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Panasonic spins off Sanyo DI Solutions, keeps the digital camera OEMs happy
Panasonic and Sanyo have only been life partners for about a year and a half now, but already the relationship has created a bundle of joy -- of a sort. Hot on the heels of some less-than-chipper financial news comes word that Panasonic is spinning off a portion of Sanyo. Sanyo DI Solutions is the name for the new creation, which will represent the company's efforts in producing OEM digital cameras -- cameras that get slapped with other manufacturers' labels before being sold as such. According to AV Watch, Panasonic's ownership had put a strain on Sanyo's fragile manufacturing partnerships, partnerships that can now bear beautiful, rebadged fruit. Sanyo DI Solutions will start with 10 million yen in capital and will go fully independent on July 1st. Hopefully it remembers to call home from time to time.
Panasonic 2012 Q3: $9 billion loss, Sanyo writedowns, restructuring
Panasonic's released its 2012 quarterly report (its financial year runs from summer to summer) and concedes it's been as bad for them as it was for Sony and Sharp. It's blaming the Japanese Earthquake for damaging its supply chain, a strong yen for keeping prices high, plus having to write-down the costs for its acquisition of Sanyo. The company's promising to restructure (in the face of stern competition from Samsung and LG) to become a "green innovation" business as well as to streamline its operating costs. It's predicting a quarterly loss of $9.2 billion as it takes the hit for this turmoil, and it doesn't look like things will improve with an anticipated further loss of another $2 billion at the end of the (financial) year.
Sanyo's Mirai Sanzo robot brings the extra emotion your household craves
First we had the spherical drone and now we have the spherical butler. Sanyo's Mirai Sanzo robot won't do housework unfortunately, but it will interpret your voice commands and relay them to your home automation system, just in case you happen to live in the type of wondrous abode depicted after the break. To fulfill its mission as a "communication robot," the WiFi-connected 22cm helper comes with a touchscreen, touch sensors (for switching on and off) and voice recognition -- all powered by an undisclosed version of Android. It can also show seven different emotions by glowing in various colors, making it about three times more expressive than some humans. Mirai Sanzo will be out in Japan any time now, and while we're not sure of the price, we have tried to translate the name. We arrived at "Future Bob", but we're open to other suggestions.
Sanyo expands Eneloop battery offerings with Pro for more power, Plus for less heat
If you love Sanyo's ever-so-practical Eneloop rechargeable batteries, you'll be smitten with its two latest AA additions. First into the battery compartment is the 2400mAh Eneloop Pro; it's loaded with twenty-five percent more juice than the standard model, and is a perfect match for your power-draining Nikon Speedlight -- not quite as formidable as the 2,500mAh XX series, though. Moving onto the next slot is the Eneloop Plus, which adds a positive temperature coefficient thermistor -- a resistor that prevents the batts from reaching skin-scorching heat levels in kids' toys. Blazing Hello Kitty anyone? Both will come in packs of two or four, and also as bundles with a charger. Residents of Japan will be able to pick up the batteries at varying points this year, but aside from the ¥1,260 (about $15) Pro two-pack, pricing remains open. If your heart's beating like the pink bunny's drum, check out the source link below for the details and some fancy infographics.
Panasonic resurrects Sanyo's pistol-grip camcorders, trots out three new models
Worried that Panasonic would kill off Sanyo's signature pistol-grip camcorders after it bought its rival last year? Fear not -- Panny just went and resurrected Sanyo's ergonomic design with three new models - slapping its own brand on 'em, of course. And, in a move that would do Sanyo proud, Panasonic brought back the DMX-CA100 / VPC-CA100, a 1080p camcorder Sanyo released last year under the same name. It's gotten a spec boost, though, with the ability to snap 16 megapixel still photos, up from 14.4. The other two -- the HX-DC15 and the HX-DC1 -- both shoot 1080p video as well, with the DC15 offering 16GB internal memory and a 16 megapixel sensor, and the DC1 able to take 14.4 megapixel stills. No word on availability outside Japan, but we're sure those of you with a penchant for flip-out displays and candy-colored plastic will find a way to snag one.
Sanyo Eneloop Mobile Booster provides $79 of USB power-suck
What was a Japanese-only device has finally made it to the US shores. Sanyo's Eneloop Mobile Booster (aka, KBC-L2) battery supplies 5V 500mA of juice to a pair of simultaneously connected USB devices or 1,000mA to a single, more power-hungry tablet. The 5,000mAH Lithium-ion pack is baked right into the device (rechargeable Eneloop AA owners should check out Sanyo's Mobile Booster stick) and charges fully in about seven hours from an AC circuit or 14 hours from a relatively feeble USB jack. Available now for $79.99.
KR1 DIY guitar / synth makes its debut at Castle Frightenstein
We've seen a few Zoybar-based behemoths since we were hepped to the modular guitar platform way back in '08, but few have caught our fancy like Kevin Rupp's KR1. Featuring a Korg Kaossilator synth, both the Pocket Pod and a wireless transmitter from Line 6, and the beloved Sanyo Pedal Juice battery pack, this bad boy can do double duty as both your ax and your backing band. But enough of our jabber jaw -- you want to see it in action, right? Check it out after the break. [Thanks, TK]
Sprint's Samsung Epic 4G and Sanyo Zio signed up for Froyo next week?
We've been tipped with a document today that seems to suggest that the age of Android 2.2 is nigh for owners of Sprint's Samsung Epic 4G and Sanyo Zio. The Epic's looking like a four-day phased rollout to build EB13, while the Zio push spans five days (strangely, it says you'll end up on Eclair build DF05, which clearly isn't accurate, so we're hoping this is just a miss by whomever created it). Both are said to kick off next Monday, the 21st -- and for Epic owners in particular, it's a long time coming. Best of luck, folks. [Thanks, anonymous tipster]
HTC Arrive and Kyocera Echo bow for Sprint?
Okay, armchair sleuths, this one's for you -- we've got two very legit-looking logos here, but not a lot of proof. Our tipster tells us that both of these high-quality vector graphics are the names of upcoming devices for Sprint, with the HTC Arrive (née Ruby) allegedly an upcoming Windows Phone 7 device, while Kyocera Echo is apparently the retail name for the phone internally known as the Sanyo Orange. It just so happens that the trademark for "HTC Arrive" was registered the very same day we received this logo, so we think we're onto something here, but the truth of the matter is that all of these codenames are falling on virgin ears. [Thanks, anonymous]
Sanyo PLC-WL2503 ultra-short-throw projector does built-in interactivity a tad cheaper
The Sanyo PLC-WL2503 isn't the first whiteboard-less whiteboard solution we've seen -- in fact multi-surface projector interaction dates back at least as far as 2007. As for a projector with built-in interactive capabilities, well, Epson's BrightLink 450Wi has been on the job since last year, albeit at a much higher price: the Epson projector costs $2,200 while this Sanyo comes in at about $500 less. Both tout short-range projection: the BrightLink provides 80-inch displays from two feet, while the PLC-WL2503 requires at least 34 inches to do the same. They pack identical WXGA 1280x800 resolution and 2500 lumens of brightness, and they both use IR pens to communicate with front-facing cameras built into the projector for multi-surface interactivity. Really, the only thing separating these two on paper is price. If the BrightLink is just too rich for your blood, and you can wait a little while longer, the Sanyo PLC-WL2503 can have you writing on walls by the end of January.
Sanyo: we've shipped more than 150 million Eneloop rechargeable batteries
Sanyo has announced that as of the end of 2010, it had officially shipped more than 150 million rechargeable Eneloop batteries. The company now ships the batteries -- which can be recharged up to 1,500 times -- to more than 60 countries. We reviewed Sanyo's rechargeable offering alongside another battery a few months back, which you can check out if you'd like. Other than that: the full press release is after the break.
Sanyo Eneloop Pedal Juice battery pack preview
It's Christmas Day, which probably means that at least one toy that you received (or gave) won't be fully functional until Monday. Why? Batteries. It's an age-old problem, that "batteries not included" thing, and it's one of the reasons we've fell so in love with Sanyo's Eneloop line. Without question, the Eneloop rechargeable AA batteries are amongst the best and most reliable that money can buy, so whenever another Eneloop product pops out, it obviously catches our eye. Sanyo's branching out pretty severely with its latest device, and being that at least 3.5 members of the Engadget staff have strummed a six-string once or twice, we had to take a closer look at the Pedal Juice when given the chance. For those that missed last month's introduction, this pedal-sized block of energy is designed to provide 9V power to six or seven effects pedals, miniature amplifiers or electric drum pads (amongst other musical doodads). So, does this thing live up to the Eneloop reputation? Find out after the break. %Gallery-111994%
Panasonic's Sanyo and PEW buyout official: subsidiaries for life
Congratulations, Panasonic, you're now the adoptive father of two companies, Sanyo and Panasonic Electric Works. We know, the plan's been all but confirmed since July, but it's nice to see the deal go through and all the necessary paperwork signed. Both now-wholly-owned subsidiaries (through a share exchange that commenced today) are scheduled to be de-listed from the Tokyo Stock Exchange on March 29th, 2011, and after that... well, independence was fun while it lasted, eh chaps?
Sanyo Taho for Sprint will take a beating, won't deliver a beating to your wallet
If you were looking for Sprint's first fully submersible handset to sell for under $100 on contract... well, you've finally found it. What you're looking at here is the Sanyo Taho, a beefed-up clamshell that offers the usual suite of environmental resistance claims that come with mil-spec 810G compliance: water, dust, shock, and extreme temperature. It packs a 2 megapixel camera, microSD expansion up to 32GB, EV-DO, GPS, Bluetooth, 256MB of internal memory, and a 2-inch QVGA display; a Defy, it's not, but it looks like it should keep you entertained just about as well as any other dumbphone. It's available today for $99.99 on a two-year deal after a $50 mail-in rebate -- follow the break for the press release.
Sanyo Pedal Juice battery pack powers your wah-wah without distortion
A good roadie can be identified by two things: a wardrobe composed entirely of darks and bulging pockets full of batteries. Sanyo would like to let those tireless workers downsize to some slimmer black jeans with its new Pedal Juice battery pack, which is rocking a little Eneloop technology inside and can power a whole slew of daisy-chained devices. Charge it up for 3.5 hours and it'll provide 9V DC of output to whatever you like, powering a 10mA effects pedal for a whopping 50 hours. That's about 10 times longer than a simple 9V battery and, unlike one of those, the Pedal Juice will provide a constant 9V right up until it's dead. It even promises less electrical interference than using an AC adapter. All that for $149.99, which may sound like a lot for a battery pack, and it is, but real musicians know that success doesn't come cheap. %Gallery-108488%
Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: Video Cameras
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. Photos make great mementos for important moments, but a picture of your kid taking her first step or writing his first blog post isn't quite as meaningful as a full-motion video of the event in question. That's why a video recorder of some sort is a must-have, and while your average compact camera is capturing better footage than ever, sometimes you need something a little more dedicated. That's when you need a camcorder, and this year we even have a bunch of 3D models to choose from. Which ones are right for you and for your budget? Click on through to find out.
Sanyo glams up Eneloop batteries for fifth anniversary
How do you celebrate half a decade as the world's best loved and most efficient rechargeable battery? You throw a party, of course, which is exactly what Sanyo is doing with its Eneloop Tones Glitter limited edition set. Packs of eight technicolored AA and AAA Eneloops will go on sale in Japan on November 14, augmenting the brand's signature longevity with a dash (hell, make it a heaping) of glamorous style. For the functionalists out there seeking an excuse to jump on board, each box contains one of each color, meaning you can claim you bought them to color-code your battery management operation. Yeah, we'll believe you.
Qi charger prototype from Sanyo and NTT DoCoMo seeks out, ruthlessly charges stuff
Wireless charging gear compatible with the Qi standard should be hitting shelves any minute now, but NTT DoCoMo's charging base at CEATEC has a completely unnecessary (and completely awesome) trick up its sleeve to set itself apart from the crowd. The prototype -- developed in concert with Sanyo and bearing the Eneloop brand -- gives you some visual indication that a compatible gadget has been detected by displaying a ring of blue LEDs that converges around the device to be charged once you set it down. It's a neat effect... and you can see it unfold on the video after the break. No indication on whether NTT DoCoMo will actually be bringing its own branded Qi charger to market, but clearly, these products are nearly production-ready. %Gallery-104373%
Samsung Transform pictured in Sprint document, alongside Kyocera... err, Sanyo Zio?
Well, dear reader, we've got a pair of minor revelations for you, assuming this picture is real. First, that mid-range Android slatephone the Kyocera Zio is headed to Sprint, with the familiar Sanyo branding. Second, and perhaps more importantly, the elusive Samsung Transform has finally shown its face. Since that mug looks just like the Epic 4G, however, you can color us a bit confused -- Sprint's the only carrier without a keyboard-less Galaxy S, so that might make sense, but then why would they call it the Transform? As far as we can tell, it hasn't been tested for WiMAX, so perhaps it's an Epic without the 4G, plus a new form factor of some sort? Odds are we'll find out soon, given the company it's keeping: that BlackBerry Curve 3G 9330 got shipped off to Sprint just this last week.
