Velocity Mobile just rolled over and died after showing off a few handsets at CTIA earlier this year, you'd be exactly wrong. The outfit's Windows Mobile-powered 103 has just surfaced in the FCC's lair, giving us a smidgen of hope that a US release is but moments / weeks / months away. Unfortunately, this filing doesn't spill the beans on any other specifications, but the 67 page User Manual does dive into great detail on changing the battery, inserting microSD cards and navigating around within the operating system. C'mon Inventec, give us the good stuff.
Hands-on with Velocity Mobile's 103 and 111
It's hard to stand out in the sea of Windows Mobile handsets; no smartphone platform is already more stratified, serves more market segments, and offers more form factors, so where's a new entrant supposed to fit in? Somehow, though, Velocity Mobile manages to do exactly that -- partly through an interesting software strategy, partly through sheer brute force of its first devices' impressive spec sheets. We had a chance to check out both the 103 and 111 models that'll lead off Velocity's production roadmap, and while they don't really look much different than your average high-end WinMo handsets, the flush touchscreens, trackballs, and clean lines all feel great to the touch. We're told that Velocity's slick, finger-friendly, widget-based interface will improve over time; the improvements will be made available to all existing owners, too, so don't let that little fact deter an early purchase.%Gallery-19649%
Hitachi unveils 103-inch 1080p plasma display of its own
While Panasonic's 103-inch plasma has had the spotlight for quite some time, Hitachi is hoping to steal some of that oh-so-lucrative high-end market share with one of its own. Matching the Panny inch-for-inch is the CMP1030FWJ, which sports a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, VGA / component / S-Video / composite inputs, a 5,000:1 contrast ratio, and audio out as well. Additionally, this behemoth weighs in at a whopping 485 pounds, and while we'd love to know the (presumably sky-high) price, those details have yet to be divulged. Notably, users not equipped with a den large enough to hold a 103-inch PDP can opt for Hitachi's also-new (and also unpriced) CMP650FWJ, which touts 65 expansive inches of Full HD goodness and features a 10,000:1 contrast ratio.[Via AkihabaraNews]
Bigger & biggest HDTVs: Sharp's 108 vs. Samsung's 102
It's hard to decide. We're seeing so many great HDTVs every day like these two giants -- and some not so giant -- but still, which one of these screens would we rather take home? On the left we've got Samsung's old school 102-inch plasma, on the right Sharp's new 108-inch 1080p Aquos LCD. Some people could be content with a mere 102-inch or even 103-inch screen and prefer plasma to LCD, but with 120Hz motion and other advancements coming off of Sharp's 8th-generation manufacturing line its impossible to say no to the new size king in town. Check out the gallery for a couple more pictures of both. Bigger and biggest HDTVs: Sharp's 108 vs. Samsung's 102
Panasonic's taking plasmas on tour
With the big holiday selling season coming up, Panasonic is hitting the road to "educate" consumers on the benefits of its plasma TVs. Featured most prominently in this roadshow is the famed 103-inch 1080p plasma, but more affordable 37-, 42-, 50- and 58-inch 720p models will make an appearance as well. The current 65-inch 1080p plasma will also be on show, but still no word on when the U.S. will see the new 1080p PZ600U series that would go so well with that new DMP-BD10. Between this and its Plasma Concierge program, Panasonic is doing a lot to capitalize on alleviate buyer confusion about HDTVs, if you live near Tyson's Corner Center Mall in Washington D.C. stop by and have a look today. Good luck at getting a pic of yourself next to that 103-incher in the Flickr pool before Mark Cuban.
Panasonic 103-inch plasma in the wild -- VIDEO
We are sorry but we just love these videos/pics showing how big this 103-inch Panasonic plasma is. Apparently the set is on display in Japan as Akihabraha news had the opportunity to get up close and personal with their high-def cameras. They have a short clip up showing the real scale of this massive beast, plus since it is coming from Akihabraha News, the video is in HD. If you got a few minutes, and Flash installed, check this thing out. It is just HUGE.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Panasonic 1080p VIERA PZ600 plasma HDTVs coming in September
Panasonic (Matsushita) showed off their long-awaited 1080p plasma HDTVs today, and unlike their smaller 1366x768 1080p-compatible LCD cousins shown off earlier this month these VIERA PZ600 sets give you every pixel of 1920x1080 high-def goodness. From the baby 50-inch to the mammoth 103-inch (which is already on sale & built to order, hopefully they bring it over here as well), they include not only full HD, but also their VIERA Link HDMI control system, 4000:1 contrast ratio and Panasonic's new 1080p PEAKS 16-bit video processing which they say will improve video scaling and provide blacker blacks. They are very proud of the fact that these HDTVs will display 100% more shades of gradation than the old TH-PX500 plasmas, as opposed to the 50% jump claimed in the PX600 series. The PEAKS system also powers the included Wide Intelligent TV Program Guide, for use with the included terrestrial, satellite and digital broadcast tuners. If that isn't enough for you, they've also thrown in an SD card reader and three 1080p HDMI inputs on each set. It appears that the just-released Pioneer PRO-FHD1 1080p plasma will be bested shortly when these are released on September 1. With a higher contrast ratio, additional features and much lower estimated price, the TH-50PZ600 could make a much more attractive prospect if/when it hits American shores. They will definitely all look good with your DMP-BD10 & friends. Check below for more pics.Estimated prices courtesy of AV Watch: 50-inch TH-50PZ600 - $5,138.30US 58-inch TH-58PZ600 - $7,279.26US 65-inch TH-65PZ600 - $8,478.20US 103-inch TH-103PZ600: $51,383.04US
World's largest 103-inch Panasonic plasma goes on sale in Japan
We don't think anybody every thought this day was coming. Panasonic is now taking orders for their big and bad 103-inch plasma. You may remember this gigantic screen as the plasma that was just one inch larger than Samsung's when it was announced. Panasonic has modest plans for the big guy too. They are expecting to sell 5,000 of the "World's Largest" per year and even though they haven't announced a price yet, we could see this. It is not only uber-rich consumers that buy these massive screens as even Louis Vuitton's Paris retail store uses the now modest sized 71-inch LG panel. There isn't a price set yet for the beast but we can except it to be a bit pricey - to the tune of a fully loaded Caddy. Oh, and Panasonic has been mum on US release details.
Panasonic 103-inch plasma shipping by Christmas
Want a big plasma to impress the in-laws with this Christmas. Well, you might want to take out a home equity loan on the house now while rates are low; this plasma is not going to be cheap. Panasonic is going to release their monster 103-inch plasma this Christmas. How big is 103-inches you say? The size of four 50-inch sets. This plasma is of course 1080p and has a nice contrast ratio of 3000:1; all the normal stuff that an ultra-high end set should have. Have you noticed that we are avoiding the price? Well, it has not been announced but if you take the price of LG's 71-inch plasma ($28k) it is going to be a lot.
One more post of the 103-inch Panasonic plasma
Sorry, we could not help ourselves. The 103-inch Panny is just so much HDTV to handle. We have posted a few pictures that compares the TV to people but this one takes the cake. What would a person do with that much plasma?Me. Well, I would put it at the end of my single car garage so me and the girl can experience a drive-in movie theater experience. I would have to forgo the stereo sound of course...
CES: 103-inch Panasonic plasma - biggest in the world
Folks, let me introduce you to the biggest plasma in the world: a 103-incher by Panasonic. Yeah, Samsung is no longer the reigning king with a 102-inch plasma as Panasonic is now the king of the hill by just one inch. Of course the set is 1080p; I do not think Panasonic would dare to show up at CES with out it. There is no word yet if this model will be available for purchase, but you can count on it costing more then a lot of houses. More then likely the set was manufactured as a tech demo/research project. They had to rethink the cell structure that holds the phosphor in creating this big huge plasma. The research that went into this monster however is sure to trickle down to models that most people can afford.
