sanyo

Small Japan village goes all solar

Japan's nuclear spring didn't last long. Though the country's nuclear power plants were taken offline following the Fukushima nuclear disaster last year, the government restarted a reactor earlier this month.

But that hasn't stopped a small village some 50 miles from the Oi plant from ditching conventional electricity from the grid and going solar.

Sanno in Hyogo Prefecture, population 42, has become the first municipality to rely on solar power.

Residents of the 11 households have an average age over 60, and the village, like many in rural Japan, is suffering depopulation. Costs for maintaining shared … Read more

Sexiest AA batteries ever

I know, I know, that's a bold statement up there in the headline, 'cause there are a lot of fine-looking AAs out there. These are Sanyo's newest NiMH rechargeable batteries and, honestly, when was the last time you saw batteries with a tribal tattoo?

Called XX, Sanyo says the black-and-silver design is symbolic of their "appropriateness for professional use" with a look inspired by gadget users that "further emphasizes both Sanyo's commitment to offering the latest in digital fashion as well as its design capabilities."

For those of you that just care about … Read more

Japanese electronics firms grapple with quake's effects

Beyond the widespread damage and loss of life, the earthquake and tsunamis that hit Japan today are having an effect on technology and electronics companies in the country.

Japan plays a central role in the high-tech and consumer electronics industries, home to heavyweights such as Sony, Toshiba, and Nintendo. Many U.S. and European tech companies also have significant offices and operations in Japan. Overall, Japanese factories produced $216 billion worth of electronics last year, according to market analysis firm IHS iSuppli. That includes 16.5 percent of worldwide consumer electronics factory revenue.

All those companies are still in the … Read more

Apple criticized in Chinese environmental report

Apple has been accused by a coalition of 36 Chinese environmental groups of ignoring hazardous and unhealthy conditions at the factories in China where its components are assembled.

Released yesterday by the Institute of Environmental and Public Affairs (IPE), the report "The Other Side of Apple" ranked the iPhone maker dead last among 29 other tech companies for their responsiveness to health and environmental concerns in China.

Specifically, the report claims that Apple ignored concerns at Wintek, a factory that makes touch screens for the iPhone and iPad as well as components for other companies. Wintek came under … Read more

Panasonic finally buys up all of Sanyo

It took awhile, but Panasonic has announced that it will finally make Sanyo a wholly owned subsidiary.

The company said it plans to acquire the remaining 20 percent of Sanyo stock that it doesn't own through a "share exchange" with the company. As of March 28, Sanyo shares will be officially delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange, paving the way for Panasonic to acquire the remaining shares on April 1.

Panasonic first made its intentions to buy Sanyo known in December 2008. At that time, the company agreed to acquire Sanyo for $8.9 billion. However, it … Read more

Sprint's rugged Sanyo Taho

Sprint added another rugged phone to its stable today with the Sanyo Taho E4100. Made by Kyocera but marketed under the Sanyo name, the Taho is built to the usual military-grade standards.

The flip phone shows a tough shell with rubber sidings that's made to withstand dust, shock, vibration, extreme temperatures, blowing rain, and a 30-minute dunking in 3.28 feet (1 meter) of water. It's not pretty by any means, but durable models don't have to be.

Features are squarely midrange and functional. You'll find a 2-megapixel camera with flash, a microSD card slot, GPS … Read more

Sanyo gives portable power to guitarists

This past week I had a chance to try out Sanyo's new rechargeable power supply for guitar pedals, called Pedal Juice. It's a weird name that to me conjures images of sweaty feet, but someone at Sanyo was smart to leave the name off the actual product.

Instead, the design is a stark, simple white box with a single button for power and a reassuring Eneloop logo. Initially, the color and dimensions of the box reminded me of a block of tofu, but after considering it, it dawned on me that Sanyo smartly modeled the form after a standard Boss guitar pedal. In fact, if you have a Boss-style pedal board, the Pedal Juice fits right in to the cutouts.

So, what's the catch? Well, it's $150.

Even the most devoutly environmentally sensitive, patchouli-soaked, jam band in the world has to admit, $150 is a bitter price when compared with a disposable $2 9v battery or a $30 power adapter. Unless Sanyo is insane, there must be more to the product than Berkeley street cred.

Well, there is.… Read more

Sprint puts a spin on the Sanyo Zio

SAN FRANCISCO--Ever since Kyocera and Sanyo first introduced the Zio Android phone earlier this year at the spring CTIA show, we kept hearing that it would land at both Sprint and Cricket Wireless. Cricket followed through last month, but it was only today as the fall version of the trade show opened here that Sprint finally came clean.

Sprint's Zio is almost like the Cricket phone except it has a chrome border. Inside it's also a bit different with Android OS 2.1 and the carrier's new Sprint ID feature. But don't let us tell you … Read more

Sprint scoops up Sanyo Zio

SAN FRANCISCO--Sprint added to its Android lineup today three times over, with the announcement of not only the Samsung Transform and the LG Optimus S, but also its own version of the Sanyo Zio. That makes Sprint the second carrier to offer the Zio after Cricket Wireless. The Zio will be available beginning Sunday, October 10 for $99.

Sprint didn't tinker with the Zio's minimalist design. It offers the same thin profile, navigation array and 3.5-inch touch screen. As before, all input is through a virtual keypad and keyboard.

Sprint did, however, make one big improvement on … Read more

Two new Android phones expected for Sprint

SAN FRANCISCO--We know that Sprint is planning a CTIA press conference at 2 p.m. today, but so far the carrier has kept the exact news under wraps. According to AndoidGuys, however, we should see two new Android handsets that will launch next Sunday, October 10.

Though it will be new to Sprint, the first phone is something we've seen before. The Sanyo Zio, which first arrived at Cricket in late September, will carry a $99 price tag with service.

The Samsung Transform should have an 800MHz processor with Android 2.1 (Eclair). The design looks to be a … Read more