Crave

(Credit: Sanyo)

Sanyo is introducing a portable USB recharger that can power mobile devices, such as the iPhone, that require a higher current for charging.

The Eneloop Stick Booster, part of the same family of power products as the USB Solar Panels, comes with two rechargeable eneloop AA NiMH batteries.

The company says the batteries can be recharged some 1,500 times, and eneloops are more effective than dry cells because they don't meet the current requirement of some devices.

The aluminum-construction Stick Booster weighs 2.6 ounces and is 5.8 inches long. When switched on, it can provide power for about 90 minutes on two fully charged eneloop AA batteries.

The device goes on sale December 1 in Japan for what appears to be about $35.

(Via Akihabara News)

Sanyo SCP-3810

(Credit: Sanyo)

In case you're tired of all the smartphone news lately, here's an entry-level phone from Sprint that won't cost you anything at all. The Sanyo SCP-3810 is a basic camera phone with a 1.3-megapixel camera, a "hidden" external LCD, GPS, Bluetooth 2.0, mobile e-mail, and threaded text messaging. And yes, the SCP-3810 is free after rebates and a new two-year service agreement. The SCP-3810 is available now in both Black Onyx and Regal Red.

(Via PhoneScoop)

(Credit: Sanyo)

The latest Sanyo LP-XF1000 is hailed as the world's brightest projector, with a staggering 12,000 lumens output. This is easily four times the performance of an average multimedia model in the market. To achieve this ultra-high luminance for large-venue installations, the LP-XF1000 features an integrated dual-lamp system enhanced by its proprietary QuaDrive Engine technology.

With such an impressive projection credential, this 3LCD-based Sanyo is capable of rendering up to a whopping 600-inch image at a full 1.07 billion colors. Its modular design also enables optimum setup flexibility through a selection of 10 optional lenses of various throw distances and built-in expansion slots for adding networking and HD video wireless transmission capabilities.

Sanyo is displaying the LP-XF1000 at Gitex Technology Week 2009 in Dubai, which runs through Thursday. The Sanyo LP-XF1000 will cost 4,200,000 yen ($46,400) when it rolls out in Japan on December 18. The company's press release did not specify availability and pricing for other countries and regions.

(Source: Crave Asia)

Sanyo's Eneloop Portable Solar panel can charge mobile devices on the go.

(Credit: Sanyo)

If you plan on walking through the desert with a cell phone anytime soon, you might want to check in with Sanyo before you leave.

Its new Eneloop Portable Solar panels can charge portable devices through a USB connection. They're also relatively compact and a cinch to tote.

Sanyo's stylish Eneloop line of energy products includes a popular brand of rechargeable batteries and a lamp that doubles as a flashlight. Last time we posted about Sanyo's solar panels, they were chic but clunky. The new book-size, business-slick Portable Solar comes in sets of one or two panels (weighing about 8 or 15 ounces), with a handy hook to hang in a window.

(Credit: Sanyo)

Sounds great, especially if you're keen on saving energy and the environment.

But you'll also have to carry the Eneloop Mobile Booster (2.5 ounces) because it contains the lithium ion battery that stores the solar energy. You then connect your cell phone, gaming device, or whatever to the Booster.

You might also have to lug your laptop to charge the Booster if the weather doesn't cooperate. Though it takes 1.5 days to 3 days to fully charge the Booster, an hour's worth of sunshine is enough to power 20 or 40 minutes of talk time on a cell phone, which is fine for an emergency according to Sanyo. It depends on the number of panels you have and, of course, sunshine.

The included mesh bag at the back of the panel can hold the Booster, as well as a cell phone or other device.

The Portable Solar panels go on sale August 10 in Japan with no specified price from Sanyo, though Crunchgear says it will cost $90 for the single-panel unit and $150 for the double-panel one.

(Credit: Sanyo)

Sanyo is turning to LED light technology, a hot new area for experimentation, to squeeze three uses out of a single lamp. The company's new Eneloop Lamp is a desk light that can also work as an emergency flashlight and even send some healing energy your way--or so the company says.

Operating on rechargable AA "eneloop" batteries, Sanyo's new Eneloop Lamp based on high-luminance LED technology can be situated anywhere in the room since no cords constrain the placement.

It also uses a contactless charging system and has no metallic contact on the product body interrupting the design. The batteries are recharged by putting the lamp unit on the charging stand.

In low-white-light mode, one 12-hour charge lasts an impressive 45 hours, but on high output it only lasts 3 hours.

The Eneloop Lamp also features a blue lamp "Healing Light" mode that according to Sanyo "creates a healing ambience." We don't know exactly what the lamp will heal, nor have we seen any scientific data confirming this claim.

Tilt the body and you have a flashlight.

(Credit: Sanyo)

Finally, when the body is tilted 90 degrees or more, "a built-in acceleration sensor" turns the lamp into a flashlight that lasts up to six hours on one full charge. Sanyo suggests the flashlight be used in an emergency situations like a midnight earthquake or for more frequent day-to-say use as a handy portable light.

The Eneloop Lamp goes on sale September 11, but no official price has been announced yet.

Wal-Mart is already selling Vizio's 1080p VO420M for $697 online.

(Credit: Walmart)

Following the demise of Circuit City, Wal-Mart's been making a big push into the electronics market, and one of its PR folks let us in on a couple of upcoming "deals" on certain LCD TVs. The sale runs from June 14-20, or while supplies last.

• Vizio VO420E 1080p 42-inch LCD ($697)
• Sony Bravia KDL-52S5100 1080p 52-inch LCD ($1,788)
• Sanyo DP37649 720p 37-inch LCD ($398)

We've seen lower prices on the Sony, but the Vizio and Sanyo look pretty close to rock-bottom. (Note: Just checked and Walmart is selling the Vizio VO420M) online for $697. The "M" and "E" series appear to be the same model--or at least very similar).

Update--Here are a few more electronics deals Walmart will be throwing out there for Father's Day:

• Magnavox NB500MGX Blu-ray Disc player ($128 )
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 All-Play Wii bundle with Wii Motion Plus Accessory and protective sleeve ($59.96)
• PS3 (80GB) Bundle including Quantum of Solace on Blu-ray Disc and the MLB '09: The Show ($399 )
• Dell Inspiron Black Notebook Computer ($398--not sure which model) or Dell Studio One 19 All-in-one Touch Desktop Computer ($848)
• Canon Pixma Ink Jet Photo Printer with Fax($69)
• Seagate Free Agent Go 250GB Portable Hard Drive($69)

If there is a theme at CTIA 2009, it is the messaging phones. Samsung and LG have released handsets with full alphabetic keyboards for faster texting, and now Sanyo is getting in on the thumb wars as well.

On Tuesday, Sanyo and Sprint unveiled the new SCP-2700. The rectangular candy bar design reminds us of a gallery of phones before it, but Sanyo puts its own stamp on the design by offering two unique colors: deep blue and impulsive pink. The 2.2-inch display supports 65,000 colors and the keyboard offers a fair number of shortcut keys.

Features include messaging and e-mail capabilities, a GPS, support for Sprint Navigation, voice dialing, a speakerphone, a 1.3-megapixel camera, a 600-contact phone book with wireless backup, a personal organizer, and Bluetooth. Check our Kyocera/Sanyo CTIA photo gallery for some beauty shots.

The PLV-Z3000 1080p projector costs just $2,500.

(Credit: Sanyo)

When most people think of a big screen HDTV, they think of something like a 50-inch plasma set, but real home theater enthusiasts know front projectors are the real way to go big. Sanyo's PLV-Z3000 is a 1080p projector, and it has a nice feature package for fine tuning picture quality, good connectivity options, and is quite inexpensive. While it's performance didn't quite match up to the Sony VPL-HW10 we reviewed last November (mostly because of inaccurate primary colors), it does cost about $600 less. Overall, Sanyo's affordable 1080p front projector has its share of flaws, but still represents a good value in its category.

Read the full review of the Sanyo PLV-Z3000.

Sanyo steered clear of the madness that was CES 2009, and instead opted to announce its spring 2009 lineup of Xacti camcorders on Wednesday. Headed to stores in March are six new models (three horizontal and three vertical, pistol-grip siblings), all of them capable of shooting in HD--two of them in full 1080p.

Oh, and Sanyo's decided it's time to create a new category name by calling these "dual cameras" since they can take still photos at point-and-shoot camera resolutions.

Check out the slide show below to see up-close-and-personal shots from the press conference.

Sanyo's spring 2009 Xacti lineup