LG.Philips is all set to hit CES with a big bang with five new panels. * 52-inch multi-touch LCD - full 1080p, two touch detection * 84-inch multi-touch LCD - 2 x 4 array of 42-inch panels, totaling full 1080p resolution, 500cd/m2 brightness * 47-inch triple-view LCD - full 1080p, 250cd/m2 brightness, shows three images depending on the viewing angle. (similar to Sharp’s triple view) * 47-inch double sided LCD - 70mm thickness, 500cd/m2 brightness, displays images on both sides * 42-inch transflective LCD - 1500 cd/m2 and its pretty large for a transflective LCD.

Business at Goodwood is, well… good. As such, Rolls-Royce, already having dedicated millions of dollars to enhancing its production facilities, is looking to add more hands in a bid to keep up with the ever-growing demand for its cars. Production in 2007 was up 25% over 2006 to 1,000 units, and RR execs see another 10% of growth likely for 2008. Credit emerging markets for the increase in demand, especially China, in which 100 cars are expected to be sold by year’s end. That’s up from 71 of the mega-sleds sold there in 2006. Where people are coming into money, they’re buying Rolls-Royces. After all, as status symbols go, the Spirit of Ecstasy is almost without peer, and few luxury objects communicate wealth like a big new Roller. The Phantom (saloon or drophead, take your pick) might well be the ultimate arrival machine. Things are going so well, in fact, that the automaker is basically sold-out through 2009. Better get that second production line going soon, guys.

Home theater outfit Marantz is preparing the release of an unusually elaborate HDMI switch. The VS3002, expected to launch first in Japan, will allow users to connect a full six HDMI inputs, where most allow a maximum of two or four. It has two outputs moreover, enabling owners to connect to both a TV and another device, such as a computer monitor.

The 3002 will support HDMI 1.3’s Deep Color standard, as well as RS-232C connections for more elaborate home theater setups. Although the system will ship with a remote, it auto-detect inputs as a rule, and also indicates whether or not a connected device is powered. Pricing is expected to be 35,000 yen ($310)

Marantz has recently announced the debut of a new and exciting projector. The VP-11S2 DLP projector features HD (1920 x 1080) resolution and comes with a number of inputs including component, composite, s-video, RGB, and two HDMI 1.3 inputs. It also comes with two control ports, one being an RS-232C port. The thing that’s making this projector so popular is that it is the first model to be fitted with Texas Instrument’s new DarkChip4 chipset. This chipset will help boost the 11S2’s brightness and contrast, giving it 800 ANSI lumens and a 12000:1 contrast ratio . There are no details about price.

Digitalcube is introducing its new multimedia player ‘i-station U43′ with enhanced network capability in Korea market. The i-station U43 offers WLAN connectivity and runs WinCE 5.0 OS. In Korea, users have access to HSDPA network via SKT’s ‘T-Login’ service. It also supports several additional features for education use including dictionary, translation, and subtitle functionalities.

The company said that with enhanced network capability the U43 is expected to be used for stock trading service like the company’s previous model M43.

Light, compact and beautifully easy to use, the new Cyber-shot S730 presents a great-value entry point to the world of digital photography. While it’s remarkably affordable, the Cyber-shot S730 doesn’t compromise on imaging quality. There’s a Sony 3x optical zoom lens to bring distant objects closer, while pictures captured with the 7.2 effective megapixel sensor look crisp with superb detail – even blown right up to A3 size.

Pictures and camera settings can be viewed clearly on the large 2.4-inch screen. Touching a button switches instantly to Playback mode, making it quick and easy to check pictures during shooting. There’s also an on-screen Histogram mode that displays image brightness in graphical form – useful if you’re fine-tuning exposure settings for the best possible results.
The Cyber-shot S730 will be available throughout Europe from mid January 2008.