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Sanyo releases new, Motion Plus-approved, contact-free Eneloop Wiimote charger
If you ran out last year and bought one of Sanyo's Eneloop Wiimote chargers, the first to be officially approved by Nintendo and to allow charging whilst that ludicrously thick rubber cover was still in place, you were probably a bit bummed when it was obsoleted by the Motion Plus. Sanyo has a fix: you can now run out and buy a new charger! Yes, you too can help fuel the economy by tossing a perfectly functional yet now useless accessory into the trash and replacing it with something that does exactly the same thing with a little extra room at the bottom. Like before it's USB-powered and charges via induction, so no contacts are required, though there are now cavities for two Wiimotes rather than just one. No mention of a US release, but it'll be hitting Japan sometime next month for ¥7,400 -- about $80.
Eneloop Stick Booster supplies emergency power to your portable devices
Any time a company both enables our gadget addiction and discourages wanton battery consumption we have to consider it a good thing -- and, indeed, Sanyo's wicked-rechargeable Eneloop batteries already have quite a few fans here at Engadget HQ. But what's a busy gadget hound to do on the go, you ask? Try this one on for size: the Eneloop Stick Booster ships with two AAs and can be used to charge them, via any USB source. From that point the device can be used to power your PMP for roughly 90 minutes. How great is that? To be released in Japan on December 1 for an unspecified price, and worldwide whenever the company sees fit. PR after the break.
Sanyo unleashes two iFrame compatible Dual HD camcorders
Sanyo's just unleashed two new full HD camcorders -- the VPC-HD2000A and the VPC-FH1A. Both of these babies boast 1080p and 1080i recording at 60 fps, plus iFrame recording at a 960 x 540 resolution and 30 frames per second and 8 megapixel still shooting with 10x optical zoom. The cams are the first to offer iFrame compatibility, a 'next gen' format designed for easy importing, editing and sharing of video -- and hey, Apple just released an iMovie update adding iFrame compatibility, so the timing is spot-on for those of us aching to ditch the super-lameness of AVCHD. The VPC-FH1A has a 3-inch LCD and HDMI output, while the VPC-HD2000A has a 2.7-inch LCD. They're both available now, with the FH1A running $499.99 and the HD2000A $599.99. Full press release is after the break.
Sanyo Eneloop batteries good for 1,500 recharges, maintain 70% charge even after 3 years in storage
We've got a thing for Sanyo's Eneloops. Had it ever since Sanyo released us from the clutches of underperforming NiCad and NiMH batteries about five years ago. Its latest AA and AAA batteries can be recharged about 1,500 times, that's about 3 years of continuous service and 500 more cycles than competing rechargeables, according to Sanyo. The batteries also feature a low self-discharge rate so they remain usable even after they've been charged and stored in a drawer. In fact, an Eneloop will maintain about 75% of its charged power even after three years. Impressive, we know, and the reason they come pre-charged from the factory for immediate use of out the box. And compared to disposables, they're as good for the environment as they are for your wallet over the long run.
Sanyo's Gorilla Lite PND packs 4GB in an incredibly thin frame
Sanyo, a company best known among mid-80s McKean Elementary school students for the portable cassette recorder Henry Hutchinson used to incessantly play "Mr. Telephone Man" by New Edition (true story), seems to be going from strength to strength with its Gorilla line of handheld PNDs. The NV-LB50DT Gorilla Lite packs a 5-inch touchscreen, LED backlight, and 4GB SSD in a package a mere 18.8mm thin. The device also features a 1Seg digital TV tuner, an accelerometer for switching between landscape and portrait mode, support for MP4, JPEG, MP3, and WMA playback, and Sanyo ECO mode (which tells you if your driving style is good or bad for the environment). Sure, this isn't the DVD playing, CD-ripping powerhorse that we last saw from the company, but you probably knew that as soon as you saw the word "Lite" in the name. Available soon for a price to be determined. [Via Akihabara News]
Sanyo releases LP-XU106, the brightest projector under 4 kilograms
Sanyo's just announced a new projector, the LP-XU106. The projector weighs in at 3.4 kilograms, making it what the company calls the brightest projector in its weight class. And it is pretty bright -- at 4,500 lumens and a contrast ratio of 1,000:1. It also boasts Sanyo's "Easy Setup Function" to help out the projecting novices. The LP-XU106 will be available on November 20th, but there's no word on pricing as of yet. We'll keep you posted on that one. [Via Akihabara News]
Sanyo Xacti CG11 is the perfect cam for 'beginners and women'
Sanyo's range of Xacti camcorders may be as wide as the Sargasso Sea, but nowadays even its entry-level shooters pimp some pretty advanced features. The CG11 is a case in point, coming with a 10 megapixel CMOS sensor capable of 720p recording, integrated EyeFi and mini-HDMI connectivity options, and the usual gunslinger aesthetic. Storage of the H.264-encoded MPEG-4 output is handled by SDHC media, and there's also 5x optical zoom, anti-shake and a stereo mic for getting things just right. Folks in Japan, whether they be beginners, pros, women or men (no matter what the mangled machine translation tells us), will be able to buy one from September 11 for ¥30,000 ($318). [Via Impress]
Wireless power standard almost here, named Qi (of all things)
We're not sure whether to chalk this up to the fact that every good brand name is already taken, or to some folks' delight in torturing us with obscure pronunciation -- but whatever the case may be, it looks like the Wireless Power Consortium have finally come up with a spec for Wireless Power, and for it they're using a name (and logo) probably dreamt up after repeat viewings of Big Trouble in Little China: Qi. Pronounced Ch'i (you know, as in "prana" or "life force"), the first universal wireless standard has achieved 0.95 for interoperability testing a mere seven months after setting their eyes on the goal, paving the way for an "accelerated" acceptance of 1.0, according to a company spokesperson. The Qi standard applies to devices 5 watts and below, and members of the consortium include Duracell, National Semiconductor, Olympus, Philips, Samsung, Sanyo, ST-Ericsson, and Shenzhen Sangfei Consumer Communications. At any rate, it's nice to hear about something happening ahead of schedule for once. [Via SlashGear]
Sanyo's new eneloop bike gets carbon fiber frame, traction control brain
Carbon fiber, with its light weight and high strength, is the material upon which the modern motorsports world is built. Traction control, which decreases difficulty, threatens to destroy it. However, in the world of the urban commute, traction control is a great thing and carbon is generally unheard of. Not for Sanyo, which will soon introduce the CY-SPK227 eneloop bike with a frame made of the stuff, featuring two wheel drive and traction control. The rear wheel is powered by the chain, the front by an electric motor, and should the rider pedal more enthusiastically than slippery conditions allow the bike will compensate by adding more juice to the front. Total weight is about 43lbs, many times that of the composite wonders Lance straddled in France, but about 7lbs lighter than the company's last entrant. It has regenerative braking, an LED headlight, magnesium suspension, a ¥627,900 price tag (about $6,600), and it releases in Japan in October -- you know, right about when the skies start to threaten snow. A good test for that traction control, then.[Via Fareastgizmos.com]
Sanyo's Eneloop lamp heals your ecological soul
We've been fans of Sanyo's rechargeable Eneloop batteries since they first entered the market in the lazy NiMH and NiCd days of 2005. We remember this because we, like Eneloops, don't suffer from the memory effect of our predecessors. Ok, ok, that date's in the press release but that doesn't change the fact that Eneloops will maintain their charge over time even when stored, ununsed in a drawer now does it? Anywho, Sanyo just announced its rechargeable Eneloop Lamp that serves to light your home when upright or your path when held like a flashlight -- automatically, just as soon as it passes the 90-degree mark. It also features a healing function that waxes a cool blue light into the tragic abyss of your misery and despair. The internal AAs recharge in about 12-hours when set atop the included induction charger. Fully charged, you can expect between 3- and 45-hours of white light, 12- to 16-hours of the blue stuff, and about 6 hours in flashlight mode. No price was given but it'll be on sale in Japan starting September 11th.[Via Akihabara News]
Sanyo intros two new flash-based in-dash navigation systems
Sanyo was among the first to cram solid state storage into navigation systems when it did so back in May of last year. Nearly 12 months to the day after said introduction, the company is delivering its newest duo, which ups the ante by including "SSDs" (which is likely just a fancy title for flash storage) that are four times as capacious. The NVA-GS1409DT and NVA-GS1609FT systems, which are both in the AV Gorilla family, each boast a QVGA (480 x 240) display, 3D maps, an integrated DVD player, CD ripping functionality and even a digital TV tuner for catching OTA shows whilst parked in Tokyo traffic. There's also a 16GB slab of flash memory, half of which is already claimed by maps and POIs; still, that leaves 8GB of super-speedy storage for hosting your favorite playlists. Unfortunately, such a sweet solution demands quite the premium, with prices on the June-bound units starting at ¥135,000 ($1,423).[Via Impress]
Sanyo's 802.11n-enabled PLC-WXU700 gets official for the US
Sanyo already announced its PLC-WXU700 for Japan last week (or LP-WX700, as it's known there) but the company has now finally gotten official about its availability over here, and cleared up a bit of confusion in the process. In case you missed it, this one is apparently the world's first projector to pack built-in 802.11n WiFi, which should come in particularly handy with the projector's video streaming functionality. Otherwise, you can expect to get the standard WGXA resolution, along with a decent 3,800 lumens, a 500:1 contrast ratio, all the basic inputs, a USB port, and a plain old LAN port in case you get stuck in a conference room without WiFi. The key detail that's been up in the air, however, is the price, which it turns out is neither $642 or $6,445 but an expectedly disappointing $2,995. Look for it to be available sometime next month.
Sanyo SCP-2700 now available on Sprint; inspires busy thumbs, not much else
As promised, the SCP-2700 has come to Sprint, bringing that famous Sanyo... ah, "sensibility" to the low-cost QWERTY game. Don't expect EV-DO, but you'll still make off with AGPS, a 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and a dedicated text button (surprisingly important in this market segment) for your hard-earned $29.99 on contract in your choice of Impulsive Pink and Deep Blue. [Via Boy Genius Report]
Sanyo's LP-WXU700 projector is first to stream HD video over 802.11n WiFi
True, Sanyo's LP-WXU700 is limited to a WXGA (1280 x 800) pixel image. But it's still the world's first to transmit that video over 802.11b/g/n (draft 2.0). Grabbing wireless video off your Vista PC is a snap thanks to the projector's Windows Embedded CE 6.0 software with Video Streaming Function that links back to Vista's Network Projector Function. Spec-wise we're looking at a 0.74-inch 3LCD panel capable of projecting a 100-inch image at a distance of 2.5 to 4-meters at 3,800 lumens with a 500:1 contrast ratio. Sanyo even tosses in a single HDMI jack in addition to the usual analog inputs. While, it's targeted at offices and schools, it wouldn't surprise us to see this ¥62,790 (about $642) projector show up in make-shift home theaters and gaming rooms when it launches in June.Update: Oops, dropped a 0 from the price. It's actually ¥627,900 or about $6,445 according to the native English press release -- but even that doesn't sound right. [Via Akihabara News]
Antenna developer sues boatloads of manufacturers
Modern phones deeply rely on the ability to efficiently switch between two, three, or even more bands, a sad reality of the patchwork map of available spectrum the nations of the world have imposed on themselves. That kind of multiband tech requires really awesome miniaturized antenna tech, and a Spanish company, Fractus, says that a whole bunch of the world's top-tier manufacturers are blatantly violating its IP in the field. It's suing Samsung, LG, RIM, Pantech, Kyocera, Palm, HTC, Sharp, UTStarcom, and Sanyo for allegedly infringing on a total of nine patents it holds; the company doesn't specify what kinds of damages it's seeking, but something tells us it's a huge-ish number. Considering that we're pretty big fans of reception, this is a suit we can kinda get behind -- assuming Fractus' claims are legit, of course. [Via Phone Scoop]
Prototype Sanyo projector throws up 1080p at near point-blank range
Sanyo's had a knack for pumping out short-throw projectors, but its latest prototype unquestionably takes the cake. Debuting without so much as a model name, this here DLP beamer -- which, at 93- x 20- x 25-inches, easily doubles as a bench -- throws up a 100-inch 1080p image with just 24-inches of space between it and the wall. Better still, that can scale up to 150-inches by adding just another foot of breathing room -- and just to remind you, we're talking full 1,920 x 1,080 resolution here. Sanyo also tossed in 7,000 lumens of brightness, though mum's the word when it comes to price or nearness to production.[Via AkihabaraNews]
Gorilla: Sanyo's acceleration tracking, camera packing, hominid-themed PND
It's been a while since we heard anything from Sanyo on the Gorilla tip, but according to the company the venerable PND will see three new models hit the scene on April 24. These bad boys will feature two gyro (velocity) sensors and an acceleration sensor, allowing the device to keep an accurate account of your location -- even when GPS reception poor. If that isn't enough for you, the new Gorillas sport an 8GB SSD (twice that of their predecessors) and an optional rear view camera for your vehicle. Prices have yet to be set in stone, but it's believed that the NV-SD730DT, featuring a 7-inch LCD display will fetch ¥90,000 ($899), while the NV-SB540DT (5.2-inch display, plus tuner for real-time traffic updates) and NV-SB530DT (the 5.2-inch model, sans tuner) will run for ¥70,000 ($700) and ¥65,000 ($650) respectively. No word yet on a Stateside release.
Sanyo ships Xacti VPC-FH1, VPC-WH1, VPC-TH1 and VPC-CG10 camcorders
Sanyo's line of Dual Cameras -- which are described as camcorders at heart with formidable still capture capabilities -- is now shipping to select retailers in the United States and Mexico. The crew is comprised of the VPC-FH1, which handles 1080p at 60fps along with 8 megapixel stills, and the VPC-TH1, which shoots at 720p and sports a 30x optical zoom. Also included is the waterproof (up to ten feet, anyway) 720p VPC-WH1 and the otherwise vanilla VPC-CG10. As for pricing? Try $499.99, $299.99, $399.99 and $199.99 in order of mention.
Sanyo SCP-2700 hands-on
With devices like the Samsung Magnet competing directly in this mega-low-cost portrait QWERTY space, expectations for quality and style are pretty frigging high here. Does Sprint's SCP-2700 from Sanyo deliver? Truth be told, we came away with the impression that it didn't feel good enough to cost $29.99 on contract after rebate; free before rebate, perhaps, but that's about it. We found that the 2700's awfully thick and bulky (while still feeling cheaply light) for its lease in life as a fashion-forward texting machine for the kiddies -- odds are that since it's a Sanyo it'll probably be able to take a beating, but what kind of 15 year-old cares about reliability? Are these the people that grow up to be actuaries?
Kyocera intros G2GO M2000 and Laylo M1400 handsets at CTIA
As the handset news begins to flow at CTIA, we've got a new duo from Kyocera splashing down in CDMA land. Up first is the G2GO M2000 (a follow to the Lingo M1000), which sports a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, Bluetooth, 1.3 megapixel camera, 2.4-inch QVGA display, MP3 player, an accelerometer and a microSD expansion slot. Next, we're looking at the Laylo M1400 slider (shown after the break), which features Bluetooth 2.0, a calculator, scheduler, stopwatch, timer, tip calculator and little else. Not a peep on pricing, availability or what carriers will be picking this up, but we'll keep an ear to the ground for more.[Via MobileBurn]
