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EMI puts your medical history on a digital business card
While having your entire catalog of medical issues on your person at all times would sure come in handy if your GPS leads you into a body of water or you get mangled by a Japanese Land Walker, implanting an RFID data chip underneath your skin could (understandably) sound a bit extreme. While digital medical records and emergency panic buttons are certainly swell, EMI's 911 rCard places every quirk and prior health issue you've ever had onto a single wallet-sized card, which can be viewed immediately by any medical personnel that would need pertinent information statinum. The "vivid, full color LCD" can display everything from medical charts to photos / text describing the patient's history, and sports a built-in battery that can handle "about two hours" of constant viewing before it needs recharging. Boasting USB connectivity, users can continually update and upload new information from their EMI web portal onto the rCard, including any mild injuries sustained during last week's campouts. The 911 rCard is available now for $79.95, which includes a USB cable / charger and the first year of website access, while additional years of data storage and interfacing will run you $20.[Via EverythingUSB]
MacBook Marionette
Most puppets scare me. Horrid little creatures, only coming alive when controlled by some being of perceived omnipotence manipulating every aspect of their pathetic little lives. But enough about my puppet paranoia, and on to this awesome hack. Some cunning (and brave! I'd never swing my notebook around like that!) soul has created a piece of digital artwork using the motion sensor built into his PowerBook. When he swings the machine, a little animated man on the screen reacts with realistic physics to the movement. Hooray for digital inertia![via UneasySilence]
OnStar could go black for millions of analog subscribers in '08
If you just so happened to pick up a 2004 (or earlier) year model GM vehicle while waiting for that oh-so-tempting self-driving edition to land in '08, and can't wait to take full advantage of the svelte built-in OnStar system, you better start now. When analog networks have the option to go silent in 2008, vehicles equipped with analog-only hardware will not be able to communicate with those friendly voices on the other end of the blue button, which could leave some (previously) loyal GM customers seeing red. All vehicles kitted prior to 2002 will unfortunately not sport the same sense of security they once did, while select vehicles from 2002 to 2004 can be upgraded with digital equipment. Verizon Wireless -- the current network of choice for OnStar -- "has not said how or when it will dismantle its analog network," but will likely pull plugs in stages. While the value of OnStar's service is certainly debatable, leaving a substantial amount of your four million customers without a resolution certainly doesn't bode well if you're looking to snag repeat buyers, but we suppose it's the price you pay for keepin' things fresh.[Via Autoblog]
Sony cuts Japan PS3 price 20%, adds HDMI to 20GB model
We think the Playstation 3 seems nice, but the fact is it costs a lot and lack of HDMI on the cheaper model is a severe buzzkill to anyone looking to get this as a "cheap" Blu-ray player. Apparently, Sony agrees because they've announced a 20% price cut for the low-end 20GB model -- only in Japan so far -- and added HDMI 1.3 as well. You read that right, all Playstation 3 consoles will come with digital video outputs (we suppose asking for a cable too would be out of line?). Adding features and cutting prices is something we can't really argue with, although glass half-empty individuals could see this as more incentive for studios to possibly introduce ICT in the future, since digital output is now standard on the PS3. They've also been taking shots at Microsoft's 1080p support and showing off several games (Ridge Racer 7, Gran Turismo HD, Virtua Tennis 3 and Mobile Suit Gundam) running 1080p natively at 60 frames per second, despite some saying we wouldn't see that many this soon. Now all we need is a US price drop and we'll forget all about how Sony is ignoring our European friends this year.
Xbox 360 HDMI cable rumor #1073
Another day, another Xbox 360 HDMI cable rumor. Although it seems unlikely that the Xbox 360's multi-AV out will ever support a digital encrypted connection, yet again such a cable has appeared on a retailer's website. This time EBGames has a listing for a "GameStop Universal Premium HDMI Cable", no details listed other than a price of $99 and a ship date of 12/1/2006. Analog to digital übercable, extension for an as-yet unannounced HD DVD and HDMI-equipped Xbox 360, or some marketing exec just checked the wrong box as they giddily prepared for high profit margin HDMI cable sales to confused Playstation 3 buyers?[Thanks for the tip, SJ]
Playstation 3: HDMI cable not included
In a bit of PS3 news that sprouted legs this weekend, the U.S. Playstation website has confirmed that Sony's upcoming console will not include an HDMI cable in the box. Naturally this sparked a firestorm of controversy over what even the $600-variant would be able to do and by how much this increases the price. Of course most of our readers know that you can easily find HDMI cables on the net for as little as $5-$10 plus shipping, that will transmit the encrypted digital signals to your television without a problem. As evidenced by the reactionary postings across the net, many gamers don't, much less casual shoppers who might want to buy the PS3 as a gift this holiday season who have only seen the heavily marked up $50-$100 HDMI cables prominently displayed at most big box electronics retailers. Even if money isn't an issue (and if you're buying a PS3 either it isn't or we're you're living on ramen to afford one), most don't know if they need it. If you own a 1080p TV that accepts a 1080p input, then yes, it's the only way you'll get movies at that resolution although some would argue whether that is necessary. Despite Phil Harrison's "1080p is the only true definition of HD" statement, Sony knows that only a small number of HDTV owners have that setup and opted to save a few bucks by leaving the cable out. Analog 1080p for gaming is certainly possible but not many TVs support that either. While the lack of the cable probably isn't that big of a deal, if Sony is going to advertise the "Full HD" capabilities of their machine you'd think they would make sure you can use it that way right out of the box, instead many buyers will be confused and possibly gouged by retailers selling expensive accessories.[Via Joystiq]
EyeTV Hybrid
TV on a Mac is a foreign concept to most people, but EyeTV hopes to change that with the introduction of the minuscule (just a bit larger than an iPod Shuffle) EyeTV Hybrid USB TV tuner. Capable of receiving both digital (S-Video via an adapter) and analog (using the built-in coax plug or the included composite adapter) signals, the Hybrid can pick up regular run-of-the-mill standard standard definition TV, as well as up to 1080p HDTV over-the-air programming (if you have either a dual G5 or Core Duo). With that delicious combination of input options, I can hook up both my Xbox OR digital cable to my PowerBook, sit back, and relax. The EyeTV Hybrid goes for an extremely affordable $150. [via OhGizmo!]
Xbox 360 HDMI cable still a possibility?
Just when we were getting used to the reality of no digital video outputs for our Xbox 360s, a hardware manager for Microsoft has re-stoked the rumor fires. Despite the claims of some that such a cable may not technically be possible, the FiringSquad quoted Microsoft's Rob Walker as stating that the company is "still discussing" what to do if movie companies begin to restrict high definition playback to digital outputs only, that they are "looking into" making an HDMI cable for the Xbox 360, and of course another no comment on the price of the HD DVD add-on. The remarks came during a panel discussion at the Gamefest conference where Microsoft also announced tools to allow users to make their own games. At this point we don't know what seems more (or less) plausible, that Microsoft is willing to sell a device even if by their own admission they don't know if copy protection could soon render it useless -- a potential weakness for the cheaper Playstation 3 variant as well -- or they have an agreement in place to guarantee analog outputs will continue to work for some time and this is all just subterfuge.
eMusic hits No. 2 in digital music sales, thanks iPod
eMusic, a seemingly small-time digital music service that sells DRM-free MP3s of independent artists, has quietly overtaken other big name rivals such as RealNetworks, Yahoo! and even Napster for the #2 spot in digital music sales. The company attributes its success largely in part to the iPod's widespread popularity and the fact that MP3s play just fine on it, but also says "the consumer confusion over interoperable formats gives us a great advantage". In other words: the tower of babel that is the digital download industry has opened the door for a service that speaks everyone's language to snag the second largest piece of the pie. While not everyone is happy with 2nd place, eMusic seems to be enjoying their 11% of the industry, right after the iTMS at 67%, but way ahead of Real Rhapsody with 4%, Napster - 4% and MSN Music - 3% (data according to NPD Group).[via iLounge]
Digital TV converter coupons: Who gets them and how much?
There's been a lot of concern over the upcoming digital broadcast conversion and how it will affect those who currently get TV via over-the-air broadcast and haven't upgraded to sets with digital tuners. Under the proposal recently submitted by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, only homes that do not have cable or satellite TV currently would be eligible for coupons to reduce the price of two boxes by $40 each. That might not seem fair to people who have say, one cable TV and that one TV in the basement/attic that you could always use to watch the game on Sunday if need be. Luckily if you disagree with the proposal -- which you can read in its entirety here -- they are inviting public comment.Check out the FAQ for info on how to make your voice heard, much like us they will publish your comments on the website for all to see. Sort of makes you wonder why the government doesn't just start up a blog for this kind of thing.
Get organized: a survey of digital junk drawer apps
A while ago I decided to bring some sanity to the way I do things and organize all my stuff. I'm working on a design thesis in my multimedia undergrad degree, I'm constantly doing research for my blogging work, and I have countless other projects and ideas that were growing in both size and disorganization in my Home folder. When I decided to finally start getting organized, I realized I might not be the only person in this position, and I figured I would turn my research and testing experiences into a post; a sort of survey of what some call 'digital junk drawer' applications.What follows is a pro and con summary of four of the most popular junk drawer apps I looked at, but read this post with a few of my criteria in mind: I like keyboard shortcuts. I like them a lot. Being able to highlight a chunk of text in a browser or a PDF I'm reading and hitting a couple of keys to send it to a junk drawer app is far more efficient and less workflow-intrusive than having to use a mouse to drag and drop it to some far corner of my display. I decided not to touch apps that employ entirely different paradigms such as the wiki-like VoodooPad; I'm not denying the usefulness of these other ways of working, but adding that entirely new level to this survey would've meant putting this post on the back-burner for longer than I would like. I'm using a MacBook Pro 2.0 Ghz with 1.5 GB RAM, and while I synced my notes library across these apps to gauge performance 'n all that jazz, my library is a mere 500 notes (URLs, PDFs, etc.) strong, so your mileage may vary. With that said, check out my survey of some Mac OS X apps that could help you bring order to your digital chaos, and feel free to post your thoughts or mention apps that should've made this list, and why.
Chronos replaces StickyBrain with SOHO Notes 5.5
StickyBrain, one of the leading 'digital junk drawer' apps that recently entered a 4.1 beta testing phase, has been officially discontinued by Chronos in favor of SOHO Notes 5.5. Current registered users of StickyBrain 4.0 will receive an upgrade to SOHO Notes for free, while users who own licenses for any previous StickyBrain versions (1.x, 2.x and 3.x) can upgrade to SOHO Notes 5.5 for a mere $25, the price offered in the past for upgrading from StickyBrain 3.x to 4.x.Why is StickyBrain being dissolved in favor of SOHO Notes, you ask? Chronos has published an announcement and FAQ explaining the decision, but here's the short version: SOHO Notes is basically the big brother of StickyBrain; they're almost the same app, derived from the same codebase, except SOHO Notes included three key features that Chronos used to charge extra for: SOHO Notes can synchronize notes between multiple computers using a .Mac account (seamlessly, in the background). SOHO Notes can access multiple note databases simultaneously. SOHO Notes is multi-user capable which means users can share notes with others over a network using the product's client/server technology. Now, with SOHO Notes taking the helm, its price has dropped to $39.99 to keep it more in-line with StickyBrain's previous price, as well as the competition like Yojimbo and DEVONthink. Feature-wise, this new version of SOHO Notes 5.5 offers some powerful new goodies, such as the ability to import and catalog almost any kind of file, send notes to your blog, a DockNote that makes it easy to get info both in and out, audio recording notes, full-screen editing of notes, a Daily Journal/Diary category that can automatically date/time stamp notes and much more.Whether you love your hate StickyBrain SOHO Notes, this should be good news for the 'digital junk drawer' market, as this price drop and the new features should help keep everyone's innovative juices flowing.
Ask HD Beat: DVD upconverting over component?
HD Beat reader Mark writes in with a common question:"I really have no idea who else to ask about this: Given that most of the new HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players will be at least theoretically capable of outputting an HD signal over component cables, it seems odd to me that all the upconverting DVD players only offer the upconversion over HDMI. Are there any that offer upconverting over component? Hell, maybe they all do, and I'm just misreading the specs... but if so, I blame the specs."If you can get high definition formats to output at 1080i or 720p via analog connectors, why not existing DVDs? One word: DRM.
Verizon FiOS strikes multicasting deal with PBS
While the government still ponders the must-carry multicasting situation, Verizon FiOS appeared to thumb it's nose at the cable companies today by announcing a deal with PBS and the Association of Public Television Stations to carry the programming of as many as three stations in one market, and additional stations as long as they are not duplicating programming from the other three.The cable industry struck a similar deal last year, where there is no limit on the number of stations carried, but the maximum number of multicast streams is 4. The Verizon deal has no limitation on the number of multicast streams carried, and includes PBS' high definition programming.Read - Verizon strikes deal to carry public stationsRead - Verizon, Noncoms unveil carriage deal
Macrovision inks deal to put ACP in AACS
After at one point it seemed like Macrovision would be rendered irrelevant by AACS, they are now a part of it. Perhaps in a move to justify stalling the implementation of ICT, AACS LA will include Macrovision's analog content protection technology in their next update. This isn't that surprising as ICT or no, the analog hole is still a major concern for content providers, in fact Macrovision VP Adam Gervin predicted this back in 2004 (he also predicted that high definition DVD formats would be very slow to take off, DVDs had 5 years of growth left in them and that AACS would be cracked). Of course, one has to wonder how this will affect Toshiba's HD DVD player and PC Blu-ray drives that are already on the market.
Polaroid PDC 5080 reviewed/trashed by PC Mag
If you ever needed proof that megapixels aren't everything in a digital camera, look no further than PC Magazine's review of Polaroid's PDC 5080 5 megapixel cam, which sells for just $90. You know things are bad when the best they can come up with on the pro side is "light" and "cheap." The problems with the camera, on the other hand, read like a comedy of errors, from the open-at-your-own-risk blister pack the camera comes packaged in (rule #1, don't buy a digital camera in a blister pack), to the way below average image quality compared to other 5MP cameras, to the 9 frame per second "video" capabilities, to the images that mysteriously dissappear from the SD card. Stay away from this one, folks, and warn your friends.
PSP impressions: Metal Gear Digital Graphic Novel
My timing on snatching up a good 5 minutes with the Metal Gear Digital Graphic Novel was impeccable. Situated directly across the walkway of the Tecmo booth and next to Atlus' wonderful booth, the seat on the white bench called to me with the strength of a siren's song. I didn't think I would be able to hear anything from the unit, yet surprisingly there was little traffic there for the 5 minutes leading up to the Tecmo girls strutting out for their annual thing while I watched the digital comic unfold.As for the artwork and voice work on the E3 build I was privileged enough to spend some time with, they were both very good. The panning was tastefully executed and Ocelot's dialogue, which took up most of what little time I had for the demo, was rich and powerful. Their pistol dual re-enacted from Metal Gear Solid was incredible. Overall the package seemed to be on par with, if not better than, The Silent Hill Experience UMD and has easily made my list of 'must buy' when it releases next month.
The $500 Playstation 3 is missing something...like HDMI, WiFi and Memory card reader.
If the only difference between the models is a 40GB hard drive, thats one thing, but did Sony "tard pack" the cheaper version of the PS3? That's what it appears according to this spec sheet directly from Sony. According to the pdf, all of those are exclusive to the version of the PS3 that will cost $600 when they are released this fall. This is a very odd strategy from Sony, while we still have doubts about Microsoft's ability to support HDCP with their HD DVD add on, it is odd that Sony would split their market of potential Blu-ray customers. Analog outputs would still give you 1080i high definition, but no all-digital twin-1080p HDCP protected loving like we have been dreaming about since the last E3. Stripping WiFi cancels much of the PSP functionality shown, and what is backwards compatibility if you can't transfer saves on a memory stick?Say it ain't so Sony, say it ain't so. Check out Joystiq for more E3 coverage, including the first official pics.
Sign of the times: Sony's Universal Digital Remote RM-V310
This rather suprised me. I was walking through one of my favorite electronic stores and noticed this. Sony has a new remote (RM-V310) out that incorperates a digital/analog button along with a "point" button. The compatablity list for the digital tuners is short with only six manufactures. There are some notable manufactures missing though like Samsung and Zenith but other then those seem to be complete. There is going to be a huge market for these eventually. Right now many of you still have the remote that came with your digital set-top box but it will not be long before they make their way to the big black hole in couch.
"Digital Britain" key to BBC's future
The UK government has published a white paper on the future of the BBC, an organisation described as "unique" by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The BBC is mainly associated with the television and radio channels it produces in return for a licence fee which must be paid by almost everyone watching television in the UK. However, the organisation is not restricted to these platforms, nor is it resistant to changes in technology, as the BBC News video report "Entertainment 'key' to BBC future" outlines.The report focuses on a fairly typical family; the parents watch television regularly, but the children tend to gravitate towards games and digital media, only occasionally turning to TV for specific programmes. As technology attracts television views away from their sets, more ways of delivering the BBC's content are being investigated, from TV on phones to downloadable media.The BBC appears to be moving into games as part of their "Digital Britain" initiative--under the banner of "interactive and web-based services", games (or interactive stories) like Jamie Kane give the BBC the opportunity to try new directions in storytelling and gaming. It's clear from the news report that the BBC acknowledges gaming as a key activity for its licence fee payers; this commitment to interactivity should see more game-based content being delivered to the BBC's customers and help the BBC's games research along a step or two.
