About Electronics

Monster, best known for its high-end cable range, has released a high-definition TV calibration disc, in association with the ISF (Imaging Science Foundation). Using a wizard-style interface, the DVD allows users to correctly balance black level, contrast and colour.

 “This is the one DVD that will improve all your other DVDs,” enthuses Joel Silver, President of the Imaging Science Foundation. Monster promises that the presentation includes a “step-by-step video walk through, with no intimidating test patterns or complicated programming, and no extra equipment required.” The disc, co-produced by the ISF, is hosted by Jenna Drey and ‘Head Monster’ Noel Lee, but don’t let that put you off. It sells for 29.68 euro.

(source: AV zombie)

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Smarthouse: Shot by LG to promote their new Hard Drive HDTV range the commercial was banned by both free to air and pay TV stations across Australia because it prompted consumers to “Snip” out TV commercials. To get the commercial to air, LG Australia had to lay down a new voice track that made no reference to removing commercials.

Watch the ad.

V Networks have banned an original LG “Tuna” commercial that told consumers how to eliminate TV commercials using a brand new plasma and LCD TV system that comes with a built in hard drive.

Instead LG has been forced to modify the commercial to remove all reference to fact that the new LG TV’s will allow consumers to remove instantly any TV commercials from up to 30 hours of recorded content.

The LG TV ad that consumers will see now includes the line: “And when you replay, you can skip straight back to the action.”

Originally the commercial that was shown to journalists at the launch of the new TV said “When you replay, you can skip the ads.”

All commercial TV stations in Australia including Nine, Seven Ten and pay TV station Foxtel banned the commercial following discussions among all of them.

The move does not stop LG running the original TV commercial online or having the commercial posted to a YouTube or other online video site.
LG’s marketing manager, Darren Goble told SmartHouse News that he hoped the TV stations did not ban the commercial. “We have a great product and yes it does remove TV commercials easily but so do several other devices”.

TV stations in Australia are desperate to stop the introduction of any technology that allows content to be recorded.

Recently Channel Nine owner PBL went to the extent of taking legal action against Australian Company Ice TV who has developed electronic program guide software that allows consumers to pre record TV programs onto DVD recorders, media centres and set top boxes and then remove the TV commercials.

PBL barristers in the NSW Federal Court have claimed that Ice TV are in breach of Australian copyright laws by identifying within the Ice TV software which TV programs are scheduled to go to air.

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EngadgetHD: With reports circulating in specialist AV press that there’s no (discernable) difference between 1080i and 1080p, it’s quite understandable to still be skeptical when television manufacturers are screaming otherwise and touting 1080p as the new “must have” feature.

In the latest battle between the two outputs, eagle-eyed testers at CNET compared the 1080p output from the Blu-ray version of the hot-selling M:I III film on five different displays. With monitors sporting resolutions ranging from 1,024 x 768 to 1,366 x 768 to 1,920 x 1,080, the conclusions were unsurprisingly similar to various other studies.

Essentially, reviewers stated that in a vast majority of the scenes, the “level of detail was virtually identical” across the higher resolution sets, and that even the (relatively) low resolution Philips 42PF9631D plasma showed imagery “difficult to discern” from more elite monitors. Overall, testers felt that native 1080p rendered “slightly more detail in near background images in scenes with long depths of field,” but was otherwise not really “necessary,” and recommended that prospective buyers save their cash for the time being rather than buying in (literally) to the 1080p hype right now.

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TG Daily: Global LCD TV demand will grow 40-50% in 2007, driven mainly by CRT TV replacement demand and the increase in digital TV  broadcasting, according to Satoshi Okawa, deputy president, TV Group, Sony.

LCD TVs will account for 42% of overall TV shipments by 2008, up from 22% this year, Okawa said, adding that the segment will account for 75% of overall TV revenues in 2008, up from 61% this year.

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The Guardian:  We couldn’t believe that headline, either.  But according to Computing Which? magazine, motorists should not bother switching on that fancy piece of kit on your dashboard. The consumer magazine Computing Which? has confirmed what thousands of frustrated motorists already know from bitter experience: that the best source of directions is not an expensive satellite navigation system, but a map. 

In a trial that will delight Luddites and the long-suffering partners of gadget enthusiasts, the magazine tested four route-finding aids to determine the best way to reach a particular destination. Three hi-tech systems, including a £220 satnav box, a Microsoft software package and the government’s own direction-finding website, were tested alongside the more old-fashioned method. The most effective? A copy of the AA’s Great Britain Road Atlas, priced £8 (€12) from most petrol stations.

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CNN: Web search leader Google Inc.’s chief executive, Eric Schmidt, sees a future where mobile phones are free to consumers who accept watching targeted forms of advertising.Schmidt said Saturday that as mobile phones become more like handheld computers and consumers spend as much as eight to 10 hours a day talking, texting and using the Web on these devices, advertising becomes a viable form of subsidy.

“Your mobile phone should be free,” Schmidt told Reuters. “It just makes sense that subsidies should increase” as advertising rises on mobile phones. (…)

(more…)

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Cellular news: Sweden’s IT Research has reported that sales of 3G handsets in Sweden have doubled over last year to 423,245 phones during the third quarter of this year – representing 42% of the total handset market. Just over one million handsets in total were sold during the 3rd quarter, a rise of 10%.

“The launch of third generation 3G telephones meant that sales doubled for the third quarter, with music mobiles increasing most,” said David Larsson from IT-Research.

Sony Ericsson dominates the 3G handset market, followed by Nokia then Samsung. The Sony Ericsson K800 was the top selling model says the research firm.

IT Research expects that 3.5 million handsets will be sold by the end of this year, a rise of 7% over last year.

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Newlaunches: When we think of buying a home theatre system what exactly do we picture? a few towers speakers or maybe stylish stands and a subwoofer and some more pieces of technology strewn here and there in our living room.

But then, not all of us who can afford those jumbo entertainment systems or live in houses large enough to accommodate all the equipment.

The Philips One Piece DVD Home Theater System showcased at CES 2007 is the solution to the problems of such. Providing all the assets that home theatres provide, in a single unit (save the independent subwoofer), it includes a DVD player with a HDMI output and a 1080p upconversion. It provides mind blowing surround sound with Sonowave speakers (that are conveniently in-built).

The Philips One Piece DVD Home Theatre system is brilliantly sleek to look at and is blessed with a very futuristic styling and finish.
A very covetable piece indeed but then there hasn’t been much say about pricing and the date of release. So let the desire to own this one burn on and on (or at least till the system makes its grand entry into our markets).

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Next-gen: In an interview with the “semi-official” PS3 blog Three Speech, Sony game studio boss Phil Harrison opted not to confirm the console’s announced March 2007 European launch date.

“Given that all of our previous statements about launching in Europe simultaneously with the US and Japan turned out not to be the case, I would not like to make any definitive statements on that,” said Harrison in response to a question about whether or not the PS3 will definitely launch next March in the region.

“It’s not my job to comment on hardware supply issues other than to say some very smart people are working very hard to catch up. In fact, the ramp up is already starting to happen in supply and output, just obviously too late for us to have launched in Europe at the same times as the US,” he stated.

In September, Sony delayed the PS3’s European launch from November 2006 to March 2007, citing “the delay in the mass production schedule of the blue laser diode.” The component is used in the console’s advanced blu-ray disc drive.

The company still plans to ship 6 million PS3 units worldwide by the end of its fiscal year in March 2007.

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Anythingbutipod: Indicative of the global success of Creative’s Creative Zen V and V Plus flash players is the TravelSound Zen V speaker system/docking station announced yesterday in Japan (…).

The TravelSound Zen V is designed exclusively for use with the V and V Plus, allowing simultaneous music playing and battery charging. Priced at an incredible $109 (about 85 euros), the speakers measure 9.3″ x 5.3″ x 2.2″ and are bundled with a wireless remote control, AC adapter, stereo audio cable, carrying pouch, quick start guide, and other paperwork.

The unit itself weighs 1.7 pounds, is equipped with an antenna for the FM tuner built into the V Plus, and features surround sound, mute button, volume controls, and a mode button (for what, we have no idea: I studied Japanese for over 10 years, but I’m still very rusty).

The TravelSound Zen V should be available in Japan in early December, with preorders being accepted in late November.

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NaviGadget: France’s National Geographical Institute (IGN), well-known for its maps of excursion, presented Evadeo, “a GPS which makes it possible to find its road even when there is no more road”. Like any GPS navigation system, Evadeo allows streets navigation and its software has the main features (3D view, POI, speed radar locations but on the other hand no traffic information. The fixed radars are delivered preloaded and IGN offers the free update for 3 months, beyond, it will be necessary to take out an annual subscription of 18 Euros.

The maps of France, comes from Navteq and is dated from the second quarter of 2006 which is very recent. But the strong point of Evadeo, is that while it allows navigation with IGN street maps outside on the roads, it is also practical while wondering around or just on a bike.

Its final price will be 449 Euros and it will be available starting November 15 in two IGN shops as well as the stores specialtly stores.

(more…)

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Mobileburn: Motorola has acquired Good Technology, maker of push email and secure connectivity software for handheld devices, the companies announced today. The two companies have previously been in a business relationship, and the acquisition is said to extend Motorola’s mobile computing capabilities and enterprise client base.

Good Technology’s push email solution is used in the popular Motorola Q smartphone, and is designed to compete with market leader Research In Motion’s Blackberry service. Over the last six years, Good Technology has received over US$ 200 million (155,5 million euro) in funding, though the specifics of Motorola’s acquisition were not disclosed.

The deal is expected to close early 2007 pending regulatory approval and other customary conditions.

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