Rivals Sony and Sharp, both electronics manufacturing giants, have decided to sign a deal and develop a joint venture in order to manufacture flat panels for LCD TVs.

This move done by the two firms is seen to be a win-win situation for both as reviewed by analysts. Find out more after the jump!

It looks like Sharp is well on its way to developing technology for solar-powered homes. They have plans to produce storage batteries for solar power systems of homes along with two other companies, Daiwa House Industry Co. and Nippon Printing Co. Find out more after the jump!

Here's some news for our readers who are fans of green living: a new partnership between Sharp Corporation and Tokyo Electron Ltd is expected to boost the production line of solar cells. With the heat seemingly getting to be more intolerable each year, we might as well make use of the Sun's barrage of rays. More details in the full article.

Syntax-Brillian of Arizona is bracing itself for a bigger 2008. The camera and LCD maker has signed a new supply pact with Japanese firm Sharp Corporation for massive quantities of flatscreen panels. Find out in the full article just how big the deal is and which market it's targeting.

When it comes to technology nowadays, a few of the essential features consumers are constantly looking for include portability and style. The trend now is not making new equipments at all but is more leaned towards improving the current ones we have.

It's because of this that we often hear gadget news boasting about the latest innovations. Sharp Corporation would now like to be a part of that list as it has just successfully engineered the world's thinnest LCD for mobile devices. Their "world's thinnest" LCD is named Mobile Advanced Super View LCD.

Sharp's Mobile Advanced Super View LCD is scheduled to be displayed at the event FPD International 2007 at Pacifico Yokohama from today until October 26. Sharp also added that the resolution power of Mobile Advanced Super View LCD is comparable to today's LCD TV. Here are other specifications provided by the company:

• Screen size: 2.2 inches
• Pixel count: 240x320 (QVGA)
• Module thickness: 0.68 mm
• Contrast: 2000:1
• Viewing angle: vertical, horizontal, and diagonal: 176 degrees
• Response speed: 8ms (black - white display)
• Applications: mobile phones, digital cameras, and other mobile devices

By way of a press wire in circulation, Sharp Corporation Japan has announced the upcoming release of what may be the world's smallest blue laser to date. This new semiconductor-based laser measures in at just 3.3 mm in diameter - see the press photo above for reference - and is announced to be compatible with both HD DVD and Blu-Ray format players.

It will be noted that not too long ago, Sharp made a similar announcement stating that they would be increasing blue laser diodes production for their factories in Japan. How that production increase and this recent announcement will affect the ongoing competition between HD DVD and Blu-Ray remains to be seen, although we hope this means better diversity (and lower costs) for consumers.

The new laser - under model number GH04020A4G - is scheduled to have sample shipments released this June 13th at an expected price of ¥12,000 (US $ 100) per pop. The mass production run starts this July at an expected rate of 500,000 units per month.

Okay so people are going on about how 1080p is king. At the CEATEC Technology Trade Show, Sharp showed off a 64-inch LCD that has a 4096x2160 resolution. That's around 8.84 million pixels. What was that about 1080p?

According to sharp the screen is still in development phase and will be made for film and television producers as well as medical researchers. Makes sense. You'd want your surgeon to see your innards clearly when he's trying to fix stuff in you right?

The screen is so er... sharp. Small details, like plumes of smoke in an aerial shot of a rural village, can be picked out. The monitor can also be divided into quarters and display four high-definition videos at once.

So we've got this from a major HDTV manufacturer a few months after Cinevision 2006. Will we soon see HDTVs that can output images that are sharper than what the next-gen gaming consoles can  provide? It's a race I guess, as that daft punk song goes: "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger..."