matsushita

Panasonic has been tapped to pinch-hit for Pioneer.

The two television makers said Wednesday they had come to an agreement in which Panasonic will produce the panels for Pioneer's plasma televisions.

The news comes a month after reports surfaced that Pioneer was pulling out of the plasma business. When Pioneer confirmed it would be finding someone who could make the panels more inexpensively than it could, there was a sense of dismay and disappointment among fans of its Kuro technology. Pioneer plasma TVs are generally regarded by experts--including CNET Reviews' David Katzmaier--as having the blackest black levels … Read more

Panasonic, which is really called Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., will officially change its name to Panasonic starting October 1.

The name change, which may prompt calls for a holiday from copy editors, will help the company simplify its branding and messaging. The company already shifted over to the Panasonic name in the states. In Japan, it has continued to go by Matsushita, but the products are sold under the Panasonic brand. (The company's design showcase in Tokyo is also called the Panasonic Center.)

The company will also change the name of its National subsidiary, which specializes in household appliances, … Read more

Faced with endless competition, massage chairs have bloated to egregious sizes in an effort to cram in as many features as possible. They kind of remind us of the Windows operating systems of the mid-'90s.

But what about the petite consumer? A smaller-boned individual might be swallowed whole by one of these undulating monsters. That's why Matsushita has made a chair that it says is sized more appropriately for women, smaller than most in height and width by 10 centimeters (about 4 inches), according to Popgadget.

The chairs, which aren't available yet in the United States, will … Read more

Eastman Kodak will receive royalties from Matsushita Electric Industrial through a settlement of a July patent infringement suit, according to a regulatory filing Thursday.

On December 21, Kodak settled suits with Matsushita, better known in the United States by its Panasonic brand, and with a Matsushita subsidiary, Victor Company of Japan (JVC).

Under terms of the settlements, the companies signed cross-licensing agreements granting each company access to the others' patents, Kodak said in the filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Both settlements are "royalty-bearing to Kodak," the company said.

If razor-thin OLED screens do eventually supplant LCDs as some predict, there may still be hope for liquid-crystal display technology--in a new shape.

Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology has created a circle-shaped LCD that could be used for digital instruments in cars, according to Fareastgizmos. Why a circle? Because it can fit in certain parts of the dashboard better than cornered shapes, as well as particular design styles. (Think speedometers, tachometers and such.)

Besides, it's a much more dignified fate than resorting to a gimmicky engagement ring box.

CHIBA, Japan--The decisive battle between Blu-ray and HD DVD is at hand, says a prominent Panasonic exec.

Blu-ray manufacturers are going to start cutting prices and go out on a promotional binge this holiday season, Matsushita Electric Industrial's Kazuhiro Tsuga said during a briefing with reporters at Ceatec, a large tech trade show that started here Tuesday. At Matsushita, which is best known for its Panasonic brand name, Tsuga is an executive officer who oversees networking efforts, some home electronics technologies and overseas labs, and other areas.

By the end of the Christmas season or the end of the … Read more

For today's lesson, boys and girls, we'll learn how to make energy consumption fun! Unlike boring grown-up devices like the "Intelliworks," which are about as interesting as a thermostat, Matsushita Electric's National brand has created an anime-driven home regulator that the whole family can enjoy, according to Akihabara News, at least in Japan.

And how can anyone resist a system that uses penguins to help improve household efficiency? (Certainly fellow Craver Caroline McCarthy couldn't.) Let the little guys loose on this animated interface and let the savings begin.

If you're embroiled in one of those battles in which you feel a constant need to one-up your neighbor (brother-in-law, co-worker, whatever) with your consumer electronics, getting your hands on this will put you ahead in a big way.

The world's biggest producer of plasma TVs is planning to sell the world's largest plasma TV by early 2007, reports Reuters and other sources.

Matsushita Electric Industrial announced Monday that it hopes to sell a 103-inch plasma TV, beating out Samsung's announced 102-inch plasma screen by exactly an inch. Described as "bigger than a double-sized mattress … Read more