Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

We’ve wondered why Matsushita Electric took such a long time to make the name switch to Panasonic, but this little factoid might explain some of the timing — Panasonic just capped off its 300 millionth TV. Even though the company has always badged TVs with the “Panasonic” name plate in the US, 105 million units were cranked out under the “National” brand before “Panasonic” was used across all markets for the subsequent 195 million units. According to the press release, the company isn’t slowing down, either — it may have taken its sweet time (since 1961) to hit the 300 million mark, but the 400 million figure might come up in the next “few years.” We figure that after the first 300 million, the company can pretty much produce TVs in its sleep.

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Filed under: Laptops

The Apple rumor mill has really cooked up a doozy this time. According to 9to5mac — a site with a fairly good track record — Apple’s next big thing isn’t just a laptop or an iPod… it’s an entirely new manufacturing process. If you believe the site’s sources, an as-yet-unannounced event on October 14th will herald in a new iteration of the MacBook dubbed the “Brick,” but the big news won’t actually be about the laptop. Apparently, Apple has created a brand-new process to sculpt casings for products out of aircraft-grade aluminum, using a system that carves the pieces out of a single block of metal using “3D lasers” and water-jet cutting. The new technique will supposedly allow for seamless components which require no bending or folding, won’t use screws to join together, are ultra-light but also “super strong,” and will enable the company to rapidly prototype and produce new designs. Of course, not a single word of this is confirmed or even acknowledged by Apple, though we have been hearing whispers of the “Brick” for a few weeks now. Ultimately, everyone should approach this news with extreme skepticism, but if these rumors get magically transmuted into reality, there’s no telling what kind of new gear Apple might have up its sleeve.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

So yeah, apparently that whole attempt to “streamline operations” back in April didn’t go over so well, as Syntax-Brillian — you know, that firm neck deep in panel partnerships and responsible for Olevia HDTVs — has just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Arizona-based company has also “entered into a deal to sell certain of its assets to a newly created company called Olevia International Group LLC,” which has agreed to pick up some $60 million of its secured debt. We’re also told that operations in Tempe have ceased, and “about eight employees” (including the finance chief, general counsel and finance staff) are sticking around with nothing better to do.

[Thanks, Paul]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

We thought that HTC’s bold venture into the direct-to-consumer space pretty much spelled doom for its once-burgeoning ODM business, but apparently not. We don’t know if these guys are just exceptionally good at what they do, exceptionally cheap, exceptionally convincing, or some combination of the above, because a report out of Taiwan’s Commercial Times claims that Palm, i-mate, and MWG — all companies who’ve moved their manufacturing contracts solidly away from HTC in recent years — have come back into the fold, ultimately bumping HTC’s contracting business to account for more than 10 percent of its total business in the first quarter. We’re skeptical that these three brands (all of whom compete with HTC at retail) would suddenly decide to throw up the white flag at roughly the same time, but considering the kinds of things that happen when other ODMs come into the picture, a little HTC TLC could be just what the doctor ordered.

[Via IntoMobile]

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