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Sky HDTV coming to New Zealand in 2008
Sky revealed to investors recently it plans to roll out an unnamed -- here's a name, Sky HD -- HDTV service in early 2008 featuring broadcasts as well as video-on-demand via satellite or internet connection. Sounds a lot like the Sky HD service already rolling out in the U.K., hopefully by the time it launches down under all the bugs will be worked out. The broadcaster already launched a new satellite earlier this month to provide a stronger signal, and expects free-to-air digital broadcasting coming to the region in 2007 will actually help improve its market penetration. Makes sense, as people upgrade to new TVs they'll want more and more HD programming, if Sky can fill that gap then it should work out great for everyone except the Kiwi's waiting until 2008 to see their own country on Discovery Channel HD every other week.
Veritide Anthrax Detector comes in happy face yellow
It's not often that we get to write about one of our favorite under-reported countries (New Zealand) and one of our favorite under-reported bacterial spores (anthrax) in the same post, but our lucky day has finally arrived. A Kiwi nation-based company called Veritide has just developed a handheld anthrax detector (aptly called the "Anthrax Detector"). This bright yellow gadget, which is about the size of a coffee mug, has a non-destructive optical scanner that'll determine in under a minute whether that spilled white powder in your laboratory is baking soda or the deadly bacteria. No intel yet on pricing, availability, nor if Veritide's Anthrax Detector comes with samples of anthrax spores to test it out, but either way it's something no self-respecting paranoiac should do without -- like the home geiger counter (and watch), or your handy cellphone radiation detector.[Via medGadget]
Study to research games' effect on Kiwis
Not to be outdone by the United States and its government-funded study on video game violence, the island nation of New Zealand is funding its own study on the effects of video game violence on Kiwis (the people, not the animal or the fruit). The $140,000 study is being headed by Dr. Gareth Schott, a psychologist at the University of Waikato who has previously looked at girl gamers, fan culture and the educational applications of games.With any luck, Schott's study will garner more evidence that can be used by the pro-gaming forces in the U.S. Then again, it might show that video game violence has a totally different effect on Americans than it does on New Zealanders. Wouldn't that just blow everyone's mind?
And you thought you had it bad? [update 1]
So, the Wii has been priced in Japan, the Americas, Europe, and Australia. But how about all those die-hard fans over in New Zealand? Well, Nintendo hasn't forgotten about them. An excerpt from the official press release:"As part of a global launch period, Wii will arrive in New Zealand on December 7th. Wii will be sold as an affordable, mass-consumer product at an R.R.P. of just $499.90. The price includes one wireless Wii Remote controller, one Nunchuk controller and the groundbreaking collection of five different Wii Sports games on one disc, which anyone can play using simple movements, experienced or not."Now, before you freak out, they're not talking about US dollars there. $500 New Zealand dollars converted into USD is actually $331, only slightly more than the $315 (249 Euros) Europeans have to pay. Still, for a console supposedly heralded as a low-cost option in the next-gen wars, it sure is getting steep in certain parts of the world. (Note: We still want to go to New Zealand. It's pretty!)[Update 1: Sorry, South America! You're on there now.]
Pentagon plan to save endangered satellites not without risks
As you may or may not know (we sure didn't), all those satellites orbiting our little ball of blue are highly susceptible to traumatic events such as intense solar storms or space-based nuclear blasts, and would likely be crippled by the resulting swarm of charged particles. The big brains at the Pentagon are aware of this danger, of course, and have come up with a solution called "radiation belt remediation" that would employ even more sats to broadcast low frequency radio waves into particle filled areas, creating so-called wave-particle interactions that would encourage the pesky molecules to fall harmlessly into the Earth's upper atmosphere. Sounds like a great plan, except a team of researchers at New Zealand's University of Otago believe that all those charged particles in the ionosphere would absorb the vital communications signals that are normally supposed to be reflected back down to terra firma. Long story short, by saving the satellites, communications on the ground would be severely hampered, affecting everyone from military personnel to amateur radio hobbyists -- and in a worst case scenario, GPS signal quality and accuracy could be severely degraded, much to the dismay of the burgeoning geocaching community. Still, if this is the only option we've got in the face of a nuclear attack, losing ground -based communications for a week or so is a small price to pay in order to save hundreds of satellites; we can deal with our in-car sat nav systems acting screwy for a little while, but we must protect our ability to receive XM/Sirius and DISH/DirecTV broadcasts at all costs.
Weta's giant, imposing love letter to Nintendo
Weta Workshop's "Tripod" -- launched in November '05 to promote the film industry in New Zealand -- is a 6.5m (about 21') tall, 5 ton bronze and steel statue that "appear to be made from railway sleepers for legs, excavator arms and hydraulic pistons, videogame console parts and toasted sandwich makers." Video game console parts, eh? Like what? A poster at the NZGamer forums took some close-ups of an N64 controller (pictured) and a Game Boy (after the break) built into the legs. It's only a matter of time before this thing takes on religious significance for the Nintendo faithful; jaded gamers will go on pilgrimages to Wellington to experience the healing effects of the Tripod. [Via El Jaso]
New Zealand goes digital
We are confident that our tipster and resident of New Zealand, Toby Hawkes, isn't the only one happy about this announcement. The New Zealand government has announced a plan to provide free-to-air digital television service within a year. The service will be model after Britain's service. There isn't any talk about high-def yet though, just digital. Got to start someplace though.[thanks for the tip Toby]
Get a map from any app with MappingService
Like Tim Gaden over at Hawk Wings, I too love Mac OS X's highly underrated Services menu, and Robert Stainsby has released a very handy addition to it: MappingService. This clever service allows you to select an address from any application, say a website, a document or an IM, and simply chose 'Map' from your Services menu to generate a map in any one of three mapping services: Google Maps (of course), ZoomIn Australia or ZoomIn New Zealand.MappingService is known to work on 10.4.6 and might possibly work on earlier versions of Mac OS X. It is open source software released under the BSD license, and Robert is accepting donations for his fine work.
Aus/NZ beat North America to DS Lite
Remember when North America got everything before Australia? Sure, sometimes Japan would get things before North America did, sometimes Europe would get things before North America did, but we could always comfort ourselves knowing that we would always get it before Australia (and, by extension, their neighbors in New Zealand with the adorable accents).Nintendo has announced that the DS Lite will be released in Australia and New Zealand on June 1st, a full ten days before it hits American shores. Though they'll get their systems sooner, they'll also pay a premium for it. The DS Lite will retail in Australia for $199.95 AUD, $20 more than their DS Phat, and about $153 US, $20 more than our light. You've won this battle Oceania, but you haven't won the war!(Update: fixed grammar booboo. All better now.)
New Zealand's 360 bus is palatial! (UPDATE)
Sure enough, plenty of pictures of the Xbox 360 bus have appeared in other places. Check out this Flickr photostream, or this feature by a different, less litigious, New Zealand gaming site: VideoGames.co.nz.We've been told to remove the images from this post by the original copyright holder, so we've just removed the entire post. If any gamers in New Zealand have any snapshots of the Xbox 360 Roadtrip bus, or know of any local gaming sites that wouldn't be threatened if we linked to them here, please send us a tip! See also:Australia's 360 vans unfurled and exposedThe Xbox 360 fleet; promo vehicles from around the world
360 on the road in New Zealand
The Xbox 360 is set to launch in both Australia and New Zealand on March 2nd and they are planning road trips for both countries. In Australia a group of utes, basically a light truck, are going to travel the country outfitted with flat panel displays and 360s. In New Zealand a specially outfitted bus will be providing very much the same service, complete with flat panels and 360s. Xbox 360 will be touring the country throughout March in the giant Xbox 360 Bus and things will be going off with live demos, hot giveaways and even the chance to meet the sizzling Joanna Dark. And it doesn't get much better than playing an amazing line-up of Xbox 360 games running on hi-def Samsung screens inside our specially constructed air-conditioned bus.If there're any Xbox 360 fanboys (or girls) out there in Oceania, grab some pictures and send 'em in. Oh, and if you meet the, uh... sizzling Joanna Dark, and happen to have a camera...[Via GameSHOUT]
