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NZ's Freeview launch date set: April 2
Kiwis, clear your calendars, OTA HDTV hits April 2. Freeview HD won't need very much of the April window earlier given for its launch, with TVOne, TV2 and TV3 all broadcasting in HD covering an estimated 75-percent of New Zealand homes, with set-top boxes expected on sale the same day. The big media event doesn't take place until the 14th, but why wait?
Topfield's latest HD STB, HD DVR land in New Zealand
Considering that the rest of the globe seems to be chiming in with its own tidbits of HD news, we're not surprised to see New Zealand getting in on the fun, too. Apparently, a pair of new Topfield HD devices are on sale now for folks residing in the aforementioned nation, the first of which is the TF7710HSCI HDMI Digital Satellite Receiver. Aside from the HDMI / component outputs along with digital audio support, the $388 unit sports dual CI slots to pull in Freeview transmissions and encrypted / pay TV channels. As for the $714.79 TF6000PVR ES HDMI Digital Satellite Receiver / PVR, you'll find many of the same features along with 320GB of recording space, a USB 2.0 port and an Ethernet jack for transferring shows to one's PC. Hit up the read links below for much more information on the pair.Read - TF7710HSCI Read - TF6000PVR ES
New Zealand's fuzz want carriers to save text messages
Carriers usually don't store text messages these days -- or, at the very least, they're smart enough to claim that they don't, or barring even that, they're trying to move away from storing 'em. In a society that values what little privacy it has left, we figure that coming out and telling your customers that their most intimate 160-character communiques are being locked away ad infinitum on some hard drive in a windowless tower somewhere is a recipe for backlash. Indeed, Vodafone's Kiwi outpost doesn't keep texts any longer than it has to, and New Zealand Telecom has said that it'll stop before the end of the year, but the local police have a different idea in mind. Authorities say that they want the ability to sift through messages, and that it won't be a privacy concern because they'll only get down to business after having obtained the proper warrant. That's all well and good, and we can sorta see where the cops are coming from here, except that means carriers are still going to be required to persist the SMSes to begin with -- a privacy concern in itself. The sitch is shaping up to be a bit of a deadlock, though the government is hoping everyone can come to terms without legislation being required. We're not counting on it.[Via textually.org]
New Zealand Freeview HDTV service set for April launch
New Zealand doesn't have to be jealous of Australia much longer, as Freeview OTA HD service is on track to launch in April. Call Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Napier, Hastings, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch or Dunedin your 'hood? Then you'll probably be able catch Lord of the Rings next time its broadcast in HD and marvel at the beautiful scener...oh, nevermind. Still, we're sure you'll find a good reason to check out TV1, TV2 and TV3, with appropriate digital set-top box and antenna.Read - Freeview readies for main eventRead - Freeview - What's New?
Universal Pictures Australasia releasing 20 HD DVD titles in 2008
In a move not totally shocking considering Ken Graffeo's sentiments shared just days ago, Universal Pictures Australasia has come forward and announced that it will continue backing HD DVD by promising some 20 titles on the format in 2008. According to the release, consumers in Australia and New Zealand can look forward to picking up Atonement, The Kingdom, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, American Gangster and Charlie Wilson's War on HD DVD later this year. Unfortunately, none of the other flicks making up the previously mentioned "20" were detailed, so it looks as if we'll be waiting in tense anticipation for release dates and titles for the majority of the bunch.[Via iTWire, thanks Anthony B.]
Texter's thumb strikes again
Alternately known as texting tenosynovitis, BlackBerry thumb, text messager's thumb, or simply "ow ow ow ow" as you bang out your next SMS, texter's thumb is no laughing matter for afflicted individuals. A 20 year old Kiwi is the latest to be diagnosed with the painful ailment, brought about in no small part by her 100 message per day texting habit. Though there have apparently been only three cases officially diagnosed worldwide, the authors of the case report believe it's likely that many cases go undiagnosed given the overwhelming popularity of SMS worldwide. No bother; it's nothing a little BlackBerry Balm couldn't smooth right over, we imagine.[Via textually.org]
Acer offers Ubuntu pre-load for kiwis
Well here you have it. After the rumors surfaced back in July, Acer is offering Ubuntu 7.10 as a pre-load on their 14.1-inch Aspire 4315-100508C model with 1,280 x 800 resolution, 1.86GHz Celeron M 540, 512MB memory, 80GB disk, and DVD optical drive. Better yet, the price is just NZ$699 -- that's $553 in US greenbacks. The offer appears to be good in New Zealand only for the moment. Toe dipping the consumer waters are we Acer?[Via Geekzone]
Today's most vulgar videos: Jam Sessions' instant rockstar
The North American marketing for DS guitar simulator Jam Sessions has been pretty low-key, comprised of a MySpace page, uninspired print ads, and a bevy of videos showing real artists using the non-game to play fake guitar.Off the charts, then, are New Zealand's excellent television spots for the title, which emphasize how having Jam Sessions in your DS repertoire can transform you into an instant rockstar. According to the ads, being an instant rockstar involves hitting on your buxom aunt, and cursing out your mum for baking you the wrong birthday cake. Honestly, the things those New Zealanders can get away with on television!If we haven't made it abundantly clear, these videos are definitely not-safe-for-work material. Catch all the raunchy, raucous action after the break (and not a single shot of gameplay, either!).
Oz and NZ to Nintendo: enough!
One frustrated fan in New Zealand has had enough of the delays that come with major Nintendo releases in Nintendo Australia's domain, and he is doing his best to take some action. Aaron Rex Davies put together a report comparing release dates of Nintendo's first and third party Wii titles in that region, and the difference is clear -- first party titles suffer from a considerably longer delay in release. In his introductory page, he also mentions the upcoming Halo 3, which is slated for a release in all major markets at the same time. We've heard a lot of complaints over time from annoyed gamers in non-US regions, and looking at the facts on the page, we certainly can't blame them. Of course, there are slang and translation-related issues to face when taking a game from one region to another, and we know Nintendo sets out to make quality their benchmark, but does it really take that long? Let's hope Nintendo takes notice of this outcry and we see some favorable action for gamers outside the US and Japan.
Robotic tuatara successfully generates research data
Just over two months ago Robo-Ollie, a robotic tuatara, was loosed into the wilderness on Stephens Island in New Zealand, and now that its creator and her colleagues have had a chance to monitor it in the wild, it looks like Mr. Oliver is performing toppingly. Sporting a nickel-cadmium battery, servos, and a rubberized skin suit, the creature has spent its time bobbing its head, gaping its mouth, and providing researchers with some intriguing data about aggressiveness and mating tendencies within the species. Unfortunately, the current iteration is essentially paralyzed from the neck back, and it took its masters a tick to understand how the head bobbing gig was "sending mixed signals" as it showcased feminine tendencies -- but now that he's regained his masculinity, it's on to figuring out what olfaction and infidelity have to do with tuatara life. [Via Digg]
New Zealand peeps imitate plants to do solar on the cheap
Obviously, scientists didn't exactly originate the idea of harvesting energy from the sun when they started slapping together solar cells -- plants have been up on this whole photosynthesis mojo for a good long while. Now some researchers at Massey University in New Zealand have developed a range of synthetic dyes from organic compounds that closely mimic the light harvesting that goes on in nature. Other scientists have been pursuing similar solar techniques, but there's a major difficulty in getting the dyes to pass the energy on for actual use. After 10 years of research, the Massey scientists claim to have "the most efficient porphyrin dye in the world." Benefits of the dyes over traditional silicon-based solar panels include the ability to operate in low light, 10x cheaper production, and flexible application -- starting with canvassing roofs, walls and windows, but eventually moving on to wearable items that can charge your electronics stash. A working prototype for "real applications" should be ready in a couple years.[Via The Raw Feed]
Zephyr's smart fabrics to gauge physiological data
Although soldiers of the future (the non-robotic variety, that is) could very well rock tactile displays on their gear, it looks like the next-generation clothing worn on the battlefield could also monitor physiological information. New Zealand firm Zephyr has developed smart textiles that are currently being shown at CeBIT, and aside from being used by the US Department of Defense to "gauge how individuals cope and react during combat situations," the garb could also be used by athletes looking to carefully measure their vitals and improve their performance. The outfit's first two offerings, a chest-worn bioharness and a shoe pod insert, are both laden with intelligent sensors that can "store and broadcast data," which could certainly become beneficial in the health, security, training, and medical markets. It's been a good run, Nike+iPod, but it looks like you've been lapped.
Robotic tuatara fools males, partakes in social dominance study
Although Wowwee's farm of robotic animals are quite the playful bunch, they aren't exactly prime targets for participating in a biological study of how animals interact in the wild, but Jennifer Moore from Victoria's School of Biological Science is aiming to use a faux tuatara to be the focal point of a new study. Modeled after a highly-regarded and recently deceased tuatara named Oliver, the new creature will purportedly be mingling with others of its kind in order to give a first-hand view on "social dominance and aggression in wild tuatara." Crafted by the Weta Workshop, Robotic Oliver will be used for the first time next month on the tuatara capital of the world, Stephens Island, in order to carefully inspect male mating habits in an effort to "significantly enhance conservation efforts." Of course, utilizing robotic clones for the betterment of a species seems like a brilliant idea, but we should probably all join in unison and hope this same stunt isn't pulled on the human population.[Via RobotGossip]
New Zealand teen jacks Xbox 360, divulges credentials to Microsoft
Apparently, a 14-year old teenager in New Zealand doesn't visit Engadget (or use his brain) a whole lot -- you'd think that team of crooks who swiped a PlayStation, only to return for the power cord and eventually end up in police custody might have swayed him from doing the exact same thing. Not so. Oddly enough, the teen in question jacked the console and left the oh-so-critical power cable behind, but instead of devising yet another heist, he simply phoned Microsoft, gave out all his credentials (including the machine's serial number), and awaited the cable. In the meantime, the irate original owner dialed up the company as well; after discovering that his Xbox 360 had already been registered to its thief, he registered to obtain a court order to induce Microsoft to release the bandit's details. (Jailarity ensues.) So while our first PSA must not have been potent enough, we'll simply reiterate that stealing consoles probably isn't your calling if you can't even remember the accessories.[Via Xbox 360 News]
360 Thief calls tech support, gets busted
A 14 year old Kiwi stole an Xbox 360 but neglected to grab the power brick, as it was most likely too heavy for a clean getaway. So, the next day, he called the local tech support, and requested a new one, in the process giving the hot 360's serial number, his name, phone number, and address so that Microsoft New Zealand could mail him a new one. When the victim contacted MS, and gave his stolen console's SN, they informed him it had already been registered and they have the culprit's personal info, but couldn't reveal any information due to their privacy policy. The victim went to the police, who then contacted MS, and found that the only way they could get the information was through a court order. Only then were they able to make an arrest. Although, if we were in his shoes we probably would have just forked over the cash for another adapter.[Via DC Emu]
Gimme that! First copy of New Zealand GoW
Over at the geek pulp, Geek posed a great question ... what on Earth do you get a xbox fanboy (who has a large disposable income and has pretty much everything ever created for the Xbox) for his birthday? Well, it looks like Geek came through and found the perfect solution, the first copy of Gears of War that was released in New Zealand. Mounted, signed, and polished all pretty too! Start drooling and wishing that you had such a Gears of War masterpiece ... or simply wishing you had a large disposable income.[Thanks, Glen]
New Zealand black Wednesday Christmas sale
Mark your calendars. Next Wednesday, 13 December, is the Apple one-day shopping event for New Zealand, the apparent "Black Wednesday" for the new Apple store. Details are still quite sparse, although you can visit the promo page that's been set up to get a rough idea about the event. It looks like many items will have free shipping and it can only be hoped that prices are reduced enough to make Renaissance blush in shame.Thanks Graham
Apple Launches iTunes Store New Zealand
After tons of rumors and speculation, the New Zealand iTunes store debuted today. The online store offers over two million songs, with individual tracks priced at NZ$1.79, music videos at NZ$3.59 and many albums at NZ$17.99. Many New Zealand artists are featured exclusively in the New Zealand store, including Fat Freddy's Drop, Brooke Fraser, Tim Finn, The Datsuns and Bic Runga as well as extensive catalogues from New Zealand greats including Shihad, Crowded House, The Black Seeds, Breaks Co-Op, Elemeno P and Dei Hamo.
iTunes goes New Zealand
The New Zealand Herald reports that locals are looking forward to the anticipated opening of iTunes New Zealand. It's been a long time coming. Rumors about iTunesNZ have been floating around for nearly three years without the appearance of an actual storefront. Insiders in the NZ music industry report that local labels are now in active negotiations with Apple and that the new storefront may appear before the end of the year.Thanks Al.
New Zealand high-schoolers to use "text-speak" on national exams
While Aussies are still debating whether or not texting should be a recognized subject in school, New Zealanders apparently have no qualms with the so-called "extension of the English language." High school students in New Zealand will be able to use "text-speak" on this year's written national examinations if they so desire, which should send old-fashioned scorers into fits of rage while trying to wade through a myriad of words lacking vowels. New Zealand's Qualifications Authority said that it still strongly discourages students from using anything other than "full English," but that credit will be given if the answer "clearly shows the required understanding," even if the students uses "lol" and "CU" to get there. It was noted that grammar-based sections would require actual words to be spelled out, removing that competitive advantage where it probably matters most. Nevertheless, it's yet another small step for texting, and a giant leap for the English language -- right?[Via Textually]
