Telecom take note: new flatscreen tellies are appearing that allow couch potatoes to make free voice and video calls.

It’s become de rigueur for TVs - at least the more expensive ones - to come bundled with wi-fi dongles or Ethernet jacks that let you watch YouTube and other internet content on your television.

For some time, Panasonic New Zealand’s been chasing a deal with Skype.

Panasonic and Samsung have become the first companies in the world to commercially market 3D TVs (which also display a conventional picture).

Their prices are more than triple that of today’s tellie - at least when looking at entry-level prices at each screen size.

Panasonic is offering a 50-inch Viera plasma (previewed in Auckland by NBR here) for $US2900 ($NZ3877), bundled with a 3D-capable Blu-ray player.

Like IBM and Microsoft’s local divisions before it, Sony New Zealand has escaped a massive round of world-wide layoffs.

Like all techs, Sony worldwide has suffered falling revenue and profit during the meltdown.

On January 23, the company warned of a pending $US3 billion loss, and a plan to cut costs by eliminating up to 16,000 jobs.

Japanese consumer electronics giant Panasonic says it expects a $US4.6 billion loss for its year ending March 31.

Like, Toshiba, Hitachi, Sony and Nintendo before it, Panasonic says it’s been squeezed between a Yen and weak demand for its flatscreen TVs, cameras, camcorders, memory cards and products fell 29% worldwide.

The December quarter was particularly dark for Panasonic as the Yen appreciated 15% against the US dollar while its overseas sales slumped 29%.