Sharp, Samsung, and half a dozen other liquid crystal display (LCD) panel makers may have colluded to fix prices earlier in the decade, according to claims brought on by a class action lawsuit. The display makers agreed to settle the case for a combined $388 million, of which Sharp, Japan's largest panel maker, will fork over $105 million.

Looking to replace your janky rear-projection HDTV? There are plenty of options to wade through if you're in the market for a new TV set, including four new models that Sharp has just begun shipping. These all fall under Sharp's LE830 Series Aquos Quattron LED LCD line, which it introduced earlier this year at CES.

If the only thing holding you back from buying a Blu-ray Disc (BD) recorder is the size of the box, then hey, you'll love what Sharp has done. At the Ceatec convention in Japan, Sharp was seen showing off its new small size BD recorder that measures a scant 35mm at its thinnest part.

"BD recorders using an HDD have an HDD capacity of at least 320GB, which is equivalent to the capacity of three BDXL discs," Sharp said. "So, it is possible to use BDXL discs in place of an HDD."

In addition to using BDXL discs, Sharp also kept things slim by using an external AC adapter, as well as cut back on the number of recording functions.

"We consider that it is possible to commercialize the recorder in the near future. Because it has a smaller number of functions than existing BD recorders, its price will be low," Sharp said.