Now that you've had a little over a month to cram down popcorn while enjoying your shiny matte new Roku Netflix Player, we're interested to find just how pleased (or displeased) you are with the $99 purchase. Has it lived up to your expectations? Is the quality sufficient for you? How does it look on your HDTV? Is wireless performance up to par, or were you practically forced to run an Ethernet cable all the way downstairs? We already know what the paid professionals said -- we want the cold, hard facts straight from the users themselves. Let us have it comments below.

Well, would you look at that? After a mildly uncomfortable wait, the very first Netflix set-top-box has landed (the Xbox 360 with plug-ins notwithstanding). Thanks to Roku, users can finally tap into (a portion of) the Netflix library without having to wait for physical discs to arrive -- and for just $99.99, no less (though unlimited access to online films still requires an $8.95 or higher monthly fee for the traditional service). Better still, the HDD-less Netflix Player can even utilize a wireless signal to pull in streams, though your miles may vary on actual performance. As for ports, you'll find HDMI, component, composite, Ethernet, S-Video and a Toslink optical audio jack. Initial reports are looking pretty positive from here (save for the glaring lack of HD support), but feel free to dig into the reviews below to get a better feel of what this box really has to offer.

Read - Roku Netflix Player officially introduced
Read - PCMag review (4 out of 5)
Read - CNET review (7.7 out of 10)
Read - Wired review ("...just shy of totally amazing.")

Just weeks after the rental giant announced an expanded dedication for Blu-ray and even tried selling HDTVs in a test location in Dallas, now the firm is attempting to boost profits by digging into the surging video game market. Presumably in hopes that rental junkies and casual gaming fans alike will actually venture into Blockbuster in order to buy their next Wii, DS, Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, the outfit has announced a new focus that will push the retail video game / game hardware aspect in all of its US-based corporate-owned stores. This includes consoles, a more fleshed out array of games and all the accessories your wallet can handle. Heck, it's even offering up an exclusive 40GB PS3 bundle ($499.99) with the Spider-Man 3 Blu-ray Disc, a PS3 remote, Transformers (the game) and a rental card giving purchasers a free PS3 game / BD rental per week for 12 weeks. Color us completely enthralled.

[Via Joystiq, image courtesy of Portfolio]

Earlier this year, we got word that Toyota was likely to test the waters with a plug-in version of its oh-so-trendy Prius, and now the auto maker has stepped forward and doled out a laundry list of details about the plan. Reportedly, the outfit will be delivering a single "modified Prius" to the University of California, Berkeley and University of California, Irvine for a three-year study designed to "speed up development of plug-in versions of the hybrid." The Golden Bears will be focusing on consumer behavior / lifestyles, while the Anteaters will research technical issues, such as how much juice will be sucked from the power grid when thousands of drivers plug-in their rides for the evening. On another interesting note, Toyota also mentioned that it had "no intention of leasing more expensive batteries for next-generation hybrids separate from the vehicle," which contrasts the view of several competitors (like GM) who are least mulling the idea. Unfortunately, we've no idea if the still-elusive plug-in Prius will land before / after the Volt, but we're sure folks at Toyota won't sit idly while Chevy cashes in for too long.