If you're itching for a new DVR, and wouldn't mind losing your current DVD player and media streamer in the process, Beyonwiz's DP-S1 should be just the thing for you -- if you reside Down Under, that is. Aimed squarely at the Australian market, this dual-tuner HD DVR packs a sleek, black and silver chassis, 200GB hard drive, an integrated DVD player that purportedly upconverts, and a built-in media center that "streams video, music, and photos over Ethernet or WiFi from your home computer network, external HDDs, or the internet." Marketed as an end-all home entertainment solution, this conglomerate even boasts a well featured front panel with USB 2.0 connectors and a three-in-one flash card reader that plays nice with SD, MMC, and CF. Best of all, this multi-faceted device is available right now in the land of Oz, but it will run you a stiff A$1,599 ($1,318).

If you weren't already aware, there actually is a bright side to Sony jacking up the price of its PlayStation 3 for European gamers, and while folks were still forced to camp out to snag a (somewhat) coveted unit, things went over drastically better during London's launch compared to similar ones here in the US. While we knew the Brits and Aussies were fully prepared to blow a good chunk of savings on the pricey machine, Americans should seriously scrutinize just how easily these other nations pulled off the high-profile launch, reportedly happening sans any reckless drive-bys or random acts of violence. More interesting, however, is the tidbit where "everyone who purchased a PS3 at the London launch event received a free 46-inch HD television and a taxi home." You read right -- over £250,000 ($490,450) worth of HDTVs were handed carted out to over 100 presumably elated gamers, and London officials made sure that cabs were readily available to rush buyers home after completing their transactions. Notably, a 17-year old fan snagged the pole position in line after waiting just 36 paltry hours, which still suggests that we Americans are more devoted (or delusional, depending on perspective) when it comes to camping out, but we don't even want to imagine the mayhem that would've ensued here if the first hundred buyers were eligible for a free display. Good show, England, good show.

[Thanks, Karim M.]

It's not exactly unheard of for DVR, PC, and PPC-6700 owners to have legitimate complaints about "freezing" issues with their gizmos, but we can't say the average television was on our list of devices we look forward to "rebooting" every day hour or so. Apparently, a horde of Aussies are facing such a quandary, as the digital TV tuner in a myriad of LG LCD HDTVs and plasmas (hit the read link for the full list) is going on the fritz whilst tuned in to broadcasts on the Nine Network. Currently, the only answers irate owners are getting revolve around "reception issues with digital transmissions in Sydney and Melbourne," but LG has also stated that it expects to rollout a "way forward" for customers quite soon. Currently, the only way to solve the seizures is to unplug the set from the wall, give it "two to three minutes to reboot," and flip the power back on, which can quickly erode any meaning found in your average half-hour drama. Regardless of how irritating we're sure this is, at least a (promised) fix is supposedly on the way, and trust us, things could be much, much worse.

Update: Oh man, what a disaster this is turning out to be. LG has now admitted that the problem affects 17 different models sold nationwide and stems from certain "digital TV processors and decoders had difficulty dealing with the way that the data signal is packaged." Even worse, the company is going to have to deploy hundreds of technicians to make tens of thousands of house calls, as an in-home repair is the only way to upgrade the components. Sorry, Aussies, until you can make an appointment, it seems like you're gonna be stuck with this annoyance for awhile -- and not only on Nine, as LG claims the bug could affect other OTA channels as well.


[Via Core77]

Facial recognition software has been used in a smorgasbord of positive applications, aiding our soldiers in detecting baddies, keeping weirdos out of clubs, barring maniacs from entering football arenas, and even helping parents know when their infant is truly in a bad way, but the latest usage of the technology could indeed hurt the feelings of the less-than-attractive. A pair of controversy-lovin' Australian scientists have devised a software program that actually rates one's face "from one to ten" in terms of most ugly to most beautiful, and uses a sophisticated database of facial proportions borrowed from some 200 stunning women across the globe in order to give you a very honest answer when questioning your attractivity. Of course, we all know that real beauty lies within (right?), and if your idea of sexy doesn't match up with the generally accepted supermodel "look," the results could indeed conflict with your own beliefs. Currently, the program is designed to work solely with women, but adopting a male iteration could definitely be in the cards, and while we doubt this stuff would be particularly beneficial for your image-obsessed teen, it's primarily intended for use in the cosmetic surgery realm to judge just how effective that ridiculously expensive nose job really was.

[Via Digg]

While some US cities like Raleigh are already planning steps to cut back on energy wastes by converting to more efficient lighting systems, it looks like the entire continent of Australia could be following suit. Claiming to be the "world's first" national government to phase out incandescent light bulbs in favor of the more "fuel-efficient, compact fluorescent bulb," environment minister Malcolm Turnbull is hoping to "cut Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by four million metric tonnes a year by 2015." Citing the "climate changes" the world is facing as a "global challenge," Turnbell also urged other nations to follow suit in making a difference, but didn't exactly open up his personal wallet to stock our households with those uber-pricey bulbs. Interestingly, some environmentalists feel that the bulk of greenhouse gas emissions come from government and business-related activities, which should presumably take priority over swapping out a country's light bulbs. Still, we've got no complaints with hooking homes up with LED / fluorescent options to help Mother Earth, but shouldn't Australia (and America, too) ink its name on the Kyoto Protocol before getting all high and mighty about saving the planet?

If you were forced to be photographed by airplanes soaring over your homeland in a jovial time of celebration, would you rather Gates & Co. have the negatives, or the future dominator of planet Earth? Aussies will have the option to make their choice on January 26th, as both Microsoft and Google have separately announced flyovers to occur on Australia Day in which high-resolution photographs will be snapped. Microsoft's motive is one with cultural and artsy underpinnings, as the company hopes to arrange individuals in order to form objects, scenes, and colored patterns from above, while Google seeks to cover more of the country for use in Google Maps and is encouraging individuals to distinguish themselves to get a free ride right into its mapping software. So if you're a Down Under native, or you just so happen to be hanging out in Centennial or Moore Park on Friday morning, toss up an Engadget poster, will ya?

Although we Americans tend to scoff at anything labeled 3D, stereoscopic, or wearable display, apparently the Aussies (or somebody) think these things are pretty inspiring. Expanding its (astoundingly) growing list of head mounted displays, 22Moo is offering two more (likely rebadged) units to literally gander at, and is going all out with its marketing ploys to connect these gaudy headpieces to some of the trendiest products out. The lightweight i-Vision 230 comes in white (surprised?), red, and silver color schemes, features a "virtual display" of 35-inches from 2-meters away, rocks a 320 x 240 resolution LCD, and plays nice with your "video iPod, Zune, Wii, and Xbox 360" (not to mention basically any other vanilla video source). The beefed-up Argo+PC adds "PlayStation 3 and set-top box" compatibility, features twin 640 x 480 resolution LCDs, a detachable light shield, stereo headphones, and generates a virtual image of 43-inches. Additionally, this set can reproduce "3D stereoscopic images" if used with a "compatible video card." Both eyewear devices are currently available for those interested, and while the i-Vision 230 will run you $250, the presumably Star Trek-approved Argo+PC (pictured after the break) will demand $350.

The same folks who brought us fire-proof plastic, air guitar clothing, and wireless air hockey apparently delivered a lot more of the WiFi technology we all utilize daily than was previously recognized. Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization has won a landmark case against Buffalo Technology, "under which it could receive royalties from every producer of WLAN products worldwide." US patent 5487069 -- which "encompasses elements of the 802.11a/g wireless technology that is now an industry standard" -- was granted to the body back in 1996, and has subsequently been utilized in seemingly every piece of wireless kit ever since. Considering their recent victory, CSIRO's pending cases against Intel, Dell, Microsoft, HP, and Netgear definitely have roots now, and if judges continue to rule in the Aussies' favor, the big boys could be shelling out "hundreds of millions of dollars" in back pay to cover their wrongs. Ruh roh.

[Thanks, Phil]