If you thought your Kia was a cheap car, you obviously didn’t buy it in India. A country with an exploding population of drivers, India has a red-hot market for cheap autos. With that in mind, Indian company Tata Motors (oh, grow up) is selling a plastic car that’ll run about $2,400 total. Yes, that makes it the cheapest car in the world. Hopefully it’s safer than the cars they make in China.
Tilera introduced a 64-core processor that is said to be substantially faster than the Intel dual-core Xeon processor. [Electronista]
In theory, these Magwear magnetic wrist bands are supposed to hold your screws, nails and other metal parts for DIY projects. In reality, they will serve me to wear my red and purple pyjamas and try to get my wife to fight me (un)dressed up as Storm. All your fantasies could come true for just $18. Or mine, anyway. [Core77]
Eagle-eyed Gizmodo regular, Adz has spotted a local listing for Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Home Server at the Eyo website. If their details are to be believed, WHS has an ETA of Thursday, and their OEM price is $236.17.
We’ll see Thurday whether this comes true. Their stock listing is currently at ‘-2 (backorder)’, and lead time listed as ’10 days’… the anticipation builds. No invites to any press launches have been sent out, and I would have thought this would get one. So there are definitely a few grains of salt to be taken. -Seamus Byrne
I bounced down to Melbourne last week, and it was the first time I’d flown Virgin Blue since the introduction of their new in-flight entertainment system. Called Live2Air, it is pretty much as advertised – a live feed of 24 Foxtel channels. Sadly, it isn’t free. But that made it perfect review material. Is it worth the $5 / $10 price?
Pretty much, yes. Certainly better than expected, and particularly hot if you like to catch some trashy TV now and then. Like Maury! If you can’t make out that caption, it reads “My child was the victim of a peeping tom… caught on tape!” I know, I know… I prefer Maury’s paternity test episodes too.
More details on how it all works can be found below the fold.
Lots of announcements in the overnight feed from Canon, and we’ve received the same lost of big news for the local market too. Names don’t always quite match up to faces in the translation, though, so here’s all the goss on what’s what locally in Canon’s new line up.
First the EOS 1Ds Mark III: Available November, RRP $12,999.
Next the EOS 40D (I want one of these): Available August 25, RRP $1999 (body) or $2799 (EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM).
The rest have been announced, but no local RRPs just yet. The PowerShot A650 IS and A720 IS, and the IXUS 860 IS (US-named ELPH SD870) and IXUS 960 IS (ELPH SD950) are all due September. The PowerShot SX100 IS is due October. The PowerShot G9 has been more ‘introduced’ than announced, with no dates nor pricing. -Seamus Byrne
There was no ‘big prize’ on the line, but our call for ideas on the best tag for generally messed up stuff was a hotly commented post. Thanks to all who threw their ideas around. After that one we’ll be sure and ask y’all for ideas more often.
After thinking it all over, and you may have already noticed, but we’ve decided to go with ‘borked’. It says it all in a nice, general way that rings true to us. Odds are good we’ll also be using ‘fubar’ from time to time, but for that one to come out something really needs to be FUBAR. So ‘borked’ it is.
Kudos to Nick for being first off the blocks with that one, and the others who chimed in with support.
For those itching for the other comp news, we should have the news on the CBL Data Recovery winner tomorrow morning. -Seamus Byrne
Ars Technica are reporting Windows Home Server has already been released. Considering their source is Microsoft, this seems more than possible. The report details that the product does not have an official release date, but instead has already been made available to OEMs and distributors. Further, customers outside of the US have apparently received copies some days ago. The pricing details are as non-existent as the release date, as Microsoft’s policies prevent them releasing a price directly. Hit the jump for more information.
AU: Below the jump this mentions a listing in New Zealand. While I’ve been moving house, did I miss a local release for WHS? I’ll do some digging. -SB
Optimus Prime’s Diary gets its Transformer-wannabe mitts all over Takara Tomy’s sold-out, holy-shit-it-really transforms Soundwave MP3 player, though they don’t exactly offer an in-depth review. But who cares about the specs? It’s a Transformers MP3 player that transforms. Sold. Two more unbox shots after the jump.
Perhaps in spin-response to the Paramount news from this AM, a Blu ray Consortium rep just called me to tell me Fox is supporting Blu-ray. What’s weird is that they’re already supposed to be supporting Blu-ray. I guess the “news” is that Fox isn’t ditching Blu-ray, as it seemed they were going to since they haven’t released a disc on that format since April, according to Wikipedia. UPDATE: Fox and MGM just announced 29 titles, including 3 Die Hard movies. Were they just waiting for the HD DVD guys to move before telling us all this?
