Panasonic: More than just a TV maker (pictures)

During a CES keynote today, Panasonic's president showed off a new 4K OLED TV and a massive tablet. But he also covered the company's efforts in energy management that touch cars, airplanes, and homes.

CNET News staff

Jan. 8, 2013 11:48 a.m. PT

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4K large-screen OLED TV

Kazuhiro Tsuga (left), Panasonic president, and Joe Taylor, CEO of Panasonic North America, unveil what they say is the world's first 4K large-screen OLED TV.

It has a 56-inch screen, weighs 27 pounds, and is less than half an inch thick.

They showed off the set during a CES keynote this morning in Las Vegas. Besides a TV, Tsuga also showed off a massive tablet and covered the company's efforts in energy management and batteries for cars, airplanes, and the home.

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20-inch 4K tablet

Taylor also revealed Panasonic's Windows 8-based 4K tablet. It is a 20-inch tablet that works with fingers or a stylus.

All changes made on screen with the stylus or by hand can be implemented directly over the cloud, Taylor said.

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New headquarters

Taylor welcomed Cory Booker, mayor of Newark, N.J., on stage as he announced that Panasonic will be moving into new headquarters in Booker's city.

The company hopes the campus will both be a showcase of its advances in technology and green products and will reduce its energy use by 50 percent.

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Social TV

Panasonic revealed an on-screen TV guide that lists what a TV owner is watching and what their friends are watching. It also enables chat sessions during shows.

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Live chat

Here is a chat session in action.

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Energy management

Panasonic's energy business has four pillars: creating, storing, saving, and managing energy. Consumers can store energy created by Panasonic lithium batteries and use it when they need it.

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Smart car tech

Tsuga and broadcast journalist Lisa Ling speak with Phil Aram, GM's chief information officer, about the Chevy Malibu Eco behind them that uses Panasonic technology for some of its systems.

Panasonic is adapting its home energy solutions to cars, Tsuga said. This includes automotive battery management, as well as the power management and heat management systems that are behind electric-vehicle batteries.

Panasonic's automotive partners include VW, Audi, Daimler, Chrysler, Ford, GN, Tesla Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and Mazda.