I applied online. The process took 6 weeks. I interviewed at Panasonic in Aug 2009
Interview
The interview process was unusually long. Phone interview was very detailed asking me in-depth questions about what I wrote in my resume. The interview with the hiring manager was much easier, since it would focus on concrete day-to-day issues and how I solved them. I was surprised by how much time they spent talking with my references. They essentially grilled my references about any aspect imaginable. One reference even called me complaining since it wasted considerable time from his schedule. It is probably a good practice, but they could certainly be more concise in doing it.