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November 30, 2006
Upgrading a PS3 hard drive is hard, right?
Wrong.
Watch how quickly the T3 bods whip it out before you have time to say "over-priced, shamelessly hyped, long delayed games console".
November 30, 2006
Plasma vs LCD: Fight, fight, fight
While is won't evoke such a rabid response as which is better Mac or PC? it's still touchy subject. Especially with the lamers that spent stupid money on out-dated Plasma tech screens...
Looks like the Plasma boys have gone crying to their mummies and put together some so-called facts to make themselves feel better:
- 61% of people said that plasma provided the sharper picture, compared to 21% per cent for LCD
- 65% said plasma offered better colour reproduction compared to 24% for LCD
- 62% thought plasma handled motion better versus 15% going for LCD
- 61% of people thought plasma's contrast range was better than LCD. 26% opted for LCD.
Full low down thanks to Active Home.
November 30, 2006
So, are we okay to placeshift then?
And can we please come up with a better name for it...
TV Licensing has clarified whether using devices like the Slingbox is okay with them:
Using a placeshifting device to stream your home TV to a mobile device is not illegal, as long as you have a valid TV licence, according to the TV Licensing Authority.
But if you are watching the footage on a device that is plugged into the mains in a property that doesn’t have a valid licence, then you are breaking the law.
That 'plugged into the mains' bit is just so quaint.
More over at Active Digital Home.
November 29, 2006
BT Vision finally coming. No, really. Honest.
BT has finally got around to putting down a launch date for it's mega-delayed, super-anticipated BT Vision IPTV service.
We saw a demo of it over a year ago - and it was pretty darn good back then. Let's hope BT's only added more features since then and not hobbled it to death.
BT Vision will go live next Monday, December 4. That said, it will be lacking some key components at launch, including ‘catch-up’ TV which allows punters to retrieve episodes of some of their favourite TV shows from the past week.
There have been delays on the BBC-end getting clearance for the service. Ironically, rival service NTL offers the BBC ‘catch-up’ facility.
More, as ever, at Active Home.
November 29, 2006
BT joining the internet radio party
BT is pushing its shiny new internet radio.
It uses a wireless broadband connection to stream music and other content from the internet.
According to BT, internet radio represents the next step forward from DAB radio technology. While DAB provides more channels than traditional offerings, internet radio gives access to a worldwide selection of radio stations and on-demand content.
And see how happy it could make you?
Yours for a mere 120 smackers from the BT Shop - be quick though as BT's planning to hike the price to £150 after Christmas.
November 29, 2006
iPod headgear
Ever thought that watching videos on the iPod's puny little screen was a bit, well, limiting?
Well fear not - now you blow the image up to the equivalent of a 50in Plasma thanks to Mikimoto Beans' (bonkers name) Star-Trek-a-like i-Theater.
The glasses weigh 78g, have dual qVGA (320x240) TFT screens, integrated stereo headphones and will run for six hours.
Of course, the image will no doubt be blocky and horrid, due to the low res. But at least it'll be BIG.
More on The Test Bed.
November 28, 2006
Xbox 360 HD DVD drive coming this Friday
Best. News. Ever.
Microsoft is launching its HD DVD Xbox 360 add-on in the UK this Friday. We'll obviously have to queue up with the riff-raff to get hold of one, meanwhile PCW has got its grubby mitts on a unit already.
Priced at £130, the player connects to the console via USB and installation has been made as easy as possible. Insert the accompanying set-up disc, attach the drive when requested, restart your console and you’re ready to go.
At the moment the player comes bundled with an HD DVD copy of Peter Jackson’s King Kong, plus a stylish programmable universal Media Center remote control, which you can use for your TV as well.
More: Microsoft Xbox 360 HD DVD player review [via The Test Bed]
November 28, 2006
Want a free nano? Get yo ass to CES!
Universal Laser Systems (who?) are giving away free personalised iPod nanos at CES.
Well, one a day - but it's still something.
Universal Laser Systems, Inc. will demonstrate its award-winning VersaLaser Multi-Material Digital Imaging Device at the 2007 International CES.
Show attendees are invited to stop by booth #36812 to see VersaLaser in action and receive a free personalized VersaLaser photo-imaged item. Attendees can also sign up for a chance to win a free personalized iPod Nano digital audio player. One iPod Nano will be given away each day of the show; winners need not be present to win.
More information on VersaLaser and ULS a here.
November 28, 2006
IDC pimping mobiles at CES
Mecha-big research company IDC is pushing the mobile and smartphone angle at the upcoming CES gadget fest.
A recent IDC survey of more than 4,000 mobile phone and smartphone subscribers from five countries suggests that interest in emerging applications will drive future smartphone sales.
The survey results, part of an IDC multiclient study, show that interest in WiFi access and location-based services are highest in the U.S. and U.K., while storage capacity, music quality, and photo quality are the highest in Germany, India, and China.
"The mobile device today is increasingly becoming a multi-talented productivity and entertainment tool, and next-generation networks, services, and device technologies will only amplify that perception," said Randy Giusto, group vice president for IDC's Mobility, Computing and Consumer Markets research.
Want more? Then you can meet Randy and the team at CES where IDC will host three breakfast briefings at the Wynn Las Vegas on January 8th, 9th, and 10th. The briefings will feature IDC's expert analysts as they discuss opportunities for technology, services, device, content, and hardware vendors to capitalize on trends in consumer markets.
Registration starts today at: www.idc.com/ces
November 27, 2006
Internet video EATING telly!
Well, not quite - but online video is putting a dent in traditional TV viewing, according to a survey ICM carried out for the BBC.
Around 43 percent of UK telly watchers claim that watching videos online has resulted in them watching less TV. Around 13 per cent said they watched online video occasionally while 10 per cent said they intend to do some in the coming year.
Unsurprisingly, online and mobile video watching is most popular with the 16-24 year old set at 28 per cent they watch some more than once a week. This falls to around 10 per cent with 25-44 year olds and to 4 per cent of over-45s.
More over at Active Home.
November 27, 2006
Want a cheapo Playstation 3?
If you're itching to get your hands on a Playstation 3, but don't want to pay silly money on eBay, then you might just be in luck.
Looks like one kind/foolish eBayer set the Buy It Now price of their console a little too low - 99 cents to be precise.
Want an 60GB Sony PlayStation 3, a pile of games, a Blu-ray Disc and an extra game controller for a mere 99 cents? or would you rather take pity on the poor eBay who - apparently - set his 'Buy Now' price to $0.99 rather than his starting price.
More over at Reg Hardware.
November 27, 2006
Smart 802.11n coming to CES
Ruckus Wireless is promising to unveil world's first smart Wi-Fi 802.11n multimedia system at CES in January.
We'd settly for a plain ol' dumb but ratified 802.11n - but hey ho.
The Ruckus Wireless demonstration at CES will showcase, for the first time, remarkable advances in Wi-Fi technology that make it possible to reliably transport many HDTV streams, digital voice, music and data throughout the home without costly and cumbersome cabling.
Current products based on draft 802.11n specification allow devices to transmit at speeds greater than 70 Mbps, but they all have problems sustaining the high performance at far distances, challenging locations or in noisy environments.
The Ruckus "Smart-N" technology rejects noise and delivers consistent throughput regardless of location and device placement. By combining the award-winning Ruckus BeamFlex smart antenna technology and SmartCast traffic engineering software with commercial 802.11n silicon, the Ruckus Smart-N system automatically adapts to environmental challenges such as physical obstacles and radio noise to maximise sustainable throughput and minimise performance variability.
To see a demo point your mouse a this way.
November 24, 2006
Want to see what CES will be like before you get there?
November 24, 2006
Xbox 360 movie downloads a bit too popular
Microsoft opened up it's virtual telly shop to US Xboxers last night, only to have it swamped by demand - crippling the servers.
Immediately after the service went live on Wednesday, users experienced multiple different problems.
Apparently a huge level of demand has placed considerable strain on the Xbox Live servers dedicated to distributing the videos and users are reportedly suffering repeated failed downloads.
A number of people simply can't download any of the movies, with downloads seemingly sticking to some arbitrary percentage and never completing.
Look's like Microsoft is a victim of its own success.
More over at the Inq.
November 23, 2006
Bose ridiculously expensive headphones
Okay, so they're not Shure E5c silly priced, but £275 is still a fair whack to pay for some cans.
But let us not forget the features:
Headphones or earphones boasting noise cancelling features are all the rage these days and Bose has launched the third generation of its QuietComfort headphones in time for the Silly Season.
The QuietComfort 3 headphones are lighter and smaller than their predecessors and boast rechargeable batteries. The noise-cancelling features allow you to block out much of the external noise that interrupts your listening pleasure in everyday life – pretty much all forms of commuting then. The rechargeable batteries are also good for around 20 hours of use.
More on Active Homey.
November 23, 2006
HANNspree's bonkers footy telly
HANNspree is pushing a telly perfect for watching football on. It even LOOKS like a football.
Not only that - it's actually made of genuine football leather.
If the beautiful game is not your cup of tea, you can take a peek at the HANNSgolf 15in high definition LCD TV, complete with ball dimples, a base comprised of two iron club and a an oversized green golf tee for the stand.
Basketball lovers can check out the table-top or wall-mountable HANNSball.champions 15in LCD TV. It can be swivelled through 360 degrees and, like the football, is made from basketball leather.
More over on Active Home.
November 22, 2006
Toshiba's magic rewritable printer
Those clever folks at Tosh have developed a printer that can erase ink from paper and use it again.
Don't believe us? Take a look at the video:
More here: Toshiba printer erases and reprints on a single sheet
November 21, 2006
DivX takes on YouTube
No, apparently not in a contest to piss off as many copyright holders as possible.
DivX is a bit miffed that its super-duper video squishing techno-joy has been looked over in favour of Flash as the internet standard for moving images.
It's launching its own video sharing site called stage6.com and "hope[s] to grow as big as YouTube."
Stage6 focuses on providing much higher quality video than YouTube by using its own mpeg4 compression. In comparison, YouTube uses a low bit-rate Flash player.
Unlike YouTube, Stage6 lets you download and store every video to your computer. Lawson also stated Stage6 will allow anyone to charge for their own content. By doing this DivX hopes for a lot of interest from independent studios.
More over on The Test Bed.
November 20, 2006
Have Playstation 3, and hammer...
November 20, 2006
HP touting HD DVD laptop
HP is firmly backing the HD DVD camp in the Hi-Def disc war with the announcement of the Pavilion dv9000 laptop.
It not only packs a next gen drive, but also includes a 17in display - powered by nVidia's GeForce Go 7600 graphics chip - an HDMI port, two 120GB hard drives, 2GB of RAM and a built in digital TV tuner.
Of course, that all comes at a price: £1,599 to be exact. But if you're happy to forgo the HD DVD drive there are cheaper models in the range.
November 20, 2006
HP's super easy storage
So, you've got broadband, you've downloaded the internet, your hard drive's full. What do you do with all that pr0n pictures of kittens?
Well... you could delete some stuff. OR, just bung HP's handy new Media Vault on your network and carry on as normal.
Yes, it's just a NAS drive, but it's a pretty nifty one at that. And it's got a spare drive bay, so you can simply slip in another disk should the above situation present itself again.
HP Media Vault delivers total media manageability in four key areas:
1.) Protecting – simple-to-use back up software can be set to continuously protect and secure digital content
2.) Sharing - favourite films, photos, and music can be easily controlled and shared over the home network
3.) Streaming - content can be streamed to any computer or, with a digital media adapter, to any TV or entertainment centre on the network.
4.) Accessible - ease of accessibility, thanks to HP’s heritage in simplifying digital technology and network management, wherever a user is in the homePricing and availability:
HP Media Vaults available from Dixons, PC World and all good outlets, retailing at the following approximate street prices:
HP Media Vault mv2010 - £249 inc VAT
HP Media Vault mv2020 - £349 inv VAT
All in all, not too shabby, really.
November 17, 2006
Join CES Blog on MySpace!
To help you keep bang up to date with the latest news, views, videos and rumours from THE biggest tech show in the world, you can join CES Blog over on MySpace. 
You'll get all the latest updates and announcements, plus any sneak peaks of video as and when they go live.
It's really simple too - just get your self over to www.myspace.com/cesblog and click Add to Friends. Job done.
See you over there.
Oh and don't forget about the handy CES Blog Google Calendar too.
November 16, 2006
Will Tablet PCs rise again at CES?
BUT that doesn't stop companies like Lenovo having another crack at making them.
The Lenovo X60 convertible Tablet PC features a MultiView/MultiTouch screen giving users the power to compute more naturally, whether working in the field or in the office. Other features include:
· 12-inch MultiView indoor/outdoor, anti-reflective/anti-glare display
· Lenovo’s patent-pending Active Rotate function
· More memory; a larger hard drive and longer battery life than Lenovo’s previous Tablet PC
· Selected models also come with the next generation of wireless connectivity with select models offering 802.11n technology
November 16, 2006
The HD disc format war hots up
LG has decided to back the Blu-Ray camp in the pointless and needless HD video format war.
It's touting its GBW H10N Blu-ray drive that can write discs at four speed - faster than anyone else.
The GBW H10N Blu-ray drive arrives with the fastest write speed of any first generation Blu-ray drive, at 4x. It will also write to all of the other blank DVD formats - DVD±R, DVD±RW and DVD-RAM - at up to 12x. Lg_blu_ray_drive Blank Blu-ray discs come in two capacities, single-layer 25GB and dual-layer 50GB varieties – 10 times more than a typical blank DVD. That said, they also cost quite a lot more too.
Let's hope someone bangs ALL their heads together and they settle on a common format before CES. We'd also like world peace and flying cars, thanks ta.
More, more more over at Active Home.
November 15, 2006
Evesham iplayer - we want
Evesham is touting a new IPTV super box that not only promises telly on demand but also HD goodness.
Evesham continues its living room drive with the launch of a do-it-all set-top box. There’s a lot of competition in the set-top market but Evesham is hoping to set itself apart with the iplayer by cramming everything but the kitchen sink into its curvy aluminium frame.
It’s described as a hybrid set-top TV box and what you get up front is a set-top box with digital TV tuner, 80GB hard disk drive (HDD), iPTV and onboard high definition (HD) upscaler which purports to be able to upscale you standard TV image to HD – or at least better quality than what you currently view. It sports a HDMI input (pictured) for the best method of getting HD material to your HDTV, but which is also important because you need it to watch protected HD content like HD movies and downloads.
More over on blog lover Active Home.
November 15, 2006
802.11n limps onwards
While we're still amazed that Wi-Fi works so well, we're all itching for the better coverage and increased speed 802.11n. What's taking those IEEE geeks so long? It's been, like, two years now.
In the meantime, D-Link is yet another manufacturer to go it alone with its own Draft N standard. HELLO - the only reason Wi-Fi is so great is that is just works. With EVERY manufacturer's kit. The last thing we want is proprietary, incompatible standards.
D-Link is committed to producing a Draft N range of products that provide consumers with the optimum wireless performance while the standard is beingfinalised and ratified. D-Link has established an informative micro-site for consumers that clearly discusses the advantages in terms of speed and range, whilst also highlighting the interoperability issues consumers should consider.
The D-Link's RangeBooster N 650 Series has been extended with the launch of the DSL-2740B ADSL Modem Router, DWA- 547 PCI Card for laptop computer users and the DWA-142 USB Adapter. These products are now shipping and come complete with D-Link's Click'n Connect software for easy installation.
Come on IEEE - get your collective arses in gear. We'd love to see some proper 802.11n kit at CES.
November 14, 2006
CES Google Calendar a-go-go
CES - it's not easy keeping up with everything going on. And that's before the jetlag, show rage, er, hospitality and well that whole Las Vegas thing to contend with.
To make things just that little bit easier, we've setup a shared Google Calendar so you can keep track of where and when everything is happening. We've added the basics already and we'll be updating it as the show progresses so you can be sure you won't miss a single thing.
For plain old web viewing, clickety-click here.
If you're already using Google Calendar, then point your mouse this way to add it to your own.
November 14, 2006
CES: Best Innovations of 2007 announced... already
The CEA is in full swing already for January, having just announed the honorees of the annual Innovations 2007 Design and Engineering Awards.
All entries are judged by an independent panel of journalists, designers and engineers. Each product is reviewed and evaluated based on engineering qualities as well as the product's intended use/function, uniqueness, and design qualities.
With 29 product categories on show, the best of the best will be displayed at CES Unveiled from 4-7 pm on Saturday, January 6, 2007 in the Marco Polo Ballroom at the Venetian.
November 13, 2006
CES: Likely Gates preshow Speech? (VIDEO)
Has any one seen Bill and Kermit the Frog in the same room. They sound uncannily the same.
November 10, 2006
CES 2007: Monster iCarPlay Wireless 200 FM Transmitter
This iPod FM transmitter from Monster landed an innovation award from
CES. Whaaa...? An iPod accessory landing an innovation award?
Bullhookey, I tell you. This FM transmitter is a bit different than the
average iPod FM transmitter. It has an AutoScan that will automatically
scan all of the FM networks to find the clearest one to work with your
iPod, and it will also display the station information on the actual
iPod screen itself. Add in charging functionality and 3 programmable
buttons makes this device pretty damn nice (except the £50 price tag).
November 10, 2006
CES 2007: It's Baaaaaaaaack
You might think its November 10th, 2006, but here at the Giz, we're
already ramping up our CES 2007 coverage. For you, we would arm wrestle
the hands of time to bring you the best updates from the biggest,
baddest electronics show of the future. Get that? Tricky, I know.
We'll have more coming tonight, tomorrow, and the day after that.
This first round of tips come to us courtesy of the Digital Experience event in NY. I don't know whether to thank the show organizers for giving us the heads up, or be terribly angry for starting the tech journo acid enema that is CES, two months early.
Shit, its only 2 months away.
[Sad faced, but cool US editor, El Pub UK]
November 10, 2006
CES 2007: Furutech DeMag Demagnetizes Your Money Away
Furutech's DeMag devices manages to demagnetize any kind of disc-shaped
media in order to eliminate "resolution-sapping magnetic interference"
from your CDs, DVDs, SACDs, and DVD-As. Maybe we're not understanding
this correctly, because CESWeb gave it a Best of Innovations 2007
award, but can someone tell me why does optical media need to be
demagnetized? A simple Google search for demagnetizing optical media
gives Furutech as the most of the top 20 results. Why?
In addition, you can also use this on LPs (magnetic interference with the grooves?), cables, connectors and power cords. This smells of wine-soaked volume knobs to us, but maybe we're wrong.
November 10, 2006
CES 2007: Philips DECT Cordless Phone
We know, cordless phones don't grace our pages very often, but the
Philips DECT phone/answering machine won a Best of Innovations award
for CES 2007. We know little about the product other than it's "pure
indulgence crafted exclusively with you in mind," but you already knew
that.
We like that you can record up to 15 minutes of a conversation. And apparently the DECT features an acoustic chamber, which we are guessing mellows the usually harsh frequencies of receiver speakers, improving phone sex tenfold. We are also guessing that an intern was probably stuck with the job of handing out the cordless phone awards.
November 10, 2006
CES 2007: Monster Central 300 Home/Theater Remote
The Monster Central Home Theater and Lighting Controller 300 (yes, that is the entire
name) is a £300 uber-remote. Similar to a nice Logitech Harmony, you
program devices via the web. Users can setup one-button theater modes
and customize the menu display for each member in your household.
But Monster's biggest claim is their "activity-based control", which is essentially a fancy name for lighting controls. Now, one-button theater setup can include dimming the lights, which will really get her in the mood before you watch A Knight's Tale for the 30,000th time. Because the remote uses RF frequencies, you can control lighting and media devices throughout your entire home (as long as they are hooked up to Monster dimmers and switches). Wow, Monster may have invented something noteworthy other than a bajillion dollar cable.
November 10, 2006
CES 2007: Philips One Piece DVD Home Theater System
Not everyone can live in the sprawling feudalist mansion estates like
those of Gizmodo writers - or so we've heard. Apparently there are
hordes of peasants who live in single-family homes, or even (gasp!)
apartments.
For the "poors" who live in cramped quarters or the "crazies" who don't want their entertainment centers sprawling into their kitchens, the Philips One Piece DVD Home Theater (HTS8100) is a promising choice. The system features a DVD-player with HDMI out and 1080p upconversion, while built-in Sonowave speakers offer surround sound without the rears taking up your living room. The whole package is one, elegant line only broken by a separate subwoofer. Now if this system only supported next gen DVDs, we'd sell our mansions just to fondle its svelt, obelisk-on-its-side body.
November 9, 2006
CES 2007: Phoenix IP Radio Streams Stations from the Net
It may look like another iPod accessory (thanks to its all-white
design), but the Phoenix IP Radio is a different kind of beast. This
portable, 2-pound radio lets you listen to any station, podcast, or
music source that streams online. It has built-in Wi-Fi (802.11g) and
can automatically detect and connect to any open hot spot. You can save
your favorite stations and songs straight on the radio and the radio's
software can also be upgraded over the air. It'll be out just prior to
CES for £130. – Louis Ramirez
November 9, 2006
New iPod shuffle available now
The new MP3 player favoured by those that don't care what they actually listen to is out now.
The world’s smallest digital music player and just $79 [£55 (UK)], the 1GB iPod shuffle lets you wear up to 240 songs on your sleeve. Or your lapel. Or your belt. Clip on iPod shuffle and wear it as a badge of musical devotion.
Go on - clip it to your jeans pocket. If the white headphones don't give the muggers enough of a clue, you can be sure they won't miss that...
November 9, 2006
Fujifilm, in your face
Fujifilm - or Fuji to the rest of us - has just announced the FinePix Z5fd, with added Face Detection.
The FinePix Z5fd joins the FinePix S6500fd and F31fd in Fujifilm's current 'fd' line-up. Face Detection captures up to ten faces in a frame, and optimises focus and exposure to take the best possible people-picture. Incorporating the technology on its Real Photo Processor II has enabled Fujifilm to develop a range that can detect faces and optimise settings in an industry-leading 0.05 seconds.
When Face Detection is turned on and the camera is pointed at people, target-like squares demonstrate that it has 'locked-on' to faces. The square will then follow those faces around in real-time until they move out of the frame or the picture is taken. In playback mode, pressing the Face Detection button will cause the camera to auto-zoom to each face in turn for easy close-up review.
It's also available in three colours: Raspberry Red, Mocha Brown and Silver. What more do you want?
Oh yeah, tech specs. You'll find them after the jump.
FinePix Z5fd key features
*New colours: Raspberry Red, Mocha Brown, Silver
*6 Megapixel Super CCD HR
*Real Photo Processor II
*ISO 1600 at full resolution
*26MB Internal memory
*Intelligent Flash, Natural Light & Flash, Continuous shooting
*New slim design with tripod mount
*Illuminated product logo on sliding front cover
*2.5" TFT LCD with reinforced glass coating
November 8, 2006
What's better than a free copy of Windows Vista?
A free copy of Vista and a copy of Splinter Cell 4, that's what.
For a limited time Evesham is giving away the latest addition to the Tom Clancy series with all Core 2 Duo systems.
To celebrate the launch of the exciting new Splinter Cell 4 PC game, Evesham will be offering free copies of the next in the Tom Clancy Splinter Cell series with all of its Core 2 Duo systems.
But it doesn't stop there. If you're wary of upgrading now and missing out on Microsoft's latest OS fear not. Evesham is also offering Free Express Upgrades to Windows Vista Home Premium Edition.
You don’t need to wait to ensure you receive the benefits of Microsoft’s new Windows Vista software. As of today, when you buy a Windows Vista Premium capable PC with Windows XP Media Center Edition or Windows Professional from Evesham Technology, you will receive a FREE Express Upgrade to Windows Vista Home Premium Edition.
The Express Upgrade Programmes will allow you to register online for your upgrade to the new software from time of purchase. Once Vista is launched and you receive your copy of the new software, you can upgrade retaining your original applications, files and settings as they were in your previous edition of Windows.
Sounds like a double bargain to us.
November 8, 2006
CES: It's not just about the US y'know
It may be staged in perhaps the best place in the world ever to hold a tradeshow, but just because it's in the US doesn't mean CES is just for the yanks.
According to the officials, this year's show will have 63 international delegations (whatever they are) from 28 countries (we're pretty sure we know what they are...)
There are newcomers too, just look at the line up:
Countries new to this year's show include Argentina, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Israel, Morocco, Panama, and South America, which should help us bump the number of countries represented to over 130 this year.
More, over at the official CES blog.
November 7, 2006
Telly downloads coming to the Xbox 360
InterActive Home had the rumour scoop yesterday, now Microsoft has officially fessed up that TV and movie downloads will be available to US Xbox 360 users before the month is out.
On the 22 November to be precise - the same day the Xbox 360 will be tucking into birthday cake and marvelling at rubbish clown tricks.
This is a major thing, well, provided you live in the States.
This add-on to Xbox Live turns the 360 from a games machine that does a bit more into a fully fledged home entertainment lounge dweller.
Not only that, there'll also be stuff in shiny HD quality. Microsoft, pleeeease bring it to the UK soooooon.
[More: Microsoft brings TV and movie downloads to Xbox 360]
November 7, 2006
Zune accessories arrive and it's not even out yet
Hot on the heals of learning that iPod users don't love their little white friend that much and would swap it for a Zune in a minute and maybe a few free downloads, we've just discovered that the Zune accessory juggernaut is already rolling into action.
Family friend InterActive Home has the details on the first Zune Hi-Fi dock.
Respected audio house VAF has launched the first quality add-on for the Zune player in the shape of the Octavio 1, the first high-end hi-fi dock. Vaf_octavio Unsurprisingly it looks a lot a like many of the iPod docks out there but at around £280, this is aimed at serious music lovers only.
Click through for the full works.
November 7, 2006
VIDEO: Verballs, giving it all that...
VoIP and exciting - not two words you generally hear together.
BoysStuff is promising to change all that with these talking USB freaks.
How do they work? Well, the nice folks there kindly provided a video to explain everything. Well, almost everything...
November 6, 2006
Medion blings up its laptops for the ladies
If diamonds are a girl's best friend, then Medion is banking on crystals coming a close second in the eyes of geek gals. 
It's touting a new laptop aimed at women, decked out in Swarovski crystals.
The model combines (and this is an actual quote): "a sparkly, pink and compact design with advanced features". Girls will be so pleased to know that it's pink and compact - y'know so it'll co-ordinate with their clothes and not be too heavy for their puny arms to carry...
The Medion SIM 2060 is available now from www.medionshop.co.uk at a price of £999 including VAT.
Spec lust, after the jump.
The Medion SIM 2060 is stylishly designed in pink chrome, with over 300 separate Swarovski crystals embedded in the cover, making the shape of a flower motif and the Medion logo. Continuing the sparkling theme further, the flower motif is repeated on the notebook's trackpad. The well-proportioned and compact dimensions of the notebook – it weighs just 1.9kg – mean that it is easy to carry around or fit into a handbag.
Not only does this Medion notebook look good, but it provides the professional features and performance to match. It makes use of the Intel Core Duo processor, which means that it is both powerful and economical, providing substantially higher performance than other processors and lower power consumption. Along with this, the notebook's 12.1" widescreen display and fast graphics performance make it perfect for watching all the latest DVDs.
November 6, 2006
Sharp's spanking new 1080p projector
Sharp is showing off its brand new projector that supports the current daddy of HD standards: 1080p. 
With a 12,000 to 1 contrast ratio, max brightness of 1,000 ANSI lumens and the ability to go very, very large (up to 300in) the XV-Z21000 will make the most of the extra pixels you throw at it.
Sharp is also promising that the dual iris system allows you to get just the right mix of brightness and contrast:
For the first time on a Sharp projector, this model has been equipped with a dual iris system with three-step aperture settings. The ideal ratio between brightness and contrast settings can be adjusted by expanding or reducing the aperture via the remote, providing ultimate control of picture quality and personal viewing preferences by the viewer.
Sharp's also not skimped on the connectors, with not one but two HDMI plus DVI and component. If you must sully it with SD content, you can hook that stuff up as well. For the ultra lazy/snazzy there's a trigger terminal for integrating to an electric motorised screen when the power is turned on and off.
We want one. Now.
Full techy gumph after the jump.
Technical specifications: Sharp XV-Z21000
DMD panel: 0.95 inch DLP Chip (Texas Instruments)
Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 (2,073,600) pixels
HDTV compatibility: 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 576i, 540p, 480p, 480i
Video systems: NTSC 3.58; NTSC 4.43; PAL; PAL (60Hz); PAL-M; PAL-N; SECAM
Computer systems: WSXGA, WXGA, SXGA+; SXGA; XGA; SVGA; VGA; Mac 21", 19", 16", 13"
Lens: 1:1.35 manual zoom and focus
Projection size: 40 - 300in
Projection distance: 4.1 to 5.5m for 16:9 side 100" screen
Brightness: 1,000 ANSI lumens (high brightness mode)
Contrast ratio: 12,000:1 (high contrast mode)
Inputs: 2 x HDMI (digital video component & RGB), 1 x DVI-I, 2 x 5RCA, 1 x RCA Video, 1 x S-Video
Projection lamp: 220W SHP
Lamp life: 3000 hours (low power mode)
Noise level: 33 dB (standard mode); 31 dB (low power mode)
Power source: AC 100-240 V, 50/60Hz
Power consumption: 320W
Dimensions (W x H x D): 475 x 187.5 x 410.2mm (incl. feet and lens)
Weight: 9.4 kg
Supplied accessories: Backlit remote control with 2 AA batteries, user manual, power cable, lens cover, terminal cover