Ceatec2008
Latest
NEC shows off 12.1-inch no-glasses-required 3D display
One day, not too far off in the distant future, we have a dream that all 3D displays will be able to engross us in the third-dimension sans goggles. That these no-glasses-required 3D displays will be the rule, and not the exception. Till that fateful day arrives, however, we're still going to be impressed with ones similar to NEC's latest, a 12.1-incher with an SVGA (800 x 600) resolution. Reportedly, the outfit has developed the prototype screen to show off 3D material without requiring the viewer to ugly up their face with a set of those wonky glasses. There's no sign of a commercial release just yet, but we'll be keeping our naked eyes peeled just in case that changes.[Via Tech-On]
Panasonic bringing Blu-ray recorder to US in 2009?
Color us skeptical, but HDGuru has it that Panasonic is actually going to bring a standalone Blu-ray recorder over to US soil as early as next year. In case you haven't noticed, each and every BD recorder we see is sourced and sold exclusively overseas, but it seems Panny may be well on its way to changing that. Unfortunately, that's all the details we have for now, but we can't say we totally believe it. For starters, BD recorders are mighty expensive, and given that Blu-ray players still aren't selling out at sub-$300 price points, we can't really imagine $800+ BD recorders being the next iPod over here. At any rate, we suppose we'll see in 2009, and hopefully at CES.[Via AfterDawn]
JVC shows off 8k x 4k D-ILA projector, asks when SHV is dropping by
Think 4k x 2k is intense? Get a load of this. At CEATEC 2008, JVC is once again proving its mastery of the projector art form by showcasing a somewhat ridiculous 8k x 4k beamer. The prototype device boasts a native resolution of 8,192 x 4,320 and packs a dynamic contrast ratio of 1,100,000:1. In case you couldn't guess, its purpose is to display Super High Vision material in all of its natural glory, though only time will tell when that content (and this machine) are widely available to enjoy.[Via AboutProjectors]
DoCoMo serves your DLNA content to a friend's TV via mobile phone
Eager to live in the fantastical future it has prophesied, NTT DoCoMo went to CEATEC and demoed an upcoming addition to its Pocket U service: MH2H (Mobile Home to Home), which gives you the ability use your cellphone to stream content from your computer at home to a friend's TV. The phone connects to your friend's WiFi network and sends his or her DLNA-compliant receiver the IP address of your also-DLNA-compliant server, then tells said server to accept the connection and start streaming any videos, songs, or photos you feel like sharing. When you leave, the connection ends and every one goes back to partying on their own isolated media islands like it's 2006.[Image courtesy of Tech-On!]
Hitachi shows off custom HDTV frames at CEATEC
Hitachi sure was busting out the prototypes at CEATEC: a 15mm 37-inch LCD TV, wireless HD camcorder and a slew of custom framing options for its Wooo HDTVs. This isn't the first (far from it, actually) attempt we've seen at covering those traditional black / silver bezels with something a bit more flashy, but it's not often that a TV manufacturer gets involved. Unfortunately, there's still a good chance the pre-production frames will be held as Japan-only accessories depending on US demand, but we hear planes fly to Tokyo everyday if you're dead-set on eventually acquiring one.
Pioneer KURO LCD pics from CEATEC emerge
In case CNET's pics of the upcoming Pioneer KURO LCDs weren't enough to get your wild speculation going, and you can't get over to Germany to pick one up for yourself, some more photos of the KRL-32V, 37V and 46V sets have emerged from the CEATEC show. Getting good photos from the tradeshow floor is tough, but these pics (especially the ones against a black backdrop) look promising in terms of black level, at least. The linked post hints that the LCDs may not have quite measured up to the namesake plasmas, so remember what we said about show floor pics. Still, even if Pioneer is sourcing the panels from Sharp, we're encouraged by the focus on image quality over slim profiles. Hit the link for more eye-candy and let us know what you think.
Sharp shows off 52-inch solar-powered LCD TV at CEATEC
We've seen some fairly fascinating things at CEATEC this year, but this one could be the biggest game-changer of 'em all, if you'll allow us just one buzzword. The LED-backlit 52-incher you see above comes attached to a not-at-all convenient solar floor panel which presumably provides at least some of the energy required to power this thing. We've no clue how close the design is to being viable for the commercial realm, but we'd say Sharp's definitely headed in the right direction here.
Toshiba's Super Charge Ion Battery gets 90% full in 10 minutes
Imagine this -- you, sitting in a dingy airport terminal waiting on your flight with a lifeless laptop and just 10 minutes to spare. You've got oodles of spreadsheet work to do before 8:00AM tomorrow, and unless you get it done on this flight, you're fubared. Toshiba is looking to make said scenario seem like one that's not so grim, as its prototype SCIB (Super Charge Ion Battery) purportedly has the potential to get 90% full in just 10 minutes. The battery was unveiled at CEATEC 2008 in Japan, though little was known about its eventual availability. Shame development cycles can't be fast tracked in a similar manner, huh?[Via UberReview]
NICT, JVC Victor team up on no-glasses-needed 3D HDTV
Betcha didn't see this one coming, did you Philips? No sooner than the aforementioned company unveiled a rather striking 56-inch Quad Full 3D HDTV over on the left coast of the US did Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) and JVC Victor one-up that with a 72-inch prototype of their own. Revealed at CEATEC 2008, the Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) set doesn't even require viewers to sport those face-consuming glasses to experience the effect. In essence, the display utilizes multiple projectors to really emphasize that elusive third-dimension, but the viewing angle is understandably limited. Oh, and we hope you're not too geeked up about this -- NICT stated that we probably wouldn't see these in the commercial realm before 2011. Ah well, at least there's IMAX to hold us.[Via Gearlog]
KDDI shows off Samsung-made 3.1-inch WVGA OLED display, 3D LCD panel
It's been almost a full year since Samsung first announced its plans for a 3-inch WVGA OLED panel, but it's now finally delivered, and found a partner in the form of KDDI, which was showing off the panel at CEATEC. As Tech-On notes, the panel is quite the upgrade over Samsung's current top-end 3-inch QVGA panel and, best of all, KDDI says that it'll be showing up in actual products "shortly," though it's not about to get any more specific than that. As if that wasn't enough, KDDI also had a new "3D LCD" panel built by an unnamed "Japanese panel manufacturer" on hand at the show. It boasts the same WVGA resolution as the OLED and employs a "parallax barrier method" to magically "convert 2D images into 3D in real time -- check that out after the break, and look for the panels to be productized by the end of 2009.[Via OLED-DISPLAY.net]
Hitachi demonstrates wireless HD camcorder transfer at CEATEC
If you're still in disbelief that wireless HD is finally catching on, here's yet another demonstration that just may sway you into being a believer. Hitachi demonstrated a wireless HD camcorder setup at CEATEC in Japan, which saw a hacked up handycam get fitted with a protruding wireless card and stream high-def content to a nearby TV via DLNA (got all that?). Obviously, there's no telling when or if the company will clean the application up and bring it to retail, but in all seriousness, we have our doubts about the value proposition here.
Panasonic demoes WirelessHD transmission standard at CEATEC
While AMIMON's WHDI technology was the star of the wireless HD show at CEDIA, Panasonic has chosen CEATEC to show off its tether-less system. WirelessHD, which was introduced back at CES, can pass along 1080p content using the 60GHz band milliwave, and data transmissions speeds can reach up to 4Gbps. According to attendees, the cordless Blu-ray demonstration was humming along nicely, which bodes well for it actually launching in 2009. Check out a few more details pics in the read link.
Concept phone can see through walls -- in theory
Remember that scene in 'The Dark Knight' where (spoiler alert!) Batman uses the city's cell-phones to look through walls and find the bad guys? Totally awesome, right!? A group of scientists at KDDI apparently thought so too, creating a prototype they say could do something similar. Using geomagnetic sensors, accelerometers, and GPS, the device is able to determine its position and render its surroundings on the screen in OpenGL, including areas that are currently out of sight. We're guessing you must have already scanned those areas with the phone and that it can't actually see through walls, but we'd be happy to be proven wrong -- whenever they actually have something to show us. Like the group's funky concept phones we brought to you earlier, this one doesn't actually work. Yet.
Panasonic's EZ Touch multitouch remote control concept hands-on and video
Panasonic is looking to reinvent the remote control with its EZ Touch Remote prototype that it is showing off here at CEATEC. Rather than rely on a touch-screen interface that forces one to look down at a remote (and away from the object of one's entertainment), the concept puts the visual feedback where it belongs: on the screen. The remote can sense left- or right-handed users and adjust the interface appropriately, moving important triggers around based on where one's thumb may (or may not) be. Dual touch pads allow for multitouch data entry and zoom manipulation, while gestures allow for quick scrolls, making this one of the most intuitive and drool-worthy remote controls we've seen in a while, or ever. We're so into it that we've provided a full gallery and three videos after the break.%Gallery-33142%
Toshiba powers cell phone with methanol fuel cell -- no, you can't have one
Toshiba continues to tease us with its prototype liquid fuel cell-powered gadgets: last year it was a Gigabeat media player, and at this year's CEATEC you can check out a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) that's been crammed inside a cell phone, lending it a robust six hours of talk time (compared to the paltry three or four hours of a traditional battery). Toshiba won't reveal the capacity of the DMFC, but they have said that a 50ml cartridge is good for about 15 refills. No release date yet, but the phone "might" be available "as early as next year." In the meantime, enjoy this picture of a woman holding a flip phone with "DMFC" clearly visible on the display.
DoCoMo's separated phone hands-on and video from CEATEC
We got all down and dirty with DoCoMo and Fujitsu's prototype "Separated phone" today at CEATEC, and we can confirm that the device does, in fact do what they say it does. As reported earlier, the device uses Bluetooth to communicate between the phone's two magnetized halves, enabling configurations in everything from standard clamshell to gaming landscape formats. Perhaps the most compelling configuration is one that allows the phone to be held to the ear while one accesses data on the another half, complete with neck cramps. The touchscreen, Symbian S60-based UI was easy enough to use (albeit in Japanese) and features a hearty media playback element, but we were unable to squeeze any commitment to a launch date, price, or probability of seeing the unit on the market. That all said, the demo units were very much operational as you can see for yourself in the video after the break.%Gallery-33139%
Media server concept from Toshiba doubles as mega D&D die
Here's another mouth-watering concept on display at CEATEC today: Toshiba's Media Server -- not to be confused with some kind of nefarious explosive device from an early episode of Doctor Who. It uses NFC to download files from your cell phone, which in turn can be displayed on a TV via WirelessHD. But best of all, it's shiny and looks nothing like some of the mundane media servers we've seen in the past, which is reason enough for us to want one, or perhaps a pair to make 2d12. Here's hoping it gets past the concept stage.
KDDI au concept phones explained and pictured
We got the low-down (well, at much of a low-down as one can get from thematic designers) on KDDI's latest au concept phones here at CEATEC, and the themes are -- are you sitting down? -- space and soup atomic elements. No, we didn't make that up. If you're still with us, hit the break for some pictures and explanations.
JVC Everio concept HD camcorder up close at CEATEC
While JVC Victor hasn't promised us a review unit just yet (cmon, we're still begging here), we did get a chance to get up close with its SDHC concept camcorder today at CEATEC. Designed for the more sophisticated user (as opposed to family users, they tell us), the camera will shoot both high-quality HD video and stills, something they say has yet to be done in a device. The upcoming Everio is slated for release in the first half of 2009 at an undisclosed price, but JVC promises the unit is, indeed, coming. In the meantime, we'll have to make do with these new shots in the gallery below.%Gallery-33135%
Microvision's PicoP-based pocket projector revamped for CEATEC
Now that pico projectors are actually headed to end users, we're seeing a number of companies hop in the fast lane to production. Take Microvision for instance -- these guys were taking their sweet time by introducing the PicoP beamer back at CES, and now we're looking at a freshly revamped version that has already begun shipping to OEMs for "evaluation and end-user testing." Reportedly, the device shown at CEATEC featured a "thinner, smaller and brighter PicoP engine and several image quality enhancements" over the unit displayed at CES, and it officially boasted a WVGA resolution that could be blown up to 100-inches in size. Unfortunately, we're still waiting to hear how long it'll be before this one slips into consumers' hands, but we've a feeling it'll be sooner rather than later.[Via AboutProjectors]
