JVC, Kenwood officially hook up

Victor and Kenwood said Monday that they plan to become one company by October 1 this year.

The two Japanese audio equipment makers will combine to form JVC Kenwood Holdings, which will be based in Yokohama, near Tokyo. Victor, a subsidiary of electronics giant Matsushita, is best known for its JVC brand. Under the agreement, Kenwood Chairman Haruho Kawahara will become the holding company's chairman, while Victor President Kunihiko Sato will become the new company's president.

It came in fits and starts, but the two have finally settled on a merger agreement. It was first discussed last year, and since then the two have agreed to develop future car and home audio systems together.

The new business will focus on car electronics, home electronics, and professional wireless systems, and will also explore new product segments. The two companies are combining in hopes of reducing costs and scaling their distribution in the already-crowded Japanese consumer electronics market. For the same reason, Victor said last month it would no longer make flat-panel TVs for the Japanese market.

Via Crave CNET

The world's ugliest DS Lite

The world's ugliest cell phone may have found the perfect mate in this customized DS Lite from Japan found by Akihabara News.

There's certainly no shortage of places willing to uglify the gaming handheld for a price, as even Paris Hilton has made clear. But like the aforementioned "Serendipity" phone, this one looks as if it could have been done as a pre-school art project with some plastic charms and Elmer's glue.

The name of the outfit offering its unfortunate services should have been a tipoff: King Deco.

Via Crave CNET

Rendered images of 3-inch touchscreen Xenium X-Connect surface

If Philips could make the above handset happen anytime soon, it would have a hit under its belt. It's the same as if I had won last weekend's lottery grand prize. I wouldn't be sitting before my computer writing about product renderings. Still, the 3-inch touchscreen Xenium X-Connect is something worth looking forward to with purported specs such as HSDPA connectivity, Bluetooth, onboard GPS receiver, AA/AAA backup battery, microSD expansion card slot and an Intel 624MHz processor powering the WM6 software. Don't get your hopes up too high on this one, though.

Via Engadget | Picture credit: telefonino.net

44.7mm and 600,000:1 contrast LG Scarlet

There're definitely more--or in this case, less--to LG's Scarlet TV than meets the eye. Just when we were lamenting on the watered-down Asian models launched in Singapore, the Korean chaebol has rolled out an even slimmer Scarlet Super Slim with a 42-inch screen and 44.7mm-thick bezel. According to AVING, this LCD TV sports an amazingly high 600,000:1 dynamic contrast and the original CES 2008 specifications. Notably, a 120Hz frame rate-doubling technology and four HDMI inputs.

This will retail for 2.5 million won or around US$2,400--sweet Korean model not included.

Via Aving.net | Photo credit: Aving.net

Olympus announces two new dSLRS and a pancake lens

All this time that Olympus was lying low, it was probably developing the E-420--the world's smallest and thinnest dSLR. Measuring just 53mm thick and 380g, the Japanese company touts this camera as "ideal for traveling or just walking around town". It will ship with a 10-megapixel sensor and 2.7-inch HyperCrystal III LCD display with Live View.
To complement the size of the E-420, Olympus has also released the 25mm F2.8 lens in the traditional pancake form of 23.5mm thin and 95g light. While you may be scratching your head and wondering what "pancake" means, it is a term of endearment that photographers give to small and thin lenses usually found on rangefinders. The lens offers a view of 50mm (35mm equivalent) when used with Olympus 4/3 systems.

Alongside, we see the E-520. Although it is chunkier than the E-420, we attribute this to the built-in image stabilizer (IS) mechanism that is not present in its smaller sibling. The IS system is driven by Olympus' proprietary Sonic Wave Drive, and shutterbugs can expect to shoot at lower shutter speeds without using a tripod. Other than the IS, the E-520 specifications remain pretty much the same as the E-420.

The shooters and lens will be available in Asia from June. However, pricing was unavailable at press time but we will update once we have the information.

(Photo credits: Olympus)

Crave is...

The name says it all. Crave is our new blog about cool gadgets and other crushworthy stuff.

Drop us an email if you have tips or suggestions.

Crave for...

» Mobile Phones (744)

» Digital Cameras (406)

» Notebooks (466)

» PC & Peripherals (482)

» Handhelds (254)

» Printers (44)

» Home AV (496)

» Music & Play (428)

» Gadgets (953)

» Future Tech (161)

Previously...

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

Subscribe to
Crave

Today on CNET |  Reviews |  Crave |  Blogs |  CNET TV |  Digital Living |  Downloads