Phyrfight Intel

The copy protection that will be on the new HD-DVD and Blu-Ray discs will only allow full HD resolution to be displayed on TVs that have a HDMI input. All analog inputs will be downgraded.

Over at ArsTechnica there is an article that suggests Sony will not be able to ship the PS3 to North America until 2007 and that if the PS3 is going to cost the same as the 360, Sony will be taking a huge hit.

Apparently squelching freedom is more important than competition.

“Our No. 1 competition is not other companies but counterfeiters. We want to work with governments to stop this.”

Since a test in September of 2005 a group known as LiftPort continues to make progress toward a space elevator.

If you are aware of what BitTorrent is, you can now use it to download ultra-high resolution images of Earth. At least someone over there is thinking.

Molly Wood over at CNET has a great comment on the current situation with digital music and the RIAA. I love her blog: always short and sweet.

I have been leary of getting Tivo-like software for a Windows machine, but this new Beyond TV looks awesome. After reading all the new features why would anyone buy a Tivo, which cannot do as much as this new software.

Scary Homeland Securty/Privacy stuff from WSJ.com

“Google will “vigorously” oppose a Justice Department legal motion requiring it to disclose information about consumer Web searches.”

WSJ.com – Google to Buck U.S. on Data Request

Wired News: Spin Doctors Create Quantum Chip
The first step has been made in creating a quantum computer.

Sony Pictures Announces First Blu-ray Disc Titles

Best Buy thought it could get away with taking advantage of the Xbox 360 situation buy forcing custiomers to buy extras when they purchased the 360 on launch day.
A Best Buy’s Response to Xbox 360 bundling complaints

gizmag Article: MP3 Jukebox built into AK47 Ammunition Magazine
AudioBooksForFree.Com, the No1 UK online mp3 audio book publishers, has released a one-of-a-kind MP3 portable jukebox – built into the ammunition magazine of a Kalashnikov AK-47 Assault rifle. The “AK-MP3 Jukebox” comes with 20GB storage capable to hold up to 9000 songs or 3000 hours of mp3 audio books.

No doubt this will be popular with Infidels and Jihadists alike. The perfect Ramadan shemagh stuffer.

Imagine a world where you get the Sci-Fi Channel, Comedy Central, and the History Channel, but don’t have to pay for channels like Oxygen, Lifetime, and E! that you’ll never watch.

FCC about-face

The State of Texas has filed suit against Sony.

The EFF anounced today they are filing a class action against Sony.

All people whether they are programmers or those who are tech-illiterate need to read this article. The recent Sony debacle has brought many of these issues to the forefront of public discussion. I urge all who care about any of their rights to participate in any manner possible. This country was founded by the people for the people and can still be run by the people if we wish. By participating in greater numbers and telling those in the government that we control them and not the other way around we can continue this greatest of experiments. Read the whole article with links here.

The EFF makes it easy to participate.

How to stop Hollywood and Congress from trampling on your constitutional rights from ZDnet
Posted by David Berlind @ 10:35 am

“Earlier today, I wrote a blog entry entitled The day the broadcast died. It talks about how the RSS subscription protocol has been married to TV programming in a way that could completely disintermediate the current channels of TV program distribution. In response, you should expect the entertainment industry to pursue every avenue at its disposal to clamp down on such innovations, stifling both the Internet and your constitutional rights in the process. Here’s what you need to know and what you need to do about it right now.”

more

TV networks say digital recorders raise viewership

“…But in their research on the use of DVRs, the television networks said the technology offered an opportunity to attract viewers who might otherwise miss shows when they first air.”

The more and more I read about what has transpired the more and more infuriated I become with Sony. The record labels and the RIAA have no idea what is going on and soon there will be no need for either of them. Power to the people! EFF: An Open Letter to Sony-BMG

A huge amount of work and time went into this project.
Gravity Probe B

Wired News: Real Story of the Rogue Sony Rootkit

It’s a David and Goliath story of the tech blogs defeating a mega-corporation.

New site Digg.com is a news aggregator based on a slightly different paradigm than Slashdot. The increasing importance of user interest and contribution as an integral part of news aggregation and dissemination is a very intriguing development.

From: Wired News
“Despite digging deeper into the space occupied by Slashdot, Rose can credit that site’s founder, Rob Malda, as the original inspiration for his project. During a lunchtime meeting in preparation for interviewing Malda last year, Rose realized that his ambivalence about adding more social features to Slashdot had highlighted an important gap in the user-organized news market he is now helping to create.

“Digg’s popularity is growing from its ability to prioritize content based on actual user interest rather than editorial assumptions,” said Rose. “