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This Week in Blu-ray: Pirates of the Hulk Racers Edition
Posted by Mark Wilson at 11:45 PM on September 16, 2008
Giz Pick of the Week: uhh...
We're actually not sure which movie to endorse this week. Speed Racer was viewed at a drive-in, where it was tough to make much of its probably gorgeous visual effects. Pirates of the Caribbean is hitting in a US$83 3-movie pack...which doesn't seem like any kind of special deal. And Ang Lee's Hulk (yeah, that's the one coming this week, not the recent update) isn't exactly a fan favourite. Of course, we listed all of the releases after the jump. So maybe there's something you prefer.
Purveyors of 
A few years back I read an enlightening article on Red Bull detailing how a series of brilliant steps turned a cough syrup soda into a world-leading energy drink. At the time, their factory employees generated $US1 million apiece—a figure that almost makes sense when weighing the cost of mandatory personnel alone. Now Nintendo does one way better. All of their 3,000 employees will combine this year to produce a cumulative $1.6 million per head—after salaries.
They must be making popsicles in hell now, because Microsoft has come up with a much better way to expand your musical horizons than Apple iTunes 8's Genius in their new Zune software: MixView. Not only is MixView much prettier and more fun than Genius--
Citigroup analyst Richard Gardner has released a research note claiming that during "field checks" he has confirmed that new MacBooks have begun shipping to stores (from overseas). According to Gardner, the MacBooks feature "very thin aluminium casing, an LED-backlit display and an aggressive entry-level price point." The news either confirms the 
Zune owners are getting free Wi-Fi access at McDonalds, as well as the 
Stacked-up chip technology isn't new, but scientists at the University of Rochester have built the first properly-3D chip recently. Unlike previous attempts, with layered standard 2D chip-circuitry on top of similar layers, the new chip actually has components built into a 3D-matrix, with interconnects between layers.
The 
Yeah, I know: Bluetooth car speaker/microphone systems blah blah... but this one's got a such a battery lifespan it's a bit different. Clipped to your car's sun visor (or on your desk as a speakerphone) it'll sit on standby for a full month, and if you choose to chat using it, you can do so for a chunky 25 hours, which is apparently the longest time for both options that you can buy. It's also got "superior true duplex audio quality" with echo reduction and noise cancelling, to try and stop you from sounding like you're speaking using the local cabbie's dodgy CB radio. Due at the end of the year, price still to be announced. [
Microsoft's officially announced price cuts to the Xbox 360 in Europe: Arcades will now go for US$230, 60GB Pros for US$303 and 120GB Elites for US$410 (that's €179, €239 and €299 for you Euro-zoners,) representing between 10% and 18% in price cuts. It's part of an MS strategy to "open up the ultimate in high-definition gaming and entertainment to an even wider audience" apparently, and that'll also include a new Xbox Live experience in the Fall. It's also clearly part of a "lets try and sell lots in the upcoming holiday season" strategy. [
Back in March we raved about 
Previously we'd told you a 
AT&T is figuring out options for linking 
WowWee's awesome 
Considering just about every other laptop maker has entered the ULPC arena, it comes as no surprise that Sony's thinking about dipping its toes into netbooks as well. Sony exec Mike Abary told Laptop Magazine to "stay tuned" about the company's netbook plans, and added that "we are letting the pioneers of the market make the mistakes... We have to participate." What? You have to participate in creating a consumer product that's been key to 
The Gadget: 
HP has dropped two notebooks catering to portable home theatre addicts. Both computers run Windows Vista SP1 and come with Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 processors, NVIDIA GeForce 9600M graphics chips, 4GB DDR2 RAM, Wifi, Bluetooth, and a DVD±R/RW drive. The HDX16 has a 16 inch 1366x768 pixel Brightview display and comes with a 320GB hard drive while the HDX18 boasts an 18.4 inch 1920x1080p LCD screen and gives you an extra 180GB storage.
HPs 
HP has two new mice out dedicated to gaming. The HDX Laser Mouse gives you five mouse setting profiles, five programmable macro buttons, and is allegedly eight times faster than conventional mice. The slightly more advanced Laser Gaming Mouse with Voodoo DNA gives you everything the regular laser mouse has, plus HP's VoodooDNA GUI software for even speedier mousing. The company also released pictures of its wireless Vector Mouse, but no details as of yet. The regular Laser Mouse will set you back US$40, while the Voodoo DNA version is US$60.
OK, OK...so it's another damn digital photo frame, but bear with me. Equipped with a 3.5-inch, 320x240 display, it may not do anything that the average frame doesn't, yet it's appealing to the eye. It's simple design is appropriate for its overall lack of complexity — it has a USB 2.0 port, MP3 support, a single SD card slot, internal memory that accepts up to 45 JPEG photos and a few navigation buttons. Plus its small and thin and doubles as a clock/calendar on the go.
I've never actually seen someone get hurt at an amusement park until this weekend. If you're going to Waterworld in Concord, CA, please avoid the ride above, I think it's called Death Shudder or Costner's Folly or something. I captured a few shots and videos of some of the rides here with the waterproof 
In a small blow to Microsoft's smartphone market dreams, Sony Ericsson has refused to confirm that their 
Having seen—and tested—the earlier evolutions of satellite radio receiver, from dashboard model to in-home unit to hip-connected recorder/player, I've felt like I'm judging contestants in the Special Olympics: The radio service is fine, but the gadgets aren't really expected to measure up to other contenders in the same field. XM's latest, the XMp3, is impressive in that it records five channels at once and records your most popular stations automatically. But it needs this functionality to make up for the fact that it depends on spotty satellite reception for content. 
The key to the crazy looking Ikonoskop A-cam dII camera may be the 80GB card that comes with it. How else would you expect to shoot 60 RAW frames of 1080p video—totalling out at 240MB—each and every second?
The Gadget: These illuminated LED drumsticks from The Ant Commandos light up when smacked, which give your Rock Band or Guitar Hero drumming a extra level of "light up stage show". They're made of plastic and are heavier than the wooden sticks, and are powered by two AA batteries (included). It's kinda goofy, but so is playing plastic instruments in your living room.
Fresh off the billions of eyes that have been on the beautiful Beijing National Stadium, Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron have set their sights on NYC with this incredible 57-story residential tower, unveiled today. It consists of 145 unique apartments that are stacked into the sky like a Jenga tower that's already been well-poked by a party of well-lubricated players. Especially when you get up to the penthouse level--if you're motion sick, you might want to think twice about dropping US$33 mil for such a beautiful place when you'll wake up every morning feeling like you're dangling off a cliff...