News written by James Delahunty (September, 2007)

Finnish mobile phone giant, Nokia, the world's largest producer of mobile phone handsets, has signed new video deals with seven companies including CNN and Sony Pictures. The deal has been made to bring video content to Nokia's top-of-the-range multimedia phone models. The company has previously signed deals with Google Inc.'s YouTube video sharing giant and Reuters news agency.

"Consumer desire to watch Internet videos on mobile devices is growing all the time and we want to help users discover and access the best content in the simplest way possible," Harri Mannisto, director at Nokia's multimedia unit, said on Tuesday.

The company has also struck deals to bring video content from India's IBN news channel, Jamba, RooftopComedy, ROK and Versaly Entertainment to its N95 models.

Source:
Reuters

Sony managed to sell a quarter of a million new PlayStation Portable (PSP) units in Japan in just 4 days after the new model launched, according to a Japanese gaming magazine. The figure matches what the PSP console previously managed in two months in the territory. The slimmer and lighter PSP launched in Japan on September 20th, aiming to become more competitive with the huge demand for the Nintendo DS Lite.

Sony and Nintendo released the original PSP and DS handheld consoles back in November 2004. Since then, Nintendo revamped the DS with the DS Lite, which was seen considerable demand worldwide. The PlayStation Portable is more expensive but offers more multimedia features. The newer model is thinner than the original and offers TV-out.

In 4 days through September 23rd, the PSP sold 250,702 units in Japan, according to Enterbrain. For comparison, Sony sold 275,223 units of the PSP console in the entire of July and August combined. The PSP sells for 19,800 yen, with the DS Lite selling for 16,800 yen.

Source:
Yahoo (Reuters)

Toshiba is offering up a new portable media player (PMP), the gigabeat T400. The T400 comes with 4GB storage capacity which the company advertises as being capable of storing up to 6 hours of video in the Windows Media Video format, 1,000 songs or 4,000 photos. Toshiba's gigabeat T400 incorporates H2C technology to improve the quality of compressed audio for an unmatched listening experience.

H2C technology enhances the quality of MP3 and WMA audio files by restoring some of a song's treble & bass signals that get lost when tracks are ripped. In addition to H2C, the gigabeat T400 can play WMA Lossless music files to further supply users with the option of enjoying music at the highest level possible from a compressed file format.

Toshiba claims the battery is good enough for 16 hours of audio playback or 5 hours of video playback on a full charge. The player features a 2.4-inch LCD color display for video. It costs $119.99.

"In bringing the gigabeat T400 to market, Toshiba wanted to offer users a unique alternative to the portable media players currently available from a technology, durability and pricing standpoint," said Jeff Barney, vice president of marketing, Digital Products Division, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. "For under $120, few products on the market can match the gigabeat’s ease of use and playback quality."

While IPTV was all the talk at the IBC conference in Amsterdam this year, Broadcast International (BI) claims that the infrastructure for delivering on the promise of IPTV is not yet ready for prime time. IPTV promises HD-quality video delivered on an IP broadband network, wherever and whenever users want it. However, video compression has become a major obstacle in its development.

"Experience has shown us that as broadband adoption has increased, so have consumers' appetites for ways to use that extra bandwidth. IPTV will test those limits," said Rod Tiede, CEO of Broadcast International. "Right now, most video compression solutions are not up to the challenge of dealing with the avalanche of video content that will accompany the emergence of IPTV, and certainly not with anything approaching HD quality. At best, most offer a 25 percent reduction in bandwidth, with compromised picture quality, which is nowhere near that required for IPTV."

Tiede believes that a compression system that offers a 90% reduction in bandwidth consumption is necessary. "In order for IPTV to live up to its promise, the user experience must be at least as good as that delivered by traditional broadcast media; and in fact, it should exceed it. But the existing infrastructure is just not up to that standard without a major change in video compression technology," he said.

Toshiba's Digital Products Division has announced the brand new DLP TDP-EW25U projector. The new BrilliantColor widescreen projector is one of the industry's first wireless network projectors compatible with Microsoft Vista Ultimate's "Meeting Space" functionality for remote sharing of presentation files. The TDP-EW25U projector's "extreme short projection" technology can produce a 60-inch image from just 2.4 feet away.

It allows the projector to be placed or mounted closer to the screen so that the amount of ambient light that can degrade the image quality is reduced, resulting in a more luminous image. The projector also features Windows Vista networking capabilities integrated wireless1 functionality for remarkably quick and easy presentation set up, as well as remote network management and extensive multimedia connectivity.

"The TDP-EW25U projector is simply the best-equipped widescreen presentation solution on the market today," said Sam Malik, director of projector sales and marketing, Toshiba Digital Products Division. "Attractively priced, this incredibly flexible next-generation presentation device gives professionals and consumers everything they need and want in a projector, wider viewing space, easy set up, wireless networking, unbelievable brightness and accurate, lifelike color reproduction."

Adobe Systems Incorporated has announced a major upgrade top its digital video software, Adobe Premiere Elements 4 for Windows. The company also announced Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 for Windows. Tight integration and a shared Organizer, with a common database accessible from either application, allow users to do more with their photos and videos.

"With video and digital cameras now part of our everyday lives and social networking sites on the rise, people are demanding sophisticated tools to show off their photos and videos," said John Loiacono, senior vice president of Creative Solutions at Adobe.

He added: "Sophistication doesn’t mean complication. The combination of Photoshop Elements & Adobe Premiere Elements offers a whole new user experience for consumers, which makes sharing impressive photo and video creations much easier and more fun. With access to all photos and video clips from one convenient place and options to export to YouTube, mobile devices and interactive galleries created with Adobe Flash technology, we expect our new products to be high on holiday wish lists."

Adobe Premiere Elements 4 makes it possible to create entertaining movies in just minutes. The new Organizer, the same found in Photoshop Elements, helps sort video clips and still photos with visual tagging options for people, places, or events. Video enthusiasts can apply comprehensive movie themes to a sequence of scenes in just a few clicks, creating a movie complete with transitions, effects and DVD menu.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has become most known amongst consumers as being the trade organization that seeks out and sues sharers of music owned by the media companies it represents. Up until recently, the RIAA was staying on top of its pursuit of P2P pirated until they were handed some unfavorable situations or decisions. Most people sued by the RIAA opt to avoid going to court and settle with the trade group for a few thousand dollars.

We reported recently about Tanya Andersen's demand and receipt of attorneys fees after the RIAA dropped a file sharing case against her after two years. Judge Donald Ashmanskas said that the RIAA was unable to obtain, or chose not to produce significant usable evidence against the defendant. He commented that the case was unjustified as a reasonable exploration of the boundaries of copyright law as the RIAA seeks to avoid any major decisions on any significant issues.

He commented that if the trade group is allowed to continue with this process, "members of the public would be more hesitant to use the Internet to share creative works in general, regardless of whether their specific conduct violated copyright law or occupied an area yet to be addressed by copyright law."

Speaking at an Event in London, Microsoft's Mark Bennett seemed to indicate that the company would offer an upgraded HD DVD external drive peripheral for the Xbox 360 video games console. Several news articles cite him as saying the new hardware would support advanced HD DVD features such as picture-in-pictures (PIP) and interactivity functions. He also reportedly took some shots at Blu-ray's interactivity offerings.

However, it was reported later on that Microsoft said it would not offer a new Xbox 360 HD DVD drive and that the articles claiming it was under production were just a result of a misquote. It also denied plans of integrating HD-DVD drives into PCs in the future which were also previously reported.

Bennett did make an important announcement in London for UK and European Xbox 360 users however, saying that the company will begin offering 720p movie downloads like those it offers in the United States soon through Xbox Live. He said that the downloads would cost 480 Microsoft Points, which is about £4.

Source:
Inquirer

YouTube, the world's largest video sharing site owned by Google Inc., has raised some eyebrows by banning the accounts of a group known as the Rational Response Squad after it complained that its videos were being taken down by spurious DMCA requests from Creationists. The group argues that its videos contained material either public domain, covered by fair use, or entirely self-produced.

The Creation Science Evangelism Ministries is responsible for the copyright complaints. It was founded by the now-imprisoned tax evader, Kent Hovind. While the videos offered by the Rational Response Squad may have contained quotes or arguments made by Creationists, the Creation Science Evangelism Ministries' websites state, "none of the materials ... are copyrighted, so feel free to copy these and distribute them freely."

This shows a major problem with the current state of the DMCA that has been felt by many many video uploaders; it puts the responsibly on the accused parties to show that its material is non-infringing after a DMCA takedown notice is complied with. For U.S. citizens that are somehow unaware or users from other territories around the world, there is a constant battle in the U.S. between proponents of Evolutionary Theory and Creationism (or as its now commonly known, Intelligent Design or I.D.).

Online retailers Woot.com is offering Microsoft's Zune player for a price of just $129, down from its previous lower-than-average $149 price. To avoid customers being upset about paying the higher price recently, Woot.com will offer customers who bought a Zune at $149 a $10 discount on their next $40 purchase. "Being in technology for 1+years, give or take a year, I can attest to the fact that the technology road is bumpy," Woot CYA Officer Larry Stalin said.

He added: "There is always some idiot changing lanes without signaling, and the potholes never seem to get fixed. If you always wait for the next price cut or to buy the new improved model, you'll never buy any technology product. I mean, why should you? Truth is, you don't really need any of this junk. We're afraid you'll catch on to that fact and overpaid frauds like me will have to go back into fields like telemarketing and burrito construction."

Source:
News.com

According to a lawsuit filed on Thursday in Los Angeles, the U.S. pay-TV industry is breaking the law by offering only subscription packages or bundles and not allowing consumers to choose only the channels they want. Every major cable and satellite television system operators and every cable and broadcast network have been named in the complaint.

"The antitrust laws protect the right of choice," antitrust lawyer Maxwell M. Blecher said. "Here the customer is denied that choice." Blecher accused the parties involved of creating a monopoly that, "deprived consumers of choice, caused them to pay inflated prices for cable television and forced them to pay for cable channels they do not want and do not watch," in his complaint.

The lawsuit lists 9 plaintiffs but Blecher is seeking class-action status. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Kevin Martin has said in the past that a system that allows customers to choose only the specific channels they want would require federal legislation. The TV industry maintains that such a system would drive prices up as advertising revenue would fall, would require many more costumer service representatives and raise costs of billing and marketing.

MPEG LA, LLC has announced the availability of the ATSC Patent Portfolio License, which includes patents that are essential to the digital television standard (including high definition and standard definition) developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) and used in digital televisions sold in the United States, South Korea, Mexico, Canada and other countries.

"MPEG LA is proud to play a continuing role in support of digital television's now and next generation," said MPEG LA Chief Executive Officer Larry Horn. "This license gives further testimony to the ability of the MPEG LA Licensing Model to address real-world market demand for a convenient and reliable one-stop licensing alternative enabling manufacturers to focus their resources on new product development. We applaud these patent holders for their exemplary cooperation in coming together for the benefit of the marketplace with patents of demonstrated value to forge a voluntary marketplace solution inuring to the benefit of ATSC consumers."

The licensing terms include a royalty of USD 5.00 per unit for an ATSC Receiver Product capable of demodulating and decoding an over-the-air, RF terrestrial broadcast signal in compliance with the ATSC Standard and includes right to make, have made, sell, offer for sale, import, and for an end user to use ATSC Receiver Products.

CMC Magnetics Corporation and its U.S. subsidiary Hotan Corporation and Ciba Specialty Chemicals Corporation (Ciba) have settled a lawsuit brought by Ciba for alleged patent infringements. Some CD-R products imported and sold by CMC were produced with dye infringing Ciba's phthalocyanine and related CD-R media patent.

"We were not fully aware of the current dye technology and the related patent situation. After clarification from Ciba, we realize the importance of the technology of the Ciba dye in the dye industry. We regret that we had used for part of our CD-R production a dye from a local supplier that turned out to infringe Ciba's dye and media patents. After this incident we had instantly improved our internal processes to make sure that intellectual property rights are respected and switched back to Ciba's product," a CMC spokesperson commented.

"We appreciate that CMC has been co-operative in settling this matter and will adopt effective measures to avoid future infringement. We are pleased that the case could be settled on this basis," a Ciba spokesperson commented. No details on the settlement were provided.

Source:
CDRinfo

Next month, Microsoft Corp. will revamp its portable media player (PMP) offering, Zune, according to an insider. The source confirmed that an image allegedly displaying the new line-up is in fact accurate. It shows a big change in the control function of the Zune, offering an iPod-like "squircle," a circular 4-way directional pad with a button at the center.

The new Zunes will apparently come in black, red and pink, which Microsoft dropping the often criticized brown color scheme. The new Zune model will offer 80GB storage and will completely replace the 30GB model, according to the source. An additional flash-based model will also apparently be available. The official price for the Zune player right now is $200.

The prices are expected to match those of Apple's iPod prices. The release is expected on October 16th, while the one-year anniversary of the launch of Zune will come on November 17th.

Source:
Electronista

ViewSonic has expanded its offerings to consumers with the addition of new VX and VA series LCD monitors to its line-up. The new VX models tout a dynamic contrast ratio of 4000:1, which is about four times better than traditional desktop LCDs. The company is marketing these new models at video editors and other digital entertainment professional who will benefit greatly from improved contrast ratio.

The VX1940w is a 19-inch monitor that offers a resolution of up to 1680x1050, which matches the resolution of many 20-inch and 22-inch monitors without having to scale up the size. The VX2240w model is a 22-inch monitor that offers a more comfortable viewing angle and the VX1932wm is a 19-inch display that offers a resolution of 1440x900.

The displays, which offer both VGA and DVI inputs, will begin shipping in October this year. The company is also offering the budget VA series which includes VA1926w, VA2026w and VA2226 which are 19-inch, 20-inch and 22-inch displays respectively. All are widescreen models and offer a dynamic contrast ratio of 2000:1. In a addition there is also the single 4:3 model, the 19-inch VA926.

Levono has created some ripples of interest in the market for high-performance computer display monitors with the introduction of a 22-inch LCD monitor that is capable of resolutions up to WUXGA, or 1980x1200. This screen is capable of displaying 1080p video found on HD DVD or Blu-ray movie releases or any other full HD source.

Such a high Resolution for such a small unit is a rarity in the industry. Usually, monitors around the 22-inch size can only scale resolutions of up to 1680x1050. Levono's ThinkVision L220x comes with VGA and DVI inputs, the latter supporting High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) for copy protection.

It also has one USB input and four 4 USB output ports. It offers a 16:10 Widescreen ratio, 178 degree horizontal and vertical wide viewing and 103 pixels per inch dot density. The monitor will be available this November for around $550.

Pioneer Corp. and Mitsubishi Chemical Media have announced that the pair have succeeded in creating a BD-R (Blu-ray Disc recordable) disc that utilizes an organic dye recording layer. Both the companies believe that the development will significantly reduce the development cost of BD-R discs. The development is a result of a partnership between the two companies, struck in 2004, to research write-once BD-R media with organic dye recording layer.

The technology, which is called "Low to High" (LTH, in groove recording), was included in "Blu-ray Disc Recordable Format Ver.1.2" specifications. Of course, a problem right now is that these new discs will not be compatible with any of the burners that are currently on the market.

The technology will help top reduce the cost of making the discs because it eliminates the need for large-scale manufacturing plant investments, and will allow older modified CD-R and DVD-R manufacturing equipment to be used as part of the process.

Source:
CDRinfo

LG Electronics has announced a new PC that will come equipped with an optical drive to read from both optical disc formats competing to become the standard for high definition video, HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc. The groups backing both formats, the HD DVD Promotions Group and the Blu-ray Disc Association, have declared victory already based on sales statistics for hardware or discs, but recent studies have shown victory is nowhere near.

The new LX97WH PC will allow the user to enjoy high definition experiences from both the formats and of course, will also play the standard DVD format. It is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and Nvidia Geforce 8 series video card. All of the technology comes packed into a 8.9cm-slim PC case.

Nod details were offered on when the new PC will be available, what other hardware it will boast or how much it will cost the consumer.

Source:
Yahoo

Toshiba Corp. has announced a recall of 73,554 DVD players due to some reported overheating issues with a specific model. The company is recalling the players to replace defective alternating current (AC) power adapters that can overheat and damage the components within the DVD player unit. The repair will come at no cost to the customer.

All the SD-P1600 DVD player models purchased between September 2005 and June 2007 are subject to the recall, according to a report made by news agency, Kyodo. Toshiba said that it has received four confirmed cases of overheating with the units and the company has already discontinued making the players.

Toshiba, which backs the HD DVD format for next generation standard, is a very large consumer electronics company. Overheating issues are common in the CE market and are usually addressed with a recall, sometimes due to fire concerns.

Source:
MarketWatch

Sonic Solutions announced a multi-year, global licensing agreement with RealNetworks for Sonic AuthorScript. AuthorScript is a media formatting and CD/DVD burning engine. RealNetworks has integrated the AuthorScript DVD burn technology into the new version of the RealPlayer, enabling users to reliably burn personal content and online digital media entertainment files that are not DRM protected to CD or DVDs that play on the more than one billion DVD players installed worldwide.

The new DVD burning functionality forms an important bridge between the PC and the TV, enabling RealPlayer Plus users to view their online content in the comfort of their living rooms. Resulting discs translate into hours of uninterrupted personalized programming that can be enjoyed around the house and on the go, and safely archived for future viewing. The new RealPlayer recognizes DRM video protection systems and does not copy DRM-protected content.

"Providing consumers with the control and flexibility to view, save and experience online video whenever and wherever they choose is a key focus for how Real is approaching the Internet video revolution," said Jeff Chasen, vice president of player and horizontal products at Real. "The inclusion of Sonic's powerful AuthorScript technology in the new RealPlayer is a significant value to our customers and is a key component to extending digital entertainment beyond the PC."

Sony Corp. revealed earlier this month, the new home entertainment service, HES-V1000. The company has updated its website to give some more details about the home entertainment server than were available when it was first just announced. This 200 Blu-ray Disc changer has a lot of power under the hood, and is priced at a steep $3,499.99. It also sports a 500GB hard disk drive.

The unit is capable of full HD 1080p video content. It is advertised as having enough storage space for 137 hours of video, 40,000 songs or 20,000 digital photos. Here are some specs...

• 200 BD/DVD/CD Changer with Full HD 1080P Video Output
• 500 GB Hard Drive
• XMB (Xcross Media Bar) User Interface
• Hard Drive can hold up to: 137 Hours of Video, 2000 Music Albums, or 20,000 Photos
• BRAVIA® Theatre Sync (HDMI-CEC)
• AVC-HD with x.v.Color output
• Video Codec Format : MPEG2/MPEG4-AVC/VC-1
• Dolby Digital and DTS Digital Output
• BD-Java Interactive Capability
• Quick Set Up
• MP3 and JPEG Playback from DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW

SpiralFrog, an advertisement supported free music download site, has proven critics wrong by making its official debut on Sunday. The new service touts an impressive catalog of more than 770,000 music tracks and 3,500 music videos from many independent labels and also the world's largest record company, Universal Music Group.

The service was initially announced in August 2006, and its plans at the time gave it the "potential iTunes killer" label, but after suffering some financial issues and an executive shakeup in December, many critics doubted that the service would ever manage to launch.

SpiralFrog is unique in that it has discovered a method to offer a free alternative to P2P file sharing that carries some major label music. A quick check shows that the service is carrying 8 of the top ten songs according to Billboard. Users of the service much view advertisements while music downloads. It can be stored on 2 portable music players that support Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM). Membership must be renewed every 30 days for the music to keep on working.

Nintendo will offer an "unprecedented" supply of Wii units to North America this holiday season, according to President and Chief Operating Officer of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aime. Fils-Aime told the San Jose Mercury News that the amount of units will be "substantially more than the launch, substantially more than has been seen to date." Nintendo has struggled to keep up with demand ever since launch.

It's a good time for Nintendo to be making promises like this after NPD reported the company sold a very strong 403,600 Wii consoles in August, easily topping the charts for gaming hardware. Not only is Fils-Aime confident the company will keep its promise, he warns that it will be tough anyway to get a Wii console during the holiday season.

He said that Nintendo does not take the success of Wii lightly and realizes it is fighting a long term battle, but he was not concerned with the recent price changes from PS3 and Xbox 360. "In terms of our competitors, what we continue to see is that 360 and PS3 essentially trade share as they alternate on price reductions. But, really, none of that is impacting our business," he said.

ITV will begin offering high definition programming in early 2008 in the UK. The ITV1 channel will have some programming broadcasts in high definition early next year, as part of "ambitious turnaround plans". ITV will announce ten million pounds in two projects, including the Freesat digital satellite service, a planned joint venture with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

The new HD service will offer sports and drama content and will start as a 2 hour HD slot during peak times, and increase to three hours of prime time HD. ITV said it is entering the area to capitalize on the growth of high definition television. ITV would like to see HD available over freeview by 2012 as analog broadcasts fade away.

Source:
Pocket-Lint.co.uk

A 44 year old man from Dundalk, Maryland, is facing 11 charges for child pornography offenses, five counts of receipt of child pornography, five counts of transportation of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. He got caught in an FBI investigation that targeted sharers of child porn on P2P networks. Project Safe Childhood was created by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, last year.

Specifically, he stands accused of trading illegal files through his computer, depicting pre-pubescent children engaged in various sexual acts. If convicted, he would face a minimum of five years in prison up to a maximum of 210 years. It is, of course, very unlikely that he will receive near as many years as the potential.

Hunting child pornography on P2P networks is one activity that users generally applaud the FBI and other law enforcement agencies for doing. Some P2P clients over the years have come with pre-set filters that blocked out potential child porn files, but these same filters were referenced as a potential to block "any" content.

Source:
TG Daily

According to a Reuters report, T-Mobile and Apple Inc. will announce next week that they will offer the iPhone in Germany, one of the most important markets in Europe. According to sources, T-Mobile has agreed to share revenues gained from data and voice services by customers using iPhones, but it is unknown just how much of a cut that Apple will get for the services.

In the UK, Apple is to make an announcement on September 18th, where it is expected to announce a deal with a UK provider to bring the mobile phone to the territory officially. For now, the deal is expected to go ahead with O2 in the UK.

A recently leaked print advertisement from T-Mobile detailed an iPhone that has 16GB capacity, which is double what it available in the United States. However, some errors have been pointed out in the advertisement that make it appear fake.

Source:
Pocket-Lint.co.uk

Creative has recently launched its latest Zen player, which is the first to use Sigmatel's STMP3700 processor which has been designed specifically for portable media players. The new Zen is available with 4GB, 8GB or 16GB capacity. The credit card-thin device sports a 2.5-inch TFT display with a resolution of 320x240.

It can also playback MJPEG, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 SP, Windows Media DivX 5 and XviD video streams and utilizes USB for PC connection. The new 90nm STMP3700 processor is based on the ARM standard and is currently being used in development of numerous other PMPs.

The new Zen sells for between $150 and $300 based on the capacity.

Source:
TG Daily

When Warner showed off its Total HD disc at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas earlier this year, it seemed to be a good short term solution for consumers while the format war is on-going. However, the discs, which are compatible with both Blu-ray players and HD DVD players, have been put on "hold" for the time being with no release date in sight.

In January, Warner talked about getting the discs out to consumers as early as mid-2007, but a delay pushed Total HD back to early 2008. Now the early 2008 release aim has been revoked and the disc has no release date. "We're concerned that as the only one publishing on it, it would be hard to make it go," Warner Home Video president Ron Sanders told TWICE magazine.

There have been rumors that Warner is currently deciding to go exclusive with either HD DVD or Blu-ray Disc. While Sanders confirmed separate discussions, he seemed to indicate that the movie studio will be supporting both formats for a while and will have titles out for both during the holiday season.

According to figures from the NPD group, Nintendo's home console, Wii, and handheld console, DS, have maintained their strong sales in the U.S. during the month of August. The Wii console sold a strong 403,600 units with the Nintendo DS moving along behind at 383,200 units, bringing the total number of Wiis sold in the U.S. to over 4 million and the total number of DS sold to 12.7 million.

Microsoft had a decent month for the Xbox 360 console, moving 276,700 to bring its total figures for the U.S. to 6.3 million. The 360 version of Madden NFL 2008 was the best-selling console game, selling a very strong 896,600 units. BioShock also made the top ten, at number 3.

Sony's PlayStation 3 (PS3) console continued to move slower than its competitors with 130,600 units, down from last month's 159,000. This brings the number of PS3s sold in the U.S. to about 1.75 million units. The company's PlayStation 2 (PS2) continued to carry it through the rough times with 202,000 sales (39.1 million overall) and the PSP had a good month with 151,200 units sold.

Source:
Ars Technica

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), along with other trade organizations for the entertainment industry, has been pursuing Internet pirates and sources of movie exchanges such as BitTorrent sites for the past few years. In that time, failed attempts to bring down the Pirate Bay was an embarrassment to the MPAA and other groups that accuse it of being an illegal service.

In several areas, so called "Pirate Parties" have emerged that could challenge the meaning of copyright itself through political process. However, when Dean Garfield, director of MPAA's anti-piracy department, was interviewed by ZDNet, he responded to a question of whether fighting the MPAA and similar organizations through the Democratic process is legitimate by addressed the "Pirate Party".

"There's nothing about what the Pirate Bay does or what the Pirate Party does that is legitimate. There's nothing philosophically principled about it. They steal copyright content and accept advertising dollars based on taking other people's work. There's nothing noble about it," he said. Of course, the existence of Sweden's Pirate Party is not to destroy the concept of copyright and legalize rampant piracy.

Members of the Santangelo family, sued by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for alleged copyright infringement by sharing music on P2P networks, have called for AOL, Sharman Networks (which offers the Kazaa P2P software) and Matthew Seckler to be added as third-party defendants to the case. Michelle and Robert Santangelo face an RIAA lawsuit from Elektra Records.

They are demanding $3,966,000 from both AOL and Sharman and $1 from Seckler, who apparently installed the Kazaa software on their computer. This could potentially set a precedence where other P2P defendants point the finger of blame at their ISPs or the providers of file sharing software.

"The Defendants and Third-Party Plaintiffs deny that they or either of them are guilty of Plaintiffs' allegations and affirmatively allege that the injuries sustained by Plaintiffs, if any, were solely caused by reason of the negligence and breaches of the Third-Party Defendants named herein: in the defective design of Sharman Network's program, "Kazaa" which was a dangerous instrumentality in its each and every use as it existed in 2002-2004; the trespassing and reckless installation by Matthew Seckler of such program; the failure to warn by AOL and Sharman; the failure to block the downloading of such files by AOL; the improper blocking of alleged (RIAA) warning messages by AOL and Sharman; and, the secretive file sharing system of and by Kazaa."

DTS has announces the launch of its new Certified Developers Program, designed to support the implementation of DTS technologies for the company's customers and partners. Addressing the rapid expansion and adoption of DTS technologies in the marketplace, DTS is recruiting the best software engineering firms and third-party developers in the world to participate in the program in association with leading global product design company Tata Elxsi.

Tata Elxsi is officially the first company to join the new DTS program. Recommended by DTS, participating partners will be extensively trained to develop solutions of DTS technologies for both IC and manufacturing customers. Their capabilities will encompass embedded and software application development and integration, customization, porting and re-engineering applications across platforms, as well as testing, validation and quality assurance.

"The implementation of the DTS Certified Developers Program reflects a growing trend in the marketplace to improve service for customers: Many top-tier companies are launching similar programs to address rapid expansion in the Consumer Electronics space," said Brian Towne, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Consumer Division at DTS. "Tata Elxsi is a top-tier organization that has global reach, and we’re pleased to inaugurate this program with them onboard."

The DirecTV 10 satellite is currently undergoing testing procedures after being successfully placed in geo-synchronous orbit. The satellite was launched on July 6th, 2007. The testing has so far confirmed that the satellite is working correctly and is ready to deliver all planned high-definition programming. The aim is to deliver up to 100 HD channels nationwide by year-end.

The DirecTV 10 satellite's transponder payload also includes spot-beam capacity that will support the expansion of DirecTV's local HD channel services. While testing of DirecTV 10's capability continues, it appears that a portion of the anticipated spot-beam capability may not be fully available.

The investigation to determine the cause of the reduced capability and potential means to mitigate its effect is on-going. However, the planned expansion of HD local programming as previously announced should not be materially affected. The launch of DirecTV 11 11 is still scheduled for late this year or early next year, on a Sea Launch launch vehicle.

Source:
Press Release

Revver, a video sharing site that shares advertising revenue with its users, has announced that it has paid over $1 million to videographers over the past year. The YouTube competitor (although much smaller) said that it paid out the revenue to about 25,000 different users in total. Revver shared the revenue with the video suppliers 50/50, indicating the company makes between $2 - $2.5 million from advertisements unless it pays out more money to high-end video makers.

YouTube is considered to be the heavyweight of the online video revolution. The Google-owned video giant announced earlier this year that it would roll-out revenue sharing services. By this time, sites like Revver already existed that offered amateur video makers a cut of the advertising revenue generated by video views.

When more such services come along, and especially when YouTube jumps on the bandwagon, it will enable individuals or smaller production companies to offer free videos and make (hopefully) a decent revenue for their work.

Source:
News.com

According to a Samsung representative, the new BD-UP5000 Blu-ray / HD DVD combo player will have on board decoding capabilities for all high resolution formats, following a firmware update scheduled for after its release. This apparently includes DTS-HD Master Audio. The same representative also said that users will be able to output Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio over analog 7.1 outputs.

The BD-UP5000 fully supports both next-generation formats including their interactive technologies, HDi and BD-J. The player is fully capable of full HD 1080p output at 24fps (if supported by display) for both formats.

However, priced at $1,050, Samsung has to deal with the same fact as LG's combo players; you can buy a PlayStation 3 (PS3) console and a Toshiba HD-A2 for less. Nevertheless, the novelty of a dual player is always good, and hopefully as time progresses, if neither group backs out of the war, these players will get better and cheaper.

As some Apple fans were lucky to get their hands on a new iPod Touch nice and early, some details have been spread around the web that may be of interest to readers. Firstly, the hacks for the iPhone to add additional software don't seem to work with the iPod Touch, but many are left hoping that its just a minor setback and this goal will be achieved later.

The iPod Touch also, for some reason, does not show up under Mac OS X as a drive, which will be disappointing for some and goes against Apple's own technical spec sheet for the device, which reads, "stores data via USB flash drive." Some have reported that the screen isn't as easy to view as that of the iPhone and the virtual keyboard is less responsive.

Last but definitely not least (and perhaps the most interesting) is the fact that some buyers ended up with an iPod Touch with no Mac OS X operating system. Instead, through some screw up, they got a model that had diagnostics software installed. The most interesting part of the diagnostics software is a Bluetooth icon with a red X marked over it, adding fuel to the rumor that the iPod Touch does have Bluetooth circuitry and may just need a firmware update to unlock it.

Sony Corp, Sharp Corp and Hitachi Displays Ltd will all study technology that will significantly cut the power consumption levels of LCD televisions. The three firms are aiming to develop the technology by 2011 to tackle the growth of power consumption of LCD as the models being developed keep getting larger and larger to cut into the once-plasma-dominated market for larger screens.

The study aims to reduce the power consumption to half of what is required today. The group will develop energy saving techniques and study LED backlighting for LCD panels. The announcement follows a move by Panasonic to reduce power consumption of Plasma televisions in order to increase competition with LCD.

Source:
Japan Today

SanDisk has launched the SanDisk Express line of high-performance flash memory products, based on the ExpressCard technology standard. SanDisk Express products aim to deliver best-of-class solutions for videographers and photographers who demand speed, durability and reliability

The first product in the SanDisk Express line is the SanDisk ExpressCard, a flash memory card designed for a new generation of professional camcorders that record to ExpressCards rather than magnetic tape, hard discs or optical discs. The SanDisk ExpressCard is expected to be available in November, in 8GB and 16GB capacities.

Recording time for high-definition video capture, at 35 megabits per second, will be approximately 30 minutes on the 8GB card and 60 minutes on the 16GB card. "With the SanDisk ExpressCard, professional videographers for the first time will have access to a high-speed, solid-state digital recording solution," said Wes Brewer, vice president of SanDisk's Cards and Accessories Division. "What’s more, because the PCI Express interface is an open industry standard, and because of the continuing decline in the cost of flash, we expect other video equipment manufacturers to adopt this compelling new format."

A Judge has told the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), that if it expects to sue an alleged P2P music pirate in his court, the trade group would have to present some evidence of the crime. As the number of RIAA lawsuits filed moved into the thousands, the trade group appears to be doing less research for each case.

In the Interscope v. Rodriguez case, Judge Rudi Brewster refused to grant a default judgment in favor of the RIAA due to inadequate evidence of copyright infringement by the defendant. The defendant completely ignored the RIAA, never responding to the claims made against her.

The judge said that the RIAA has to present at least some facts to show the plausibility of their allegations of copyright infringement against the defendant, adding that the level of proof presented required him to make a judgment based only on speculation.

Source:
The Inquirer

Nintendo's Wii console has been confirmed as the market leader, according to figures reported by the Financial Times. We reported last month that the Wii console had overtaken the Xbox 360 console in terms of the number unit sales worldwide, based on figures from VG Chartz. Now, although with different figures, the Financial Times has shown a similar lead held by the Nintendo console.

The sales data from the Financial Times indicates that Nintendo has sold 9 million Wiis, followed by Microsoft which has sold 8.9 million Xbox 360's and Sony which has sold about 3.7 million PlayStation 3 (PS3) consoles. VG Chartz reports currently that 11.45 million Wiis have been sold, 10.89 million Xbox 360s have been sold and 4.57 million PS3s have been sold.

The data for the Financial Times is collected from, Enterbrain in Japan, GfK in Europe and NPD in the United States. While the figures between both vary, they both show a similar lead taken very recently by Nintendo in the generation. The Nintendo DS console is also far ahead of the PlayStation Portable (PSP) in terms of sales, meaning Nintendo now leads both the home console and handheld markets.

MySpaceTV is to debut an original show in November, made by the creators of Blood Diamond. Quarterlife will debut on the MySpaceTV platform on November 11th. The show follows the lives of six people in their mid-20s and will "chart the sometimes excruciating, sometimes comic, often emotional experiences that comprise coming of age as a part of the digital generation."

The protagonist, Dylan (female) is a video blogger. MySpace has already tested the waters as a digital-age broadcaster by hosting Prom Queen, a Web series created by Vuguru (owned by former Disney chief, Michael Eisner). MySpaceTV also got the exclusive rights for the finale of Lonelygirl15, but that show had been openly distributed among the likes of YouTube and Revver by its fans.

MySpace is the "exclusive international distribution partner" for QaurterLife but it is unclear whether the company will pursue action against uploaders who post it to other video-sharing sites.

Source:
News.com

A deal between Yahoo and MTV will see the Viacom-owned music channel distributing an online music performance series in high definition from Yahoo Inc., according to the online edition of the New York Post. This type of deal is rare because it brings content created specifically for Internet consumption to regular TV broadcasts (and from an entity as big and well known as MTV).

"Nissan Live Sets" comprises seven to eight from a featured artist, performed live in front of about three hundred fans. The performances are recorded in high definition, making them suitable also for mainstream television. The deal with MTV will commence on September 17th with the second season of the series.

Source:
Yahoo (Reuters)

Apple Inc. has invited the UK press to an event on September 18th. While the company is expected to give details on the European iPhone launches, it declined to comment. It's invitation reads, "Mum is no longer the word." In Germany, T-Mobile Deutschland, along with France's Orange SA and Britain's O2 have reportedly signed exclusive deals with Apple Inc. to distribute the iPhone in their respective countries.

While no details of the deals have been made public officially, the operators reportedly agreed to give Apple 10 percent of the revenue they generate from the sale of voice and data services for the device. Apple recently cut the price of the 8GB iPhone model in the United States to $399 from the previous $599, making it affordable to more consumers but angering early adopters.

To sooth tensions, Apple has offered $100 store credit to early adopters who paid the full $599 for an iPhone. A recent article in Mobile Magazine claimed that the European iPhone will include 16GB internal storage and support for 3G data connections. The site cited a leaked T-Mobile print advertisement which also said the iPhone would cost €499 in Germany.

Sony Corp. has made another move to display its strong support for the Blu-ray Disc format, by dumping the DVD format for use in its digital video recorders in Japan. The announcement was made by the company at the same time it unveiled four Blu-ray video recorders. The new recorders offered support for dual-layer discs which was missing from earlier models, and also offer some more attractive features.

The new models can transcode into the more efficient H.264 / AVC video format, significantly improving the quality and amount of space needed for video content. Sony would advertise its 50GB dual layer Blu-ray discs as being capable of recording 4 hours of high definition content in MPEG-2 format, but that could be increased up to 16 hours with AVC.

The BDZ-X90 model is the most powerful of the new models, supporting output of 1080p Full HD content, designed for use with a home theater system. It also sports an internal 500GB hard disk drive, supports Deep Color and HDMI 1.3. The BDZ-L70 is made specifically for users with camcorders, supporting one touch transfer of video from Handycam models to its internal 250GB HDD.

Acting on a complaint made by Dutch anti-piracy foundation BREIN, Dutch police officers have raided and dismantled a plant used for the production of pirated discs. BREIN was informed of the activity at the premises by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which has been monitoring activity at the clandestine plant for a while now. The plant had the capacity to output 900 discs per hour.

Among the movies being produced were Die Hard 4.0, Ocean's Thirteen, Evan Almighty and Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer. The IFPI has determined that the equipment in use came from a manufacturing plant that had previously been declared bankrupt. Officers also discovered discs which formed part of an order for thousands of pirate CDs featuring a compilation of chart music.

The pirate discs did not make their way into legitimate distribution channels, which often does occur. Instead they were sold by individuals in schools, workplaces, bars or on the street. BREIN estimates that such organized piracy accounts for an estimated 10 per cent of the Netherlands' physical piracy problem. The investigation is ongoing.

According to Mobile Magazine, when Europe finally gets Apple Inc.'s iPhone, it will receive an upgraded model compared to what's currently available on the U.S. market. In the United States, the iPhone currently sells for $399. The GSM-based mobile phone also includes iPod functionality and 8GB storage capacity.

A leaked print advertisement from T-Mobile Germany details an iPhone model that sports 16GB storage capacity and is equipped with the much faster 3G data connection. The UMTS/HSDPA radio will send data over in much more efficient manner (at up to 3.6Mbps) than the EDGE connection that AT&T in the States offers.

The rest of the specs sound familiar like the 2.0 megapixel integrated camera, visual voicemail and of course, iPod functionality. The price tag for the phone will be a steep &euro499 (US$687) when the iPhone hits German shelves this November.

Source:
MobileMag.com

Sony has released the latest updated firmware for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) console. The version 3.70 update is for both the original PSP hardware and the newer slim model. It appears Sony's update service skipped the 3.60 firmware version that shipped with the slim models and has moved right on to v3.70

Here are some details of the updated firmware.

• You can now set custom themes in [Theme Settings] under [Settings].
• Support has been added for assigning buttons in [Remote Play].
• A scene search feature has been added under [Video].
• Sequential playback is now supported under [Video].
• Simultaneous playback of content under [Music] and [Photo] is now supported.

While the United States prepares to switch to digital broadcasts in February 2009, new rules from the FCC for cable companies will mean some viewers with analog TVs will be fine for a few more years. The FCC voted 5-0 to require that cable operators must continue to make all local broadcasts available to their users, even if they have analog TVs.

After the transition to digital, cable providers will have two signals to work with, digital standard definition (SD) and digital high definition (HD). To keep providing for the analog users, the cable companies will have two choices, either provide its subscribers with converter boxes or convert the digital SD signal to analog SD and provide it across the lines.

The converter box option is potentially very expensive and the analog signal option means the use of more bandwidth. The National Cable & Telecommunications Association applauded the FCC's decision but expressed concerns about the special circumstances of very small systems which could face severe cost pressures by complying.

Source:
Ars Technica

Microsoft Corp. has had very little success in Japan with its Xbox 360 games console. Even in the PlayStation 3's (PS3) worst days in its makers home market, it still outsold the Xbox 360 2 to 1. However, Microsoft has repeatedly tried to push the console further in the face of such poor sales performances, and at the Tokyo Game Show on Wednesday, Microsoft has some good announcements to make.

One of the most important announcements was support from Square Enix, which up until now has held out on the Xbox 360. The developer will create two titles for the Xbox 360 platform, including Infinite Undiscovery and The Last Remnant. Both games appear to be RPG games, which are very successful in Asian markets.

Tomonobu Itagaki from Team NINJA/Tecmo Ltd. and Hironobu Sakaguchi from Mistwalker also appeared at the conference to voice their support for Microsoft's platform. "We continue to evolve our strong relationships with Japan's best and most innovative developers, and we're looking forward to delivering exclusive high-definition titles for consumers worldwide, this year and beyond," Interactive Entertainment chief Don Mattrick said.

Acer America Corporation introduced the new P-Series displays, a full line of stylish and functional high-performance LCD monitors. The the P Series displays are ideal for home and educational environments, along with multimedia, gaming and video applications requiring premium performance, comfortable extended use, and increased versatility.

The new P Series includes four high-performing, panoramic widescreen sizes, 19-, 20-, 22- and 24-inch LCDs, offering more screen real-estate to manage multiple applications. Each widescreen display is housed in a glossy, piano black bezel with curved edges and supported via a sturdy silver base, adding a contemporary look to any environment. The display's useful control buttons are placed subtly, lending to the clean and efficient design.

Outfitted with either HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), delivering the highest video and audio quality from one digital connector between LCDs and PC video graphic cards or other digital sources, or DVI (Digital Visual Interface), the popular video interface made to maximize the connection quality, the P Series displays ensures users with the most up-to-date multimedia innovations and connections.

Memorex has expanded its optical media products with the addition of Labelflash. LabelFlash DVD media enables the consumer to use this advanced technology to create custom high-resolution DVD disc designs. Using a labelflash-enabled drive and media, Consumers and prosumers alike can now create custom photo and video DVDs in sharp, deep blue, monochromatic designs.

"Labelflash is the elite solution for consumers and prosumers seeking to add finely detailed disc designs to their keepsake DVDs," said Carla Pihowich, director of marketing, Imation. "With Labelflash DVD-Rs, consumers have another solution to take their digital creations to a new level of design and personalization that can resist damage from smudges, scratches and the test of time."

Labelflash DVDs include a specialized dye layer which interacts with the laser in a Labelflash-enabled DVD drive to produce high resolution designs on the label side of a DVD. Simply burn data onto the disc, flip it over, and the Labelflash drive creates unique prints in varying shades of blue without a printer, labels or ink. Because the Labelflash dye layer is positioned below the polycarbonate disc surface, Memorex Labelflash DVD-Rs are highly durable and provide superior resistance to smudging and scratching

According to news site iLounge, Apple Inc.'s new iPod Classic and iPod Nano players will require new accessories for TV-Out functions. According to the site, when a new iPod is connected to an older dock, the TV-Out option in the Video Settings menu is disabled. Of course, you can still watch video stored on the iPods on its small screens, this only affects connecting it to a TV for a larger view.

According to the site, the new iPods include "authentication chips" which will also be in many third-party devices for the iPods. It is this extra equipment that apparently blocks the TV-Out functionality of newer iPods with older docks. Apple's website states that both the new iPod models can use TV-Out with Apple's Universal Dock.

"Use the Apple Component AV Cable, the Apple Composite AV Cable, or the Apple AV Connection Kit. Other similar RCA-type cables might not work," the manual for the iPod Classic reads. If true, then many iPod owners planning to upgrade their iPods this holiday won't be very pleased.

Source:
Reg Hardware

A Seattle man has been arrested for allegedly using OP2P software including Soulseek and Limewire to steal personal/private information of users. Gregory Kopiloff, 35, scoured through users systems looking for information he could use such as income tax returns, student financial aid applications, credit reports and other sensitive data that would help him impersonate the victims

He used this data to create bogus credit card accounts which he then used to order thousands of dollars worth of goods, which he later sold on for half the price. So far, investigators have identified 83 different victims. He has been charged with mail fraud, computer hacking and aggravated identity theft offenses and faces a maximum of 29 years in prison.

These scams are possible because many users unknowingly share their entire hard drives, or sensitive folders on P2P networks. This often happens by accident while updating software but it also can be a case of the user not understanding how to use P2P networks and what the significance of a shared folder actually is.

Source:
The Register

Nero has announced that SecurDisc has been recognized by the Mt. Fuji Group as an industry standard for secure CD and DVD burning. SecurDisc technology provides a full feature set of security-related functions through a combined hardware/software solution. It also offers encryption with password protection, digital signature, and higher data reliability through data storage redundancy and defect management.

Underscoring the importance of providing users with a multi-layered approach to data protection, the SecurDisc command set and model descriptor will be included in the upcoming version 7 of the Mt. Fuji specifications.

"In an age where vital information is frequently stored and transported using CDs and DVDs, it is important to understand potential mechanisms for protection of critical data," Charly Lippoth, Chief Technology Officer, Nero AG stated. "SecurDisc is designed for use by those who are serious about security and the protection of their data. Recognition from the Mt. Fuji Group and inclusion of the SecurDisc command set and model descriptor in their latest specifications truly highlights the value of SecurDisc technology in protecting vital information."

ViXS Systems Inc. has announced an MPEG4 AVC (MPEG4 Part 10/H.264) encoder/decoder system-on-a-chip (SOC) named XCode 3290. ViXS' current XCode 2100 Series is in included in consumer electronics (CE) and PC products. Set-top and CE manufacturers will now have the ability to build AVC home video products which are cost effective but still provide the sizzle factor required in these highly competitive markets.

The XCode 3290 will be integrated into home video products such as High Definition (HD) STBs, PVRs, DTVs, Blu-Ray/HD DVD recorders, Media Servers and Network Attached Storage (NAS) products. The XCode 3290's powerful multi-core processors allow for multiple and/or advanced applications such as PVR, DLNA and Networking without the aid of an external CPU.

The XCodeTM 3290's Dual HD Transcoding, encoding and dense peripheral integration make it a shoe-in for CE manufacturers building next generation home video products that have storage, networking and content protection needs.

A group of developers has followed up the release of the iPhoneSimFree software to retailers by offering another solution at a much more attractive price to an iPhone owner; completely free. The 6,458 bytes worth of data has been tested and confirmed working. With the recent $200 price cut from the 8GB iPhone and now unlocking software in the wild, Apple Inc. may be about to see a surge in orders.

While Apple might move quite a few more units from recent developments, AT&T Inc. may be a little bit more inclined to kick up a fuss. Up until now, the iPhone would only work if a customer subscribed to the AT&T network, but now unlocking software means it can be used with T-Mobile in the U.S. or with providers in different countries where it is not yet available.

Daeken, Darkmen, guest184, gray, iZsh, Nightwatch, pytey, roxfan, Sam, uns, Zappaz, and Zf are the nicknames of 12 hackers credited with the creation and release of the free unlocking software.

Source:
DailyTech

A new download service in Sweden claims to offer probably the most consumer-friendly movie download service on the Internet. Headweb uses P2P technology to sell movie downloads without Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection. The movie downloads will be fully compatible with regular DVD players (when burned to a DVD disc) and maintains the same video and audio quality you will get from retail DVDs.

Furthermore, Headweb builds on other movie download services by working on more platforms than Windows, even apparently supporting Linux. For now, the company is working on offering full DVD downloads, but will expand to other formats in the near future. Since the service does not use DRM, it is not limited to a proprietary format such as Windows Media.

Since the service will be expected to protect copyright somehow, it uses watermarking technology that will make it possible to identify a movie being shared illegally and link it to the users' account. This watermarking won't be visible and won't cause any problems for the user, unless the download is spread through file sharing networks. The company believes that watermarking is an excellent alternative to DRM for the consumer.

TiVo Inc. has revealed that the TiVoToGo and Multiroom viewing features of the high-definition TiVo and original Series 3 will be enabled for use in November. Both features have not been made available due to concerned about piracy. When TiVo asked permission from CableLabs, it didn't approve the company's Digital Rights Management (DRM) software which would protect flagged content from piracy.

CableLabs recently approved the DTCP encryption standard, which may be what TiVo uses. "These features will provide support for video transfers between Series3 & Series2 systems and between a Series3/Series2 system and a PC. High Definition content will not be supported for transfer or playback on a Series2 system (Series2's just can't play HD), and copy-protected High Def or Standard Def content cannot be transferred (same as our current Series2 products)," detailed TiVo team member TiVoPony in the Community Forums.

While standard definition content rarely includes a copy protection flag while during broadcast, the same may not apply to high-definition content and some TiVo users may find they are more limited than expected in sharing HD content to other TiVos or PC. "If it's recorded in HD on a Series3 or TiVoHD, then it can be shared between those platforms, but not with a Series2," added TiVoPony. "And when I say 'can be shared between those platforms', it of course comes with any caveats the copyright owner dictates regarding sharing."

The Optical Memory National Engineering Research Center (OMNERC) has announced CH-DVD (China High Definition DVD). This next-generation optical disc format includes Chinese-owned intellectual property, and is based on HD DVD, the next generation high definition DVD approved by the DVD Forum. The realization of CH-DVD was supported by the Chinese government, and will pave the way for the localization of blue-laser, high-definition DVD in China.

OMNERC has established the China High Definition DVD Industry Association (CHDA) in cooperation with the DVD Forum and Chinese and international partners. CHDA will play a leadership role in the promotion of CH-DVD, and will make a big push to launch CH-DVD player into the Chinese market in 2008.

The emergence of CH-DVD as a high definition format integrating Chinese-owned intellectual property clearly demonstrates that a Chinese optical disc technology is already at the world-class level. In the near future, all related industries in China are expected to make the transition from standard definition DVD to high definition DVD.

According to an article posted on Screen Digest, the DVD Forum has approved a 51GB HD DVD disc. The disc, which consists of three layers of 17GB each, was reportedly approved for production by the DVD Forum on August 31st. The extension to the HD DVD standard was submitted to the DVD Forum back in April of this year.

The HD DVD group has not proved the technical feasibility of the disc and there are no details on whether any currently available HD DVD hardware is "triple-layer-ready". A rumor that has been around for months claims that many HD DVD players available will be able to play the triple layer disc after a firmware update, but the group has not commented.

Toshiba had talked about a triple layer 45GB disc back in May 2005, but by pushing capacity to 51GB the group may aim to get it out while Blu-ray dual-layer discs offer 50GB capacity. Of course, Blu-ray is not "stuck" at 50GB just as HD DVD is not stuck with 30GB.

Microsoft Corp. is currently negotiating with the BBC, seeking a deal that will make BBC content available to UK customers through the Xbox Live Video Marketplace. In the U.S., Xbox Live carries content from the likes of Disney, CBS and MTV. The Sunday Times reported that the Redmond-based software giant was speaking to the BBC and many other potential partners in Europe.

"We are working diligently on multiple fronts to make it happen," Ross Honey, senior director for media at Microsoft's content and partner strategy group, said. "The BBC is a great content provider." Microsoft is expected to launch digital television and video services in Europe soon.

Sony recently revealed the PlayTV add-on for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) console that will give users access to Freeview programming via the console, and eventually, pay-per-view downloads in a deal with Sky.

Source:
Pocket-Lint.co.uk

Sonic Solutions has announced Scenarist Advanced Content Authoring Software Version 4.5, the company's HD DVD authoring software. Scenarist Advanced Content Authoring further streamlines the creation of complex titles with support for Multiple Playlists, Secondary EVOBs, Chapter Point File Import, Scheduled Events and much more.

As well as new features, Scenarist Advanced Content Authoring now includes Sonic's popular Scenarist Designer and new Scenarist Formatter. The new software applications are a strong complement to Scenarist Advanced Content Authoring, providing a highly optimized workflow from graphics and HDi preparation through HD DVD pre-mastering and burning.

"With Scenarist Advanced Content Authoring, we are providing the authoring community the most complete solution for the creation of Hollywood's most intricate and detailed interactive HD DVD titles," said Matt Palmer, Director of Product Management at Sonic.

He added: "Based on over a year of development and extensive feedback from members of Sonic's High Definition Authoring Alliance (HDAA), Scenarist Advanced Content Authoring redefines workflow efficiency and delivers the playback compatibility and reliability that high-end production facilities have come to expect from the Scenarist brand."

Nero has announced the global availability of more SecurDisc-enabled drives from LG Electronics, Inc. The addition of SecurDisc technology to the new LG GSA-E60N/L LG 20x External DVD Rewriter and the LG GSA-E50N/L Slim Portable provides secure data protection and content access control for data recorded on regular CD and DVD formats.

"With international headlines focused on the dangers of information loss, data security and document protection have become top of mind for consumers worldwide," said Charly Lippoth, Chief Technology Officer, Nero AG. "Information owners are increasingly aware of the need for strong access controls, and Nero continues to set the standard for what end-users will come to expect in ensuring the security of their files. The global availability of LG SecurDisc-enabled drives speaks to the market demand for this functionality."

SecurDisc offers solutions to secure your content from prying eyes offering encryption with password protection, digital signature, and higher data reliability through data storage redundancy and defect management, as well as copy protection for PDF files and a data integrity checker.

The UK Government has responded to calls for the BBC's iPlayer software to be opened up to more operating systems than Microsoft's Windows XP. The Government responded to an online petition which gathered more than 16,000 signatures since it was set up in June. The BBC Trust has made it a condition of launching the iPlayer that it worked with other operating systems in response to the call.

The iPlayer allows UK users to download and watch TV content from the BBC after it airs. However, it only works with Windows XP and this upset many TV license payers in the UK. The BBC Trust has now promised that versions of the player for alternative platforms will be available "as soon as possible."

As for goals, there is expected to be a Mac version of the player this Autumn followed by versions for several mobile gadgets and for Windows Vista. The Open Source Consortium (OSC) has also criticized the closed nature of the iPlayer and has called for versions that work with Linux and has met with the BBC Trust to discuss its views.

Source:
BBC News

According to manufacturers of LCD panels, demand for LCD televisions is on the rise. In North America, there is considerable demand for 19-inch and 22-inch LCD TVs currently as consumers target them as second or third TV sets for a household. Vendors point to good pricing for LCD televisions of 19-inch and 22-inch sizes in the North American market to explain the demand.

However, 32-inch displays remain the mainstream size in the market while tight supply persists. In the market for LCD panels of 37-inch in size, tight supply is also enduring. Panel makers said that the shortage situation for 37-inch panels may increase in the second half as pricing for the segment continues to dip and suppliers for 37-inch TV panels remains few.

Demand for 42-inch LCD TVs is also picking up now that the units are becoming more affordable.

Source:
DigiTimes

Four manufacturers of black CD-R discs are prepping legal proceedings against Royal Philips Electronics over the Veeza licensing program. The four companies, CMC Magnetics, Ritek, Prodisc Technology and Daxon Technology accused Philips of imposing the "unreasonable and discriminating" Veeza licensing program upon them, according to a press release issued by the Taiwan Information Storage Association (TISA).

The companies are claiming that the high royalty charges severely limit their ability to operate in the market for blank CD-R discs. Additionally, the companies claim that the licensing system discriminates against them because Philips couldn't subject Moser Baer India (MBI) or Chinese manufacturers to Veeza.

This makes it very difficult for the four companies to compete with the Chinese makers or MBI in several markets. The four companies will demand that Philips return paid royalty fees in excess of reasonable amounts and duly compensate for their lost business due to the discrimination of Veeza licensing.

Source:
DigiTimes

A new small study carried out by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People will ignite the debate over the audio volumes that MP3 players can output and what exactly manufacturers' obligations are. The charity warned that over two thirds of young people who use MP3 players are currently facing premature hearing damage as a direct result of the volume they listen to the players at.

The group has accused manufacturers of slacking when it comes to adequately warning customers about hearing damage. RNID urges MP3 player fans to invest in in-ear filters for headphones which cancel out background noise and reduce the need for higher volumes. Out of 110 MP3 users tested in Brighton, Manchester and Birmingham, 72 listened to music at a volume over 85 decibels.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that listening to music at that volume for more than an hour at time can damage hearing ability. The study found that half the young people questioned listened for more than an hour a day with a quarter listening for more than 21 hours per week. About 58% were completely unaware of the hearing loss risks and 79% had never seen warnings about noise levels on packaging of MP3 players.

Panasonic announced the debut of its newest LCD home theater projector with 1080p (1,920 x 1,080 pixel) native resolution. The PT-AE2000U suits or savvy home theater enthusiasts and audio video professionals who desire an immersive home entertainment viewing experience. The PT-AE2000U delivers 1080p images with a carefully-tuned lens system to reproduce remarkable detail and clarity with 1,500 lumen brightness and 16,000:1 contrast ratio.

The PT-AE2000U model comes equipped with Panasonic's new optical system that's designed to display beautifully detailed images with a captivating brightness of 1,500 lumens. The projector's new Detail Clarity Processor analyzes frequency characteristics of each frame in three dimensions (horizontal, vertical, and along the time axis) and applies necessary sharpness at varying degrees to create natural, life-like images with exceptional clarity.

"Continuing our close collaboration with leading Hollywood colorists and image experts, we've taken our projector technology to the next level to meet the growing demand for high-definition home entertainment content," said Thomas Zitelli, president of Panasonic Projector Systems Company. "For home theater connoisseurs and audio video professionals who desire the richest colors and the best image quality, our new PT-AE2000U LCD projector enables viewers to easily enjoy movie theater-quality entertainment at home."

Meridian has released a new iPod-compatible dock that might be interesting to users who store a lot of video content on their iPods. The company claims that the Meridian iRIS iPod dock is capable of playing video from an iPod on a connected TV screen and can also upconvert the video signal to full HD 1080p content. Furthermore, the company claims that it provides quality good enough for big screens, clarity and freedom from artifacts.

Of course, while this might be true (or at least true to a certain degree) for content purchased from the iTunes download store for example, the overall quality after processing still depends on the quality of the video itself and some re-encodes done at home might not look so healthy on your giant plasma HDTV. Such processing even done with DVD-Video by compatible players, while often beneficial, does not match or sometimes even come close to true full HD video.

The dock will output 1080p video through a HDMI output or 720p / 1080i through a component output. The dock will be available in November.

Philips has announced that Dolby Laboratories will offer its customers the option of Philips CineFence anti-piracy watermarking technology to help protect digital cotnent. New cinema releases shown via Dolby's digital cinema solution can be embedded with Philips CineFence forensic watermark, thus allowing the content to be traced and protected.

Illegal camcorder copying has been identified as one of the major and most difficult to track forms of digital content piracy. With Philips CineFence, the watermark pinpoints the specific location, time and date the illegal camcorder recording took place. Thus the implementation of Philips CineFence not only allows for the tracking of pirated digital content, it also acts as a severe disincentive to those engaged in this illegal activity.

"Dolby is committed to providing the market with the most reliable and secure digital cinema systems," said John Iles, Vice President, Cinema, Dolby Laboratories. "We are pleased to offer the Philips solution to help deter piracy." The CineFence watermarks are imperceptible to cinema audiences, but maintain their integrity in the copied material, even after severe quality degradation such as cropping, compression and scaling.

Polk Audio has added some decent features to its I-Sonic Entertainment System 2 system, including an iPod dock and a new "iTunes tagging" system that works with HD Radio. While listening to a HD Radio broadcast, a user must only hit the Tag button on the device for it to download all the information on the song currently being played and upload the information to a connected iPod.

The next time the iPod is synced with iTunes, a playlist will automatically be created that consists of all the tagged songs so the user can now sample or buy them. The device also features video output that works with the video iPod models. The device will go on sale next month with a hefty price tag of $500.

The I-Sonic Entertainment System 2 has had some feature cut from its predecessor, which costs $100 more, including a CD / DVD player and XM Satellite Radio support.

Source:
News.com

Along with eventIS, Philips has successfully completed testing of 3D video-on-demand (VoD) using eventIS metadata systems and Philips 3D displays. This proves that the new 3D video format, based on 2D-plus-depth, can easily be integrated into existing media distribution and management systems such as video-on-demand via cable, satellite, Internet or terrestrial broadcasting.

3D-TV could become the next big thing in television, showing the world as it really is and making content richer, more immersive, and more exciting for the viewer. Recent developments in 3D screens has scraped the need for special glasses to view the content. Earlier this year Deutsche Telekom and Philips demonstrated interactive 3D applications like movies, home shopping and online games.

In the IBC demo, eventIS make use of a library that consists of 3D animated, stereoscopic and 2D-to-3D converted videos. eventIS metadata management systems are used by major European VoD operators. They automate the complete VoD flow from subscriber requests, to video assets management and monetization.

"Easy distribution of any 3D content over existing infrastructures will be a key success factor for 3D-TV," says Jos Swillens, CEO of Philips 3D Solutions. "The 3D format known as 2D-plus-depth is now standardized in MPEG, and offers the flexibility to deliver a high-quality 3D viewing experience with minimal bandwidth requirements."

Broadcom Corporation has announced that its highly integrated Blu-ray and HD DVD system-on-a-chip (SoC) has been selected by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. to power the dual format BD-UP5000 Duo high definition (HD) player. The Broadcom BCM7440's multiple processor cores fully support both Blu-ray and HD DVD standards in a single SoC, including support for next generation interactive technologies (i.e. BD-Java and HDi) that are being incorporated into Hollywood's latest title releases.

"Together with Broadcom, Samsung Electronics has now created the world's best performing dual format high definition DVD player available in the market today," said Dr. D.H. Shin, Senior Vice President of the Digital AV Division at Samsung Electronics. "Using Broadcom's BCM7440 SoC, our BD-UP5000 Duo HD Player delivers the ultimate high definition experience for both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats."

"Powered by the BCM7440, Samsung's new Duo HD player eliminates consumer confusion by allowing them to enjoy all the latest HD movie titles," said Peter Besen, Vice President of Broadcom's Consumer Electronics line of business. "By supporting both HD DVD and Blu-ray at the highest performance levels, Samsung's BD-UP5000 Duo HD player brings us one step closer to ending the format war."

Pace Micro Technology plc and CacheLogic have demonstrated how assisted P2P delivery networks could change the way consumers access content, including payTV, in the future. The companies showed how Pace broadband-enabled set-top boxes can form a P2P infrastructure via the Internet to store, distribute and access content both securely and quickly.

Assisted by CacheLogic servers, this P2P infrastructure will enable operators to provide a wider range of on-demand content and services to their subscribers, including 'long tail' or niche content. By exploiting the storage available across all PVR users on a network, it is possible to make a huge number of titles available to end users without the expense of maintaining a large central server base.

At IBC 2007, Pace will demonstrate a prototype to the industry, using a standard Pace digital satellite PVR with an Ethernet port, allowing access to content delivered via the Internet. The PVR has a fully functional Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) to search and select content for viewing and downloading.

When Apple Inc. announced support to create custom ringtones for the iPhone using iTunes this week, the company was referring literally only to songs from the iTunes music store. An update that the company put out attempted to block users from using free custom ringtones and syncing them with an iPhone. However, it wasn't long until a workaround was found (convert free audio clip to AAC, rename to .m4r and play with iTunes).

However, users reported that after installing the iTunes 7.4.1 update, this workaround no longer worked, meaning Apple deliberately has tried to block it. A post on Engadget however, showed that after repeating the older steps like before, and renaming the .m4r file to .m4a, when plugging in an iPhone the file will be added to your syncable ringtones list without an error message it had been showing before.

Getting ringtones from the iTunes store costs 99c.

Source:
Yahoo (Macworld)

Broadcast International is holding public demonstrations of its new encoding solution, developed in collaboration with IBM, at the IBC exposition in Amsterdam, September 7th - September 11th, 2007. The encoder features BI's patented CodecSys compression technology on the IBM BladeCenter QS20 "Cell Blade." The combination of these technologies improves performance and reduces costs associated with video compression, while delivering live HD video at less than half the bandwidth normally required.

"We expect to cause quite a stir at IBC when we show pre-encoded HD streams at under 3Mbs, as well as real-time HD encoding at similarly remarkable bandwidths," said Rod Tiede, Broadcast International CEO. "That’s the capability we gain by putting our CodecSys multi-codec encoding software on IBM’s Cell/B.E. multi-core processing hardware; the two technologies are ideally suited to each other. In addition to significantly increased processing power, the IBM platform is highly scalable and programmable, which enables users to customize and upgrade in a way that has never before been possible."

At CEDIA, Samsung revealed some more details about its upcoming Blu-ray and HD DVD stand-alone player than we have previously reported. The BD-UP5000 fully supports both next-generation formats including their interactive technologies, HDi and BD-J. The player is fully capable of full HD 1080p output at 24fps (if supported by display) for both formats.

A great selling point is the inclusion of HQV video processing, which improves the quality not only of HD content, but also standard DVDs. The player has on-board decoders for Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD and is firmware upgradeable to support DTS-HD High Resolution and DTS-HD Master Audio. It sports a HDMI 1.3 output and an Ethernet port.

Integra, which is known for selling high-end audio/video equipment, announced this week that it will release a HD DVD player by the end of the year, joining many other third party companies planning to unveil HD DVD hardware this year. Integra's HD DVD player will support full HD 1080p video playback at 24fps (for compatible displays). It also includes a built-in HQV Reon VX processor and an Ethernet port.

It will, however, be one of the most expensive players of the 2007 line-up, expected to retail for around $1,100. It will have a series of high-end DACs for custom home automation and analog A/V connections. HD DVD's rival, Blu-ray, looks to be the better performing format for the time being and many third party companies have come forward with plans for Blu-ray players.

Sony's own Blu-ray equipment accounts for more than 90% of Blu-ray stand-alone player sales, according to Home Media. More than half a dozen companies will put out HD DVD players this year, with Venturer gaining interest in its upcoming HD DVD player, rumored to be around $200 or less.

Apple Inc. has issued an update that addresses a vulnerability discovered in its iTunes multimedia software. The company has patched both Windows and Mac operating systems' version of the iTunes software. The iTunes v7.4 update adds support for using purchased music as ringtones and to buy songs wirelessly using iPhone or the recently unveiled iPod Touch.

The update also addresses a serious security vulnerability however, that could lead to a specially crafted music file crashing or giving an attacker control over a victims PC or Mac. "A buffer overflow exists in iTunes when processing album cover art," the company stated. "By enticing a user to open a maliciously crafted music file, an attacker may trigger the overflow which may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution."

Apple has issued more than 100 patches for ts Mac OS X operating system and applications this year and the iPhone received its first security patch in July. Apple credited iSEC Partners with the discovery of the latest iTunes vulnerability.

Source:
The Register

The European Commission will hold hearings with Apple Inc. and several major record companies this month, addressing the EC's concerns over unfair pricing schemes and sales practices of the iTunes music store in Europe. The hearings will not directly lead to a decision in the ongoing investigation. They will be held from September 19th through 20th.

After being accused of pressuring Apple into a country-by-country pricing scheme in Europe, the big four major record companies, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, EMI Group and Sony BMG will also be joining Apple in the hearings. Due to confidential agreements the four different labels have with Apple, the hearings are closed to the public and each will be meeting with the EC separately.

Users of iTunes in Europe can purchase songs from the store intended to be used in their country, a policy that is enforced by requiring the use of locally-issued credit cards. The real problem however is that the price of music downloads varies depending on what country you are purchasing in, which the EC claims violates European antitrust laws.

Source:
Ars Technica

When Debbie Foster ultimately triumphed in a copyright infringement case brought against her by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she was awarded attorneys' fees. After exhausting any other options, the RIAA gave Foster a check for $68,685.23 on August 30th, but Foster did not consider the case closed there.

She filed a motion to amend the attorneys' fees award over the amount paid and the method of payment. The RIAA did in fact pay in full up to the time that the fees were awarded but neglected to include fees incurred by Foster's attorney pertaining to a hearing on July 5th and didn't include the interest that had accrued since the date of the award.

Marilyn Barringer-Thomson, Foster's attorney, was displeased with the method of payment by check also. By providing a written check made out to Debbie Foster, bank policy of placing a hold on checks would deny immediate access to the funds. Usually funds would be electronically transfered to the accounts of those in line for payments.

The RIAA countered by filing a motion to deem the judgment satisfied, believing since it paid up in full, the case is closed. Speaking to Ars Technica, an RIAA spokesperson said that Foster's filing mistakes the facts and misconstrues the judgment in this case.

LightScribe Direct Disc Labeling has announced enhancements that reduce graininess and improve fine detail reproduction for LightScribe's DVD / CD labeling. The results are instantly visible on photos, graphics and text on Lightscribe CDs and DVDs. The enhanced image quality is available immediately through a free upgrade of the LightScribe system software and requires no additional changes to customers' systems or new hardware and media.

LightScribe customers will experience the image quality improvement when they update to the latest version of the LightScribe system software, available for download on www.lightscribe.com.



"Enhancing image quality demonstrates LightScribe's ongoing commitment to improving the customer experience," said Kent Henscheid, marketing manager for LightScribe. "With the new system software enhancements, customers can now burn LightScribe CDs and DVDs with even better results."

Adobe Systems Incorporated has announced Audition 3, a new major release for its professional audio production software. Adobe Audition 3 is designed to give audio professionals like sound designers, recording and mastering engineers, and musicians a flexible production toolkit for recording, mixing, editing, and mastering audio. New features include VSTi virtual instrument support with MIDI piano roll, enhanced spectral editing options, fast fade and crossfade controls, and advanced multi-core support.

"Adobe Audition 3 is packed with new features for all types of users," said Hart Shafer, senior product manager at Adobe. "In addition to concentrating on delivering new creative capabilities and unmatched editing tools, we've turbo-charged performance and ensured time-saving features are integrated into the product. That means our customers can spend less time working in the software and more time creating the perfect sound."

With new support for VSTi virtual instruments and MIDI piano roll style editing, combined with sophisticated audio and mixing tools, Adobe Audition 3 provides more creative power for audio production. New effects like the Analog Delay, Convolution Reverb, and Tube-modeled Compressor provide new sonic options, while the Guitar Suite adds analog-modeled effects to dry guitar tracks. Radius time stretching, from industry-leader iZotope, allows users to accurately change tempo and pitch independently.

Sonic Solutions' Roxio division has launched Easy Media Creator 10, an upgrade to the company's suite of digital media applications that enables consumers to turn their photos, video and music into impressive multi-media projects that can be shared on CD, DVD, the Web, or a range of mobile devices. Easy Media Creator 10 is fully Windows Vista certified and boasts a new Aero interface.

The company claims the interface makes it easier than ever for consumers to manage their digital content from one project to the next, whether it is burning a DVD or uploading videos to YouTube. "We are pleased to have a working relationship with Roxio, a global provider of digital media software," said Dave Wascha, director of marketing for Windows Vista at Microsoft Corp.

He added: "Microsoft recognizes Sonic's commitment to delivering quality solutions that enhance our users’ experience with Windows Vista." Roxio Easy Media Creator 10 will be available in retail stores worldwide this month and is available today directly from Roxio at www.roxio.com for $99.99 USD.

The International recording industry has welcomed a Swedish report calling for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to take more of an active role in the fight against rampant Internet piracy. Swedish Justice Department investigator Cecilia Renfors presented the report at the request of Sweden's Justice Minister. It proposes that ISPs be forced by law to terminate the contracts of users that repeatedly infringe copyright.

Of course, the obligation would be enforced through the courts by rights holders. "It is proposed that the law be amended so that Internet Service Providers can be ordered, under penalty of a fine, to take action such as terminating the contract of a subscriber to prevent continued infringement using the Internet Service Provider's services" a Swedish Ministry of Justice press release states.

Sweden, which is home to the Pirate Bay, reportedly has a very large number of file sharers. Sweden's Justice Minister is keen to improve the country's intellectual property laws and promote the development of consumer-friendly legal services for access to music and film online.

"This is a clear call for ISPs to take more responsibility in curbing copyright infringement on their networks, and it comes from a country that is on the very front line in the fight to protect music and films from internet piracy. We wholeheartedly endorse the recommendation and hope it will be taken very seriously in Sweden and further afield," John Kennedy, Chairman and CEO of IFPI, said.

California state Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has appealed a decision made last month by a federal judge that declared a law banning the sale of violent video games to minors unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Ronald Whyte said in his ruling last month that there was no evidence to support claims that violent video games have a more harmful effect on minors than depictions of violence in TV shows and films.

However, Schwarzenegger, who is infamous for his roles in many violent movies, believes that violent video games should be for adults only. "Many studies show the link between playing ultra-violent video games and violent behavior. We have a responsibility to our kids and our communities to protect against the effects of games that depict ultra-violent actions," Schwarzenegger said in a statement.

He added: "We protect our children from buying inappropriate movies and ought to be able to protect them from buying inappropriate video games as well."

Source:
Reuters

Starbucks Corp and Apple Inc. have announced that through an agreement, iPod users will be able to access the new iTunes Wi-Fi music store and purchase songs in Starbucks' coffee shops. The service will debut in 600 different Starbucks stores in New York and Seattle on October 2nd. "We know a lot of people are going to be very happy with this new combination of coffee and iPods," Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs said.

Jobs said that both companies have been working on the deal for over two years now. Through the deal, Starbucks hopes to boost its sales and also its stake in the music business. Users with a new iPod Touch, an iPhone or a laptop running iTunes can access the free Wifi to browse the iTunes store.

While navigating through the iTunes store, customers will be able to see what song is currently being played in the Starbucks store they are in and can purchase it easily. Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz said it was "mutually beneficial to both Apple and Starbucks." He hopes the deal brings new customers to Starbucks.

"It is highly relevant and very cool for young people to buy these new devices, and certainly we recognize that demographic and age profile is younger than our core customer," Schultz said.

Apple Inc. has unveiled brand new iPods including a new version of the iPod Nano and a touch-screen iPod based on the iPhone design. The brand new iPod touch features wireless Internet access and a web browser, but obviously no cell phone capabilities. The new iPod Nano brings video playback.

The company is also offering new versions of its normal iPod, dubbed iPod classic, with up to 160GB storage space. The ability to browse through music in "cover flow" has also been added to iPod from iPhone.

Another major announcement was also made concerning the iPhone. Apple CEO Steve Jobs revealed that the company was on track to sell 1 million units by the end of September, and to make the iPhone more affordable and more competitive, the company has slashed the price of the 8GB model from $599 to $399, a very significant price drop.

View details on new iPods

• iPod Touch
• iPod Nano
• iPod Classic

Recently appointed as co-chairman of Columbia Records, Rick Rubin, who has worked with the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys and L.L. Cool J, had some words for the recording industry. In statements made in the New York Times, Rubin talks about the effects of iPods and digital music on the industry as a whole. "Columbia is stuck in the dark ages," Rubin told the Times.

"I have great confidence that we will have the best record company in the industry, but the reality is, in today's world, weti might have the best dinosaur. Until a new model is agreed upon and rolling, we can be the best at the existing paradigm, but until the paradigm shifts, it's going to be a declining business. This model is done," he said.

An example of a model that he proposed was giving consumers access to music from cars, TV sets, cell phones or anything possible, for a monthly fee of around $20. So basically, Rubin is talking about a kind of "MP3 locker", a concept pushed for a long time by Michael Robertson's MP3Tunes (and past service MP3.com)

Rubin's suggestions would make music devices such as Apple's iPod obsolete as a main medium to enjoy music. The same arcle that quotes Rubin claims that Columbia is considering approaching artists for a cut of up to 50% of revenue from touring, merchandise and from the Internet. Performers have typically been allowed to keep revenue from touring and merchandise while the label gets the biggest cut of a CD sale.

Sony has quietly released a small update for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) console that improves backwards compatibility with PlayStation 2 (PS2) titles. "New for 1.92: Playability status with the PS3 system has changed for some PlayStation 2 format titles. To check on the latest status, visit the search site for compatible titles (coming soon)," the PlayStation 3 update page reads.

A search of an updated backwards compatibility site returns different results based on which hardware model of PlayStation 3. The 60GB version and 80GB versions of the PS3 in the United States include different hardware. The 80GB version has had its PS2 hardware stripped, meaning it depends on software updates to maintain a level of backwards compatibility with older titles.

Source:
DailyTech

Microsoft Corp. has dropped the price of its Zune music player on Wednesday, no doubt aimed at making ripples while Apple is expected to announce updates to its iPod line-up. The price of a Zune has been dropped from $249 to $199. The gadget offers limited Wifi capabilities and features a 30GB HDD, 3" display and an FM tuner. It is available in many different colours including White, Brown, Black, Baby Pink and Watermelon Red.

There has also been releases of two Zunes based on the mega-popular Halo franchise and just 100 pink Zunes that were made available during the initial rollout of the music player. Like many others in the market, Microsoft generally failed to crack the dominance of the iPod. In fact, interest in Zune has been so poor at times that the announcement of a price drop is probably nothing new for many consumers.

Many retailers have been selling the Zune for around $199 for months already and Woot.com was recently selling the white Zune for just $149.

Source:
DailyTech

According to research data from iSuppli, July was a very strong month for Apple Inc.'s iPhone. Even though the company has not reached 1 million sales as quickly as some analysts were predicting, it still accounted for 1.8% of all handsets sales in July. Don't be fooled by the seemingly low percentage, it may have been enough for the iPhone to outsell all Smartphones like BlackBerrys, the Palm Portfolio and anything on offer from companies like Nokia and Motorola.

iSuppli considers the iPhone to be a "crossover" phone, not a smartphone, because it lacks official support for third-party software. "This is a remarkable accomplishment for Apple, considering that July marked the first full month of sales for the iPhone," wrote iSuppli in a statement. The firm was impressed with Apple's strong numbers when faced with the offerings of its competitors.

However, the true test for the iPhone's appeal will come in the following months and next few years. iSuppli believes that Apple will sell 4.5 million iPhones by the end of 2007, which is an ambitious figure. Even Apple itself expects to reach 1 million by the end of September, so selling 3.5 million more in the fourth quarter would be no easy task. All eyes will be on Apple's next major announcement tomorrow for further insight.

A Jerusalem-based company wants to solve your craving for higher-than-Blu-ray capacities on discs the size of DVDs within the next few years. Mempile has developed a disc around the same size as a standard DVD disc (although a little bit thicker) which it says could store up to 1TB of data, or up to 5TB when the move is made to blue lasers after it reaches its red laser goals. For comparison, a dual-layer Blu-ray disc stores 50GB, HD DVD can reach 30GB and the standard DVD stores up to 8.5GB.

The 1TB of data would be stored on 200 layers of 5GB each, but do not think of the layers as being the same as layers in today's widely available optical discs. Mempile's solid discs use a specially developed variant of the polymer polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)—a mixture of Perspex, Lucite, and Plexiglass—known as ePMMA. In DVD and Blu-ray, layers are stacked and stuck together.

Mempiles discs are comprised instead of "virtual layers" and during recording a photochemical reaction is used to modify the plastic, writing a "1" or leaves it unchanged to represent a "0". This 3D approach allows for much higher data storage than the 2D used by DVD technology. Right now, the technology is limited to "write-once" but the company hopes that read/write drives will be available in the future.

Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV is developing a personalized video recorder application that automatically learns a viewers' preferences and creates a channel based on them. The company is showing of a prototype application at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin. The application, which is intended for use with a PC or in a set-top box, could eventually compete with the offerings from TiVo Inc.

The best new feature that Philips is developing, is the system's ability to monitor a user's viewing habits and create personalized channels, using an algorithm developed by the company itself. "The set-up is really easy," said Jeroen Cappendijk, business development manager of Philips' Personal TV Channel product. "You just create a channel and select a program. The system monitors your zapping habits and automatically refines your channel."

The software will also perform the intelligent feature for multiple users in the same household. TiVo has a similar system called TiVo Suggestions, but it requires that a user mark programs it likes and it determines other shows they might like based on those tastes, like many retail websites that make suggestions based on your purchase history.

CNN has looked into the claims of a group of anonymous software developers that plan to release iPhone unlocking software into the wild. The software, they claim, can let the iPhone break-away from the AT&T network in the United States, opening it up to T-Mobile there or providers in other territories. CNN Los Angeles software consultant Brett Schulte, decided to test out the iPhone unlocking software, and demonstrated it for CNN.

"It's completely software hacked," Schulte said after getting an iPhone to work with a T-Mobile SIM card. "There's no case opening required. It's not required to do any kind of disassembly." It took about two minutes to unlock the iPhone. The developers did not give their last name to CNN, because they didn't want to be hounded.

An Apple spokesperson refused to comment, while AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel said, "When you sign up, you're signing a two-year contract. You're obligated to pay the bill." He also said, "when people buy the iPhone it's clear from our materials it's designed to operate exclusively on AT&T."

The developers of the unlocking software recently created iPhoneSIMfree.com and plan to begin selling the software. Two members of the group who identified themselves as "John" and "Liu," told CNN that six people on three continents worked to unlock the iPhone as a hobby. "I'm not in America and I can't use it," said Liu. "It's not fair."

The new slim and lite version of Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld console is set to roll out in the UK, but with two new features being absent. Of course, the P2P is still slimmer than the original PSP, but when it launches in shops on September 14th, its video output capabilities will be temporarily useless. While the PSP will be technically able to connect to a TV, the cables that make it possible will be absent.

The new version of the PSP addresses demand from owners who would like to watch their games and movies on a TV instead of the small PSP screen. PSP gaming on a TV, connected up with a special cable, was demonstrated at E3 this year and is probably the most wanted new feature. However, the cable won't be available in the UK on launch day and there are no indications as to when it will be, a spokesman for national retail chain GAME told GamesRadar.

Additionally, onbly the black model of the slimmer PSP will be available, while the new colours, ceramic white and ice silver, will not initially be available either. There is no doubt that British PSP fans will be hoping these reports are inaccurate or there has been a big mix up somewhere.

According to a new survey from ipoque, a German traffic management and analysis firm, P2P traffic is responsible for between 50% and 90% of all Internet traffic currently. These are preliminary results and the final survey results will be presented at the Emerging Technology Conference at MIT later this month. Leading the way in traffic consumption unsurprisingly is BitTorrent.

According to the data, BitTorrent has overtaken the eDonkley2000 network as the P2P protocol of choice. During the last year, BitTorrent accounted for between 50% and 75% of all Internet traffic, while eD2K respresented between 5% and 50%. The wide variations in percentage is due to local preference. For example, in some parts of the world eDonkey2000 is still by far the prefered protocol.

However, ipoque's data contradicts figures released by Ellacoya Networks, a company that makes deep packet inspection gear. Ellacoya said in June that P2P is only responsible for 37% of all Internet traffic, compared with 46% for all HTTP traffic. Interestingly, one third of the HTTP traffic was from video sharing sites like YouTube.

Whichever figures are more accurate, both illustrate the increasingly strong demand for video content on the Internet, which has been recognized as a serious problem by Internet service providers around the world, forcing them to look into traffic shaping methods.

Sony is interested in the market for movie downloads, according to some company officials. Such a service would put Sony in direct competition with Apple Inc.'s iTunes, and would also pit Sony's recently announced new Walkman player against Apple's iPod for video playback. "Music and video downloading has been available through networks, and we are looking into the area as a possible business," said Sony spokesman Shigenori Yoshida.

Sony struggled to compete with Apple in digital music, watching sales of its Walkman players sink in comparison to constant strong sales for the iPod. Sony's Connect music service also couldn't compete with Apple's iTunes, which has sold over 3 billion legal downloads since it was launched, solidifying its position as the market leader.

Last week, Sony showed off a new video-capable Walkman player that comes with Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Media Player 11 that is capable of managing digital libraries. The player can playback both MPEG-4 SP and H.264 video content. The company also announced that its Connect music stores using its failed proprietary ATRAC format would be phased out by March 2008.

Last week, Universal Studios launched a new HD DVD promotional web site. Dubbed Universal Studios Home Entertainment Hi Def, it promises exclusive web-enabled content. It is designed to be an extensive resource for Universal customers who have bought HD DVD titles. Right now the site includes a FAQ covering the format's current interactive features, some technical support and previews of upcoming releases.

However, most of the sections that look like they will be promising are still "Under Construction". Among them are "U-Shop," which will apparently offer customers exclusive products as they watch the movies, "Best Buddies," a "MyScenes" feature and a dedicated "Download Center".

Universal has also promised that registered users of the site will have access to excluding official content including latest movie trailers and other material.

Source:
Hi-Def Digest

Late last week, Sony responded to demand by restocking the 60GB version of the PlayStation 3 (PS3) console on the Internet. After completely selling out its online supply, the company decided to replenish stock at Sonystyle.com. The price of the 60GB version of the PS3 was dropped to $499 but the unit is to be completely replaced by a newer 80GB model.

Sony's Dave Karraker said previously that there was no 60GB inventory remaining in in SCEA warehouses as they had all been shipped to retailers. Karraker also remarked that the US$599 80GB PS3 bundle may be reduced down to $499 once the complete supply of the 60GB version sells out.

Sony's PlayStation 3 (PS3) console has been trailing the success of the Nintendo Wii console, mainly due to the units high price. Sony has backed the price of its console and is still confident that in the coming years, it will take the lead and eventually the PlayStation brand will take the generation for the third time running.

Source:
PC World

These are not easy days for TiVo Inc. The company is still struggling to add subscribers and has been hurt by miscalculations of its HDTV products' popularity in the quarter ending July 31st. It's cable partners are also still lacking in fulfilling their promises to the company. Comcast announced it would put TiVo on some of its set top boxes two years ago, but to this day there still has not been a single commercial rollout.

In a conference call, TiVo CEO Tom Rogers tried to calm concerns about those delays, saying that Comcast was ready to rollout commercially in the next four weeks in portions of Massachusetts and New Hampshire including Boston. However, the worst news for the company has been the loss of 145,000 customers in the quarter.

To make it worse, it is losing customers from those with the standalone box, its most profitable segment. It was the first decline the company suffered in its history. The company also underestimated the popularity of its new HDTV DVRs, causing it to take a $11.2 million writedown for leftover models of its standard DVR still in its inventories.

Another investigation has been launched into the alleged trade of child pornography by users of The Pirate Bay website. However, it is important to note that prosecutor Cathrine Rudström told Swedish news site The Local that, "The Pirate Bay are not suspects." Instead the police are hoping the popular BitTorrent tracker will co-operate with the investigation and hand over IP address info for the traders.

While some at the Pirate Bay were aware of the content being traded for about two weeks, a moderator Himod, refused to remove it on the site's forum. "I don't give a shit if you folks are upset," he said. "Me and the other moderators job are NOT to have an opinion about if it is immoral or not."

While the Pirate Bay administration have said that such material would be removed as fast as possible on notification, which did happen a few times, the site also boasts a no-censor policy and argues that it is impossible to track 600,000 torrents.

Sites like The Pirate Bay, which completely despise the idea of censorship, are easily abused services when it comes to this kind of material.

Nintendo Co Ltd's home console, Wii, stayed well ahead in Japan in August, but its lead narrowed for the second consecutive month. The company managed to move 245,653 units during the month, still far ahead of Sony's PlayStation 3 (PS3), which sold 81,541 units, game magazine publisher Enterbrain said. Microsoft's Xbox 360 sold 11,288 units during the month.

In June the Wii sold 6 times more units than Sony's PS3, and 4 times more in July. The huge gap is helped by the sharp difference in price between a PlayStation 3 and a Wii, as the PS3 has a lot of powerful hardware under the hood including a Blu-ray disc drive and Cell processor.

To increase demand for the console, the PS3 will see a stronger game line-up for the vital fourth quarter, which include anticipated titles like the new Gran Turismo.

Source:
Yahoo (Reuters)

Manufacturers of Plasma TVs have told Reuters at IFA in Berlin that they plan to stand by the technology even as liquid-crystal display (LCD) TVs keep getting more popular. While plasma TVs generally do well in larger sizes, LCD has slowly been catching up. In 2006, four times more LCD TVs were sold than Plasma TVs, and iSuppli predicts LCD will be selling 7 times more units this year.

Matsushita, with the world's best selling brand for Plasma TVs, Panasonic, believes it can fight off competition from LCD TVs by simply improving plasma technology. Specifically, the company is aiming to improve power efficiency, and cut the price. Hiro Wada, who is in charge of planning for visual products and display devices at Panasonic said he expected plasma to keep 30% of the market for TVs 37-inches or more in the medium term.

"We have a chance because demand for bigger screens is increasing," Wada said. Matsushita is investing $1.5 billion in a plasma panel factory in Japan, aiming to stay on top of the market. Wada also noted that while LCD technology is 30 years old, Plasma is only 10 years old and has plenty of room for improvement. Panasonic plans to reduce the power consumption of its sets by about 20% per year.

NBC Universal recently announced that it would be removing its content from Apple Inc.'s iTunes download store in December after failing to reach an agreement about DRM and variable pricing. Afterwards, Apple put out a press release in which it stated that NBC was asking for double the wholesale price, which would in turn make NBC's videos about $4.99 each for iTunes customers. Apple also decided that the content will be removed this month and not in December.

However, Cory Shields, EVP Communications of NBC Universal, has contradicted Apple's press release in a statement. "We never asked to double the wholesale price for our TV shows. In fact, our negotiations were centered on our request for flexibility in wholesale pricing, including the ability to package shows together in ways that could make our content even more attractive for consumers," he said.

He also stated that NBC will in fact keep its shows on iTunes until December, which is odd since it appears NBC is making Apple's decision. Of course, NBC may have some protection against being dropped from the store before it wants to under contract. Shields also took a shot at Apple's infamous "iTunes-iPod" tie, linking it with Apple's pricing strategy.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Australia are under pressure recently by both the music industry and the government to filter/block illegal downloads and pornography. The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) presented a plan in which ISPs in the country would cut off "repeat offenders", but the Internet providers have some major concerns about it.

While the ISPs say that they respect content providers and condemn piracy (as an illegal use of their networks), they don't want to become an enforcement agency for content providers. The IIA sent a letter to the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA), its Music Industry Piracy Investigations (MIPI) arm and AFACT highlighting several problems with the proposal.

The ISPs believe that the Australian court system is adequate for the enforcement needs of copyright owners. Also, they are not in a position to judge when provided with an IP address from an organization like AFACT whether the subscriber is guilty of infringement or not. The IIA believes that a court must make a finding of infringement before a subscriber could be labeled as a repeat offender.

"The distinction between an infringer and an alleged infringer has been raised as an important legal standard which ought not be undermined by us," argues the letter. AFACT does not see it that way of course. "It's a very simple, reasonable, cost effective, practical thing for them to do," AFACT executive director Adrianne Pecotic told The Sydney Morning Herald.

DivX, Inc. and Aricent announced a partnership for porting and optimizing DivX video products onto various mobile platforms for device manufacturers worldwide. This partnership will ultimately enable consumers to view high-quality DivX videos from the PC or the Internet on a wide variety of mobile devices. Aricent develops multimedia applications and technologies for mobile phone OEMs including Motorola, Samsung and LG.

Over 100 million certified devices from major consumer electronics manufacturers currently support DivX technology, including DVD players, digital still cameras and a wide variety of portable products. By offering a DivX technology solution to mobile handset manufacturers, Aricent will allow its clients' mobile products to support the high-quality playback of DivX video files.

"By focusing exclusively on communications software, Aricent strives to provide the greatest depth and breadth of services and products to meet our clients' needs," said Deepak Mehrotra, Vice President, Mobile Terminals, Aricent. "We are excited to be working with DivX to provide a solution for seamless mobilization of high-quality video content across multiple interoperable consumer electronic device platforms."

Samsung Electronics Co. LTD and Sony Corp. will invest further in their joint LCD venture, S-LCD Corporation, which was formed in April 2004. According to a Samsung executive, the pair will invest further to meet rising demands for large sized flat-screen televisions. "Both sides reached a consensus on the joint investment and working-level officials are now discussing details such as the timing and amount of the investment," Yeong Duk Cho, vice president of Samsung's LCD business said.

The joint venture has just started shipments of LCD sets from an eight-generation production line, and the plan for further investment would see a second eighth-generation production line being produced. Such a line is capable of producing panels larger than 50-inches in size. "It took a couple of months for Sony to decide on its investment in the first 8G (eighth generation) line. I believe it'll take a similar period of time for Sony to make a decision on this," Cho said.

Considering the recent plans from Sharp Corp. to invest $3 billion in the construction of an LCD plant using tenth-generation technology, and now possible impending further investment for S-LCD Corp, the industry appears to be very confident about market demand for LCD in the coming years. A plant like that which Sharp envisions could output 60-inch or larger LCD panels.

Daewoo has shown off its first Blu-ray Disc player, the slim blue-hued DBP-1000, at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin. The company said that the player supports the full Blu-ray specification, even the ability to access BD Live online content and present picture-in-picture material. It fully supports Blu-ray interactivity features.

Early Blu-ray players lacked support for many of these features because the specification had yet to be completed. The new Daewoo player provides full 1080p HD content through its HDMI output and has the ability to upscale standard definition DVD to Full HD resolution. As a nice extra bonus, the player support DivX content too.

Sony will release the next version of its award-winning nonlinear editing (NLE) digital video software, Vegas Pro 8, this month. The powerful software package provides professional editors with precise control over complex DV, HDV and XDCAM projects through powerful tools for editing material shot in multi-camera environments. Sony Vegas Pro 8 will be available from September 10th.

"Vegas Pro 8 solves many of the technical challenges creative professionals are currently facing as they are tasked with producing content for platforms as varied as the mobile screen to high definition, broadcast-quality video," said Dave Chaimson, vice president of marketing for Sony Creative Software.

He continued: "Equipped with a new 32-bit floating point video engine, Vegas Pro 8 delivers increased quality and accuracy of final output while handling a 10-bit serial digital interface (SDI) at full capacity, which is used for transmission of uncompressed, unencrypted digital video signals."

Vegas Pro 8 is fully Vista-compatible and expertly delivers broadcast-ready, high definition content through its flexible user interface and extensive professional toolset. Vegas Pro 8 now features a ProType titler for superior vector-based title generation and automation.

HD DVD vendors are dropping prices to heat up competition with the rival Blu-ray disc optical format in Europe. The HD DVD Promotional Group said on Friday that European consumers could expect to find a range of entry-level players priced around the €300 mark. The announcement was made by the HD DVD Promotional Group at a news conference held at the IFA international consumer electronics show in Berlin.

According to Oliver Van Wynendaele, a manager in Toshiba's HD DVD group, the new prices are nearly half of what many entry models already cost in Europe. Venturer Electronics, a CE company based in Canada, will launch its SHD-7000 player at around €300 next month, while Toshiba will offer its HD-EP30 model for around €350 (and will also include five free discs), Van Wynendaele said.

Additionally, Toshiba will begin loading its notebook PCs with HD DVD drives in the fourth quarter, according to Yoshihide Fujii, the company's corporate senior vice president.

Source:
Yahoo (InfoWorld)

ArcSoft has announced that its ArcSoft Digital Theatre 2, which supports both HD DVD and Blu-ray, now takes advantage of the PureVideo HD technology found in the NVIDIA GeForce 7 and 8 Series of GPUs, including the latest GeForce 8400, GeForce 8500, and GeForce 8600 GPUs. NVIDIA PureVideo HD technology is a combination of high-definition movie decode acceleration and post-processing, HDCP circuitry, and integration with high-definition movie players like Digital Theatre.

PureVideo claims to deliver the ultimate Blu-ray and HD DVD movie experience on PCs and notebook computers. "We are delighted to be working together with NVIDIA to provide high definition video solutions," said Michael Downs, ArcSoft Vice President of Marketing and Business Development. "Through our collaboration, we have been able to take advantage of unique features within the NVIDIA hardware to improve video performance and quality, as well as implement new security features required by the Blu-ray and HD DVD formats."

LG Electronics has announced the launch of DivX-certified Time Machine TV Series both in Plasma and LCD models. Joining over 90 million DivX Certified devices in offering superior visual quality and support for the full range of DivX video content, LG's DivX-certified Time Machine TV Series is now available in Europe, China and throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

LG's DivX-certified Time Machine TV Series includes three LCD models – the 47LB5RE, 42LB5RT, 37LB4RT –and two plasma models, the 50PB4RT and 42PB4RT. They deliver remarkable image and audio quality for digital content using much less bandwidth than regular analog devices. The series features a built-in 80 gigabyte hard disc drive for Time Shift function and recording, USB 2.0 port for backing up recorded content and MP3, JPEG and DivX playback capability.

The TVs also include a simultaneous watch-and-record function. "We are very excited about the launch of the DivX-certified Time Machine TV Series," said HeeWon Kwon, Executive Vice President of LG Electronics. "At LG, we're very committed to giving users what they want. The ability to transfer media seamlessly from the PC to the living room while preserving the kind of high-quality, cinematic experience that consumers demand is a key product differentiator among digital televisions."

Last week, Victorian police raided the home of a 30 year old man in South East Melbourne and seized 2,000 pirated DVD discs and computer equipment allegedly used to manufacture illegal discs. The man was operating several websites based in the United States and Germany, selling music videos, movies and games to customers in Australia and overseas, claiming they were "original".

Among the movies seized were Transformers and Die Hard 4.0, which have not been released on DVD (or any other release outside theaters) yet, and the music seized included U2 and AC/DC. The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) and Music Industry Piracy Investigations (MIPI) (and arm of the ARIA) ran the investigation that led to the raid.

"With the assistance of the Victorian Police, copyright owners have shut down this illegal website and intend to bring the operator before the courts," said Sabiene Heindl, General Manager of MIPI. "Internet-based music piracy is a crime that can be detected and has consequences. Illegal operators can’t hide just because they are using the internet as their marketplace."

At the IFA consumer electronics event in Berlin this year, LG Electronics and DisplayLink have shown off, and announced the European availability of the new FlatronWide L206WU. It is a USB-connected computer monitor compatible with Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system. The 20-inch monitor features high-performance HD graphics display over a standard USB 2.0 link.

Enabled by the DisplayLink DL-160 network display chip, the monitor also offers wide-screen resolution (1680x1050) for full-screen display of rich graphics and playback of widescreen video. With a multi-port USB hub built into the display, up to three LG FlatronWide monitors can be connected together to a single PC, while consuming only one USB 2.0 port on the computer. Future improvements will enable up to six monitors to be connected to a single PC over USB 2.0.

"LG is proving that multiple monitors can make a big difference in the computing experience of a PC user and that it doesn't have to be expensive or complicated," said Morris Lee, Global Monitor Marketing Team Leader for LG Electronics. "Being at IFA gives us a very high-profile European launching pad for this very unique product."

According to the online edition of the New York Post, Internet retail giant, Amazon.com, is to enter the music download service in mid-September. The website cites a source close to the situation in its report. Amazon's intentions to launch a music download store (without Digital Rights Management (DRM) software) were announced by the company back in May of this year.

Back then, Amazon said the new service will offer million of tracks from 12,000 record labels including EMI. The service will sell MP3 downloads and will compete directly with Apple Inc.'s successful iTunes download store, which has sold more than 3 billion music downloads since it opened its doors, solidifying its position as a heavyweight in the evolving market.

Amazon, of course, is one of the world's most used websites and retailers. It's new download service will benefit from its millions of customers and considering it too offers a video download service (Unbox), it should be a credible challenge to the dominance of iTunes.