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HDTV News: Sharp’s elegant AQUOS D62U LCD HDTV series has the power to transform both your viewing room’s decor and your entertainment experience.

The remarkable technology of the 37-inch LC37D62U enhances viewing pleasure using a four-wavelength backlight system producing bright, vivid colors and impressively high-contrasting blacks and whites.

An 8,500:1 dynamic contrast ratio combines with a 6 ms response time, and a 1920 x 1080 pixel full high definition resolution Advanced Super View LCD panel as well as an integrated NTSC/ATSC/QAM digital tuner for stunning display that captures and defines every possible detail.

These visual wonders are complemented by bottom-mounted, recessed stereo speakers with 10 watts x 2 audio output.

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techradar: Details are sketchy but according to Japanese media reports, Toshiba is set to release a super DVD upscaling player that will play normal DVDs at nearly Blu-ray and HD DVD standard.

No technical information has been released but earlier this year the company, in association with Sharp, had developed a new system that allows increased DVD resolution to 960p.

Current DVD upscalers use a process that mathematically matches the pixel count of the output of the DVD signal to the physical pixel count, which is usually 1280×720 (720p) or 1920x1080p.

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The Register: The next major firmware update for the PS3 goes live within two weeks, it’s been claimed. The new system software gives gamers access to the much-hyped in-game messaging and video chat facility.

According to a report on Dutch news site PS Only, an anonymous source has confirmed that firmware 2.4 will be made available by Sony on 18 June. In-game chat and video are expected to become accessible through stocky updates to Sony’s XMB interface. But you’ll need additional hardware, such as Sony’s PS3 Eye camera, to make use of video calls.

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PC PRO: The 3G iPhone could arrive in the UK in July, costing as little as €125, according to reports.
Steve Jobs is expected to unveil the phone at Apple’s Worldwide Developers’ Conference on 9 June, with The Times reporting a UK release slated for some time in July.

If the report proves accurate, it represents a marked shift in attitude for Apple, which left Britons waiting five months for the original to hit these shores.

As part of a new strategy aimed at boosting sales, various sources are also claiming Apple will allow operators to subsidise the device, which could see the price tumble from the original €340 to just €125.

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I4U: On Friday we were checking out the Atomic Bass earphones from Radius. These earphones promise deep bass from your iPod and iPhone. The earphones are available in several colors and are well built.

If you like music with lots of bass and are tired of missing out on that bass from your current earphones, the Atomic Bass earphones are just what you need.

Review excerpt: “The Atomic Bass are certainly one of the best sounding sets of earphones that I have tried and give my iPhone music some serious bass, which I like. I would like to see a set of these with a mic built-in for use with the iPhone for making and receiving calls.”

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The Register: An EU aviation safety project is testing a camera-based passenger surveillance system intended to spot terrorists poised to rush the cockpit.

According to a report in the New Scientist, the European Union’s Security of Aircraft in the Future European Environment (SAFEE) project relies on video cameras being built into every passenger’s seat. Rumours of such aircraft anti-hijack systems have been flying around since the 11 September attcks.

Each camera tracks passengers’ facial expressions, with the footage then analysed by software to detect developing terrorist activity or potential air rage. Six wide-angle cameras are also positioned to monitor the plane’s aisles, presumably to catch anyone standing by the cockpit door with a suspiciously crusty bread roll.

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NaviGadget: According to gigaom the new 3G iPhone will definitely have GPS capabilities thanks to a Broadcam chip. The source mentions that this is due to the FCC requirement that requires all phones be capable of reporting their locations in case of emergencies.

We’re not sure whether the hardware to fulfill FCC requirement would allow door-to-door navigation but Broadcom does offer single-chip AGPS solutions such as the BCM4750.

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PMPToday: Features have been finalized for the Onda VX777. This is a player Onda began to hype a bit a la iPhone leaking features such as camera, WiFi and Net radio. The real VX777 is a more straightforward PMP: 3.0-inch (400 × 240) 16:10 touch screen, TV-out, RMVB support with embedded Real Player 11.

It has multiple flavors of other video playback (direct): FLV/AVI/MOV/ASF/MP4/WMV/3GP/MPG, with APE FLAC lossless support as well. WiFi would’ve been grand, though. The VX777 supports 32GB microSD cards.

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Associated Press: Blu-ray stomped HD DVD to become the standard format for high-definition movie discs, but years may pass before it can claim victory over the good old DVD.

Noemi Velazquez, a 44-year-old warehouse worker, can explain why. She took one look at the $399 price tag of a Blu-ray player at a Best Buy store in Glendale, Calif., and kept going.

“I have to admit, Blu-ray is great,” she said. “(But) I’m going to wait until they go to half-price.”

Analysts, movie studios and the Blu-ray Disc Association, a manufacturing group, all say Blu-ray discs will eventually dominate video sales. The question is when.

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