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Sanyo Waist Warmer Also a Gadget Charger

Lambert Varias — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:00:12 +0000

Are your guts freezing because of the weather where you live/work/play? You might want to check out this upcoming gadget from Sanyo. The memorably named ENW-WW2 is a waist and stomach warmer. No one’s stopping you from wrapping it around other parts of your body or on other things, living or non-living, but you’d best keep such ideas to yourself.

But what if you already have someone to hold you and keep you warm on cold and lonely nights? Well, unless that person is Cole MacGrath or Max Dillon, he or she probably won’t be able to charge your gadgets, something that the dual purpose ENW-WW2 can do. Seeing as the warming bit seems to be done by the strap alone, and the power source is an Eneloop battery, I wonder if Sanyo will release the strap as a stand alone purchase. No word on that or on the electrical and thermal numerology relevant to this device, but it’s supposed to go on sale in Japan on October 21 for ¥8000 (~$104 USD).

[via Japan Today via Craziest Gadgets]

Sanyo Mobile USB Booster Stick Makes AA Batteries a Lot More Useful

Lambert Varias — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 12:41:47 +0000

I don’t know about you guys, but the only use I have for AA batteries right now is for my TV’s remote control; all of my gadgets have rechargeable Li-ion batteries. But if I had Sanyo’s Eneloop Mobile USB Booster I’d have bought some extra rechargeable AA batteries. As you might have guessed, the Mobile Booster harnesses the power from two AA batteries so it can charge devices via USB.

Together with two AA batteries, the Eneloop KBC-D1BS Mobile Booster adds up to 90 minutes of extra power to a gadget. It comes with a micro USB-to-USB cable, for charging gadgets, but you can’t use the USB cable to recharge the batteries themselves.

The Mobile Booster already comes with two Eneloop rechargeable batteries, which you can take out and use as conventional batteries if you like. Obviously you’re free to use disposable batteries with the Mobile Booster, but that wouldn’t be too practical or environment-friendly.

You can buy the Eneloop Mobile USB Booster Stick from Japan Trend Shop for $69 (USD), though you can get it for as little as $39 if you poke around over on eBay.

Sanyo Eneloop Pro and Plus Batteries Charge Up Gadgets Longer

Shane McGlaun — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 12:00:16 +0000

If you have a bunch of gadgets and gear around your house that uses AA batteries like cameras, video cameras, or RC toys you definitely need some rechargeable batteries. Sanyo makes a line of rechargeable batteries called the Eneloop that have a lot of storage and can be recharged a bunch of times.

Sanyo has announced a couple of new battery models that are designed specifically for electronics and toys. The Eneloop Pro batteries are for high drain electronics like cameras and flashlights among other things. The Pro version of the batteries have a 25% higher charge capacity than other Eneloop batteries meaning they will let you use your gadget longer. Plus, they’re supposed to retain up to 75% of their charging capacity after a year of sitting unused.

The Eneloop Plus battery line is made specifically for toys and has a special overheat prevention function that will help prevent the risk of fire from a battery that gets too hot. Both batteries will only come in AA size. The Pro line will come on July 21 with the Plus version coming on December 1. The Pro version will sell for 1260 yen (~$16 USD) for a pair, but pricing on the other line and the associated chargers are unavailable at this time.

Sanyo Waterproof Camcorder Can Record Full HD Underwater

Shane McGlaun — Mon, 31 May 2010 16:10:45 +0000

With summer here, each time we go to the lake or the pool I worry that my camera and camcorder will get wet and ruined. It’s not just the water at the pool or lake I worry about, it’s the kids spilling their drinks on the camera too. It’s for situations such as these that Sanyo has released a new camcorder that will stop those worries of running your camera near water.

The new camcorder is called the Sanyo Xacti DMX-CA100 and it is the world’s first full 1080p Full HD waterproof camcorder. The thing isn’t simply splash resistant, it can actually be used underwater to record 1080p video at up to 60fps.

The camera can also shoot still images at 14MP resolutions and can shoot bursts at seven frames per second for up to 22 photos in 2MP mode. The camcorder will ship in June in black, yellow, and pink colors. It should hit stores late this June, but pricing hasn’t been announced yet.

Electric Car Covers Over 1,000 Km on a Single Charge, Probably Takes a Year to Charge

Lambert Varias — Tue, 25 May 2010 12:40:56 +0000

The civic group Japan EV Club is probably the only group of its kind, because it has taken to shattering its own records. Last month, the electric vehicle enthusiasts drove an electric version of the Daihatsu Mira for 345 mi on a single charge. One month later, the group nearly doubles their record, driving 623 miles using the same car model (I’m not sure if it’s the exact same car though).

The record-breaking car and the one before it were both powered by a Sanyo Lithium-ion battery, which is said to be made up of 8,320 cylindrical lithium-ion batteries.

17 members of the Japan EV Club took turns in driving the modified Mira, for a total of 27 and a half environmentally-friendly hours, going at an average of 40 km/h (approx. 25 mi/h). Seriously though: how long does it take to fully charge that car?!

[via CrunchGear via Coolest Gadgets]

Sanyo Eneloop Portable Solar USB Charger: Green Energy on the Go

Lambert Varias — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:00:49 +0000

Sanyo’s latest gadget is perfect for people who go on long trips as well as those who journey to places without readily available electricity. But even simple urban people can still benefit from having a portable solar charger. The Eneloop Portable Solar, as it is called, is small and light enough to be lugged around. Unless that’s a giant in the picture.

The charger actually spreads out into two panels to catch more sunlight. Unfortunately, according to Akihabara News, it’s only compatible with USB devices, so if your gadget doesn’t have a USB port, you’ll have to pair the charger with something similar to Sanyo’s Eneloop Mobile Booster.

Even more unfortunate, we don’t have details regarding the Portable Solar’s specs, its release date or its price. I know that this device is still much larger than today’s batteries and chargers, but I really hope that devices that take advantage of renewable energy become mainstream soon. Not only are they environment-friendly, they’ll save us a lot of money as well.

Flower Rock 2.0: Dancing Flowers Get a Makeover

Technabob — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:04:26 +0000

Back in the late 1980s, a sensation swept the streets of Asia called the “Flower Rock”. The desktop gadget did one thing, and one thing only — it danced to any music that you played near it. Flower Rock 2.0 commemorates the 20th anniversary of the original Flower Rock, giving it a thoroughly modern makeover.

Takara Tomy and Sanyo put their heads together to create the Flower Rock 2.0, which takes the original concept and infuses it with a new look. Sure, the 2.0 version will dance to your tunes, but it also puts on a light show, thanks to colored LEDs in each of its leaves and petals.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Just plug the Flower Rock 2.0 into your iPod or other music source, and it’ll get to dancing and grooving. There’s also a built-in 1-watt amp and speaker, so you can listen to your tunes as it gets its funk on.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Initially available only in Japan, the guys over at Japan Trend Shop are now shipping them worldwide for $77 US each. Sure, that’s a whole lot to pay for a dancing flower that you’ll probably find annoying after a couple of hours, but I know you still want one.

[Flower Rock 2.0]

Sanyo Xacti Claims Worlds Smallest 1080p Camcorder

Technabob — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:50:54 +0000

Sanyo has just taken the wraps off their latest compact digital camcorder, and this one’s a real heavy-hitter. The new DMX-HD1000 not only grips nicely in the palm of your hand, it can record movies a stellar 1920 x 1080 video resolution.

The handheld camera works its magic recording full motion video in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format. It’s got a nice 10x optical zoom lens, a fold-out 2.7-inch LCD viewfinder, and a clean industrial design that melds form and function nicely. In addition to capturing 1080p video at 60 frames per second, you can shoot 8-megapixel digital still photos too. The only thing working against this camera is storage. Recording full 1080p high definition is a memory hog, so even with an 8GB SDHC memory card, you’ll only store about 85 minutes of video.

It’s initially planned for release in Japan this September, and will retail for about ¥120,000 (appx. $1041 USD.) I’d expect to see these stateside sometime in late 2007 / early 2008.

[AV Watch via Engadget]

Short Throw Projector: 80-Inch Pic From 3-Inches Away

Technabob — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 14:18:28 +0000

Sanyo’s breakthrough short throw projector design may well revolutionize the front projector market. By radically altering traditional projection optics, they’ve been able to design a projector capable of filling a wall from as little as 3-inches away.

The LX-XL50 can be hung on a wall to project images directly below or above the location of the projector. The unique design prevents shadows from appearing on the picture.

While Sanyo’s initial target market for the LX-XL50 is classrooms and meeting rooms, I don’t think it will be long before we see similar projector designs for home theater installations. Sanyo initially plans to release the projectors in Japan in late 2007, with a worldwide release shortly thereafter.

[via Akihabara News]

Sanyo Xcacti E1 Camcorder Goes Swimming

Technabob — Tue, 22 May 2007 16:17:23 +0000

This new digital camcorder from Sanyo features a waterproof design that will let you shoot video without worry of damage from rain or shallow waters.

The $500 Sanyo Xacti E1 isn’t designed to go deep-sea diving, but you can use it for scuba or wet weather days without a problem. The camcorder’s unique (and colorful) case design can handle a soaking for up to an hour, under five feet of water without a problem.

The E1′s solid-state recording technology can store up to 10 hours of VGA-resolution video on an 8GB SDHC memory card, and can also shoot still images at up to 6 megapixel resolution. It’s also got digital image stabilization, red eye removal and 5x digital zoom capabilities on board. The E1 can also snap 16:9 widescreen still photos, for optimal viewing on high-definition monitors.

The Xacti E1 should hit stores this June.

[Press Release]