Pioneer intros 60-inch KRP-600M KURO plasma in Japan

Here in North America, we already saw Pioneer get official with its second-generation of KURO plasmas, but today is all about Japan. Said outfit has just revealed the dazzling KRP-600M, which checks in at 60-inches diagonally and 64-millimeters in depth. Pioneer is being its typical self when it comes to specs by simply tossing the 1,920 x 1,080 resolution out there and insisting that it pretty much looks better than any other TV on the entire planet. Not that we really dig that Bose approach™, but at least we're told that there are component, VGA, DVI, HDMI, Ethernet, RS-232C, IR repeater and audio in / out jacks. The set should hit Japanese shelves later this month for around ¥850,000 ($7,970), while the optional table stand, wall mount and speaker system will run you quite a bit less.

Samsung Instinct to run $199.99 on contract

If the idea of a sub-$200 3G touchscreen fashion phone sounds vaguely familiar, trust us, it's not just your noggin playing tricks on you. Sprint is apparently circulating documentation internally revealing that the Samsung Instinct will run $199.99 on contract after rebates, a move that doesn't really come as surprise; Sprint itself has worked overtime trying to play up the Instinct versus iPhone angle, after all, and it's entirely plausible that the carrier was holding out for Apple's announcement before settling on a price. Sprint will also be requiring that users sign up for an "Everything" plan when taking delivery of their Instinct, a move that smacks of AT&T's marriage of the iPhone to specific plans. The Instinct gets the jump on Apple's hardware by a few days thanks to a June 20 launch, so it'll be interesting to see just how much Cupertino thunder Samsung can steal here.

JVC Victor rolls out new Alneo XA-V series DAPs for Japan

It's been quite a while since we've seen one of JVC Victor's Aleno players, but it looks like the line is still going strong in Japan, where the company has just announced three new XA-V series models. Those include the XA-V80, XA-V40, and XA-V20, which come loaded with 8GB, 4GB, and 2GB of storage, respectively, and include a 2-inch, 220 x 176 display, JVC's proprietary "K2" audio-enhancing technology, and a promised 25 hours or so of battery life (or six doing video), among other fairly standard specs. Look for these to run you between $180 and $250 depending on the capacity, with each set to be available in your choice of blue, black, white or red when they land in early July.

Hyundai's W220S LCD: Google Earth, now in 3D!

Bust out the Aqua Net and rucksak Ginsberg because 3D is once again the rage. Hyundai just announced its W220S TriDef 3D LCD which packs the standard list of specs we expected in a 22-inch monitor: 1,680 x 1,050 WSXGA+ resolution, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 300cd/m2 brightness and 5-ms response. Unfortunately the viewing angle is a mere 150-degrees up/down or 160-degrees side-to-side. Should you be bold enough to step into a pair of included polarized glasses then you'll also be treated to a suite of bundled 3D-apps including Google Earth 3D, a pair of 3D games, and TriDef media player for 3D video content. The W220S launches in Japan tomorrow for ¥98,000 (about $913). Pics of the face-specs after the break.