Toshiba Announce 256GB SSD for Laptops & 32GB SSD for Netbooks

Toshiba have shown their new 256GB SSD Drive, which features a 120MB maximum read and 70MBps write speed which is done via a 3.0Gbps SATA interface. This 2.5-inch drive measures just 3.0-mm thick. Toshiba also announced new 8GB, 16GB and 32GB SATA based flash modules for the netbook market. Although slower than other SSD's the price should make them attractive.

DVICE Dissect Esquire E Ink Cover

SciFi TV's DVICE TV decided that they would Ddssect the blinking (literally), E-Ink cover found on the October 75th anniversary issue of Esquire. You can find a funny but depressing video on the page which shows just how mundane the technology found in the cover really is.

Microsoft Goes After Scareware Vendor

Microsoft and Washington State teamed up to fight against scareware, targeting one vendor specifically. James Reed McCreary IV is the sole director of Branch Software, which created Registry Cleaner XP, he is also the CEO of hosting company Alpha Red. Registry Cleaner XP is a Scareware program which is sold by using underhanded techniques in the form of false error alerts to scare end users into buying this completely useless and unnecessary utility. The user is led to believe that they need the program to correct a nonexistent error within the operating system. It's about time parasites like Branch are taken to task by organizations with deep enough pockets to stay the course. Bravo MS!

RCA Lyra Slider PMP

Audiovox has announced the RCA Lyra Slider PMP. This PMP comes in either 4GB or 8GB flavours and supports audio, video, FM radio and photo slideshows. It also features an integrated voice/media recorder, a USB 2.0 port and a rechargeable battery which is good for up to 50 hours of music playback or 8 hours of video playback. The Lyra Slider will have SRP's of $79.99 for the 4GB or $99.99 for the 8GB model.

ASUS N50 Includes Built-in Air Ionizer...

The ASUS N Series appear to have some excellent features. All models include Express Gate, ASUS's Super Hybrid Engine power management and their SmartLogon facial recognition system. The N50 is the only ASUS offering a built in "Air Ionizer. The ASUS N Series N10: Designed for optimized mobility, the ASUS N10 is perfect for individuals constantly on the move. Sporting a 10.2" monitor, the N10 delivers a multi-sensory experience with a NVIDIA GeForce 9300M graphics card and Intel Atom processor. N20: Built for heavy usage, the ASUS N20 comes with a 12.1" monitor and up to 12 hours* of battery life. Equipped with an Altec Lansing sound system that provides excellent sound clarity, plus a highly efficient eSATA hard disk drive housed in a dust and moisture-resistant enclosure, the N20 is a versatile road performer for business and personal entertainment. N80: Designed specifically for business executives and professionals in mind, the ASUS N80 comes with a 14.1" display powered by a standalone NVIDIA GeForce 9 Series graphics card with up to 1 GB of VRAM, complemented by Dolby Surround decoding to deliver impressive sound quality that is sure to impress in any business or personal situation. N50: The ASUS N50 is truly the pinnacle of mobile computing, designed for intuitive control and user-friendliness. A multimedia touchpad serves as a responsive point of control as well as an intuitive and convenient multimedia control unit, complete with backlit buttons, for instantaneous multimedia enjoyment. Another unique feature of the N50 is its built-in Air Ionizer that not only helps clean the air around the user of allergens and germs, but also promotes air-flow and circulation.

Iomega's 320GB eGo Helium external HDD

Iomega's new eGo Helium external hard drive looks really nice. It also looks like it was designed with the MacBook Air in mind. The eGo Helium features an anodized aluminum shell that is just 0.63-inches thick, weighs 7-ounces and has a 320GB 2.5-inch hard drive within. The unit comes formatted with Apple's HFS+ file system, and features the Iomega's Drop Guard design to protect it from falls of up to 1.3-meters, it is powered by the USB 2.0 port and should be available at an SRP of $149.99. Now I'd like one for my tablet PC ... Iomega have a utility which will allow you to reformat to NTFS.

Canon Announce New Models

Canon have announced the EOS 5D MKII, the Powershot G10, the Powershot SX1 IS, the Digital Ixus/Elph 980 IS and the 870 IS. The 21.1 megapixel EOS 5D Mark II is Canon’s first DSLR camera to offer High Definition video capability. The new Canon 5D Mark II features a newly designed Canon CMOS sensor with ISO sensitivity up to 25600, a new DIGIC 4 processor, a 3.0” Clear View LCD with VGA resolution, and 3.9 frames per second continuous shooting. The HD Capture Mode features a full 1080 resolution at 30fp for upto 30 minutes video or 4GB whichever comes first. The EOS 5D MKII has body-only price SRP of $2,699 / €2,499 / £ 2,299 and will be available from the end of November. It will also be available in kit form with the EF 24-105mm f4.0L IS USM lens for an SRP of £3049.99 / €3999.99. The Canon PowerShot G10 features a 14.7 megapixel sensor and a 5x, 28-140mm zoom. This successor to the G9, also offers a large 3.0” PureColor LCD screen, a DIGIC 4 image processor, Canon’s new i-Contrast system to increase the dynamic range, and a Servo AF mode to continually adjust focus on a moving subject. It also like the G9, supports RAW. The Canon PowerShot G10 will be available from October for an SRP of £499.99 / €649.99. The PowerShot SX1 IS and PowerShot SX10 IS replace the PowerShot S5 IS, both the SX1 and SX10 feature a 20x wide-angle zoom lens, with USM and VCM for fast, silent, zooming, and optical Image Stabilizer. The Canon SX1 IS features a fast CMOS sensor which allows it to shoot full-resolution JPEGs at speeds up to 4fps. Both models also use Canon’s new DIGIC 4 processor, and feature full HD movie capture and full manual control over both aperture and shutter speed. The Canon PowerShot SX1 IS will be available from December for an SRP of £519.99 / €679.99, whilst the Canon PowerShot SX10 IS will have an SRP of £359.99 / €469.99. The 14.7 Megapixel Digital IXUS 980 IS features several exciting ‘firsts’ – including a Manual Mode that allows for control of shutter speed and aperture. It also comes in "stylish, head-turning" black and the traditional IXUS silver. The 10 Megapixel Digital IXUS 870 IS features a 4.0x wide-angle (28mm) optical zoom, a high-resolution 3.0” PureColor LCD II, and comes finished in gold or silver. Both cameras use Canon’s new DIGIC 4 processor. Both cameras offer smooth, 30fps VGA video shooting. Superior compression technology allows them store up to 40% more footage to memory card than their predecessors. The IXUS 980 IS will be available from late September for an SRP of £349.99 / €459.99. The IXUS 870 IS will be available from late September for an SRP of £269.99 / €349.99. The Photography Blog has published a hands on look at all these models at the links found below. Canon PowerShot G10 Canon PowerShot SX1 IS / SX10 IS Canon Digital IXUS 980 IS and 870 IS

November 13 Release For World Of Warcraft - Wrath of the Lich King

World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, has finally been given a November 13th release date for Europe and the US. The second expansion pack opens up the "cold, forbidding continent of Northrend", and allows you to go up against Lich King Arthas from the Warcraft 3 series. The Level Cap has been raised to 80, there are also lots of new beasts, you can even chose to play as a Death Knight. There is a new achievement system, expanded player vs. player combat options, siege weapons and a lot more...

Leica Announce M8, D-LUX 4 and C-LUX 3

Leica has announce a trio of digital cameras today. The cameras include the C-LUX 3, D-LUX 4 and the M8.2. The C-LUX 3, is a compact pocket-sized digicam that features 10-megapixel sensor, 25 to 125mm 5x optical zoom lens, all-metal chassis, optical image stabilization, face detection and a 2.5-inch LCD monitor. Available in black or white from October 2008, the LEICA C-LUX 3 will have an SRP of £420. The D-LUX 4, is a 10.1-megapixel compact camera which can extend its zoom range of 24 to 60-millimeters via lens adapters. It also features a choice of either an additional flash or a 24-millimeter optical viewfinder. Available from October 2008, the LEICA D-LUX 4 will have an SRP of £590. The M8.2, which keeps the current 10.3 megapixel sensor found in the M8 , but also features a new metal blade focal plane shutter, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal coverglass for the LCD, a "snapshot mode," redesigned bright frame lines in viewfinder and a Quick Override setting. The M8.2 should be available this month for an SRP of £3390. Authorised Leica dealers are also offering a £400 Leica M8 trade up incentive which is currently scheduled to end on 30th September 2008.

Media Giants Join Forces In Content Consortium

A big consortium of Movie, hardware, and digital companies have joined forces to form the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem. The DECE has at its heart the goal of making digital media like music and movies a "buy once, play anywhere" experience. The concept will allow consumers to buy digital media and be able to play it on any DECE compatible device anywhere they like — even when the content isn't with them they should be able access their content from a cloud-based media locker. Expect a major announcement which will cover standards and technology info at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2009. The consortium currently includes Best Buy, Cisco, Comcast, Fox, HP, Intel, Lions Gate, Microsoft, NBC Universal,Paramount, Philips, Sony, Toshiba, Verisign, and Warner Brothers. The group's president and primary architect is Mitch Singer, who is also currently chief technology officer at Sony Pictures. Apple are notably absent from the consortium, but dont expect any appearance real soon unless they, as a company, change their stance on DRM. For more info, read this article at digitaltrends.

Best Buy To Purchase Napster

Electronics retailer, Best Buy, announced today, that it would buy Napster for $121 million. Napster was one of the first P2P music file-sharing services but never really got off the ground, lawsuits in its early days eventually forced it to get out of the P2P business. Later attempts by Roxio Execs to get it going as a subscription based service also failed to render any real viability as a business model, The purchase is a strategic decision as Best Buy currently sell mp3's online, but have not really made a big impact to date. They are hoping that they be able to leverage Napsters brand recognition into a real solution for selling content to go with the hardware they sell.

Apple Release 2.1 Update For iPhone

Apple have relased their 2.1 software upgrade for the iPhone. This update comes the promise of fewer call drops and a significantly improved battery life. It has purportedly also fixed a lot of bugs.

Facebook Goes All V2 - Real Soon

Facebook will be forcing all its users to use their new layout. Face book have notified all users that 'New Facebook will soon be the only Facebook. Soon, we'll be switching Facebook over to its new design'. This is because they can't be bothered to maintain two different systems. To be honest, I can't be too bothered as I hate a lot of what Facebook represents, sure I use it, but I dont have to like it.

Apples Woes Continue with iPod Touch 2G & iTunes 8

It seems that the new version of iTunes is causing a "-3256 Unknown Error Occurred." message to occur. This and another the "-15000," has prevented iTunes 8 upgraders from using their Airtunes on remote speakers. according to entgadget the error is related to Firewalls and Firmware. You basically need to either turn off your Firewall or allow iTunes to accept incoming requests. This is also helped to update your Airport Express to the latest firmware version. Windows-based iPod touch users are also seeing Blue Screens of Death when they plug in their players due to undocumented issues. The solution is reboot the system while the touch is plugged in to force the system to recognize the device, run a sync, and turn off photo syncing, while irksome, it appears to work. Come on Apple, get with the program, you're not doing yourself any favours.

SanDisk Intro 32GB Extreme III CF Card

SanDisk's have added a 32GB CompactFlash card to their 30MB/s Extreme III line of flash cards. SanDisk just announced the 32GB Extreme III CompactFlash card for $299. If you're a pro photographer shooting high-speed RAW images or a film maker producing a HD masterpiece, check it out. The new card should be available in October.

Corel Announce VideoStudio Pro X2

Corel have announce their family of video editing and authoring products aimed at video enthusiasts and consumers. VideoStudio Pro X2 allows the Capture, enhancement and sharing of video. Corel VideoStudio Pro X2 Ultimate includes their new version of VideoStudio Pro (X2) and gives users everything they need to take their HD editing to the next level. VideoStudio Pro X2 includes: Corel® VideoStudio® Pro X2 Ultimate – the complete digital media solution. Corel® WinDVD® 9 Plus Blu-ray – Which Plays AVCHD™ and Blu-ray discs with advanced menus and even supports the upscaling of standard DVDs to near HD quality Corel® DVD Copy™ 6 Plus – Facilitates the copying and conversion of discs and video. It even supports the direct conversion of video for the web, mobile devices like iPhone™, PSP® and iPod®, and other PMPs. Steinberg® WaveLab™ LE 6 – Which lets you edit and enhance audio quickly and easily. Corel VideoStudio Pro X2 Ultimate has an SRP of £79 (€129), whilst Corel VideoStudio Pro X2 will be available for £59 (€89).

Pinnacle Announce Availability Of Studio MovieBox Ultimate V12

Pinnacle Studio MovieBox Ultimate is a movie-making solution which combines a USB 2.0 high-speed capture device with the professional tools of Pinnacle Studio Ultimate. Their USB 2.0 based device captures SD and HD video from any analogue or digital source using a variety of input options. The solution also offers Native HD support which keeps HD quality from original source all the way to final output. Studio MovieBox Ultimate offers provide complete control of your production via its pro-level tools. Capture Options include: Capture from DV, HDV and Digital8 camcorders or VCRs (requires a FireWire® port) Capture from analog camcorders, 8 mm, HI 8, VHS, SVHS, VHS-C, SVHS-C, or VCRs (NTSC/PAL/SECAM). Requires DirectShow® compatible graphic board or TV tuner board with analog (Composite or S-Vide) inputs Import from AVCHD* camcorders (requires USB 2.0 and a UDF driver) Output Options include: Output to DV, HDV or Digital8 tape (requires camcorder with FireWire Input port and a PC with a DV/FireWire port) Output to analog videotape (requires DirectShow compatible videdevice or videcard with TV-output) Output to Apple® iPod® and Sony® PSP™ formats* Import Formats supported include: Video: AVCHD*, DV, HDV, AVI, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, DivX®*, MPEG-4*, 3GP(MPEG-4)*, WMV, Non-encrypted DVD titles* Audio: MP3, MPA, WAV, AC3* Graphic: BMP, GIF, JPG, PCX, PSD, TGA, TIF, WMF Export Formats: VideCD (VCD) or S-VCD with optional CD burner (CD-R or CD-RW) AVCHD*, Blu-ray BD*, HD-DVD*, DVD* disc with optional disc burner (incl. dual layer) Apple iPod and Sony PSP compatible (MPEG-4) formats* DV, HDV, AVI, DivX*, RealVideo® 8, WMV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4*, Flash, 3GP*, WAV, MP3* files Dolby® Digital 2 channel* and 5.1 channel audi* Hardware Specifications Inputs & Outputs: Composite video input (RCA connector) NTSC S-Video input (mini-DIN connector) NTSC Stereo audio input (2 x RCA connectors) IEEE 1394 In/Out connector (6-pin type) Analog Video Capture to Computer Analog PAL & SECAM/NTSC input HDV/DV (IEEE 1394) camcorder capture. Full camera control support Compression: MPEG-2, MPEG-1, DV, MJPEG (User selectable. Available real-time capture formats depend on CPU speed.) Video Playback from Computer HDV/DV (IEEE 1394) output to camcorder. Full camera/device control support As you can see this device offers a full range of options to make any small production studio stop and look at what it has to offer. For more info visit the Studio MovieBox Ultimate product page.

Apple Intro New iPods, Headphones & iTunes 8

Apple unleased their new iPods, iTunes and content offerings today at their annual september press conference. Amongst their new offerings were a new iPod Nano and Touch. A change in the line up of their iPod classic and a new iTunes version and content such as HD TV Shows and features like Genius which apparently can generate playlists of songs "that go great together." The HD TV shows on offer will cost $2.99 instead of $1.99 for standard definition content. Apple also claimed to have over 65 million iTunes Store accounts worldwide. The 160GB iPod Classic has been retired because in Jobs words "No one buys the thick" one, which is funny, because most of my friends who have recently bought one, have bought this exact model. It seems that they will only be offering a 120GB model for an SRP of $249 (£179), and which should be the same size and dimensions as the current 80GB model. The new iPod Nano was unveiled as "the thinnest iPod we've ever made." and like many of the speculative renderings we were teased with, it does have an oval, tapered shape with a black or white wheel. It also features an accelerometer like the iPhone and iPod Touch for viewing Cover Flow album art, photos, and video when turned sideways. The Nano also has a built-in voice recorder and the ability to shuffle tracks, when shaken. The new iPod Nano also includes an iPhone-like headphone set which comes with a new clicker, volume control, and microphone. The clicker allows you to double-click to skip to the next song, press once to pause and three times to go to the previous song. You can also record voice memos with a microphone on the other side. Costing around $29, the new headphones will be available from next month, there will also be a new set of higher quality in-ear headphones that will have an SRP of $79. The iPod nano will purportedly have a "great" battery life with 24 hours of music and 4 hours video. The new iPod nano will have an SRP of $149 for the 8GB model and $199 for the 16GB. New iPod Touches were also shown and it appears that the new shiny Touch has the same 3.5" display but is thinner with a tapered, stainless steel back. The iPod Touch has the same integrated volume controls on the side, it also features a built-in speaker like the iPhone. Another cool feature is the integration of the Nike+iPod system for tracking running statistics. The new iPod touch will support up to 36 hours of music and 6 hours of video playback off a full charge. Unlike the other new announcements it is available immediately for $229 for the 8GB model, and $299 for the 16GB, and $399 for the 32GB.

Scientology Issues Over 4000 Take Down Notices

A group called American Rights Counsel sent more than 4,000 DMCA takedown notices to YouTube, claiming every video infringed on its copyrights, according to the EFF. Most of the pulled content has already been reinstated already after the various uploaders filed DMCA counter-notices asserting that the videos did not infringe copyright. It appears that Scientologists are not happy with their critics and will use their vast wealth and influence to attack anyone who disagrees or criticises them. According to an article at arstechnica.com; The targets of the takedown action included everything from Anonymous protest videos to Clearwater City Council hearings (Scientology has a major presence in Clearwater, Florida) to German and Canadian news reports. This led YouTube users to rant in public forums about the "abuse" of YouTube's takedown system by American Rights Counsel, which even went after user-created videos. Under YouTubes take down system, all you have to do to get a video taken down is make a claim and it is instantly pulled. Unfortunately the problem with this system is its potential abuse by rightsholders. The DMCA however also includes penalties for anyone who sends takedown notices in bad faith. Reinstating content can be done with nothing more than a simple DMCA counter-notice. This is going to be a long drawn out affair, read the article at arstechnica.com for more.

Intel Release 2.5-inch 80GB SSD

Intel unveil their 80GB SSD Drive. The 2.5 inch drive features new optimizations to boost speed and energy usage over current flash drives. The X25-M drive should have an SRP of $595. They're also releasing a 3.5-inch version, called the X18-M.

Lightmate - Wierd Pillow Thingy

Yeah, Ok ... the title sucks, but then that was my initial impression, when I first saw pictures of this "anthropomorphic" pillow designed by Artist Francesca Lanzavecchia. "Can electric energy fill the void of human absence? LightMates are soft anthropomorphic pillows and warming lamps. This awfully attractive creature heats, lights and provides company. Their different sizes answer to everyone's need of heat; a mate to hug or a huge companion you can lay on." I don't know about anthropomorphic, to me it looks more like some huge mutated illuminated sperm...

Canon Tease With Possible 5D Successor

Canon are showcasing a number of ads using the old silhouette in the dark teaser ads. The photo doesn't really show much but you can see the first teaser at a page titled Destined Evolution, featuring the silhouette of a canon dslr against an image of the moon. Some sites are guessing its a new Canon 5D. The image below is what comes out of the teasers when you process the image in photoshop - silhouette certainly looks like that of a 5D.

Lacie Release USB Speakers

LaCie have created USB versions of their cool FireWire speakers, and at £39, they are half the price of the Firewire versions. Designed by Neil Poulton, who's had a long history of designing for LaCie. The speakers have a frequency response of 90Hz-20kHz and the cables can be tucked in under the speakers allowing for an uncluttered desk. They take their power via the USB port and can also be used with an MP3 player, via an optional adaptor. For more info visit the product page at LaCie.

Dell Mini 9 Available

Dell introduced the Inspiron Mini 9 today. The unit has an Intel Atom Diamondville processor and a 1024 by 600 LED-backlit screen. It also comes in either 4, 8 and 16GB SSD flavours, you also get 2GB of free online storage at Box.Net. The Windows XP version is available now for $399, in black or white. The Ubuntu flavor can be had for $349. Apparently you can also get one for $99, if you buy another Dell.

Sony Ads Reveal 24 Megapixel Full Frame DSLR

Sony's revealed the A900 DSLR, which features a full frame 24.6 megapixel Exmor CMOS sensor, via an ill timed ad. It will also features Sony's Dual BIONZ image processing engine, a 3-inch Hybrid LCD with "Intelligent Preview," 5 fps continuous shooting, and Sony's SteadyShot image stabilization. There is no price or release date mentioned in the Ad but all should come clear as we approach Photokina.

Sony Vaio All-in-Ones

Sony has introduced a trio of all-in-one Vaios - the JS, LV and RT. These babies not only handle word processing, design, web browsing and other computing tasks, but they also work great as small, if expensive, HDTVs. All units have support for Blu-ray Discs either optionally or as standard in the top line models. The VAIO JS All-in-One desktop chassis features a 20.1″ LCD display with Sony’s XBRITE-ECO LCD technology. It will be available in black, silver and pink colors and feature an integrated microphone and web cam with face-tracking technology. It will have an SRP starting at around $1,000. The Vaio LV, features floating mirror design and has a 24″ WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200 resolution) widescreen high definition display using Sony’s own XBRITE-FullHD LCD technology. It also comes standard with a slot-in rewritable Blu-ray Disc optical drive, and has integrated DVR capabilities, up to 1TB of storage space, an HDMI input, Wi-Fi connectivity and an integrated power supply, allowing for an uncluttered wallmount. The VAIO LV have an SRP starting at around $1,600. The Vaio RT High Definition Studio features a 25.5″ LCD XBRITE-FullHD LCD technology Display, a Blu-ray optical drive, integrated digital TV tuners, and an HDMI port. TheVAIO RT High-Definition Studio PC will start at about $3,300.

Google Launch Chrome Open Beta

Google have released an open Beta of their new webrowser Chrome, and from all appearances it's fast and has some cool features. The browser opens really fast and each new window opens a new instance of Chrome. The Tab page displays your most-visited websites, recently-visited bookmarks, and recently-closed tabs. The browser allows you to instantly kill any Flash element using the task manager and all without closing the page. You can drag tabs in and out of windows and even combine windows. The browser has one drawback in that it does need some finessing visually it is currently more than a little bland. To download it visit http://www.google.com/chrome.

Mythbusters Prevented From Covering RFID

It appears that the credit card companies are afraid of what Mythbusters would uncover if they tackle the issue of RFID. When the production team approached Texas Instruments about looking at RFID they were "counseled" by a legal team that it would be unwise to broach the subject on the viability and security of RFID. This legal team was comprised of lawyers from the credit card companies. The Threat of all these companies pulling their financial support from Discovery was enough of a concern that they pulled the development of the episode. Visit the blog at wired.com to see an interesting video - thanks to engadget for the lead.

LG DP889 Digital Photo Frame/DVD Player

LG deserve some kudos for releasing a Digital Picture Frame that also doubles up as a DVD player. This 8" unit allows you to show photos that are stored on DVD or CD, you can also use the unit as a portable DVD player providing up to 3 1/2 hours of playback using the built-in power pack. Other features include audio/video inputs and outputs allowing you to connect other devices like a game console, a 3-in1 memory card slot, a flash drive compatible USB port, built-in speakers it even comes with dual headphone jacks for when you want to share. The LG DP889 has an SRP of $279.95. For more info visit lg.com

SkyMarket WiMo App Store

Windows Mobile has been lacking what Apple have with their app store. It seems that Microsoft's solution will be to launch Skymarket. Although there are several sites that do a good job of listing apps that are available for Windows Mobile however with Skymarket set to launch with Windows Mobile 7 it'll be nice to be able to get your apps all in one place.

RED Looking To Release DSLR

Last year RED released an ultra high resolution video camera called RED ONE. This camera has made a lot of filmmakers stop and take notice. RED are now looking at producing a DSLR which could feature a resolution of up to 25 Megapixels. If this happens it'll mean another player will have entered the market and one who may trump the players who currently enjoy being the leaders in the DSLR market. Time will tell ... I'll stick with my Canon gear. Thanks to Engadget on this one.