UK Music Charts to Include Downloaded Music

A few years ago I was visiting relatives and my teenaged cousin said, "Want to hear the best song ever?" She fired up Morpheus, selected the song and hit Play -- and to my surprise, what came out of the speakers was Aretha Franklin's cover of "Son of a Preacher Man." This, I thought, was the power of file-sharing: It allowed people to connect to music they'd like, even if it would never have occurred to them to look for it by other means. (My other thought at the time was that the music industry needed to find a way to capitalize on this rather than fight it, but that's a whole other rant.)

The simple fact is that new media skews consumption habits. The now-commonplace practice of kids watching Toy Story 462 times before they're ten wasn't possible before home video, for instance. In the case of downloaded music -- both legal and illegal -- larger catalogs lead to Chris Anderson's Long Tail -- and what's most popular is not longer tied inextricably to what's current or what's most hyped.

These facts weren't lost on the UK's Official Charts Company, who have announced that they will start including downloaded tracks to its regular listing of top-selling singles. It's expected that this will lead to a resurgence of older music on the charts as younger generations are exposed to it through movies, advertisements, reality shows and the like. This is borne out by tests from earlier in the year, which had Electric Light Orchestra and Aerosmith charting after their songs were featured on TV shows.

The new system will account for downloads through any download service that registers with the OCC, so the more that sign up the better -- and we might just find out that what people consider popular music is very different from what they thought.

Video Games Are Good for Your Mental Health

Imagine my surprise while browsing the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to discover that a study at the University of Rochester in New York has concluded that video games aren't just fun, they fulfill a psychological need. The report was published in the journal Motivation and Emotion.

According to the CBC article, the big draws are "a sense of achievement, freedom and even social connectedness," and that survey gamers said "they felt the best about their experience when the games they played produced positive outcomes in scenarios related to the real world." Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that kind of apply to all games, even without ties to the real world? If I have a fun time playing a game with friends or family, you can just bet I'm going back for more. Especially if I win.

Of course, the CBC article necessarily abbreviates the published research. Maybe there's more to it than has been said. For the time being, though, science has given you another good reason to keep that World of Warcraft session going just a little bit longer.

Got Some Spare Memory? You've Got an MP3 Player

Back in April I wrote about a Japanese company that released a basic MP3 player that sold for a mere $9 -- you just had to use your own SD card of up to 1 GB. No frills, but also no fuss. So why would you pay 50% more for Brando's similar device? I can think of a few reasons:

- It supports up to 2 GB, the current maximum capacity of the SD format.

- It can be used as a USB drive/SD card reader.

- It uses USB 2.0 rather than 1.1.

- It comes in two colors. (Hey, accessorizing is important.)

- It's a heck of a lot easier to order.

Can't argue with that.

2006's Science-Fictional Tech

Maybe it's because I'm waiting for my Star Wars DVDs to arrive, but it's occurred to me that 2006 has been a good year for fulfilling the promises made by science fiction, comics and anime. Mostly, it's the good stuff; we haven't had our mechanical creations turn on us. Well, at least not yet -- there are still a few days to go before 2007.

The hoverbike/flying car: The most common gadget lament of the 21st century is "What, no jetpacks?" but there has been progress on other fronts. Cambridge, Mass.-based Terrafugia is working on building a flying car (which makes sense when you consider Boston traffic, but not so much when you consider Boston drivers), and a fellow named Jim Chalmers has created a hoverbike. For those of us who are still earthbound, a few companies have developed cars that park themselves. (You can read about them here, here and here.)

Ray guns: Though the Martians' "heat-rays" were invisible, H.G. Wells kicked off the whole death-ray business with The War of the Worlds over a century ago, and it's been the stuff of science fiction ever since. Or, perhaps, science fact: It was in February that I first read about a company called Ionatron that is working to create a gun that fires what they call "mad-made lightning." Hey, put a big one on the moon and call it the Death Star.

Japanese laser satellite fires at Tokyo: It's one of the iconic anime images. Akira and Bubblegum Crisis (old or new) are probably the best examples. Sure, this one was for communications, but that didn't stop countless fanboys from screaming "Tetsuooooo!" when they heard about it. Not that I'm admitting to anything, mind you.

The two-way wrist radio: No prototypes or planned releases here. You can go straight to iwantoneofthose.com and buy a pair of walkie-talkie wrist watches that can keep in contact within a two-mile radius. It's Dick Tracy all over again.

Giant robot bugs: Offhand I can't think of any books or shows that had giant robot bugs, but really, do I have to? Just look at the picture and cower in fear.

Sony's Shame, Displayed for All to See

If you've heard about Sony's short-lived fake Alliwantforxmasisapsp.com blog but never got a chance to see it, the good folks at The Consumerist have rushed to your aid. They archived the entire site, and have posted it in its entirety here.

Actually looking at the site, I have to wonder if anyone was ever supposed to believe these two guys were real -- it's pretty obvious by just looking at the material you're asked to download and post everywhere that it was professionally designed. What's truly awful is the supposed teen gamer speak (example: "so we started clowning with sum not-so-subtle hints to j's parents that a psp would be teh perfect gift. we created this site to spread the luv to those like j who want a psp!") Please. When will marketing people learn that you can't fake youth culture? It reminds me of every bad Saturday morning television commercial when marketers discovered rap. I'm not sure I'll ever recover from that.

Whatever the intent, let this serve as a lesson to agencies everywhere: On every team there's usually someone who realizes an idea is a huge mistake. This person needs to speak up, and other people need to listen to them. Unless, you know, you like public embarrassment.

[Thanks, Joystiq.]

The Wiimote+Roomba Mashup

The sheer delight of the Wii remote is not just in watching people work up a sweat playing video games, but in finding new ways to hack the controller. Taste a little bit of nerdvana and check out this video where someone uses the Wiimote to control their Roomba. As he says, "pretty flippin' awesome."

Okay, so practically speaking there's not much point in controlling a device that's designed to work without human intervention. But if you're going to gripe about that, then you're clearly not nerdy enough.

Dive In With an Underwater Digital Wrist Camera

Now this is the present I wanted: Hero has gone all retro-James Bond with us with its $79.95 waterproof digital camera that you wear on your wrist. Designed to work up to depths of 30 feet, the camera can take up to 32 ten-second video clips, or 360 photos. Considering the on-board memory is a mere 32 MB, though, I don't think we're talking digital-SLR quality here. On second thought, maybe I don't want the watch so much as the trip to Jamaica for an opportunity to use it.

Lacie's Ornamental USB/FireWire Hub

Lacie's $79.99 USB 2.0 and FireWire 400 hub, which is due early next month, looks either like a Christmas ornament or a cartoon bomb, depending on your point of view. The spherical base includes five USB ports (four downstream, one upstream), and three FireWire ports (two downstream, one upstream), into which you can plug the included USB or FireWire cables, a USB fan or a USB light. I'd say Lacie earns a solid ten out of ten for style on this one.

I Like to Move It: Cell Phones That Charge Kinetically

Environmentally friendly charging options for cell phones have been kicking around for a while now, from solar-powered chargers to phones with built-in solar panels. But if you check out the ModeLabs website, you'll see something different: three concept phones designed to capture energy from actually using the phone. (It's the same concept as hybrid cars that use the stop-and-start of city driving to capture energy.)

The three phones are the YoYo, U-Turn (pictured) and Runaway, all of which work with motions associated with the type of phone. It's unclear how the the YoYo (which also uses solar energy) works, but the U-Turn captures energy from the action of opening and closing it, while the Runaway, designed for more physically active users, gets it juice from the motions associated with exercise.

[Thanks, Shiny Shiny.]

Divining 2006's Disappointments

It's Boxing Day in Canada and elsewhere, which means that retailers are dropping prices like crazy and going anywhere near any kind of store is just asking for trouble. But as I've waded through the blitz of exhortations to experience the joy of assorted electronics at great prices, I've noticed all kinds of subtle indicators of things that have gone wrong for the consumer electronics industry during the year. So based on (or at least inspired by) Boxing Day advertising, here are some observations:

What, no Zune? Microsoft's Zune player isn't out in Canada yet -- in fact, I don't think anyone outside of the U.S. is welcome to the social. But then, everything about Microsoft's handling of the Zune concept has been disappointing to me so far, even though the company was downplaying it since before it was emerged last month. Like the Xbox, Microsoft planned to let the Zune build its presence slowly, nibbling away at market share until its eventual emergence as a serious contender against the iPod. Even so, there seems to be little about the Zune to be impressed with -- and when your stated intent is to go up against the iPod, you need to have a lot more in your favor than a tepid Wi-Fi feature.

Alas, poor PSP. Retailers have seriously cut down the price of the PSP -- in itself, not a bad sign, except that it's become increasingly difficult to find PSP games around here, a reminder that Sony's do-everything handheld system lost a lot of its luster this year. The PSP is still a pretty nice machine with a lot of potential, but it's hobbled by its UMD drive, which never delivered the promised movie-viewing experience Sony was hoping for. If they'd made UMDs compatible with the existing MiniDisc (MD) and Hi-MD formats -- what UMD is based on -- and/or sold UMD movies at a lower cost, things might have been different. Maybe their promised movie download service reignites some of the PSP's spark.

High Definition, Low Turnout. Every single pundit, journalist and armchair analyst called it: So long as there wasn't a unified high-definition DVD format, people were going to stay home in droves. And yet the HD DVD and Blu-ray camps decided that no, they could not just get along. So how much do people really care about these new players and media? I certainly didn't notice any advertised specials -- and it just occurred to me that absolutely none of the conversations I had with gadget-loving friends over the last month went anywhere near the topic. Not a good sign.

What's notable about these three things is that they all bring to mind that magical phrase: "We told you so." All of these things are reversible, but I find the whole two-steps-forward-one-step-back thing awfully tiring. I'm hoping that in 2007 some lessons will be learned, because I'm awfully tired of sighing and shaking my head.

eStarling Wi-Fi Digital Photo Frame

Digital photo frames are hot items this year, but eStarling's latest, sporting a 7'' LCD screen, easily separates itself from the pack. Like most such devices, the $249 frame can download images from various forms of flash media (MMC, SD, Memory Stick, CompactFlash) and rotates through your selections. The bonus feature is its Wi-Fi connectivity (802.11b/g, WEP), which allows it to download images directly from a POP e-mail account.

But wait, there's more. The frame can also be configured to check RSS feeds from Flickr, Webshots and other photo-sharing sites, automatically adding new images to the rotation as they become available. I'm sure my wife would get a kick out of this feature as I always take photos whenever I'm away -- unless an image like the one pictured left came up, in which case I might have some explaining to do.

BBC to Begin Offering Shows Online

You can always count on the Brits to defy the mainstream. The BBC has decided to offer up its content on the Internet, not through iTunes, but through Zudeo, a new video sharing service from the developers of BitTorrent. But what sets Zudeo apart from most other video sites is that it delivers high-definition and DVD quality content. And, starting in early 2007, it will feature such BBC treasures as "Doctor Who," "The League of Gentlemen," "Coupling," "Fawlty Towers," and the one I'm particularly excited about, "Little Britain." You'll need to download the Zudeo client in order to download and watch videos. Also there's no word yet on how much this content will cost, but seeing as how BitTorrent has gone legit, I'm guessing the answer won't be "free."

South Korea and China Leaning Toward Standard Mobile Phone Connectors

A few nights ago my dad and I were cursing the variety of connectors for cell phone chargers (don't ask). It's nice to know we aren't the only ones who are miffed: Both South Korea and China are mandating that handsets sold in those countries must use standardized charging/data ports. In particular, China is saying that this should be a USB port. Given the size of those markets and the significant number of Samsung phones (to name just one brand) around the world, these decisions could have a profound worldwide effect.

(Honestly, I don't know why more companies don't do this. Wouldn't using the same parts and cables drive overall manufacturing costs down?)

Protect Your Wii Remote from Itself

The stories of Wiimote-related damage, both real and fake, continue briskly for the time being. I expect that as more people get Wiimotes with newer, sturdier straps that this sort of thing will die down. But what if you're particularly exuberant and don't quite trust even the new straps? Or what if you plan to use the Wiimote to "accidentally" knock over that hideous vase from your mother-in-law, but can't bear to scuff the shiny white Wiimote?

This is where the $24.95 invisibleSHIELD comes in, part of ShieldZone's creatively capitalized line of transparent film that protects devices from scratches and dings. Just apply the film and ShieldZone guarantees you're protected for life. The invisibleSHIELD has the added bonus of being textured, so it's harder for the Wiimote to slip out of your hand -- but there's no need to tell your mother-in-law that.

Day Break's Sun Sets on TV, Rises Online

It looks like they almost get it. On Friday I read that ABC was pulling the twisty Day Break off the air immediately, though a good seven or eight episodes remained before its conclusion. That news led to a weekend of grousing, with me repeatedly asking a simple question: Given that the show had already been shot and most of it was already in the can, why wouldn't ABC just put the remaining episodes online? It's relatively little effort on their part, and those of us who have been with the show since the beginning would appreciate it. (My wife and I want to see the mystery unraveled, though I suspect she's more interested in Taye Digg's closeups than I am.)

As it turns out, that's exactly what they're doing. For the time being new episodes are appearing on the ABC.com website at 9:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, just like the show itself; once editing on the show is complete, there's a chance the entire series will be made available on iTunes.

So why did I say up above that they almost get it? Because this morning I discovered that I can't watch entire episodes because I'm outside of the U.S. -- despite the fact that many Canadians watch American shows on American channels anyway. Oddly enough, ABC's online offerings give me less choice than in the offline world. That's just not right.

Opera Browser for Wii Due Friday

For Wii owners, Christmas has come early. Last week you got your newer, stronger straps for your Wiimotes, and this week, it's Web browsing. Come Friday, Wii owners will be able to download the Opera browser through the Wii Shop Channel. The browser is currently in beta until the final version releases in March. Web surfers can use their Wiimotes to point and click on links (convenient), as well as control an onscreen keyboard for typing in URLs (not so convenient). The browser will be free through the end of June 2007, after which it will cost you 500 Wii points. So get downloading!

Comcast Testing New Movie Releases On-Demand

DVD rental stores have become pretty good at stocking up enough copies of new releases to satisfy the masses, but there's still always the chance that you won't get be able to rent the movie you want the night you want to see it. But now you might not even have to get off the couch to watch a new release. Comcast is testing a program in which it would offer movies through its on-demand service at the same time they are released on DVD (typically on-demand movies aren't available till 30 or 45 days after a DVD). The company is testing the program in Pittsburgh and Denver, and on-demand new releases cost $4.

Media Companies' YouTube Rival Gets a Little Shakier

"I'll believe it when I see it." That's how Cathy Lu described it when she reported that the broadcasting heavy-hitters (minus Disney-owned ABC) were trying to put together their own answer to YouTube. It looks like her skepticism was well-founded: Viacom has dropped out of the deal, leaving only NBC Universal, CBS and News Corp.

No word from Viacom as to why they decided to walk away from the table, but the action is likely to kill the whole deal. These companies already have their videos on their own websites; unless they present a unified service, then what's the attraction to online TV viewers?

DVDs in More Homes Than VCRs

The rapid consumer acceptance of the DVD format has been pretty astonishing, and Nielsen Media Research's Third Quarter Home Technology Report provides another benchmark on the medium's rise to consumer-electronics glory. According to their survey, 81.2% of all U.S. households have DVD players, while 79.2% have VCRs -- marking the first time that DVD ownership has surpassed VCR ownership. (Just to make this clear, the survey measures how many households have at least one DVD player, versus how many have at least one VCR. If you made it a per-unit comparison I'm sure the gap would widen -- especially if you factored in DVD-ROM drives and PlayStation 2s.)

If anything, this reinforces my belief that high-definition DVDs will take a while to catch on, format war notwithstanding. It's a simple matter of value proposition. When the DVD format came along, it offered clear benefits over videotape (physical durability, random access, lack of signal degradation over time, easily manageable and recognizable form factor, compatibility with older optical media) and easily worked within an existing AV setup. High-definition discs pretty much offer more of the same, and the big differences require new purchases to be perceptible. The DVD was a perfect combination of factors; I wonder if we'll see anything like that in the consumer electronics business again any time soon.

Sony's Failed Bid for Cred

It's only been a week, but I've already heard several accounts of Sony's failed attempt at viral marketing, all of which diverge from each other and from the incident as I observed it. BusinessWeek seems to have the most accurate version of events, which essentially boils down to this: Sony hired a marketing firm named Zipatoni, who created Alliwantforxmasisapsp.com, a blog supposedly by two guys who wanted to talk up the PSP out of the goodness of their hearts (and for their alleged friend who wanted one, like, really bad). There was also a faux amateur YouTube video of someone rapping about the PSP.

Long story short: Suspicious visitors figured out the scam in short order, and Sony ended up with egg on their face.

What strikes me about this story -- aside from marketers' continued abuse of the term "viral" and the underlying concept -- is that it corroborates comments I've heard from Sony employees that one tentacle doesn't always know what the other one is doing. If they did, they'd remember that Sony Pictures Entertainment tried the same thing in 2001 with fake movie critic David Manning.

Definitely not a good way to close out an already trying year. Sure, a whole bunch of people are talking about the company as a result, but let's hope the company realizes there is such a thing as bad publicity.

SlingPlayer Mobile Comes to the Dash and the BlackJack

Oh, you got your HTC Dash or Samsung BlackJack because it might increase productivity? Well, you can forget about all that because Sling Media has updated their SlingPlayer Mobile software, and both smartphones are now supported. That means more Battlestar Galactica and less office e-mail. Don't forget to thank the nice Sling people.

Wireless Version of Jawbone Headset Headed Our Way

Aliph's Jawbone headset for cell phones looked impressive when it first came out more than a year ago, boasting military-level noise cancellation. The only problem with the original Jawbone was that it wasn't wireless, so you had cords running down your face. In the better-late-than-never category, the company is getting ready to release version 2: a sexy-looking number that's equipped with Bluetooth so that it can connect to your phone wirelessly. The Jawbone features a technology called Noise Shield, which takes note of the ambient noise around you and pumps up the quality of the incoming audio so that people on the other end hear your voice, not the street noise around you. No word yet on availability or price, but you can check out a demo video here.

You've Played the Game, Now Buy the Soundtrack

True geek story: Back in the day when Yoda was still a Muppet and skinny leather ties were a viable fashion choice, I put together a compilation tape of the best music I had on my Commodore 64 -- from game demos and themes, various music programs, what have you. My geography teacher (don't ask how he got involved in all this) was bewildered. Why, he asked, would anyone want to listen to music from a computer?

Why, indeed. If he were still alive, I'd remind him of that comment and we'd have a chuckle considering how much music is made using computers today. But he might still be bewildered if I told him that Heavenly Song, an original song from Lumines II, was recently made available on iTunes, along with five remixes.

As game soundtracks get ever more sophisticated, this is a trend I'd like to see continue. What better advertising could a music company ask for than repeated exposure in a video game? C'mon guys, get some of that synergy working.

MySpace Goes Mobile

Last month, Verizon hooked up with YouTube in a deal to bring the video site's content to VCast-enabled phones. Now another Web 2.0 darling is getting cozy with another cell phone company: For an extra $2.99 a month, Cingular customers will be able to use their MySpace accounts from their phones, including uploading photos and writing blog entries. Plus, a jab at YouTube/Verizon: The companies plan to allow users to view MySpace videos on their phones as well sometime next year.

JVC Develops Ultrathin Rear-Projection TVs

Your next flat-panel TV may not be LCD or plasma. It may be a rear-projection. Thanks to a "new optical engine," JVC has managed to develop two super-thin-profile HD-ILA TVs, based on JVC's LCOS technology. The new sets come in two screen sizes--58 and 65 inches--and only measure 10.7 and 11.6 inches deep, thin enough to even hang on a (very strong) wall. Both units feature support for 1080p, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, and built-in digital tuner. You can pick up the 58-incher in January for $3,300, or if size really matters, the 65-incher will be available in March for $4,200.

"Mouse Rage" New Online Shopping Peril

You know something's hit the mainstream when an expert comes along and starts studying and naming phenomena associated with it. Online shopping continues to gain momentum, so of course there was a study. In this case, the study was commissioned by RackSpace Managed Hosting, and it found that shopping online is no panacea -- it can can be extremely stressful, leading to what they call "Mouse Rage."

The study finds that "Mouse Rage" is brought on by the effort of finding and arranging for the delivery of gifts, especially through -- wait for it -- badly hosted websites. Slow, badly designed websites are also (even those that are on good hosts, I presume) are also problematic, leading to things like bashing the mouse and cursing the screen. (Hey, I get that from dealing with Windows every day.)

My skepticism meter went off the scale when I first saw the words "Mouse Rage," and the top five site flaws that lead to this supposed condition are things that reputable online retailers have been avoiding for years. Even apart from all that, and even if this were really such a health risk, surely the authors of the study realize that annoyed online shoppers can simply relax by switching to a game of Zuma or leaving the computer for a while, and continuing later -- something you can't do quite as easily at the mall.

Trade in Your Wii Remote Straps

If you're an overzealous Wii owner who gets a little too into your bowling and tennis game, you'll want to call 800-859-4519 or visit Nintendo's support site and get that Wiimote strap replaced. Through a voluntary exchange program, Nintendo will replace the original Wiimote straps with a wider, stronger version that should hopefully handle excited gameplaying a little better. And if you're thinking of buying a new Wii for your wee one for the holidays, as of December 18, all consoles will include the new cord.

Oodles on Google

Google's highest-profile projects in the last year have arguably been Google Books and their purchase of YouTube -- and by "high profile" I mean "has old media up in arms and could lead to an awful lot of court dates." In the case of Google Books, they offered publishers the ability to opt out, an approach that mollified pretty much nobody. Still, as neither side has said much new on the subject outside of the publishing trade press, you'd be forgiven if you forgot this was an issue. Meanwhile over at YouTube, Google earmarked nearly a third of their $1.65 billion purchase for a legal-fees war chest and YouTube had already started to cut deals with entertainment companies.

Problems solved, right? Maybe not so much. Earlier this week in Hollywood Reporter, Esq., the venerable Hollywood mag's media law publication, Richard Neff highlighted seven areas in which Google runs afoul of intellectual property laws. It's good reading without being too snooze-inducing. The part I find most interesting is one that I think is at the heart of the Internet economy: Every country has different copyright laws, and complying with one might not save you with another. I've already been wondering how things like this will affect music -- for instance, if the copyright on a song expires in Canada but not in the U.S., is it illegal for someone in New York to download it from Montreal? -- but Google's potential woes may end up forcing a rethink on intellectual property in the digital era even sooner.

Listen While You Work

Some people just work better when their favorite music is playing. If you just can't bear to be separated from your tunes while taking on those home renovations you've been putting off for months, maybe you should give the iPod Radio Toolbox a try. This rugged container has space for all your essential tools, like screwdrivers, drill bits, wrenches, and your MP3 player. (Despite the name, anything with a 1/8'' audio jack can connect to the built-in speakers.) My only advice would be to lay off the dance music while you're noodling with the miter saw.

Bikini Cases for iPod

Gisele Bundchen and Daniel Craig (for us ladies) aren't the only ones who look smokin' in a bikini. The iPod is going all pin-up on us with the Mila Bikini Skin from Pacific Design. This seemingly two-piece case guards your iPod Video's screen on top and features a bottom protector that flips under to act as a stand when you're watching movies. On the back is a removable reel that you can use to wind up your earbud cords. And if you like people looking at your chest (and what swimsuit model doesn't), the hook on top can be used for the included neck lanyard. This bikini babe comes in white and blue, and sells for $20. There's also a version for iPod Nano--same price, but this one comes in white and a sunny mango color.

Skype to Charge Annual Fee for SkypeOut Calls

When Skype started offering free SkypeOut calls within North America earlier this year, chatterboxes everywhere rejoiced and analysts scratched their heads. How could this possibly benefit Skype?

These analysts clearly forgot the first rule of selling addictive substances: The first hit is always free. Now that people have seen their phone bills plummet, they'll be only too happy to pony up the $29.95 annual fee that Skype will now be charging for what they're calling the Skype Unlimited Calling Plan. Early birds who want to ease into this brave new world can cut that cost in half by signing up before January 31.

iPod and Zen Docks from Cambridge SoundWorks

Cambridge SoundWorks has announced two new docking systems, and they're not just for iPods. The PlayDock ZEN, available immediately for $200, works with Creative ZEN Vision:M, ZEN V, and ZEN V Plus; the PlayDock i, available in January for the same price, works with all the newest flavors of iPod, except the Shuffle. Both units feature Wide Stereo Effect, built-in powered subwoofer, and a bass control knob. They also have line-in, headphone jacks, and video-out connectors for looking at pics and vids. Built-in handles and battery operation mean you can rock these guys on the road, too. All in all, some pretty sweet-looking systems.

Samsung's OneDRAM Fusion Memory

Samsung has announced that they've developed a new type of memory based on fusion technology -- something I can't pretend to understand without a little more caffeine, but which, according to Samsung, will allow engineers to cram more speed and power into smaller processors. They're calling this new fusion memory component OneDRAM, and they've created a 133-MHz, 512-megabit prototype (say, isn't that faster and with more memory than the PC I owned a little over ten years ago?) that increases data processing speeds between a device's processors, while reducing power consumption by 30 percent. One OneDRAM component can replace at least two existing DRAM or SRAM chips.

Samsung expects OneDRAM chips to start appearing in mobile phones and other handheld devices in the second half of 2007. Combine that with, say, Toshiba's recent capacity bump on 1.8'' hard drives, and 2008's gadgets could be very interesting, indeed.

Media Companies Gearing Up YouTube Rival?

Though YouTube is home to tons of homebrew videos, it's also the place to go when you want to watch something particularly funny, controversial, or weird on network TV. Like the recent spat between Kelly Ripa, Clay Aiken, and Rosie O'Donnell--not that I was paying attention or anything. So it's not a huge shock that the major television networks want in on the action. According to reports from the Wall Street Journal, media monsters Fox, Viacom, CBS and NBC Universal are in talks to launch a competitor to YouTube featuring their own content--despite the fact that CBS and NBC already have agreements with YouTube. ABC is staying out of talks; and quite frankly, I'll believe it when I see it.

Videogames to Blame for the Lack of Soccer Talent?

I've seen videogames blamed for a lot of things, from childhood obesity to flat-out violence. But I've never seen them get blamed for the downfall of an entire sport. According to a meeting of soccer-team managers in Britain, videogames are one cause of the dearth of young talent in the country's soccer program today. As one manager stated, "When we all grew up, we didn't have PlayStation, or PS2 or 24-hour TV....so we played football [soccer]. If my son played football as much as he does with his PlayStation, he'd be a better player..." Good point. Of course, videogames aren't the only culprit. Other factors were named as well, such as the rise in foreign talent.

The Trials of HD

This weekend the New York Times reported that enthusiasm for HDTV seems to be declining, with only 25% of people shopping for new HDTV sets saying in a survey that their main reason for buying was HD programming.

Well, um, duh. First of all, many people who aren't gadget freaks like we are can't really differentiate between HD and SD video -- not least because much of what's broadcast in HD wasn't in high definition to begin with, or bandwidth-happy broadcasters are multiplexing the daylights out of the signal. A friendly note, gang: Just because you can marry a bunch of SD signals to an HD stream doesn't mean you have to.

Then there's that whole thing about HDCP, HDMI, and a whole bunch of related alphabet soup, each with different revisions. Another friendly note: Acronyms and numbers drive non-gearheads crazy, and the more you throw at them -- especially when it's in sentences like, "HDCP will degrade even a 720p image to 480p without an HDMI connection" -- the more likely they'll back toward the exit.

Oh, and that whole HD DVD/Blu-ray thing? Not helping.

Finally, for most non-gearheads the benefits of HDTV aren't exactly obvious. I'm a film freak, so I want my images to look as close to film-like as possible in texture, color and sharpness. But I know plenty of people who will happily watch an upscaled SVCD on a 27'' TV. Unlike the DVD format, the iPod, or even the VCR, HDTV doesn't have an easily understandable, really compelling one-sentence argument in its favor that makes regular folks sit up and take notice. At least, not enough to make them willing to navigate the obstacles the industry is still throwing at them.

Just What Your Laptop Needs: Fur

At my local pharmacy on Sunday I noticed these things called iPals, headphones, which I presume are to fight that winter chill while listening to your tunes. Little did I know that just two days later I'd be in for another furry, but more bewildering surprise: A company called Lapstyle has gone and made furry laptop covers -- an astonishingly brave (or just plain clueless) maneuver considering the recent high-profile reminders that letting laptops heat up is a bad thing. It looks like a whole bunch of Muppets died for nothing.

Desperately Seeking Zune

Let me be clear: I'm not hating on Microsoft's Zune. But it's struck me pretty much from the outset that if the folks at Redmond really want to put a dent in Apple's market share -- even if they're going the Xbox "we can afford to hemorrhage money for a few years" route -- then they've got to have something that really differentiates them from the iPod. (In a good way, that is.)

They seemed to have it when they announced the Zune's Wi-Fi capabilities, though I and many others were disappointed when it was revealed that there would be no wireless syncing (I would have picked one up in a heartbeat if it meant one less cable to worry about). Emphasizing the music-sharing feature is a great idea, but it kind of falls apart when there's no one around to do that sharing with. A couple of bloggers and columnists have tried wandering around to see if they could connect with some other Zune owners, and all that I'm aware of came up empty. CNET's Ina Fried not only has the best narrative I've read, she actually managed to find one other Zune owner. Hardly "the social" Microsoft's been promoting.

I'm not ready to write off the Zune yet -- hey, I learned my lesson with the Xbox -- but for all the money that Microsoft spent on the Zune launch, slipping in sales and market share in less than a month must be more than a little dispiriting. I'd like to see the iPod get some real competition, but it looks like I'll have to keep my eyes on SanDisk, Samsung and Creative for a while yet.

Sony and Sandisk Developing New Memory Stick Format

Just when I thought I finally had all the different flash memory formats straight, Sony and Sandisk go and throw me a curve ball. The companies announced today that they've developed the Memory Stick Pro-HG, an extension of the Memory Stick Pro format that uses a 60 MHz 8-bit parallel interface. The result is a significant speed boost to a theoretical maximum data transfer rate of 60 megabytes per second, and a minimum write speed of 15 megabytes per second in 8-bit parallel mode. Memory Stick Pro-HG cards will work in Memory Stick Pro slots and vice versa, but of course to get the full HG magic you'll need a Memory Stick Pro-HG card in a Memory Stick Pro-HG slot. Media availability is slated for sometime in 2007, though Memory Stick Pro-HG host devices will start appearing next month.

Westinghouse Intros 42-inch HD Monitor

Just in time for the holidays, Westinghouse has come out with a 42-inch high-def LCD, coming in at a hair under 1500 dollars. The W4207 features a 1600:1 contrast ratio, 16:9 aspect ratio, 178-degree viewing angle (both horizontal and vertical), and connectors galore, including HDMI, VGA, component, S-video, and DVI. But at $1,499 there are some sacrifices to be made, namely that it does not come with any integrated tuners (you'll need a cable or satellite box), and it only supports up to 720p. But it's not like most of us can tell the difference between that and 1080p anyway--and certainly not dad, should you be eyeing this as a gift.

Karaoke in Your Pocket

I had my first karaoke experience just a few months ago. No, I didn't sing -- I hadn't had anywhere near enough drinks for that -- but when I saw first-hand how "Sweet Caroline" could reach across age and background, I began to believe in the power of the microphone.

Still, I admit I'm a little wary of Handheld Entertainment and Sound Choice's new agreement, which provides 1,150 karaoke videos and more than 7,500 karaoke audio selections from the Handheld website for $1.99 a pop, all of which can be downloaded to any media player that handles DRMed Windows Media 10 files. But please bear in mind that just because you can now whip out the awesome power of Neil Diamond at a moment's notice, doesn't mean you should.

Give Your iPod a Little Color

iPods still make snazzy gifts for friends and relatives, but if you've got a couple of extra bucks to spare you might want to boost the show-off factor. You can buy the iPod at a slight premium through the company Colorware and get them to color it the way you want -- you've got dozens of colors to choose from and can choose different colors for the front, back and click wheel. These aren't skins; Colorware is actually tinting the color of the material. If you've already got an iPod and live in the U.S., you can send it in to have it tinted. Colorware also tints Apple desktops, Apple and Dell laptops, and Sidekick 3s.

Panasonic Announces Two HD Camcorders

Gotta love that technology trickle-down effect. It seems like only yesterday that we were talking about Grass Valley's flash-based HD camera (whose price was listed as "under 20,000 Euros or US dollars"), and now Panasonic has gone and announced the HDC-SD1, a consumer-level 3-CCD high-definition camcorder that records AVCHD straight to SDHC memory cards for a mere $1,499. About 1 hour of HD video fits on a 4 GB card.

Panasonic also announced a sibling camera, the $1,399 HDC-DX1, which appears to be identical except that it records to DVD. About 40 minutes of HD video fits on one dual-layer DVD-R. Both cameras are due to appear in March.

iPod Light Show

Woohoo! Party around the iPod! Griffin Technology has released the Disko case for the iPod Nano (there's also one for the iPod Video). The Disko features three colored lights that dance and move around the click wheel in five different sequences. And the lights can even sense and respond to movement. If you're worried about battery drain, don't: The case has its own batteries that Griffin claims to be tiny and long-lasting. The case comes in clear and black, and costs $30, which isn't bad if you consider that it can double as a flashlight in a blackout.

Study Says Cell Phones Don't Cause Cancer

Do they or don't they? For about 15 years people have been wondering if cell phone use increases the risk of cancer. Heck, some folks didn't even wonder, they just declared it outright. We may finally have something close to a definitive answer: A new study out of Denmark concludes that the electromagnetic fields pumped out of cell phones don't pose a cancer risk.

So why is this study different from similar reports? Scale and depth. The researchers used data from over 420,000 Danish cell phone (or, I suppose, mobile phone) users, some of whom had been using them as far back as 1982. Their level of cancer incidence was compared to the rest of the country, and guess what? Mobile phone users actually had fewer cases than expected. I suppose there's a possibility that increased herring consumption has something to do with it, but right now I'll just take this as good news.

Nintendo Looking Into Wii Strap Issues

Satoru Iwata, president of Nintendo: "Some people are getting a lot more excited than we'd expected. We need to better communicate to people how to deal with Wii as a new form of entertainment." Uh, you think? Yesterday we mentioned the reported email that Nintendo sent to Wii users warning them, among other things, to wear the strap at all times and not to let go of the remote while playing. Today Nintendo's president acknowledged that there may be a problem with the strap that's attached to the Wiimote, and said that the company is looking into reports of the Wii strap coming off as users swung the controller. No decision yet on whether Nintendo plans to alter the design of the strap; in the meantime, check out Wii Have a Problem for pics on some of the damage thus far inflicted by flying Wiimotes.

Harman Speakers From Under the Sea

You know you've been consuming too much anime and manga when you no longer recoil from octopus or squid, but instead shriek "kawaii!" like a sailor-suited schoolgirl. (Not that I've done any such thing, of course.) Seriously though, Japan has a long tradition of using squirmy sea critters for all kinds of designs, so it's no surprise that Harman's spyro speaker set is modeled after a jellyfish (the subwoofer) with flowers at the end of the tentacles (the satellites).

Aside from looking freaky, the ?20,000 (about $174) speakers have a few tricks up their stingers: touch sensors on the satellites let you control the volume. Just don't play with them in the water, okay?

EMI Music Testing non-DRM Music Downloads

EMI Music is testing the scary, scary unrestricted music waters by releasing two DRM-free MP3s. The tunes--Norah Jones's "Thinking About You" and Relient K's "Must Have Done Something Right" will cost 99 cents at Yahoo's music store, but will lack any sort of copy protection, which means you can load them up on everything from your iPod to your Zune. Let's hope the experiment is a success so that more stores can consider following the eMusic model, which, despite its lack of tunes from major labels, has sold close to 100 million songs to date.

Microsoft: Shooting for One Million Zunes

Microsoft's iPod killer is turning more into iPod petty theft. The company behind the Zune is predicting that it will sell one million units by June of next year, hardly a dent in the 39 million iPods Apple claims to have sold in the past year. Plus, the Zune has slipped from second to fifth in the latest MP3 player sales data. Numbers aren't everything, but they're certainly an issue when the player's main selling point is its ability to wirelessly share songs between users. But still, one Microsoft exec remains optimistic, telling the AP that he expects the Zune to one day "be the leader," especially after bringing out more models and releasing it overseas. We're eager to see what Microsoft intends to do to up the Zune's profile, especially considering the ho-hum reviews it's been receiving so far. But after seeing what MS has done with the Xbox, I wouldn't count them out just yet: After all, they've managed to put quite a chink in the PlayStation's armor?

A Message about Wii Safety

Apparently all of the reports of Wiimote-inflicted damage to TVs (from kids "bowling" or swinging the "tennis racket" a bit too hard) have prompted Nintendo to send out an email about Wii safety. Essentially, the email gives three recommendations:

Wear the wrist strap at all times. (Seems obvious, but do people always wear their seatbelts?)

Don't let go of the remote while playing. (Duh.)

Leave at least three feet between you and the TV. (Great if you have a giant living room, but not an option for some of us.)

So play on, Wii owners--but just, like, not too hard if you value your TV.

Greenpeace Ranks Tech Companies

Greenpeace has just released an updated edition of their Green Electronics Guide, which "ranks leading mobile and PC manufacturers on their global policies and practice on eliminating harmful chemicals and on taking responsibility for their products once they are discarded by consumers," based on publicly available information.

If you look at the extreme ends of the spectrum, there aren't really any surprises. Europe has been concerned with e-waste for quite some time, so Finnish Nokia takes top honors (they're tied with Dell, a company that's been proactive in this area); China's rapid growth has led to issues with its environmental policies (i.e., there aren't that many), so Lenovo is at the bottom. The real surprise is Apple, who you'd assume to be the most eco-friendly company out there, placing third from the bottom. For complete details check out the Green Electronics Guide page.

An aside here: A few years ago I wrote a series of articles on e-waste in Canada and discovered how amazingly hard some companies make it to turn up information on this stuff, even if they're doing good. Kudos to Greenpeace for taking this on.

And while I'm handing out eco-praise, I'd also like to add big ups to the folks at Other World Computing; I recently bought an external hard drive enclosure from them and was amazed at how their boxes and packing material were exactly the right size to do their job, without a scrap of wasted material. If only more companies could follow their example.

Update and correction: Reader James Baussmann pointed out that I accidentally referenced the August Green Electronics Guide, not the more most recent edition. The new report is more and less encouraging: Overall, the companies surveyed have improved, but Apple hasn't budged from its score of 2.7/10, which leaves it dead last.

Intempo's Colorful iPod Speaker Docks

Back when the first iMacs were released, their candy-color cases spawned a plethora of similarly colorful peripherals and accessories. Since then Apple has gone minimalist, with just about all of their products (and, as a result, their accessories) either black or white.

That is, until the new Nanos, which seem to bring some of that shiny playfulness back. And so Intempo rises to the occasion, producing ?35 (about $69) iPod speaker docks that match the new Nanos. You can also dock other iPod models, but since anything goes with black or white, you don't have to worry about it clashing horribly.

Is the Self-Parking Car the Future?

Am I nuts, or am I the only person who likes to parallel park? Don't answer that. Apparently the new hotness in auto tech is the ability to self-park. Lexus has been touting its self-parking system, planned for its 2007 LS 460 Sedan, and German company Hella has developed a similar system that is being planned in an as-yet unnamed European car manufacturer's 2009 models.

Both systems use sensors that figure out how close you are to other cars, as well as how much they need to turn. And both systems require you to keep your foot on the brake; with the Lexus you have to keep the speed down to 2.5mph and with the Hella system, it's 6mph. However, while the Hella system can tell you whether a space is big enough, the Lexus is incapable of that kind of thinking, leaving it up to you and your own spatial judgment. Oh, and neither system can pull out of a parking space, so you're on your own when it comes to maneuvering yourself out of a tight squeeze.

Blockbuster Attempts to Lure Netflix Users

Ooh, evil. Blockbuster, which has been trying desperately to horn in on Netflix territory, is tempting users to ditch Netflix by promising one free in-store rental for every Netflix address label you bring in. This move comes after Blockbuster announced last month that it would be offering free in-store exchanges for its own customers who were renting DVDs by mail. According to Reuters, the Netflix offer is Blockbuster's attempt to try to meet its goal of 2 million subscribers by year's end (Netflix is projected to have more than 6 million subscribers by that time). The Netflix address label offer lasts till December 21, so if you're interested in seeing what Blockbuster has to offer, do it soon.

Clean Your Screen Without Dirtying the Environment

I'm quite happy to see that e-waste is finally getting the notice it deserves (if not all the action -- I spotted a computer in someone's garbage not even a week ago), but one message that tends to get lost is that there's more to our high-tech environmental impact than just old circuit boards. Things like inkjet cartridges, batteries and excessive or non-biodegradable packaging (I'm looking at you, Microsoft) add to the problem.

You can also add cleaning products to the list. If you've been using liquid cleaners to keep your gadgets nice and shiny, you might want to consider Purosol Plasma -- it's free of alcohol or ammonia (which you shouldn't be using to clean screens anyway) and is completely biodegradable. Purosol also claims that it neutralizes static, repelling dust for a limited time. I don't know if "limited time" means minutes, hours or days, but it's still a bonus.

Toshiba Pumps Its 1.8'' Hard Drives to 100 GB

It seems like only yesterday that I was being wowed by Seagate's 12 GB 1.2'' hard drive; now Toshiba has announced that thanks to the miracle of perpendicular magnetic recording, they've managed to cram more than eight times more data into a drive that's just a little bit bigger. That is, 100 GB into a 1.8'' hard drive. As if room for even more music and movies wasn't enough, they also made the drive a little more environmentally friendly by reducing its power consumption.

Production of the drive starts in January, so you can just bet there'll be some higher-capacity iPods on the horizon.

Motorola and Verizon Keep It Simple

Over the last few years, every working technology writer has, at least once, has expressed mock surprise at the notion that someone would use a cell phone to (gasp) make a phone call. (If there's anyone out there who hasn't, I bow before your astonishing will power.) But the truth is, even with all the cameras and organizers and music players and built-in-blogging, that's kind of what they're for -- and, as Jupiter Research discovered earlier this year, what most Verizon phone owners do. Which is why last week, Verizon introduced Motorola's W315, which does exactly two things: Send and receive calls, and send and receive text messages.

I could almost weep with joy.

Granted, I don't mind a little convergence in my phone -- that's why I'm waiting patiently (but not too patiently, Palm) for the Treo 680 to make its Canadian debut. And my mom certainly didn't mind her camera phone when my son was in his gym class. But generally speaking, most people I know use their phones for voice calls, and that's about it. So why complicate matters? In fact, I'd like to see carriers take this a step further and really push Motorola's Motofone, an even simpler phone than the W315 (its low-power electrophoretic screen is monochrome and has larger characters). The Motofone will theoretically be available worldwide, but Moto's been touting it as a phone for developing areas -- places where people have little or no access to phones. While that's admirable, I can think of a few people domestically who would appreciate its simplicity.

TuneView Lets You Wirelessly Control Your iPod

Keyspan announced the TuneView way back in 19-Oatcake (or, uh, March). Well, the thing is finally shipping, and if you're looking for a way to stream your iPod's tunes over your home theater equipment, this looks pretty sweet. The TuneView includes a remote control with color LCD and an iPod dock. Using the included A/V cables, you can connect your 'Pod to your stereo or TV, then sift through playlists with the remote. And because the remote is equipped with a screen that displays all of your iPod's files, you can do it all from the comfort of your recliner. Just the way we like it.

If You Don't Turn That Cell Phone Off During the Movie, We'll Do It For You

Most of the movies I watched this year were at film festivals or at press-only screenings -- that is, somewhat removed from the normal movie-watching experience. So it was a bit of a shock last weekend when I settled in to catch Casino Royale and was reminded of why investing in a 70-inch HDTV might not be a bad idea. Though there was none of the chatter I've experienced at other movies, there was plenty of cell phone use. Some folks were busily texting, and others -- one in particular -- kept checking the time. (Hey, if you have somewhere to be, why are you at a freaking movie?) The constant on-and-off of bright TFT screens was maddeningly distracting. No one actually answered or made a phone call during the movie, but I suspect that was just luck -- it's certainly happened before.

I haven't thrown anything at anyone yet (well, there was the popcorn that one time), but it's certainly tempting -- and apparently, enough people are getting upset enough about this that it's become a problem. The Regal Entertainment Group, the largest theater chain in the U.S., has started a trial in 25 of its cinemas to help deal with it. Frequent customers are given a handheld with four buttons -- and one of them is specifically for disruptions like arguments and fights, which Regal CEO Michael Campbell says often start with obnoxious cell phone use.

Has it really come to this? Come on, folks, it's not hard. Just put the phone on vibrate and put it in your pocket. If the movie's really not that important to you, wait for the DVD.

Sirius to Offer Live TV in Cars

I'm a television addict, so anything that enables my habit can be a dangerous thing. If Sirius delivers on its promise of TV in automobiles, I could be doomed. According to Reuters, Sirius expects to have a live television service available in model 2008 cars (so late 2007), and the initial content will target youngsters sitting in the back seat. Sirius's CEO says that the company is close to finalizing three content deals, which will be announced early next year. Of course, the luxury of keeping the kiddies hushed in the back will cost you: The service is expected to add an extra $13 a month to your Sirius bill.

An Inexpensive MP3 Player for the Kids

Runat's new Disney-themed MP3 players are a blend of two players I mentioned earlier this year: They have funky Disney designs like Runat's earlier Mickey Mouse iPod accessories, and are small, inexpensive SD card-based players like Evergreen's DN-2000 Black. Pop in some of those old cards you have lying around and you've got the perfect MP3 player for kids. And at ?3,129 (about $27) a pop, you won't feel too bad when they accidentally drop them in the fishbowl.