Panasonic Announced Blu-ray Disc Writer--LF-MB121 JD
04-24-2006
Panasonic announced LF-MB121JD, Blu-ray disc writer for PCs in Japan.
Panasonic LF-MB121JD multi drive can burn 11 Blu-ray, DVD and CD formats and 13 different ones. The Blu-ray drive supports single-layer BD with 25GB and dual-layer BD with 50GB capacity.
MSI D310 with DVB-T, Covers Most Areas
04-20-2006
As for us, portable media player with built in receivers is not rarely seen. But majority of these PMPs are specially designed for use in Korea. Recenly we got news from MSI, they are planning to release D310, a PMP with a freeview receiver, which means that it'll work anywhere that use DVB-T for digital broadcasting. That covers much of Europe, Australia and parts of Asia and South America. Same with before, North Americans will have to sit this one out. D310 also includes a DVB-T receiver, 4.2-inch display, SD card slot, and compatibility with MPEG-4 video and MP3 audio files.
Sony DVD Walkman, D-VE7000S and DVP-FX810 Launched in Japan
04-19-2006
Sony Walkman Family has added a new member, D-VE7000S(above picture)and DVP-FX810, portable DVD player. It seems very attractive only from its appearance.
D-VE7000S has a 7-inch display, a couple of headphone jacks, and a dock with integrated speakers capable of charging the unit in about 3 hours.
It is reported that Sony DVP-FX810 features an 8 inch screen and a twist and fold design, with battery life as long as 6 hours, but critics did not give it much positive comments.
Well, both these two DVD players would come into the market in early June, but we haven't got any tips about their price.
Toshiba HD DVD Player HD-A1 Shipped in America
04-19-2006
Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD Players now are available at Best Buy and other stores throughout the United States. Simultaneously there are HD DVD movies appeared in the market, like Serenity can be bought at Amazon.com for $24.49. The other one is The Last Samurai sold at $19.98. But until now maybe you still can't buy HD-A1 player online, but be patient, body, there would be much better players, Toshiba HD-XA1 is coming soon.
First Media Center Supporting Blu-ray Discs
04-16-2006
AMEX Digital, Hong Kong-based PC provider has shown off the world's first 
Blu-ray Media Center.
The MPC-505 is Intel Viiv-powered and features 1TB (that's 1,000GB) hard drive. It can play back Blu-ray discs, outputting Hi-Def video through DVI or HDMI. This Intel Viiv-powered MPC-505 also enables you recording television shows from digital and similar tuners, playing music and showing pictures. While there haven't been any movies available on the new disc format yet, but the PC is capable to record content on to 25GB capacity blank Blu-ray discs.
There is no exact information about the price and release date of this new device.
Onkyo Released HDC-7 Viiv Media PC
04-16-2006
Did you notice the above picture, well, the little box, named as HDC-7, is now ready for its official appearance, with lots of accessories like a Pentium D820 at 2.8GHz, 1GB RAM, 400GB drive, DVD burner and all the inputs and outputs you'd expect, including DVI, component, VGA, dual Firewire and dual USB. It's going to launch in Japan in late May, with price of ??¡ìo??¡ì?¡ì300,000 (about $2,500).
Samsung Q1 to Launch in America on May 1st
04-16-2006
Samsung is planning to hold its press conference in San Francisco, to mainly declare its official release of Samsung Q1 UMPC. Indications points out, this must be a real launch, surely to announce Samsung Q1's price and availability in America. We have mentioned it's being sold in Korean for about $1,200 several days ago. Of course, if Samsung decides to hold the event in the Moscone Center and starts sending out cryptic invitations, all bets are off.
Coinstar Added one New Service, iTunes Music Store Gift cards
04-11-2006
Coinstar has added one new Coin to Card service, to offer iTunes Music Store gift cards. Through this card consumers can now convert their changes into an iTunes gift card or eCertificate at select Coinstar centers.
Furthermore, consumers wouldn't be charged if they exchange coins for a gift card, while standard Coins to Cash transactions have an 8.9% processing fee. Coinstar says activated gift cards are dispensed on the spot from the Coinstar machine and can be used right away.
Other companies partnering with the company on gift cards and eCertificates include Amazon.com, Virgin Digital, Starbucks, and more.
Apple Corps has ever Permitted Apple Computer's use of logo in 2003
04-09-2006
It seems more and more hot between the Apple Corps vs Apple Computer lawsuit case, during which Apple Corps wants to ban the logo use in iTunes Music Store, for Apple Corps think Apple Computer's act has already violated their aggrement achieved in 1991.
But according to Apple Computer lawyer's express to the English High Court, Apple Corps has not always taken this as a serious problem. It was in January 2003, four months before the service went live, Apple Computer has ever sent Apple Corps a demo of the iTMS, providing Apple Corps an opportunity to object to the use of the Apple logo. But at that time Apple Corps did say nothing.
Hollywood Take the Lead to Sell Movie Online
04-03-2006
Today, world's seven film makers,Hollywood,Warner Bros, Universal, Sony, Paramount, Fox, and MGM have joined to announce that they will be selling movies online through Movielink and CinemaNow.The price might be between $20 and $30, for older movies $10 and $20 through movielink.
Through this way these guys finally found the legal justification to charge pirates stealing movies on Internet, at least they have already provided their digital content up online, although it can't be called perfect service. Until today, only rentable downloads had been offered by the studios, which could be watched only during a 24-hour window. The movie files will take up around a gigabyte of storage, and will take an hour or two to download, depending on the internet connection.
US Government Alleged Support to Apple on DRM Issue
03-23-2006
Towards French government and Apple Computer's hot issue on DRM interoperability, namely the biggest Franco-American battle since US lawmakers renamed their favorite side dish "Freedom Fries", now American government has stood out to support Apple Computer.
Carlos Gutierrez, US secretary of Commerce, reviewed this case on CNBC, alleged that he would "compliment Apple because we need for companies to also stand up for their intellectual property rights. At issue is a draft law that would reuqire Apple and other companies to open up their DRM to competitors or allow consumers to do so on their own, so that music purchased in an online music store could be played in any manufacturer's digital audio player." Earlier this week, Apple referred to the French bill as part of "a state-sponsored Piracy".
Guiterrez didn't say whether the US government would do anything specific on Apple's behalf, but he did say that it's a good policy to "have the government work with other governments." From our point of view, this will certainly cause more intensive arguments, maybe Americans begin to torch Archos Gminis when the French students are burning iPods in the street.
