Computer Information - myOddPc
Microsoft and NBC working on copyright filters for Zune?
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
Microsoft's recently refurbished Zune store
features a lot of NBC content like Heroes and The Office, but it looks like it may have come at what could be a steep price: NBC recently told the New York Times that it's working with Microsoft to develop "copyright filters" for the Zune that would "remove pirated movies and videos." (We'll pause for a moment so you can gape appropriately.) Granted, it's not clear whether NBC wants to actually
delete non-DRM'd media or simply block playback, but apparently the network thinks it's an issue on par with variable pricing, and it's
not in the iTunes Store because Apple refuses to cooperate. Microsoft, on the other hand, is apparently cheerfully working on such a solution, dubbed the "copyright cop," and says that it's sympathetic to NBC's concerns because it also suffers from piracy issues. Sigh. Of course, none of this is new territory for NBC or Microsoft: the two companies are working in similar content filtering systems to be implemented at
the ISP level with AT&T, and NBC and SanDisk are working on a
filter for Sansa players as well. Still, if Microsoft is serious about competing with the iPod, signing up for consumer-hostile DRM systems that actually block playback and potentially delete files just isn't the way to do it -- let's hope this one dies on the vine.
Update: Although a spokesperson told the NYT that Microsoft was working with NBC on anti-piracy efforts, the company is now saying that
it has no plans to implement a "copyright cop" in the Zune, and the Zune Insider blog
confirms. Great, now just cancel the ISP-level filtering system and we'll be all set.
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Samsung gears up to ship 46-inch "High Bright" panel
Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment
Interestingly enough, the last time we heard the phrase "High Bright," Runco was showcasing a
prototype set meant to work and play in the great outdoors. Now, however, Samsung's looking to one-up that endeavor by actually shipping a High Bright DID panel later this month. The 46-inch unit is said to posses 1,500 nits of brightness, a contrast ratio of 3,000:1, 16.7 million colors, 178-degree viewing angles and a screen resolution of 1,366 x 768 pixels. Sammy claims that it's around three times brighter than a typical LCD TV, and aside from remaining visible outside (you know, for
pool parties and
digital signage applications), it was designed to be tiled together to create "video walls." No word on what sets these panels will find their way into, but we wouldn't count on 'em coming cheap.
[Via
SlashGear]
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Criterion Collection coming to Blu-ray in October
Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment
The Criterion Collection's
long-awaited HD debut -- delayed by that annoying
format war -- finally has a date, as well as a list of the first movies getting a definitive release in 1080p. If that wasn't enough, try this bit on for size: They won't charge viewers extra for the privilege. That's right, according to the e-mail that went out to subscribers today, all Blu-ray releases will feature HD picture and sound (no word on what codecs, although we expect nothing but the best considering the company has been mastering and restoring all releases in HD for years now), all the supplemental content and a matching (unspecified) price to their standard DVD editions. The complete email and list of a dozen movies follows after the break, along with a note that
The Last Emperor will also be released in its original theatrical version on both formats for $39.95, while
Walkabout will be an all-new edition.
[Thanks, Erik]
Continue reading Criterion Collection coming to Blu-ray in October
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Microsoft to bring Sync to other carmakers as Microsoft Auto in November
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video, Transportation
Our experiences with
Microsoft's Sync in Ford cars has been mostly a comedy of voice-recognition errors (we'll never forget our rental at CES blasting NWA in response to "Play artist: David Bowie"), but it looks like other automakers will be able to join in the confusing fun in November, when Microsoft's exclusive contract with Ford runs out. Hyundai and Kia are the first to sign up for what's now being branded Microsoft Auto, and while it's not exactly clear what their versions of the system will look like, you can expect the same basic features as Sync, as well as some new capabilities like navigation and emergency-response services. Microsoft also says that Auto will be available for "general release to the automotive community," which could lead to the inclusion of the OS on aftermarket gear as well. Let's just hope they tune the system to figure out the difference between Ziggy Stardust and Eazy-E, eh?
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NVIDIA to simplify product range as it courts consumers
Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Laptops
NVIDIA isn't joking around when it says it's after a
dominant position in the consumer tech industry, and it's apparently willing to take some aggressive steps to get there -- like totally revamping its product lines. Speaking to Gamesindustry.biz, NVIDIA veep Roy Taylor (the same guy who said
Intel was "dead", you remember him), said that his company needed to "simplify the product line for consumers," and that if NVIDIA is going to "widen our appeal, there's no doubt we have to solve that problem." No specific plans were offered, but might we suggest a moratorium on the random-numbers-and-letters product-naming scheme? Just a thought.
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Iomega kicks out eGo Camo Drive: completely invisible to animals, data thieves
Filed under: Storage
Not sure if we missed the memo, but apparently May 7th is the unofficial day of camouflaged technology. Shortly after Mobiado revealed a
rugged Camo handset for the well-to-do hunters of the world, along comes Iomega with a jungle-ready portable HDD. The $149.95 eGo Camo Drive is entirely USB powered and packs a respectable 250GB of internal storage space, a black Iomega Power Grip band, a woodland camouflage pattern and DropGuard technology to prevent disastrous consequences should you drop your drive from less than 60 inches. We always knew those gamesmen never sat in a tree stand all day without a little
entertainment to keep 'em sane.
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Live shots of Sony Ericsson's Paris surface, Mr. Blur mysteriously absent
Filed under: Cellphones
Enough of these overly
pixelated, totally fuzzed-out
captures of something supposed to Sony Ericsson's
Paris -- we're looking at the real deal now. This definitely sexy slider has somehow fell in front of someone without hands a-shakin', and a smattering of distinct images are waiting just below in the read link. If you just like to be teased, the snapshots show a 5.0-megapixel camera and confirm that the keypad touts a two-character-per-button layout similar to the
P1 -- but really, there's nothing like seeing it for yourself.
[Thanks, Kevin]
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More "leaked" 3G iPhone shots hit the web
Filed under: Cellphones
For those that need to be in the know about the very latest supposedly-leaked 3G iPhone shots that hit the web this week, we've got you covered -- but we're not convinced, especially of the device on the right. The shots on the left do at least seem to be crafted around those
supposed size and shape leaks we saw the other day though, so bonus points there for playing into another current rumor to rack up a small bit of credibility. Still, in our best Rick James voice,
Photoshop's a hell of a tool.
Read - Left four shots appear on Chinese phone forum
Read - Shot on the right from AppleInsider
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Internet2 and You
eldavojohn writes "With a name like Internet2 and such high press coverage, you might think that's the future of the Internet servicing our homes. But Ars Technica looks more closely at what the odds actually are for it to become mainstream. When will you see the effects of the software, planning and hardware that went into Internet2 in your home? The odds are the very distant future — if at all. From the article: 'The Internet as we now know it is anything but obsolete. The amount of dedicated hardware and personal attention required to get networks like Internet2 and DANTE working simply makes them uneconomical for most common uses. And, unless a majority of networked content moves onto these dedicated networks, then having access to them may not do users much good. If the academic networks change the commercial ones, they'll do it in an evolutionary way, by providing improved hardware and better software for running traffic within the constraints of the existing economic structure.'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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A Copyright Cop In Every Zune
Mike writes "As if the Zune wasn't already crippled and unpopular enough, now comes a story indicating that Microsoft may build a 'Copyright Cop' into every Zune. A future update of the software for Microsoft's portable media player will likely include a 'feature' that will block unauthorized copies of copyrighted videos from being played on it. The president of digital distribution for NBC, J. B. Perrette, said the plan is to create 'filtering technology that allows for playback of legitimately purchased content versus non-legitimately purchased content.' Of course there's no way to tell legitimate content that you create from 'non-legitimate' content, so this looks like just another nail in the coffin if the Zune."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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