CyberLink PowerCinema 4 Provides Easy Entry to the Home Entertainment Experience

Taipei, Taiwan --- CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW), a world leader and pioneer in providing integrated solutions for the Digital Home, today launched TV solution PowerCinema 4, offering an easy means of converting the home PC into a feature-rich entertainment center.
The new PowerCinema package includes a TV-tuner card for receiving TV and radio programming and capturing analog video. A stylish 3D interface and operation by remote control ensure easy navigation of features, including games, DVD movies, music, pictures, and video modules.
New features allow CD ripping and auto photo fixing via remote control. Users can also record and schedule TV and radio programs and save them on their hard disks. DVD playback is supported by technology developed for industry-leading PowerDVD, delivering unsurpassed video quality and rich audio playback.
“CyberLink has been in the business of TV recording on the PC for years, with technologies that now let mom and dad transform their home computer into a complete entertainment center,” said Alice H. Chang, CEO of CyberLink Corp. “In fact, CyberLink PowerCinema 4 offers a deceptively simple solution, providing a bundled TV + Radio tuner card, support for remote control operation and 5.1 channel home-theater systems, exceptional DVD playback, and a range of options for expanding functionality.”

CyberLink PowerCinema 4 highlights:

TV Module
– Analog and Analog-Digital TV tuner card support provides reception of TV and radio, and allows capturing of analog video. (TV card support differs according to regional requirements)
– Internet and Teletext Electronic Program Guide support enables access to program information (where supported by region) and an easy way to schedule TV recording.

Movie Module
– Second-generation video-enhancing technology CyberLink Eagle Vision (CLEV-2) brightens images and makes colors more natural while compensating for dark DVD playback on LCD monitors.
– Dolby Digital audio 5.1-channel support lets users maximize their enjoyment of Hollywood DVDs with playback through their 5.1-channel audio equipment.
– Second-generation audio-expansion technology CyberLink Multi-channel Environment Impression (CLMEI-2) takes up to 5.1-channel audio and expands it into 8-channel audio for playback on the latest digital home-theater systems.
– CyberLink Headphone (CLHP) and CyberLink Virtual Speaker (CLVS) deliver a richer audio experience with virtual surround via headphones or two speakers.

Videos
– Support for High-Definition Video enables the playback of higher quality WMV-HD and HD DVD video files.
– DivX support now enables playback of DivX 5 and DivX Pro video files.
– Recent Videos allows users to quickly return to their recently opened video files.

Pictures
– Auto Red-Eye Removal and Image Fixing provide a quick one-click method of enhancing digital photos.
– Recent Photos allows users to quickly return to their recently opened image files.

Music
– Rip CD enables quick creation of WMA audio files from CDs.
– Recent Music allows users to quickly return to their recently opened audio files.
–
Radio Module
– Live Recording enables the recording of live radio programs directly to a user’s hard drive.
– Schedule Recording lets users program PowerCinema to record programs at a set time and date.

Extras
– Downloads features CyberLink trial software that can be downloaded for free.
– Support Center provides Q&As and easy access to CyberLink’s online support.
– Store lets users browse and buy products available in the CyberLink online store.

Wild Tangent Games
– Crystal Maze and Slyder are two full version games accessible from within PowerCinema. Each is designed for operation via remote control.
– 3 Trial Games let users play a wide variety of keyboard-based games before buying online.
– Games will be released soon as free update patches to users.


Enhancement Options
– CyberLink Remote Control rounds off the home entertainment experience with easy navigation of features.
– Magic Director supports the editing of videos into home movies via remote control, featuring background music, movie styles, and technology for enhancing image and audio quality.
– MakeDVD 2 enables the easy authoring and burning of video, music and photo files to DVD – also via remote control.
– The DTS plug-in lets users experience 5.1-channel audio on DVDs featuring Digital Theater Surround audio.
– The Audio Pack plug-in lets users upgrade their Dolby support to the latest 8-channel home theater audio, expand from 2 to 8-channel audio, and experience virtual surround sound technology, with Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, Dolby Headphone and Dolby Virtual Speaker.

Product Photos and Information:
Detailed product information can be found at:
http://www.gocyberlink.com/multi/products/product_main.jsp?ProdId=12

Priced around US$99.00

50% off KMS Media Centre Software

To celebrate the start of 2006 KMS Software are pleased to announce the launch of their Massive Winter Sale. Claim 50% off all software products until 10th February 2006. Visit http://www.mediacenterware.com/products/ today!

Order any product and simply enter the code KMSWINTER2006 when you go to the checkout.

Quartz Gyrosensor Putter displays feedback on LCD

Via Engadget:



Here is one of those gadgets that, even though it may not do anything to improve your skills, will draw so much attention from your golfing buddies that it might be worth the purchase. Seiko Epson and Toyo Communication Equipment have teamed up to create the Quartz Gyrosensor Putter, which tracks your swing with a built-in crystal device, and displays the results in real-time via the embedded LCD monitor. Frankly, since our game is pretty much beyond saving, we kinda wish we could mod the screen to loop Caddyshack instead of the useless motion-feedback, so we’d have something to distract ourselves while the rest of our foursome taunt yet another terrible green read on our part.



[Via I4U, technology filter, and RealTechNews]

MPEG4: Coming Soon to your HDTV Living Room

Via HDblog:

LG Electronics has signed an agreement to build next generation MPEG4 set top boxes for satelite player DIRECTV.

Cable and satelite providers are racing to transition from MPEG2 based devices to ones that use the MPEG4 in order to satisfy consumer demand for HD content. I say it’s about time!

According to the release…

By 2007, DIRECTV plans to offer more than 1,500 local broadcast channels and more than 150 national channels in HD.

PRNewswire - LG Electronics Launches Production of HDTV Set-Top Boxes for DIRECTV

Tags: HDTV, MPEG4, DirecTV, LG

Sony launches living room PC + DVD changer

Via Matt Goyer:

Big news tonight from the Sony Store at 550 Madison Ave, New York City. Sony and Microsoft teamed up to release the Sony VAIO XL1, a living room Media Center PC and 1394 200 disc DVD changer/jukebox.

PR News Wire, Sony's Digital Living System Re-Defines the Digital Living Room:

Two sleek components comprise Sony's Digital Living System: a high-end multimedia PC and a 200-disc media changer/recorder. Both are designed to fit into a home entertainment rack and the elegant silver and black casings are sure to complement the rest of your home entertainment system.

Sony living room PC + 200 disc DVD changer for $2300.

PC Mag Review, 4 out of 5 stars, Sony VAIO XL1 Digital Living System:

Sony VAIO XL1 Digital Living System won't replace your notebook or desktop PC, but it fast approaches Media Center nirvana.

I was just at the launch party and am now on my way out to celebrate. A lot of work went into this collaborative effort between Sony and Microsoft and I think the result is amazing. Not only do they have a living room PC and a changer, they also wrote plugins to view all your music CDs in the changer (and rip them all), archive content to blank DVDs in the changer, and surf the Internet with your remote control.

I took lots of photos and will post them soon.

In the meantime, you can find out more at Sony.com, The VAIO XL1, Digital Living System. And also there's a Q&A on Microsoft.com, Microsoft and Sony Team on Digital Entertainment Content Management System.

3D Immersive Viewing System

Via Gadget Madness:

Now this is what I call a 3d Screen. The Visionstation is a 3D Immersive Viewing System that can be used for many applications. Sure it can be used for business and stuff but what I think we're all reallly interested in is using it for gaming. This screen has a 160 degree display that uses the depth of it to give off the illusion of 3D minus the goofy glasses. It is 1.5 meters tall and the price....well it isn't posted on their site. So....it is probably a couple thousand dollars.

The Visionstation

Via GadgetryBlog

Trinity 7″ Widescreen LCD Portable Television with USB Input

Via Ohgizmo

Story by Brian Donaldson

I know you’ve always wanted to be able to watch television on the go. Who wouldn’t? Well, this 7 inch widescreen LCD portable television from Trinity might just be what you’re looking for. You’ll be able to bring your favorite shows with you, no matter where you go. It will come in handy for those long vacation trips to the beach or the mountains because it has video game jacks so you can play your favorite consoles like Xbox, PS2 and Gamecube.

This television provides a sharp picture, a built-in rechargable battery, a car adapter, and a built-in RF jack and antenna, which allows execution of local channels or cable channel viewing. All in all, this is a great gadget and you can get it for a decent price at $170.

Buy it at your local Best Buy

Microsoft Has New Mission for Media Center

Via Thomas Hawk:

Microsoft Has New Mission for Media Center Chris Lanier links to an eWeek article on the Media Center roll out. Although I'd love to beat the drum on this one I think the key ingredient still missing is premium HDTV (no surprise here from those that read this blog).

"Price has played a major role in the increase in shipments of Media Center PCs seen of late. Manufacturers began offering the operating system in under-$1,000 desktops earlier this year, leading to huge year-over-year leaps in Media Center sales at retail in the United States, analysts said."

Ummm... yes and no. Certainly opening up the operating system to any OEM on any PC vs. the previous method of only allowing approved PCs has been more responsible than anything. This is not new news with the rollout. Add to the fact that Dell and Gateway now configure all desktop PCs with Media Center by default and you get the numbers.

The more meaningful number in my perspective is how many people are actually using the new Media Center to watch TV. I don't have the sales data on MCE units sold with TV tuners but I'd say factoring this in is a more relevant measure of the product's success. It's a cheap add on otherwise. The point of Media Center is to centralize and control all your media. If someone is watching TV on another device I don't consider that particular sale to be mission accomplished. The power of controlling your eyeballs is huge and TV plays a big roll in that.

"Based on what Microsoft has said thus far, Rollup Update 2 is expected to be available as a free download and to include support for the Media Center Extender technologies that are being built into Microsoft's Xbox 360 gaming consoles." Good news. I can't imagine the backlash if they tried to charge for it and it's in Microsoft's interest to give us extender functionality for free to try and get us all to buy XBoxes. Just smart marketing on their part is all.

"The update will support 200-disc DVD changers that will come to market this fall, and will add a provision for a second high-definition tuner card for handling high-definition video and HDTV signals." 200-disc DVD changers? I could care less. I don't want to consume my movies on DVD, I want to consume downloads. Give me HDTV video on demand. And if I do watch a DVD I'm going to rent it from someone like Netflix not buy it. The exception would be kids movies and those are more for the car anyways. Two HD Tuners? Nice. Better than one. But people are not interested in consuming their television OTA. They want cable, satellite or IPTV. Perhaps this will change though.

"It will also add a new "Away Mode," that will allow Media Center PCs to be shut down and started back up immediately, whereas it takes a few seconds to awake from sleep or hibernate modes at the touch of a button, the sources said." Irrelevant.

"Microsoft also is expected to unveil a pack of new partners at this week's Update Rollup 2 launch. Among them, according to Microsoft partners who asked not to be named, will be Akimbo Systems Inc., America Online Inc., Comedy Central and MTV Networks. America Online is expected to support the platform with photo and on-demand music service, for example. Akimbo and MTV can provide video content to Media Centers." Interesting. How much of it will be high def? None? Photo service? AOL? Ugh. Come on give us Flickr. How hard can a Flickr plug in possibly be. They have an open API. You'll spend the time pushing AOL photo sharing but not Flickr? Music on-demand service? I won't pay for it.

Akimbo is interesting as is Brightcove if they are going to be rolled out in this rollout. Long tail content is good. Again, probably not high def though. I've been meaning to write something up on Akimbo. Perhaps the most promising content yet.

"Microsoft also is expected to add this week a new subsite to its Windows Marketplace shopping portal that will be dedicated to Windows Media Center plug-ins, including one for shopping on eBay Inc.'s online auction site. Windows Marketplace is Microsoft's one-stop shop for software and services from both Microsoft and third-party providers that support the Windows platform." Good for Microsoft and good for eBay. I could care less about it. I'd prefer they spend time developing things that will delight me rather than things that will make them money. Get the eyeballs and the money will follow later. I will not use shopping on my MCE machine and it will be yet one more thing I'll need to disable.

"My guess is Microsoft's trying to save as much splash as it can for Vista," Kay said.

Additions such as instant wake-up might "make sense as maintenance release elements. But to create a lot of new features, particularly when [Microsoft] has to come up with another splash for a year from now, doesn't seem like the thing to do," he said, adding that Microsoft should "save as much juice as possible for its long awaited premier operating system."

Probably very, very true.

Microsoft and RealNetworks Resolve Antitrust Case

Via Thomas Hawk:

Microsoft and RealNetworks Resolve Antitrust Case Damn. Real Networks sucks so bad. It has been the pariah that I never can seem to truly be rid of. It pains me to hear that seem to be getting a leg up here. NO. I don't want pop ups thank you. NO. keep your crazy software that wants to reinstall itself all the time to yourself. Get out of my systray. No I don't want "free" aol or internet. And god no. I do not want you as my primary media player. I don't want the Real OneSearch Internet Explorer toolbar or any of your other spyware. I don't want to have to "register" my product with you and I don't want to be kept updated with your product news and updates. I hate you.

Perhaps they're different now and perhaps I'm not giving them a fair shake as my only feelings about them are based on about six years of them trying to sell me things, making my toolbars flash with "update" requests and being told that whatever it is I wanted to play couldn't play because I need yet another download from them. Quite frankly I wish they could be driven out of business.

Whether valid or not I have pretty strong feelings that they suck at present. I'll stick with Windows Media Player thank you very much. Maybe they are trying to reinvent themselves as a consumer media company but here's a hint. Change your name. People hate you.

Cuban to Launch DVD Label?

Via Wired:

Mark Cuban is hiring staff that could form the nucleus of a new DVD label, Wired News has learned, a move that comes as the dot-com billionaire attempts to shatter Hollywood's release window system by making first-run films available simultaneously in theaters, on cable TV, online and on DVD.

The label is expected to launch in January with the release of Bubble, the first in a six-part deal between Cuban's 2929 Entertainment and director Stephen Soderbergh, according to a source familiar with the plan. As yet, Cuban and partner Todd Wagner have not announced a DVD publisher for those pictures.

Find local technology jobs. In an interview, Wagner would neither confirm nor deny a pending launch. But he said 2929 will pay theatrical exhibitors 1 percent of revenues generated from DVD sales of films they offer in the same window at their theaters.

By launching a DVD imprint of their own, Cuban and Wagner would round out a set of assets that covers most but not all of the bases in film distribution. The pair owns holdings that include Landmark Theaters, HDNet Films, the HDNet Movies channel, Rysher Entertainment, Magnolia Films Distribution, 2929 Entertainment and a piece of Lions Gate Films. Online, they have a deal to offer HDNet Films titles on Cinemanow.

According to an online job posting, Magnolia Pictures is hiring a DVD accountant whose responsibilities include monitoring inventory levels, working with DVD replicators "to ensure sufficient supplies are available for replenishment," and setting up electronic data interchanges, or EDIs, with vendors and customers. An EDI is a secure electronic transaction and auditing channel between suppliers and vendors, without which it is nearly impossible to do business with big box retailers.

The only film known to have debuted on TV, DVD and in theaters the same day so far is Noel, a holiday movie starring Susan Sarandon, Penelope Cruz and Robin Williams in an uncredited role. The film was released last November on cable's TNT, in a handful of theaters and on disc the same day. But the disc was a Flexplay disc that expired in 48 hours, and it was only available on Amazon.com. Neither side will comment but sales were reportedly low, some in the industry say a mere 1,500 copies. The title eventually found distribution under the Screen Media imprint. Screen Media has a distribution deal with Universal Studios Home Entertainment that will put the title in stores on standard DVD for the first time Oct. 25.

Soderbergh's murder mystery Bubble is the first 2929 film slated for release across all channels.

Some news outlets have erroneously reported that Magnolia's Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room was released simultaneously on TV, DVD and in theaters. In fact, the film has yet to be released on DVD.

Hollywood has shunned simultaneous releases, preferring to milk as much cash from each "release window," as the time blocs are known in the industry, before it moves to the next. The traditional model has movies hopping like tiddlywinks from theaters to home video/DVD, pay-per-view, premium cable, broadcast cable and then broadcast television.

But as box office proceeds fell and DVD sales began to level off over the summer, even Robert Iger, who has since taken the reins as CEO of The Walt Disney Co., suggested that the theatrical "window" should be snapped shut and DVDs released at the same time.

"We can't stand in the way and can't allow tradition to stand in the way of where the consumer can go or wants to go," Iger told analysts. "Windows in general need to change. I don't think it's out of the question that DVDs could be released in the same window as the theatrical release. All the old rules should be called into question because the rules of consumption have changed so dramatically."

Exhibitors have cried foul, saying, among other things, that DVDs only sell because theatrical exhibition heightens their profile.

"Mr. Iger knows better than to tell consumers -- or Wall Street analysts -- that they can have it all, everywhere, at the same time," said John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theater Owners. "He knows there would be no viable movie theater industry in that new world -- at least not a theater industry devoted to the products of Hollywood. And he should know that Hollywood studios would be just one shriveled vendor among many in that world of movies as commodities only."

Is Xbox 360 having production issues?

Via geekBlue.net

Analyst Gary Cooper from Bank of America believes that Microsoft will not be able to ship as many Xbox 360 consoles as expected (by Wall Street). To make a long story short, the console might be difficult to get as only 350000 units would be available for the USA when Xbox 360 launches worldwide. If Cooper’s prediction is verified, expect cuts in every market. via

Playing Media Center Recordings on Palm PDA & others

Via eHomeupgrade:

I've been looking for a way to convert my Media Center TV Recordings to play on my Palm Tungsten T, allowing me to use my Palm as a Portable Media Center. With the help of a bunch of free and Open Source apps (AutoDVRconvert, VirtualDub-MPEG2, and TCPMP) I have a fairly easy way to achive it.

Full details can be found at: http://scross.no-ip.org/convert_media_center_to_palm.html

The same process should work for other Palm or Pocket PC PDAs, or just for compressing recordings to XviD/DivX to free up some disk space.

Steve.

Japan's Music Industry Wants Fee on Sales of Latest Digital Players

Via NYT:

Japan's music industry has asked the government to charge a royalty, to be added to the retail price of portable digital music players.

More here.

Yeh Right!

Windows Freak!

Via BinkNu:

What kind of HDTVs have Burn-In ?

Good advice from HDBlog:

Simple question, but one that you want to consider before buying an HDTV. Can the screen burn in? Well, here are the major display types and the answer to that question for each.

CRT - YES
SED - YES
plasma - YES
DLP - NO
LCD - NO
LCOS/DILA/SXRD - NO

ultimate AV - Picture This

Tags: HDTV, DLP, CRT, LCD, SED, plasma, PDP, LCOS, DILA, SXRD

Microsoft and Intel to Support HD-DVD

Via: BetaNews
Microsoft and Intel on Tuesday pledged their support for HD-DVD, the next-generation DVD format created by Toshiba. Microsoft had previously remained neutral in the standards war between HD-DVD and Sony-backed Blu-ray, as the company's VC-1 Windows Media Video codec will be included with both formats.

The announcement isn't that surprising, however. Microsoft's Xbox will soon begin a fierce battle with Sony's Blu-ray capable PlayStation 3 for living room dominance, and the company inked a deal in April for Warner Home Video to use VC-1 in its HD-DVD discs.

XBox 360 To Be Region Locked

Via: ForeverGeek

At the pre-TGS press briefing, Microsoft confirmed that the Xbox 360 will be region locked for both games and DVD movie playback, meaning that you can't play games or watch DVD movies from another region other than the one your Xbox 360 is locked to.

Athens Monitors, Redefining Beauty

Via: OhGizmo!

By David Ponce

I’ve never seen anything quite like this and I’m still under shock.

The Athens Display Series, from company Lieberman Inc. are very slick, very unique multi-paneled LCDs. The one pictured is a 118lbs, 5-panel model featuring Ultra-Speed™ Technology. You get resolutions of up to 19200 x 2400 pixels. It’s a mere 2.5″ thin. It’s… Heavens… it’s beyond words.

Go inside for a full list of features, but don’t expect price. I didn’t see any, and didn’t look very hard because it probably would have broken my heart.

Update: Yes, it’s beginning to look quite likely that this thing is a hairy offspring of Mother Hoax. Yeah. It really did look too good to be true. How sad.

110″to 200″ Screen Sizes.
Resolutions of up to 19200 x 2400 Pixels.
All-aluminum custom-built construction.
Ultra-widescreen format for simultaneous display of
multiple pages, windows, applications, graphics, full-
screen video and games.
Ultra-Speed™ Display Technology for breathtaking
image quality
Support for 16.7 million saturated colors, for use in all
graphics-intensive applications
Enhanced Active-matrix liquid crystal display Technology
delivering ultra-sharp text and graphics
Hardware anti-aliasing double-depth filtering
Dynamic Phase-Timing Circuitry (DPTC)
ContrastPlus UV-668 filtering
Double anti-glare hard coat
FFR-type CR-Lamps.
Bluetooth connectivity expansion.
R-G-B auto-geometry sensing color correction.
Super-wide viewing angles for maximum visibility and
color fidelity.
Lightning-fast pixel response that supports full-motion
digital video playback.
Versatile connectivity; one computer for all 3 display
panels, or one panel for up to 3 individual computers.
Gigantic workspace, minimal physical footprint
Single or multi-panel compatible operation
Optional TouchScreen functionality
Ultra-high performance air duct and FreeFlow™ cooling
architecture.
Exceptional low-power consumption design.
Out-of-the-box setup with optionally bundled Professional
Graphics Adapters
Absolutely stunning, sleek design, under 2.5″ thin

Visit the site and see for yourselves. There is so much information there, I can’t even wrap my head around it.

First Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC Phone in US

Via Bink.nu

Sprint Saturday announced the launch of the Sprint PCS Vision Smart Device (PPC-6700), the first PDA/phone-combination handset in the country to offer the new Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 software. The PPC-6700 sports a 416 MHz Intel processor, a 1.3-megapixel megapixel camera and camcorder, a sliding QWERTY keyboard, and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi data capabilities. This CMDA device also has EV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized) built in, ready to support Sprint Wireless High Speed Data capabilities where available.

Revolution Controller Revealed

Via: Forever Geek
Geeks and Geekettes I present to you, the Revolution Controller:

I know what you're thinking, and yes it does look like a remote control.

Where's the analogue? Well... it doesn't have one in it's "simple" form... you have to turn it into Nunchaku form to get it (courtesy of 1up):

It does have those gyroscope functions everyone was talking about. They showed a few demos in which you could use it, such as fishing in which your controller would be like an actual rod and you'd pull it like one and they also showed how it would work for a shoot-em-up (in this case Metroid Prime), in which you used the Nunchaku form analog stick for movement and aimed with the controller itself pointing at the screen.

Could this be the answer for consoles for the lack of a mouse? Well, frankly, I've had a controller with gyroscope technology before (Microsoft's Sidewinder) and I know years have passed and technology has evolved but I am bit skeptic about this one because I don't remember having any fun at all with my old controller in "gyroscope mode". Though if the console can keep track of the distance of the controller in a room for example, you could perhaps have a virtual paintball (but I'm not sure if it does).

How the heck you play all the classic games on it? Easy, just turn it sidewards... and now it looks like a normal Snes controller.

My bottom-line opinion: It's innovative as Nintendo promised it would be however I'm not sure of how functional it really will be until I have my hands on one. I can think of many games which could take advantage of this new technology, however, I can also think of many games in which this technology doesn't fit at all, only time will tell. You can always use it as a normal controller, but, it's lack of buttons in that position (since it seems to become harder to press the back trigger) might make some complex control games even a bit more complex to play.

The really question is: Does innovation have a place between a graphic obsessed gaming community? And once again the answer is: Only time will tell.

The Memory Wall matches what you're wearing

Via pasta and vinegar

If there’s one thing we can’t stand, it’s not matching perfectly our surrounds. Seems like if we’re wearing stripes, we always happen to be in a plaid room—it’s enough to drive you crazy. Thankfully Jason Bruges’s Memory Wall, installed in Madrid’s new Hotel Puerta América, watches what its room’s inhabitants are wearing, and colors the interior to match. Which makes it remarkably easy to know the party’s on; just wait for the walls to get skin-toned.

Playing Media Center Recordings on Palm PDA

Via: eHomeUpgrade
I've been looking for a way to convert my Media Center TV Recordings to play on my Palm Tungsten T, allowing me to use my Palm as a Portable Media Center. With the help of a bunch of free and Open Source apps (AutoDVRconvert, VirtualDub-MPEG2, and TCPMP) I have a fairly easy way to achive it.

Full details can be found at: http://scross.no-ip.org/convert_media_center_to_palm.html

The same process should work for other Palm or Pocket PC PDAs, or just for compressing recordings to XviD/DivX to free up some disk space.

Blu-ray Recording Speeds

Via: HDBlog.net

The Blu-ray camp plans to release BD-ROM, BD-R, and BD-RE simultaneously to the market. They are the pre-recorded, recordable, and rewritable versions of the format, respectively.

The Blu-ray specs say that the 1x speed is 36Mbps. Several manufacturers have already announced support for 2x speed. Note that 4x speed is already faster than 12x speed for DVDs, and Philips R&D labs have already achieved 7x recording speed.

Good things are coming for Blu-ray.

TV that doubles as a Mirror

Via: GeekBlue

Philips got the bright idea to develope the MiraVision television which is designed to look and reflect like a mirror when it's not in use. It works like any TV except that when you've turned it off you can fix your hair. It will blend more into the scene of certain rooms and it comes with different frames to help change the look. You can get this TV in a 30inch size for about £2700.

Xbox 360 launch date is November 22

Via: Engadget

Well, it’s finally official. Mark your calendars for November 22 here in the U.S., December 2 in Europe, and December 10 in Japan for the hat trick release of the Xbox 360. The console’s price in Japan will be ¥37,900, which is the equivalent of about $342 USD, and will net gamers the core system as well as a detachable 20GB hard drive and these bundled extras: Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, an Xbox 360 Media Remote control, an Xbox 360 Headset, a Component HD-AV Cable for connecting to component and composite television inputs, an Ethernet cable, and batteries. Let the speculation… end.

Windows Vista Product Editions Revealed

Via ForeverGeek:
It looks like there will be upwards of seven editions of Windows Vista, including versions that are not 64-bit. Odd move in my opinion. I thought when they brought out Windows XP, they were attempting to reduce the amount of versions of Windows in the wild.

There will be two general categories of Windows Vista editions, which map closely to the two that exist today for XP ("Home," which comprises Starter, Home, and Media Center Editions, Pro, which includes Professional, Professional x64, and Tablet PC Editions). In Windows Vista, the two categories are Home and Business. In the Home category, Microsoft will create four product editions: Windows Vista Starter Edition, Windows Vista Home Basic Edition, Windows Vista Home Premium Edition, and Windows Vista Ultimate Edition (previously known as "Uber" Edition). In the Business category, there will are three editions: Windows Vista Small Business Edition, Windows Vista Professional Edition, and Windows Vista Enterprise Edition. In all, there are 7 product editions planned for Windows Vista

Rollercoaster gets woman pregnant

Via The Register:

Here's an interesting concept for anyone trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant - rumpy-pumpy followed by white-knuckle rollercoaster action might just do the trick.

Cuban-born Nayade Elbing, 28, and her hubby had been hoping for children for several years, but their lack of offspring led Nayade to believe she was sterile, Ananova reports.

A week later, Nayade was confirmed pregnant. Gynaecologist Dr Thomas Gent said: "We believe that she conceived due to the G force of the rollercoaster ride."

The end result of this happy tale is Leandro Elias, now the proud owner of a free lifelong ticket for all the theme park's rollercoasters.

Xbox 360: The most hack-proof console ever... pffft

Via Engadget:

Going out of your way to boast about how hack-proof your next product is going to be is probably the only surefire way to get an army of hackers on your ass, but Xbox engineer Chris Satchell declared in an interview with BBC News that the Xbox 360 is going to have levels of security, “that the hacker community has never seen before.” He does concede that “sooner or later someone will work out how to circumvent security,” but he also says that even if someone does crack the Xbox 360 that it “doesn’t mean that it will work on somebody else’s machine” because of the way it’s been designed. Fair enough, but do you really want to inspire someone out there to prove you wrong?

Media Center Roundup by Sean Alexander

"Sales of Media Center PCs have skyrocketed since July 9, according to a recent study by Current Analysis. For the week ending August 20, 2005, Media Center PCs accounted for 43% of all desktop personal computers sold in the U.S. retail market, based on data from a sampling of U.S. retailers." 71% of the Media Centers sold in the week ending August 20 did not have a TV tuner. Maybe they're all with Thomas Hawk waiting for Digital Cable support ;) Charlie Owen will demonstrating XBox360 + Media Center Extender at his PDC presentation on September 15. The Meet Me At Professional Developers Conference (PDC) 2005 and Win A Media Center Keyboard has more details on place and time. Donate to Katrina via American Red Cross and win Media Center 2005 Media Center Show #25 is up. To me, Ian is the "Most Valuable Podcaster". This is a guy who deserves MVP status- they're working on it Ian! :) Embedded Automation made a bunch of Media Center app-announcments at CEDIA (that's the big pro AV/home installer show): The products being showcased are part of tihe mHome product line and include a home automation software application, mControl; a media center PC solution, mTheater; a home automation controller, mServer; and a secondary display for media center PC's, mDisplay. For mControl, Embedded Automation will be demonstrating their upcoming release, v1.2, which offers new functionality. More here.

1080p DLP Chips for Front Projectors

Via HDBlog:

Texas Instruments has already released 1080p DLP products for use in rear-projection HDTVs. The product was not available for front projectors, however, which is something I thought odd. But they’re allowed to do that if they want, it’s a free world, right?

Well, that free world wants 1080p front projectors, so Texas Instruments decided to do them a favour and announce just that. TI’s 1080p chips do not contain a full 1920 x 1080 array of mirrors. Rather, it has half that number, and uses a technique HP termed “wobulation” to shift those mirrors to produce one half the image, and then the other half.

Manufacturers who will be announcing front projection products based on DLP 1080p technology in the near future include: Barco, Christie Digital, Digital Projection International, InFocus, Marantz, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, projectiondesign, Optoma, Runco Samsung, Sharp, SIM2 and Yamaha.

This news comes shortly after the TI announcement of increased color performance available for DLP front projection single-chip products with BrilliantColor(TM) technology. With up to 6-color processing, which moves significantly beyond other technologies’ limitations of 1-color-per-chip processing, BrilliantColor(TM) technology will enable a greater than 50% brightness increase in mid tone images, common in video and natural scenes, translating into truer, more vibrant colors.

PR Newswire - Highly Anticipated DLP(R) 1080p Chips for Projectors Arrive

Tags: HDTV, DLP

LG LRM-519 Digital Media Recorder

Via Gadget Madness:

The LG Digial Media Recorder is one pretty slick device, but its basically a Media Center wanabee. It sports a 160GB hard drive, an impressive DVD burner (with support for a host of different formats), and 802.11 a/b/g. Pretty sweet eh? Well it is, except for the fact that you have to pay for the Microsoft Programming Guide ($10 monthly, $100 yearly, or $250 for lifetime). A normal Media Center doesn't require for this payment. This is of course, on top of the $600 price tag for the device. I think I will pass on this one, mainly because of the price.

I just bought a Humax Tivo Recorder (Includeds Tivo, DVD drive and burner) for only $39.99 after rebate (Though I do have to pay the Tivo monthly or lifetime fee), so I'll tell you what I think of it when it arrives.

Do you have a spare microwave and your bored? Read Disclaimer first!!

Then check out this site of microwave experiments!

Not for kids though!

http://amasci.com/weird/microexp.html#magma

Sony's new Walkman

Via Engadget:

Well, well, well — Sony is officially rebirthing the WALKMAN in this device, which’ll be rolling out in Q4 in sizes of 6GB (NW-A1000) and 20GB (NW-A3000). It features an organic EL display that makes the readout appear fairly seamless with the rest of the player. On the software side it’s got a bunch of bells and whistles to help automagically DJ for you: ‘My Favorite Shuffle’ will randomly play the 100 most listened to songs, ‘Time Machine Shuffle’ picks a year at random and plays all the songs from that timeframe, and other functions are available to search and play songs by a number of parameters such as rating, genre, artist, recently transferred, etc. The 20GB version will be available in violet and silver, with the 6GB coming in pink and blue, and all with matching headphones. As far as codec support goes, don’t expect anything revolutionary — just MP3 and of course, ever-lovin’ ATRAC3plus. Still and all, we must profess excitement at the prospect of this thing.

[Thanks, jedda]

Flaming can get you in trouble :)

Via Slashdot:

"Two legal secretaries in Sydney have been sacked after a flamewar over a ham sandwich got circulated throughout the cities financial district. The insults about figures, boyfriends and jobs flew thick and fast and ultimately resulted in the dismissal of both of them for mis-use of the email system."

Another Wristwatch Digital Camera

This little nifty device is a camera watch with a color display that can take up to 36 "high resolution" (or so the site says) pictures and store them till they can be transferred to a computer. The Digital Eye Wristwatch-Camera is only $99.95. In my opinion this would make an excellent spy gadget but for other uses it just doesn't seem practical when a camera phone can do the same. Oh and by the way, no word on whether or not it actually tells time...but I'm sure it does. Digital Eye Wristwatch-Camera Via Travelizmo

Microsoft's doing an Xbox 360 controller for the PC

Via Engadget:

Well wouldn’t you know it? Microsoft’ peripheral announcement earlier today also broke a bit of ground by them offering their new console’s controller not only, you know, for the console itself, but also in a version compatible for the PC. We’re not sure if it’s corner-cutting on continuing to make new PC peripherals or if it’s really because they want “a consistent gaming entertainment experience across Microsoft’s gaming platforms,” but what we want to know is what’s up with the $10 MSRP difference on the PC version (slated for $50) from the $39.99 console version? They’re both just going to be the same freaking USB controller, aren’t they? Well, aren’t they?

More from Boeing

We're not exactly fashion photographers, but we spend an awful lot of time taking pictures of "super models" doing some pretty amazing runway work.

The two of us make up Boeing's Flight Test Photography department, and we think we have the best jobs in the company - most of the time. Some doubt creeps into our minds on those occasions when we have to be on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base at 4 a.m., or when we have to climb inside a fuel tank or an engine.

While many of you have seen examples of our work - in the form of press-release photos, first-flight videos or if you have been reading this journal on a regular basis - the vast majority of our work is seen by a very limited number of people, or no one at all.

That's because a lot of our work deals with the technical side of Flight Test, and the images we take would be of little interest to anyone except those who request it.

Sometimes, the images we produce would seem downright boring to most people. For example, we might be asked to video tape the reaction of a certain part under specific flight conditions. Well, if the desired reaction is no reaction at all, and if the test is successful, the video will show this certain part doing nothing. Pretty boring to most people, but the engineers who designed the part will do cartwheels in the aisles when they see the video.

We also get to do our share of exciting stuff, especially during test programs like the one going on now with the 777-200LR Worldliner. We accompany planes to places like Edwards, where they test things like minimum flying velocity, abusive takeoffs and engine failures. Those are very dramatic. On occasion, our jobs have taken us to some exotic locations - including New Zealand and South America - but that doesn't happen very often.

As you can see, this was a great location for testing - no mountains, clear sky and early morning cool air.

For the most part, the videos and photos we capture are used for data analysis and serve as visual records so if the FAA or anyone else wants to know how a certain test was instrumented, we can pull out a photo and show them. Visual data is considered backup data to the digital data, but on those rare occasions when digital data fails, the visual data becomes primary.

Between the two of us, we have 43 years of Boeing experience, 38 of those in Flight Test. That is a real benefit because of the technical aspects of our job. We've gained a lot of intricate knowledge about airplane systems, and when a lot of technical jargon is being tossed around in pre-flight meetings, we understand most of it. If there is something we don't understand, we always ask. We get only one chance during these tests. They are very expensive and if the test is a success, they won't do it again just because we didn't get our photo.

We're referred to as Flight Test photographers, but that only tells part of the story. We're really a full-service organization when it comes to photo and video, including printing and editing. For instance, if someone wants a DVD with video highlights from tests being conducted at Edwards, we can put it together. We can even provide full darkroom and motion picture services, although the evolution of digital photography and video has made that more or less obsolete.

We also take a lot of pride in our response times. When we're asked to be on the runway in 13 minutes to capture something, we try to be there in 12 - because we have the best jobs in the company.

Kazaa Deemed Illegal Down Under

Guess all the illegal downloads will now stop - pfffft!

Via CBS news:

(AP) A court ruled Monday that popular file-swapping network Kazaa breaches copyright in Australia and gave the service's owners two months to modify their Web site to prevent further piracy by its millions of users.

Although the ruling is only enforceable in Australia, the record industry hailed it as a victory that would resonate around the world.

"The court has ruled the current Kazaa system illegal. If they want to continue, they are going to have to stop the trade in illegal music on that system," record industry spokesman Michael Speck said outside the court. "It's a great day for artists. It's a great day for anyone who wants to make a living from music."

The Federal Court ruling culminated a long-running court battle between Australia's record industry and Kazaa.

The 10 defendants in the case include Kazaa's owners, Sharman Networks Ltd., and Sharman's Sydney-based chief executive officer, Nikki Hemming, as well as Altnet, a company that provided some of the software for the Kazaa Web site.

Federal Court Judge Murray Wilcox found six of them, including Hemming, Sharman Networks Ltd. and Altnet, infringed copyright and ordered them to pay 90 percent of the record industry's costs in the case. A hearing will be held at a later date to establish damages.

"These people have crowed for years about the downloads, 270 million downloads of somebody else's work each month," said Speck. "We will ask the court when it comes to damages to reflect the value of the music these people ripped off."

Lawyers for Kazaa said they would appeal but made no immediate detailed response to the ruling.

More here.

Pimp Your Hard Drive

Via Gizmodo:

Man, I don't even want to think about this "mod." I've lost 5 hard drives in the past month but if you feel like going nutty with your 80GB, go for it.

Grynx, which is the sound your computer will make when you install this plexiglassed HD, shows us how to lift off the top plate of a standard drive and replace it with a slide of plexiglass. Foolhardy? Sure. Dumb? Absolutely. Possible? I guess so.

Plexiglas hard drive window [Grynx]

More Details Emerge About the Xbox 360

Via Gadget Festish:

Interface/Functionality

• The console can be switched on and off wirelessly using the Media Remote control or the wireless game controller.
• You will definitely need a hard disk to play Xbox 1 games.
• Wherever you are - whether it's a game, film or piece of music - you can pull up the Guide (remember it from GDC?), which is a bit like a universal Start Menu, that allows you to look for friends, adjust playback and options, and even sort through people you've played against recently - listing them by reputation or what-have-you.
• The pages of the Xbox 360 user interface are called "blades".
• The Live blade is the default if you have a Live account, and shows you your gamer-card including a selected image (or photograph), your gamertag, the number of games you've played, your Gamerscore (more on that in a second), your achievements and your reputation.
• More on Gamerscore - each Xbox 360 game gives out certain points based on accomplishments, and as well as being able to view a list of your individual achievements ("Finished level 10," etc) you are also given a total based on this. Xbox 1 games will not contribute to these stats.
• The Game blade allows you to manage stuff like save-games, as well as accessing demos and trailers (standard and high-definition versions).
• The System blade offers greater control over your individual settings. You can specify, for example, that you prefer to invert the right analogue stick camera control and this will then be picked up on in any game you play.
• Likewise, the System blade allows greater control over family settings. Microsoft thinks this is very important, Satchell said, and will therefore allow all manner of controls at a system or individual profile level. You can choose to allow specific people or the whole system access to certain games, DVDs (based on ratings - apparently "99 per cent" of DVDs now supply that information direct to the console), and areas of Live. Online, you can opt to ban certain friends, voice messaging, video messaging (if the camera is available), downloadables or just control online play.
• f you yank the hard disk off the top of the Xbox 360 when it's in the middle of doing something, it will not corrupt it beyond repair or damage the File Allocation Table or anything like that - the hard disk uses a "transaction model" so that if you interrupt a transfer the data simply isn't present and the space is presumably reallocated when you next save data to it.
• The "ring of light" around the power button highlights which wireless controller is being used, highlighting player one's activity in the top-left quadrant. When the console is laid on its side, it senses this and starts using the top-left quadrant as you see it with the console laid flat. What's more, the ring of light motif is spread throughout the Xbox 360 interface, so you can see which player pulled up the "Guide" page as you're watching a film or playing a game and, in the words of Satchell, "slap him".
• Cross-platform development between Windows and Xbox is being actively pursued - in the future, Microsoft hopes that people will be able to play games against each other using either platform.
• On the issue of cooling - Satchell said he thought the system had three fans (he said he wasn't sure but thought it was three, so we'd open to correction on that one), and we couldn't hear them at all as he spoke. When you play a DVD, it powers down to just one fan. It's "a lot" better than the "wind tunnel" alpha kits, he said.

Xbox Live

• Transferring your Xbox Live account to Xbox 360 will be part of the initial set-up procedure when you first plug in your console, and existing users have "Gold" membership.
• People buying the Xbox 360 GBP 279.99 package - the higher-end one - get a 30-day free trial of Gold membership on Xbox Live. Actual pricing has yet to be announced - although some would beg to differ.
• Your "reputation" stat is based on your activities online. Rather like an eBay rating, people who have encountered you can rate you positively or negatively, and this is reflected in your reputation.
• Xbox Live will allow you to play in various Zones - there will be causal, pro, family, and underground (where "anything goes") and perhaps more - and these will allow you to go for whatever kind of experience you like.
• Marketplace is also accessible through the Live blade. As you know, this is where you can download premium content and, in the future, content created by users and sold to other users via a micro-payment system. Marketplace does not require you to insert individual game discs to see content available for those games.

Multimedia

• DVDs can be played even if you don't have the remote control, unlike Xbox 1.
• DVDs will play back in progressive-scan, with the Xbox 360 up-sampling to prog-scan in the case of DVDs that don't support it.
• When ripping music to the hard drive, album information is now stored on the HDD, with a huge amount there by default and more available from an online source - presumably something like CDDB, which will be familiar to people who rip their own CDs already.
• The Jeff Minter-created visualisation tool for music accepts input from all control pads and the video camera, allowing you to create various effects on-screen.
• iPods are detected by default, as are PSPs, and by our watch it took about 2 or 3 seconds for the Xbox 360 to notice they were there. With an iPod plugged in you can play music direct through the Dashboard software, with visualisations, or you can play a slideshow of photographs.
• For now, you can play music and access photographs on the PSP, but you can't do video yet. That may happen, but Satchell joked that Sony wasn't exactly giving them a helping hand there.
• Interestingly, you can actually have that slideshow draw photographs from another external device, so - as in our demo - you could play music from an iPod while using a slideshow of photos from a PlayStation Portable simultaneously.
• All of these devices will be supported by default, and any firmware updates that are necessary - Microsoft is hoping for very few - can be made available via Live.
• You can also plug in a laptop or PC (or not plug it in - if you're using wireless networking) and play content direct from that. This is through Windows Media Player Extender, the software for which is pre-installed on the Xbox 360. In our example, Satchell first streamed a high-definition Project Gotham Racing 3 trailer, and then drew upon a high-definition recording of Star Wars: Episode II apparently captured on his home TV.

Official Peripherals

• RGB video output will only be possible if you purchase the GBP 17.99 cable separately - regardless of whether you paid GBP 209.99 or GBP 279.99 for your Xbox 360 console.
• Video cables from Xbox 1 will not work with Xbox 360.
• The wireless networking adapter plugs into the USB 2.0 port on the back of the console and is "like a small pack of cigarettes" in terms of size.
• The camera is a separate peripheral that will plug into one of the USB 2.0 slots and will be released next year - date TBC.
• While the Media Remote will be bundled with Xbox 360's GBP 279.99 offering, this will apparently only be for a limited time based on available units. We'll get more details on that when we can.
• You can plug in a keyboard but this is for text input only - including in massively-multiplayer games. You can't use it to play games and that was a design choice.
• If a third-party peripheral manufacturer or publisher wanted to let more than four players play on one game, Microsoft would be happy to help them create a peripheral to do that.

Offline Content

• Microsoft also plans to have kiosks available - presumably in game stores and other public locations - where you can download content. Whether this will be to the detachable hard disk itself or a memory card is a detail that wasn't clarified.

[via GamesIndustry.biz]

Sean Alexander reports Start.com live

www.start.com

Burn Your Own HD Home Movies

Via HDBlog.net:
So you have an HDV camcorder, but you don’t know what to do with all that footage? It would be nice if all that HD footage of your children prancing in the wind could be transferable to an optical disc format. HD-DVD and Blu-ray aren’t here yet, so what do you do? Well, if you have a DivX HD DVD player, you can play back HD content on it. And now you can burn HD content to normal DVDs with Roxio Toast 7.

DivX, Inc., the company that created the revolutionary, patent-pending DivX video compression technology, today announced that Roxio Toast 7 from Sonic breaks new ground by becoming the first third-party software to include comprehensive support for DivX 6 and enable users to encode, decode and playback content using the latest in innovative video compression technology. Support for DivX 6 also provides Mac users with the ability for the first time to turn iMovie HD and Final Cut HD projects into true High Definition DVDs that they can enjoy in the comfort of their living room on their DivX HD-enabled DVD player. Toast 7 is the latest product from Roxio to support DivX technologies, which are also integrated into Roxio’s award-winning Easy Media Creator 7.5.

eHomeUpgrade - DivX Enables Powerful Video Compression and HD Features in Roxio Toast 7

Tags: HDTV, DivX

NIVEUS MEDIA CENTER – K2 LIMITED EDITION WITH HDTV & PROFESSIONAL AUDIO

Via Hometoys:

Niveus Media Center – K2 Limited Edition with HDTV & Professional Audio is Now Available through Authorized Niveus Dealers

Professional Audio comes to the Niveus Media Center via the K2 Limited Edition, resulting in the ultimate audio & video fidelity.

Santa Clara, CA, September 1, 2005 – Niveus Media, Inc., manufacturer of media entertainment devices for the high-end audio/video market, has announced the availability of the award-winning K2 Limited Edition media center. The K2 was recognized as an Innovations Honoree at the 2005 Consumer Electronic Show and is now available through Authorized Niveus Dealers.

The K2 offers a reference/mastering quality audio subsystem including 6 channel balanced, single-ended analog audio outputs and 2-channel balanced, single-ended analog inputs and boasts a signal to noise ratio of 117db, resulting in a high-fidelity audio experience previous unavailable from a Windows Media Center system.

The K2 will be unveiled to custom installers and dealers from across the world at next week’s CEDIA Expo in Indianapolis. “The K2 Limited Edition was designed as the 'cost is no object' product at the top of the Niveus Portfolio.”, said Tim Cutting, CEO of Niveus Media. “Niveus Engineers were given carte blanche to design a media center that would earn the respect of the most elite and discerning customers... I believe they have accomplished that with the K2.”

In addition to the high fidelity audio performance, the K2 offers the same ISF caliber video subsystem as the recently ISF-certified Denali Edition, offering K2 customers the best in both audio and video performance. Also included is the Intel 3.6Ghz processor, 925 chipset and a full Terabyte of storage.

The K2 Limited Edition also takes advantage of the Niveus ConvergencePanel™, allowing for easy connections to additional components and future upgrades. And, like all Niveus Media Centers, the K2 is passively-cooled, making these fanless systems the quietest Windows XP Media Center Edition systems on the market.

The K2 will be demonstrated at the CEDIA EXPO 2005 (Niveus Media Booth #2092, Sagamore Ballroom) from September 9-11 in Indianapolis.

Niveus Media Center Availability
The Niveus Media Center – K2 Limited Edition is now available through select dealers nationwide. For further details, visit the company website at www.niveusmedia.com.

Media Center PC Sales Skyrocket in U.S. Retail Market

Via Thomas Hawk:

From Chris Lanier:

"Sales of Media Center PCs have skyrocketed since July 9, according to a recent study by Current Analysis. For the week ending August 20, 2005, Media Center PCs accounted for 43% of all desktop personal computers sold in the U.S. retail market, based on data from a sampling of U.S. retailers."

71% of the Media Centers sold in the week ending August 20 did not have a TV tuner.

53% of the Media Centers sold in the week ending August 20 utilized AMD’s Athlon 64 processor.

67% of the Media Centers sold in the week ending August 20 used a 250-GB hard drive.

A Baby Step Toward Wi-Fi Photos

Via NYT:
EVERY now and then, someone combines two technologies into a single new product, and the result is a triumphant new category that changes the industry. Clock + radio. Cellphone + camera. Music player + hard drive.

PHOTOS ON THE FLY - Nikon's Wi-Fi-enabled P2, top, is a 5.1-megapixel version; the P1 is eight megapixels.

But of all possible combinations these days, few are more screamingly obvious than wireless + camera. Already, millions of people snap photos with their cellphones, then gleefully e-mail them or post them on Web sites. But why should you be satisfied with the crummy, low-resolution, bleached-out photos from cellphones? Why shouldn't you be able to have the same kind of fun with really good photos, from really good cameras?

The time has finally come. Kodak announced its wireless EasyShare-One camera way back in January, but its release has been repeatedly delayed. What would have been the second wireless camera to hit the market, then, is now the first: the new Nikon P1, due in stores on Sept. 15. It's an iPod-size, eight-megapixel camera dressed in brushed-metal black, with a list price of $550. (A sister model, the P2, is a silver, 5.1-megapixel version that lists for $400. Online prices will be much lower once the cameras actually arrive in stores.)

The P1 is so small, you wouldn't guess that it contains a Wi-Fi transmitter for wireless networking, also known as AirPort or 802.11; only a small plastic window on one side (which permits the signals to exit the metal case) gives away the secret. Of course, Wi-Fi is useful only when you're within range of a wireless hot spot in, for example, a hotel lobby, coffee shop or airport lounge. A Wi-Fi camera doesn't let you roam nearly as freely as those cellphone cameras do.

BUT adding Wi-Fi to a digital camera ought to offer some juicy possibilities anyway. You could shoot pictures without even having a memory card; the camera would shunt them wirelessly to your waiting laptop as you worked. You could post pictures to your own Web site or a photo gallery site like Flickr.com while they're still hot off the sensor. Photojournalists could e-mail their prize-winners to their editors directly from the battlefield (assuming, of course, a wireless Starbucks is near the battlefield).

All this and more awaits the consumers who embrace the first fully functional wireless digital camera. Unfortunately, the Nikon P1 is not it.

Incredibly, the P1 can't connect to the Internet at all, even when its Wi-Fi signal-strength indicator has more bars than a federal prison. You can't e-mail your photos or post them to a Web site. You can't send photos from the camera to a cellphone or palmtop, or even to another P1.

So what good is it?

It turns out that the P1's wireless feature is good for a single trick only: sending pictures through the air to a wireless Mac or Windows computer that's under 100 feet away and running Nikon's photo management software. (That same setup lets you send photos straight to the printer. And if you buy Nikon's $50 wireless printer adapter, expected to arrive at the end of October, you can even send photos directly to the printer without the computer's involvement.)

Now, sending a photo wirelessly to a computer across the room is an O.K. trick. But honestly - is it such an improvement over plugging in the camera's U.S.B. cable the traditional way?

In one situation, yes. The P1 offers several wireless transfer modes. One transmits the most recent photos, another sends only photos you haven't already transferred, and so on. But one mode, called Shoot & Transfer, does something truly new: When you take a picture, the camera flings it through the air to your laptop, where it's safely stashed on the hard drive. Depending on the photo quality and resolution you've dialed up, this transfer can take from 15 seconds (best and biggest photos) to about one second (one megapixel or smaller).

Shoot & Transfer mode can be useful in a number of ways. It bypasses the camera's memory card completely, so it works if your card is full or even missing. In effect, your wireless laptop becomes the memory card - yes, the world's biggest and heaviest, but also the most capacious. With the laptop propped open in your backpack, you can trudge through the jungle - Amazon, urban or otherwise - freely snapping away, without ever worrying about running out of storage or damaging a flimsy memory card.

Shoot & Transfer also works well with the P1's time-lapse mode. You don't have to worry that you'll miss the butterfly's emergence from the cocoon because the memory card filled up.

But the best Shoot & Transfer feature of all is a true parlor trick. At a party, conference or any other social gathering, you can start up a slide show on your Mac or PC, complete with music. You can then walk around the room, snapping pictures of the guests or attendees. These photos join the slide show already in progress, automatically, in real time. It's digital-camera performance art. The best part is taking pictures of people's amazed faces as they catch on to what you're doing - and then those pictures become part of the show. Very meta.

As a compact camera, the P1 is loaded; Nikon correctly assumed that the kind of geek who'd be interested in a Wi-Fi camera probably would also appreciate manual control over ISO (light sensitivity), aperture size, shutter speed, exposure and other photographic controls. Yet the P1 also offers a lot of consumer-friendly features like scene presets, superb movies with sound (30 frames a second, the size of a TV screen) and Nikon's celebrated macro mode, which lets you take pictures only 1.6 inches away from the subject. The screen is clear, bright and huge - 2.5 inches diagonally - which Nikon hopes will soften the blow when you realize there's no optical eyepiece viewfinder.

The photos are very good. You wouldn't mistake them for magazine photos, but for a pocket-size consumer camera, they're above average. (You can see samples at nytimes.com/circuits.)

Nikon has a lot of work to do, though, with the wireless element. The camera can't connect to a computer or printer until you first install the software on your computer, connect the camera through its U.S.B. cable, walk through a series of setup screens, and name your connection (or, as Nikon calls it, your profile; the camera can memorize nine of them). This process is far more technical and jargon-laden than it needs to be; in fact, the whole ritual should be unnecessary. Why can't the P1 auto-detect and auto-join wireless networks the way palmtops and laptops can?

This setup business rules out yet another potential Wi-Fi high: fielding a request for your photos from somebody in an airport waiting lounge or business meeting. Instead of saying, "Heck, yeah, I'll just beam them over to you," you have to say: "Sure, I've got the Nikon CD right here. Let me just install this 230-megabyte software package onto your hard drive, connect the U.S.B. cable, create a profile, and hey, come back here!"

The P1 has a lot to recommend it as a digital camera. It's compact, it's loaded with features and the pictures are fine. Of course, you could say the same of several nearly identical Nikon models that lack wireless features but cost about $150 less.

But without the ability to connect to the Internet or to establish casual, on-the-fly connections to wireless networks, the P1 is a missed opportunity the size of Nova Scotia. The P1 may be a breakthrough in engineering, but for the moment, it only thumps the earth instead of shaking it.

Compression's back in a Blaze of glory

Via The Age:

The history of digital video compression is littered with companies that promise investors miracles but instead deliver pain.

Former computer games maker Blaze claims it has found the holy grail of video compression - broadcast-quality video down a low-bandwidth link, such as to a GPRS mobile phone. The promise is file sizes can be reduced by up to 90 per cent with a standard-definition broadcast video-quality metric - a standardised performance test for digital video quality.

To put that into perspective, a standard 42-minute TV show occupies up to about 1GB on a DVD, and compresses to about 350MB using Xvid compression. The newer H.264 video compression format reduces this to about 150MB with little noticeable deterioration in quality. Coupled to Blaze's compression method would typically reduce the file size by up to nearly a half - 80-150MB - and its inventors are hopeful that will improve.

Most video compression compares frames and deletes information that does not change, although quality degrades as more information is deleted. Blaze's PIXe (PIXel grid oscillation) technology claims to take advantage of an optical principal called "short-range apparent motion", eliminating image data while fooling the eye into believing it sees information not there.

The technology's developer, Perth-based graphic artist Peter Bevan, says he discovered the concept while considering how the eye eliminates random imperfections, known as "grain", that naturally occur when blowing up film. While a single frame might have so much grain as to be unusable as a still image, its random positioning renders it invisible when projected in sequence.

Mr Bevan, a Blaze non-executive director, says the PIXe process subsamples a video motion picture down to a lower resolution, compressing nine pixels into one, and then uses an algorithm to move the pixel grid around within a frame. The eye averages three or four consecutive frames into one, giving the image definition. Mr Bevan calls this the "grid oscillation process". "We can run film at a lower resolution and reach fidelity levels which are similar to high-resolution film," he says.

"You don't lose much in the look of it - it stays within the broadcast quality ranges - but it is actually quite lower in resolution. Your eye averages it all out and gives you the definition. But if you stopped the film and looked at it, you would have quite a low-resolution frame. The definition doesn't come out until you see it in motion."

A similar technique, "jiggling", avoids pixellation when digital images are blown up for use in billboards. A special camera with an oscillating lens takes 50 images in quick succession and produces an average, effectively replacing the area of one pixel with a greater amount of data.

"We're doing the same thing, except instead of combining (the images in post-production), we're using the eye to combine it," he says.

The output then runs through a standard MPEG video encoder - although MPEG attempts to adjust some of PIXe's oscillations.

Blaze CEO Peter Jon Hartshorne says the decrease in effectiveness of the secondary encoder such as MPEG2 or H.264 reduces the compression efficiency.

Mr Hartshorne pitches PIXe at mobile-phone companies because he says it shows video at 15 frames a second over GPRS-based networks.

"The value proposition of the product will never be in the high-end DVD and motion picture quality," Mr Hartshorne says. "I see this product in lower-bandwidth-constrained applications where you just can't get video to run to an acceptable level. And the most evident market is the low-bandwidth mobile phone."

He says the technology got a positive response from companies with stakes in digital video, such as Microsoft, Qualcomm, NEC and Motorola - but he would not give referees. PIXe was evaluated by Perth consulting group Atrico but its report is unavailable.

Mr Bevan says that not only is the video file size reduced by 90 per cent, so is the computational requirement - meaning cheaper, cooler-running chips and longer battery life in wireless mobile devices such as phones and PDAs.

Blaze engaged US consulting group Gramercy Venture Advisors to organise introductions to clients. Gramercy CEO Michael Gale says scepticism is understandable.

"The problem with compression is there are more kooks per square inch than in anything else," he says. "So far nobody has found any reason why this shouldn't result in a big improvement. Most people are worried that it won't work properly with MPEG, or that it will work, but you will only get a 50 per cent improvement in the end."

Mr Gale says Gramercy is not claiming the technology works but says the early indications are good, while issues remain as to how well it will work with other encoders and how that is built into a service. "We did our own due diligence and we think that it is a very interesting theory," he says. "The way I describe it is there is a lot of circumstantial evidence but no murder weapon."

Mr Hartshorne hopes to have a demonstration version of PIXe ready by January, and is raising a development team in New Delhi to tune PIXe to run on handset operating systems. Blaze will focus on producing a version that works under H.264 MPEG, but has demonstrated its software working with MPEG2 and Motion JPEG encoders, he says.

The Blaze CEO says PIXe needs a proprietary 38Kbps decoder to be downloaded to the handset but the goal is to compress and decode the signal before it is MPEG-decoded.

Blaze has invested $1 million in PIXe, and will invest a further $1 million to get the technology to a demonstrable stage, he says. Two years and a further $5 million-$10 million will be required for a fully commercial product.

DigitalLife TV - See it Live!

Via eWeek:

DigitalLife TV, hosted by Patrick Norton, streams live over the Web every Tuesday at 9pm Eastern (6pm Pacific), and brings you hands-on product reviews, news, tech help, special guests and lots more -- and you're invited to stop by! You'll also be able to download freshly encoded video of the live show, and shows we've done in the past. Check out our next live show -- Tuesday, August 30th -- or visit anytime to see earlier episodes. And we're looking for tech questions to answer on the show, so if you have one, email us at mailto:DigitalLifeTV@ziffdavis.com.

Skype is coming to MCE via a plugin

Via Matt Goyer:

Looks like Skype is coming to MCE via a plugin. Cool stuff!

Splinter Cell, The Movie

Via ForeverGeek:

With all the interest in movies based on video games, it looks like there is a Splinter Cell movie in the works. DreamWorks is close to acquiring the film rights to Tom Clancy's videogame Splinter Cell, with Daniel Pyne (The Manchurian Candidate) attached to write the script, says Variety. The studio would take the project over from Paramount, where it was originally set up last winter. Michael Ovitz, Clancy's longtime manager, is still producing. Who would you get to play Sam Fisher?

Deal for Film Version of Microsoft Game

Via NYT:

Microsoft has signed a deal with two film studios to make a movie based on its popular space-based video game series Halo, Universal Pictures said on Wednesday.

Universal and 20th Century Fox agreed to pay Microsoft $5 million plus a percentage of ticket sales. The total price being paid is capped at 10 percent of domestic box-office receipts.

The deal ends months of speculation over which studio would win the right to make a Halo film, which came to Hollywood last spring highly promoted by Microsoft and its representatives at Creative Artists Agency.

Messengers delivered a script to the studios wearing costumes and toting laser guns.

Under terms of the agreement, Universal will oversee production and domestic distribution, while Fox will handle overseas distribution.

Paul Pflug, a Universal spokesman, said the studios were aiming for a summer 2007 release of a movie based on Halo and Halo 2, a science fiction series about an alien-fighting warrior named Master Chief.

Intel pumps $37 million into Unwired

Via Whirlpool:

Australia will become the world's testbed for WiMAX – Intel's wireless broadband technology – with the announcement that the chip giant will invest AUD $37million in the expansion of the Unwired network in Australia.

Unwired currently uses a proprietory standard from Navini, but will now transition to WiMAX in 2006.

WiMAX, which stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is a standards-based wireless technology that provides high-speed broadband connectivity over long distances to homes, businesses and mobile wireless networks. It promises shared speeds of up to 70Mbit/sec and an upper range of 50km. New modems capable of running both Unwired's proprietory technology and the WiMAX standard will be available in first half of next year.

The announcement was made on the same day as Telstra's official launch of BigPond Wireless Broadband, which uses EV-DO over the telco's CDMA mobile network.

Unwired CEO David Spence said the investment will make WiMAX an technology. "absolutely mainstream"“Unwired will be in the unique position of having access to the majority of the WiMAX-designated 3.5 GHz and 2.3 GHz licensed bands in Australia’s major metropolitan areas,” Spence said.

Under a recently announced deal with Austar, Unwired is able to deploy its wireless service across much of Australia, including Melbourne, Brisbane, Geelong, Newcastle and other major centres, although not in WA.

Unwired spokesperson Amanda Wallace said that the company was looking into which cities would get a Unwired roll-out first, but would not be announcing its decision until closer to the launch date in 2006. When the roll-out is complete, Unwired's service will be available to 66% of the population, Wallace said.

One Device to Rule Them All

Via Wired:

Think of 18- to 34-year-olds as generation WHOIS. They live on e-mail, communicate via instant messaging, change ringtones on their cell phones at the drop of a baseball cap (turned backward, naturally), play video games, download music (sometimes they'll even pay for it), get more of their news from the net than TV and print, experiment with podcasting, read and write their own blogs and access RSS feeds.

Most of all, they expect to customize their entertainment experience. How else to explain the market for customized ringtones, which last year exceeded $2 billion worldwide, most of it skimmed from teens and twenty-somethings willing to shell out a couple of bucks for a snippet of 50 Cent?

In short, they are technology consumers. Early adopters. Tastemakers and trendsetters. Yet none of the big cell-phone providers like Sprint, Verizon or Cingular has addressed this market exclusively, even though members of gen WHOIS are among their most steadfast customers.

This is where Amp'd Mobile comes in. Launching in the next few months, Amp'd touts itself as the first wireless service provider to target young adults. Actually the company sees itself more as a provider of entertainment than a traditional cell-phone company.

Armed with almost $70 million in venture capital, Peter Adderton, the company's caffeinated CEO from Australia, believes the future will be composed of mobile entertainment at 60 mph, and the market will be driven by the audience with the most insatiable appetite for it: generation WHOIS.

He says that everything you can do at home -- watching TV, viewing movies, listening to the radio or your iPod, downloading music, accessing MapQuest or global positioning systems -- you'll be able to do on a bus, in your car or walking down the street. And you'll do it on a cell phone, which about 60 percent of Americans already own.

"As a kid I'd see one device to control everything," Adderton said. "Now it's starting to happen. Wi-Fi has redefined how consumers consume mobile media. Combine Wi-Fi with cell phones and satellite radio, and you can create an unbelievable social device."

The question is, which company will lead this charge? There are companies building the devices, companies supplying the applications and companies providing the content. Adderton wants Amp'd to do it all, to offer one cell phone-like device with a screen to provide all of your mobile entertainment needs. And you thought the BlackBerry (often referred to as the "crackberry") was addictive.

Here's how Adderton sees the near future: You'll be asleep in your house, and your wireless entertainment device will wake you up. It'll be voice-activated, so if you want some music -­- Nelly or Eminem ­-- you just say so. You'll use the device to turn on your TV and change channels or to surf the internet on your computer. Just tell it what you want to do and it'll take you there.

When you go outside, you'll plug it into your car and it will serve as a global positioning system and give you detailed directions to where you're going. The device will tell the car stereo what tunes you have on your iPod and play them over the speakers. If someone else is driving, you can watch TV news or surf the internet, answer e-mail, download music or read an electronic book. At work you can put the phone up to a special reader and pay for lunch or coffee. Perhaps you'll hold a video conference. Or pay bills.

If you are in e-commerce mode, you can purchase music or movies, which will automatically be stored in your home entertainment system as well as in your wireless device, which will hold 34 MB of data -­- or much more with an optional card. Or you can download an interview with Dave Chappelle as you watch reruns of his show on Comedy Central, because the device will function like TiVo, too.

More here:

Microsoft Debuts New Features for MSN TV 2 Internet & Media Player

Via Microsoft:

The MSN TV division (http://www.msntv.com) of Microsoft Corp., a leader in the delivery of interactive services for television, has launched its latest software update for the MSN^® TV 2 Internet & Media Player. This update will be automatically downloaded to users’ MSN TV 2 players and will include enhanced capabilities for managing digital photos, music and e-mail.

The MSN TV 2 Internet & Media Player allows consumers to access the Internet and
e-mail and to view Web-based video content on their television screens. The update will allow broadband and home network customers to view more of the video content added to the MSN TV 2 home page with video news clips updated throughout the day.

MSN TV 2 users who have purchased and downloaded Microsoft^® Windows Media^®-compatible digital music (for example, from MSN Music or Napster) onto their PCs can now play that digital content via their MSN TV 2 players even if files are protected by Windows Media Digital Rights Management. The new MSN TV 2 Music home page will offer more music news as well as access to new music videos and more than 1,000 commercial-free Internet radio stations. In addition, new playlist features allow users to determine the order of song lists or choose to play them in a random order.

“We’re constantly engaged with our users to find out what new features they would like to see added to our product,” said Sam Klepper, general manager of MSN TV at Microsoft. “These new capabilities will give our users additional digital media options and e-mail functionality.”

An updated Photo home page makes it easier to view and manage photos. Eight thumbnail images of the most recently viewed photos are automatically displayed on the home page, whether they are stored on a home-networked PC, in e-mail or on the MSN TV 2 Internet & Media Player. In addition, images embedded in e-mail messages can be viewed directly in the Photos area, eliminating the extra steps of downloading files and opening messages.

This update also will give MSN TV 2 broadband and dial-up customers more control over e-mail management than before. Users can now have their MSN TV 2 player check for e-mail at scheduled times and alert them to new messages via the message light on the front of the MSN TV set-top box. In addition to receiving message alerts, all subscribers can now read and check e-mail from other providers (via POP e-mail retrieval) in their MSN TV mail inbox via a computer and can create and manage group e-mail lists via their e-mail address book.

About MSN TV Service

Based in Mountain View, Calif., MSN TV service is a product group within Microsoft’s MSN division that makes use of everyday technology to help people of all ages and abilities get connected and stay connected to the people around them. By connecting to a television and existing phone line or broadband connection, MSN TV service subscribers can surf the Web, send and receive e-mail, chat, and create instant messages using world-class MSN services such as MSN Messenger and MSN Search.

Formerly WebTV, MSN TV service was acquired by Microsoft in 1997 and renamed in July 2001 to better reflect the natural synergies between the WebTV^® service and the vast array of Microsoft and MSN resources. In October 2004, MSN TV unveiled the new MSN TV 2 Internet & Media Player. More information on MSN TV and the new MSN TV service payment plans can be found at http://www.msntv.com.

Meedio Names Former DivX Executive David Brott As New CEO

Via Hometoys:

Houston, TX - August 25, 2005 - Meedio, a leading developer of software for home entertainment and automation, today announced that industry veteran David Brott has joined the company as its new CEO. Mr. Brott will lead Meedio into a new phase of growth focused on expanded business relationships with companies in the computer and consumer electronics industries. Meedio co-founder and former CEO Victor Koosh has also been named President and Chief Strategy Officer, and will continue to provide leadership over the company's strategic direction.

Mr. Brott has over ten years experience in strategic business development and marketing within the digital home software industry. Mr. Brott has led growth-oriented marketing and licensing efforts at emerging technology companies such as DivX, Digital 5, Interactual and Ravisent Technologies. While serving at these companies he established business and technology alliances with numerous companies in the personal computer, integrated circuit, consumer electronics and software application markets including Dell, Gateway, HP, Intel, AMD, ATI, Broadcom, Conexant, ST Microelectronics, Philips, Panasonic, Pioneer, Toshiba, Dolby Laboratories and others. Mr. Brott also held tactical communications and mission planning roles as a member of Seal Team Three in the United States Navy. Mr. Brott received his BA from the University of California at San Diego with Highest Distinction, with advanced coursework at Wharton Executive Education and the Center For Creative Leadership.

'Meedio is quickly becoming recognized as a leader in our industry and I am very pleased to have joined the company at this stage in the company's growth. I am eager to leverage the relationships that I have developed over the years to bring Meedio's innovative technology to new partners and customers,' said Mr. Brott.

Intel Will Bring Its Chips to Entertainment Media

Via NYT:

Trying to repeat the success of its Centrino brand for notebook computers, the chip maker Intel said Wednesday that it would introduce a set of technologies designed specifically for entertainment PC's.

Computers carrying an "Intel Viiv" sticker will feature the chip maker's microprocessors along with other Intel hardware and software. Viiv systems will ship early next year, with a remote control.

"Intel Viiv technology is our first platform designed from the ground up for the digital home," said Don MacDonald, general manager of Intel Digital Home Group.

Intel, which is the world's largest chip maker, undertook a similar strategy of combining multiple chips into a single platform with Centrino, which includes an energy-efficient processor, chip set and wireless hardware.

Intel backed up Centrino's introduction in 2003 with a $300 million marketing campaign. Since then, the company's share of the notebook chip market has grown steadily.

It was not clear whether Intel would commit the same resources to Viiv (rhymes with five). The company also did not disclose the names of companies that would offer the PC's or how much of a subsidy they would receive as an incentive to participate.

Intel recently introduced a computer platform for businesses, and its offering in the area of entertainment PC's had been expected.

PC and software makers see the living room as a huge growth opportunity as more entertainment becomes digitized and consumers look for ways to better manage their music, video, photos, movies and television shows.

Viiv-based computers are expected to be available in a variety of forms, ranging from the size of a stereo system component to a more traditional PC tower. All will run the Windows Media Center operating system from Microsoft .

Viiv systems will include a configuration wizard to walk users through setting up network components using a remote control.

P2P TV

Via Thomas Hawk:

The Long Tail: Talking with Bram Cohen about P2P TV: Chris Anderson writes about Bram Cohen, the inventor of BitTorrent, and a conversation about distributing network television via P2P. Chris and Bram think it would be a good idea of course as do I. It's an innovative solution.

The problem is though you are not dealing with innovators in network television executives and thus in my opinion we unfortunately are not likely to see anything like this anytime soon. Instead, illegal copies will continue to circulate.

Personally I'm not too disappointed as I find myself watching less and less television these days anyways. I'm down to one show, Six Feet Under, and even with that I'm now 4 weeks behind. Shhhh. don't give anything away. The problem is competing media that increasingly moves me away from television. The primary culprits? Flickr. Photography. Blogging. RSS.

First Terabyte DVD Recorder by Hitachi

Via GeekBlue:

Hitachi has unveiled the first terabyte DVD recorder slash hard disk drive named the DV-DH1000W. It is capable of storing one terabtye of data. Just to put it in perspective, if you use HD digital cable and want to record shows, you can record 128 hours. Hitachi has been working hard, they currently are releasing new DVD recorders that can store up to 160GB, 250GB, and 500GB of data. The new DVD recorders will be able to record two programs simultaneously and will go on sale in Japan next month. geekBlue will follow up and get pictures when they are released.

Halo 3 Release Set for 2007

Via ForeverGeek:

Hot on the heals of the announcement yesterday that the Halo movie will be released in Summer 2007, Microsoft announced today that they will delay the release of Halo 3 to coincide with the release of the movie.

Fox And Universal have come to terms with Microsoft, finalizing the Halo movie contract and agreeing on a Summer 2007 release. It was also noted that MS is planning to launch Halo 3 at the same time as the movie to “optimize marketing potential”. Could this be true? Has Microsoft abandoned its original plan to coincide the game’s launch with that of the PS3?

Mother Nature - from Boeing

Boeing blog:

Michael Patnoe Meteorologist When we talk about flight testing an aircraft as technologically advanced as the 777-200LR, people often forget how many airplane performance requirements are tied to something as common as the weather. So my work as meteorologist helps determine what we can do on any given day, and where. Meteorologists offer weather support for a variety of Boeing programs. We also do analysis for engineers designing equipment. When it comes to certifying a new airplane, our basic job is to help the flight test crews find the weather conditions they need to complete the tests. For example, I do a lot of "icing" work. Icing is defining how much ice an airplane might pick up on an extended twin operations (ETOPS) diversion. These are twin-engine flights over the oceans. One concern is what happens at a cruising altitude of around 30,000 feet if the airplane loses an engine and cabin pressurization. The pilot would need to drop down to 10,000 feet, where icing can be a big issue. Certifying an airplane for flight in ETOPS means demonstrating it can handle whatever amount of icing it might pick up in a diversion to an alternate airport. Flight testing through the winds and clouds last month. Then there are the winds, tailwinds, headwinds and especially crosswinds. It's difficult to find the crosswinds we need to certify because airport runways are designed to avoid them. We help them find the right regions to look at and suggest airports they can use the next day. One airport in Iceland is very good but expensive to get to. It has runways that cross each other, so almost any direction the wind is blowing in you can get a crosswind. And it's blowing there all the time. In looking for crosswinds, we also check for weather systems - where the cold fronts and warm fronts are going to be. That's usually where the wind is going to be. Different locations have their own effects that influence how strong or weak winds might be. Once we select a few airports, then we look more closely and predict when the winds will peak. Typically in Flight Test we have a window of time to find something. Initially we try to find the required conditions as close as possible to Boeing Field in Seattle. We look in the western United States and expand from there as we begin running out of time to find the conditions we need. We have many tools at our disposal, such as a weather data service and access to weather computer models. The only remote testing where I go with the airplane is when we do community noise tests. We usually do these in Glasgow, Montana. Noise testing for certification needs to be done in a very narrow range of atmospheric conditions. The atmosphere absorbs different levels of sound, depending on temperature and relative humidity. It's actually a very complicated relationship. There also is wind, which can blow sound away. My job is to try to predict the best time for testing. It's one of the more stressful jobs we do as meteorologists because there's a big crew of people and sometimes the optimum time might be at 2 a.m. If the test crew shows up at 2 a.m. and the conditions have changed and we can't test after all, the crew isn't very happy. But, our Flight Test crews are pretty supportive of meteorologists. They know predicting weather is not an exact science.

Relax, Bill Gates; It's Google's Turn as the Villain

Via NYT:

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 23 - For years, Silicon Valley hungered for a company mighty enough to best Microsoft. Now it has one such contender: the phenomenally successful Google.

But instead of embracing Google as one of their own, many in Silicon Valley are skittish about its size and power. They fret that the very strengths that made Google a search-engine phenomenon are distancing it from the entrepreneurial culture that produced it - and even transforming it into a threat.

A year after the company went public, those inside Google are learning the hard way what it means to be the top dog inside a culture accustomed to pulling for the underdog. And they are facing a hometown crowd that generally rebels against anything that smacks of corporate behavior.

Nowadays, when venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and technologists gather in Silicon Valley, they often find themselves grousing about Google, complaining about everything from a hoarding of top engineers to its treatment of partners and potential partners. The word arrogant is frequently used.

The news last week that Google plans to sell an additional 14 million shares of stock, adding $4 billion to its current cash reserves of $3 billion, will only provide more reasons to gripe.

"I've definitely been picking up on the resentment," said Max Levchin, a founder of PayPal, the online payment service now owned by eBay. "They're a big company now, doing things people didn't expect them to do."

Mr. Levchin, who last year founded a multimedia company in San Francisco called Slide, said Google "still has a long wick of good will to burn off," but he added, "I'm surprised at how fast the company's reputation is changing."

It was not that long ago that Google reigned here as the upstart computer company that could do no wrong. Now some working in the technology field are starting to draw comparisons between Google and Microsoft, the company in Redmond, Wash., that Silicon Valley loves most to hate.

Bill Gates certainly sees similarities between Google and his own company. This spring, in an interview with Fortune, Mr. Gates, Microsoft's chairman, said that Google was "more like us than anyone else we have ever competed with."

Google's success has already spurred Microsoft to develop its own Internet search engine (a project code-named Underdog), but Google has legions of engineers banging away on a range of projects of its own that, if successful, could dislodge Microsoft from the pre-eminent spot it has enjoyed since the early 1980's.

Of course, Silicon Valley has had past pretenders to the throne. Netscape, which went public 10 years ago this month, and its Web browser, Navigator, were supposed to fell Microsoft - but it is Netscape that is no longer in business. And while Google is riding high, those closely following the company caution that it is hardly invincible; an inflated stock price, a desire to compete in too many sectors simultaneously or simple hubris might cause it to stumble, they say. Even Microsoft, after all, has had legal troubles.

Still, similarities between Google and Microsoft are evident to local entrepreneurs including Steven I. Lurie, who worked at Microsoft between 1993 and 1999 but now lives in San Francisco, and Joe Kraus, a founder of the 1990's search firm Excite.

"There's that same 'think big' attitude about markets and opportunities," said Mr. Lurie, who has visited the Google campus in Mountain View many times to see friends who work there. "Maybe you can call it arrogance, but there's that same sense that they can do anything and get into any area and dominate."

To place Google in context, Mr. Kraus offered a brief history lesson. In the 1990's, he said, I.B.M. was widely perceived in Silicon Valley as a "gentle giant" that was easy to partner with while Microsoft was perceived as an "extraordinarily fearsome, competitive company wanting to be in as many businesses as possible and with the engineering talent capable of implementing effectively anything."

Now, in the view of Mr. Kraus, "Microsoft is becoming I.B.M. and Google is becoming Microsoft." Mr. Kraus is the chief executive and a founder of JotSpot, a Silicon Valley start-up hoping to sell blogging and other self-publishing tools to corporations.

Just as Microsoft has been seen over the years as an aggressive, deep-pocketed competitor for talent, Internet start-ups in Silicon Valley complain that virtually every time they try to recruit a well-regarded computer programmer, that person is already contemplating an offer from Google.

More here.

Meedio Releases A First In Digital Video Recorder Software

Via Hometoys:

Leading developer of digital home software releases free update to the Meedio TV digital video recorder (DVR) with support for recording standard and high definition digital TV broadcasts from ATSC and DVB sources.

Extinction Long Seen, Video Stores Hang On

Via NYT:

Ever since Blockbuster and Movie Gallery opened their first video stores 20 years ago, predictions of their imminent demise have been as common as late fees.

Forum: Technology and the Internet
The Barron's columnist Alan Abelson deemed video stores a terrrible business opportunity back in 1986. Five years later, the chief executive of the Pilgrim Group referred to Blockbuster as a "casket case," adding that the video store would go the way of the dinosaur in three years.

The drumbeat of doom for the traditional video rental store intensified this month after Blockbuster and Movie Gallery, the country's two largest chains, with more than 50 percent of the market, announced their second-quarter results. Not only did they both post losses, they disappointed Wall Street with missed estimates, poor same-store sales and refusals to offer guidance for the coming months.

Yet that trip to the video store remains a stubborn fixture in the rapidly changing entertainment landscape. Complaints about the lack of selection, a paucity of hits and annoying late fees have not overcome the joys of browsing. Even the newer threats - the convenience of online subscription services like Netflix and the ability to order movies at the touch of a cable remote's button - are not expected by many analysts to crush the rental experience anytime soon.

Neither chain may ever become an investor's dream, but many analysts argue that with smarter management, judicious cost-cutting and further forays into sales of new and used DVD's and video games, and online subscription services, they can survive and perhaps even reward investors.

"The idea that video stores are magically going to go away for some reason is misguided," said Tom Adams, president of Adams Media Research, a research and consulting firm for the entertainment industry. "It is still the most popular way to watch movies."

The number of DVD's (and a dwindling number of VHS tapes) rented by the movie-loving public still dwarfs any other form of movie watching. According to Adams Media Research, there were nearly 3.2 billion rental transactions last year. By contrast, box-office admissions were less than half of that number, DVD sales totaled about 1.1 billion and there were fewer than 350,000 purchases of movies through video on demand or pay per view.

Nonetheless, the last few years have not been good to the video-rental market. As sales of DVD's exploded, thanks in large part to the aggressive pricing strategies of discount stores like Wal-Mart and Best Buy, fewer people felt the need to rent as much.

Depending on the company doing the tracking, the video rental business last year ranged from $8 billion to $8.9 billion. And according to the Video Software Dealers Association, that figure has been inching downward every year since its peak in 2001.

Now, in addition to the rise of DVD sales and Netflix, the traditional chains must cope with the video-on-demand option that cable operators, and soon the phone companies, are offering to their subscribers. The proposition does sound persuasive: no treks to the video store, no worries about not enough copies of the latest releases, even lower prices.

But one obstacle lies in the path of movies on demand, and that is the Hollywood studios. Unwilling to sacrifice the cash cow of home video sales, the studios have shown no desire to close the "window" - or the time lag of about 45 days - between releasing movies on DVD and making them available to the cable operators. Currently, the studios get about 60 percent of the list price of new DVD's, bringing in about $17 each. For each movie ordered by remote control, the studios get about $2.

And without the newest movies - the ones most popular with video renters - video on demand will be hard pressed to make a significant dent.

"Short term, I don't really see as much of a doomsday effect as other people do," said Ken Papagan, a vice president for Rentrak, an entertainment industry information service. "Because behaviors don't die easily."

Almost any product or service can be purchased online, by phone or through a click of the remote, said Mr. Papagan, who has spent about 25 years in the television and entertainment business. "But people still go to shopping malls in droves."

The two biggest chains are dealing with the changing and challenging business environment in different ways. Blockbuster, which reported a net loss of $57.2 million on revenue of $1.4 billion in the second quarter and also said it had to get a waiver on its debt covenants, is overhauling its traditional business model. Most of those losses stemmed from the costs of building up its year-old online subscription service to compete with Netflix and beginning its no-late-fee program, which gives customers a one-week grace period in addition to the usual rental period. Coming on the heels of its spinoff last fall from Viacom, the no-late-fee program alone meant a loss of $140 million in operating income during the second quarter, while the online project meant an investment of $30 million. For the year, the company is expecting to take a hit of $250 million to $300 million in lost income because of the no-late-fee program, and it will invest $120 million in Blockbuster Online.

By the end of the first quarter of 2006, it expects to have doubled the one million subscribers Blockbuster Online currently has. Netflix had 3.2 million subscribers at the end of June.

More here.

A P2P Network for Bikes

Via Wired:

Thousands of commuters in Lyon, France, are using pedal power instead of gas, under an ambitious new program that lets people rent bikes from public racks at low cost.

It's kind of like peer to peer for public transport.

The rent-a-bike scheme, called Vélo'v Grand Lyon, is open to anyone armed with a credit card. It costs 1 euro ($1.20) an hour, but there is no charge for the first 30 minutes. Since 90 percent of trips take less than half an hour, most subscribers pay nothing.

In just three months, the program has signed up 15,000 subscribers who take 4,000 trips a day and travel over 24,800 miles a week on 2,000 public bikes at 150 bike stations.

"It's a very novel and interesting scheme," said Brian Ó Gallachóir, senior researcher at the Sustainable Energy Research Group in University College Cork, Ireland. "Certainly, bikes are one of the most efficient forms of public transport. Once built, they cause zero emissions."

Lyon isn't the first city to try a public rent-a-bike or borrow-a-bike plan, but its program is showing more legs than most. Earlier efforts failed because they ran out of money, like the Yellow Bike project in Portland, Oregon. Or the bikes were simply stolen, as happened with Amsterdam's White Bikes.

Theft is not a problem for Vélo'v. Users must submit their credit-card information to become a subscriber. They also pay a 150 euro ($180) deposit, either by check or credit card pre-authorization. If a subscriber keeps the bike for more than 24 hours, the deposit is cashed.

Technology helps, too, and Lyon's distinctive silver and red bicycles are packed with it. Attempts to steal bikes from a rack set off an alarm, while a built-in lock secures bikes during rentals.

Motion sensors turn on a red taillight when the bike comes to a stop. A microchip exchanges information with electronic bike racks, identifying the bike, the subscriber and when it was rented and returned. Bikes even have sensors that check the brakes, lights, tire pressure and gears every time they are parked. If there's a problem, the station won't rent the bike.

A control center keeps track of the data, sending out mechanics or a shuttle to move bikes from one station to another as needed. The bikes are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, though currently weekday rush hours see the greatest demand, indicating that people are using the service to commute. On weekends, there's a 2 a.m. rush.

"Startup and development costs were high," said Nathalie Delebarre, a spokeswoman for JCDecaux, the company behind the program. "But they will be amortized over time, and as the service spreads to other cities, we can expect some economies of scale."

The service costs 1,000 euros ($1,200) per bike each year, or 2 million euros ($2.4 million) total, rising to 4 million euros ($4.9 million) by 2007 when 4,000 bikes will be installed. Decaux absorbs the entire cost for setting up and running the service, and returns any rental fees the service collects to Grand Lyon as part of its contract to use advertising space on Lyon's public bus shelters. Decaux's bus shelter contract is for 13 years, so in the midterm the system is secure.

Other cities are interested in adopting the scheme. Montpellier, Marseille, Geneva, Barcelona and even Amsterdam, the cycling capital of Europe, all sent delegations to examine it.

"This sounds like a promising project, and it will be interesting to see if it can be sustained," said John Andersen, editor of BicyclingLife.com.

Digital music king may lose crown

Via Cnet:
Enjoy it while it lasts. That is the message to Steve Jobs from almost every other company in the digital music space vying for consumer attention after several years of domination by the iPod and iTunes. CNN

More here.

Inteset Launches its Home Theater Media Server

Via Hometoys:

Massive Media Storage

The Denzel system boasts 1 Terabyte of online storage upgradeable to 2 Terabytes. One of the most exciting features of digital media is the ability to store and organize it in one place. Some types of media, like music, movie, and HDTV content require large amounts of storage space. For example, a single, full quality song can take as much as 12MB of space. Most music CDs contain 10 to 15 tracks, so 1 CD can occupy as much as 180MB of storage space. 100 CDs can occupy 18GB of space and so on. A single movie can take up to 8GB of disk space. Two hours of HDTV content takes up to 18GB of disk space. So you can see why the Denzel is packed with massive amounts of storage capacity. In addition, the Denzel is equipped with a Dual Layer DVD drive which means you can burn up to 8.7GB of content on a single removable DVD disk. More info here.

The Jelly-Fish 45

Via OhGizmo:

By David Ponce See, I’m not the kind of guy that has $2,5 million lying around, doing nothing. Of course, if I was, I’d probably look into the purchase of the Jelly-Fish 45, a groovadelic floating pad with an underwater viewing area. This creation from company Underwater Vehicles. is made from high density fiberglass with with solid teak flooring. Three levels stick out above water, while the lower level is semi submerged and has a guest room, bathroom and technical spaces. You can fit up to 7 of your guests in perfect comfort, while providing for a decidedly unusual experience. While most of the electricity comes from generator power, solar panels have been added for karma points. Check out the website right here. Story VIA Luxist.

Xbox360 Marketing Brochure Leak

Via BinkNu:

The Xbox360 Marketing brochure has been leaked onto the internet, and we have managed to obtain a copy for everyone to check out.

The brochure is divided into several pages, each one pertaining to a different aspect of the Xbox360 console:

- XBox360 General Info
- XBox360 System
- XBox360 Core System
- XBox360 Accessories Overview
- More Accessories #1
- More Accessories #2

Continue At Source: www.planetxbox360.com

XBox360 Backward Compatibility

Via ForeverGeek:

Ever since the XBox360 was announced, the issue of backward compatibility has gone from full compatibility to only certain games having it. Here is yet another log to throw on the fire. Apparently according to a translation of the French site Jeux-France MS also announced that all previous XBox games would be backward compatible with the new hardware. Of course you will need the HDD, but who actually planned on purchasing the Core system anyways?? According to this statement, you will need to buy the more expensive version of the system to have backward compatibility. If you already have an original XBox, will it make that much difference to play it on the new system? Will there be anything gained from playing on the newer platform versus the older one?

Nice round up on this weeks Xbox pricing saga

Via Engadget:

Let’s the games begin continue!

It’s been quite a busy week for both Microsoft and Sony. Earlier this week Microsoft released final pricing for its Xbox 360 system. Sony “responded”, in kind, by slapping a big helping of FUD on the table (via an Amazon pre-order page). It’s, of course, possible that Sony had nothing to do with the very-well-timed pre-order page. However, the battlefields of these wars are riddled with this type of chicanery.

Seriously though – does ANYONE expect to be able to walk into a store in March and buy a PS3 for $299? I suspect that the answer is no, but that’s alright; it’s all part of the gamesmanship that’s at the heart of the console wars.

Don’t get me wrong; Microsoft is no stranger to these games and currently they’re living through the flip-side of such creative fact-dispensing. The introduction of 360’s two-tiered pricing has left many scratching their heads (usually with the middle finger). The “Core” system is a bit shy on some of the, uh, core elements. Xbox Live? Not without an extra purchase of a memory card. Original Xbox games? Be prepared to buy the hard drive. Wireless controllers? Nope.

No wireless? No hard drive? No Xbox Live. Excuse me – these now-options were billed as being at the heart of the system. Understandably many are frustrated to hear that their wallets will be lightened as a result of this news. So the

question becomes: “Why did Microsoft do it?” Oh sure – it’s easy to say that it’s a PR move – get people thinking $299 and ooch them up to the $399 model. It’s a technique that car salesmen have been using since, well, forever. After all, it’s hard to deny the value one gets for his/her additional Franklin, and while it’s probably true that the appearance of the $299 price point played a large part in their decision, it just might be more interesting to look at the long-term benefits of such a move.

Namely, one must look at the economics of hard drives. The problem with including a hard drive is, of course, that the floor-price of hard drives rarely comes down. That’s not to say that you can’t buy more for your money. You’re purchasing power does, in fact, increase by quite a bit every year. For instance, at the time of this writing you can purchase a 160 gig hard drive for just 60 dollars. This is twenty times the size of the original Xbox’s hard drive. The problem is that this increase in purchasing power is asymmetric. The same massive curve doesn’t happen at the floor. For instance, that 8 gigabyte hard drive in the original Xbox will still cost you $20 today. There has been very little movement at the floor level. In fact, there was even a period of time when Microsoft apparently substituted 20 gigabyte hard drives in the original Xboxen because they were essentially the same price.

Over the course of the next four years, Microsoft will be expected to keep lowering the price. The problem, as they undoubtedly discovered with the original Xbox, is that the hard drive can add as much as $20 to the cost. While $20 might not seem like a lot of money, in the consumer electronics world where decisions about 5 cent parts are scrutinized and debated, $20 is a big chunk of change.

It’s all about the COGs (Cost of Goods) and it becomes quite hard to lower the end cost if you’ve got one rather large chunk that never seems to get all that much cheaper.

By establishing the “Core” system as one without a hard drive, Microsoft will be able to lower the price of the core system while retaining the freedom to tweak the premium package in such a way as to derive additional revenue. Expect the “Premium” option to have a less drastic price fall. Instead, expect to see the premium option come with larger hard drives, next generation optical drives, etc.

The good news is that such two-tier pricing increases the likelihood of a PS3 launch price drop. Until then why don’t we all just agree that the Xbox 360 costs $399.

Tour de France riders get geared up

Via Engadget:

It’s time once again for a look at the tech used by cyclists in this year’s Tour de France. This year, riders were able to combine heart-rate monitors, special crankset and wheel taps, and GPRS to send data back to their coaches and the media in real-time. The lightweight equipment added about 9 ounces to the overall weight of (un)wired riders — not nearly enough to slow them down. While biking enthusiasts gush about how the gear allows them to guage riders’ pacing and tactics, to improve performance and prepare for possible collapses, we know the real reason for this stuff: to give TV announcers something more to talk about than Lance, Lance, Lance. Next year, with Armstrong out of the race, this gear will probably be the new network star.

GRAPHITE FIVE INTRODUCES DIGITAL DISTRIBUTED AUDIO SYSTEM

Via Hometoys:

Delivering premier quality sound with flexibility and scalability that far exceeds its affordable price-point, Graphite Five makes it easier for homeowners to enjoy high-performance music anywhere throughout the home.

At the heart of the system is the intuitive LCD touchscreen interface with a built-in sensor to adjust backlight to ambient light levels. Designed with remarkable simplicity in mind, all family members can easily select and operate almost any CE playback devices from cassette decks to CD players through the attractive GUI. All major playback and source selection functions are available at the touch of a finger or via an IR remote control.

Each zone features one Touchscreen Amplifier with a high-quality 70-watt digital amplifier (35-watts per channel), and each source requires one advanced Audio Encoder. Eliminating the need for complicated wiring, bewildering remotes, and portable players, Graphite Five audio encoders convert digital and analog sources to an IP based Ethernet compatible format to deliver crisp, clear sound from a centralized location.

Elegant in design and function, Graphite Five’s system components blend seamlessly with every room. Designed to reduce the clutter of traditional analog systems, the discreet touchscreen is contemporary and stylish, a perfect complement to any distinctive home. The touchscreen’s front and back bezel frames and side pieces can be easily removed for painting to perfectly match room decor. An optional desk stand mount is also available.

Easy to use and a snap to install, Graphite Five’s individual zone configuration was designed to complement all room configurations and budgets. Whether installed prominently on the wall, or discreetly positioned behind the door, Graphite Five units can be added and installed on existing audio, CAT5, and A-Bus® wiring. A key goal was to ensure that integrators did not have to be computer experts, so the system offers plug-and-play convenience anywhere with network jack access and a speaker set-up. To enhance flexibility the touchscreen can be electronically inverted to permit a touchscreen amplifier to flip for right or left mounting by door frames with closely installed single gang j-boxes.

More here.

Pixar mourns 'Toy Story' writer

Via Cnet:

Pixar Animation Studios was in shock Wednesday after learning of the death of Joe Ranft, one of the founding members of its creative team. The 45-year-old Ranft, who earned an Oscar nomination as a writer on "Toy Story," died Tuesday afternoon in Mendocino County, Calif., when a car he was traveling in plunged off a cliff.

"People cannot say much but just gave each other embraces to quell the sadness..." Pixarblog. "It is the saddest day at Pixar." storyboard artist Ronnie del Carmen wrote in his

"We are all hit hard by this sudden news and we're all beyond sadness here at the studio," Enrico Casarosa, another storyboard artist, wrote in his online journal. "Joe's contribution to animation has been immense and far reaching. He taught and mentored a whole generation of creators. I can't even begin to describe how dearly he will be missed."

Ranft, a veteran of the California Institute of the Arts and Disney, did storyboard and story-development work, and even provided voices for some characters. He played, for example, Wheezy the Penguin in "Toy Story 2." Other credits include "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," "The Lion King," "Monsters Inc." and "Finding Nemo."

The animation community at large expressed its sorrow and shared remembrances at Cartoon Brew, which also featured links to more information about Ranft and his work.

The Hollywood Reporter posted an obituary on Ranft earlier Wednesday.

Microsoft to Offer Two Xbox 360 Options

Via Thomas Hawk:

USATODAY.com - Microsoft to offer two Xbox 360 options: "Video gamers pining for Microsoft's new Xbox 360 game system will have two different options to choose from, a fully-equipped $399.99 package that includes a 20 Gigabyte hard drive and a stripped-down $299.99 version."

Counterfeiters Love Electronics

Via Wired:

Travel the world, and it's safe to assume the Gucci bags and Rolex watches for sale along city streets are counterfeits. Now, increasingly, shoppers can add name-brand electronics to the list of goods to distrust.

As many as one in 10 high-tech products sold worldwide are actually knockoffs, according to a survey by an anti-counterfeiting group. The study, released Tuesday by the accounting firm KPMG and the Alliance for Gray Market and Counterfeit Abatement, or AGMA, based its estimates on data gleaned from interviews with executives at 15 large IT manufacturers.


"It catches a lot of people off guard because they think that we're building very complex technologies that are very difficult to counterfeit," said Nick Tidd, president of AGMA and a vice president for sales and business compliance at 3Com.

In contrast to watches, DVDs and CDs, far more counterfeit technology products are hawked over the internet than on street corners. AGMA identified China as a hotbed for the origination of knockoffs, which range in quality from obviously inferior imitations to fakes that are hard to differentiate from the real thing. The variety of counterfeits on the market today is vast.

"At first it started with Rolexes and Louis Vuitton bags, and now it's spreading to everything you can think of," said Joseph Loomis, vice president of marketing for Net Enforcers, which provides brand-protection services to companies.

Today, Loomis is seeing more counterfeits of established brand-name products like the Sony PlayStation. He expects the enduring popularity of Apple Computer's iPod will spur knockoffs of the digital music player.

But imitations aren't limited to well-known consumer devices. According to Tidd, 3Com recently detected a counterfeiter selling a fake version of a switch used to network office equipment. Printer toner cartridges are also a favorite target for knockoffs.

In many cases, counterfeiters don't reproduce a device themselves. Instead, they take a DVD player or MP3 player from a low-cost manufacturer, and slap on a label of a more reputable company -- a practice known as "rebranding."

AGMA's definition of counterfeit also includes items made by contract manufacturers that contain unauthorized parts. Contractors, often based in developing nations, are hired by original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs, to make products carrying the OEM brand. But contract manufacturers don't always follow the OEM's specifications, Tidd said, and can produce shoddy products with high return rates.

Consumers generally can't tell if a product they buy contains unauthorized parts. According to Tidd, the responsibility lies with OEMs to determine whether a product is up to spec, following up on clues like a sudden spike in returns.

For shoppers, Loomis said, guidelines for avoiding counterfeits are pretty basic. If a price seems too low, there's probably a catch. This is particularly true of sellers on auction sites like eBay, where counterfeiters commonly hawk their wares.

EBay has a longstanding program in place for intellectual-property owners to identify unauthorized sales, but doesn't monitor each new listing added to the site to determine if it's a counterfeit, said Chris Donlay, an eBay spokesman. In addition to counterfeits, auction sites also attract sellers of gray-market goods, which are products sold through an unauthorized channel.

As for counterfeiters, the electronics sector is attractive because products have a high retail price compared to other watches or handbags, said Marie Myers, director of internal audits for Hewlett-Packard and a former AGMA president.

"If you counterfeit a handbag, the handbag may sell for $10 or $20," she said. "When you're counterfeiting electronics, the unit price is typically higher."

That's also why counterfeit technology will likely anger customers more than other types. After all, Myers noted, most people who buy a Gucci handbag from a street vendor for $10 know it is a fake. If it falls apart, they won't be especially surprised.

But an unwary online purchaser of a $2,500 computer, AGMA noted in its report, may not be as understanding when it breaks. They'll be even less understanding when they find out a warranty doesn't apply, since the product is a counterfeit.

Lazer Trip Wire

Via Gizmodo

Cue the James Bond music, because you're about to witness cubicle protection, ninja-style. The Lazer Trip Wire uses infrared beams to recreate those high-tech red beams you see in spy movies, only this time, it won't be protecting Fort Knox, but your tiny cubicle instead. Once you hook up the units, you'll even get a voice saying "System Armed." And if that sweaty dude from Accounting tries to steal your stapler, he'll break the beam, and trigger a loud alarm. Too bad this thing doesn't come with burly henchmen or attack dogs.

Three Lazer units are included in each package, and it's going for $29.99 at ThinkGeek.

Lazer Trip Wire [ThinkGeek]

Xbox 360 Price, Specs Announced

Via eWeek:

Drum roll, please!

After endless speculation, musings and fanboy bitching, Microsoft has finally coughed up the North American and European pricing for its next-generation console, Xbox 360. You might want to sit down for this one.

Last-minute rumors from the analyst crowd have actually turned out true; there will be two different hardware models at launch: Xbox 360 Core System priced at $299.99 (299.99 Euros / 209.99 pounds) and the Xbox 360 for $399.99 (399.99 Euros / 279.99 pounds). Scroll down further for all the juicy pricing information for the hefty list of launch-slated Xbox 360 accessories. Start savin' those pennies now, kids.

HD-DVD: What’s in a Name?

Via HDBlog:

You know DVD. I know DVD. Most people you know probably know DVD. DVD is a CD, but for movies. I know HD. You know HD. Most people you know probably don’t know much about it. Yet. But as it becomes more popular, people will start to ask themselves if there’s an HD version of DVD available. They walk into Best Buy and see HD-DVD. There you go, that’s it! I want an HD-DVD player. BD you say? What’s that? A foot disease? No thanks. I’ll take that HD-DVD, thank-you. There’s power in a name, and that power is working for Toshiba as it brings HD-DVD to market late this year. It’s really as simple as that. No use saying it fourteen different ways. So the real question is: can Sony push the BD so hard that people are actually aware of it when it comes time to purchase an HD disc player? When they see an HD-DVD player at Best Buy, will the ask the salesman about that other format? You know, the foot disease one? One thing that can only help is Sony’s inclusion of BD drives in the PS3. Millions of people will buy th PS3, giving BD instant recognition by those folks. Gosh, wouldn’t it be a good idea for Sony to enlist Microsoft into putting the BD into the Xbox 360 as well? Sony needs moves like this to raise BD’s profile, or it’ll never make it against HD-DVD. Mindshare. It’s called mindshare. Link: MacWorld - HD-DVD claims the brand advantage Tags: HD-DVD, Blu-ray, HD, HDTV

Interactive 3D Display: Its Here!

Via Ohgizmo:


Originally mentioned at Gizmodo as a prototype in 2003, IO2 Technology has just completed the production unit and provided the details behind the revolutionary HelioDisplay which produces interactive 3D dsiplays in thin air (via lasers) from common sources.

The HelioDisplay technology page lists some of its remarkable features:

Inputs from most regular sources: PC,TV, DVD, HDTV, Video game consoles
Projects a 22″ to 42″ (depending on model) diagonal image that floats above the device
It is interactive, like a virtual touch screen: a hand or finger can act as a mouse
Although the HelioDisplay uses lasers, the images are not holographic
Possible uses for this product include advertising, entertainment facilities, design prototyping, teleconferencing etc. Obviously the applications for such a product are endless. Most importantly it may convince my wife to finally allow the purchase of the Brooke Burke Swimsuit calendar for testing purposes! This of course relies heavily on pricing (TBD) and other more, um, personal matters.

Apparently the product is ready for release; visit the product page here which looks like its being updated right now. Visit the IO2TECHNOLOGY company homepage here.

Lions Gate Is Expected to Support Blu-ray Discs

Via NYT:

Lions Gate Home Entertainment is expected to announce today that it plans to produce next-generation digital video discs using Blu-ray technology developed by Sony and others. The decision could give the supporters of the Blu-ray format an edge in its continuing battle against backers of HD-DVD technology, who are supporting a competing format for new high-definition discs.

Lions Gate, which controls about 4 percent of the DVD market, is the latest studio to declare its allegiance in the format contest. The Blu-ray technology is being developed by Sony, Panasonic and others, while the HD-DVD standard is backed by Toshiba, NEC and Sanyo.

Sony's movie studio, as well as Disney and Fox, have also said they will produce Blu-ray DVD's, which will include high-definition video, enhanced audio and stronger copyright protections. Lions Gate, Sony, Disney and Fox sell about 45 percent of the DVD's in the United States.

MGM, which was sold to an investment group led by Sony, controls another 4 percent of the DVD market. Many industry analysts say MGM's movies are likely to be produced in the Blu-ray format as well.

Paramount, a division of Viacom, and Warner Home Video and Universal Studios Home Video plan to release more than 80 titles in the HD-DVD format starting as early as the fourth quarter this year. Together, the companies control 45 percent of the market for the current generation of discs.

Lions Gate plans to release 10 movies in the Blu-ray format next spring.

Hollywood's largest studios have grown reliant on the billions of dollars that DVD sales produce and they have spent years weighing the benefits of the two formats.

HD-DVD, which is essentially an upgrade of existing disc technology, is considered cheaper to produce. Blu-ray supporters say that that Blu-ray discs store more data than HD-DVD discs, but they are more expensive to produce because of the newer technology.

Since studios sell tens of millions of DVDs every year, even a few pennies difference in the price of producing a disc can chew into profits. Cheaper production costs also allow the studios to sell discs at lower prices to consumers.

Though Lions Gate said that Blu-ray discs were likely to be expensive initially, it was convinced that the production cost would fall in the coming years.

"All along, our biggest concern was whether these discs could be mass-produced," said Steve Beeks, the president of Lions Gate Entertainment, which sells about 70 million discs a year. "Even though the first Blu-ray discs released will most likely carry a premium price, within three to four years the market is going to change."

Mr. Beeks said that the Lions Gate's agreement was not exclusive and his company could produce discs in the HD-DVD format if needed. However, he said the sooner the industry and consumers settled on a single format, the better.

Blu-ray is likely to become the dominant standard faster, Mr. Beeks said, partly because Sony plans to include the technology in its new PlayStation 3 game consoles that are expected to be in stores next spring. The game machines thus would double as Blu-ray disc players and could potentially increase Blu-ray disc sales.

Like the other studios, Lions Gate has had to balance the benefits of the competing formats against how quickly they could be marketed to consumers. Some industry executives say that growth in the sales of the current generation of DVD's is slowing and that introducing high-definition discs is needed to increase overall sales.

In recent weeks, stocks have declined at several studios, including Pixar Animation Studios, after they reported weaker-than-expected DVD sales of their movies.

Industry analysts expect DVD sales to grow in the high single digits this year, down from more than 20 percent in recent years.

However, some studio executives including Mr. Beeks argue that sales of current DVD's are still healthy enough that there is less need to rush new discs to market simply to stimulate revenue. Rather, they say, it is more important to develop discs that are significantly better technologically to entice consumers to upgrade their machines and disc collections.

Still, the cost of upgrading will be out of reach for average consumers for several years. Most high-definition TV's cost several thousand dollars.

New iPaqs Hang on the Horizon

Via Eweek:

HP is readying new iPaq phones with full QWERTY keyboards, according to Federal documents that are posted on the Web. According to the documents, the Federal Communications Commission has approved at least two iPaq GPRS/EDGE (General Packet Radio Service/Enhanced Data for Global Evolution) phones with full keyboards for use in the United States—one that supports Wi-Fi and one, the hw6500, that does not.

The hw6500 is already available in Europe, but has yet to be released in the United States, although the FCC indicates that it has been approved for use in the United States.

Hewlett-Packard Co. officials declined to say when the hw6500 will be available in the States—only that it eventually will be.

"I'll definitely let you know when we'll start shipping," said Mike Hockey, a spokesperson for HP in Houston.

The hw6500 runs Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Mobile operating system. It supports quadband GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)/GPRS/EDGE for cellular connectivity and Bluetooth for local wireless connections, but it does not support Wi-Fi.

However, HTC (High Tech Computer Corp.),which manufactures the iPaq for HP, submitted a similar iPaq that was approved for both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in the 2.4GHz range.

Read more here about HP's latest tweaks to the iPaq.

Furthermore, an iPaq fan site last week posted a brochure for an iPaq 6700, which Hewlett-Packard's United Kingdom site apparently posted too soon.

The brochure says that the hw6700 will support 802.11g, a flavor of Wi-Fi that can support throughput rates of up to 54Mb per second. The information is no longer on any of the HP sites, but can be found here.

Speculation on the Media Center Update Release Date

Via Thomas Hawk:

Speculation on the Media Center Update Release Date

Ed Bott: Is the latest Media Center update ready yet? Shouuld be coming soon. It will be interesting to see what is incorporated and how the update will be done.

2008 Olympics in HD over Broadband?

Via HDBlog:

telecom asia.net ponders whether or not HDTV broadcasts of the 2008 Olympics in Bejing will be available. China NetCom president Zhang Chunjiang says the the 2008 Olympics will be all about broadband, saying “Broadband Internet subscribers from various countries will be able to watch and experience the Games conveniently with richer means. This is of great significance to the IOC, the Olympic Games as well as the audience.”

The 2004 Olympics had some impressive HD coverage, so of course the question of HD will be foremost in many people’s minds when it comes to Olympics coverage. But “That puts pressure on China’s broadband infrastructure if it intends to offer broadband TV, says NetCom’s Zhang, as a single HD stream can eat up at least 12 Mbps of bandwidth.”

Irregardless of whether or not we’ll be able to get HD coverage online, lets hope that we’ll at least be able to get HD coverage through our local cable/satellite provider.

Link: telecomasia.net - Streaming HD broadband Olympics

Tags: 2008+Olympics

Logitech uncloaks cordless desktop combos

Via Cnet:

A day after releasing a new Web cam, Logitech announced a batch of mouse-and-keyboard combinations on Tuesday, including one that lets you control your desktop from 60 feet away.

The PC gadget maker's four latest peripheral products include the diNovo Media Desktop Laser, the next version of the company's flagship media package. It comes in silver-metallic finish with blue accents and features a detached, multipurpose number pad that can act as a remote control.

The pad also has an interactive display that shows incoming instant messages and e-mails, and displays the status of instant-messenger buddies. In addition, the pad can be used as a standalone calculator.

The diNovo package comes with the MX 1000 laser cordless mouse originally launched last year and a Bluetooth wireless-enabled keyboard, which the Swiss-American company said could let customers transmit a picture from a mobile phone or camera to the PC or use a wireless headset to conduct voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP, phone calls.

The product is expected to ship in October in the U.S. and Europe with a $199.99 price tag.

While Logitech isn't alone in creating multifunction keyboards, more designs are catching the eye of consumers who are looking for more than basic black or tan. Cases in point are a couple of devices expected later this year from two separate design firms in Russia.

Logitech has upgraded its other multifunction products as well. The company's MX 5000 cordless mouse and keyboard features a built-in LCD (liquid-crystal display) that can display e-mail and instant-message notifications, as well show music player information. The combination is also equipped with Bluetooth wireless and is expected to ship in October for $149.99.

Take away the LCD display and the Bluetooth and you get Logitech's cordless MX 3000. Available beginning this month in Europe and the U.S. for $99, the package includes a laser-based mouse with Logitech's low-profile keyboard. The 12 function keys have a second mode that allows the owner to program separate actions such as going to a particular Web site or opening an e-mail program.

Logitech is also offering a cordless S 510 keyboard that includes a remote control for the PC and other devices. The package comes with an 800 dpi optical mouse, and a keyboard uses the 27MHz wireless spectrum with a range of 16 feet. The device has seven customizable keys, including three smart keys.

The mouse-keyboard remote is expected to be available in September for $99.99. A version without a remote or mini-receiver will also be available for $79.99, Logitech said.

Last week, Logitech took the wraps off a box of new goodies for PC game enthusiasts, including a programmable keyboard with an LCD and two mice with laser tracking technology.

Logitech uncloaks cordless desktop combos

Via Cnet:

A day after releasing a new Web cam, Logitech announced a batch of mouse-and-keyboard combinations on Tuesday, including one that lets you control your desktop from 60 feet away.

The PC gadget maker's four latest peripheral products include the diNovo Media Desktop Laser, the next version of the company's flagship media package. It comes in silver-metallic finish with blue accents and features a detached, multipurpose number pad that can act as a remote control.

The pad also has an interactive display that shows incoming instant messages and e-mails, and displays the status of instant-messenger buddies. In addition, the pad can be used as a standalone calculator.

The diNovo package comes with the MX 1000 laser cordless mouse originally launched last year and a Bluetooth wireless-enabled keyboard, which the Swiss-American company said could let customers transmit a picture from a mobile phone or camera to the PC or use a wireless headset to conduct voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP, phone calls.

The product is expected to ship in October in the U.S. and Europe with a $199.99 price tag.

While Logitech isn't alone in creating multifunction keyboards, more designs are catching the eye of consumers who are looking for more than basic black or tan. Cases in point are a couple of devices expected later this year from two separate design firms in Russia.

Logitech has upgraded its other multifunction products as well. The company's MX 5000 cordless mouse and keyboard features a built-in LCD (liquid-crystal display) that can display e-mail and instant-message notifications, as well show music player information. The combination is also equipped with Bluetooth wireless and is expected to ship in October for $149.99.

Take away the LCD display and the Bluetooth and you get Logitech's cordless MX 3000. Available beginning this month in Europe and the U.S. for $99, the package includes a laser-based mouse with Logitech's low-profile keyboard. The 12 function keys have a second mode that allows the owner to program separate actions such as going to a particular Web site or opening an e-mail program.

Logitech is also offering a cordless S 510 keyboard that includes a remote control for the PC and other devices. The package comes with an 800 dpi optical mouse, and a keyboard uses the 27MHz wireless spectrum with a range of 16 feet. The device has seven customizable keys, including three smart keys.

The mouse-keyboard remote is expected to be available in September for $99.99. A version without a remote or mini-receiver will also be available for $79.99, Logitech said.

Last week, Logitech took the wraps off a box of new goodies for PC game enthusiasts, including a programmable keyboard with an LCD and two mice with laser tracking technology.

AVERMEDIA OFFERS MCE 2005 DUAL HI-DEF and WINDOWS XP HI DEF TV TUNERS

Via Hometoys:

AVERMEDIA® ANNOUNCES NEW WINDOWS® XP MCE 2005 DUAL DRIVER AND WINDOWS XP APPLICATION FOR A180 HI-DEFINITION TV TUNER

AVerMedia Dual Tuner Driver for AVerTV HD MCE A180 and A180 Hi-Definition Application for Standard Windows XP now Available.

MILPITAS, CA – August 16, 2005 - AVerMedia® Technologies, Inc., the leading provider of digital multimedia and presentation technology announced today the release of its Dual Tuner driver for the AVerTV HD MCE A180 Hi-Definition TV Tuner and Windows XP standard certified A180 Hi-Definition solution.

The AverTV HD MCE A180 is a certified PCI ATSC (Free-to-air) Hi-Definition TV Tuner card. The new MCE certified driver will allow MCE 2005 users to watch one Digital TV program and record another, or record up to two Digital TV programs simultaneously, as well as up to two analog programs by installing two AVerTV HD MCE A180 cards and dual analog tuner cards.

“The addition of the Dual Tuner driver for MCE adds increased flexibility and value to the already popular AVerTV HD A180 TV Tuner,” says Dominic Wong, Technical Marketing Manager for AVerMedia Technologies, Inc. “Now, users have the ability to not only watch HDTV, but they can record other HD programs at the same time through the MCE 2005 Operating System.”

AVerMedia is also announcing the release its own AVerTV PVR 6.0 for Windows XP Home/Professional Edition. This new PVR application allows Windows XP users to enjoy free-to-air Hi-Definition TV without the MCE 2005 OS. AVerTV PVR 6.0 allows users to enjoy HDTV viewing, recording and time-shifting functions with the AVerTV HD MCE A180. In addition to HDTV viewing, the AVerTV PVR 6.0 application allows users to capture analog video, the edit with Windows Movie Maker.
Pricing and Availability

The AVerMedia AVerTV HD MCE A180 Dual Driver and XP Certified AVerTV PVR 6.0 software are available now at no additional cost. For more information about any of AVerMedia’s other digital multimedia products, visit www.avermedia-usa.com or call AVerMedia at (408) 263-3828.

About AVerMedia Technologies:
AVerMedia is the technology leader in Digital Multimedia Video Convergence Technology. Aside from its full line of TV Tuners and Personal Video Recorder products, AVerMedia provides Hardware and Software DVR Board Security Systems, Document Cameras, Digital Video Makers, TV Photo Viewers, and PC-to-TV Converters for consumer and corporate/ educational markets. AVerMedia also partners with ODMs for the development of AVerMedia’s technologies for integration applications.

Meedio and Global Caché Form Alliance To Enable Smart Home Networks

Via Hometoys:

Meedio LLC, the award-winning developer of software that powers the digital home, and Global Caché, a leading provider of hardware that network-enables devices in homes and businesses, announced today they have signed an agreement to work together to deliver and promote compatible products that address the fast-growing home automation and control market.

Meedio provides a suite of software applications to manage and control home entertainment, information, and automation systems using customizable graphical interfaces that run on TVs, PCs, touchscreens, and wireless PDAs. By combining the convenience and simplicity of the TV with the power and flexibility of the personal computer, Meedio has created a new way to access virtually any kind of information and entertainment from the living room couch. Meedio products allow you to control your lights, appliances, telephone, heating/cooling, security system, and any other electronic device from a single interface.

Global Caché's award-winning GC-100 Network Adapter is designed to IP-enable existing hardware, bringing Ethernet connectivity to equipment that otherwise could not be accessed over a network. The first of its kind, the GC-100 is an essential enabling piece, connecting networks to infrared (IR), serial (RS232), and digital I/O relay devices so they can be accessed and managed simply and inexpensively by network-based software. Additionally, Global Caché offers the award-winning GC-IRL IR Learner, full-spectrum sensors and other network connectivity products.

Walt Keller, Global Caché President, describes the partnership as one that 'delivers a powerful, but simple and cost-effective solution that addresses a real need in today's home environment.' He adds, 'We're very pleased to be partnering with Meedio. Their quality software solution based on open systems, and our open standards-based hardware is an excellent fit. Combine that with both companies' commitment to assuring that our products work together seamlessly, and we believe our mutual customers will benefit greatly with this alliance.'

Meedio CEO, Victor Koosh said, 'This is the kind of partnership we like. Global Caché products have great synergy with ours and can address one of the fastest growing segments of the home automation and control market: the guy next door. No longer are the convenience, energy savings, and just plain fun aspects of home control available to just the wealthy. Today, thanks to alliances like this, anyone can enjoy the benefits of a digital home.'

About Meedio LLC - http://www.meedio.com
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Meedio develops innovative software for digital home entertainment and automation systems. Meedio provides a robust middleware platform, a suite of plug-in applications, a customizable user interface, and an extensible media library. Meedio's software is enjoyed by users in 41 countries and is licensed to resellers, OEMs, and ISVs worldwide.

About Global Caché, Inc. - http://www.globalcache.com
Global Caché manufactures state-of-the-art products that enable technology in homes and businesses. Our GC-100 Network Adapter provides the means for PC-based home automation and management software to access, control, and deliver services in a networked home to diverse and previously unconnected devices and appliances. Global Caché sells through distributors, VARs, and OEMs.

iGoogleTunes on the way?

Via Cnet:

No details yet, but this story from The Street talks about rumors that Google is headed for a deal with Apple Computer to index the contents of the Tunes music store, presumably providing a link directly to a 99 cent copy of the latest Fiona Apple song right from your Google Toolbar search.

As outlined, it sounds similar to what Yahoo already offers with its audio search tool, which searches and links to downloads from a number of stores including iTunes. Analysts discussing the rumor today said it would be surprising if Google were to include only iTunes links, saying that a broader music search tool was more likely.

A Google spokesman declined to comment on the rumors. (Google representatives have instituted a policy of not talking with CNET News.com reporters until July 2006 in response to privacy issues raised by a previous story.) An Apple spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.

TV tries shaky hand at podcasting

Via Cnet:

The networks are jumping into your iPod with mixed results. News shows and episode commentaries are big, but forget about an audio version of 24 for now. More here.

The whole house operated with one hand" - Test: Living in the T-Com House

Via Hometoys:

A remote control for the entire home - lighting, entertainment and communication, all in one hand: The T-Com House in Berlin demonstrates exemplary technology and is creating a lot of publicity for Home Networking

More at source.

What Vista Media Center will do to 3rd Party DVRs

Via Gadget Fetish:

For the moment, third party Windows DVRs make a delightful open alternative to Windows XP Media Center Edition but what happens once we switch over to an HDTV world? SageTV, Beyond TV, and Meedio may be on the way to extinction. All their base are belong to Windows Vista Media Center.

Sorry! Couldn't resist. ;)

Seriously, the eventual release of Windows Vista Media Center (some refer to it as "Diamond" which may or may not be Microsoft's code name for the platform) may spell doom for third party DVR companies.

SageTV and its brethren can, at best, only handle Over-the-air (OTA) high definition. Windows XP Media Center Edition suffers this particular limitation as well.

However, Vista MCE, with all of its additional DRM, is rumored to provide support for the CableCARD. For those not in the know, your cable company is required to offer the option of allowing you to rent/purchase a CableCARD instead of forcing you to rent one of their more expensive lower quality set top boxes. The CableCARD, which plugs into many contemporary HDTVs, acts as a decoder for your HDTV, mitigating the need for the set-top box. While the CableCARD provides less functionality than the set-top box (i.e., no on-demand television), having the PC interface with a cable card instead of a clunky set-top box sounds awfully desirable, doesn't it?

While Vista may support the CableCARD, will the 3rd party DVRs be able to use it? There should be no doubt that the cable companies will require that HDTV content, recorded via a CableCARD, be encrypted on a PC's hard drive.

Welcome to HD-DVD and Blu-Ray DRM all over again, folks. We're going from a Digital-to-Analog Converter world to an "All Digital, All DRM'd, All-The-Time" world!

The question that I'm sure SageTV, SnapStream, and others are asking Microsoft behind closed doors is whether Vista will provide an interface to this "trusted data store" containing encrypted cable HDTV programming. If not, kiss SageTV, Beyond TV, Meedio, and the other small fries goodbye. Sure, the third party DVRs will continue to be able to record analog programming and late perhaps even dithered down HDTV programming converted to analog via a set-top box but they won't have access to the original digital content itself! In an all digital world, only HDTV will matter.

Advantage Vista MCE.

Microsoft, with their bend-over-backwards devotion to the content providers/distributors, is clearly setting themselves up to be the PC middle man in the coming "All Your Media Are Belong To Someone-other-than-you" world. While we already know that Microsoft isn't standing up for the consumer, the next question is whether they'll stand up at all for third party integrators or whether it's time to return to the courtroom with the Department of Justice. While, in truth, I expect some semblance of the former but, really, I hope for the latter.

Edit: I inccorectly referred to Vista MCE as the problem. Vista itself will have the DRM support built right in. Vista MCE (or whatever Microsoft may later call it) will presumably employ this DRM when recording HD content.

Podcasts: All the Rage or About to Fizzle?

Via NYT:
As more people subscribe to podcasts, market researchers are struggling to assess podcasting's reach. The Pew Internet and American Life Project stepped into the fray last April with a report that six million people had listened to podcasts - audio recordings posted online. Pew's figure was derided by some as an overestimate.

Now two other researchers have tried to predict the future of podcasting, and the variance between their results is instructive. Marc Freedman of the Diffusion Group predicted that 56.8 million people would be using podcasts in 2010. "Podcasting will be a common feature, integrated into browsers and digital media players," he said.

But Ted Schadler of Forrester Research predicted that 12.3 million households - about 30 million people - would use podcasts by 2010. His forecast assumes that many early adopters will give up on podcasting and that others will never pick it up. Often, he said, "We find both that the early adoption rate differs completely from the later adoption rate, and that people use things and they just don't like them, and after a year they stop." ALEX MINDLIN

The .NET Show: Windows XP Media Center Edition

MSDN, The .NET Show: Windows XP Media Center Edition:
In this episode John Canning, Charlie Owen, and Michael Creasy share some details about Windows XP Media Center Edition and how it provides an integrated home audio and video experience.

NEW Bose 3·2·1 GSX DVD home entertainment system

The new Bose 3·2·1 GSX DVD home entertainment system. Our 3·2·1 GSX system is the premium selection in the acclaimed Bose 3·2·1 system family, offering the added benefits of music storage. It delivers much of the performance of a conventional home theater solution, the simplicity of fewer speakers and wires and now, the uMusic® intelligent playback system.

Previously the uMusic system has only been available in our premium Lifestyle® home entertainment systems. We're happy to make it available to you now in our premium 3·2·1 GSX system.

Our new 3·2·1 GSX DVD home entertainment system is distinguished by:

• Two Gemstone® speaker arrays and a hideaway Acoustimass® module: The unique combination of proprietary speaker array technology and TrueSpace^TM surround digital processing circuitry allows this acoustic package to deliver much of the home theater experience that conventional systems use five speakers to create.
• Home theater with fewer wires: Makes enjoying movies at home easy without rear speakers and wires running to the back of your room.
• Digital storage of your CDs inside the elegant media center. It's easy. Say goodbye to cluttered stacks of CDs because now you can store up to 200 hours of your favorite music. No computers required. Just put your CD into the media center, press one button and it's stored.
• The innovative uMusic® intelligent playback system makes music listening as easy and enjoyable as possible by paying attention to what you play and learning your musical tastes. There's no need to create playlists. The uMusic system will select all your favorite music choices for you, so you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy.

The system's elegant media center features a progressive scan DVD/CD player with AM/FM tuner. The easy-to-use universal remote control is programmable to run most of your other entertainment devices together with your system. Set-up is simple (no wires to the back of your room), and the included step-by-step installation DVD makes it even easier. Plus, the 3·2·1 GSX system's Bose® link feature allows you to connect it to compatible Lifestyle® systems for whole-home entertainment.

The pleasures of Bose quality sound. The simplicity of fewer speakers and wires. The easy convenience of music storage and the uMusic intelligent playback system. We're happy to introduce the 3·2·1 GSX DVD home entertainment system. To find out more about it, please click here.

The new 3·2·1 GSX system will be available to the public August 25th.

What's behind the Xbox money?

Via Cnet:

Microsoft has made the Xbox a centerpiece of its growth strategy as the company shifts its focus increasingly from the cubicle and desktop to the living room. Yet the software behemoth has a long way to go before the device can turn the kind of profits to which it is accustomed with Windows.

So in the meantime, the company is trying new ways to make money with Xbox while it continues to play catch-up to Sony--most recently, through royalties from accessories such as joysticks and steering wheels sold by its partners. (Sony has its own problems with PlayStation, but we'll save that for another day.) Royalty-sharing arrangements are hardly groundbreaking. Apple is trying this tactic with iPod add-ons and, outside the computer industry, Hollywood studios typically get a sizable chunk of the revenues made through toys, clothing, video games and other products stemming from its movie titles. But even established business practices fall under extraordinary scrutiny, fairly or not, when Microsoft is involved. Critics, for example, may well point to Microsoft's history of strong-arming other business partners, such as PC hardware manufacturers. Giving further ammunition to critics is its use of technology locks to ensure that no one messes with its plans: Microsoft has created special security mechanisms on the Xbox so that it will work only with those accessories made by companies that agree to the royalty arrangement.

Blog community response:

"Are they alienating those companies by doing this? Who knows. Maybe some of them are willing to give up the cash for the opportunity to recoup some of it back and more. All I know is that this gives Sony the idea to do the same with the PS3."
--Gaming Horizon

"Besides the royalty, which will restrict many small companies from making Xbox 360 peripherals, this security feature also gives Microsoft total control over which peripherals are manufactured so if, for instance, they don't want mouse and keyboard adapters for the Xbox 360, they can simply decide not to allow them, even if a company wants to pay the royalty."
--Haloaded

"On top of all of this, Microsoft wants a certain percentage of all sales of third-party items. Opinions on this news vary widely. Some are appalled and are worried that there will be a severe lack of accessories, while others think that this policy will lead to higher-quality peripherals."
--Gaming 360

iMuse Debuts Next Generation Media Server

iMuse Electronics, Inc. will debut its next generation series of media server products at the annual convention of Custom Electronics Dealers and Installers (CEDIA) on September 8 in Indianapolis.

Bill Duncan, iMuse CEO, said the introduction of three true media servers will once and for all end the debate as to what sets the standard for a full-featured device. Entering the marketplace this fall is the entry-level iMuse SIERRA, the multi-zone capable iMuse SUMMIT, and the mass storage behemoth iMuse AVALANCHE capable of holding up to 1,750 full-quality, full-length DVDs.

Redefining the Media Server Category

"The term 'media server' has become so confused that if you do a search you'll come up with over 64 million hits," said Duncan. "The fact is, there are less than a half-dozen fully capable audio/video products out there that are designed for home network integration."

Duncan's Colorado Springs, CO based company has been working on developing the iMuse media server series for the past two years. In 2004, the company showed a first generation audio server at CEDIA and the Consumer Electronics Show.

"The feedback we received at the two expos in 2004 gave us a mandate to come up with a server that was a completely converged digital content manager capable of delivering simultaneous audio and video feeds throughout a network," said Duncan.

The result was going back to the drawing board to once and for all define the state-of-the-art in media server devices designed expressly for sale and installation by custom reseller-installers in the U.S.

Key Features Define the Difference

According to iMuse Product Manager, R.Scott Fuhrman, there are several product and service differentiators that the iMuse media servers will offer over competitive products. Not the least is price, with the entry-level iMuse SIERRA expected to retail for just under $2,900.

"The iMuse media server series right from the start offers capabilities that none of the competing products are currently providing," assures Fuhrman. "Just to be credible in the category, each device must give maximum connectivity for audio, video and networking, and some of the competitors that show up along side the iMuse line just don't meet our standard," said Fuhrman.

A Hardware and Software Powerhouse is Standard
The Entry-Level iMuse SIERRA

Fuhrman points out that even the entry-level iMuse SIERRA is a complete multi-media device. "Every iMuse unit comes with a DVD drive, standard," notes Fuhrman, "only the more expensive competitive units offer that capability."

The DVD feature enables the simultaneous uploading of the owner's DVD collection at the server and playback of separate DVDs at the set-top client (iMuse SIERRA). Read more...

ICIA® Introduces Audiovisual Best Practices

Via Hometoys:

FAIRFAX, VA, AUGUST 8, 2005 — Long awaited by architects, engineers, facility owners and audiovisual (AV) professionals, Audiovisual Best Practices: The Design and Integration Process for the AV and Construction Industries is a complete resource book that explains “everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask” about the AV systems installation process. Audiovisual Best Practices is published by the International Communications Industries Association, Inc.® (ICIA®).

Questions about how to select the right AV system to meet the needs of a business or facility are becoming urgent, as AV technologies become more powerful and the demand for AV capabilities grows. Audiovisual Best Practices presents an overview of the AV industry, guides readers through AV projects with start-to-finish process descriptions, and concludes with an assessment of the future of the industry. No existing book or guide offers this comprehensive scope and attention to essential details.

The key to successful AV systems implementation depends on integrating AV into planning at the very start of a project. “AV professionals are increasingly concerned with the bigger picture in systems integration. They and their collaborators from other disciplines need to know, from the outset, how the entire building construction or renovation will affect the AV system,” said Randal A. Lemke, Ph.D., ICIA Executive Director. “Successful AV installation and integration requires a strong relationship among the members of a building team, who must know as much as possible about AV projects and how they are accomplished.”

Topics covered in depth in Audiovisual Best Practices include: understanding the design and construction process; electing and contracting the project team; the program phase; the design phase; the construction phase; and system commissioning and training. Appendices provide helpful sample contract forms, e.g., a software license agreement, and checklists, e.g., standard project forms and templates of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Also supplied are questions to ask during the program and construction phases of AV projects, as well as a sample user guide, sample technical manual and an AV glossary.

Audiovisual Best Practices: The Design and Integration Process for the AV and Construction Industries can be ordered for $64.50. Bulk order and ICIA member discounts are available. To learn more, see http://www.infocomm.org/AVBestPractices/.

About ICIA
ICIA is the international trade association of the professional audiovisual and information communications industries. Established in 1939, ICIA`s 3,500 members include manufacturers, systems integrators, dealers and distributors, independent consultants, programmers, rental and staging companies, end-users and multimedia professionals from more than 70 countries. ICIA is the leading resource for AV market intelligence and news. Its training and education programs, along with its Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) and Certified Audiovisual Solutions Provider (CAVSP) credentials, set a standard of excellence for AV professionals. ICIA is the founder of InfoComm, the largest annual conference and exhibition for AV buyers and sellers worldwide. ICIA also co-sponsors the Integrated Systems Asia, Integrated Systems China and Integrated Systems Europe industry expositions. Additional information is available at www.infocomm.org.

A Look Ahead at HDTV

Via NYT:

WHEN it comes to attitudes toward high-definition TV, you can pretty much divide the world into three camps. Group A thinks HDTV is the greatest invention since the microwave, and counts the hours until the nation's transition to HDTV is complete. Group B thinks that HDTV is an enormous boondoggle, a bald-faced government-industry conspiracy to milk the citizenry for billions.

And Group C would just like somebody to explain what HDTV is.

No problem, C. HDTV is a new, improved video format. The picture is wide, like a movie screen. And it's so sharp, you can practically count the actors' pores. For many people, one look at the stunningly clear, realistic picture is enough to - well, to push them into Group A.

The trouble is, of course, that switching your life to the HDTV format involves buying all new TV sets, camcorders, VCR's and DVD players. (This, of course, is the part that irks Group B.)

In April, Sony indicated its interest in assisting with this problem by releasing the semiprofessional HDR-FX1 camcorder ($3,300) - a camcorder whose video is so brilliant and immaculate, TV stations and production companies fell head over heels in love.

Unfortunately, the FX1 is much too big to use as an everyday family camcorder; walk into the school play with this on your shoulder, and people will think you're shooting for HBO. What the world really wants - well, the world of forward-thinking picture-quality nuts, anyway - is a high-def camcorder with the size, shape and price of a regular camcorder. Is that so much to ask?

Not anymore. Sony's new HDR-HC1 is the world's smallest and least expensive HD camcorder. At 7.4 by 2.8 by 3.7 inches, it's about a third the size of previous HD models, and small enough to pass for an ordinary digital camcorder. At $1,750 online, it's about half the price of the FX1. And as if price and size didn't make the HC1 distinctive enough, here's the best news of all: it's also an absolutely terrific camcorder.

FOR one thing, it's beautifully designed. It announces its differentness quietly and tastefully, through a sleek, shiny black body. Because it's the first high-definition camera that can be operated with only one hand, Sony thoughtfully put the most important controls right where you expect to find them.

The jacks (like FireWire, U.S.B. and video outputs) are also conveniently placed, in a neat line along the lower-left edge, hidden behind protective doors. The lens barrel is graced by a manual focus-zoom ring - a rarity in consumer cams - that makes possible certain shots that you can't achieve any other way.

Transitional times call for transitional camcorders, and the HC1, like its larger predecessors, offers all kinds of flexibility. For example, it's a so-called HDV camcorder, meaning that it records all that high-def goodness onto ordinary MiniDV tapes, which you can grab at a drugstore for $5 each.

To make matters even more flexible, this camcorder can record in high-definition or standard format. (The flip-out, 2.7-inch liquid-crystal display is shaped to fit the wide-screen HDTV picture; when you record a standard-format, squarish picture, black bars appear at the sides.)

And as a final courtesy, the HC1 can play either kind of recordings - standard or high-def - on either kind of TV set. You won't see HDTV clarity on your 1985 Zenith, of course, but at least you'll see something.

If you have a high-definition set, though, you'll see a lot more than something. You'll see a spectacular picture in a format the geeks call 1080i high-def. The video is so clear and sharp, it's not so much a home movie as a flashback.

The camera is well-stocked with features, too. Some are typical for Sony - a "minutes remaining" display for the battery, for example, and an infrared, "night-vision goggles" mode that lets you record in complete darkness.

The 2.8-megapixel still photos are better than on most camcorders, although still no match for dedicated digital cameras. The HC1 even inherited a junior version of a clever FX1 feature: you can ask it to memorize two zoom, focus or exposure settings, which you can think of as Start and End. Then, at the touch of a button, the camera smoothly glides from one to the other - a very professional effect.

So if the HC1 is so wonderful, who would bother paying nearly twice as much for the FX1?

More at source.

MS MVP tries to prove DRM isn't evil

Via Gadget Fetish:

Chris Lanier, a Microshafft MVP, tries to prove that DRM, and Microsoft's implementation of it in XP Media Center Edition 2005 and Vista isn't evil. And if you buy this, then that coffee you're drinking really is Folger's Crystals.

Basically, he blames the content provider. Sure, it's not Microsoft's fault for not standing up for the consumer. Why should they? They're out to make a buck. Now perhaps with the advent of this bizarre notion known as "competition", Microsoft could actually run the risk of having to stand out from the pack.

Of course, with M$ as the dominant PC platform by far, why should they do anything that would endanger their all important bottom line? The answer is that they don't and they won't. Providing content means more money from the consumer and more money playing middle man for the content provider.

Sure, Microsoft could go toe to toe with the content providers. They could have decided not to implement CGMS-A (analog copy protection). They could have fought against HD-DVD copy protection. They could have won currency with the geek community.

But why bother with we few, we proud? Because we guide the less "l33t" members of the community toward what we consider to be the most technologically sound products. For example, some months ago, I steered at least one coworker into purchasing SageTV.

Would I recommend Microsoft MCE to most people? Hell, no! For the technologically unsavvy, I think that I would sooner help them build a SageTV or BeyondTV box than see them go with MCE.

Sure, MCE is easy to set up (although BeyondTV and the next version of SageTV will be) but Microsoft doesn't let you own the content that you download. To quote a commenter on Chris Lanier's blog, they insult their users by "treat[ing] you like a criminal."

Man dies after 50 hour videogame binge

Via Cnet:

Jeepers!! And he has not even had a taste of the new Xbox 360 yet!

Playing video games shouldn't be a way to qualify for the Darwin Awards, but thanks to a South Korean man, that seems to no longer be true.

According to Reuters, the man, identified only by his family name, Lee, died after a 50-hour binge in which he played online battle simulation games almost nonstop. Police in the southeastern city of Taegu said the 28-year-old man died of heart failure nearly three days after sitting down for the first time at a cybercafe there.

The only times he got up, apparently, was to visit the bathroom, eat or take a quick nap.

"We presume the cause of death was heart failure stemming from exhaustion," a Taegu provincial police official told Reuters.

According to one South Korean news agency, Lee had recently quit his job to devote more time to playing video games. That, of course, is an entirely new twist on the usual, "I'm quitting to spend more time with my family" reason for bailing on a paying gig.

And, sadly, Lee had apparently just told his mother--who had been looking for him after he didn't return home--that he was about to leave the cafe when he keeled over.

Wearing your digital images

Via GeekBlue:


Cool idea but honestly how can you see it if it is hanging from your neck. Now guys will have an excuse to look at women's chests. Specs below:

Load up to 56 of your favorite digital pictures on this unique digital picture key chain. View them anywhere in full color.

Screen: 1" CSTN LCD
Resolution: 96 x 64-4096 colors
Internal Memory: 512KB flash (56 images)
Battery: Internal, 2 hours
PC Interface: USB 1.1
Weight: 4 oz.
Dimen.: 1.5" x 1.5" x 0.4"
File Format: JPEG
Software: PhotoView 1.0 (Included)
for Windows 98, 2000, and XP

Music industry seeks Hollywood's 'windows'

Via Cnet:

FOSTER CITY, Calif.--Even as the movie industry is compressing its longstanding system of "windows," the music industry is betting its future on just such a model of staggered, tiered releases.

Digital download services such as Apple Computer's iTunes have gleaned most of the headlines to date. But the digital music market has already moved to a diverse model, particularly when mobile consumers are counted, Thomas Hesse, president of global business for Sony BMG Music Entertainment, said in a speech at the Music 2.0 conference here on Tuesday.

Sony BMG is already seeing 10 percent of its revenue in the United States, and more than 20 percent of its revenue in China and South Korea, come from digital and mobile products, the executive said. In the next year, labels will increasingly find ways to boost those figures by offering a large range of different products at different times, and through different channels.

"We will see tiered pricing in the online world," Hesse said. "It will be coming out in different windows over time, and will be much more sophisticated than just the 99-cent download that we have seen."

These budding music windows--ranging from exclusive tracks posted on iTunes or prerelease ring tones to live CDs released long after an album's street date--are signs of how seriously the music industry is taking the digital business at last.

Indeed, physical CD sales continue to drop, and executives say they don't realistically expect that to turn around or even to stabilize immediately. Peer-to-peer use continues to rise worldwide, and according to research firm NPD Group, 44 percent of music found on consumers' hard drives in 2004 still came from file swapping or copying other CDs.

Digital sales continue to grow by leaps and bounds, however. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, about 180 million songs were sold online in the first half of 2005, up from 57 million in the same period last year.

A few individual titles are driving the surge. According to Jeremy Welt, Warner Music vice president of new media, his label is seeing digital sales account for 10 percent to 20 percent of first- and second-week sales for some of its heavily marketed titles. He cited the recent release of a soundtrack from the TV show "The OC," for which 18 percent of the first week's album sales were online.

Releasing content in tightly controlled windows--first in theaters, later to home video, and finally to TV, for example--has been hugely profitable for movie studios in the past few years. These windows have shrunk substantially as DVD releases have been moved substantially closer, but the studios have kept strictly separate release dates for theaters, home video and on-demand services.


With a quickly expanding number of products and channels, including cell phones, online subscription and download sites, retail stores, streaming and downloadable video and more, the music business is evolving into a natural home for windows, some analysts say.

"The reason the movie industry is moving away from windowing is because they got so excited about DVD sales," said JupiterResearch analyst David Card. "But I think windows is more the natural order of things, with multiple packages and multiple release times."

This new product model is also fast changing the role of record companies, which are increasingly dealing with other giant corporations, from telephone companies to Internet portals, as music distributors.

"With the huge telephone companies, with Sprint, with Cingular, it is a completely different world," Hesse said. "It is a world in which the wind blows a little colder, and one in which the record companies are just tiny little cottage industries compared to the sandbox where we were before."

Music industry seeks Hollywood's 'windows'

Via Cnet:

FOSTER CITY, Calif.--Even as the movie industry is compressing its longstanding system of "windows," the music industry is betting its future on just such a model of staggered, tiered releases.

Digital download services such as Apple Computer's iTunes have gleaned most of the headlines to date. But the digital music market has already moved to a diverse model, particularly when mobile consumers are counted, Thomas Hesse, president of global business for Sony BMG Music Entertainment, said in a speech at the Music 2.0 conference here on Tuesday.

Sony BMG is already seeing 10 percent of its revenue in the United States, and more than 20 percent of its revenue in China and South Korea, come from digital and mobile products, the executive said. In the next year, labels will increasingly find ways to boost those figures by offering a large range of different products at different times, and through different channels.

"We will see tiered pricing in the online world," Hesse said. "It will be coming out in different windows over time, and will be much more sophisticated than just the 99-cent download that we have seen."

These budding music windows--ranging from exclusive tracks posted on iTunes or prerelease ring tones to live CDs released long after an album's street date--are signs of how seriously the music industry is taking the digital business at last.

Indeed, physical CD sales continue to drop, and executives say they don't realistically expect that to turn around or even to stabilize immediately. Peer-to-peer use continues to rise worldwide, and according to research firm NPD Group, 44 percent of music found on consumers' hard drives in 2004 still came from file swapping or copying other CDs.

Digital sales continue to grow by leaps and bounds, however. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, about 180 million songs were sold online in the first half of 2005, up from 57 million in the same period last year.

A few individual titles are driving the surge. According to Jeremy Welt, Warner Music vice president of new media, his label is seeing digital sales account for 10 percent to 20 percent of first- and second-week sales for some of its heavily marketed titles. He cited the recent release of a soundtrack from the TV show "The OC," for which 18 percent of the first week's album sales were online.

Releasing content in tightly controlled windows--first in theaters, later to home video, and finally to TV, for example--has been hugely profitable for movie studios in the past few years. These windows have shrunk substantially as DVD releases have been moved substantially closer, but the studios have kept strictly separate release dates for theaters, home video and on-demand services.

Previous Next

With a quickly expanding number of products and channels, including cell phones, online subscription and download sites, retail stores, streaming and downloadable video and more, the music business is evolving into a natural home for windows, some analysts say.

"The reason the movie industry is moving away from windowing is because they got so excited about DVD sales," said JupiterResearch analyst David Card. "But I think windows is more the natural order of things, with multiple packages and multiple release times."

This new product model is also fast changing the role of record companies, which are increasingly dealing with other giant corporations, from telephone companies to Internet portals, as music distributors.

"With the huge telephone companies, with Sprint, with Cingular, it is a completely different world," Hesse said. "It is a world in which the wind blows a little colder, and one in which the record companies are just tiny little cottage industries compared to the sandbox where we were before."

Pimp your ride! If you have $250,000

Via OhGizmo:

By David Ponce

I’m not going to spend a whole lot of time on this one.

Most people shell out a good couple of grand pimping out their rides with sweet shiny mags. If you’re in the mood of spending one hundred times that much though, then you should be looking at the $250,000 Asanti Wheels.

Of course, with 63,000 carats worth of multicolored (fire red, emerald green, canary yellow, and old-school clear) cubic zirconium and various faceplates (chrome, 24k gold, or - oddly enough - wood), the price is only partly justified.

The other part is you not being born with a sense of what money is actually worth.

Get them here. Story VIA GearLive.

Artpad - create a masterpiece

Wanna have some fun with a brush and paint (electronic of course)? Then try out Artpad, do a drawing and then save or email it someone. You can even hang it in their gallery!

Check it out here.

Death watch for TV networks

Via Cnet:
Legal or not, the march of television into the file-sharing world is inevitable. But once again, the major television networks are barely visible in this changing landscape, even though Comcast and other established players in the business are engaging in high-profile experiments with the medium. And even if the networks do play catch-up, they already face an alarming decline in the prime-time attention span of younger viewers.

Most of the strides toward this pivotal evolutionary step have been made in public television, by PBS in the United States and the BBC in the United Kingdom. All of which begs the question: Is it only a matter of time before the Big Three networks become extinct?

Blog community response:

"Downloading is today's equivalent of making a mixed tape, recording a show off TV or radio and giving or loaning the tape to the friend. I think honest people, like me, actually go out of their way more to support their favourite artists by buying their stuff. And downloading is a great way for smaller independent artists to get their stuff out there."
--Living in Limbo

"The arrogant programming practices of the TV networks are turning Australians into criminals. By interrupting series partway through, the stations force viewers to seek the missing episodes on the Internet, and risk charges of piracy, according to the Sydney copyright lawyer Alex Malik."
--terra is my nation

"I'm not going to go into the ethical debate about file-sharing--I do it, I like it, I'm all for it, so sue me. I live in Korea, and I needs my TV and movies, damnit!"
--Chow's

"Good job PBS! With the strides that the BBC has been taking I?m glad to see that somebody in the U.S. forging ahead as well."
--Ramblings of a Retarding Monkey

Thomas Hawk's Photo Blog

For those of you who have not had the pleasure of viewing photos taken by Thomas, you really are missing out on a visual feast of inspiring and thought provoking images.

Check out Thomas's images here.

Video Conferencing for Media Center

Via Thomas Hawk:


The F-Stop Blues: Video Conferencing for Media Center Video conferencing for Media Center. Looks like an interesting first step towards your Media Center PC becoming a video phone.

Amazon Eyes DVD Rentals

Via Wired:

Amazon.com job listings for software engineers raise the specter of the internet retail giant entering the online DVD rental market in the United States, challenging companies like Netflix and Blockbuster.

Advertising for positions based at the company's Seattle headquarters, the listings seek engineers to help in "building systems and algorithms that must move inventory between our fulfillment centers and our customers in a way that gives customers exactly what they want, when they want it." The postings indicate they are specifically for an online DVD rental service.

Amazon spokesperson Jani Strand would not comment on specific openings, but said the company hires programmers at headquarters and overseas to support DVD rental efforts.

When asked specifically about a U.S. launch for a DVD rental service, Strand was cagey.

"We feel like it is a business that we are positioned to do and do well," said Strand. "We are looking for ways to create a better shopping experience for the customer, so stay tuned."

Amazon has long been a looming threat in a market dominated by Netflix and Blockbuster Online. Last October, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings suggested Amazon was circling for a U.S. landing, a suggestion that trimmed 41 percent off the Netflix stock price. Since then, Amazon has launched online rentals in the United Kingdom and Germany.

But last month, Hastings seemed more sanguine about Amazon in a Netflix earnings call.

"As time goes by and our competitive position strengthens, Amazon's direct entry into the market seems both less formidable and less likely," Hastings said. "With our volume of 1 million shipments per day, we can make money at a price point that no entrant can."

Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter believes there is a chance Amazon will turn to Blockbuster to offer DVD rentals in America.

"Rather than beat themselves up trying to compete for no profit, they can pick up $1.50 a customer from Blockbuster at no cost," Pachter said. Pachter said if a combined Amazon/Blockbuster service grew to the same size as Netflix, that could mean a $4.8 million monthly royalty for Amazon.

"Customers think they're signing up with internet hero Amazon instead of Luddite Blockbuster," added Pachter. "Both Amazon and Blockbuster win."

The focus of the Amazon listings on inventory management between distribution centers underscores the central issue Amazon would need to solve to enter the U.S. market. In smaller countries, multiple centers aren't necessary to insure fast delivery.

"I've been told that the U.K. is a totally different operation," said Dennis McAlpine, principal analyst at McAlpine Associates. "The distribution is a totally different thing there. You can get (DVDs) delivered in one day from anywhere in the country."

Amazon would not disclose the number of distribution centers it uses for DVD rentals overseas, but short delivery times have forced the company to cap flat-fee rentals at six per month to make sure the business doesn't operate at a loss. Customers can rent additional titles for an extra fee.

Interview with Wendy Apperson, Product Manager: Microsoft Remote Keyboard for Windows XP Media Center Edition and Wireless Optical Desktop 5000

Via BinkNu:

ActiveWin.com: What would you say the overall goal is for the Microsoft Remote Keyboard for Windows XP Media Center Edition?

Apperson: I would say one of the main goals is to simplify and improve the user's overall media and entertainment experience as a whole in the living room. We entered the Media Center market last year with the Media Center remote which has been pretty sucessful, but now we are expanding in that market by building on where the remote has left off. We now understand better how people are using the remote and MCE in the living room and have a clearer picture of the general user scenario and what can be added or improved upon. We are finding entertainment is more of an interactive and community based activity with MCE then only using the Internet before.

ActiveWin.com: What is the Microsoft Remote Keyboard for Media Center Edition design based on?

Apperson: The keyboard is the first all-in-one, consumer-friendly solution designed exclusively for the living room. The keyboard is very thin and light, and with the rubber grips you could easily hold it on your lap and it is attractive so you wouldn't mind it on your coffee table. The keyboard is actually small enough to slip under your sofa if you did not want to keep it out.

ActiveWin.com: What is the main function of this new device? Can you tell us about some of the features?

Apperson: Microsoft Remote Keyboard for Windows XP Media Center Edition is actually a keyboard, mouse and remote all in one. The keyboard makes using search, IM and other MCE features much easier than using the remote. The backlit button, keylock, the Media Center Green Button, etc. are all integral features to the device. The back lighting is pretty cool. However, I really want to emphasize the form factor (the ID/physical design) of the product as one of the key aspects.

ActiveWin.com: What is the expected battery life? What are some power saving features?

Apperson: That's a really good question. We don't know how people are going to use this device at first, so we will not have an exact time until the product has been out on the marketplace. However, based on what research we do have, we are expecting a battery life of over three months. This device will not get as much activity as a normal computer keyboard, so we are expecting the battery life to be longer. One of the battery saving features is a keylock, acting also as an on/off switch, so the keyboard is not on all the time.

ActiveWin.com: Is this device compatible with the Xbox Media Extender?

Apperson: No, unfortunately it is not.

Continue At Source: www.activewin.com

Google's Chief Is Googled, to the Company's Displeasure

Via NYT:

Hands up who has Google'd themselves ;) Google chief hasn't!

Google says its mission is "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." But it does not appear to take kindly to those who use its search engine to organize and publish information about its own executives.

CNETNews.com, a technology news Web site, said last week that Google had told it that the company would not answer any questions from CNET's reporters until July 2006. The move came after CNET published an article last month that discussed how the Google search engine can uncover personal information and that raised questions about what information Google collects about its users.

The article, by Elinor Mills, a CNET staff writer, gave several examples of information about Google's chief executive, Eric E. Schmidt, that could be gleaned from the search engine. These included that his shares in the company were worth $1.5 billion, that he lived in Atherton, Calif., that he was the host of a $10,000-a-plate fund-raiser for Al Gore's presidential campaign and that he was a pilot.

After the article appeared, David Krane, Google's director of public relations, called CNET editors to complain, said Jai Singh, the editor in chief of CNETNews.com. "They were unhappy about the fact we used Schmidt's private information in our story," Mr. Singh said. "Our view is what we published was all public information, and we actually used their own product to find it."

He said Mr. Krane called back to say that Google would not speak to any reporter from CNET for a year.

In an instant-message interview, Mr. Krane said, "You can put us down for a 'no comment.' "

When asked if Google had any objection to the reprinting of the information about Mr. Schmidt in this article, Mr. Krane replied that it did not.

Mr. Singh, who has worked in technology news for more than two decades, said he could not recall a similar situation. "Sometimes a company is ticked off and won't talk to a reporter for a bit," he said, "but I've never seen a company not talk to a whole news organization.

Trust Keyring Wi-Fi Hotspot Finder

Forget booting up your laptop only to find no wireless coverage. Get one these little babies from Trust and your one click away from finding the best and strongest wireless links!.

Just don't get it mixed up with the car remote and wonder why the car does not open ;)

Via Gadgetblog.

Shuttle Discovery Launch in HD, Free!

Via HDblog:

If you’re an avid space fan, NASA fan, fan of things that fly, or even just a little curious, seeing the space shuttle strut its stuff is a fascinating experience. And to get as close to being there as possible, a nice HD feed of shuttle coverage should do it.

And looky here. HDNet, in partnership with Red Swoosh and Box.net, is offering free downloads of the July 26th launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery, shot in HD. The Discovery launch is the first HD download offered by HDNet using the new Box.net and Red Swoosh technologies.

The video is shot in 1080i HD, and stored in WMV-HD format. You’ll need at least a 2.4GHz processor, 384MB of RAM, Windows XP, WMP 9, and a 64MB video card.

Link: Box.net - HDNET OFFERS FREE DOWNLOADS OF EXCLUSIVE HD VIDEO FROM SHUTTLE DISCOVERY LAUNCH

Tags: HDTV, HD, Space+Shuttle, Box.net, Red+Swoosh, HDNet

Freedom Input Bluetooth Keyboard

Via GadgetMadness:

This is the sweetest Bluetooth keyboard we've come across - not only is it tiny like a credit card but there are drivers for just about every device you could imagine. Drivers, you say? There is even a dedicated website for your mobile device so you can download drivers from anywhere, witout a PC!

• Freedom Input Home
• Freedom Input Drivers Page

Infinity candle

Want something that oozes romance?? Light the candle… put on some Barry White (yeh I know very cheezy) and open a bottle of red. But hey don’t forget to do it with someone special!

The skilled crafting of mirror, metal and glass forms the Infinity Candle. The light form the candle creates a beautiful, everlasting effect of infinite reflections.

It was designed by Nick Moore who has designed exclusively for major international museums, such as The Natural History Museum in London.

What you get:

Infinity Candle Mirror Set Dimensions - 600mm Diameter

1 Candle

Cost for a piece of metal, a mirror and a candle… around $300 but hey it’s an exclusive design!

Available from www.loadsmorestuff.com

Make your own holograms

Here is a great site that shows you how to make holograms.

Kids.... make sure you get mum or dads permission before taking the DVD player apart for the laser!

http://www.holokits.com/a-simple_holography.htm

Your Own Google Logo

Geekblue had this great little story on theer site today.

More from Boeing

Boeing Commercial Airplanes Media Relations

There's nothing like getting an entire day's worth of news coverage for your new airplane on national television!

This week the 777-200LR World Tour touched down in the largest media market in the U.S. And I had the unique experience of helping coordinate news coverage for Boeing during the Worldliner's stop at Newark Liberty International Airport, just outside New York City.

The Worldliner "on stage" at Newark Liberty International Airport.

We hosted about a dozen news organizations at a Continental Airlines hangar - reporters from the New York Times, Bloomberg News, Dow Jones, Aviation Week, Associated Press, and others. But probably the marquee event was a series of "live" reports direct from inside and outside the airplane, broadcast by CNBC, a national business news television channel.

As you might imagine, considering this all took place inside the airport's security perimeter, the trickiest part of the planning process was logistics. Enhanced security at EWR meant that everyone had to pass through checkpoints. Everything was inspected, and we were all "wanded" by security personnel.

Then, to add another wrinkle, Air Force Two, the Vice President's airplane, flew into Newark Airport at about the same time as our events. So we had extra security personnel around us. Air Force Two, which happens to be based on the 757-200 platform, ended up parked nearby - in fact, we could see its distinctive livery just beyond the Continental hangar.

Inside, the Worldliner was bathed in spotlights and looked fabulous. But I must admit, walking into the hangar felt like entering a sauna. Not that it was any better outside. Let's just say 90 degrees and mostly steamy. New Jersey in July can be pretty brutal.

Cooling down the airplane took a couple of hours and some heavy-duty tubing to force cold air in through a cabin doorway. It was still a bit uncomfortable when the media first arrived. Luckily our intrepid Boeing flight attendants were on hand with bottled water. And the reporters and camera crews were fairly good-natured about the situation.

As for the CNBC coverage, it exceeded all our expectations. Arriving at the hangar with Vice President of Business Strategy and Marketing, Nicole Piasecki, and 777 program communications manager Chuck Cadena, we all talked over the plan for the day with reporter Phil LeBeau. That plan would produce several great opportunities to show off the 777-200LR.

Inside the 777-200LR: Nicole Piasecki "live" on CNBC Monday morning in Newark.

The CNBC crew set up a satellite truck to beam the reports back to the studio. And despite advances in video technology, this still meant running cables hundreds of feet through the hangar and up the stairs into the airplane.

First report was at 10:15 a.m., during CNBC's "Squawk Box" program. After a toss from the studio crew about a big order for Next-Generation 737s from Brazilian carrier GOL, Phil chatted "live" at the top of the air stairs with Nicole.

Inside the airplane Nicole pointed out that the Worldliner represents an answer to what passengers are demanding: more convenience and more time-saving. "We believe passengers want nonstop flights and greater frequencies so they don't have to wait in an airport all day long and they don't have to go through a hub," she told the nationwide audience.

Around lunchtime, a couple of hundred Continental Airlines employees streamed into the hangar. Everyone from ground crews wearing bright orange reflective vests, to flight crews and executives. The flight crews in particular were interested in exploring the crew rest areas. These are located above the passenger deck in the crown of the airplane's fuselage.

Comments throughout the airplane were mostly of the "wow" variety, as people craned their heads upward at the starry "sky." It's a custom-designed ceiling, lit from behind to resemble the stars at night.

The "starry" mood lighting on the World Tour aircraft is an astronomically correct night sky as you'd see in Seattle.

That starry sky captivated the media, too. A reporter from the Newark Star-Ledger asked me later whether this would be offered to airlines as an option. The answer is yes. And the "stars" can be configured to correspond with the way the night sky looks in an airline's home country.

At a little after 1 pm, CNBC's Phil LeBeau took a novel approach to reporter involvement. With the permission (and help) of our airplane crew, he got up inside the left engine. Now, keep in mind, these are the largest, most powerful commercial jet engines in the world. They're actually about the same size around as the fuselage of the 737!

So the sight of the reporter standing inside this huge engine was enough to cause the studio anchor for CNBC's "Power Lunch" to exclaim, "Will you please get down from there? You're making me really nervous!"

LeBeau had some fun with that one, saying, "It's not like they're gonna turn it on. And if they do turn it on, this is my last report on CNBC!"

Reporting from inside a GE90-115B engine, CNBC's Phil LeBeau gives new meaning to the phrase, "Power Lunch."

Well, he didn't get sucked into the engine, but just before he went on the air, he did manage to conk his head on the spinner cone in the center of the engine. That produced a few chuckles among the airplane crew.

Later in the afternoon, in the final report of the day, LeBeau walked viewers through the business class and showed the "huge" 15-inch screens set into the seat backs. With a remote control passengers can choose among a variety of movies and other entertainment on those long-haul flights.

What he didn't demonstrate, but what many of us on the event team certainly tried out, were the amazing business class seats. They have so many controls they should come with an instruction booklet. Not only can you lie nearly flat for comfortable napping, the seats even have lumbar adjustments and settings for extending the seat bottom and foot rests when you're sitting up.

At the end of the afternoon I found myself more than a little reluctant to bid farewell to the Worldliner. And not only because by then it was comfortably cool inside and roaring hot outside on the tarmac.

I'd just spent a day touring the future of flight, and helping to share it with the world. Once inside that future, I didn't want to leave. Fortunately the future isn't far away at all. In just a few months this very airplane will go from being an "experimental" show plane to flying passengers around the globe.

But not before one more really big show later this year that's already generating a lot of media interest: a nonstop ultra-long-distance flight, aimed straight for the Guinness Book of World Records.

More People Turn to the Web to Watch TV

Via NYT:

As Americans grow more comfortable watching programs online, Internet programming is beginning to combine the interactivity and immediacy of the Web with the engagement of television.

More at source:

Americans: What the f*@% is podcasting?

Scoble may find this mildy amusing :)

Via Cnet:

The digerati may think podcasting and RSS are about as old hat as it can get, but apparently, the American public has no idea what the two technologies are.

The blog Digital Deliverance cites a report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project revealing that just 9 percent of Americans had any real clue what RSS--the technology that allows for website feeds to be sent directly to users' computers--is.

Similarly, only 13 percent felt confident they understood what podcasting is.

The lesson seems to be that while geeks get bored with hot new technologies in about 45 minutes, the general public can still be months or even years behind. And generally, it takes something like Apple's iTunes putting a spotlight on a technology like podcasting before even that paltry 13 percent catches on.

Hollywood Plots End of Film Reels

Via Wired:

New movies will come to your local theater over the internet if proposed industry specs gain acceptance. But questions remain about who will pay for the switch. By Xeni Jardin. continued at source.

I wish I was an embryo.... no a glint in someone's eye!

10...20..30 years from now these concepts and products will be reality. There is soooo much cool stuff yet to come that I think I was born too early. Some late 60 yr old guy (if it's 30 years from now) playing around with a female cyborg may get you locked up or even worse banned from using technology because of some weird Ai law ;(

Check this story out from Bink. Ohh and for the squemish out there, she does look kinda well... creepy.

Creating the new Xbox interface

The new Xbox 360 interface looks kinda "anime" to me??

Anyway check out this cool article by Major Nelson.

Come on down... the Koalas are waiting :)

Via Cnet:

The job market Down Under

Fed up with traffic jams in the Valley? Sick of the high cost of living in Seattle? Ever think of moving to another country or maybe even a different continent?

If you're considering Australia, you might want to check out Michael Specht's blog, formally titled "My blog of HR, and technology stuff.". A human resources veteran in Australia's IT industry, he offers some valuable advice and other information about the labor situation there.

And in between his pearls of wisdom, you can get a smattering of esoterica on such random topics as how to decipher the rules of chess from a set manufactured by a Chinese company.

Xbox 360 accessories line-up revealed

Via Games Industry:

Plenty more toys to plug into your shiny new next-generation console.

The Xbox Summit 2005 event has included a first look at the additional accessories which Microsoft will be shipping alongside Xbox 360 - including wired joypads, memory units, and additional hard drives.

Although mostly focused on software, the Japanese event has also given a glimpse of the packaging that will be used for Xbox 360 in the Far East - relatively plain white and green boxes which will contain the console, a wireless joypad, a headset, an Ethernet cable and a hard drive.

Obvious accessories such as additional wireless controllers, additional headsets, faceplates for the unit and a selection of audio-visual cables (including a VGA cable for high definition PC monitors) will be made available.

However, a number of less obvious products will also be shipped by Microsoft - including, most notably, additional hard drives, a USB wireless adapter, and wired controllers for the console.

The additional hard drives are a particularly interesting addition to the range; it's to be assumed that these will be high capacity drives designed for people who want to make heavy use of the system's multimedia functions, which will fill up the default 20Gb drive very quickly.

The wireless adapter is designed to allow the Xbox 360 to go online over a wireless home network, and will plug into a USB port on the box. The decision to make this into an optional feature has left many scratching their heads, as both PS3 and Revolution promise to have the feature as standard, but as well as being a cost saving exercise, using external wireless may also allow the system to have better reception.

In terms of controllers, a number of units are being made available which will allow them to be recharged while playing (the Play and Charge Unit), recharged quickly (Quick Charge Unit), have their batteries replaced (Rechargeable Battery Pack).

Wired controllers will also be made available - a move which is apparently a response to the fact that the wireless signal can be interrupted by interference from outside sources, as anyone who's tried to use a wireless LAN near an aging microwave can confirm.

Other accessories will be familiar to Xbox users - including memory units which plug into the front panel, and a remote control which is mostly designed for accessing the multimedia functions of the console.

No pricing or availability details for the accessories have yet been announced.