CES Live Blog: Panasonic Focuses On 3D Content; MySpace TV Launches

Image by AFP/Getty Images via @daylife

We�re here live blogging the Panasonic press conference at CES.

Joseph M. Taylor CEO of Panasonic North America takes the stage. �We�re much more than a TV company,� Taylor says. We�re working on energy projects such as an eco-city on the outskirts of Tokyo Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town, he adds. Residents will live off the grid for most of the day. Taylor introduces Ed Begley, Jr., who�s talking about being �off the grid.�

Summer 2013 moving to new U.S. headquarters office tower in Newark, N.J. to create store and manage energy. We�ll take 1,000 employee cars off the road.

New Business Unit: Panasonic Eco Solutions North America, headed by James Doyle. Panasonic System Communications Co. of North America will complement the Eco unit with B-2-B products and services.

Panasonic Cloud Services: Talking about Panasonic deployments with an Audi car dealer digital signage system, a solar panel system at UC San Diego, and NJIT campus solar kiosks for students.

Automobiles: Panasonic makes batteries and drives trains for automobiles, but it also makes the mylink system voice activated interface for new GM cars.

3D TVs: Shiro Kitajima takes the stage, head of what�s now called Panasonic Consumer Electronics Marketing Company of North America. This year much more 3D TVs and content will roll out, he says. Expansion of 3d is much faster than HD TV growth. About 93% Panasonic�s plasma and 40% of Panasonic�s LCD TVs are 3D now. We�re continuing sponsorship for DirecTV�s all-3D channel called n3D. The z10000 Panasonic 3D video camera cuts in half the minimum distance required for 3D video. You can be as close as 18 inches away, which will enable more close-up effects.

Gary Zenkeyl, president NBC Olympics, and Brandi Chastain, olympic gold medalist take the stage. They�re announcing with Bob Costas via recorded message that NBC and Panasonic will be broadcasting the summer London 2012 Olympics in 3D. Panasonic will provide cameras to shoot 200 hours of coverage in 3D. Brandi Chastain throws in a plug for women�s soccer.

Smart Viera: A new version of its Viera technology. Provides seamless access to variety of content, simple integration with Blu-ray camcorder and other products. All are included in 2012 Plasma and LCD TVs. Viera Connect: Panasonic is adding a number of new apps and social features. enables content to be distributed direct to TVs. Almost 90% of our 2012 line-up will be web enabled. �We wonder whether you can even call it a TV anymore,� the head of Viera Direct says. (If it�s not a TV, what is it? A massive computer?) We�re adding the first interactive books on television, he says. They look like comic books.

New Skype communication: Chat with your friends on Skype while watching your TV.