Sanyo announced two new “dual cameras” (camcorder and digital camera in one) for the Japanese market yesterday, the Xacti DMX-CG100 (that’s the pistol-grip model) and the Xacti DMX-GH1. Both feature an extra-compact body and the ability to record video in full HD and take 14MP pictures. → Read More
We have reported about electric bicycles multiple times in the past, but today Sanyo in Japan announced [press release in English] the “eneloop Hybrid Bicycle” whose battery riders can actively charge while pedaling on flat roads. Previous models, for example this one Sanyo released in 2008, mainly harness energy from braking when the bike goes downhill (“Loop Charge Mode”). → Read More
Sanyo announced a couple of tasty XACTI camcorders a few weeks ago for the Japanese market. We praised the cams for shooting 1080p video and 14.4MP stills, but questioned whether or not they will ever reach the States. Well, good news. They’re on the way and should hit retailers sometime next month. → Read More
Sanyo Japan announced [press release in English] the LP-WL2500 today, an ultra short-focus projector whose newly developed filter and lamp makes it possible to use the device for long periods without maintenance. To be more specific, Sanyo says they boosted lamp life by 30% (when compared to the previous model) to 4,000 hours. The hybrid filter has the main lifespan, which was 20 times lower previously. → Read More
Sanyo just released it’s latest camcorder in the the long-running XACTI line. This model keeps with the familiar design but features 1080p video recording and 14.4MP stills that can both record to a SDHC/SDXC card or the internal 16GB memory. That’s a lot of camera. → Read More
There’s a reason why Panasonic paid $4.4 billion in this economic downturn to acquire former rival Sanyo, and the reason is that Panasonic wants to go as “green” as possible in the future. Sanyo isn’t only the world’s leading maker of lithium ion batteries, but also the (now former) company behind the eneloop brand, which consists of a range of eco-friendly solar products.
But buying Sanyo wasn’t enough for Panasonic’s solar ambitions, as the company says it’s now ready to invest another $1.1 billion by fiscal 2015 in its solar business segment. By that time, Panasonic aims at being among the world’s top three solar cell makers. The company wants to reach the top spot among Japanese makers as early as 2012. → Read More
So if you’re living anywhere outside the US, you’re sitting on an electric bike right now. It seems we’re the only country in which electric-assist bikes like this haven’t caught on. Maybe it’s because of our obsession with gigantic, gas-guzzling SUVs we never use for their intended purpose. But I digress. The fact is that other countries have found electric bikes practical in pretty good volume for some time now, and we’re late to the game. But Sanyo thinks the time has come for us to zoom around in future-bikes. → Read More
One of the few product announcements by a major electronics maker that’s not been made at the CES: Casio has unveiled the XJ-A series, which consists of nine projectors that are not only pretty cool-looking but also eco-friendly. The company says the devices are the first to be completely mercury-free. Casio also claims their so-called GREEN SLIM projectors are the world’s first devices of their kind that are bright enough to be used in a well lit room – without using a mercury lamp. → Read More
Sanyo officially joined the Panasonic group as of December 21st, 2009. This decision was “due to the rapid decline of the global economy,” according to Sanyo North America president Masami Murata. “This alliance will maximize and optimize Sanyo’s corporate value and will open the way for our company to realize further business development.” Sanyo will maintain its listing of common stock, the “SANYO” brand name, and its business identity. Sanyo North America has a consumer solutions division, which develops Eneloop rechargeable batteries, sound recorders, Xacti camcorders, and various other consumer electronics devices. New Xacti “Dual Cameras” Sanyo is targeting a market that sits in between conventional camcorders and pocket camcorders. It’s focusing on flash-based camcorders that shoot high definition video. Sanyo actually produced the first flash memory camcorder in 2003 and the first HD flash memory camcorder in 2006. In 2009 it released the first full HD 1080p camcorder that shoots at 60 frames per second. This year it’s announcing a pair of full HD flash memory camcorders – the VPC-CS1 and the VPC-SH1 (shown below). → Read More
Even though it’s now a Panasonic subsidiary, Sanyo lives on as its own brand. And one of the major reasons Panasonic bought the company is its “green” image, mainly achieved through selling products under the “eneloop” sub-brand. The latest of these products, the so-called eneloop music booster, was announced today. It’s a rechargeable DC 9V battery unit specifically designed for music devices. → Read More
Good news for Panasonic in the last 48 hours. The company announced yesterday that it now officially turned Sanyo into a subsidiary after acquiring a 50.27% stake in its smaller rival. The merger was in the making for several months, and Panasonic paid a whopping $4.4 billion to make it happen. So we now have Japan’s second largest electronics maker in terms of sales (Hitachi is still the biggest).
And one day later, Tuesday morning Japanese time, Panasonic announced another accomplishment: The company has completed the world’s largest plant for plasma panels. It’s located in Amagasaki in Southern Japan and is ready to produce the largest PDPs in the industry (Panasonic says panels sized at 330 centimeters by 190 cm can now be mass-produced). → Read More
Woo! It’s finally over with. Panasonic has completed its acquisition of Sanyo, which has been in the works for some time now. Hopefully it’s a good thing for Sanyo, and I’m sure we’ll see Sanyo branding for a long time to come. Just thought you should know. → Read More
Sanyo is in the news today, and again it’s about the company’s green tech power. The company today announced [JP] it will do everything to become Japan’s top player in the domestic solar industry by 2012 and eventually one of the top three solar companies on a global level. At the same time, the Nikkei reports [registration required, paid subscription] that Sanyo has succeeded in developing a solar cell that’s thinner than a human hair. → Read More
I know this thing looks like a …curling iron, but it’s not. The so-called Stick Booster [press release in English] is Sanyo’s newest addition to it’s ever-growing series of green, “eneloop”-branded products. You can use it to battery-charge your mobile devices. → Read More
The deal has been in the making for months now, but yesterday Panasonic finally announced a tender offer for Sanyo Electric, paving the way to convert Sanyo into a wholly owned subsidiary as early as the middle of next month. → Read More
Short version: An excellent casual HD camcorder with superior image quality to pocket cams and a flexible focus system, making it useful for bloggers like me as well. At under $200 this thing is absolutely a steal. → Read More
Yesterday I lamented Apple’s decision to establish its own video standard, which, while little more than a suggested resolution and bitrate, does not fit will with any devices anywhere. The steady progression of VGA or WVGA, 720p, and 1080p are perfectly fine for the moment. That’s why every camera in the world shoots to one of them. 1080p is too much for most people to work with, but 720p isn’t that bad (though render times can be long), and VGA is really not that bad at all (Doug swears by it). So why the hell put a new one in there between WVGA and 720p? I don’t like the idea of Apple bullying companies like Sanyo, who make perfectly good camcorders already, to add an option which needlessly complicates things.
But let’s just get these camcorders out of the way, because they’re worth taking a look at. → Read More
Good for Sanyo Japan that the word “portable” isn’t really strictly defined in the projector space. Because I have no idea why the company calls its new projector, the LP-XM150 announced today [press release in English], portable: The thing weighs 9.7kg. Last month, Sanyo presented a device that somehow deserved the name, as the LP-XU106 weighs just 4kg. → Read More
Sanyo has today announced a new mobile projector for the Japanese market, the LP-XU106 [press release in English]. The device is the brightest in its weight class (under 4kg), producing a respectable 4,000 lumens. It’s sized at 334.2×257.5×78.4mm and weighs just 3.4kg. → Read More
Sanyo has been offering Xacti camcorders shooting 720p video (1280×720) for quite a while now, and today Sanyo Japan announced the DMX-CG11 [JP], another (enhanced) 720p model. The new device features a mini HDMI interface and Eye-Fi support. → Read More
