Word is that Sony is going to be joining EMI in Apple’s iTunes Plus. That’s the extra-cost, higher-MP3-quality DRM-free option in iTunes. EMI’s currently the only major label in iTunes Plus, so the addition of Sony would be a major coup for Apple to say the least. This is just a rumour though, so watch this space. [9 to 5 Mac via TechDigest]
The geniuses at Pixar have a new movie due out next summer called Up, and the first full trailer for it just hit the web. It’s about a 78-year-old man named Carl Fredricksen who travels the world via his house and a bunch of balloons. It’s a definite change of pace from Pixar’s past movies, and I can’t say I get too jazzed up watching the trailer, but as their track record is pretty damn good I think I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt on this.
Allio has gone and done what we wish every HDTV manufacturer would attempt already. They’ve shoved a full-blown media PC into a 1080p LCD TV. Coming in sizes up to 42 inches, buyers can customise a set that features a Vista-powered PC with a Core2Duo, 4GB of RAM, Wi-Fi, 1TB of storage and a Blu-ray player. And maxed out with these specs, the system only runs $US2,800. So what’s the catch? We noticed at least two that may or may not be dealbreakers.
We’ve been loving Sierra’s U597 EVDO card for a while because the form factor is so damn tight, but it looks like they just got one-upped (downed?) by Novatel, whose Ovation MC760 Micro Modem is the world’s smallest EVDO Rev. USB modem. It’s got onboard GPS, an integrated microSD slot, and a dual band antenna system “for enhanced performance on network fringe areas.” We can’t wait to check it out (we’re mobile internet whores)—it’ll be on Verizon or Sprint by the end of the year.
After closing 155 stores last week, Circuit City has finally bitten the dust. The electronics store chain–with 721 stores in the US and 770 in Canada–has filed for Chapter 11 protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Richmond, Virginia, pressured by the recession and competition from Best Buy and Wal-Mart. However, it may not be the end for the chain yet.
Rakesh Reddy’s Remember-it-All mod brings Etch-a-Sketch nearly up to the 21st Century, by adding a memory and stepper motors to the toy. It ends up being a tad like the Etch-a-Sketch clock, but niftily when you switch it into record mode it copies your every move into memory. Throw a switch and your crappy straight-line art is recreated in front of your eyes. I say nearly 21st Century, ’cause a truly modern mod would automagically create the art for you, but this is still fun, and you can DIY it by following Rakesh’s instructions. [DesignNews via MAKE]
Engineers at Carnegie Mellon University have paired a 3D laser camera system, capable of mapping out terrain and obstacles in real time, with an unmanned Yamaha helicopter, creating an autonomous, incredibly low-flying UAV. Once loaded with preexisting topographical data, the sighted UAV is able to hug the ground at altitudes of 5m, fly around obstacles with just 3m of clearance and sense oncoming obstructions as small as 6mm.
Navigon’s just announced a new high-end GPS unit, the 8100T, that actually displays the right terrain in its map representations. Dubbed Panorama View 3D, the system uses NASA-derived height data to accurately recreate the inclinations of the road as it crosses terrain ahead of you. The unit’s also got a 4.8-inch screen, includes free traffic data updates for life, voice recognition for destination entry and the company’s Reality View junction lane-assistance tech. It’s due out this month for $US599. Press release below.
Maybe I’m wrong, but a big part of the goodness of the Kindle e-reader is it’s easy-to-carryness, and its whizzy digital modernity: That’s where this Periscope Lighted Folio for Kindle gizmo has me confused. Because at one stroke it seems to take the Kindle soaring back 20 years, with a faux-leather case with built-in notepad and pen-holder, and a periscope retracting LED reading light. Sure it’ll run for 40 hours from three AAA batteries, but it’s $US50. Just turn on a bedside light, why don’t you? [PocketLint]
MGM’s apparently due to announce it’ll be putting full-length movies from its impressive archive on to YouTube, essentially making them free of charge. Full-length TV shows will be kicking off the new partnership, with old episodes of American Gladiators at first, and movies like Bulletproof Monk and the Magnificent Seven to follow. MGM will be making money by making these shows ad-supported, and YouTube will get MGM’s large archive to add to its CBS shows. Should gizmos like Hulu start being worried? With Google’s might behind YouTube, maybe they should. AU: Guaranteed to be US only for the moment. Sorry, Aussie MGM fans, but they hate you.
[I4U]
