sharp

No one can deny the popularity of sound bar speakers, but I've always been frustrated by their sound quality. There were exceptions; the $899 Atlantic Technology PB-235 and $699 SpeakerCraft CS3 are quite good, but in the more popular $300-to-$400 range the 'bars weren't all that great. Granted, they were a big step up from TV speakers, but their sound was still a compromise, compared with what's available from the better $300-to-$400 Emotiva and Audioengine self-powered stereo speakers (they get hooked up from your TV's stereo analog jacks).

A few weeks ago I spent … Read more

Electronics firm Sharp will be cutting 5,000 jobs as part of its three-year restructuring plan in efforts to survive.

As reported by The Asahi Shimbun, axed employees will mainly come from China and Malaysia. The number of employees at Sharp's main office in Osaka will be reduced by 50 percent. Sharp's director numbers will also be cut from 12 to six, and the firm will employ "significantly fewer advisers" who were once presidents or vice presidents of the electronics firm.

Sharp currently employs 51,000 people worldwide.

The midterm management plan, obtained by the publication, … Read more

A Japan-based report indicates that production of at least one key component for the next iPhone will begin next month.

Sharp will begin volume production in June of the display "panel" for the "next" iPhone model at its Kameyama plant in Mie prefecture, according to a report in Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, a major Japanese industrial newspaper.

Sharp's Kameyama plant has not been operating at anywhere near full capacity but production of the next iPhone's display is expected to bring the plant to "full production," the report said.

The specifications for next iPhone … Read more

Welcome to the start of a new franchise here at CNET -- the first episode of Hooked Up! It's the only show where the world of celebrity and technology collide.

This week, Kevin Frazier checks out Cee Lo Green's Las Vegas show "Loberace" and the technology that's involved in creating a massive production that only Las Vegas can do. Cee Lo also talks about his personal health goals, Goodie Mob's comeback, and their search for the next big music artist.

I'll also break down some of the best ways to bring the biggest … Read more

Sharp, the struggling electronics manufacturer, is reportedly looking to sell its stake in another consumer electronics company, Pioneer, to raise the funds needed to pay off 200 billion yen ($2.14 billion) in convertible debt.

Citing unnamed sources, the Japan Times reported yesterday that Sharp is looking to dispose of its 9.2 percent stake, or 30 million shares, in the maker of car navigation systems and home electronics to help finance the payment of its debt due this September. Sharp is Pioneer's top shareholder, the Japan Times added.

The idea of selling off its own shares was mooted … Read more

If you're looking for a big-screen TV of 60 inches or above, then Sharp should be one of the first brands you consider. Last year's LC-LE640U was a very good combination of picture quality and value, and its replacement offers more of the same. In fact they're almost identical, and that's not a bad thing.

The 650 incorporates a couple of tweaks to the set's design and picture processing, as well as a few extra features. The highlights are an expanded Smart TV offering with Skype and Hulu Plus now standard, while in picture-quality terms … Read more

A new report from Asia claims that Apple will not have an easy time getting the very-high-resolution display it needs for the iTV.

That would purportedly be a 3,840x2,160 Ultra HD display, according to a report in Digitimes. That resolution is sometimes referred to as 4K Ultra HD.

The report cites two obstacles for Apple. One, Ultra HD TV makers in Taiwan are booked up already for 2013 orders. That supply is going to China-based TV makers. Two, it's not clear if one Apple's favorite display suppliers, LG Display -- which provides displays for the iPad … Read more

The deadline has passed for Sharp and Foxconn to agree on investment terms, but the companies apparently are still trying to resolve their differences.

A one-year deadline was set to give both companies time to reach an agreement on a potential investment that would save Japan-based Sharp, which is in difficult financial straits. The 12-month time period has come and gone. However, Foxconn and Sharp are still trying to set mutually acceptable terms, according to unnamed sources contacted by Bloomberg.

Although no agreement is expected to come any time soon, reports earlier this month suggested that Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou … Read more

Sharp will receive the remainder of a $120 million investment by Qualcomm in June, according to reports.

Sharp said that by June 28, the television set maker will be granted the second half of Qualcomm's investment. The investment pact was in jeopardy after the Japanese firm missed the March 29 deadline set by the U.S. chipmaker to receive the second half of the $120 million investment, as Sharp experienced delays in fabricating power-conserving screens made jointly by the two companies.

Developed in conjunction with Qualcomm subsidiary Pixtronix, Sharp's new screens are means to conserve power through the … Read more