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Korean protester spreads democracy's message by balloon and flashdrive
As funny as the idea of a video game starring Kim Jong Un might be, how North Korea treats its people isn't exactly a laughing matter. As a child of officials who were part of the North Korea's Workers Party, Park Sang Hak didn't have much to worry about. His family was part of the country's elite and wondering where their next meal would come from wasn't part of daily routine. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, however, when Hak saw the government starving its people he was overcome with guilt, and he defected to South Korea. As a direct result, two of Hak's uncles were arrested as political criminals by North Korea's State Security Department and executed as political enemies. He responded by putting a technological spin on South's previous form of protest: sending propaganda pamphlets north by balloon. His version entailed floating DVDs and USB flash drives containing, among other things, videos about Samsung and Hyundai -- evidence of the south's economic prosperity under democracy.
Cuba's first independent digital news will be sent via cellphones and flash drives
Cubans haven't had an above-ground, independent digital news outlet in their country so far -- not surprising when their government only allowed personal cellphone and computer sales six years ago. However, all that's set to change when blogger Yoani Sanchez launches her digital newspaper 14ymedio on May 21st. Rather than simply publish news on the web, the team will get the word out through whatever technology Cubans can use: cellphones, email, CDs and even USB flash drives are fair game.
'Cosmos' brings Neil deGrasse Tyson's moustache to Blu-ray and DVD in June
If you've missed a few episodes of the Cosmos revival or maybe just want to fill the universe-sized hole in your media rack, the series hits Blu-ray and DVD this summer. Come June 10th (two days after the final episode airs), you'll be able to watch the doc's 13 installments plus a smattering of bonus features whenever you want. And speaking of supplements, the release will sport a five-part documentary chronicling the... documentary's making, with the Blu-ray getting an interactive history of the universe dubbed "The Cosmic Calendar." The price-tag on that 662-minute space-time odyssey? Sixty bucks for the Blu-ray and $50 for the DVD, but Amazon has each listed for a few ducats less. [Image credit: Associated Press]
Sky launches its movie download store that also pops a DVD in the post
Sky's explored almost every way of serving up TV and film possible, but today it becomes a true movie retailer for the first time. The new "Buy & Keep" store Sky announced at the beginning of the month is now live, so anyone with a Sky+HD box can buy and download movies to own forever. They won't just sit on your set-top box's HDD though, as within a working week, you'll also receive a physical DVD copy through the post. Slightly unorthodox, yes, but it's likely why Sky can offer digital copies of films on the same day as the DVD release. Titles range from £8 to £14, with a couple of hundred from studios 20th Century Fox and NBCUniversal populating the store today. New movies will be added each week and TV box sets, too, albeit later. The next step for Sky is to liberate the films from your living room by adding support for tablets and mobiles, as well as adding other way to access Buy & Keep through Rokus, YouView boxes and its own Now TV puck.
Gamefly tries adding movie rentals to its disc-by-mail service
Netflix may have flinched at the prospect of maintaining its disc-by-mail service, but GameFly seems to be embracing it. On April 4th, the company will begin shipping DVD and Blu-ray discs to customers with a 2-game (or higher) GameFly subscription. The program is a test, Gamefly CEO Dave Hodess told VentureBeat, launched in the wake of subscriber pleas for film rentals. It's free for now -- piggybacking on the company's existing game distribution network -- but Hodess says that Gamefly will monitor the test and tweak the program as needed. While we don't know how large the company's film library is just yet, the beta presents an interesting alternative for folks who miss the duality of Blockbuster's defunct disc service.
Netflix mocks Amazon Prime Air with hilarious 'Drone 2 Home' video
Netflix's not-Qwikster DVD-by-mail business doesn't get the same amount of attention as the company's streaming arm, but as this video (embedded after the break) shows, it still has some imagination. Dug up by Hacking Netflix, the Drone 2 Home demo video imagines Netflix's famous red envelopes being delivered by quadcopter -- wherever you may be (camping, in the office, in the bathroom -- wherever). Posted by a couple of employees, it was apparently produced for the DVD division's annual meeting. We're still not sure if Jeff Bezos' holiday-timed Amazon Prime Air drone-delivery reveal was anything more than a publicity stunt, but GM Hank Breeggemann's tongue is firmly in cheek as he announces Netflix's "return to our creative roots." Of course, there are some drawbacks to spending "literally days" working out the bugs -- but you'll have to watch to find out.
Friday Favorite: Handbrake bridges the gap between DVDs and my iPad
Fact: It is often ridiculously cheaper to buy physical DVDs off Amazon than to purchase the same material in an existing digital format from your vendor of choice, like iTunes. Case in point, a friend of mine and I recently started watching Conviction, a one-season series that broadcast a few years ago. Shipped via Amazon Prime (unfortunately not Amazon Prime Air), the three-disc set cost all of US$3-7 depending on which day you shopped for it. Amazon prices jump around a lot day by day. The same series would have cost $20 at iTunes. Ripping DVDs does take extra time -- both for shipping the product as well as performing the rips, but the results are satisfying. One of our TUAW staffers adds, "I always get a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. I rip the DVD and keep the Blu-ray for when I care about the quality of picture." Enter Handbrake, our Friday Favorite of the week. From disc, it takes just a few steps in Handbrake (donationware see this, thanks evcjackson) to transform episodes to iPad-ready formats. You start by scanning the contents of a DVD, a process which takes a few minutes, and can sometimes be the most frustrating part of the sequence. Once scanned, you select which episodes you wish to rip (typically the items that are 40-odd minutes long), and add them to a processing queue. Click Start and let Handbrake do its work. Handbrake's presets simplify the process of converting files, ensuring that the ripped files are perfect for iPad viewing, as an example. Built-in presets also include iPhone and Apple TV. Handbrake will never win awards for interface beauty or simple GUIs. If you're willing to work with the presets on offer, however, and have the patience to Google up some basic how-to instructions, Handbrake provides a terrific solution for quick, easy, effective DVD rips. It's a reliable, time-proved tool with great utility, which is why we made it today's Friday Favorite. Got a favorite app of your own? Suggest it in the comments. Maybe we'll cover it in an upcoming Friday Favorite column.
PlayStation 4 day-one features outlined, internet required for first Blu-ray/DVD playback
When the PlayStation 4 launches in North America on November 15, some (but not all!) of its swanky new features will be available for use by the disheveled, exhausted consumers that spent all night waiting for their new console in a tent outside of Best Buy or wherever. This news comes from the announcement of a day-one patch for the PlayStation 4, though it is unclear whether the patch is explicitly required to enable the features listed below. We do know, however, that "at first time use, users must connect to the internet" before Blu-ray and DVD playback will function, according to the press release. Regardless, a launch-day PS4 will be capable of Remote Play through the PlayStation Vita, second screen experiences through PS Link and the PlayStation App on mobile, Twitch/Ustream streaming functionality and game DVR capabilities will all be available day-one. Users will also start out with the ability to play games as they download, use party chat, log-in using facial recognition via PlayStation Camera, navigate the home screen with voice commands, play games online and watch Blu-ray/DVD discs. Other features, such as the PlayStation 4's low-power suspend/resume capabilities, will not be enabled on day one and will be added at a later date. Further information about which system functionalities will and won't be ready by launch day is coming "in the near future."
Windows 8.1 is available to pre-order, not that you'll get any discount
If you've been actively waiting to pre-order a brand new operating system on DVD, then a) We're glad this article found you, and b) You might be gratified to hear that boxed copies of Windows 8.1 are currently available to purchase at the source link, for delivery on October 17th. Unlike Windows 8.0, which came with all manner of introductory deals and discounts, pre-ordering 8.1 on DVD will set you back the regular, final price of $119. Of course, if you're already running Windows 8, your resurrected Start button will be offered as a free-of-charge download on the same day as everyone else.
gdgt's best deals for July 8: Brother InkJet all-in-one, Target iPad gift card offer
Ready to save some cash on your tech buys? Then you've come to the right place. Our sister site gdgt tracks price drops on thousands of products every day, and twice a week they feature some of the best deals they've found right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won't last long. Today's hottest deals include an unbelievably low price on a Brother InkJet all-in-one, as well as Target's spot-on gift card offer for iPad purchases. Want the latest deals delivered to your inbox? Join gdgt and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your "Want" list. Every time there's a price cut, you'll get an email alert!
LightScribe software for optical disc labels finally updated
Optical discs... Apple hates them, but lots of people still use them. Blu-ray has been a relatively slow starter in the computer world and we will never see that technology in an Apple product. LightScribe software has been around since 2004 when HP brought it to market. If you had a LightScribe-compatible disc burner, you could use a LightScribe-branded CD or DVD and create a label using the laser in the CD burner. It could be plain text, or even etched photographs on the label. It was a great system, but when Apple updated to a new version of Mac OS X the LightScribe software tended to fail, and you were back to using an ink marker or a stick-on label. Finally, the LightScribe system software has a Mountain Lion-friendly update. The LightScribe free applications are running again, and so are some of the third-party apps I've tested. The LightScribe free apps give you pretty basic disc labels, but Roxio Toast and apps like Disc Cover 3 (now on sale for US$14.99 through the Mac app store) can output some very detailed and attractive discs. If you already have a LightScribe-enabled disc burner, rejoice. If you don't have one, it's dead easy to burn permanent labels on your optical discs. LightScribe-enabled DVD burners are available from Samsung, LG, LaCie and others. Other World Computing keeps a good stock of LightScribe hardware and blank discs. Hopefully, HP will do a better job of keeping its software up to date, because optical discs are not dead, and Apple's OS X Mavericks is just around the corner. We can't be sure HP will stay committed to LightScribe forever. Updates may remain spotty on both the Mac and Windows side, but the LightScribe software is working now, so grab it if you like LightScribe and its easy labeling features.
AVP Evolution hosting a contest to put fan art in the game
Fox recently released an official Aliens vs. Predator action game on the App Store called AVP Evolution, which you can pick up if interested right now for US$4.99. Unfortunately, we weren't that impressed with the game here at TUAW -- it's a pretty boring action game with some solid graphics (and a good representation of the two sci-fi licenses), but some less-than-stellar gameplay. But AVP fans might get a kick out of it, as there are plenty of Super Predators and Alien queens involved. Plus, Fox is now hosting a big art contest for the game on their Facebook page. To enter, you'll need to go over to the Facebook page, Like it, and then submit your art there. Works can't be any bigger than 3 MB, and Fox asks that they're at least 300 dpi (presumably so they'll work when included in the app). Entries will be chosen based on originality, quality, a fit with the AVP storyline and a popular vote, and one winner will see his or her art included in the app itself. Four other runner-ups will also get an AVP DVD collection for their trouble, and of course the rest of us get to see some sweet AVP art.
Play .dvdmedia files with VLC
Update 2013-04-11: Thanks to Felix Paul Kühne, lead developer of VLC for Mac, this feature has been added to VLC 2.0.6 without the need for the user to make any changes to the app. If you use that version, or later, you do not need to take the steps below. The article below remains only for reference. -- TjL Lately I have been ripping a bunch of DVDs using RipIt which has an option to save the rips as ".dvdmedia" files. For those who aren't familiar with ".dvdmedia" files, they are a special kind of folder, similar to ".app" or some ".pkg" files which aren't "files" but look and act like them. Inside of a .dvdmedia file is a VIDEO_TS folder as you'd expect from a DVD rip. The good thing about .dvdmedia files is that you can double-click on them and have them open. The bad thing about them is that the only app that I had which recognized the .dvdmedia file extension was Apple's DVD Player.app. In particular, VLC does not recognize it as a valid format. If you are a Mac "power user" you might think, "No problem, I'll just use the 'Open With...' menu and tell Finder to open .dvdmedia files with VLC. That will work." However, if you choose "Change All" to set all .dvdmedia files to open with VLC, not only will it not work, but it will make it so that .dvdmedia files are no longer shown as files at all! (If that happened to you, Tantek Çelik has the solution: use SetFile -a B /path/to/file.dvdmedia and it will undo the change.) The good news is that you can very easily add .dvdmedia as a recognized extension to VLC. You just have to add the appropriate information to the file VLC.app/Contents/Info.plist. Specifically, you have to add this: after the CFBundleDocumentTypes section. (Note: I found that via the VLC forums and tested that it worked for me in VLC version 2.0.5.) If you'd rather not try to edit the file yourself, you can download my Info.plist file and replace the existing file in the app. To do so, download the file to your Desktop (or wherever you will easily be able to find it) and then locate the VLC.app. Make sure the app is not running, and then Control-Click on the app and choose "Show Package Contents" from the context menu. Inside you will find a "Contents" folder. Open it and you will see a file named "Info.plist" which you can delete (rename to something like "Info.plist.original") and then drag the Info.plist file which you downloaded into the "Contents" folder. After that you will need to log out and then log back in to see VLC offered as an option to open .dvdmedia files. Once it is set as a recognized app for .dvdmedia you can set it to "Change All" so that other .dvdmedia files you have or create in the future will also open with VLC. If you ever decide you don't want to use .dvdmedia anymore, simply rename the files and remove the extension, and it will immediately appear as a folder once again. Caveat: Because you are replacing an app inside the VLC app wrapper, you may need to fix the Info.plist file again when VLC.app is updated. Hopefully VLC will eventually include this feature by default. Alternative fix via Terminal.app If you are comfortable with the command line, you can do all of the above much more easily. Again, be sure that VLC.app is not running before making this change. (Note: I assume VLC.app is installed in /Applications/. If you have installed it somewhere else, change the "cd" line below.) These four lines will: a) change directory to the correct folder, b) rename the existing "Info.plist" file to "Info.plist.original," c) download the new "Info.plist" file and d) register VLC as an application capable of opening .dvdmedia files: Make sure that last command (which starts with /System/Library/) is all one long line. If you use that command, you don't have to log out and back in to open .dvdmedia files with VLC. (Hat tip to Mac OSX Hints for that one!)
Connect with your 8mm memories using YesVideo's app and a TUAW discount
Nothing says "analog" like a shoebox full of old videotapes, Super 8 movies and slides. Even if you wanted to watch them (or subject friends / kids to them), digging out the old projector or VCR is a dicey proposition. Converting film to video or digital storage is possible to achieve DIY, but can be daunting and/or expensive -- although with an HDSLR, the results can be pretty cool. If you'd rather pay than tinker, there are scores of shops and services, ranging from LargeCos to small local shops, that will happily tackle the task of digitizing your old media. One of the biggest in the space -- more than 10 million home videos made into bits already, $50 million in 2012 retail revenue -- is YesVideo. YesVideo offers convenient drop-off locations at thousands of drugstores, megamarts and shopping clubs, and it provides hosted Web access to your converted movies in addition to the traditional DVD delivery. Submitted movies and other materials are processed domestically in either the eastern (Norcross, GA) or western (Santa Clara, Calif.) YesVideo facility. Although the Web library at YesVideo is HTML5 savvy and works with iOS and Android, the company is taking the next step today and launching an iPhone app. Users can watch all their digitized content in the app, chapter by chapter or a full movie at a time. Clips are shareable over Facebook and via email, and of course the app is AirPlay-friendly for inflicting your memories on a roomful of people at once via your Apple TV. You can also track the progress of an open digitizing order in the app. Do you have one of those aforementioned shoeboxes hanging around? As a special treat for TUAW readers, YesVideo is offering a 30 percent discount on conversion orders until April 1. Prepare your order at direct.yesvideo.com, then enter "TUAW" in the coupon field. You can request an EasyShip Kit from YesVideo, or just ship your movies to the conversion facility in the box you're currently using to hold them (assuming it's not disintegrating from age and neglect).
Company of Heroes movie will arrive on DVD, Blu-ray Feb. 26
THQ may have had its last stand, but the Company of Heroes movie is apparently still a go, as we've gotten word that it's still coming to DVD and Blu-ray on February 26. The full-length film, based on Relic Entertainment's critically acclaimed real-time strategy series (now owned by Sega), stars Tom Sizemore, Vinnie Jones, and Neal McDonough. It follows a band of soldiers trying to stop Nazi Germany from creating an atomic weapon during the Battle of the Bulge.Will it be any good? We don't know yet. But if you want to honor the old THQ brotherhood (and get a nice taste of the setting before Company of Heroes 2 comes out), you can grab a copy of by the end of the month.
Pioneer breaks the road trip monotony with three new in-dash multimedia DVD receivers at CES
While Pioneer may have just announced a bevy of navigation-based goodies, it's also introduced some straight-up in-car entertainment. Three new multimedia and DVD receivers to be precise. The AVH-X6500DVD, AVH-X7500BT and AVH-X8500BHS feature MIXTRAX virtual DJ software, AppRadio mode, USB and smartphone connectivity plus internet radio, high resolution touch screens and Pandora. The AVH-X8500BHS and AVH-X7500BT benefit from "enhanced" iPhone 5 connectivity, and Bluetooth, with the former also having support for SiriusXM and HD Radio. To navigate your way around, all three have motorised 7-inch WVGA displays, along with EQ gesture control and detachable faces. For $450 you can get the AVH-X6500DVD, $500 will snag you the AVH-X7500BT, while you'll need to lay down $650 if you fancy a bit of the AVH-X8500BHS, all of which are available in March. Tune in to the full PR after the break.
ASUS announces VariDrive media dock with DisplayLink SuperSpeed technology, USB 3.0, DVD drive
ASUS has just announced its new VariDrive USB 3.0 media docking device here at CES. Using with DisplayLink's SuperSpeed technology for Ultrabook and netbook expansion, the device also incorporates a DVD combo drive (8X). Port-wise you'll be adding HDMI (and HDMI audio), VGA and Ethernet to whatever you got as standard with the machine you're using it with. The peripheral is available starting this week, but no details on price just yet. Load up the full PR after the break. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Best Buy's CinemaNow opens home disc-to-digital program, makes cloud copies of DVDs for a fee
One interesting development of the UltraViolet program has been Walmart / Vudu's in-store disc-to-digital program, and now Best Buy is apparently ready to offer similar functionality, but within the comfort of one's own home. The Best Buy-owned CinemaNow is flashing a Disc to Digital beta page that offers downloads of a player for Windows or Mac PCs that not only allows access to one's UltraViolet library both online or offline, but also insert any DVD (no word on Blu-ray support yet) and convert it to an SD or HD UltraViolet copy. Forum posters report the pricing is equivalent to Walmart's, although the list of supported titles is not exactly identical. Ultraviolet's morass of logins and passwords hasn't gotten any less complicated for digital copies from different studios yet, but in this case linking your account should be relatively simple. Hit the source links to download the apps and check out a list of movies available for conversion, assuming a cloud HDX copy of 2 Fast 2 Furious for $5 is something you find appealing. [Thanks, @Starkenator]
Warner, Redbox agree to 28 day delay on disc rentals, UltraViolet support for Redbox Instant
Redbox and Warner Bros. were at odds in January when Warner wanted to extend the window before discs hit kiosks to 56 days, but now the two have come to an agreement that keeps it at a 28 day delay. When their previous deal expired Redbox said it would find other ways to obtain discs and offer them day and date to its customers, although actually finding them in kiosks could be tough. The new two-year deal covers movies that debut after January 1st, 2013, and claims to improve economics for both Warner (which has apparently seen fit to eliminate the delay entirely for brick & mortar renters) and Redbox. Additionally, Redbox has joined with the DECE team and will support UltraViolet with its upcoming Redbox Instant service. With the new deal, it can offer UltraViolet digital access to Warner movies, and distribute movies through its subscription service. We'll have to wait for Redbox Instant to launch to know more information about that, for now check out the details in the press release after the break.
Warner Bros. to ditch 28-day release delay for rental stores?
Warner Bros. may have doubled its 28-day embargo on new releases for kiosk operators (even if they side-step it), but endangered bricks-and-mortar rental stores could be treated to the exact opposite. A rumor coming from Home Media Magazine's unnamed sources suggests the WB is going to ditch the embargo for these locations altogether, starting on October 30th. We have no idea why this break would be offered to the relic stores, although we doubt they care if it gets a few more bodies through the door. Warner Bros. has a recent habit of quiet implementation, but just to be sure, we've reached out for confirmation and will update you if-and-when we hear more.
