PS3 Movie Downloads Launching This Summer

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: June 26, 2008 10:20AM
Author: Ben Grantham

There have been rumours that Sony would launch a movie download service for the PS3, but it has now been confirmed that it will be happening sometime this summer. It should come to the US first, with plans to roll out in Europe and Japan later in the year. Apparently, Sony are also planning to extend the service to some of its other video enabled devices (such as the PSP). Details on how the whole thing will be implemented seem to be relatively thin on the ground at the moment, but it should add another reason to think about getting a PS3, which started at not that many when it was originally launched.

Napster Begins Offering DRM-Free Music for Sale

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: May 20, 2008 08:17AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Napster has upgraded it's web site and is now offering music files free of any digital rights management (DRM). Claiming to have the world's largest catalog of on-line music, Napster is offering over 6 millions tracks in standard MP3 format at $0.99 per track and just $9.95 per album. The tracks are recorded at 256Kbps bitrate and will work on any device, including Apple's iPod players. No software is required to purchase music as that chore is handled via the web interface. Listens can sample 30-second clips, while subscribers can listen to full-length songs.

Apple Schemes Free Music Downloads

Category: Manufacturers, Music / Video Players
Posted: March 20, 2008 11:47AM
Author: Carl Dunham

Apple is currently drawing up plans to expand its iTunes base to include unlimited "free" access to the iTunes music library. Well its close to free anyway, if your willing to pay more for the iPod and iPhone it will be free. Analyst believe the plan will backfire as it will be difficult to keep track of the downloads and pay artist accordingly. iTunes currently holds the number 2 spot for digital downloads with $2.5 billion dollars made in 2007 alone. Keep an eye in the coming months to see how Apples plan for world domination pans out.

Blu-ray Device Prices on the Way Up

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: March 13, 2008 04:22PM
Author: Dale Shuck

Now that Toshiba and its HD-DVD format players are no longer a factor in the market, the prices for Blu-ray players are creeping up. According to PriceGrabber.com, average prices jumped from $467 in January to $604 in February when Toshiba announced it was exiting the high-def player market. Some of those price increases are attributable to more expensive players with added features. But, after accounting for that fact, prices are still $20 - $50 higher than they were before Toshiba's exit.

 

Is Getting Behind HD-DVD Now Like Flogging A Dead Horse?

Category: Music / Video Players, Digital Photography/Video
Posted: February 12, 2008 06:11PM
Author: Ben Grantham

DailyTech -

If you have been following the high definition format war closely or have just been thinking recently that you might take the plunge and buy you first piece of HD Disc playing hardware, then you might have taken note of the news yesterday. It seems that Monday may have been a crucial point in deciding which format will eventually win out, and it was about time too. It all started early on Monday, when largest US online movie rental service Netflix declared it would be making the move to providing titles exclusively in the Blu-ray format. Netflix should have HD-DVD phased out by the end of the year. If that wasn't enough, influencial retailer Best-Buy also said yesterday that although it wouldn't be dropping HD-DVD all together, it would be pushing Blu-ray as the preferred choice to its customers.

The HD-DVD group responded to the bad news with, well a whimper quite frankly. Quoting numbers of players in the marketplace and simply expressing disappointment at the decision of Netflix doesn't sound like confidence to me. The statement even sounded glad that Best-Buy was keeping HD-DVD stocked and not simply dropping it completely. With the major movie studios already behind Blu-ray, HD-DVD will need to pull out something special to turn the state of affairs around. Will the format have the persistence to keep fighting? Will it just fade into the background with its tail between its legs? Do we even care and are just glad it looks like we won't have to make a format decision the next time we shop for movies? I'm personally opting for the latter.

nVidia Introduces Mobile Applications Processor

Category: Mobile, Manufacturers, Music / Video Players, Digital Photography/Video
Posted: February 11, 2008 05:10PM
Author: Ben Grantham

DailyTech -

Want hardware decoding support for 720p H.264 and a string of other formats on your windows mobile device? Well then nVidia thinks it has an answer for you in the form of its new APX 2500 application processor. This little chip will decode the previously mentioned format as well as VC-1/WMV9 and MPEG-4, also being able to encode in both 720p H.264 and MPEG-4. If that's not enough, it supports the regular audio formats (MP3, WMA etc.) plus HDMI 1.2 to provide video output at 720p or output for monitors at resolutions up to 1280x1024. Sounds pretty promising, and hopefully they have managed to do all of this without ballooning power demand, which is all important in mobile devices of course.

The APX 2500 will be on display at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, and we might see more of it around by this upcoming summer.

Hardware Roundup: Wednesday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, CPU's, Music / Video Players, Speakers/Headphones, CPU Cooling, VGA Cooling
Posted: February 6, 2008 06:25AM
Author: Dale Shuck

The mid-week edition of the roundup brings more information on Intel's Skulltrail platform.  As we saw in the reviews earlier, the Skulltrail platform has a lot to offer including the first support for SLI cards on an Intel platform.  Legit Reviews dives further into the details with their Intel SkullTrail Preview - Dual Core 2 Extreme QX9775 Processors.  More details can be found in the Intel SkullTrail Platform from motherboards.org where they state the QX9775 processor is simply a LGA771 version of the QX9770 processor (reviewed HERE by OCC).  Neoseeker posted the Phenom 9600 Black Edition Review & TLB Fix Investigation and reveals the microcode fix for the TLB erratum has some pretty astounding effects on performance.  While we're discussing CPUs take a look at the Zalman CNPS8700 LED Low Noise Heatsink from FrostyTech for a capable low-noise cooling solution.  HotHardware is back with more workstation-class GPUs with their FireGL V5600 vs. QuadroFX 1700 vs. FireGL V3600.  In the gaming GPU department, there is the ASUS EN8800GTS TOP at Bjorn3D.  We also have the  BFGTech 8800 GTS 512MB OC2 WC Edition at [H]ardocp.  Not only is the card factory overclocked, it also includes a pre-installed Danger Den water block.  If water cooling is not in your budget then check out the Arctic Cooling Accelero Xtreme 8800 Video Card Cooler reviewed by Madshrimps.  Enthusiasts looking for an Intel-based board with PCI-E 2.0 and support for the 1600 MHz FSB need to check out the Asus Maximus Extreme Intel X38 Express Motherboard at PCSTATS.  Touch screens seem to be the rage a la the iPod Touch and the iPhone and the Super Talent VIDEGO28 Touch Screen Digital Media Player at ExtremeMHz is another entry with that feature.  Rounding out our selection today, ThinkComputers looks at the Zalman ZM-RS6F USB Surround Sound Headphones.

iPhone and iPod Touch Get Increased Storage

Category: Memory, Mobile, Music / Video Players, Storage / Hard Drives
Posted: February 5, 2008 05:52PM
Author: Ben Grantham

DailyTech -

Apple introduced new iPhone and iPod Touch models today with increased storage over those previously available. The iPhone is now available in a new 16GB flavour and the iPod Touch is available with 32GB of storage. Both if these increased capacity verions of the devices will set you back $499, and will also come loaded with the latest 1.1.3 firmware, which gives some extra applications to the iPod Touch (Weather, Mail, Stocks and Notes). The iPhone gets an updated Maps app with the new firmware (with position triangulation), plus improvements to text messaging and web clip support.

Both new versions of the devices are available as of now online at the Apple store, or at any of its retail sites.

Hardware Roundup: Tuesday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, Cases, Operating Systems, Gaming, Music / Video Players, Storage / Hard Drives, VGA Cooling
Posted: January 29, 2008 05:51AM
Author: Dale Shuck

The flurry of reviews of the ATI HD 3870 X2 from yesterday has subsided somewhat but we have a couple more installments.  First up is an entry that arrived after our last roundup was posted from Legit Reviews and their look at the ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 Video Card.  So what is the best setup - two HD 3870s in Crossfire mode or a single HD 3870 X2?  TweakTown takes a look at HD 3870 in Crossfire vs. HD 3870 X2 to help you decide.  Next up we have two cases from the same manufacturer.  LAN Addict opens up the Sunbeamtech Freezing Storm ATX Case for us to examine.  The other offering is the Sunbeam Tuniq 3 Case from 3dGameMan.  High-end graphics cards require extreme cooling, especially for those of us who overclock their cards.  That often means turning to an after-market cooler.  NVNews reviews the Inno3D GeForce 8800 GT i-ChiLL that comes from the factory equipped with an Artic Cooling Accelero X1 cooler.  Neoseeker has a look at the MSI K9A2 Platinum 790FX Motherboard, an AM2+ board based on the AMD 790FX Northbridge/SB600 Southbridge chipset.  For Intel fans, Techgage brings us the Gigabyte GA-P31-DS3L, offering us a chance to examine a budget board based on the P31 chipset.  The Galaxy Tvisto Pro Digital Media Enclosure is a big name for a little product.  ThinkComputers finds this device comes up short where it counts.  PCSTATS has Beginners Guide: 99 Windows Vista Performance Tips and Tweaks.  We also have another guide, this time for gamers with Oblivion: Shivering Isles Walkthrough at OCModShop.

Hardware Roundup: Thursday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, CPU's, Cases, Cooling, Gaming, Music / Video Players, Input Devices, Monitors, Gadgets, VGA Cooling
Posted: January 24, 2008 06:16AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Many hardware manufacturers are beginning to tout their products as supporting the ESA standard and are even prominently display the ESA logo.  Just what is ESA?  PC Perspective explains it all in their NVIDIA ESA: Enthusiast System Architecture article.  AMD/ATI has been getting some of the limelight with their HD 3850/3870 video cards.  TweakTown shares the MSI Radeon HD 3870 X2 OC Graphics Card with us and you need to pay attention to the "X2" in the name because this is the new dual GPU version!  Sharing the spotlight is the fact that AMD also just released two other cards as well and Legit Reviews looks at the ATI Radeon HD 3450 and Radeon HD 3650 Video Cards.  For NVIDIA fans there is always the Inno3D 8800 GT iChill at Overclocker Cafe which sports a factory overclock and an Arctic Cooling Accelero X1 cooler.  There's another new video technology making its way onto the market these days and you can head over to Techgage to read about DisplayLink - Multi-Display Setups with USB.  Crysis is a game known for bringing many a system to  its knees.  What does it take to play this game at the highest resolutions?  HotHarware has the Crysis v1.1 NVIDIA 3-Way SLI Performance Update.  What good is a new video card without a large monitor to show off all that eye candy?  That's where the Samsung SyncMaster 275T TFT LCD comes in and LAN Addict gives us a chance to check it out.  Madshrimps just posted their Foxconn P35AP-S Motherboard Revisited: New BIOS.  FrostyTech looks at the Xigmatek MAC-S3501 DDR/DDR2 Memory Heatspreaders and questions just how necessary is an active memory cooling solution.  The Lian Li PC-P80 Case garners some pretty strong superlatives in the video review from 3dGameMan.  Low power CPUs are more often found in mobile devices, not in enthusiasts' machines so find out what [H]ardocp has to say about VIA's New Centaur Designed Isaiah CPU Architecture.  TechReport has a quick look at SanDisk's Sansa Clip MP3 player for those of you looking for a small music player whose name doesn't begin with an 'i'.  When gaming, if your hands sweat like a kid on his first date then the Logitech ChillStream Actively Cooled Gamepad at Tweak News might be the answer for you.  Don't forget to check out the Geeks 7" Digital Picture Frame over at Monster-Hardware before you go.

Format Wars Continue, Toshiba Lowers Prices

Category: Optical Drives, Music / Video Players
Posted: January 14, 2008 06:48PM
Author: Dale Shuck

PC Mag -

When Warner Bros announced they would pull support for HD DVD and only publish titles in the Blu-ray format, many thought that settled the high-definition format question.  In fact, some said the lifetime HD DVD format supported by Toshiba could now be measured in weeks if not days.  Well, it looks as if Toshiba is not going down without a fight and said they are lowering prices on their HD DVD players.  That move leaves an entry level unit at only $150.  The highest end player would set you back about $400.  In addition, Toshiba reaffirmed its commitment to their existing partners and vowed to increase its marketing efforts.  Where does that leave the consumer?  Mainstream consumers might be swayed by the lower prices only to find themselves stuck down the road with a format for which there are no titles (insert inevitable Betamax vs. VHS analogy here).  Instead of a clearcut winner, it looks like the war will linger on for a bit longer.

Hardware Roundup: Monday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Memory, Mobile, Gaming, Music / Video Players, Digital Photography/Video, Storage / Hard Drives, CPU Cooling, VGA Cooling, Trade Shows/Conventions
Posted: January 14, 2008 05:12AM
Author: Dale Shuck

We have a lot of ground to cover in today's roundup so let's jump right in.  First up is the ASUS EN8800GTS 512MB Graphics Card at Tech ARP.  Several cooling products made their way into today's offerings.  OCModSHop has a look at the Danger Den MC-TDX 775 CPU Waterblock and evaluates its compares its performance to the previous TDX block.  Virtual-Hideout looks at the ASUS Triton 75 CPU Cooler which features a fan-less cooling design that also allows you to choose your own 120mm fan similar to some of Thermalright's products.  The Zerotherm Hurricane HC92 CU 8800 VGA Cooler is designed for cooling the latest generation of video cards and Tweaknews evaluates this beast to see if the bulky design of this cooler is worth it.  Our friends at Bonafide Reviews have a look at the second generation Zune 2 80GB MP3 Player.  The battle for DDR3 memory supremacy continues to heat up (literally) and Overclockers Online reviews the Corsair Dominator PC3-14400 (TWIN3X2048-1800C7DFIN) kit with its included Corsair Dominator AirFlow fan setup.  For the gamers we have Crysis 1.1 Patch Performance with Multi-GPU Testing from TechSpot.  Tired of all that cable clutter under your desk?  Take a look at the ULTRA Stackable at Bjorn3D (also check out the OCC review here).  Finally, ThinkComputers brings us more CES 2008 coverage with articles on Antec, Microsoft, Viewsonic and Thermaltake.

ASUS EN8800GTS 512MB Graphics Card @ Tech ARP
CES 2008: Antec @ ThinkComputers
Danger Den MC-TDX 775 CPU Waterblock @ OCModShop
CES 2008: Microsoft @ ThinkComputers
CES 2008: ViewSonic @ ThinkComputers
Zune 2 80GB MP3 Player @ Bonafide Reviews
Corsair Dominator PC3-14400 (TWIN3X2048-1800C7DFIN) @ Overclockers Online
Crysis 1.1 Patch Performance with Multi-GPU Testing @ TechSpot
ASUS Triton 75 CPU Cooler @ Virtual-Hideout
ULTRA Stackable @ Bjorn3D
CES 2008: Thermaltake @ ThinkComputers
Zerotherm Hurricane HC92 CU 8800 VGA Cooler @ Tweaknews

Hardware Roundup: Wednesday Edition

Category: Motherboards, Cases, Power Supplies, Music / Video Players, Storage / Hard Drives, CPU Cooling, Trade Shows/Conventions
Posted: January 9, 2008 06:25AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Wednesday marks day 3 of CES 2008 so be sure to check out OCC's continuing coverage.   We kick off today's roundup with a three power supply reviews.  StarTech.com is not a well known manufacturer even though they've been around for over 10 years and [H]ardocp looks at the StarTech.com WattSmart EPSPOW850PRO 850w PSU to see how it stacks up.  On the other end of the spectrum DarkVision Hardware gives us an opportunity to check out the PC Power & Cooling Silencer 610 PSU.  If you already have a capable power supply but are looking to give your system a bit of a boost, check out the Ultra Power Partner PSU at RBMods.  FrostyTech looks at the Auras LPT-709 Wave Heatsink.  Looking to expand your storage capacity?  Neoseeker has the QNAP TS-109 Turbo Station NAS which is a single drive device.  Just remember to bring your own hard drive.  TweakTown gives us a first look at an Intel X48 chipset motherboard in their GIGABYTE X48-DQ6 Mobo - DES Arrives!.  If you're looking for a full tower, bigger is better type of chassis, Tweaknews has the Thermaltake SwordM Full Tower Case.  Bjorn3D takes a look at the iPod Touch 16 GB.  Wrapping up is more coverage from CES 2008: Nyko's Product Lineup at CES 2008 at OCModShop, CES 2008: Digital Experience at ThinkComputers.org and NVIDIA at CES 2008 from PC Perspective.

Nyko's Product Lineup at CES 2008 @ OCModShop
StarTech.com WattSmart EPSPOW850PRO 850w PSU @ [H]
Auras LPT-709 Wave Heatsink @ FrostyTech
QNAP TS-109 Turbo Station NAS @ Neoseeker
GIGABYTE X48-DQ6 Mobo - DES Arrives! @ TweakTown
CES 2008: Digital Experience @ ThinkComputers
Thermaltake SwordM Full Tower Case @ Tweaknews
iPod Touch 16 GB @ Bjorn3D
Ultra Power Partner PSU @ RBMods
PC Power & Cooling Silencer 610 PSU @ DarkVision Hardware
NVIDIA at CES 2008 @ PC Perspective

Hardware Roundup: Monday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, Memory, Gaming, Music / Video Players, Input Devices, Monitors, Gadgets, CPU Cooling, Trade Shows/Conventions
Posted: January 7, 2008 06:57AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Our Monday roundup marks the official opening of CES 2008 and OCC has already begun its coverage along with with some of our affiliates.  But first we need to see what else is up for review today.  We have a daily double from Tech ARP with their Crysis Benchmarking Guide and their updated Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide.  Virtual-Hideout takes on the Razer Lachesis Gaming Mouse.  Motherboards.org has a look at the V7 D24W33 24 Inch (HDMI) LCD Monitor from Video 7.  DD@ memory is still alive and kicking and TweakTown reviews the PNY DDR2 XLR8 PC2-9384 2GB Memory Kit.  For those of you looking for an easy way to get into water cooling, Tweaknews has the Thermaltake Bigwater 760i Liquid Cooling System up for review today.  In the budget motherboard department, Bjorn3D has a look at the Gigabyte GA-P31-DS3L based on the Intel P31 chipset.  If you didn't get a new music player under the tree this year, head on over to RBMods for a review of the Apple iPod Nano 3rd Generation.  Now, on to CES coverage.  In addition to OCC's own coverage, today we have CES Unveiled 2008 at ThinkComputers.org, CES Unveiled & Logitech Announcements at Techgage and Warner Home Video Fallout Hits CES 2008 from Madshrimps.

Crysis Benchmarking Guide @ Tech ARP
Razer Lachesis Gaming Mouse @ Virtual-Hideout
V7 D24W33 24 Inch (HDMI) LCD Monitor @ Motherboards.org
Nyko Intercooler for Playstation 3 @ OCModShop
CES Unveiled 2008 @ ThinkComputers.org
CES Unveiled & Logitech Announcements @ Techgage
Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide @ Tech ARP
Warner Home Video Fallout Hits CES 2008 @ Madshrimps
PNY DDR2 XLR8 PC2-9384 2GB Memory Kit @ TweakTown
Thermaltake Bigwater 760i Liquid Cooling System @ Tweaknews
Gigabyte GA-P31-DS3L @ Bjorn3D
Apple iPod Nano 3rd Generation @ RBMods

Hardware Roundup: Thursday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Cooling, Music / Video Players, Storage / Hard Drives, Gadgets
Posted: December 27, 2007 05:50AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Our roundup this morning starts off with the TerraTec NOXON iRadio Network Music Player at Madshrimps.  This little gadget allows you to stream Internet radio or music from your PC's hard drive.  Those with a water cooled rig will want to check out the Icebox 5.25 UV Blue Dual Bay Reservoir from Virtual-Hideout.  Many users are looking for ways to increase their storage capacity for backups using external drives. NVNews reviews the Western Digital MyBook External Hard Drive.  If portability is what you're looking for, check out the OCZ ATV Turbo (4GB) at Overclockers Online.  ThinkComputers has a look at the Spire Endo Laptop Bag.  Wrapping up today's offerings, TweakTown has the factory overclocked ZOTAC GeForce 8800GT AMP! Edition video card.

TerraTec NOXON iRadio Network Music Player @ Madshrimps
Icebox 5.25 UV Blue Dual Bay Reservoir @ Virtual-Hideout
Western Digital MyBook External Hard Drive @ NVNews
OCZ ATV Turbo (4GB) @ Overclockers Online
Spire Endo Laptop Bag @ ThinkComputers
ZOTAC GeForce 8800GT AMP! Edition @ TweakTown

Hardware Roundup: Monday Edition

Category: Motherboards, Cases, Memory, Cooling, Power Supplies, Mobile, Music / Video Players
Posted: November 26, 2007 11:30AM
Author: Dale Shuck

There's always a lot to do after a long holiday weekend so now it's time to kick back and see what's been going on around the net.  Leading off today's roundup is a look at the Zalman 850w power supply which offers a combination of hard-wired and modular cables.  TweakTown takes a look and G.Skill DD2 and DDR3 memory kits.  We have quite a few video card reviews including the NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT at Tech ARP, the ASUS GeForce 8800GT 512MB at TweakTown, Diamond ATI HD 3850/3870 from motherboards.org and the XFX 8800 GT Alpha Dog XXX Edition at Bjorn3D.  Also in the video card category, TweakTown examines the Albatron Blue Ray Decoder Card which is really just an 8500GT card in disguise. TweakTown also brings us a look at the ATI Catalyst 7.11 drivers.  Also in today's line up are three enclosure reviews: CoolerMaster Cosmos 1000 (Virtual-Hideout), Ultra m998 (OC Cafe) and the Silverstone Kublai Series KL01 (ThinkComputers.org).  Our friends over at Madshrimps take a look at the MSI Platinum Combo, the DFI P35 Lanparty, Foxconn's P35AP-S and the Asus P5K Vanilla in their P35 motherboard roundup.  Finally, we have a few miscellaneous items including The Nanoxia silent case fans at Tweaknews, a look at the Microsoft Zune 80GB digital media player over at ExtremeMHz and the Kingston 8GB DataTraveler II+ Migo Edition flash drive brought to us by Techgage.  And, for those of you who might be familiar with Lowepro's line of photographers' bags, wander on over to ThinkComputers and check out the Lowepro Slim Factor S Laptop Bag.  Now, get back to work!

Zalman ZM850-HP Power Supply @ Virtual-Hideout
G.Skill DDR2 and DDR3 Memory Kits @ TweakTown
NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT Graphics Card @ Tech ARP
ATI Catalyst 7.11 Analysis - XP & Vista @ TweakTown
Lowepro Slim Factor S Laptop Bag @ ThinkComputers.org
CoolerMaster Cosmos 1000 Enclosure @ Virtual-Hideout
Ultra m998 Case @ Overclocker Cafe
Microsoft Zune 80GB Digital Media Player @ ExtremeMHz
ASUS GeForce 8800GT 512MB Graphics Card @ TweakTown
Kingston 8GB DataTraveler II+ Migo Edition @ Techgage
Diamond ATI HD 3850/3870 @ motherboards.org
Albatron Blue Ray Decoder Card @ TweakTown
Nanoxia Silent Case Fans @ Tweaknews.net
XFX 8800 GT Alpha Dog XXX Edition @ Bjorn3D
4-Way Intel P35 Motherboard Overclocking Roundup @ Madshrimps
x264 Benchmark Results Updated @ Tech ARP
Silverstone Kublai Series KL01 Case @ ThinkComputers.org
Portal @ Bonafide Reviews

Zune 30 Firmware Update, New Marketplace Software Due November 13

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: November 6, 2007 07:44AM
Author: Josh Jones

Daily Tech - Microsoft announced their upcoming Zune a couple of months ago, but many were surprised to hear what came out yesterday. Not only is Microsoft going to release the new Zune next wek, but the highly touted firmware and software capabilities of the new Zune will also be vailable to original Zune owners (now known as Zune 30) as well! These features include: the ability to play back mpeg4 and h.264 video files, a drop in the 3-day rule in regards to transferred music, wireless sync capability over your wireless network, and more. The new firmware will be released November 13 according to Microsoft. The new Zune 80 carries a $249 price tag, has a larger screen and is thinner and lighter than the Zune 30. There will also be smaller flash-based Zunes, in 4 and 8 GB models, to compete with the iPod Nano.

The Barbie iPod Dock: Yes, it's Pink and Flowery

Category: Music / Video Players, General News
Posted: October 21, 2007 06:32AM
Author: road-runner

Engadget - Looking for that special gift for your daughter this Holiday season? The new Emerson Barbie iPod dock may be the one your looking for, it also includes a FM stereo radio, an alarm clock, MP3 player, and comes in pink with flowery speaker enclosures. With the Holiday season rapidly approaching parents surely will be emptying there wallets again for there loved ones. A quick search revealed it can be found for $69.99.

OCC Affiliate Reviews: Thursday Edition

Category: CPU's, Sound Cards, Cooling, Music / Video Players, CPU Cooling
Posted: September 27, 2007 12:44PM
Author: kingdingeling

Loads of reviews around the net today, I don't know where to start! Lets go from the MSI China Tour over at [H]ardOCP. We have the Samsung YP-K5 MP3 Player Review at ThinkComputers and the Auzentech X-Fi Prelude 7.1 Sound Card review at NVnews for the Audiophiles. For the overclockers, we have reviews of the Zalman VF-1000 LED and ZM-RHS88 VGA heatsinks from the OCModshop, and also from Zalman, the ZM-GWB 8800GTX/Ultra full-coverage waterblock review at Accelenation. TweakTown has the Asus BC-1205PT Blu-ray ROM Drive on the review bench. If that's not enough Blu-Ray for you, check out the Samsung BD-P1200 Blu-Ray Player reviewed by Tweaknews. Bjorn3D has some DDR3 up for reviewing again, this time it's the Dominator Twin3X2048-1800C7. Also, the Cooler Master Hyper 212 universal PC cooler is reviewed there. TechARP has two articles for us today, one talking about the release of NVIDIAs 7 series mobile GPUs, the other being the AMD Quad-Core Opteron (Barcelona) Technology Report part 2. PCApex has the Hiper HPU-5K770 770W PSU on the workbench, which should not only convince with it's mirror finish. 3dGameMan has a network storage device for two drives up for reviewing, the A.C. Ryan AluBoxDuo LAN. For the gamers, TweakTown is reviewing the Inno3D 8600GT iChill, which you could then directly test with Enemy Territory: Quake Wars reviewed by NVnews. Techgage also has some coverage for the DigitalLife 2007 from the pre-DigitalLife show.

- MSI China Tour 2007 @ [H]ardOCP
- Samsung YP-K5 MP3 Player Review @ ThinkComputers
- Auzentech X-Fi Prelude 7.1 Sound Card Review @ NVnews
- ASUS BC-1205PT Blu-ray ROM Drive Review @ TweakTown
- Zalman VF-1000 LED and ZM-RHS88 VGA Heatsink Review @ OCModshop
- Corsair DOMINATOR TWIN3X2048-1800C7 DDR3 Review @ Bjorn3D
- Zalman ZM-GWB 8800 Ultra/GTX Water Block Review @ Accelenation
- NVIDIA Launches GeForce 7 mGPUs Article @ TechARP
- Hiper HPU-5K770 770W PSU Review @ PCApex
- A.C. Ryan AluBoxDuo LAN Review @ 3dGameMan
- Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Gameplay Performance @ NVNews
- Inno3D GeForce 8600GT iChill Review @ TweakTown
- DigitalLife 2007: Showstoppers Coverage @ TechGage
- Samsung BD-P1200 Blu-ray Player Review @ TweakNews
- Cooler Master Hyper 212 universal PC cooler Review @ Bjorn3D
- AMD Quad-Core Opteron (Barcelona) Technology Report Part 2 @ TechARP

News: Huge markup on the new iPod Nano

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: September 20, 2007 10:21AM
Author: Carl Dunham

BetaNews -

While the top-of-the-line 8 GB Apple iPod Nano still retails for $199, the completely revised new model costs Apple about $7 less to build than the previous edition, based on a preliminary teardown analysis by iSuppli. With a bill-of-materials at $82.85 per unit, according to iSuppli's estimate, Apple enjoys a nearly 42% markup in retail price. Though iSuppli has yet to reveal the full report, the company's announcement this morning is that its reverse engineers discovered a very, very different system on the inside than the previous generation. Gone are parts from NXP Semiconductors and Cypress Semiconductor, and in their place are parts from, among others, Synaptics (which makes a triumphant return), Dialog, Intersil, and for the first time, Micron Technology.

News: iPod Lineup Renewed - Now iPod Touch, Classic, Nano And Shuffle

Category: Internet, Mobile, Manufacturers, Music / Video Players, Digital Photography/Video
Posted: September 5, 2007 02:36PM
Author: Ben Grantham

DailyTech - Well, as was speculated Apple revealed a major update to its iPod lineup today, with significant and not so significant changes to all models. The new addition to the iPod family is the iPod touch, which as the name would suggest is basically the same as an iPhone without the 'phone' features. It also doubles the capacity of the iPhone, coming in 8GB and 16GB flavours. The iPod touch does retain the Wi-Fi capabilities of the iPhone so you can use it for web browsing in the appropriate hotspots.

What was the iPod Video is now called the iPod classic. It features the familiar look of previous iPod generations, but is now of completely metal construction and thinner than the older model. The HDD capacity doubles up here as well, jumping from 80GB to 160GB. Plenty for all but the most demanding of music collections I would imagine. Battery life is also claimed to improve, with up to 40 hours of music or 7 hours of video playback.

The iPod Nano is still called the Nano, but looks considerably different from earlier Nano models as it moves to a video capable format (with a 2" QVGA display). The new Nano comes in five different colours and in capacities of 4GB and 8GB. Both the iPod Classic and iPod Nano will feature a new interface which includes the now familiar cover flow. The iPod shuffle does get a refresh as well, but simply in the form of a new range of colours (for a sense of completeness on Apples part I suspect).

The new models should be available sometime this week at the following prices: iPod Touch 8GB for $299 and 16GB for $399 - iPod Classic 80GB for $249 and 160GB for $349 - iPod Nano 4GB for $149 and 8GB for $199 - iPod shuffle 1GB for $79. That gives apple a complete top to bottom price scale, which should mean all models find some form of popularity.

News: Update to the iPod line?

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: September 5, 2007 07:23AM
Author: Carl Dunham

PC World - Apple is famously tight-lipped when it comes to future product announcements. But the company may have tipped its hand about its plans this week when issuing invitations to a Wednesday, September 5 press event at the Moscone West expo hall in San Francisco. The invitations for Wednesday's event feature the same iPod-wielding silhouette that makes up Apple's ad campaign for its portable music player. And that, plus the large-scale venue selected for the event, has amped up speculation that the company plans to overhaul its iPod line in a significant way. Specifically, chatter on iPod-focused Web sites and other places Apple fans are likely to hang out suggest that a new "sixth-generation" video iPod may be on the way. The more popular rumors suggest the possibilities of Wi-Fi connectivity or a variation on the "multi-touch" interface used by Apple's much-hyped iPhone.

OCC News: Super Talent Launches New Family of Personal Media Players

Category: OCC News, Music / Video Players
Posted: August 29, 2007 05:27PM
Author: Dale Shuck

Super Talent is best known for its line of DRAM and flash memory products and they just extended their product lineup with a new family of flash-based personal digital media players.  The three siblings in the new VIDEGO lineup and all feature MP3/WMA music playback, built-in FM tuners with presets and voice recording capability. Each unit also comes equipped with full color active matrix OLED displays for browsing photos and AVI video files.  Two of the models, the VIDEGO24T and the VIDEGO28 also boast touch screen control.  The PMPs come in 1GB-4GB capacity models with mini/micro SD card expansion slots.  Other specs include various repeat modes, equalizer setting and up to eight hours audio playback from the built in rechargeable lithium battery.  The top of the line VIDEGO28 with a 2.4" screen and 4GB memory is expected to sell for around $125 US.

News: Apple TV Service Launches In The UK

Category: Internet, Music / Video Players, Digital Photography/Video
Posted: August 29, 2007 04:42AM
Author: Ben Grantham

BBC News - Apple's video download service has been available in the US for the past couple of years. Now Apple is adding a video catalogue the UK iTunes store, which can be viewed on a TV through the Apple TV peripheral. Initially only 28 TV series will be available, though Apple is promising more content soon. Users will be able to download episodes of US shows such as Lost, Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty for £1.89 a pop. Unlike some other 'catch-up' services that are available, any content purchased through iTunes can be kept.

OCC News: DreamWorks Animation, Paramount Choose HD DVD

Category: Optical Drives, Music / Video Players
Posted: August 20, 2007 04:26PM
Author: Dale Shuck

eWeek -

The HD DVD Blu-Ray war took an interesting twist today as Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation announced they are settling on HD DVD exclusively for their new releases.  Paramount had previously released titles in both formats but decided to move to HD DVD exclusively based on the decision that that format offered better quality and  lower-priced players and reduced manufacturing costs.  That means that you'll be only able to get  "Blades of Glory", "Transformers" and "Shrek the Third" on HD DVD when they're released this fall.

"So far, most of the major Hollywood studios are selling Blu-Ray titles, and HD DVD sales have lagged. But some HD DVD supporters hope to broaden their appeal to consumers based on cost. The lowest-priced, stand-alone HD DVD player sells for $299, compared with $499 for the lowest-cost Blu-Ray option."

News: Universal To Trial DRM-Free Tracks, But Not On iTunes

Category: Internet, Music / Video Players, General News
Posted: August 10, 2007 01:40PM
Author: Ben Grantham

BBC News - You are unlikely to find many consumers who are fans of DRM (digital rights management) and many companies seem to be coming round to the idea of allowing their music out there without the usual copy protection. Universal is the latest to announce they will be opting to provide DRM-free music, albeit for a trial period only. The trial also notably excludes Apple's iTunes music store, which just happens to be the third largest music retailer in the US. - jammin *News Editor*

"Most major recording studios insist music sellers use DRM technology to curb online piracy. Universal artists include 50 Cent, the Black Eyed Peas, and Amy Winehouse. Universal said: "The experiment will run from August to January and analyze such factors as consumer demand, price sensitivity and piracy in regards to the availability of open MP3s." Retailers including Google, Wal-Mart, and Amazon.com, will participate in the DRM-free trial, Universal said."

News: PS3 Will Get DVR In 2008

Category: Gaming, Music / Video Players
Posted: August 2, 2007 08:50AM
Author: Ben Grantham

DailyTech - Well, at least in New Zealand it apparently will, as Sony Computer Entertainment New Zealand head of marketing Warwick Light recently talked about. The PS3 certainly has the potential to integrate such functions if given the necessary add ons, and it would fit in with Sony's idea of the console as an all singing, all dancing media machine. I can imagine even the 80GB HDD version of the console would start to look a little lacking once you started packing video onto it though - jammin *News Editor*

"Although Sony may release different functions according to region, it’s no secret that the PlayStation 3 is an extremely versatile media hub. As of firmware version 1.80, the PlayStation 3 is a Digital Living Networked Alliance (DLNA)-compatible device, allowing it to stream media.Light describes this new feature as “sort of a sharing format between compatible networked devices. It means I can have my laptop, and my PS3 can wirelessly detect movies, or music, or pictures stored on it and stream it to my TV. That content will appear on the PS3's X-media bar.”

OCC News: X-Micro Announces New MP3 Players

Category: OCC News, Music / Video Players
Posted: July 31, 2007 10:04PM
Author: Dale Shuck

OverclockersClub -

X-Micro recently announced two new additions to its line of music/video players, the X-VDO MP4 F510 and the EVA 220 MP3 Player.  The X-VDO MP4 F510 personal media player does more than just play music however.  The slim and elegance device conceals a WMA/MP3 player, a video player, a FM radio, voice recoder, photo viewer and more. The EVA 220 MP3 Player is a flash-based portable digital MP3 player which includes a blue backlit LCD display, FM radio and voice recorder.  Included in the package is a set of earphones and  and the device sports an integrated USB connector.  Both units will be offered with 512MB / 1GB / 2GB / 4GB NAND flash memory.

News: BBC iPlayer Launches

Category: Internet, Music / Video Players, Software
Posted: July 27, 2007 04:00AM
Author: Ben Grantham

BBC News - The BBC is finally launching its online video service, allowing users to register for the service today. The project has been going for some time now (since 2003) and has been subject to some controversy, such as the fact that it will only be available for computers running Windows XP on launch. - jammin *News Editor*

"For director general Mark Thompson, the launch of iPlayer is as big a milestone as the arrival of colour TV. But others have questioned how technically reliable it will be and whether it is late to a crowded market. At launch, a fixed number of people will be able to sign up, with the numbers increasing throughout the year. The iPlayer allows viewers to download a selection of programmes from the last seven days and watch them for up to 30 days afterwards."

News: Steve Jobs - Top Music "Powergeek"

Category: Internet, Music / Video Players, General News
Posted: July 18, 2007 10:27AM
Author: Ben Grantham

CNN - U.S. music magazine Blender has placed Jobs at the top of its "Powergeek 25", a list detailing the most influential people in web music. It's no secret that the way people listen to music has changed dramatically over the past few years, with CD sales taking a downturn and a lot of the traditional music industry scrambling to keep up. Second on the list are Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe, the founders of the bane of existence to many, the Myspace social networking site. - jammin *News Editor*

"In third place were the creators of YouTube, Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, whose file-sharing site has become "the star-maker MTV used to be". At No. 4 was 68-year-old Universal Music Group chairman/CEO Doug Morris, whom the industry sees as a main influencer of digital music policy moves, including royalties and licensing. Ryan Schreiber, who set up the Web magazine Pitchfork, was named fifth with his online music publication having "the power to create instant audiences for tiny bands like Art Brut and the Go! Team before they even release albums."