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Fox, MGM strike back -- proudly unveil slew of upcoming Blu-ray films
Call us crazy, but the response time between camps seems to be growing increasingly shorter with each and every blow. Merely hours after Paramount and Dreamworks chose HD DVD (or were they "persuaded?") as their one true love, Fox and MGM (Blu-ray backers from the start, mind you) have struck back with a few fightin' words of their own. Most notably, Mike Dunn, President Worldwide, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, proclaimed: "Given that Blu-ray has consistently outsold HD DVD all year, we believe that the time is right for us to accelerate our activities and help convert the nearly 60 million high-definition households worldwide into Blu-ray households." In order to do so, the release also lays out details for a whopping 29 titles that are slated to hit BD in the not-too-distant future. Of course, the timing here is especially noteworthy considering Fox's unexplained absence of late, and the two made quite clear that BD-J / BD-Live components won't be skimped on in the upcoming releases. Though not confirmed, you can also likely count on facing BD+ when picking up any of these forthcoming discs, but with choices like Ronin, Master & Commander, and A Bridge Too Far, Blu-ray fans should have plenty to keep them occupied in the coming months.Read - Fox, MGM Blu-ray plansRead - Were Paramount / DreamWorks paid to commit?
EchoStar CEO trivializes DirecTV's 100 HD channels
Merely days after DirecTV reassured its customer base that hordes of new HD channels were (still) on the way, EchoStar Communications CEO Charlie Ergen has reportedly downplayed the whole shebang. During a second-quarter conference call, Ergen was quoted as saying that "there's not 100 channels of HD that [he] would watch," and supposedly insinuated that he didn't think having "70 or even 100 HD channels" was all that important. 'Course, he made sure to mention that Dish Network has 50 of its own, and did state that having 100 HD offerings was "a good round number to get people excited." Sure sounds like a case of bitterness to us.
Navy gears up for unmanned combat aircraft
While the idea of an autonomous flying military bot is far from new, the US Navy has taken a first step toward "developing an unmanned combat aircraft that some advocates say could compete with Lockheed Martin's F-35 joint strike fighter." Northrop Grumman was awarded a $636 million contract to design, build, and fly an Unmanned Combat Air System "that would operate from the decks of the Navy's giant nuclear-powered aircraft carriers," and if things goes as planned, we could see the gunners join our forces "within 10 to 15 years." And considering that we're already deploying land-based mechanical soldiers to fire our weapons, we'd say the full-fledged robotic army is certainly closing in.[Image courtesy of DefenseTech, thanks Jason]
Remotely controlled armed robots deployed in Iraq
While the Army is already taking good care of our wounded robots patrolling through Iraq, a recent deployment of three special weapons observation remote reconnaissance direct action systems (SWORDS) has placed rifle-equipped bots in the line of fire. The trio, which all handle M249s, are "are remotely controlled by a soldier through a terminal," and while their exact whereabouts and missions remain classified, the armed machines were reportedly designed to handle "high risk" combat scenarios if necessary. Currently, there's no record of a SWORD actually firing its weapon, but considering that each of these devices can potentially remove a human from harm, don't be surprised to see full blown platoons being unleashed when finances allow. [Via Wired]
LCD sales holding strong, plasma sales sinking lower
Even though Matsushita joined forces with Hitachi to take on the less-than-favorable plasma market, things (still) aren't looking good in terms of sales figures. According to recent reports, PDP makers on the whole "are likely to report weak results, having lost dominance of the market for large TVs to the more popular LCD." Additionally, Samsung already posted a "worse-than-expected quarterly net loss, hurt by tumbling prices of its television screens." On the flip side, LCD producers are more likely to be holding their heads high, as sales of these sets has continued to be strong regardless of how far the prices are falling. If you're scratching your head because you thought that people preferred plasmas over LCDs, we can only assume that regardless of predilection, money talks.
European HD DVD lobbyists claim '74-percent' market share
Nearly 11 months ago to the day, Europe witnessed its very first HD DVD release, and while the battle over format supremacy has been heated and rarely slanted to one corner here in the US, apparently things are vastly different across the pond. According to the (biased?) information spat out by the European HD DVD Promotional Group, "HD DVD players have outsold Blu-ray players by a three-to-one margin in Europe's main markets so far this year," and moreover, it claimed to hold a staggering "74-percent" of the market share in Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland for standalone players. So, for those residing in the aforementioned lands, are things really this skewed, or does a certain lobbyist group have their numbers all fuzzed up?
Recent survey suggests plasmas preferred over LCDs
As the continuing debate between LCD vs. plasma steams ahead, here we have yet another research study that purportedly suggests that nearly four out of five consumers would prefer PDPs over LCDs. The study -- which was conducted by global market research firm Synovate, posed the question to respondents in China, Japan, England, France, and Germany (no North America?) -- and found that an average of 80-percent of individuals preferred the images produced by plasmas when viewing a side-by-side comparison. What's interesting about the supposed results, however, is that recent sales have depicted quite the opposing story, and multiple plasma manufacturers have had to realign their strategies or shut down aspects of the business completely in order to remain afloat. Conversely, LCD sales have been impressive as of late, as consumers have responded positively to the tanking prices and widespread availability. Of course, this whole plasma vs. LCD war could rage on until SED TVs actually go mainstream and never find finality, but until PDPs can once again become price competitive with similar alternatives, we don't see its sales struggles ending anytime soon.
HD DVD making a run on Blu-ray in the release race
At last count, the Blu-ray camp was holding a marginal 260 to 241 lead in the likely frivolous release race, but those numbers haven't always been that close. Taking a look at Q1 of this year, the gap was noticeably larger, but thanks primarily to Universal Studios releasing 33 HD DVD titles on its own of late, HD DVD seems to be making a comeback. Reportedly, 70 new HD DVD flicks claimed shelf shape from April 1st to June 30th, whereas 63 Blu-ray films were released in the same period. Sure, a gap so diminutive may not mean much when looked at statically, but it's been quite awhile since HD DVD held the momentary crown in terms of releases at all. Still, the latest VideoScan numbers are once again showing Blu-ray sales as the strongest of the two, but all the drastic price cuts in the rival camp could potentially alter that in the coming months.
Remote controlled VS Tanks engage in small-scale warfare
Nothing like full-on tank warfare to release the pent up frustration from waiting in line all day to acquire an iPhone, right? The remote controlled VS Tanks kit consists of two infrared-enabled machines, two controllers (that eerily resemble those on the Atari Jaguar, to be honest), and a battlefield. Each tank sports a rotating turret, a sweet "super spin" move for times when only a spray 'n pray maneuver will do, a machine gun, and flashing LEDs to show when you've been hit. Each unit fires out AirSoft pellets and can be equipped with an "action cam" to record the carnage for future viewing, and while the £50 ($100) set may cater to the younger crowd, even the suits can't deny the rush experienced when gunning your opponent down on the field. Peep a demonstration video after the break.[Via Coolest-Gadgets]
One Boss Leaves: Rajaxx vs. Mandokir wrap-up
Last week we considered a fight between General Rajaxx and Bloodlord Mandokir, and the results of the vote were quite clear: Bloodlord Mandokir emerged vitorious, and by a wide margin. As you can see by the vote results, it wasn't even a close fight: Of the people who commented on the battle, all seemed to think that Mandokir's ability to level up off of kills would render him completely unstoppable after he eliminated Rajaxx's army of minions. Those voting for Rajaxx felt that his Thunder Clap ability, which halves the health of anyone nearby, would manage to take Mandokir down anyway.So another battle is finished, leaving the overall standings as follows. And our next fight starts tonight -- so stay tuned!
Wii Warm Up: Half a game
We don't think this is a controversial statement, although feel free to skewer us in the comments if it is: Pokemon Battle Revolution is not worth having if you don't own and play Pokemon on the DS. If we really wanted to arouse some vitriol, we'd say it's not worth having even then, but that would really just be flame-baiting for its own sake. We don't even actually feel that way.What we want to know is, is it okay in your mind to have a game like this that absolutely depends on another game to be fun? It it okay for such a thing to be full price?Obviously, if you're of the "gotta catch 'em all" persuasion who buys every Pokemon game regardless of quality, your answer is going to be a little different.
Judge favors Microsoft over Google in search polemic
While it'd be easy for Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly's deferment to be an end-all solution to the recent Google vs. Microsoft spat, we're inclined to believe that Google hasn't had its last word just yet. As it stands, the judge in charge has reportedly said that "she will likely defer to an agreement on desktop search forged between Microsoft and the plaintiffs in the US government's antitrust lawsuit against the software vendor instead of responding to a complaint from rival Google," and further explained that she didn't consider Google to "be a party in this case." Unfortunately, that's about all we've heard at the moment-- but stay tuned, this one's bound to go a few more rounds before the dust settles.
Comcast, Big Ten duke it out over licensing fees
For the estimated 5.7-million Comcast subscribers residing in the Big Ten footprint, seeing your favorite games this coming Fall could end up costing you a bit more than expected. Apparently, the Big Ten conference and Comcast have yet to reach an agreement on carrying the Big Ten Network, as Comcast reportedly wants $1.10 per subscriber in order to host the content on a dedicated sports tier. The conference, however, suggests that watchful consumers shouldn't be forced to pay "undue costs" in order to watch local teams, and even points out that the Mountain West Sports Network is carried on Comcast's basic cable lineup in the Salt Lake City region. Of course, we all know there's more money to be made in the juggernaut that is the Big Ten, but if an agreement isn't reached by August 1st, the Big Ten Network "could go on the offensive and encourage millions of Big Ten alumni to switch to DirecTV."
RoboGames 2007 to commence in San Francisco
Just as in years past, the "planet's largest robot competition" is about to get underway in San Francisco. This time around, over 800 robots from 30 countries will be competing in 61 various RoboGames events, the most notable of which include combat, fire-fighting, android acrobatics, android kung-fu, and iron-man exoskeleton weight lifting. Best of all, the mayhem is actually open for the public to enjoy, so drown your kids' whining and head on over to watch metal-framed machines put your skills to shame. Check out a few more peeks of the action after the jump.[Via Physorg]
LANdroids offer autonomous radio relay on the battlefield
DARPA's proposed LANdroids won't be the first installation to offer up expendable data gathering pawns on the battlefield, but these "intelligent, autonomous radio relay nodes" could be used to "establish and manage mesh networks in urban settings." Essentially, these critters would be cheaply produced and handed out en masse for warfighters to drop at random in order to create temporary and continually evolving network infrastructures that could lead to better communication over various occupied regions. It even sounds like these creatures will sport self-healing design cues, and while we're not sure if they'll be immune to imminent EMP blasts, we can already envision bored soldiers futilely hooking these things up to their PSPs and searching for an open game room. [Warning: PDF read link][Via El Reg]
Nokia fires off another patent suit in Qualcomm's direction
If you've been a bit disappointed by Nokia's offerings of late, it's probably because the firm is shifting out of the cellphone industry and into the legal environment. Okay, so maybe it hasn't called it quits in the handset game just yet, but this ongoing battle with Qualcomm is beyond ridiculous. Before Qualcomm even had time to swallow the previous counter-suit filed against it, Nokia is firing away again, and this time it's claiming that its opponent "has illegally used six of its technology patents in its Brew smartphone and MediaFlo mobile TV chipset products." Additionally, Nokia's CTO got vocal by stating that this case was just "another example where Qualcomm has effectively copied Nokia's innovations." While we're sure it's getting difficult to decipher which counter-lawsuit belongs to which original grievance, this particular one apparently links to an April 2nd filing where Qualcomm "claimed that Nokia had infringed three patents." C'mon folks, why not settle this like they do in the Alabama State Senate? [Warning: Read link requires subscription][Via Yahoo]
Wii Warm Up: NMS excitement
Fresh from the Nintendo Media Summit, we've quite a few impressions of games coming out in the immediate future. Among them: Mario Party 8 Super Mario Strikers: Charged Big Brain Academy Pokemon Battle Revolution The Bigs Boogie My Word Coach Rayman: Raving Rabbids 2 We're most jazzed for Strikers, especially after reading such effulgent impressions from Penny Arcade. But which game shown at NMS excited you the most? If you were stuck on an island and could only have one game ... you know, assuming you had a Wii and a couple Wiimotes, and a nice TV ... maybe some nunchuks, oh, and the sensor bar, and I guess you'd need a standard 120 W outlet somewhere in the sand ... and a decent supply of food and water, or you wouldn't spend your time playing the Wii ... you know what, never mind.
Estonia networks slammed by possible Russian cyber attacks
We certainly hope you dig the flavor of Russia and Estonia blended together in the morning, as your News Brews is probably cranking the mixture out en masse after reports that Russia has been waging a "cyber war" on Estonia for the past few weeks. Reportedly, Estonia's well-regarded networks have been "under heavy attack," saying that Russians are behind the mass outages of its state and commercial websites. Currently, Nato and EU officials are attempting to track down the culprits, and while Moscow has reportedly "denied any involvement in the internet attacks on its neighbor," relations between the two haven't exactly been rosy of late. Don't fret Estonia, if things get too bad, there's always Sealand.[Via Guardian]
Rugged Recon Scout invades enemy camp, snags video
Heading into the enemy's camp isn't something that Marines take lightly, and rather than finding out which private has the most experience in Call of Duty and shuffling him / her in, they're letting a robot do a soldier's job. Developed by the University of Minnesota using funding from DARPA, the Recon Scout resembles your average barbell weight, but when you're not workin' those triceps, this little fellow can be heaved across flatlands, over fences, and into brick walls in order to secure a location and start feeding back video of its surroundings. The two-wheeled bot is equipped with a low-resolution monochrome camera that feeds images back to the Operator Control Unit, and since it weighs just a single pound and fits in most cargo pockets, the whole platoon could carry their own in order to really scope out the next bend. Of course, the current iteration will only broadcast video up to 250 feet, and onlookers at a recent demonstration weren't thrilled by its quickness, but a titanium-based wheeled spying machine is fairly impressive regardless. Reportedly, the Recon Scout has been sold to "law enforcement agencies" for around $6,500 apiece, but we've no idea how much this rugged inspector will run the general public.[Via Wired]
Xbox 360 can't handle the PS3 heat
Toddlers are dangerous creatures. Especially when they get their hands on expensive gadgets. This life lesson comes to you via 1UP Editor John Davison, who recently discovered it for himself when his two sons woke up early one morning wanting to play video games. It seems Davison keeps his PS3 and his Xbox 360 in a less-than-well ventilated entertainment unit. Usually this is of no consequence as the two consoles are rarely running together. Davison also makes sure to keep the doors open whenever the PS3 is running. Unfortunately on this particular morning his wee-est nipper decided to play along with the older brother as he played on the Xbox 360. To make a short story shorter, the toddler pushed the PS button on the SIXAXIS controller (which was obviously the young lad's controller of choice when pretending to play - such good taste at such a young age), causing the PLAYSTATION 3 to fire up.And fire up it did. The temperature within the unventilated entertainment unit shot up, initiating some kind of Scandinavian sauna challenge between the two consoles. As the 360 started showing signs of its encroaching Red Ring of Death, the PS3 was still going strong. In the end Sony's behemoth emerges victorious. And the 360? Don't ask, it's not pretty. Oh well. I guess it's perfect timing. Time to go pick up one of those Xbox 360 Elite's I've heard so much about, right?[Via Joystiq]
