Panasonic's flagship model, the Full HD TH-P54Z1 plasma TV, will be the only Z-series model launched here (54-inch), instead of two sizes launched elsewhere.

SHOWCASE: Panasonic unveiled 11 new Full-HD and 12 HD-Ready TVs for its VIERA plasma TV and LCD line-up in Kuala Lumpur last week. With an expected release date hovering around April 2009, the new series is a significant update to the seven major VIERA product lines, namely the Z, V, G, S, X, C and A series.

Screen sizes vary from 19 to 54 inches, with the TH-P54Z1 being the flagship model at 54 inches. All PDP and LCD models will support VIERA Link (Panasonic’s one-remote access feature which allows users to access other Panasonic HDMI-CEC compatible devices). The PDP Z and V series are both THX-certified displays, making HD movie/sound playback easier with just one HDMI connection.

The launch also saw Panasonic rebranding its SD-card reading function on its TVs as the VIERA Image Viewer (formerly known as the Photo Viewer). The Viewer now supports H.264/AVCHD video file playback (on specific models only, such as the X10 series) on top of the previous JPEG image viewing. Users can add in their own background music to accompany their slideshows as well. (more…)

SIA's inaugural A330-300 flight to Brisbane has 30 Business class and 255 Economy class seats.

Once a feature for Biz class only, iPod & iPhone connectivity is now accessible on Economy class on the A330-300 flight to Brisbane.

CORP TALK: Singapore Airlines’s (SIA) inaugural A330-300 commercial flight to Brisbane, Australia took off today on 30 March 2009 (Monday) at 0010 hours, with the added bonus of iPod and iPhone connectivity on every seat, including economy class.

This way, passengers can jack-in either of their favorite devices and watch their favorite shows via the new Krisworld inflight entertainment system.

The A330-300 itself is configured as a two-class layout, with 30 new Business class seats and 255 Economy ones. After Brisbane, SIA plans to begin flights between Singapore and other Australian cities like Adelaide and Perth, and subsequently Japan (Nagoya and Osaka). (Editor opinions: 1)

Vijay Anand, Editor, HardwareZone.com

Vijay (HardwareZone.com): With the uber-competitive travel industry, ticket price slashes, free offers and more, it is essential that an airline distinguishes itself from the competition and not succumb to the more commonplace tactics when troubled times come about.

One way to do this is embrace technology, change and address customer needs. Create a service offering that’s unrivaled to others and you can continue to command top dollar as customers see value in spending more.

SIA’s global ranking as a top airline and financial status give it the best position to push ahead with cabin upgrades and new technologies to satisfy consumer demands. (more…)

CORP TALK: In a report by Nikkei Electronics, Shenzhen, China-based Huawei Technologies has deployed what is believed to be Southeast Asia’s largest 2.5GHz WiMAX commercial network in the Philippines.

The company supplied local telecom company, Globe Telecom, with a telecom-grade, end-to-end WiMAX solution which allowed the operator to deploy the network quickly. Through this WiMAX network, Globe Telecom subscribers will now be able to enjoy high-speed wireless broadband access and high quality VoIP services as part of its efforts to provide affordable and reliable Internet access and broadband services in the country.

In a separate report, the company has also partnered with Singapore telecom company StarHub to launch StarHub’s HSPA+ network in Singapore. This would make StarHub the first operator in Asia-Pacific to have mobile broadband network speeds of up to 21Mbps (from a previous speed offering of up to 14.4Mbps), making StarHub customers among the first users in the world to experience the fastest mobile broadband speeds.

T&A: Consulting firm Ovum has released a report forecasting that users accessing the Web via mobile broadband-enabled notebooks and handsets will grow at a rate much faster than the growth in revenues (measured in terms of average revenue per user, or ARPU) by 2014.

While mobile broadband revenues are expected to grow by more than 450% from 2008 to an estimated rev of US$137 billion in 2014, users will surge from 181 million today to over two billion by the same period — a 1024% increase. It is estimated that among the two billion, 258 million users worldwide will be accessing mobile broadband services through notebooks via the popular USB-based modems, datacards and integrated mobile modules. (more…)

Are consoles really too mainstream entertainment-focused? If Blizzard's talked to Microsoft about it, then perhaps it's still too early to tell.

Blizzard's StarCraft II RTS game might give console makers the boost they need if it goes console-friendly, but only if a smoother input method is worked out.

T&A: GamesIndustry.biz reported that Blizzard’s Rob Pardo has had talks with Microsoft at the 2009 Game Developers Conference (GDC) currently being held in San Francisco on what the next-generation console after the Xbox 360 might be.

However, several game developers interviewed felt that both Microsoft and Sony have yet to discuss future console plans with game companies, raising concerns that console manufacturers might be too focused on mainstream entertainment services rather than games.

To the general consumer, it is an obvious evolution when console makers start adding non-game-related features into their systems, such as movie downloads, music videos, photo and video album facilities to be accessed via their gamepads and HDTVs. However, some game software developers might see this as competing against bigger entertainment players in the industry, instead of helping to further nurture a stronger gaming industry. (more…)