Blu-ray and HD DVD have been like juggernauts, ceaselessly rolling towards each other until they were to meet in a head-on confrontation, the likes of which has not yet been seen in this century. Nothing could stop these forces, it seemed...
...until now.
You see, the weapon of choice in this conflict is the laser. We all know and love the laser, of course (my affair with it goes back to at least Transformers). In order to pack more information onto an optical disc, both Blu-ray and HD DVD switched from the infrared laser used in DVDs to a shorter wavelength blue laser.
Only now, it seems that the companies responsible for manufacturing the blue laser are unable to cope with the demand. Matsushita and Sony itself, two of the big makers of blue lasers, are suspending shipments of the diodes to other companies.
Utilizing BD drives in its own PS3 game consoles, Sony suspended shipments of blue laser diodes to other customers, the makers indicated, adding that only Nichia, Sharp and Sanyo continue shipping the diodes. Nichia, which currently holds 80% of the global blue laser diode supply, reported that its yield rate for blue laser diodes reached 30%, according to the makers. However, the actual output still falls behind the demand, the makers said.I fully expect the two opposing armies to stop in their tracks and have a nice peaceful little tea party until, say, next year, at which point open hostilities should resume as planned.
[via Slashdot]
No doubt you've been in a titter the last few days, wondering exactly what had become of me. Well, rest easy, Gadgetboxers, for I have an explanation: I was attending the Penny Arcade Exposition, a gathering of video game enthusiasts that takes place annually in the greater Seattle area.
PAX is hosted by the creators of the Penny Arcade comic strip, Jerry "Tycho" Holkins and Mike "Gabe" Krahulik, who are avid gamers. There were several panels featuring Jerry and Mike over the weekend, in which they field questions of an often absurd nature, but some of them were interesting commentaries on the video game industry. Both, in particular, are outspoken about the upcoming PlayStation 3, and in one of this weekend's questions, they offered these juicy tidbits about the console's much discussed high price.
"We've already talked about it, there's no chance we're buying a PS3 at launch. That's grade-A [B.S.]."Now, Jerry and Mike may be just two gamers, but they are two very influential gamers (MTV ranked them among the 10 most influential gamers). Will there public stand on the PS3 make any difference, or will it be a drop in the bucket of launch-day fanatics? We'll find out in November."[The pricing]'s just nuts, and they need to understand that it's nuts."
[Emru Townsend writes]: 
Seriously, just what kind of overtime are the elves over at Logitech pulling down? Because they seem to be releasing new products every 20 minutes or so.
The latest: their gorgeous Z10 speakers, which incorporate media player and Internet radio functions. The 10''-tall speakers connect to your computer via a USB cable, which provides not only the audio signal but information like song and album title, volume and, of course, a clock. The right speaker's faceplate has illuminated touch controls (oooh, fingerprints) for play, pause and skipping tracks (the Z10 works with Windows Media Player, Musicmatch, iTunes and WinAmp) as well as the expected power, volume and mute functions. Up to four Internet radio stations can be programmed for quick access.
If you really have to, you can connect your MP3 player or other audio source through a standard 1/8'' audio jack. But that seems like such a waste, you know? The $149 speakers go on sale in September.
[Via Digital World]
Derik's Thoughts: And the kicker, not Mac compatible. Blah. I was actually a little interested. Oh well.
WPA is where it’s at if you want a secure wireless network in your house. Lately though, the problem is that many devices now ship with wireless support (802.11b/g natch) but they totally skimp on the wireless security.
The DS Lite only has WEP. I have to run a second wireless router and hope that no one breaks the WEP and gets around the MAC address filter. Why WPA isn’t standard now is beyond me. Many consumers just plain give up on security because of stuff like this.
TiVo is doing something right by supporting WPA with its wireless adapter. After all, a TiVo is one of those devices you want connected to the net at all times.
I'm not very good with animals, but I like this idea that they should be extended all the courtesy of humans. Then again, if that's the way it's going to go, they need to clean up their own vomit, and start using the bathroom. Maybe then we can talk about getting Fluffy a $29.95 Wireless Pet Chime. Listen, my apartment doesn't even have a doorbell for people, okay?
Anyway, I guess it's not such a bad thing for pets to be able to signal their need to go out, though I remain somewhat skeptical that pets are going to be able to figure out this whole doorbell concept. Especially cats (well known for their hatred of doorbells).
I'm prepping for the cat lovers' deluge of email.
[via Popgadget]
Who doesn't love board games? Classics like Clue, Monopoly, and Sorry were staples in my house growing up. But being an "adult" doesn't mean that I have to give up on my childhood. I've moved on to the likes of Puerto Rico, Settlers of Catan, and Tigris and Euphrates. Still, sometimes it's hard to coordinate schedules to get enough people to sit around a table and play a game, which is why I'm psyched to hear that Xbox Live Arcade is adding three games to its stable: Carcassonne, Alhambra, and the above-mentioned Settlers of Catan.
There aren't a lot of details available yet, but it sounds promising. I know a computer version of Settlers has been in the works for some time, but I'm not sure that it's seen the light of day yet. Whether or not they'll be able to recreate the fun of the board-gaming experience over a network connection remains to be seen, but I'm certainly game. Ha ha.
[via Digital World]
I lost my Swiss Army Knife a few months ago; my third iteration of the venerable Victorinox Super Tinker model. Though my girlfriend replaced it with a Gerber multitool, I still pine for the red plastic and shield and cross of the Swiss Army (hey, they're neutral—what do they really need an army for?).
But how do you choose what tools make it into your pocket knife? Well, if you're knife maker Wenger, you choose all of them. Meet the Wenger Giant Knife 1.0. It features 85 tools; everything included in any model of a Swiss Army knife, from a standard 2.5" blade to a laser pointer with 300 foot range. For when you really need to entertain your cat.
Granted, all of this comes at a price to compactness; the Wenger Giant Knife weighs in at 2 lbs. and measures 8.75". But it has a key ring. So you're all set. It'll also run you $1200, should you be so inclined...and crazy.
[via Engadget]
This week is the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, so if there's a lot of game news on Gadgetbox, you'll know why. First order of the day: Microsoft announced pricing and availability for the Xbox 360 peripherals that were first mentioned at this year's E3.
The Xbox Live Vision video camera (which was recently leaked by an inattentive Toys R Us) will retail for $39.99 and include a headset, downloads of two Xbox Live Arcade games, and a one month Xbox Live Gold membership. A "Gold Kit" version will include the Camera, headset, three Arcade games, 200 Microsoft Points, and a 12-month Xbox Live Gold Membership for $79.99. Both will be available on September 19.
The Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel will come with a limited-eition force feedback version of Project Gotham Racing 3 (while supplies last), and will go for $149.99 in November.
The Xbox 360 Wireless Headset will go for $59.99, also in November.
The Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows (shown) plugs into a USB 2.0 port on a PC, and allows PC gamers to use wireless Xbox 360 peripherals on their Windows-based computer. $19.99, available in late December.
More Xbox 360 Faceplates, which I know you've all been waiting for, will be available in early November for $19.99 each. There are three special-edition faceplates featuring Halo, Viva Piñata, and Forza Motorsport 2.
Whew, that's a lot of Xbox 360 news. Hopefully we haven't missed anything, but if we have, well, I'm sure it's out there on the wide Interweb somewhere. Stay tuned for more info from the Leipzig Games Convention.
[via Kotaku]
