Newsgab

The high def video disc format has been brewing since about 2002, in one corner was Sony’s Blu-Ray disc and in the other was the HD DVD chaired by Toshiba. It all started from the same idea using blue lasers, but the main difference was in the platform on which they used. The HD DVD camp wanted to use Microsoft’s iHD system, while Blu Ray used a java based alternative.

Early in 2006, the first HD DVD player was released, and a few months later the first consumer Blu-Ray player was on the market. From a technological point of view, the Blu-Ray was slightly superior: larger capacity discs, faster data transfer, higher quality audio. However the HD DVD camp also had a few things going for it, it was region free, mandatory backward compatibility with DVD’s and CD’s, and generally cheaper.

Which is more powerful: A computer in a traditional beige case, or a computer in a “ruby red” case? Well according to Dell, a “trendy” coloured computer is more powerful. Dell has released a new range of Inspiron notebooks for the colour conscious individual. So what’s so special about these notebooks compared to their normal line of notebooks? I compared the Inspiron 1520 coloured notebook with the equivalent “colourless” model, and the specs were identical. The only difference I found was the colour. And what a colour palette to choose from:

• Jet Black
• Alpine White
• Espresso Brown
• Ruby Red
• Mindnight Blue
• Spring Green
• Flamingo Pink
• Sunshine Yellow

The iTunes store Wednesday began selling online movie titles from MGM, the Hollywood studio boasting the biggest catalog of modern movie titles.

“This is the start of a phased campaign with Apple,” said Jeff Pryor, a spokesperson for MGM, “and we’re just at the start of the first phase. MGM is putting an initial batch of 24 movies in the iTunes store, but right now, we’re not announcing details of our further plans.”

MGM says its catalog comprises about 4,000 movie titles. These include such dandies as “The Thomas Crown Affair,” “Ronin,” and “Lilies of the Field.”

Still can’t imagine watching a movie on a screen so small though, especially if your having to shell out big cash for the priveledge

Popularity: 56% [?]

“Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone, and here it is,” company CEO Steve Jobs confidently said during a keynote speech at Macworld on Tuesday.

Jobs was presenting the new iPhone, the device which is supposedly going to revolutionise the mobile phone industry.

Not only is the iPhone going to revolutionise mobiles as we know them today, its even got a little bit of magic built it. “It works like magic…” says Jobs “It’s far more accurate than any touch display ever shipped. It ignores unintended touches. It’s super-smart.”

Yaaaaaawn!

I’m seriously struggling to understand exactly how ground breaking the iPhone is going to be. Sure, Apple may have created and patented the keyboard technology that is being referred to as “multi-touch” but is multi-touch really going to revolutionise the mobile phone industry and how will the touch screen handle the regular contact and hammering without experiencing the scratch issues found on many of todays iPods?

Marine specialists are undertaking a massive challenge for the 2012 Olympics. They wish to build the UK’s biggest reef at a cost of £85 million.

London zoo are using pieces of “live rock ” which are pieces of coral confiscated from would be smugglers intent on bringing the pieces of coral back to Britain.

Despite the fact that nearly all countries have outlawed the practise of taking “live rock” from coral reefs, there are always some who think the risk is worth it.

The live rock can be used as a basis to build a nano reef, which is a very tiny reef, compact enough to live in a refugium, within the home. Corals are small ocean animals, and the young corals attach themselves to the limestone skeletons of dead corals. Over time layers of skeletons build up and grow into reefs. Reefs as an ecosystem are home to a quarter of all life in the seas.

Now we have some choices on either side of the fence. The two giants have “released” their latest products for the coming holiday season. It looks like Microsoft is really climbing the ranks of actually usable and supportable technology.

You look at Microsoft’s vision of it’s operating system, office suite, and it’s amazing gaming industry leader, the Xbox 360. Now there’s the Zune. The Zune comes it 3 colors, white, black and brown. Sharing music wirelessly seems like a great option, but it’s not without a price. You only get three listens to any song that you receive, for up to three days. After that you have the option to buy the song, unless you are on Microsoft’s unlimited plan for it’s media store.

Apple, on the other hand, has released a few new goodies in the iPod space. Some of the most notable differences in their latest incarnation of the full-sized iPod.

Regular Newsgab readers will remember that I wrote about the amazing Tesla Roadster Supercar that was launched back in July. This slick looking motor was capable of travelling over 130 MPH and was powered by the equivalent of 6,831 batteries

It was great that a supercar had been developed that was both nice to look at whilst still being environmentally friendly.

Historically, family sized bio fuel, hybrid or fuel cell powered cars have been made available, however with regard to the latter fuel cell powered motors, these bulky contractions were slow, had short ranges and were particularly unpleasant on the eye.

Honda’s latest innovations counter the stereotypes however.

The latest fuel cell vehicle from the Japanese automaker, planned for limited marketing in Japan and the U.S. in 2008, has a slick, streamlined, close-to-the-ground look. Honda Motor Co.’s next-generation diesel engine delivers as clean a drive as a low-emission gas engine of comparable size.

Over 40% of Britons decided today that if they had the choice sex or living to be a hundred they would rather be celibate.

However only 31 percent of the male respondents agreed to make the sacrafice, whilst 48 percent of the women agrred.

However 94 percent)would not give up their friends or family in order to reach their century while a half thought scientists should keep trying to prolong people’s lifespans.

Private health care provider BUPA commissioned the Mori survey as part of a debate on the implications of an aging population.

“Britain is facing an aging time bomb with major challenges presented by retirement, the desire to live longer and the increasing burden of caring for older people,” said Andrew Vallance-Owen, BUPA’s medical director.

Popularity: 1% [?]

According to a group of Cambridge boffins we are nearer to be able to develop roll up lap-tops, as flat screens will be able to morph into tubes.

One day we may be able to slip a PC into a pocket. However the use is not restricted to the PC we could have self erecting temporary shelters.

The sheets of metal are made from a copper alloy and they work without hinges, latches or locks.

They can “snap” from one shape to another, from a flat sheet to a coil, bent or twisted structure.

Dr Keith Seffen, the lead researcher from the Department of Engineering at Cambridge University, said they got the idea from children’s toy “flick” or “snap” bracelets which transform from a straight strip into a coil around the wrist.

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The folks at Warner Bros. have filed a patent application for a single disc that can store regular DVD, HD DVD and Blu-ray content.

“Multiple formats of DVD discs create retail and consumer confusion as to which format(s) to acquire or buy,” the firm’s patent document stated.

Technology analysts have been hedging bets on which of the two new high-definition formats will ultimately win the war.

Blu-ray maker Sony is going head to head with HD DVD champion Toshiba for share of the high-definition DVD marketplace. Matsushita Electric Industrial, maker of Panasonic products, sides with Sony, and Microsoft is aligned with Toshiba.

Warner’s moves to patent technology to develop a hybrid disc that plays the dueling formats is the latest twist in the skirmish.

Popularity: 1% [?]