Details
Optical Storage
Believe it or not, its been 25 years since the first Compact Disc was manufactured at a Philips factory near Hanover, Germany. Since then, more than 200 billion discs have been sold, enough to circle the earth six times. The CD has also helped pave the way for other digital technologies including the DVD and Blu-ray.
Exactly 25 years ago tomorrow, on August 17, 1982, Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE:PHG, AEX:PHI) manufactured the world’s first Compact Disc at a Philips factory in Langenhagen, just outside of Hanover, Germany. The invention of the CD ushered in a technological revolution in the music industry as CDs - with their superior sound quality and scratch free durability - marked the beginning of the shift from analogue to digital music technology. The CD became a catalyst for further innovation in digital entertainment, helping pave the way for the launch of DVD and the current introduction of Blu-ray optical media. Having played a key role in the innovation of digital music, at home and on the move, consumers continue to witness huge advances in entertainment and lifestyle technologies.
I don't know about you, but this news makes me feel especially old as I grew up listening to music on vinyl and cassette. If you'd like to read more about the history of the Compact Disc, head on over to Philips' website. Add a comment

Details
Other

ASUS P5K3 Premium Black Pearl Edition Motherboard @Hardware Zone
Asus R1F Tablet PC @InsideHW.com
Canon EOS 400D Rebel XTi DSLR Camera @Madshrimps
Cooler Master CoolViva Pro VGA Cooler @NGOHQ.com
GIGABYTE P35T-DQ6 Motherboard @TweakTown
Ideazon Fang Gamepad @PC Apex
Intel Pentium Dual-Core E2160 @Hardware Zone
In Win Mt. Jade BK623 Case @HardwareLogic
Jetway 966PDAG-PB Budget S775 Motherboard @Madshrimps
Noctua NC-U6 Chipset Cooler @OCModShop
Sunbeam Freezing Storm PC Case @ThinkComputers.org
Thermaltake Toughpower 1000W PSU @DV Hardware
Thermaltake WingRS 101 Mid Tower Computer Case @Tweaknews.net
Ultra ChillTEC Thermo Electric CPU Cooler @Futurelooks andBenchmark Reviews
Add a comment

Details
Flash Memory
Corsair sent out a press release today, announcing their "Flash Padlock” family of USB flash drives. These affordable drives feature a hardware-enabled auto-lock function that can be disabled by entering a user customizable PIN.

Corsair www.corsair.com, a worldwide leader in high performance computer and flash memory products, today launched the "Flash Padlock” family of affordable USB 2.0 drives, the safest way to secure your data while on the go. Priced starting at only $29.99, the Flash Padlock line of affordable USB 2.0 flash drives address the need for secure data storage through hardware technology, rather than software. Flash Padlock features "Auto-Locking," so the user doesn’t need to remember to enable the protective feature -- It will automatically lock and protect itself after removal from the computer.

With its simple touch-pad security PIN entry system, Flash Padlock can be unlocked quickly and confidentially for use as a standard USB flash data drive. Flash Padlock is impervious to “brute force” hacks or keystroke loggers that would defeat a software secured USB flash drive.
The Flash Padlock is available now in 1GB and 2GB capacities. Full details can be found here. Add a comment

Details
Optical Storage
DigiTimes has reported that drive manufacturers in Taiwan have received inquiries and orders from large retail channels in the U.S. and Europe. According to the article, these retailers may plan to promote the sales of Blu-ray equipped PC's during the upcoming holiday season.
As BD burners are still very expensive, international PC brands are adopting them only for high-end PC models while DVD has remained as the mainstream standard of burners, the sources indicated. Therefore, their order volumes of BD burners are low, typically 2,000-3,000 units for a single order, the sources pointed out.

However, American and European retail channels have recently made inquires to Taiwan makers about OEM/ODM production of built-in BD burners and some of them have placed relatively large orders, as many as 20,000-30,000 units per order, the sources noted. These channels may plan to promote sales of BD-burner equipped PCs during the peak period prior to the 2007 holiday season, the sources pointed out.
Toshiba really needs to get going if they want to grab a share of the PC market. While the company has shown off a few HD DVD writers, they've been limited primarily to high-end laptops. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment

Details
Software
LightScribe Direct Disc Labeling sent out a press release this morning, announcing the launch of their new Travel Kit. Using the tips, templates, and resources in this free, downloadable kit, travelers can add a personal touch to their DVD and CD label designs.
LightScribe Direct Disc Labeling announced today the LightScribe Travel Kit that enables consumers to preserve their vacation memories and add that personal touch to their DVD and CD label designs. The LightScribe Travel Kit's DVD / CD label tips, templates, and resources are available for free download on lightscribe.com - just in time as people return from summer holidays.

To ensure that discs containing their travel memories stand out, customers owning a LightScribe-enabled drive can go to the Travel Kit (www.lightscribe.com/go/create) and download travel DVD and CD label designs, mailers, and disc sleeve designs that reflect their favorite trip memories to share with family and friends.
If you'd like to check it out, the Travel Kit can be downloaded for free from the LightScribe website. More information can also be found here. Add a comment

Details
Home Entertainment
While HD DVD is currently dominating the set-top player market, the format has steadily fallen behind Blu-ray in regards to movie sales. According to a report by Home Media Research, Blu-ray movies outsold HD DVD by 2-to-1 in the U.S. during the first half of 2007.
Blu-ray high-definition movie discs outsold films on the rival HD-DVD format by 2-to-1 in the United States in the first half of 2007, Home Media Research said on Tuesday.

The division of Home Media Magazine said total sales of Blu-ray discs, using a Sony Corp-backed technology, totaled 1.6 million units from January 1 through July 1, compared with 795,000 HD-DVD discs sold in that period.
If you look outside the US, the gap is even larger. Media Control GfK International has reported that Blu-ray is currently selling HD DVD by a 3:1 margin. At this point, I don't think price cuts or promotions like free movies are going to save the format. If Toshiba, Microsoft and Universal can't pull off a win this holiday season, they might as well pack it up and go home. Add a comment

Details
Other

AENEON XTUNE AXT760UD00-19D 2GB Kit (DDR2-1066) @Hardware Zone
Antec Sonata III ATX Enclosure @Metku.net andVirtual-Hideout
Corsair Flash Padlock USB Drive @HotHardware.com
Pinnacle PCTV HD Stick @The TechZone
SteelSeries QcK Mousepad @DV Hardware
Add a comment

Details
Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) announced today that they're seeing an increase in Blu-ray sales among the world's emerging markets. Since April, Blu-ray sales have accounted for 10% of the company's business in these regions.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) today announced an increase in total Blu-ray Disc(TM) (BD) sales across six emerging markets including Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Eastern Europe, South Africa and the Middle East -- illuminating the positive reception from retailers and consumers for the new high-definition format since its launch just four months ago in April 2007.

Since April, Blu-ray Disc sales have accounted for 10% of SPHE's business in the regions. The company saw a 21% increase in BD orders across the month of June alone. "It is extremely positive to see an increase in volume of BD software sales in these markets where piracy has previously ravaged the DVD business," said T. Paul Miller, Senior Vice President, International, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
If you'd like to read more, SPHE's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

Details
Optical Storage
Verbatim Europe has announced that they will be unveiling the world's first single-sided dual-layer HD DVD-R media at IFA. These new discs are rated at 1x and can hold 30GB of data or 4 hours worth of high-def video.
Verbatim and its Japanese parent company Mitsubishi Kagaku Media (MKM) will be unveiling the world’s first single-sided dual-layer HD DVD-R. The twin-layer storage medium offers a capacity of 30 Gigabytes and can be written to at 1 x speed. The European official market launch will be held at the end of August at the IFA in Berlin.

Verbatim is the first brand to launch a single-sided, writeable dual-layer HD DVD-R with 30 GB of data capacity, which is compatible with current drives and burners in the market. The new, high-definition medium offers space for up to four hours of film material in HD quality. “The growing popularity of high-definition TV and programmes in particular is pushing up demand for recording media with a high storage capacity for high-resolution content," says Torsten Leye, Marketing Manager Optical at Verbatim.
No word on price or availability. As we find out more, we'll let you know. In the mean time, Verbatim's entire press release can be found her e. Add a comment

Details
Other

Abit IN9 32X-MAX Wi-Fi Motherboard @InsideHW.com
Corsair Flash Survivor GT 8GB Flash Drive @ThinkComputers.org
D-Link DNS-323 SATA RAID Gigabit NAS @Benchmark Reviews
ECS P35T-A Motherboard Review @HardwareLogic
GIGABYTE GT-U8000-RH Digital TV Tuner @ TweakTown
Hiper Type-R 530W Power Supply @PC Apex
Kodak EASYSHARE 5300 All-in-One Printer @I4U
Add a comment

Latest Reviews

Latest Headlines

Latest Forum Threads