Here it is copyright bandits, the single biggest reason (besides silicone) to make a Hollywood studio notice you: the MZK-NAS02SG1T network attached storage device from Planex. The main selling point behind the ¥54,799 (about $524) 1TB Gigabit Ethernet block is the claim to "universal access" for all your devices. That little trick comes courtesy of its DigiJuke browser for searching and tagging the BitTorrent and YouTube content you want downloaded in the appropriate PSP and iPod (MPEG-4), Wii (FLV), or TV (MPEG-2) format for in-home or on-the-go viewing. The NAS also streams audio and video to your iTunes laptops or desktops, DLNA TV, Xbox 360, or other compliant device in the home. A front-facing USB 2.0 jack offers one-touch dubbing of USB sticks while a second around back offers ready storage expansion. It ships with a pair of 3.5-inch 500GB drive which you can swap out for higher capacity spinners at a later date. That is if the studios don't shut you down first.

[Via Impress]

While many thrill rides we yearn to strap ourselves into aren't even in the US, a new ride headed to Universal Studios Orlando is apt to thrill the YouTube generation -- on purpose. Reportedly, designers are crafting the so-called Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit to cater to those obsessed with technology (that's us) by enabling patrons to personalize their ride by choosing their own tunes and creating a music video that can be uploaded for all your envious friends to see as soon as you can whip out that 3G card and mash "upload." 'Course, there's a few loops, drops and a 167-foot-tall peak, but it's the "digital audio and video effects" during the ride that you're really anxious to experience, yeah? Clear the calendar now -- this one is set to open next Spring.

[Thanks, Jonathan]

We're not sure how the AirLive AirMedia 3000 "wireless multimedia server" accesses YouTube content without a browser -- unlike devices like the Apple TV and iPhone, it apparently plays the straight .flv files, which only show up on the website, we believe -- but if it does, chalk it up as one of the easier ways to watch dogs ride skateboards on your TV. Not much else in the way of details, but if this thing really is rocking Flash video support, we can see it carving out a solid little niche for itself.

Oh goodie. Sometime "later this year," Tivo owners will be able to login to their YouTube accounts directly from their Series3 and TiVo HD devices. Using their fat, deceitful, meat sticks on the TiVo remote salvaged from the matrimonial wreckage, subscribers can search, browse, and watch enough content to realize just how badly they suck at Photoshop. Press release available after the break.

There's certainly no shortage of ways to get your YouTube fix on the go, but it looks like those options just got a whole lot bigger, as the company today launched a newly expanded mobile website that provides access to "most" of YouTube's catalog on any capable mobile device. That's quite the improvement over the version of the site that launched last year, which was also open to any device but only provided a select few hand-picked videos. What's more, the new site will also let users log into the site and personalize things a bit and, just as importantly, users will also now be able to upload videos straight to the site from their mobile device of choice. Of course, while the service itself may be free (and even without ads, for now), all that data floating about most definitely is not, and YouTube kindly provides a hard-to-miss warning about that before you're even allowed to enter the site. If that doesn't deter you, however, you can hit up m.youtube.com and watch your productivity hit the floor.

Helio's warm embrace of YouTube's wide world of entertainment is nothing new, but it's getting a whole heck of a lot warmer today with the release of an all-new YouTube app for the Ocean dual slider. Basically, if you can do it from YouTube's desktop website, you can now do it through the Ocean -- instant uploading, ratings, video replies, it's all here. Check out the full gallery over at Engadget Mobile, or if you're lucky enough to have an Ocean of your very own, go hook your bad self up, why don't you?

Yesterday YouTube unveiled YouTube Video Identification, a system designed to prevent copyrighted videos from making their way onto the site without the consent of the owner. Rather cunningly, YouTube requires that content owners send in a master copy of all their copyrighted content -- y'know, so they can cross reference it against uploads (nothing to do with Google's aim of indexing everything, ever ... no.) Any data that matches the reference data can be deleted automatically, but only if the content owner says so. According to YouTube chief counsel Zahavah Levine, there will be a way for content owners to set it up so YouTube can scan content on other servers -- removing the requirement for a master copy to be uploaded to YouTube -- although Levine said that method "would be more difficult." For who, Google, or the TV and movie studios?

[Thanks, Michelle]

Evidently, loosing the DSM-750 Extender for Windows Media Center just wasn't enough for D-Link, as the firm seemingly felt the need to give loyal (and to-be) owners of the DSM-520 Wireless HD Media Player a nice bonus. Starting today, buyers of the aforementioned digital media adapter will have access to "more than 200 online channels," as the unit can now take advantage of active-TV technology. The service reportedly "allows easy access to internet video and entertainment sites with a remote control," and it also uses a "content aggregator developed by MediaMall Technologies." Some notable channels include Comedy Central, CinemaNow, Google Video, Movielink, ROOtv Music Videos, Akimbo, MTV, Musicmatch, Napster, VH1, ESPN and FOX Sports, and there's also international content out there for those willing to branch out. The expanded DSM-520 should be shipping momentarily for $249.99, and existing owners can snag the update gratis on October 4th.

Merely months after launching the Flip Video, Pure Digital is hitting back with the sleeker, sexier Flip Video Ultra. The ultra-compact camcorder touts "on-board software to enable editing, organizing, and seamless video uploading to AOL, YouTube and other video sharing sites," and even includes a video output for watching captures on TV. The device includes a flip-out USB port for connecting to your PC, is already available in white, pink, black and orange motifs for $149.99 (1GB) or $179.99 (2GB), and reportedly holds "60 minutes of full VGA-quality video" on the latter.

YouTube auteurs aren't exactly short on options for capturing those sub-10 minute masterpieces, but the b2 folks that brought us the miJam have decided to give this crowded market a shot with the new mi VDO FX DV Cam. The shooter sports a 1.5-inch screen, 4x digital zoom (that must look real pretty with this kind of resolution to work with), 18 built-in in-camera special effects, on-the-go editing, SD card slot and USB / AV ports. There's also apparently a mini-jack input for recording music from your MP3 player while you're shooting video. No word on price or availability.

[Via Chip Chick]

Casio just hit us with pair of new face detecting, YouTube-ready Exilim cameras. The EX-Z1080 is little more than their 10 megapixel EX-Z1050 with a bit of their new H.264, YouTube Capture Mode sprinkled in. The EX-V8 then, bumps the ho humly reviewed EX-V7 into 8.1 megapixel territory while maintaining the 7x zoom and CCD-shift image stabilization while slapping some YouTube branding and trickery atop its existing H.264 video capabilities. Both cams will pop in September with the V8 hitting for $330 and the Z1080 demanding a cool $280. Click on through for a picture of the Z1080 in a lovely shade of purple-nurple.

Read -- EX-V8
Read -- EX-Z1080

A couple of lines in a settings file does not a partnership make, but some enterprising hackers at the Archos Community Forums have discovered evidence that Archos is planning at least one large-scale content deal when the super-hot 605 launches in the US. Poking around in the unit's provider.xml file inside the system folder, user Plissken007 discovered pointers to not one, but eight major content partners for wireless media distribution, including some with live holder pages on the Archos website. Notables include Best Buy, Cicuit City, Amazon (for Unbox, probably), MovieLink, Vongo, AOL, and, of course, YouTube. Now, we can't see Best Buy and Circuit City sharing space like this, so Archos is probably hedging their bets a little, but if it's true, it looks like there's finally going to be a major competitor to Apple's iPod / iTunes ecosystem out there, eh?

[Disclosure: AOL owns Engadget's parent company.]

[Via Archos Fans]

Jeremy Toeman contributes Ins and Outs, an opinion column on entertainment technology:

With an estimated 100 million YouTube videos watched per day (not to mention the dozens of other similar sites like Revver, Brightcove, Blip.tv, etc.), the debate about internet video as a viable means of delivering content is effectively over. In fact, even as YouTube was still in a major growth phase, companies like Verizon were quickly forming deals to get the content onto mobile phones, while software companies like Orb and TVersity created means for bringing it to the TV set (via an Xbox or other intermediaries). While there is an ever-increasing list of methods to get YouTube off of, well, YouTube, one thing that more companies and consumers are beginning to ask is how YouTube content can be delivered to these other new platforms.

Back in the late 1990s, there was a common understanding of the concept of "lean-forward" and "lean-back" activities. At the desk / PC, one leans forward, uses the mouse and keyboard, and has a very interactive session. Whereas at the TV, one leans back (presumably on one's couch), uses their remote control, and has an extremely passive experience. You may also have heard the terms "2-foot" and "10-foot" user experiences, also reflecting the at-PC versus at-TV interaction models. For years I've been preaching the virtues of lean-forward / lean-backward product design theory to consumer electronics and gadget-makers. Guess what? It looks like the theory's a little flawed.

It's with mixed emotions that we announce the latest Sony camcorder, as even it has shamelessly hopped on the YouTube bandwagon and catered a product specifically to those looking to snag their own 15 minutes seconds of fame. 'Course, we can't help but love the five-megapixel sensor crammed into the five-ounce device -- which enables it to capture video in MPEG-4 at 15fps QVGA or 30fps VGA resolutions -- but Sony makes no secret that the standout feature on the Net-sharing CAM is its ability to pre-format footage and easily publish content to sites such as YouTube and Crackle. Additionally, the device sports a built-in flash, 4x digital zoom, a 2.4-inch color LCD, and a rechargeable Li-ion that only lasts about 90 minutes per charge. Thankfully, Sony doesn't plan on charging an awful lot for this shooter either, as interested buyers can snatch one up for just $200 this September.

[Via CNET]