Ceatec2008
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Hitachi demonstrates 15mm 37-inch LCD TV at CEATEC
Hitachi drug its oh-so-sexy 1.5-inch plasma to Japan after showing it off in Denver earlier this month, but what we didn't see at CEDIA was this: a 15-millimeter thin 37-inch LCD TV. The "reference" set packed a 1,920 x 1,080 panel and a fittingly designed stand, though it won't see mass production until "2009 or later." Ugh, even 1-inch just seems so bloated now.
JVC unveils new Everio concept HD camcorder at CEATEC
JVC has hopped on-board the pocket HD cam bandwagon and brought some tasty wares to the table at CEATEC today, with the next gen Everio HD Memory Camera. This SDHC based concept is expected to be AVCHD ready with an HDMI port. There wasn't much more info to go around, but we expect full disclosure and a review unit real, real soon (you listening JVC?) -- or at the very least a hands-on at the show. In the meantime, feast your eyes on the above photo. [Via TechRadar]
KDDI au concept phones invade CEATEC
We already caught sight of KDDI au's cellphone as musical instrument concept devices last month, but it looks like the company's fanciful design group had plenty more than those to show off at CEATEC, as evidenced by Akihabara News' slew of pictures from the show. Those include the satellite-like device pictured above, as well as a neat little minimalist number pictured after the break and another folding contraption (also after the break) that we're still trying to wrap our heads around. Hopefully we'll get a chance to check these out ourselves before CEATEC wraps up but, until then, you can hit up the read link below for some more pics.
Sharp's tegakichat concept phone brings the purikura booth to girls' pockets
Japan is drenched in arcades with female-only purikura (photo booth for you gaijin) corners in which aflutter girls take pictures, bless them with sparkly decorations, and print them to book cover friendly stickers for all to see, for better or worse, to the horror of their moms, to the delight of their potential boyfriends. Let's say Sharp was to take the purikura phenomenon and fuse it with to the teenage girl's number one obsession: the cell phone (keitai for our Japanese readers). That's exactly what it did with this concept phone and software, complete with a shared art space that can be collectively decorated over wireless networks. Scary? Perhaps. Cool enough to snap some video in awesome disbelief? Most definitely.%Gallery-33083%
DoCoMo and Fujitsu show off splitting phone at CEATEC
DoCoMo and Fujitsu are showing off some interesting phone tech in Japan at this year's CEATEC, particularly a concept device which can be split into two pieces. The gadget features a separate screen and keyboard segment, and the pieces can be configured in a standard flip-phone-like arrangement, or snapped together to form an X1 or Touch Pro-esque landscape QWERTY variation. The two halves are held together by magnets and communicate via Bluetooth. Of course, right now this is very much in the concept phase, and honestly -- aren't we trying to minimize the amount of electronic components we're carting around? Still, it's a fairly slick design, and certainly a new way of thinking about phones. Take another look after the break, and hit the read link for a slew of pics.
Sony's 0.3mm OLED gets all bent at CEATEC
The last time we saw Sony's 0.3mm OLED prototype, it was encased in lasers and protected by deathbots in an underground prison of doom. This time around, Sony is showing off the razor-thin display for all at CEATEC to see, and they went all bendy on us. The new prototype has a curve to it, perhaps foretelling some curious plans for the technology in its expensive years ahead. Despite the curve, the picture remains as sharp and contrast-heavy as one would expect from OLED. Pictures and proof of the curved madness below.%Gallery-33061%
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 coming in November at $799 according to booth rep
Last we heard from Panasonic, the DMC-G1 super-light was tentatively priced at $799 for US markets. Turns out this is fact, at least if the officials at Panasonic's booth here at CEATEC are to be believed. What's more, they say the G1 will hit stateside shores in November, so if you're in the market for a new camera, start saving now. In related news, we got our hands on the G1 again, this time in red (the camera, not our hands). The digital viewfinder is still a bit disorienting, but the proximity sensor that turns off the big display when you're up close is a nice little trick. Pics and what-not below.%Gallery-33060%
Sharp LC-65XS1U-S and LC-52XS1U-S X-Series AQUOS LCD HDTVs eyes-on
While we knew these new Sharp Aquos HDTVs were coming, we had no idea how thin and bright they were in person. Today at CEATEC 2008 Sharp officially announced its LC-65XS1U-S (65-inch) and LC-52XS1U-S (52-inch) AQUOS LCD HDTVs right at CEATEC Japan's opening bell. The displays' 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 1080P panel are nice and all, but we now know they measure in at a super gaunt 2.28-cm (0.9-inch) depth and are outfitted with a 2.1-channel, three-way five-speaker system that Sharp jointly developed with Pioneer. Meanwhile, Sharp boasts some serious energy savings with the new displays, promising a 26% reduction in power consumption. Expect them to hit stores in Japan October 15 in limited numbers for an undisclosed (read: 'spensive) price. Check the emaciated photos in the gallery if you're so inclined.%Gallery-33036%
CEATEC Japan: konnichiwa, we're here
So there's this place called Japan where they have all sorts of electronics, gadgets, televisions, arcades, izakayas, and a mega conference called CEATEC 2008. We're here, on the other side of the date line, inhaling coffee, and you had best stay tuned for the latest from the land of the rising sun.
Hitachi makes like Toshiba and touts "super resolution technology"
We actually had to dust off our spectacles to make sure this wasn't some sort of misunderstanding, but clearly, Hitachi is pulling a Toshiba. Generally, we wouldn't make such a claim, but given that Tosh also calls its wizard-like upconverting technology Super Resolution, we'd say the likeness requires such a comparison. Reportedly, Hitachi has been toiling day and night on its own "super resolution technology," which will theoretically take SD images and scale them to near-1080p. Amazingly, we're told that it can also "convert HDTV images, such as digital terrestrial broadcasts, into images with even higher (what, SHV?) definition." The tech is executed on a frame-by-frame basis and should be exhibited at the upcoming CEATEC trade show in Japan; as for a release, Hitachi's currently aiming to get this into LCDs and plasmas "after 2010."
Panasonic bundles 103-inch plasma, Blu-ray player in 3D home theater package
Didn't see anything that particularly suited your fancy at CEDIA? Then feast your eyes on CEATEC. As the Japan-based trade show hastily approaches, out pops a mind-boggling new home theater package from Panasonic. The system will include one of its marvelous 103-inch plasma HDTVs, a Blu-ray player and at least one set of fancy 3D goggles. Hailed as a world's first in some form or fashion, the Full HD 3D package utilizes an undisclosed format "employed by major Hollywood film studios" to "distribute full HD images of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels to each eye via synchronized shutter glasses." Panny is hoping to promote the technology and possibly get a leg up on Samsung (our assumption) by impressing wealthy homeowners and members of the Blu-ray Disc Association. As expected, there's no mention of a price, but rest assured -- you'll be stuck choosing between this and a new BMW.[Via Impress]
