LG Electronics has a combination Blu-ray / HD DVD drive for your PC out. Not entirely surprising since LG Electronics was first to come out with a combination Blu-ray / HD DVD home player, it's only natural that they release a PC drive as well. The product's called the LG GGW-H10NI Super Multi Blue BD Drive/HD DVD Reader and below are the features:

• BD-RE/R read and write compatible
• HD DVD-ROM read compatible
• Up to 50GB of storage per disc for Blu-ray
• SATA interface
• Supports DVD+-R DL discs
• High speed media support
• 4MB buffer

While the drive can read both HD DVD and Blu-ray, it must be noted that it can only write to Blu-ray. Sad, but hey, you can't have everything. At least it also supports DVD +- R discs, something that is handy for those not yet willing to make the full jump to the newer formats.

The product page of the drive can be had using our "read" link below.

Our previous report on legal actions against Sony involved Target Technology and their claim that Sony's Blu-ray infringes on their patent. While that one was more about the more on the materials in the Blu-ray disc, this new lawsuit, this time from Certicom Corp, claims that Sony Corp's Blu-ray infringed on two US patents on digital content protection.

The suit claims that Sony is using Certicom licensed digital encryption technology (AACS) in Sony Blu-ray HD products. Certicom also claims that a digital transmission patent (Digital Transmission Content Protection or DTCP) was also infringed by Sony as it is being used without a license in wireless and audio devices.

Sony products affected by this suit include: the Playstation 3, various Sony DVD players, VAIO personal computers, and some Sony HDTV models and audio equipment.

The suit was filed in the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division. Certicom Corp is represented by the Fish & Neave Intellectual Property Group of U.S.-based law firm Ropes & Gray.

With two lawsuits regarding a format that could arguable be Sony's biggest ace, it seems that other people's sentiments that folks are just trying to "cash-in" are starting to gain credence, but that's just one way of looking at it. What do you folks think?

 

California-based Target Technology Company has filed a suit against Sony earlier this month. The technology company is seeking "damages multiplied due to willful infringement" for alleged patent violation relating to Sony's current high-definition format bet, Blu-ray.

Here's the deal: Target Technology Company's patent revolves around the use of certain silver-based alloys that are more resistant to corrosion than pure silver, and has the advantages that gold has. The patent was filed in April 2004, and was granted to Target during March of 2006.

That was then, this is now. Now, Target Technology Company named Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA), Sony Pictures, and Sony DADC in its lawsuit. Target claims that products under the Blu-ray name - this includes PS3 games and that new Blu-ray HD movie you've got in your closet - infringes on Target's patent for reflective layer materials in optical discs

What's odd about this legal action though, as pointed out by the folks at GameSpot, is that Target Technology Company didn't specify in its suit if all manufactured Blu-ray discs infringe on Target Technology Company's patent or just a portion of discs manufactured in certain ways.

This situation isn't new to Sony. It can be recalled that it had to pay damages to Immersion Corporation in dispute over the rumble function in Dual Shock Controllers. Since then, the two companies moved past their former issues and there are even reports that Sony and Immersion are working on a new project that should introduce rumble technology to PS3 products.

So will this lawsuit affect Sony and the Blu-ray's apparent success as a format in other regions? Given that Sony might also figure out a convenient way to settle this legal problem like before, it seems unlikely.

Thanks to QJ reader Spirit Hawk Leon for the tip!

That Halo-ized Zune seemed to be such a hit. Either a lot of you folks actually like the Zune, or were into Halo enough to actually be curious about the Zune. In any case, here's more info on Microsoft's Zune for you folks.

The people of Colorware - a self proclaimed "industry leader in altering the color of existing products" - are now processing new colors for the Zune, and will recolor your current player for only US$ 74. If you don't have a Zune but want one customized, they'll send you a new "re-colored" out one for US$ 325.

Since some retailers sell the Zune for only US$ 200, so to get the most out of your budget we suggest you folks just buy a new Zune and send one to them. 274 < 325.

Now if only they came up with a Gears of War themed Zune...

Anyhow, find out more on Colorware's custom colored Zunes via our "read" link below.

 

This bit of news is for those of you interested in getting the most out of their high-definition, entertainment system oriented consoles. JVC has announced the existence of their second generation 'Clear Motion Drive' (CMD) technology that should allow equipped displays to operate at 120Hz. A speed that is double the standard 60Hz.

The company says that the new generation Clear Motion Drive was specifically made for 1080p (ah, the magic number) displays, is five times more effective than previous versions.

JVC notes that through this doubly high refresh rate will allow LCDs to minimize the ghosting and motion blur that a lot of sports fans and gamers complain about.

Clear Motion Drive 2 displays are also set to take advantage JVC's fifth generation Digital Image Scaling Technology. They are also set to run on JVC's proprietary 32-bit Genessa chip. The new system is capable of 10-bit color will be equipped with HDMI 1.3.

JVC's CMD-2 displays will launch this fall. "High Speed 2" Models equipped with the technology include the 47-inch LT-47X898, the 42-inch LT-42X898 and the 37-inch LT-37X898.

 

It can be recalled that around January last year, it was suggested by Microsoft's Peter Moore that the company might be willing to adapt to consumer needs. He hinted that the Blu-ray drive might be a possibility. Well, back then he was "overridden" by Microsoft. The company noted in a statement:

Microsoft firmly stands behind the HD-DVD format as the best choice for our consumers. As we've said before, we're confident that HD-DVD will bring the excitement of high definition movies to the consumer faster and at a greater value.

Well, Moore was overridden a year ago, and in light of Niel Thompson's comments last March and Peter Moore's "Xbox 360 flexibility" comments at CES in January of this year, it seems that Blu-ray support is again, getting the boot.  Microsoft notes in it's Gamerscore marketing blog:

We firmly stand behind the HD DVD format as the best choice for consumers. Current reports indicating that Microsoft has a back-up plan, which includes Blu-ray support are incorrect.  We’re fully committed to HD DVD and have absolutely no plans to support other optical formats.

Perhaps Microsoft should handle this PR problem at the root, and perhaps they should talk to their execs and tell people like Xbox UK Boss Neil Thompson to refrain from saying things like "Whatever format wins it is highly likely we will offer a solution."

That way the HD DVD Gods (the ones that hate that bloody hex-code) won't get angry at them.

 

Now that Intel's anticipated "Santa Rosa" Centrino Pro notebook Platform is out, adopters of the said platform  should be able to experience better battery life, faster Core 2 Duo processors and chipsets, improved graphics, stronger wireless signals, and an option to turbo-speed boot time and software application loading. As others have said, they had us at better battery life.

Santa Rosa notebooks are expected to emerge in a variety of prices, designs, and sizes, ranging from media centric 17-inch screen laptops to energy saving ultra-light notebook PCs.

Amusingly, Apple zealots also number among those eagerly awaiting intel's new platform. It is widely believed that the first Apple notebook design to incorporate Santa Rosa features should be Apple's rumored update (AppleInsider thinks the alleged update is likely) to its 15-inch MacBook Pro, which should arrive during the second quarter of this year.

The update should have a faster 800MHz frontside bus, a second generation Core 2 Duo mobile processor, which ranges up to 2.4 GHz with 4MB of L2 cache. Yes, much is in store for Mac folks, all thanks to Intel.

We've previously reported on the Santa Rosa "adoption" of Apple as a rumor, however, as more reports are coming in, it seems that it is something that's already expected.

There have been rumors about it before, but it's only now that an evidence of sorts has surfaced regarding the matter. The rumors were basically about what the format of the 30th anniversary edition of "Star Wars" was going to be - Blu-ray or HD DVD? For those on the Blu-ray side of the argument, here's a little something for you: WesleyTech.com reports that Amazon has product pages up for BOTH trilogies in the Blu-ray disc format.

The first and second "Star Wars" trilogies each have its own product page on Amazon.com. Each has the current status of "we will e-mail you when this title becomes available". Below are screens of the listings:

Is this the Blu-ray format showing some muscle, or is this fallout from that whole HD-DVD security hullaballoo? Given the loyalty of Star Wars fans, will this cause larger adoption rates for Blu-ray over HD-DVD? Will this help position the PlayStation 3 as a cheap Blu-ray player? Given that nothing's confirmed "officially", we'll have to wait a bit to see how this shapes up.

Peter Svensson of the Associated Press reports on a technology that could be seen in future chips made by IBM for other companies, including the Cell processor used in Sony's PlayStation 3.

Apparently IBM has discovered that chips with miniscule nano-sized holes in them can run faster and use less energy. IBM has announced that this novel now way of creating chips could be potentially one of the most significant advances in chip manufacturing in years.

This new technique in chip manufacturing was invented at IBM's Almaden Research Center in San Jose California, and the T.J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown, N.Y.

It was adapted for commercial use by the University at Albany and IBM's Semiconductor Research and Development Center in East Fishkill N.Y.

IBM says that the technology could be integrated to existing manufacturing lines and applied to current chips, boosting performance by 35 percent or cutting power consumption by around the same percentage. IBM also noted that they expect to use the technique by 2009.

A better Cell by 2009? Cool.

 

Here's a bit of news that has conspiracy theorists all busy scheming, planning, and researching. Apple news site Macenstein reports that the EE Times informs that Apple is placing an order for 500 million Samsung NAND flash chips this month. That's a whole lot of flash.

The report claims that these chips will be used for iPhones and iPods, particularly those that will be made from the months of June 2007 to December 2007. This has some folks curious, as they feel that a 500 million order is a bit too optimistic.

Apple has reported that they "only" sold 10.5 million iPods last quarter. In order to justify an order of 500 million chips, Apple will have to sell around 30 to 90 million iPods and iPhones.

One theory of why the order is so is that perhaps we might be seeing the 6th gen video iPod or the "iPhone without the Phone." Another theory notes that perhaps the flash chips will be incorporated into Apple's laptops.

The fact that Samsung Electronics is not the only supplier of NAND chips to Apple is also raising some eyebrows. Perhaps Apple is trying to get on Samsung's good side or something like that? Who knows.

We'll update you when we get more info. Stay tuned.