Hasta La Gadget!

With VIZIO and Pioneer jumping out of the plasma game, we can totally foresee sales of Panasonic’s 103-inch PDP skyrocketing. All kidding aside, a startup arcade would be ludicrous to not shove one of these into the center of the action. What you’re looking at above is a mutltitouch air hockey table, made possible by Panny’s ginormous plasma and a U-Touch overlay from uicentric. The table was on display over in Amsterdam at ISE 2009, and quite frankly, we’re intensely envious of the attendees who were able to blow off some steam by grabbing a game on this. Obligatory video is just past the break.

Continue reading Panasonic’s 103-inch plasma repurposed as multitouch air hockey table

Filed under: Displays, Misc. Gadgets

Panasonic’s 103-inch plasma repurposed as multitouch air hockey table originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic’s HDC-HS300 was unleashed amidst a flurry of other camcorders at CES this year, but according to Trusted Reviews, it won’t be hiding under the shadows of everyone else for long. Rather than bogging you down with details, we’ll just get right to the punch — critics didn’t hesitate to suggest that this “could well be the best [consumer] camcorder released all year.” The most important aspect (yes, we’re talking about image quality) was said to be “nothing short of stunning in virtually all conditions,” and low light performance was deemed “particularly amazing.” There were plenty of outputs, a swank touchscreen LCD and a very impressive cross-shaped array of microphones that could record 5.1 audio. Add all that up, and you’ve got a real winner; in fact, these guys suggested that even Canon’s stellar line of VIXIA camcorders should watch closely, ’cause the HS300 is stepping all up in that rarefied air.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Panasonic’s HDC-HS300 HD camcorder reviewed, thoroughly enjoyed originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Feb 2009 05:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After watching its Toughbook 19 and 30 siblings get a makeover, Panasonic’s CF-52 wasn’t about to miss out on all the fun. The semi-rugged laptop has a few new tricks up its armored sleeve, chief among them an optional 13.3-inch XGA touchscreen with integrated stylus holder, dual overhead keyboard light, and Intel GM45 video controller. If you’re not the touchy-feely type, the 15.4-incher is still around, swapping tactile interface for WUXGA resolution and an ATI Radeon HD 3650. Both models sport Intel Core 2 Duos with vPro technology, 2-4 GB DDR2 RAM, Bluetooth and 160GB HDD. Look for these babies to hit retail shelves — and still work — later this month for an estimated starting price of £1851 ($2677).

Filed under: Laptops

Panasonic’s Toughbook 52 upgraded, shows its touchier side originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 05:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So KDDI’s latest lineup of new phones features the usual array of 8.1 megapixel cameras, wide VGA displays, one-seg TV tuners, and teleporters, but one particular handset stood out: Hitachi’s Wooo H001. The dual-hinge flip’s claim to fame — well, besides the bizarre color scheme — has to be the stereoscopic IPS display that presumably uses the same parallax barrier method shown off by the carrier late last year. The phone will happily serve up 3D-ified versions of various UI elements and mobile TV content, and when you start to get woozy (or Wooozy, as it were), just flip a switch and you’re back to the reassuring flatness you’re used to. It’ll launch in three colors in April, and naturally, you’ll have to be in Japan to get it.

[Via Akihabara News]

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Video

Hitachi H001 with 3D display leads up KDDI au’s Spring 2009 lineup originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 01:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ah, the sweet smell of PMA. While the camera-filled trade show is still over a month away, Panasonic‘s not wasting any time in outing its new LUMIX lineup — which we already saw with Euro model names earlier today. Up first is the ZS-series, which contains the 10.1 megapixel DMC-ZS3 ($399.95) and DMC-ZS1 ($299.95), both of which boast a 25mm ultra-wide angle lens and a 12x optical zoom. The ZS3 is marked as the planet’s first digicam to feature HD video recording in AVCHD Lite (a subset of AVCHD restricted to 720p, yuck), and the twin CPU Venus Engine HD provides the power to handle it. Next is the DMC-FX580 ($399.95), a compact 12.1 megapixel shooter with a 5x optical zoom and a swank touchscreen on the rear. For the argonauts in attendance, there’s the DMC-TS1 ($399.95), a rough and rugged 12.1 megapixeler with AVCHD Lite capturing abilities (guess it’s numero dos?), a 4.6x optical zoom and a waterproof / shockproof chassis. Every last one will be available in April, and you can fill your mind with more knowledge on each in the read links below.

Read – ZS-Series (DMC-ZS3 and DMC-ZS1)
Read – DMC-FX580
Read – DMC-TS1

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Panasonic reveals new LUMIX bounty prior to PMA originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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