panasonic
Candy-colored copiers
Panasonic apparently has an equal-opportunity paintbrush when it comes to equipment. Following the trend of neon appliances in the home, from refrigerators to washing machines, the company is applying its pallette to the color-barren workplace.
Its new line of C3 multi-functional copy machines come in such non-traditional office hues bright red, yellow and blue. We applaud the effort because, as I4U News notes, research shows that colors are generally good for productivity and morale at work.
However, we must say that doesn't hold a candle to Konica Minolta's psychedelic copier-DVD-latte machine--either in function or in hallucinogenic design.… Read more
Panasonic's rugged SD card camcorder
Earlier, we reported on the Panasonic SDR-S10, an SD card camcorder the company claimed was the smallest on the market. Unfortunately, details were sparse. Fortunately, we finally got the full scoop on the little camcorder.
Panasonic officially announced the SDR-S10 at PMA 2007. The SDR-S10 is a compact, rugged, affordable SD card camcorder that can handle both drops and splashes. The S10 measures just 1.5 inches thick and weighs just 6.4 ounces, making it at least one of the smallest and lightest camcorders we've seen so far. It's shockproof for drops up to four feet, and … Read more
Newegg.com has the Panasonic DMR-ES255S Progressive Scan DVD Recorder w/SD Card Slot for $139.99, after a $10 savings.
'World's smallest' SD camcorder? Your guess is as good as ours
Panasonic is releasing what it calls the "world's smallest SD camcorder," but there's just one problem: We have no idea how big it is. Pocket-lint broke the news of the SDR-10, which has a 2.7-inch widescreen LCD and a 10x zoom. It also has features that could be useful when dealing with any small piece of equipment that could easily slip from one's hand: water-resistance and shock absorption up to 1.2 meters, or nearly 4 feet. But no actual dimensions of the camera were provided, so Panasonic's size claims remain something of … Read more
Panasonic AG-HSC1U: A pro's by any other name
A show of hands, please: When Panasonic's consumer division announced its $1,500 HDC-SD1 SD-based HD camcorder at CES, how many of you thought "That's too cheap--I want to pay more!" Well, here's your chance. Panasonic's Broadcast division has just announced the nearly identical 3CCD camcorder for the bargain price of $2,099.
There are some differences, of course. The pro model is a nonreflective gray with an anodized filter ring. The pro model carries a one-year parts-and-labor warranty, while the consumer model has a mere three months on labor. They have different default … Read more
A plethora of Panasonic photo-makers
Panasonic has a handful of new Lumix cameras on the way for spring, and they're coming in all shapes and sizes. They all have Leica lenses and Panasonic's Mega Optical Image Stabilization, but beyond those features, they vary wildly, from inexpensive point-and-shoots to hefty, high-zoom cameras.
The company claims that the Lumix DMC-FX30 is the slimmest wide-angle lens camera on the market, and at less than 0.9 inch thick it might be right. The 7-megapixel FX30 has a 28mm-to-100mm-equivalent lens with optical image stabilization, so users can take nice, wide photos. The FX30 ships in February and … Read more
Panasonic jams with Fender
If you like to rock out in your car, but don't want to turn your ride into a mobile guitar amp, then this might be the answer: an in-car audio system jointly designed by Panasonic and Fender. The iconic guitar maker has teamed up with Panasonic to "create customized products for the global automotive industry."
The collaboration is an attempt to cash in on Fender's brand name and expertise in the musical instruments industry, and it's another effort by Panasonic to name-drop its way into the in-car audio market. Panasonic already supplies the likes of … Read more
The gift of LIFI: Panasonic projection TVs don't burn out
Panasonic's new line of LCD projection TVs are featuring a new technology--called LIFI--that Panasonic is claiming will eliminate the need for lamp replacement. Since today's LCD and DLP projection sets often need to have their bulb replaced after 3-5 years--and the bulbs cost several hundred dollars--LIFI technology could get remove one of the major drawbacks to projection TVs. We have seen ultralong bulb-life from projection TVs on Samsung's HL-S5679W, which was the first DLP HDTV to use an LED light source. The HL-S5679W claimed its bulb lasted for 20,000 hours, which means it virtually never needs … Read more
Panasonic's new plasmas: price-less
Panasonic's 2007 press event Sunday at the CES was devoted primarily to extolling the virtues of the company's television cash cow: plasma HDTVs. It featured numerous presentations covering the myths and realities of plasma, plasma picture quality, and the ways plasma TVs can help you "live in high definition." The press event was a snoozer, but just about my favorite thing at CES this year was the amazing display at the Panasonic booth, which consisted of a pair of 103-inch plasmas dancing on articulated mounts that moved up and down and rotated in synch, displaying video … Read more