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Movie Gadget Friday: Strange Days
Ariel Waldman contributes Movie Gadget Friday, where she highlights the lovable and lame gadgets from the world of cinema. On our last episode of Movie Gadget Friday, we rode around the robotics-dependent world of Runaway. Traversing from robots-gone-wrong to "wire-tripping"-technology-junkies, this week jacks-in to the cyberpunk streets of LA in Strange Days. While lacking in computer gadgetry, there is no shortage of leather pants, grunge metal, huge cell phones and random rioting in this 1995 film. Keeping true to the times, we can't get over how even the murderer commits crimes while managing to sport a fanny pack. SQUID Receptor Rig Short for Super-conducting Quantum Interference Device, the SQUID receptor rig consists of a two-part system: a lightweight, flexible mesh of electrodes and a recorder. The technology had originally been developed for the feds to replace body wires, but has since leaked onto the black market. The SQUID acts as a magnetic field measurement tool on a micro level. By placing the electrodes over your head and activating the recorder, your first-person audio-visual-sensory experience is recorded wirelessly, direct from the cerebral cortex onto a TDK 60-minute MiniDisc. The rig can also be hacked using a signal splitter and simstim attachment - allowing someone else to experience your experience in real-time. Optional accessories for the rig include a fanny pack for closely storing the recorder and various wigs for concealing your otherwise obvious surveillance of others. Unfortunately, there appears to be no way to directly upload these recordings to the net, leaving room for inefficient, in-person, illegal "playback" dealings of MiniDiscs similar to buying and selling drugs. From sex to committing crimes, clients to the self-proclaimed "switchboard of souls" dealers are able to jack-in to a variety of illicit activities without leaving their home. More after the break.
Lenovo, Dell and TDK layoff thousands, bum out thousands more
No longer content to sit on the sideline while companies like Logitech and Creative get all the press, Lenovo, Dell and TDK are all "restructuring." And you know what that means. Lenovo: cutting 11 percent of its work force. Dell: cutting 1,900 jobs, closing its plant in Limerick. TDK: cutting 8,000 jobs and closing four plants. This might be a tad depressing, but don't lose heart, people! As Sony's Gary Shapiro pointed out at the company's keynote this morning, tech companies "don't seek bailout money, we seek opportunity." After all, the company knows a thing or two about "opportunity."Read: Lenovo Expects Quarterly Loss, Plans Job CutsRead: Dell to axe 1,900 jobsRead: Japan's TDK to cut 8,000 jobs, close four plantsRead: Layoff BlogUpdate: Shapiro is the President and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association. Our bad.
TDK trots out industrial CompactFlash cards / SSDs
Not just everyone can get away with consumer-level kit, and if you plan on keeping that Counter-Strike server running for another four years without so much as a hiccup, you should probably look into some industrial-strength materials. To that end, we present to you a new pair from TDK: a U.DMA 6-compatible CompactFlash card and a line of PATA SSDs, both of which boast a maximum capacity of 16GB. Both lines combine the original GBDriver RA8 U.DMA 6-compatible NAND Flash memory controller with a high-frequency SLC NAND Flash memory module for read speeds of up to 50MB/sec and write speeds up to 30MB/sec. You'll also find an error correction function scalable to 15 bit/sector ECC to provide high data reliability -- remember, zero hiccups -- and a static wear leveling function to greatly increase the write life span. Sadly, no pricing figures are disclosed, but both crews should start shipping next month.[Via SlashGear]
Dark Knight Blu-ray set to break shipping records, sales records next?
Hopefully Iron Man isn't getting too cozy in the #1 Blu-ray spot, with over a million copies of The Dark Knight headed to store shelves on December 9. Iron Man set a first week mark of over 500,000 sold on an unknown quantity shipped, but it's probably a bigger question whether Warner can keep it's BD-Live servers working than whether it can take the top spot. VideoBusiness points out the old days of March '07 when Casino Royale shipped 100,000 units, or 300's 250k combined high definition disc launch last year. Number watchers will also be keeping an eye out for Blu-ray's share of first week sales; last year Transformers set records with 190,000 HD DVDs compared to 8.3 million DVDs, with Iron Man averaging around 10% how many will chose Batman the way it was meant to be seen?
Imation brings first 6x Blu-ray recordable discs to US
We had a dream back in June that America would one day be able to buy 6x BD-Rs for these 6x Blu-ray burners without relying on a Japanese importer, and today, that dream has been realized. Imation is bringing TDK Life on Record media to US soil, marking the first time 6x Blu-ray recordable (BD-R) and Blu-ray recordable double layer (BD-R DL) media has been available here. Unfortunately, this stuff is still absurdly expensive -- expect to hand over $13.99 for a single BD-R in October, while a BD-R DL 1-pack will ring up at a staggering $32.99.
TDK announces 64GB 1.8-inch HS1 micro SATA drives, we scream in glee
Things are looking up in the SSD race: TDK has just announced what they are calling the smallest Micro SATA SSD drives. The HS1 series will measure just 1.8 inches with 16, 32, and 64GB capacities and will use single-level cell NAND flash memory. Read / write speeds are spinner-like 100MBps and 50MBps respectively and are expected to be energy efficient at 20mA. Security wise, we're looking at 128-bit AES encryption with 7-bit error correction. They won't come cheap, though: prices are expected to run $900, $1,500, and $2,000 for the three capacities.[Via Electronista]
Former Realtime Associates, TDK vets launch Music Video Games
A new name has emerged within the already crowded rhythm game landscape, this one focused on stamping out mad beats in the casual game space. Aptly-named Music Video Games, the new company was founded by David Warhol from Intellivision Lives! creator Realtime Associates and former TDK Mediactive CEO Vincent Bitetti to put a casual spin on music games in order to make them more accessible.While we're name dropping, the company's roster also includes former Warner Bros. Records and THQ execs Mark Goldstein and Tim Walsh, both of whom serve as strategic advisors to the fledgling startup. However, nothing specific has been revealed concerning the outfit's upcoming projects, with the company stating only that it plans to "develop, publish and exploit technology and proprietary music beat matching game designs." We're curious to see what comes of this, though honestly with games both big and small already appealing to a wide range of players, whatever Music Video Games comes up with will have to be infectious to keep it from being yanked off the stage.
TDK intros SATA-compatible industrial SSD drives
It's far from the first SATA-compatible SSD drive, but TDK seems to think its new GBDisk RS1 series drives will be just the ticket for some very particular users (though not likely you or us). Apparently designed specifically for industrial use, the drive uses single level cell NAND flash memory (as opposed to multi-level cell) and a GBDriver RS1 SATA controller, which TDK says will together help it maintain data reliability while standing up to frequent, high-speed data writing. You will have to make do with some fairly small storage capacities even by SSD standards, however, with the drives topping out at 16GB, all of which come in 2.5-inch drive enclosures. No word on prices just yet, but you can look for them to start rolling out this June.
TDK intros slim new USB flash drives
TDK certainly hasn't put quite the priority on USB flash drives as it has on its other media, but it looks like the company is making a decent effort with its latest drives, which manage to keep things about as small as you're likely to want. Available in 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB varieties, the drives weigh in at a mere three grams, and measure 32 x 15 x 8 mm, with a sliding USB connector (and ReadyBoost functionality) also thrown in for good measure. No word on a price just yet, but you can look for them to be available in Japan by the end of the month.[Via Akihabara News]
Fail at puzzles, show the world
TDK Core's DS Puzzler Nanpure Fan & Oekaki Logic Wi-Fi Taiou (DS Puzzler Sudoku and Picture Logic Wi-Fi Interaction) is a pretty simple game design: a bunch of sudoku and picross-type puzzles. And that's fine! People like picross and sudoku.But DS Puzzler goes beyond the normal self-motivated challenge of these puzzle games by including online rankings for both. We're familiar with this kind of thing in a picross setting, but we certainly wouldn't want anyone to see how, uh, great we are at sudoku. And we're pretty sure we'd embarrass ourselves with these more complicated, colorful picross puzzles too.
TDK also looking to boost hard drive capacity
Just try naming a major player in the hard drive biz not touting some sort of stupendous breakthrough to boost HDD capacity, and you're likely to come up fairly empty. Nevertheless, TDK is hopping on the ever-growing bandwagon, as it has reportedly "developed the technology to more than double the data storage capacity of hard-disk drives compared with the most advanced products now available by modifying the design of magnetic heads and disks." Notably, we've heard of similar processes before, but TDK is suggesting that its method can offer up the capability to "read and write 602-gigabits of data per square inch" while producing drives up to 3TB in size. Best of all, this all seems to be a bit beyond the drawing board, as the outfit hopes to mass produce the heads sometime in 2010. [Warning: read link requires subscription]
IBM's next gen flash storage to feature spinning electrons
You don't usually think of IBM in the context of flash memory innovation, but all those processors Big Blue cranks out require some kind of cache , and the company's new joint venture with TDK is designed to create the next-gen of flash, using a technology called "spin torque transfer" that will allow scaling beyond 65nm. STT-RAM, as it's called, uses a current to "spin-polarize" electrons and align their magnetic fields to represent 1s and 0s. Intel and others have invested heavily in a rival next-gen tech called phase change, but IBM says STT is faster and may last longer. Obscure system-on-a-chip next-gen flash memory format war, here we come!
Origami on your DS
TDK is tossing their entry into the tsunami of training games for the Nintendo DS. DS Origami sits comfortably alongside other non-games that teach gardening, skin care, yoga, and language skills. The top screen shows users where to make folds while a controllable video plays on the bottom screen. Over 100 different origami projects are included from hamsters to wedding dresses to the famous crane. This begs the question: do we need a game that teaches origami, or would a book or website suffice?[Via Siliconera]
Sony, others named in video tape price-fixing scheme
Seems we can't have a month go by without another industry-wide price fixing scandal. Today's cartel was bent on fixing the prices of professional-grade video tapes used in television. An infamous list of swindles which includes DRAM, LCDs, and online-music just to name a few. While the EU regulators citied "several companies," only Sony would confirm that they were charged with the crime. Fingers are also wagging in the direction of Panasonic, Fujifilm, Hitachi Maxell and TDK but all declined to comment on the matter. So innocent until proven guilty, mkay. The EU's charges are based on raids it made in 2002 as well as information received since, under a leniency program. Companies now have two months to respond. If guilty, companies could be fined as much as 10% of their annual global sales. Oh my.
TDK's Xa-10 mini flat panel speakers
TDK just slipped NXT's crazy-thin SoundVu technology into your pocket. That's right, the 80 × 117 x 16-mm (3.15 x 4.6 x 0.63-inch) Xa-10 flat panel speaker brings a 1.2W x 2ch waft of breathy bass you might otherwise choose not to float from your trou. The speakers will accept USB power (or batteries) and a mini-stereo input when they hit Japan in March for just ¥2,980 or about $25. [Via Impress]
TDK's Durabis 2 coating protects 200GB Blu-ray discs
One of the consumer worries of Blu-ray Disc vs. HD DVD is the durability of that ultra-thin, 0.1-mm layer protecting your BD-stored data. HD DVDs on the other hand, use a comparatively thick 0.6-mm surface layer just like standard DVDs making them appear -- on paper anyway -- more rugged over the stretch, right? Not necessarily so. At least not when TDK or others apply protective coatings to their optical media. The 6-layer, single-sided 200GB BD disc on the right in the image above is coated with TDK's "Durabis 2" hard-coating technology -- the disk on the left is a standard DVD; both were subjected to equal treatment by the steel-wool and a Sharpie. Any questions? [Thanks, Dave]
THQ sees future in UFC license
THQ has reached a deal with Ultimate Fighting Championship to secure the video game rights to the mixed martial arts brand through 2011. Both Crave Entertainment and TDK Mediactive have published UFC titles in the past (all of those games received mixed to poor reviews).The agreement will span all console and portable systems, in addition to the PC platform and certain mobile content. The UFC partnership comes amidst a deteriorating relationship with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), which sued THQ back in October 2004, alleging bribes were used to obtain the wrastlin' organization's license, and then sued the publisher again this past October, accusing THQ of improper sales in Asia.
TDK unveils 16.5GB mini Blu-ray discs at CEATEC
If you think those 50GB Blu-ray blanks are asking a bit much from the ole wallet, and haven't found a Blu-ray burner without all sorts of issues to begin with, TDK is moving forward anyway with its latest twist on Blu-ray technology. It's only fitting that the same folks bringing us the 200GB variety have announced their plans to drop a smaller, more compact version, and that's precisely what happened at today's CEATEC festivities. The 8-centimeter recordable disc handles 16.5GB on a single layer, and is being designed for next generation camcorders, such as the ones Hitachi's been showing off at the same show. Although nothing definitive has been said, the groundwork has apparently been laid for a dual-layer variety (that's 33GB for those still counting) to hit shelves in the even-more-distant future.[Via Ubergizmo]
TDK's 32GB Solid State Disk joins the party
Samsung's been hogging the Solid State Disk limelight for months with their 32GB SSD first peeped at CeBIT. So it does our invisible hand some good to hear TDK launch their version of the 32GB SSD, albeit in sample quantities only for the time being. TDK's unit connects to a standard IDE connector yet measures in at 80 percent the size of standard 2.5-inch laptop drive. And like the Sammy SSD, we expect to see some blazin' reads and writes with better protection against shock, faster OS boots and sleep recovery times, longer battery life and reduced weight when TDK gets around to mass production. So for now, all we really want to say is welcome to the party TDK. Now how 'bout driving down that premium pricing, mkay?
Goodness! A Blu-ray disc with 200GB!
TDK promised a while back they were going to create a 200GB Blu-ray disc. So did they? Why, yes. Yes, they did. A single disc that's about 6.5 times the space on this particular laptop is in existence. It's amazing, it's wonderful, it's a large step forward, it's... completely worthless. Why? There's no drive or player that can read a 200GB disc. Oops. The disc itself is single-sided, but has six layers with 33.33 repeating GB's/layer.Is this too much, too fast? A few years ago we were pretty amazed with 8GB discs, let alone terabyte PC's. While having a disc with so much memory can have its advantages, you can't ignore the fact there's no way for it to be used until the hardware side of the deal takes form. Is hardware moving too slow, then? Either way, a few years from now, get ready to back up your entire life on a single disc. With holograms and stuff, too.
