Awesome Panasonic

From the late 1970s to the 1990s, George Lucas was featured in a number of ad spots for Japanese electronic brands Panasonic and Technics. On their own, the commercials are a little strange and awkward, but in the hands of editor Neil Cicierega, the weird factor just hit Level 9000.

To celebrate the 67th anniversary of the first LP sold in Japan, Panasonic gathered 30 of the world’s best DJs to perform composer Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64, which was in the first commercial LP record ever sold.

Techmoan checks out an awesomely complex bit of 1970s tech. The Panasonic RS-296US used a mechanical carousel filled with 20 extra-long cassette tapes to allow for up to 2.5 days of continuous music. There was no way to select individual tracks, but you could choose tapes.

Similar to Bolt, Mobile Travel Chargers are battery packs that double as USB-to-outlet adapters for mobile devices. Available in two variants: two USB ports with a 5000mAh battery one USB port with a 1880mAh battery.

The CM1 is an Android smartphone with optics on par with high-end point and shoots. It shoots 4k video, has a 1″ 20mp image sensor, an f/2.8 Leica lens, a mechanical shutter, and a manual focus ring. Drops in Europe first for ~$1,200.

The Toughpad 5 is protected from shock, dust and water. It has a 5″ 720p screen, an 8mp rear camera, 32GB storage, a microSD slot and a huge 6,200mAh hot-swappable battery. It will have Windows 8 and Android 4.2.2 variants.

The DMC-FZ70 is the first compact camera with a built-in 60x optical zoom lens. It has a 16.1mp MOS sensor and a microphone that reduces ambient noise and detects when you zoom in to enhance the sound from your subject.

The GH3 is a beefy micro four-thirds camera. It has a sealed magnesium alloy frame, 16mp MOS sensor, OLED viewfinder and 3″ touchscreen monitor, electronic shutter and Wi-Fi connectivity.

The Toughpad A1 is an industrial-strength 10.1″ Android 3.2 tablet resistant to dust, water and drops. Has 4G, a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB RAM, 16GB storage, micro-USB and microSDHC slots.

The Panasonic BF-AL01K LED Lantern is waterproof and can illuminate a whole room. Lasts up to 70 hours of continuous use on three AA batteries. Panasonic Evolta batteries included.

Panasonic’s LUMIX DMC-TS3 camera is equipped with GPS and compass and features 3D Photo mode; it creates images by taking 20 consecutive photos and overlaying the 2 best for the final shot.

Panasonic recently used some of its cool high-tech vacuum insulation to pack a snowman in a box and put it on a 5,314 mile plane trip to Bahrain, so kids there could experience snow for the first time.

Panasonic’s latest micro 4/3 camera has the fastest autofocus among interchangeable lens models at just 1/10th of a second. It is also compatible with the world’s first 3D interchangeable lens.

Unveiled at CEATEC 2010, Panasonic’s latest addition to the Lumix digi-cam line is also a mobile phone, equipped with a massive 13.2-megapixel CMOS senso and a 3.3″ touchscreen.

If you need a laptop that you can beat the crap out of, check out Panasonic’s S9, with its magnesium alloy case, it can handle 220 pounds of pressure on its lid, dirt, dust and drops. And it weighs just 3 lbs.

This micro four-thirds camcorder is for serious video pros, with interchangeable lenses and a mirrorless design. It shoots full HD at 1080/60i or 1080/30p, and stores up to 12 hours of video.

Panasonic’s mid-size digicam snaps 14.1-mp stills with a 24x optical zoom 25mm wide-angle lens and full manual controls. Grabs up to 60 fps (at 3.5-mp) for quick action shots, and 1080/60i HD video.

Engadget managed to get the scoop on this prosumer camcorder, capable of shooting 1080p HD footage in 3D in AVCHD format. We don’t know much else yet, but it’s sure got a big lens.

The Big P’s latest digicam features an ultra wide-angle 28mm F2.0 Leica lens, a high-sensitivity 10.1-megapixel CCD, and a hi-res 3-inch LCD. Shoots 720p HD video in AVCHD Lite mode too.

Based on the G1, Panasonic’s DMC-G2K is the first interchangeable lens system camera with a tilt/swivel touch LCD; other specs: 12.1 MP Live MOS sensor and 720p video recording.

Panasonic’s DMC-G10K is the world’s lightest interchangeable lens camera with a viewfinder; it also boasts a 12.1 MP Live MOS sensor, 720p video recording, and 14-42mm kit lens.

Panasonic’s Toughbook H1 Field is a rugged 3.4 lb tablet; it features a MIL-810/IP65 chassis, 10.4″ touchscreen, Gobi EV-DO/HSPA module, Atom Z540 CPU, 2 GB RAM, and 64GB SSD.

At 10 meters, Panasonic’s 14.1MP DMC-TS2 triples the water resistance of the TS1; it also boasts lower temperature resistance (14°F vs 32°F) and better shock proofing (2m vs 1.5m).