Not out yet, Panasonic rumored to return to smartphone fray
After bowing out of the smartphone game back in September 2013, Panasonic is reportedly set to introduce a new handset in 2014. Details are light at this stage, but the phone is said to feature a 5-inch display and offer some degree of rugged protection. Likely shock resistant, it sounds like the type of device that would best be suited for construction sites and places that literally take users out into the field. According to Asahi Shimbun Digital (Japan), Panasonic has already started working with carriers to bring the device to the United States.
Mobile World Congress gets started at the end of February; Panasonic could introduce this smartphone at the event.
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Panasonic’s first-person 4K camera debuts at CES, set for launch in late 2014
Wearable devices and 4K are two of the biggest trends at CES, and Panasonic has managed to make both collide. The outfit’s revealed a UHD camera that folks can wear on their head with the help of a plastic mount that wraps around their ears and neck. While the prototype is nearly identical to the HX-A100 cam the firm debuted at last year’s show (yes, it’s still waterproof), this Ultra High-Definition model is lined with some more powerful innards. Detailed tech specs are being kept under lock and key, but the unit on display was sending a live feed of the pixel-packed footage to a 4K display through a mini-HDMI port — a feature that will be available in the final version. Despite the hardware’s compact form, it produced sharp video free of stuttering, and caught a fairly wide field of view courtesy of its fisheye lens. While there’s no word on pricing, the first-person camera is slated for a release later this year.
Panasonic’s next GH mirrorless camera will record 4K video, arrive late February for under $2,000
With plenty of 4K displays in Panasonic’s booth, it’s appropriate the firm’s finally shown off a camera in its GH line that records 4K video. The company’s keeping most of the hardware’s specs close to its collective vest, but a representative was able to divulge a few details. UHD content can be recorded at 200 Mbps, and output in a full live feed via a mini-HDMI port (thanks to ALL-I Intra mode) to display on a computer or record to a hard drive. Of course, the Micro-Four Thirds shooter can save footage straight to an SDXC card — a UHS Class 3 prototype variant tuned for such a task was on display — though space will run out fairly quickly.
There’s no word how many megapixels the cam totes, but it will be able to simultaneously snap photos while recording video. More details are set to arrive with the camera’s official release in late February, when it’ll arrive with a price tag of $2,000 or less. In the meantime, look out below for a glimpse of the shooter in the gallery.
Filed under: Cameras
Panasonic introduces Toughpad FZ-M1, a 7-inch rugged tablet (hands-on)
At its CES press conference today, Panasonic unveiled a new addition to its Toughpad line of rugged tablets. According to the company’s North American President, Rance Poehler, the 7-inch FZ-M1 is the thinnest rugged tablet of its kind, and it’s certainly a more portable solution than the 20-inch, 4K Toughpad launched last year. (It’s unlikely to pack just as many pixels on its smaller display, though.)
The tablet’s edges are rounded, and a rubber lining is on hand to protect ports and connections. Though Panasonic touts this guy as the thinnest rugged device in its size group, that’s not saying much; it’s no Nexus 7 or iPad mini, basically. The M1′s bezel is a glossy white, as is the Toughpad way, but its build is high-quality and it shows. There aren’t many specs to share at this time, but let’s move on to the internals.
Unsurprisingly, the 7-incher is packing some serious specs under the hood; it runs Windows 8.1 Pro (64-bit) on a fanless Intel Core i5 vPro processor, and naturally it meets the requirements for shock-, drop-, and temperature-resistance. Specifically, it boasts a MIL-STD-810G rating for rough and tumble, in addition to an IP65 certification for dust and water resistance. The shell might be impressive, but the screen is no slouch either — the multi-touch display even boasts “glove touch technology,” hopefully letting you keep those mitts (or welding gloves) on. It’s also daylight-readable, and the matte finish does look like it could hold its on against some sun overhead.
When it comes to connectivity, the slate packs a USB 3.0 port and microSDXC slot, with options for barcode, MSR, SmartCard, Serial and LAN features. Panasonic’s hardened tab also sports WiFi, dedicated GPS, NFC, UHF RFID, Bluetooth 4.0 and optional, integrated LTE connectivity. Sure, it’s got an air-tight case, but the hardware still manages to handle hot swaps of its batteries. Unfortunately, that’s about all we have to share at this point — stay tuned for more info.
Alexis Santos and Zach Honig contributed to this report.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Tablets, HD, Mobile
Panasonic ups its smart TV game with the VIERA Life+ Screen, complete with voice and facial recognition
Panasonic’s taken to the stage at CES and has just revealed the VIERA Life+ Screen in an effort to “redefine what a 21st Century TV should be.” Televisions under this banner are kitted out with Xbox One-like facial recognition that will display information relevant to users on an “Info Bar” relegated to the lower part of the screen. Voice recognition has also been baked into the set along with a feature called “myStream” that helps you keep favorite channels organized. And of course, it wouldn’t be 2014 without social integration, particularly content sharing and Facebook notifications. When it comes to picture quality, the line of sets shown off today boasts a 4K LED display (which is said to look just as good as the company’s old plasma tech) and will come in 58 to 65 inches when it arrives this year, with an 85-inch — the firm’s first LED TV of that size — joining it later in 2014. Even if you aren’t in the market for a UHD TV, every one of the outfit’s 4K and 1080p sets fresh out this year will have the VIERA Life+ Screen moniker attached.
Filed under: HD
Qualcomm’s AllPlay wireless streaming adds iHeartRadio, Panasonic and Altec Lansing to its list of partners
Though Qualcomm introduced the AllPlay wireless streaming technology at its Uplinq conference in San Diego four months ago, it wasn’t ready for OEMs and app developers to start incorporating into their products. That ends today, however, with the official commercial availability of the AllPlay smart media platform. Several companies have already committed themselves to the standard, like Grooveshark, Tune-In, Rhapsody, iHeartRadio, Panasonic and Altec Lansing, with more on the way. A key factor in AllPlay’s platform is Qualcomm’s new smart audio module — which has an Atheros 2×2 dual-band WiFi SoC — that manufacturers can simply pop in their existing offerings and have it instantly be AllPlay-friendly. Today’s announcement also includes the release of AllPlay’s Click SDK so that developers can start integrating AllPlay functionality into their Android and iOS apps.
As a brief reminder, AllPlay is an audio-streaming solution based on Qualcomm’s AllJoyn connectivity framework. It’s thus designed to be open source, promising universal interoperability among software and hardware that adhere to the AllPlay protocol. That means AllPlay devices should play well with compatible apps and vice versa. Thanks to a Party mode feature, you can play different songs on different speakers throughout the house and have separate volume controls for each. Other goodies include support for a variety of different audio codecs (MP3, AAC, AAC+, FLAC and WAV just to name a few) and DLNA support.
“We prefer the analog approach of interoperability,” says Sy Choudhury, senior director of product management for Qualcomm. Either consumers have to buy into a single company, or they have to settle for something like stereo Bluetooth, which Choudhury says doesn’t offer high enough audio quality. “Snapdragon allowed a lot more interoperability and smaller OEMs to join the mobile market … we’re trying to do the same with the home audio industry.” As for just when we’ll see the first consumer device with AllPlay, that remains to be seen, but it seems like we should expect a few by the end of 2014.
Filed under: Wireless
Source: Qualcomm
Panasonic will bring Firefox OS to your smart TV this year
Firefox OS won’t be confined to small devices for much longer. Panasonic has announced a partnership with Mozilla that will see it launch Firefox OS-powered smart TVs and other “smart screens.” The deal potentially opens up the frequently proprietary world of TV software — since the program guide and other interface elements will be web pages, they won’t be limited to any one company’s hardware. It should also be easier to write remote control apps, personalize the interface and integrate TVs with home automation systems. Panasonic isn’t going into more detail about the hardware at this stage, but it tells us that the first Firefox OS TVs should arrive in the “latter part” of this year.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Household, Software, HD
Source: Mozilla Blog
Nikkei: Sony and Panasonic will end OLED TV partnership to focus on 4K
A partnership formed last year that was supposed to take advantage of Panasonic’s printing tech production capabilities and Sony’s OLED tech smarts has ended, according to a report from the Nikkei. The pair were reportedly unable to create panels that were durable or cost effective enough, and have decided to part ways when their contract ends this year. Instead, each will focus on 4K TV sales, which have only recently started in earnest but have already climbed to 1.95 million units this year, according to DisplaySearch. Of course, CES 2014 is rolling around in less than two weeks, and if last year was any indication, expect even more models — hopefully at prices that won’t make your knees weak.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Sony
Via: OLED-Display.Net
Source: Nikkei
Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Home Theater
Welcome to Engadget’s holiday gift guide! Head back to our hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the month.
For many of us, “home entertainment” systems can be tucked in backpacks or propped up on an airline tray t…
Panasonic adding Haswell and LTE to its Toughbook CF-C2 convertible
It may look hard, but Panasonic’s Toughbook didn’t really have the weight to throw behind those punches. That’s why the company is upgrading the CF-C2 with a multi-carrier LTE modem, Windows 8.1 support and a Haswell Core i5. The wireless gear wil…
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