Isaiah's Tech

Looks like yet another superphone has been announced by Sharp, dubbed the Aquos Phone 104SH. If what we're hearing is true then it'll be quite the phone when it hits SoftBank in Japan in Spring 2012. It's set to feature a dual-core 1.5GHz TI OMAP4460 CPU, a 4.5-inch touchscreen display with a 1,280 × 720 resolution, a 12.1MP camera with 1080p video recording, 2GB of storage, a microSDHC card slot, WiFi b/g/n / Bluetooth 3.0 support, WCDMA / GSM connectivity, an 8.7mm thin body, rugged capabilities (dust and waterproof), and Android "Ice Cream Sandwich". The specs seem too good to be true, but it looks like that's the way smartphones are headed now.

[Android Authority]

Sharp has just unveiled a bunch of HDTVs that will be a part of their AQUOS DX3 line-up. The smallest 32-inch model (LC-32DX3) sports a 1,366 x 768 resolution, a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio and two HDMI ports. The larger three models, the 40-inch (LC-40DX3), 46-inch (LC-46DX3), and the 52-inch (LC-52DX3) sport a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution along with a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, three HDMI ports, and BD-Live support.

All of them pack Ethernet, VGA, USB, and RGB ports as well. You'll be able to record whatever you want thanks to the integrated Blu-ray burner on the side. The prices weren't mentioned, but the smallest (32-inch) model will be hitting Japan on May 20th. The larger three models will be available starting on June 10th.

[Slash Gear]

Sharp has just announced that their new AQUOS LE820 LCD HDTVs will be sporting 1080p DivX playback. This HDTV sports Quattron quad-pixel technology, which is great news but it likely means that it'll be expensive as well. We don't know when these will hit the market and the price wasn't mentioned, but let's hope that it'll be here by Summertime.

[Engadget]

Here's another Softbank Mobile handset that was revealed earlier this morning. This is the Aquos Shot from Sharp and this time it's a flip phone. This handset packs: a 12MP AF camera (touch AF too), WiFi / GPS / Bluetooth support, a 1Seg TV tuner. The camera has a Burst Mode which will let you shoot around 100 pictures in just a couple of seconds.

[Akihabara News]

What you see above and below is another handset destined for Japan's Softbank Mobile, the Aquos Full Touch. Yes, as you can tell below, it's a slider that packs a numeric keypad which actually surprised me. Other features include: a 4-inch touchscreen HXGA display, an 8MP AF camera, Bluetooth / WiFi / GPS support, a 1Seg TV tuner, and 220MB of internal memory. Launch and pricing details are still unknown, but I believe we'll see them before the end of the year.

[Akihabara News]

Sharp has just released a new 52-inch (LC52LE700UN) LED-equipped HDTV. This HDTV has: a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution, 120Hz technology, a 4ms response time, 450 nits of brightness, a 176-degree viewing angle, USB / VGA / 4 HDMI ports, and 2 component / 2 composite ports. This HDTV comes with AQUOS Net, which will allow you to access the Internet. This new HDTV is available now for just $2,000 USD, which makes the buy definitely worth it.

[Slash Gear]

Following the release of the 20-inch Sharp Aquos DX with an integrated Blu-ray player in June, Sharp has added 5 more sizes to the same series. They range from 26 to 52-inches and they all have an integrated Blu-ray player with BD-Live and IPTV support, thanks to an Ethernet port. The smaller and non-Full HDTVs are the 26-inch LC-26DX2 and the 32-inch LC-32DX2 sets. These TVs have: a 1,366 x 768 resolution, a 7,000:1 contrast ratio, and two HDMI inputs. Let's move onto something actually worth talking about now.

The larger 40-inch LC-40DX2, 46-inch LC-46DX2, and 52-inch LC-52DX2 models actually support Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution, so they'll actually be able to play true Blu-ray resolutions. These HDTVs have a 15,000:1 contrast ratio and three HDMI inputs.

All five different sizes are expected to launch on September 10th in Japan. The price has not been mentioned yet, but they certainly won't be cheap. The 20-inch model back in June sold for ¥150,000 ($1,573 USD) and didn't even have Full HD resolution support, so you better start saving up now. There's been no word if these will hit anywhere outside of Japan.

[Gizmodo, Slash Gear]

Sharp has just unveiled its first LED-backlit HDTVs in London today. They are part of the AQUOS series and consist of the LE600 and LE700. These TVs are all eco-friendly and will be available in 32, 40, and 46-inch sizes, the LE700 throws in an extra 52-incher which would be beautiful for the living room.

These new Sharp HDTVs sport the AQUOS Colour Engine which will deliver Full HD 1080p, thanks to its new X-Gen Panel. All of these models will have: 10W speakers, four HDMI 1.3 ports, and a USB port. Speaking about eco-friendliness, these TVs will use only 0.01W of power in standby mode and will consume 40% less power than traditional LCDs. The LE700 series will have a 100Hz frame rate and a 4ms response time. As you can see, not much is known about these TV sets yet.

The cheapest TV - the 32-inch LE600 - will cost £750 ($1,233 USD), so expect to pay a lot more money, especially for the 52-inch LE700. All of these TVs should be available in a couple of days, but the prices haven't been completely outlined yet.

[Tech Digest]

Sharp just couldn't keep their pants up until CEDIA 2009 - which takes place this September - so they just revealed their latest LED-backlit AQUOS HDTVs. The new AQUOS will come in 32, 40, 46, and 52-inches. Each of the new AQUOS HDTVs have: a 1080p resolution, a new X-Gen Panel, a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and a 176-degree viewing angle. Don't forget that they all surpass the ENERGY STAR requirements. The 32, 40, 46, and 52-inch models are all going to be available this month for $1,099 USD, $1,699 USD, $2,199 USD, and $2,799 USD, respectively.

However, Sharp also introduced two new HDTVs in their E77 series. The new 60 and 65-inchers have: a 1080p resolution, a 4ms response time, 120Hz technology, 4 HDMI inputs, and an RS-232 socket. The 60 and 65-inch models are going to be available this September for $3,499 USD and $4,499 USD, respectively.

Engadget has already got their "eyes-on" the new AQUOS HDTVs, so check it out here.

[Engadget]

This is just about the dumbest thing I've seen in a while that will probably still manage to pull some buyers. Sharp has just released their latest Aquos DX LCD HDTV and it's a 20-inch model with a built-in Blu-ray player. Yes, it is the world's first TV with a built-in Blu-ray player, but this TV is lacking the features for you to see full 1080p HD quality. The resolution of the TV is only 1,366 x 768, so Blu-ray movies won't even be in Full HD quality, which is lame, so that's kind of shocking that they'd do that.

Along with being 1080p-less, this TV also has: a digital TV tuner, DVD support, a 1,500:1 contrast ratio, and 400 nits of brightness. There will be a black and white model to suit your needs. This Aquos DX will hit Japan for ¥150,000 ($1,593 USD) at the end of June. I think it's too overpriced, especially with 1080p being absent.

[Engadget]

The Sharp Aquos D 10 Series is now shipping to Japan, but the price has not been mentioned yet. These LCD HDTVs have: a full HD 1080p resolution, a 15,000:1 contrast ratio, 120Hz technology, and, best of all, has built-it Internet. The Internet access is apparently limited to what Yahoo! Japan restricts you to, so that kind of sucks. These TVs are ranging in sizes from 32 - 52 inches, so look out for them when they hit North America.

[Engadget]

Earlier this year at CES, Samsung unveiled more from their AQUOS line-up. These new, different 3 models: 40-inch (LC-40AE6), 46-inch (LC-46AE6), and 52-inch (LC-52AE6) will be sporting a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. It also has a digital tuner, 120Hz technology, 15,000:1 contrast ratio, 450 nits of brightness, and 176-degree viewing angles. These LCD HDTVs will be available starting next month in Japan. The 40-inch model will be available on April 10 for ¥200,000 ($2,076 USD) and the other 2 larger models will be released on May 15. The 46-inch will be going for ¥260,000 ($2,698 USD) and the 52-inch will be going for ¥390,000 ($4,048 USD). Keep in mind that there is no word on whether it will be released to the US.

[Engadget]

For now, i am skipping the Casio press conference, so let's head over to Sharp.

Daisuke 'Doug' Koshima takes the stage first and mentions that they are confident that they will "weather the storm." He is talking about the economic crisis and Sharp plans to be a strong competitor in 2009. Doug Koshima mentions that their new facility in Sakai City is expected to be done by 2010. He mentions that they feel that LCD will remain dominant in flat-panel technology in the near-future. Their TV's will be in full HD (1080p), thin, use LED backlighting, while still remaining energy efficient. OLED technology is promising but is not completely ready yet. The Limited Edition Sharp Aquos LCD TV has an "unprecedented picture quality" and has a huge screen. It maintains these things, while still being ultra-thin and being 30% more energy efficient than before. He leaves the stage.

In comes, Michael Troetti. He told us that Sharp was one of the top 3 LCD manufacturers throughout December. In 2008, they had a 10% increase in unit growth. Michael mentions that LCD prices drop every year... I didn't know that... The Sharp Aquos LCD TV will have 1080p HD, while using the standard 120hz technology. "Sharp has the unique position of being a leader in both LCD and Blu-ray technology." The Aquos Advantage program was introduced in 2007 and is free for large-screen Aquos owners. So far, there are more than 150,000 members in the Aquos Advantage. He mentions that they are the "official HDTV of Major League Baseball." He ends his speech talking about recycling their products and about the environment. I started to yawn a bit. He leaves.

Bob Scaglione enters. He mentions that their 108 inch LCD TV is still the largest LCD display. Reveals the Sharp Aquos with a built-in Blu-ray player. I talked about that here. Their TV's will be using Superlucent Advanced Superview Panels over the standard Conventional Panels. Their Sharp E77U will have 1080p, use 120Hz and will have 5 HDMI inputs. The E77U will come in 4 different sizes: A 65, 52, 46 and 40 inch model. The Sharp E67U series will also have 1080p and will support 2 sizes of 40 and 32 inches. The 32 inch model will be projected towards video-gamers and it will have a new Vyper Drive technology, whatever that is. The E67U will also have 4 HDMI inputs. The Sharp Aquos Blu-ray players will have: a low power consumption, Aquos Pure mode and 2 models, the BD-HP22U and BD-HP16U. These players will support Bd-rom profile 2.0. The Sharp Aquos home theater system will have a built-in Blu-ray and will project sound using a 5.1 channel audio. He concluded by showing 2 new Sharp iPod docks.

Question time. They clarify that the release date on the Blu-ray players will be in February. Sharp mentioned that 32-inch displays may be benefiting from the economic crisis because it is a decent size for everyday use. I notice that everyone asking questions have weird accents and i understand why the Sharp representatives have a hard time understanding / answering the questions. Someone asks if there are going to be cheaper LED backlighting models. The obvious answer was, of course, yes, in the future. Another question was if Sharp will be releasing Blu-ray recorders in 2009. They answered no and said because of certain copyright protections, so they will be concentrating on Blu-ray players. Sharp predicts that in 2009, people will make the shift from 32 to 42 inch sets. They are, obviously, backing the Sharp Aquos 100%.

Sharp Press Conference: http://www.g4tv.com/ces2009/press_conf_detail.aspx?video_key=35865
Sharp pictures: http://www.gadgetell.com/tech/comment/new-sharp-products-2009-press-conference/

CES 2009 news now.

 Thin is officially in, with pretty much everything at CES 2009. Samsung has just shown off their 2 new Blu-ray decks and they are extremely thin, as you can see in the picture, on the left side. One of them is "a wall-mountable 1.5-inches thin (BD-P4600) and the other is a low-profile, sleek tabletop deck (BD-P3600), and both stream Netflix and Pandora. These both look amazing and will be available in the "first half of 2009."

Asus has shown off, to the world, their new keyboard. A 5 inch touchscreen on the right side of the keyboard, signals to the user that this is not your regular keyboard. "The keyboard is powered by Intel's Atom processor and incorporates a selection of USB and video ports around the back. It has solid state storage and, or course, Wi-Fi connectivity." Did i mention that it also has "an Ultra-Wideband Wireless HDMI port." Wow. Right now, the keyboard is just a prototype and the battery lasts for only around 90 minutes. Asus mentioned that it will increase the battery life for up to 3 hours when it becomes publicly available. Who needs a laptop when you have the Asus Eee keyboard, built-in with everything you need. Although, if you don't use an external display you may look weird, seeing how the 5 inch screen is located in an awkward position. Currently, there is no price for this wonderful keyboard.

TV-time and Samsung is up first. They have shown 3 new LCD's with 240Hz technology, which is 2 times above the current standard. The LNXXB: 8000, 7000 and the 6000 are all extremely thin, measuring in at around an inch. This TV will have a "built-in ethernet for Netflix streaming." There is a small difference in the 3 new LCD's. The 8000 will be the only one that will use 240Hz. The 7000 is the same as the 8000, except for it being 120Hz, which is the standard. The 6000 will consume "40% less power, featuring an optimized energy savings mode and a power indicator menu." Now, if only we can fuse the 6000's energy-saver with the 8000's 240Hz power. Maybe next year. These 3 LCD's will also be available in the first half of this year.

Sharp's new BD series TV's will have a built-in Blu-ray player. There will be 5 different sizes ranging from 32 to 52 inches. They are going to be 1080p compatible and we will actually see the smaller versions (32, 37 and 42 inchers) around this month. Next month, we will see the larger, 46 and 52 inchers. Unlike most gadgets at CES, Sharp was not focusing on thinness when they created these TV's. The prices for the TV's are $1,099, $1,299, $1,899, $2,299 and $2,599 USD. I think you should know what costs what.

To round off the current CES news, LG has announced a dozen of new HDTV's. There are 9 LCD's in between the 19 and 60 inch size range, with LED and TruMotion (240Hz) technology and "the wireless capabilities that are becoming all the rage" says Engadget. The other 3 are the LH50, PS80 and the almighty LHX slim LED-backlit TV. Let's talk about the LG LHX now. So, the LG LHX LED-backlit LCD TV (lots of capitalizing there) is officially the thinnest LED-backlit TV on the market. I won't force you to say the long name again but this TV will be a massive 55 inches. So, this TV will sport the 240Hz techonlogy and will be only 0.97 inches thick. LG is looking to be a strong competitor this year. So far, it seems that they are one-step above everyone else. It'll be nice to see if LG's sales increase again this year, just like they did from 2007 to 2008.

Samsung Blu-ray Decks (and picture): http://i.gizmodo.com/5124091/samsung-bd+p36004600-super+slim-fine+looking-wall+friendly-blu+ray-decks
Asus Eee Keyboard (and picture): http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/01/07/asus_eee_keyboard/
Samsung's 3 LCD's (and picture): http://i.gizmodo.com/5124124/samsung-goes-full-led-backlight-with-series-6000-7000-and-8000-high+end-ultra+thin-lcds
Sharp's New Aquos (and picture): http://i.gizmodo.com/5124135/sharps-aquos-bd-series-hdtvs-include-built+in-blu+ray-players
LG's Dozen HDTV's: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/07/lg-kicks-out-a-dozen-hdtv-product-lines-at-ces-2009/
LG' LHX LCD TV's (and picture): http://i.gizmodo.com/5125345/lg-led-lcds-are-official-lhx-is-thinnest-lcd-with-led-backlight-240hz-wireless-hdmi