Life With PlayStation: Wii-like Weather and News on PS3

At today's Sony press conference, SCE president Kaz Hirai revealed new software on the way to all PS3s. Dubbed "Life With PlayStation," it's a virtual globe that can be explored to reveal weather and news. And while, sure, it sounds a lot like Nintendo's forecast and news channels (almost identical in theory, really), it also could be a lot better.

The key difference is that while Nintendo's globe is fun enough to use, it's essentially just spinning around a cartoon. The PS3's globe will not only be displayed in a far higher resolution (1080p we're guessing), but it will feature a global weather satellite image. So instead of just seeing the forecast, users will be able to see the weather.

In addition, clicking on regional news will load up a webpage, which some are interpreting to mean that Sony is more open to their news content partners than Nintendo's closed system.

And then the globe will go one step further into the future. According to Hirai:

For the primary version the application sticks to the present time but in the future we plan to build a system that can visually present stored photos and movies according to their recorded time and place, allowing users with their friends and family to enjoy the visuals in chronological order.

As usual, I'm sure it makes for a beautiful tech demo. But until we get a firm release date, it's just another PlayStation Home.


Source: http://gizmodo.com/5019861/life-with-playstation-wii+like-weather-and-news-on-ps3

Sony's PS3 movie download service rolling out Stateside this summer

Sony just released a rambling update to it corporate strategy through fiscal year 2010. An interesting read for fans and competitors alike as Sony lays bare initiatives intent on moving Sony from recovery to the "leading global provider of networked consumer electronics and entertainment." Most notable in the near-term however, is word from Kazuo Hirai, chieftain of Sony Computer Entertainment, that Sony will make a movie download service available to US PlayStation 3 owners this summer -- Japan and Europe at later dates with details coming "next month," presumably at E3. Moreover, Sony expects its gaming business to achieve profitability by March 2009, the end of the current fiscal year. Of course, we already knew that Sony was prepped to deliver full-length TV shows and movies sometime in 2008 via its North American PLAYSTATION Network. But summer, eh? Judging by the increased molecular agitation of sidewalk effluence, we'd say that Sony's season of movie downloads is already upon us.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/26/sony-launching-movie-downloads-in-us-this-summer/

iLuv's i1255 desktop iPod / DVD player combo now shipping

Hey there partner, we just know that troubled look on your face is due to the inability to find yourself a DVD player / iPod dock combo that looks ever-so-slightly like an Atari console, right? If so, you'll be completely relieved to find that iLuv's CES-announced i1255 is now on sale and shipping to whomever pays the stated asking price with a non-stolen, non-maxed out credit card. If you couldn't tell, this unit acts as a vanilla DVD player and enables iPod owners to play back audio / video clips on their television or sound system without messing with additional cables. Shoot, there's even an iPod-tailored on-screen display to sort through your playlists and such. Lasso yours now for just $149.99.


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/26/iluvs-i1255-desktop-ipod-dvd-player-combo-now-shipping/

Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 hands-on, sorta

So here's the scene. We're at the Digital Experience show, trying to get our hands on a powered-up Sony Xperia X1. Sure, we found a unit that wasn't powered up, but that does you -- and us -- no good. Sony told us to come back in 15 minutes, so we grabbed some press kits, made a round of booths, and came back.

Sure enough, when we came back the X1 was powered up, but the nice booth lady tried to tell us that things weren't working just right and the unit was stuck on the config screen. After some jiggering, we determined the little X1 was just stuck on the touch screen calibration, and we were cruising through menus within minutes. It's pretty clear this unit wasn't ready for primetime -- you'll even see some HTC test apps in the below gallery -- but we were impressed by the screen's resolution and brightness. Windows Mobile 6.1 showed it face often in the UI, but the phone app and general utilities were looking good.

Overall, the X1 is a pleasure to behold -- it's one sexy device. That said, we'll have to wait how Sony Ericsson's user interface shapes up and just look at the pretty pictures in the gallery until mid-September.


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/26/sony-ericsson-xperia-x1-hands-on-sorta/

Westinghouse upgrades $50,000 Quad HD LCD

Las Vegas (NV) – Westinghouse has increased the size of its Quad HD LCD and slightly increased its price tag. The screen size has grown from 52” to 56” and most of us still can’t afford it.

We were deeply impressed when we saw a demonstration of Westinghouse’s 52” Quad HD LCD about 18 months ago. At the time, Westinghouse was very secretive about shipments and pricing, but we managed to learn that the display was available in very limited numbers and was offered especially to companies that have a need for high-resolution graphics displays in exchange for $50,000. Over the recent months we heard that these displays eventually dropped to about $40,000.

The new 56” D56QX1 LCD Quad Monitor is back up to 56: and officially available for purchase beginning this month. Compared to your average 1080p HDTV, the LCD has four times the resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels produce a stunning 8.3 megapixels, which is overkill for most consumer electronics but a useful feature for 3D, medical, geological, military recon applications. The display also delivers a 1200:1 contrast ratio, 500 nits brightness and a 6.5 ms response time. Westinghouse said that D56QX1 is compatible with a wide variety of dual-link DVI video cards including ATI and Nvidia.

Quad HD LCDs are still very rare, but we have seen several announcements in recent months, including TVs a 56” version from Sapphire and Samsung’s 82” monster.


Source: http://www.tgdaily.com/html_tmp/content-view-38000-135.html

World’s Fastest Flashgun Can Capture An Image Of A Light Wave

Ok, this is officially the coolest image I’ve ever seen. What you see on the right is a pulse of light that is 2.5 billionths of a millionth of a second long. The image was captured by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Garching, Germany and the flash of laser light that made it possible lasted just 80 attoseconds. (An attosecond is one billionth of one billionth of a second.) The previous record for the shortest light pulse was 130 attoseconds set in 2007, and almost halving that number a year later is an impressive feat

But don’t expect your Nikon or Canon DSLR to pull off a cool shot like this. The team responsible for it used a laser firing extremely short pulses into a cloud of neon gas which ionized the neon atoms. This then releases electrons which the researchers were able to measure in order to produce this side-profile shot of the laser pulse.

The light pulses are produced by firing longer, but still very short laser pulses into a cloud of neon gas. The laser gives a kick of energy to the neon atoms, which then release this energy in the form of brief pulses of extreme ultraviolet light.

The trigger pulses contained only one or two oscillations of a light wave so that they packed a compact energy punch when they reached the neon cloud. To do this, the researchers had to corral the trigger-pulse photons into a tightly packed bunch using a device called a chirped mirror. These multilayered mirrors make the photons at the front of a pulse travel further than the slower photons at the rear do. That gives the back markers time to catch up, in this case producing a tight pack of photons that hit the neon atoms at roughly the same time.

To find out how short the light flashes from the neon atoms were, Goulielmakis and colleagues directed them onto a second neon gas cloud. As each flash is intense enough to completely ionise a neon atom and release an electron, the researchers could use those electrons like a flashgun, to illuminate some of the original 2.5 femtosecond trigger pulses of laser light.

Since the microscopic world is still a big mystery to us, this method might eventually allow researches to visualize the movements of electrons around atoms, or even ’see’ nuclear particles like protons.

Source: http://www.ohgizmo.com/2008/06/23/worlds-fastest-flashgun-can-capture-an-image-of-a-light-wave/

Motozine ZN5 Camera Phone Now Official

We've been talking about this cellphone for a while, but today Motorola and Kodak officially spilled the beans. As we thought, the ZN5's a phone that's as much camera as phone, with a 5-megapixel Kodak unit on its back. This is quick-launched by sliding the lens cover, and has a Xenon flash, auto-focus and even auto-stitches panorama shots. The phone itself has CrystalTalk for high sound quality, Bluetooth, full browser and wi-fi (for photo transfers, and the web.) Due out in China in July at first, then globally through '08. Press release below.

Motorola and Kodak Redefine the Mobile Imaging Experience with MOTOZINE™ ZN5

BEIJING, CHINA — 23 June 2008 – Motorola (NYSE: MOT), a leader in wireless communications, and Kodak (NYSE: EK), the world’s foremost imaging innovator, today announced MOTOZINE™ ZN5, the first product combining world-class innovation from both companies. The MOTOZINE ZN5 combines a high-quality phone and camera experience to help content-craving consumers seize inspiration and share the content they create and love with the world.

Unveiled today in Beijing at a gallery-inspired event, ZINE ZN5 delivers an easy and immersive mobile imaging experience. ZN5 is the first mobile phone to combine Motorola’s ModeShift Technology and KODAK Imaging Technology. Together, they redefine the quality, convenience and connectivity of mobile imaging devices. With KODAK EASYSHARE Software and easy access to KODAK Gallery1 or other web sharing sites,2 pictures are easily moved off the device, allowing consumers to print, share and enjoy their favorite photos whenever they want.

“Today’s creative consumers not only want to be the photographer, but also the retoucher, the exhibitor and the critic,” said Jeremy Dale, corporate vice president, mobile devices marketing, Motorola, Inc. “The MOTOZINE ZN5 lets them be all the things they want to be.”

Built to Shoot
ZN5 puts image capture first, with a high-resolution landscape screen and one of the fastest click-to-click times available. To launch the camera, simply slide open the Kodak lens cover to transform the phone into an ultra-fast 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus, a Xenon flash, 4GB of optional external memory3 and optimized settings for low-light environments.

Built-in KODAK Imaging Technology ensures that every picture taken with ZN5 looks its best. When KODAK Imaging Technology is combined with KODAK PERFECT TOUCH Technology, images become brighter and more vivid on the spot. Multiple capture modes, like multi-shot and panorama, which automatically stitches together continuous shots taken on the horizon line into a single, extended image1, makes taking photos fun.

“KODAK Imaging Technology combines Kodak’s unparalleled experience in imaging science with easy connectivity to the company’s vast portfolio of products and services,” said John Blake, general manager digital capture and imaging devices group, vice president Eastman Kodak Company. “We have redefined the quality, convenience and connectivity of mobile imaging devices. We have worked closely with Motorola to create a device that not only delivers Kodak-quality pictures, but allows consumers to explore a wide range of options for sharing their photos with friends and family around the world.”

Built to Share
With one touch, photos can be viewed right from the home screen; no menus, no searching. This multimedia device provides a fun, quick and easy way to share favorite photos. Pictures can be uploaded via Gallery Link in one simple click and instantly shared to the KODAK Gallery (www.kodakgallery.com)1 to be viewed, stored and shared with friends and family. ShoZu can be used to upload photos to a variety of social networking sites1. ZN5 comes with KODAK EASYSHARE Software, the world’s most used photo software, making it easy to organize, edit, share, store and find mobile pictures1. Consumers can transfer pictures to a computer via USB, Wi-Fi1 or Bluetooth® wireless technology4 and print wirelessly on Bluetooth-compatible KODAK All-in-One Printers and at KODAK Picture Kiosks.

Built to Talk
In phone mode, ZN5 features Motorola’s patented CrystalTalkTM technology to help callers hear and be heard, even in noisy environments. With dual compatibility for GSM and Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), users can connect in more areas around the world2 and enjoy high-speed wireless connections to surf the Web via a full HTML browser2. To complete the communications experience, ZN5 also supports SMS, MMS, IM and personal e-mail2.

The MOTOZINE Multimedia Experience
MOTOZINE ZN5 is the first device to carry the MOTOZINE franchise name, Motorola’s new label for its multimedia-optimized devices. For the consumer who thrives on content consumption and creation, products in the ZINE portfolio give them the freedom to shape pop culture, on their terms.

MOTOZINE ZN5 will be first available in China in July 2008 and is expected to roll out around the globe throughout the remainder of the year. For more information regarding pricing and product availability in your region, please contact your local Motorola representative.

About Kodak
As the world's foremost imaging innovator, Kodak helps consumers, businesses, and creative professionals unleash the power of pictures and printing to enrich their lives.

To learn more, visit http://www.kodak.com/, and our blogs: 1000words.kodak.com, PluggedIn.kodak.com, and GrowYourBiz.kodak.com.

Editor’s Note: Kodak corporate news releases are now offered via RSS feeds. To subscribe, visit www.kodak.com/go/RSS and look for the RSS symbol. In addition, Kodak podcasts are viewable at www.kodak.com/go/podcasts. Our podcasts may be downloaded for viewing on iTunes, Quicktime, or other PC-based media players. Users may also subscribe to Kodak podcasts via the iTunes application if already installed on your computer. From the iTunes store, type “Kodak podcast” in the search field to view all of our podcast offerings.

Kodak, EasyShare and Perfect Touch are trademarks of Kodak.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5018717/motozine-zn5-camera-phone-now-official

Tristar Massage Chair isn't built for the average living room

Really, we've yet to pinpoint a massage chair that fit in well with typical furniture and didn't cost a small fortune, but we're tempted to believe that the Tristar Massage Chair was actually created with Martians in mind. This rather terrifying seating device includes all sorts of apparatuses that will reportedly remove stress from your back, feet, face and fingertips. There's also an integrated audio system for surrounding yourself in Kenny G or Killswitch Engage, whichever group helps you cope with all that you dealt with during the workday. Too bad you'll be burning that midnight oil to pay off the €5,000 ($7,807) credit card bill.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/23/tristar-massage-chair-isnt-built-for-the-average-living-room/

Amazon's MP3 store nearing global launch?

While Amazon's quest to take its DRM-free, MP3 store global is public knowledge, the where and the when of that maneuver are closely guarded secrets. The UK's Telegraph is reporting that execs from Amazon's MP3 store were in London last week to "thrash out details of the launch with British record company bosses." Of course this says nothing about timing. On one side of the impending launch is DRM, that hot button of nastiness favored by the music industry and not offered by Amazon MP3. On the other, iTunes, and the music industry's desire to usurp Apple's digital dominance while inversely strenghthening the bargaining power of music execs' over Cupertino. In other words, we may be looking at an imminent launch of a global Amazon MP3 store... and we may not, though we're leaning towards the former.


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/23/amazons-mp3-store-nearing-global-launch/