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Sanyo announces 2500mAh XX eneloop batteries, suitable only for devices aged 18 and over
Rechargeable batteries keep a lot of toxic goop out of the world's landfills, but ones that drain themselves whilst just sitting there in the drawer aren't exactly perfect themselves. Sanyo licked that problem with its eneloop cells, thanks to their low self-discharge rates, and now the company is doing even better: boosting capacity. Sanyo will soon ship the eneloop XX battery in AA size, a 2500mAh cell that offers 25 percent more oomph than its predecessors. Even more important? The black and silver logo that serves as "a further testament to Sanyo's design strength." These up-rated and macho-designed batteries start shipping in Europe in December and, while no price has yet been assigned, given the number of times Sanyo mentions "professional" in its press release (six) they probably won't be cheap.
Sanyo Vero for Sprint: the headline feature is the price
Have $10 to spend and a willingness to sign your name on a dotted line? Well, has Sprint got a deal for you: the new Vero clamshell from Sanyo swings in at an easy-to-swallow $9.99 on contract. Of course, at that price, you make certain sacrifices; it's got a mere 1.3 megapixel cam, a 2.5mm (yes, 2.5mm, not 3.5mm) headphone jack, and little else, though it does manage to pack in a few trick features like stereo Bluetooth and threaded messaging. When phones like the Pixi are being offered in the same store for free, it makes $10 sound a little pricey -- but after a couple years of bills, we imagine you'll make your money back. The Vero's available starting today.
Sanyo debuts E1500TP point-and-shoot alongside Xacti CG21, PD1 and GH3 camcorders
If there's a Photokina around, you can bet your bottom dollar that Sanyo will be there. Boasting a booth chock full of camcorders and pocketable cameras, we waded through to find three new Xacti camcorders (VPC-CG21, VPC-PD1 and VPC-GH3) on display alongside a simplistic new shooter, the VPC-E1500TP. Starting with the latter, this one brings just the basics in a fairly vanilla enclosure: a 14 megapixel CMOS sensor, 720p video, a 4x optical zoom, 3-inch rear touchpanel, 32MB of internal storage space, an SD / SDHC expansion slot, ISO range from 100 to 3200 and USB connectivity. Pricing and availability wasn't offered for this fellow, but we're betting it's below $150 and in stores tomorrowish. Moving on to the camcorders, the CG21 ($149) is a typical pistol-grip machine with a 10 megapixel sensor, the ability to capture 1080i, a 10x optical zoomer and an SDXC card slot. The $199 GH3 looks more like your mother's Handycam of old, offering a similar 10 megapixel sensor, SDHC card slot, 10x optical zoom and 1080i video capture. The starlet was the $199 PD1, a Flip Video-styled camcorder with dual microphones, 10 megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom, SDXC card slot, 1080/30p recording, an integrated USB arm and a rather impressive rear LCD. The whole lot is making its way out to dealers now, so feel free to start poking and prodding if you must. Galleries are below, per usual. %Gallery-103042% %Gallery-103044% %Gallery-103043%
Sanyo launches Xacti VPC-GH4 full HD camcorder with YouTube, Facebook integration
Sanyo has announced another one of them there Xacti digicams, this time geared for the social media crowd. The VPC-GH4, like its sibling the VPC-GH2, features Full HD 1080 video recording; and unlike the aforementioned GH2, integrates YouTube, Facebook, and Picasa uploads -- as well as Twitter notifications. But at what cost? Well, the newer model sees still photos dumbed down to 10 megapixels (the precursor featured 14 megapixel stills), but then again it's set to retail at $200 -- so it's, like, $50 cheaper. Want a closer look? Want the full scoop straight from the PR itself? Can't wait until it hits store shelves later this month? All your wishes will be granted after the break. But you should probably get some better wishes.
Sanyo waist warmer does almost irreparable damage to Eneloop's good name
Oh Sanyo, you do like to flirt with our Crapgadget label, don't you? Having already given the world battery-powered neck and hand warmers it never asked for, Sanyo is today expanding the Eneloop warmer family with a slinky new waist furnace. Thin film heaters are embedded inside that dashing-looking velcro belt above and power is drawn from the Eneloop mobile booster on the side, perhaps the most useful thing about the entire setup. It'll share its juice with iPhones and portable media players, while recharging can be done via USB. Sadly, that aforementioned neck warmer is getting a new 2010 version thanks to excellent consumer interest over in the key target market of Japan, so it's looking like these body warmers are going to be with us for a while.
Sanyo's Eneloop Stick and Mobile Boosters will juice your gadgets on the go
Make no mistake, we're unabashed Eneloop rechargeable battery fanboys around here. How could we not be given our mobile lifestyle and obsessive need to keep all our toys juiced. As such, we're stoked by the announcement of a pair of Sanyo power packs: the Eneloop Mobile Booster (model KBC-L2BS) and Eneloop Stick Booster (KBC-D1BS). The Mobile Booster is a rechargeable slab of lithium-ion with a pair of built-in USB terminals (and microUSB adapter) capable of pushing a relatively hefty 1 Amp charge for about 2 hours (or 500mA for 4 hours if charging two device) to gear that requires that kind of suck... like the iPad. The battery pack can then be recharged over AC or a USB connection on your PC. The highly portable Stick Booster, meanwhile, ships with a pair of AA Eneloops -- so when the electrons cease to flow you can just swap out the dead batteries for a pair of fresh rechargeables. The Stick Booster is also an official Nintendo licensee so you can be sure that it'll charge your DSLite, DSi, or DSi LL (no mention of the 3DS). Look for these to ship October 21st in Japan.%Gallery-100758%
Cricket starts offering Android-powered Zio for $230
As we discovered back at its CTIA intro earlier this year, Kyocera's (and Sanyo's) Zio isn't the neatest Android phone you've ever seen -- nor the most technically impressive -- but at $230 without a contract after $20 discount, it's pretty hard to argue that you're not getting what you pay for. Regional carrier Cricket had been promising the Zio for some time, and now it's here, just the latest in the company's newfound push into the smartphone space -- a space it's traditionally avoided in the past -- with the recent launch of the Curve 8530 (for the same price as the Zio, coincidentally). Trackballs are officially passé at this point, but considering the budget monthly outlay that Cricket offers, we've no doubt they'll find some takers.
Cricket launches Sanyo Zio by Kyocera
A new device launch never fails to warm the cockles of our hearts, and today's treat comes in the form of the Sanyo Zio by Kyocera on Cricket. We'd heard earlier this year that Cricket was prepping to launch this set in July for 'round about $300 -- and yes they missed that date but they've exchanged tardiness for better pricing, gotta love 'em, right? The Zio ships with a 1GB microSD, features a 3.4-inch touchscreen, 3.2 megapixel cam, WiFi, Bluetooth, and all that running in the land of Android 1.6. Pricing is set at $249 with a $20 online rebate thrown in and of course a bit of fine print requiring you grab the $55 a month Android plan. Sadly, the Zio is listed as backordered on the site so getting one today might be a stretch, but estimated ship date is August 26th, and what's five days between you and your new cell pal? We had a chance to play with the Zio back in March and came away feeling a little underwhelmed, so why not give it a quick read before you dive in? Follow the read link to see the rest of the goodies.
Sanyo Xacti VPC-PD2BK 1080p pocket camcorder with 3x optical zoom
With smartphones and point-n-shoot cameras doing most of our impromptu video recordings, it's getting harder and harder to justify the purchase of these pocket-sized camcorders. Perhaps that's why Sanyo is positioning its Flip competitor as a "dual camera" -- capable of capturing 10 megapixel stills or 1080p/30fps MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 video with stereo audio. Model VPC-PD2BK features an integrated USB jack that swivels out for some hot laptop mating sessions, a 3X optical zoom, 37-mm wide-angle lens, mini-HDMI port, and support for SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards. Look for it in September with a suggest price of $169.99 in North America.
Apple's rechargeable AA batteries are rebranded Sanyo Eneloops?
You do realize that Apple doesn't manufacture its own batteries, right? Apple, like most consumer electronics companies, doesn't actually make anything. So where do Apple's new AA rechargeable NiMH batteries comes from then? We had a suspicion early on that Apple's "new" AAs were actually Eneloops, long one of our favorite brands of modern rechargeables due to their ability to maintain a 75% charge even after three years inside the kitchen utility drawer. Now our Czech friends over at Superapple seem to have confirmed this after an exhaustive teardown and analysis of Apple's little power cells. Specifically, Apple's AA batteries appear to be none other than the 1.2V Sanyo Eneloop HR-3UTG rated at 1,900mAh (minimum). While Superapple couldn't find any physical evidence linking the two, the measured performance characteristics of Apple's AA batteries matched the Eneloops perfectly. Knowing this, are you really going to spend $29 for the Apple charger and 6x AA batteries when you get 8x AA Eneloops and charger for the same price? Now mosey on past the break if you want to see a AA unrolled. Fascinating stuff. [Thanks, Roman K.]
Sanyo's VPC-CA102YL waterproof HD camcorder, your perfect accessory for visiting Sealab 2021
Sanyo isn't breaking out the hyperbole with this water-resistant full HD pocket camcorder -- that honor went to the DMX-CA100 back in May -- but the VPC-CA102YL does boast a spec sheet as impressive as its product name. We've got 1920 x 1080 / 60i video in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format, 14 megapixel stills, an articulating 2.7-inch wide LCD, 12x dual range zoom on video, and 5x optical zoom on photos... and did we mention it's waterproof up to 10 feet under? Connectivity options include USB, mini HDMI for TV sets, and a SDXC card slot. Due out this month -- perfect for capturing the very last bit of Summer -- for a penny under $350. Product shots below, press release after the break. (P.S. -- 10 feet to the bottom of the ocean? Bizarro!) %Gallery-98922%
Cricket launches BlackBerry Curve 8530, says Kyocera Zio is in the cards
We'd wondered what had happened to Kyocera's low-end Zio with Android after its March announce at CTIA... and lo, here it is. Cricket announced today that the phone is indeed in the pipe for 2010 -- a little later than earlier rumors that we'd see it in July -- marking just their second smartphone after their branded version of the BlackBerry Curve 8530, which ships later this week. Pricing for the Zio hasn't been announced, but the Curve 8530 will run $279.99 after discount -- pricey, yes, until you consider that you're getting that devoid of a pesky contract. Cricket's excited to trumpet that its unlimited BlackBerry plan runs just $60 a month in total, which means that voice, text, and data are all off the meter. Not bad -- but considering Cricket's positioning as a regional value brand, we'd expect no less.
Panasonic to spend $9.4b on buying out Sanyo and PEW shares, posts robust quarterly profits
Clearly dissatisfied with what it sees in the mirror, Panasonic has today announced its decision to bulk up. A new share issue expected to raise ¥500 billion ($5.7 billion) will be enacted soon as part of raising the cash to complete the buyout of Sanyo Electric and Panasonic Electric Works. Don't ask us why a company named Panasonic has to buy another company with Panasonic in its name, but them's the facts. The total outlay is expected to come in at around $9.4 billion and is justified by Panasonic as fundamental to its future strategy of expanding into environmentally friendly tech and developing a three-pronged operating paradigm by 2012. The Osaka-based company is also reporting a ¥43.7b ($498 million) profit for the last quarter -- a major upswing from a ¥53b loss in the same period last year -- though that's information the market seems to have ignored. Panasonic shares have plunged down 7.7% in the immediate aftermath of the acquisitions being announced, while Sanyo's have shot up. Click past the break for the novella-sized press release explaining the details of the deal.
Sanyo Xacti DMX-CA100 joins the 'waterproof pocket HD camcorder' crew
Sure, Sanyo's PR claims this camera is the "world's first waterproof full HD camera," but unfortunately for them Kodak beat them to the punch. A caveat at the bottom of the PR clarifies that this claim was merely meant for "Full HD video cameras for consumer use with optical zoom lenses," which naturally makes everything better. Plus there's no point in getting down on Sanyo, since it's essentially delivered its classic Xacti form factor and middle-of-the-road image quality in a waterproof (up to 10 feet) chassis. The DMX-CA100 will be launched at the end of June for some unnamed price, and shoots 1080p video to H.264, 14 megapixel stills, and offers a 6x optical zoom augmented by a 6x "Advanced Zoom" that crops the image sensor instead of just blowing up the pixels like a regular digital zoom. %Gallery-93916%
Electric Daihatsu Mira goes 623 miles on a charge, but not to a showroom near you
Want an electric vehicle with more than a piddly couple-hundred mile range? Apparently you have to build it yourself and follow in the footsteps of the Japan Electric Vehicle Club, which broke the Guinness World Record last weekend by driving 623.76 miles (just over 1,000km) on a single charge in its customized Daihatsu Mira. The trip took 27.5 hours traveling around what appears to be the famous Tsukuba circuit in Shimotsuma, Japan. The car was powered by 8,320 Sanyo li-ion cells, each weighing about 44 grams, for a grand total of 807lbs -- more than half the weight of a stock Mira. While we're sure Daihatsu helped with this build, it's worth noting that this is not an official project of the company, meaning the 100 mile Nissan Leaf is about as close as you're going to get to this feat for the near future. [Photo credit: Japan Electric Vehicle Club]
NTT DoCoMo, KDDI launch their endless Summer 2010 collections
Surprise: Japanese carriers are announcing literally dozens of phones at once. Okay, look, that's not a surprise at all, but bear with us, because there are a few shining jewels in here amongst the seemingly endless array of WVGA displays and one-seg tuners from NTT DoCoMo and KDDI au, both of whom have announced their Summer 2010 collections of handsets this week. Of note, two of the models from DoCoMo -- the Fujitsu F-06B and Sharp SH-07B are capable of shooting 1080p video, while KDDI's SH008 from Sharp, S003 from Sony Ericsson, and CA005 from Casio all feature sensors of 12 megapixels or larger. Several of the devices can also be used as WiFi hotspots, and Hitachi's trick Beskey for KDDI has interchangeable keypads that change the shape of the keys, not the layout -- a bit superficial, perhaps, but we're all about choice. DoCoMo is also launching a handful of smartphones: the Lynx SH-10B from Sharp (not to be confused with the old Atari handheld of the same name) that features Android atop a 5-inch touchscreen, Toshiba's 4.1-inch T-01B Dynapocket with WinMo, and RIM's plain old BlackBerry Bold 9700. Don't get us wrong, it's still quite a haul, but we can't help but feel that the gap between Japan's wireless scene and the rest of the world is closing fast.
Sanyo brings short-focus projector into the third dimension, may never look back
Sanyo's been a relatively large player in the short-focus / short-throw projector game for awhile now, so frankly, this was inevitable. As everyone (and their third cousin, in fact) races to jump on the three-dee bandwagon, the aforesaid company has just pumped out its first 3D short-focus PJ. The PDG-DWL2500J doesn't boast the most amazing of specs -- the native resolution sits at just WXGA -- but it can project a 3D image from a distance as short as 2.4 centimeters. It also touts a maximum projection size of 110 inches, and it can be installed vertically or horizontally depending on your mood. There's also an HDMI socket, Ethernet port, 16:10 aspect ratio, 2,500 lumens of brightness, a single 10-watt speaker and a price tag that'll probably make you spit out your morning coffee. Word on the street has it that this one will launch next month in Japan for ¥450,000, and if that $4,868 conversion follows it stateside, you can bet only a handful will be lined up to drag one home. %Gallery-93207%
AA rechargeable battery shootout: Energizer, PowerGenix and Sanyo Eneloop
If there's one thing that has become abundantly clear to us these past few months, it's that there's really no excuse to not invest in at least one set of rechargeable batteries if you find yourself chewing through more than a few on a regular basis. If you're an avid user of Apple's power-hungry Magic Mouse, Nintendo's oh-so-demanding Wii remote or one of the many professional camera flashes on the market, chances are you've considered buying stock in Duracell or Energizer based on how often you find yourself in the battery aisle. Quite a few devices have moved to proprietary rechargeables -- many of which can be rejuvenated over USB -- but for everything else, it's typically AA or bust. We tested out PowerGenix's NiZn cells late last year, and it wasn't long before we found ourselves in possession of two alternatives from Energizer and Sanyo. Care to see how all three of these stacked up against one another and those traditional non-rechargeables? Read on for more. %Gallery-92885%
Sanyo's slinky Xacti VPC-CS1 camcorder reviewed: form trumps function
At CES this past January we were smitten by Sanyo's little VPC-CS1 camcorder and now, many moons later, it's coming to retail. Akihabara News has taken it for a test drive and, as you might expect from something only 29mm thin, it has some compromises. The most glaring issues appear to be related to image quality, with the review stating: "Shooting in low light will give you really crappy images." Also, it turns out the cam's touted 1920 x 1080 at 60fps mode is actually interlaced, meaning it's time for a return to scanline mountain. While 720p mode is said to be rather better looking, still shooting is said to be "simply useless." Despite all this the review has a positive conclusion, and we could see the same for users more interested in form than function. Those looking for image quality, however, will want to look at the sample videos and images on the other end of that source link below.
Sanyo PLV-Z4000 3LCD projector gets more colorful, cheaper
The full list of specs for Sanyo's upcoming PLV-Z4000 3LCD projector are after the break, but there's not much to see if you're familiar with the PLV-Z3000 model from two years ago. An apparently upgraded "TopazReal HD" system promises to reproduce up to 216 billion color combinations, up from a mere 1.06 billion colors last time, but at its heart you'll find a 1080p24 capable, 120Hz, dual HDMI 1.3b, 1,200 lumen beamer just waiting to be dropped into a home theater. The good news is the MSRP has wound its way down significantly over the years, as it's due at the end of may for $2,495, which is about the price the Z3000 is listed for in most places these days. Those capabilities were a bit more impressive the first time around, if you're the projector type, does fit the bill for what you're looking to lay down two grand on in 2010?
