LiMo Foundation announced today that the upcoming Panasonic FOMA P706ie handset will be the 23rd LiMo-compliant handset. The P706ie will be coming out in Japan and will feature mobile TV support, HSDPA high speed networking support, 3G international roaming, and a 2 megapixel camera. In case you’re not familiar with LiMo, it’s a collaboratively developed Linux-based OS for mobile devices. You can read more about it at limofoundation.org.

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Panasonic announced on Friday the world’s first Micro Four Thirds system camera - the new LUMIX DMC-G1. This camera also happens to be the world’s smallest and lightest digital interchangeable lens camera with a weight of 0.85 lbs or 385 grams. Unlike other digital SLRs, the DMC-G1 eliminates the internal mirror structure which means the camera is smaller and lighter than other cameras. Without the mirror system, the DMC-G1’s flange back is reduced from 40mm to around 20mm. Other features of the LUMIX DMC-G1 include:

• Quick auto focus
• Available in black, blue, and red models
• Optional mount adapter for users with current Four Thirds users
• Electronic full-time Live View Finder
• Built-in eye sensor which turns off the LCD display when the eye is near the view finder
• 3.0 inch LCD with 460 dot resolution
• LCD swivels 180 degrees horizontally and 270 degrees vertically
• New Contrast AF function
• Intelligent Auto (iA) mode which will detect shooting condition and automatically adjust for best shooting results
• AF tracking - tracks subject as it moves
• Intelligent Exposure - prevents photos from being under or over-exposed
• MEGA O.I.S. via built-in gyrosensors
• Intelligent ISO - changes ISO setting and shutter speed accordingly
• Intelligent Scene Selector
• Face Detection Technology
• Live MOS Sensor - reads four channels of data simultaneously and delivers 60 frames per second full time Live View images
• Venus Engine HD
• Supersonic Wave Filter Dust Reduction System prevents dust from settling on image sensor by vibrating 50,000 times per second
• My Color Mode where users can freely adjust color, brightness and saturation of composing shots
• HDMI output
• My Menu which automatically stores the five most recently used menu selections

The DMC-G1 won’t be priced till October and is due in November of this year.

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Technorati Tags: Panasonic, LUMIX DMC-G1, Micro Four Thirds System Camera

Let’s face it - HDMI connections are a thing of joy. A single cable for both audio and video - what better way to connect different home theater components right? The only problem with the modern day HDMI cable is the amount of clearance you’ll need behind your component to fit the cable in. Panasonic has a solution for this problem with the introduction of the world’s first free-angle HDMI cable. The new cable is version1.3a compliant and comes in two lengths - a 1.5 meter one and a 3 foot one. The Free Angle HDMI cable has a flexibility of 180 degrees and Panasonic reduced the amount of space needed for the HDMI cable to a mere 1.2 inches. These new cables will be available in October with the 1.5 meter going for $59.99 and the 3 meter going for $79.99.

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It’s nice to see companies placing an emphasis on going green with their products. Case in point - Panasonic announced today that their new lineup of DEC cordless telephones are 100 % Energy Star Qualified. In addition, the company took several initiatives to make their products more environmentally friendly including:

• Use rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries which are accepted in a free rechargeable battery recycling program
• Packaging has been reduced by 30 percent in volume
• No more styrofoam in the packaging

Some examples of the new DECT 6.0 phones include:

Panasonic KX-TG9372B Drop and Splash Resistant Expandable Digital Cordless Phone with All-Digital Answering System featuring:

• Passed the U.S. Army’s Mechanical/Transit Drop Test
• Operates in the 1.9 GHz frequency range
• Night mode so it won’t ring in the bedroom
• Includes text-to-speech technology for Caller ID, talking alarm clock, and talking battery alart
• Block unwanted calls
• Comes with two handsets and supports up to four additional handsets

Then there’s the new Panasonic KX-TG9348T DECT 6.0 system which features:

• Drop and Splash resistance - passes the U.S. Army’s Mechanical/Transit Drop Test
• 1.9GHz frequency
• Text-to-speech tech
• Block unwanted calls

Technorati Tags: Panasonic, DECT, KX-TG9348T, KX-TG9372B

Panasonic will be releasing a new internal Blu-ray burner in Japan on Sept. 13th called the LF-PB371JD. The drive supports a multitude of formats including BD-RE, BD-R, BD-ROM, DVD-RAM, DVD+-R, DVD+-R DL, DVD+-RW, DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, and CD-ROM. Other specs include Serial ATA support, 8MB cache, and support for Windows Vista, and Windows XP.

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Technorati Tags: Panasonic LF-PB371JD, Blu-ray Burner

DivX announced that Panasonic’s latest standalone Blu-ray player, the DMP-BD50, is the first Blu-ray player to receive DivX certification. the DMP-BD50 is Panasonic’s third generation player featuring 1080p output, support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, support for BD-Live, a PHL Reference Chroma processor and a P conversion processor, as well as SD card support.

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Panasonic announced a new addition to their FX Series of LUMIX cameras called the LUMIX DMC-FX150. The digicam comes with a 14.7 megapixel sensor, a 28 mm wide angle LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens and a 3.6x optical zoom. Here’s what you basically need to know about the DMC-FX150.

• 1/1.72 CCD with 14.7 megapixel resolution
• F2.8 DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens
• Manual Exposure mode
• Multi-Exposure function allows you to superimpose three consecutively shot images into one
• Intelligent Auto (iA) mode
• AF Tracking
• Face Detection technology
• MEGA O.I.S.
• Intelligent Scene Selector
• 24 different scene modes
• 3.6x optical zoom lens
• 4x digital zoom
• ISO sensitivity up to 1600 (6400 for high sensitivity mode)
• Record in 4:3, 3:2, or 16:9
• 2.5 frame/sec burst shooting mode in full resolution
• Digital red eye correction
• Intelligent Exposure
• 50MB built-in memory
• 2.7 inch TFT LCD monitor
• SD memory card
• Li-Ion battery pack
• Measures 2.12 x 3.8 x 0.98 inches and weighs 0.33 lbs

The LUMIX DMC-FX150 will be available in silver and black in August of this year for a suggested price of $399.95.

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Need a digital camera with a wide-angle lens and the ability to capture long distance shots? You might want to check out the newly announced Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ28 digital camera. The unit comes with a premium 27mm wide-angle LEICA lens with a whopping 18x optical zoom.

Features of the DMC-FZ28 include:

• 27 mm wide angle LEICA lens
• 18x optical zoom
• 10.1 megapixel
• Enhanced Intelligent Auto Mode
• New Auto Focus Tracking Function allows user to lock focus on moving subject
• Face Detection for up to 15 faces
• Intelligent Exposure
• Digital Red Eye Correction
• MEGA O.I.S. includes gyrosensors to detect hand-shakes
• Intelligent ISO
• Intelligent Scene Selector
• 2.7 inch LCD
• Records HD video at 1280 x 820 at 30 fps
• SD memory card slot
• Image Leveling rotates image to straighten image and crops unnecessary edges
• 37 scene modes
• flash reached distance of 8.4 meters at wide setting and 5.4 meters at telephoto setting

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ28 will be available in silver or black starting in August for a suggested retail price of $399.95.

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Panasonic announced a number of new LUMIX digital cameras on Sunday - we’ll start first with the LUMIX DMC-LX3 which is the successor to the DMC-LX2. According to Panasonic, the DMC-LX3 is “designed for easy creative shooting and high-performance in low-light conditions.” Features include the following:

• F2.0 24mm LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens
• 10.1 megapixel sensor
• 1/1.63 inch CCD
• 40 percent higher sensitivity and 35 percent higher saturation when compared to previous Panasonic 10MP cameras
• Supports three aspect ratios - 4:3, 3:2, and 16:9
• Multi-Aspect mode allows the camera to take an image in all three aspect ratios simultaneously
• 24 mm lens captures 213 % larger viewing angle than a normal 35 mm camera and 136 % larger compared to 28 mm wide angle lens
• Venus Engine IV
• Supports up to ISO 3200 at full resolution and up to ISO 6400 in high sensitivity mode
• 2.5 shots per second at full resolution and six shots per second in high speed burst mode
• Joystick operation
• Film mode with six color types and three types of monochrome selections
• Multiple exposure feature allows users to create photos by overlaying up to three consecutive images
• 3.0 inch LCD screen
• Intelligent Auto Mode
• AF tracking
• Intelligent Exposure
• Digital Red Eye Correction
• MEGA O.I.S.
• Intelligent ISO
• Intelligent Scene Selector
• Face Detection (up to 15 faces)
• Records HD video at 1280 x 720 at 24 fps

The new Panasonic DMC-LX3 will be available in silver and black starting in August for a price of $499.95.

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The Panasonic Toughbook CF-52 and Toughbook CF-74 both received upgrades today in the form of the new Intel Centrino 2 processor technology. These systems receive the latest Intel Core 2 Duo mobile processors as well as upgraded video and graphics capabilities, larger hard drives (up to 160GB) and support for Draft-N Wi-Fi. The CF-52 has a 15 inch screen while the CF-74 has a 13.3 inch display. These Toughbooks feature a magnesium allow case, flexible internal connectors, a handy carrying handle, shock mounted hard drives and LCDs, and spill-resistant keyboards. The Toughbook CF-52 will be available in August in two configurations - a value config for $1949 or a premium config with improved video and graphics at $2849. The Toughbook CF-74 will also be available in August with a starting price of $3199.

Here’s a shot of the CF-52:

Here’s a shot of the CF-74:

Technorati Tags: Panasonic, Toughbook CF-52 CF-74, Intel Centrino 2