Thursday, April 10, 2008
Home
Blockbuster Announcing a Media Streamer This Month?
11:26PM Mark Wilson | While we’ve known that Blockbuster was looking to get into digital distribution since they bought Movielink, according to a very confident Reuters, Blockbuster will be announcing a streaming set top box for customers to download movies directly to their televisions (a la Vudu, Apple TV, etc). That’s an important point, as Reuters stood firm that it will specifically not be a service for TiVo or Xbox 360 but a product offering a service. Herein lies the mistake. [Reuters] More »
Networks
Apple Virtual Operator Patent Opens Way to Free Carrier Selection
11:10PM Jesus Diaz | Remember the rumours about Apple becoming a Mobile Virtual Network Operator, which were constantly buzzing before the announcement of their exclusive deal with the Death Star? Well, the usual USPTO archeologists have discovered a patent showing their system to dynamically select carriers using an iTunes MVNO ID: More »
Games
PlayStation 3 Firmware Update 2.30 Brings DTS-HD Master Audio
11:07PM Wilson Rothman | Today, SCEA announced that the latest PS3 update, 2.30, would bring the ability to decode DTS-HD Master Audio and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio tracks, that is to say, Blu-ray audio at variable bit rates up to 24.5Mbps, and 7.1 streaming of 96K/24-bit tracks. Does this make PS3 the best Blu-ray player ever? If you’ve got a receiver that can take an uncompressed audio stream of that magnitude via HDMI, then we think it does. UPDATE: To be clear, this decodes the DTS formats—plus Dolby’s formats, including Dolby TrueHD—and outputs all channels via HDMI to a receiver that can take a 5.1 or 7.1 PCM stream. It won’t do 5.1 or 7.1 analogue output. Also, as some of you have noted, it does NOT bitstream the DTS or Dolby data to a decoder inside a newer decoder-equipped receiver. More »
Random Stuff
R2-D2 Actor Kenny Baker Taken Ill, Giz Says Get Well Soon
10:17PM Addy Dugdale | Kenny Baker, the man behind everyone’s favourite ‘droid, is in a Manchester hospital after suffering a severe asthma attack. The 73-year-old actor was on a Manchester-bound plane returning from a sci-fi convention in the US when he was taken ill. A speedy recovery from everyone at Gizmodo, Kenny. [Telegraph] More »
Weapons
Paper Sheet Protects World from Nuclear Holocaust
9:45PM Jesus Diaz | A report released this month by the Pentagon has revealed the truth behind the B-52 bomber—loaded with six live nuclear warheads—flying over the US, a mistake that could have had catastrophic consequences. Their explanation: an 8.5 x 11-inch sheet of printed paper used to differentiate between nuclear and conventional missiles. Really, it can’t get any more absurd than this: More »
Gadgets
Networked LED Blocks Build Amazing Lightshows
9:42PM Addy Dugdale | What you see above are Ledube bricks. Unplugged, they just look like abstract shapes in white. Clip them together and connect them up, however, and you have a pretty incredible light show. Video and more pics below. More »
Screens
Sony Bravia E4000 is a TV-cum-Digital Picture Frame for Home Decor Freaks
9:12PM Addy Dugdale | The Sony Bravia E4000 is, according to the blurb, a picture frame with a TV attached. It “enhances any interior as an elegant artwork” and “creates a private art gallery experience,” with its choice of six pre-loaded pictures—of course, you can upload pictures of your own—and is, I fear, the 21st-Century version of the mahogany-effect TV cabinet (pronounced ca-bee-nay.) More »
Computers
Kohijinsha SR8KPO6S is 7-Inch UMPC With Optical Drive
9:05PM Haroon Malik | The Kohijinsha SR8KPO6S fits a DVD burner into its tiny, 23.4 x 17.8 x 3.3 cm chassis. As if that were not enough to stick it in the Eee’s face, the 7-inch (1024 x 600) display also boasts touchscreen functionality, an 800Mhz CPU, 60GB HDD, Wi-Fi g support and weighs in at just 1 kg. More »
Vehicles
Ford Blind Spot System Uses Radar to Save your Ass
8:30PM Jesus Diaz | Ford is going to introduce two new traffic alert systems in their 2009 cars: the Cross Traffic Alert and the Blind Spot Monitoring System, which will alert drivers of potential collision targets using radar technology. With these new gadgets, instead of having to check the mirror and ignore any cars coming from behind before changing lane, drivers would be able to check a red light that will warn about any incoming vehicles, even if they are hiding in the blind spot. And then, ignore them and change lanes. Example: my radar is saying that there’s a press release after the jump. More »
Gadgets
