Dec/090
Vodafone – Ditching the HD2 for iPhone
Here’s an interesting one. Vodafone, which is one of the few carriers in the world right now with access to HTC’s HD2, is reportedly not going to stock the handset any longer once its current supply evaporates. The reason? Why, that’s a fantastic question! According to a company spokesperson, there has been a “massive amount of interest” in the big-screen mobile, with initial stock “selling out quickly and subsequent deliveries used to fulfill backorders.” Call us crazy, but it seems a wee bit foolish to can a product that’s selling well — unless, of course, Voda has a certain amount of iPhones that it’ll be required to sell just a few months from now (or else buy ‘em itself). Whatever the case, we’re told that the operator “will not [be] re-stocking the HTC HD2 for general consumer sales once current stock runs out,” so if you’re jonesing for one, ten minutes ago would’ve been a great time to buy.
Oct/090
LG’s Blu-ray 5.1 home cinema system with iPod dock
LG have announced a new home cinema system, and if you’re a fan of globular satellite speakers and have an iPod then this might be worth a look. The LG HB954SP Blu-ray HCS packs a Full HD 1080p video and 5.1 surround sound audio system into a compact, blue-tinged box, with 1,000W of audio tuned by ear-wizard Mr Mark Levinson.
A slide-out dock at the front takes your iPod or iPhone, and allows for control from the HB954SP’s own remote, while the system can also upscale standard definition DVDs to 1080p. An ethernet connection hooks the LG up to the internet, for streaming YouTube content and accessing BD Live content, plus there are two HDMI inputs and a USB port.
The company obviously knows that a big audience for home cinema systems are families short on space, since they’ve preloaded seven different audio tweaking profiles including one which shuts off the subwoofer; as LG say, then you won’t wake any sleeping children. LG haven’t announced pricing for the new system, but it’ll apparently land at retailers in November 2009.
LG rolls out the red carpet to bring Hollywood home
The HB954SP Blu-ray home cinema system brings the best high definition picture, sound and online content into your living room
Berkshire, 8 October 2008 LG Electronics (LG), a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, has launched its new Blu-ray home cinema system (HCS) – the HB954SP. With Full HD 1080p playback, 1000W of power and 5.1 channel output, the player is neatly packaged in a stylish design with five oval satellite speakers.
With Blu-ray technology and full HD (1080p) up-scaling, the quality of the image and sound have never been clearer, enabling you to enjoy every detail on the screen from your Blu-ray movies, as well as improving the quality of your existing DVD collection. Having specially tuned the system, Mr Mark Levinson, the international authority of high-end audio, ensures that the sound quality is nothing short of perfection – guaranteed to enhance the cinematic experience.
Enhancing its reputation of manufacturing cutting-edge technology, LG’s latest system is packed with amazing features to access additional video and audio content. With one click access to YouTube, the world’s favourite contents sharing site is available at your fingertips, giving access to more than 2.5 billion videos online from the comfort of your living room. The addition of BD Live means you also have access to extra content and downloadable features from filmmakers’ websites. The HB954SP is also able to dock and charge your iPhone or iPod, allowing you to play your music collection through the home cinema system.
Sarah Thompson, marketing executive for digital media at LG Electronics, says, “LG brings the explosiveness and realism of the Hollywood blockbusters into your living room with our latest home cinema system. It is a testament to our endeavour to push the boundaries and create home entertainment solutions to suit everyone’s needs, whilst incorporating the best quality image, sound, and online capabilities”
Designed for ease-of-use, the inclusion of the LG Sound Gallery offers seven simple options to enhance the sound being played to help you create the perfect ambiance in your home, complimenting any mood, so you can activate night mode to turn off the bass so you do not wake sleeping children. With 2 HDMI inputs, this also allows you to hook up other devices such as a game console, DVD recorder or HD satellite box offering great connectivity,
This system will be available from November 2009 from major retailers and independents.
HB954SP
Features:
· 1000W audio system, specially tuned by Mr Mark Levinson
· Playback Blu-ray discs in Full HD
· Stream YouTube videos
· iDock – connect your iPod or iPhone and control it all from the remote control
· 2 HDMI inputs
· Full HD 1080p upscaling of standard DVDs
· LG Sound Gallery
· BD Live – download extra movie content via the internet
· Touch sensitive controls
· USB playback
· Optical input
Aug/090
Netflix to Wii, iPhone, and perhaps Apple TV?
Netflix might be planning to bring its “Watch Instantly” feature to new devices soon. Currently built in to several products, like Sony HDTVs, and very popular on the Xbox 360, the feature lets subscribers watch any of thousands of movies in the Netflix library on their TVs. There are no physical discs; the videos stream via Web connection.
And according to Afterdawn.com, which quotes unnamed executives familiar with the situation, the Nintendo Wii and Apple’s iPhone platform are next on the list. The Wii is a fairly obvious choice as Nintendo has been pushing streaming or downloadable content since the console launched a year and a half ago.
But the iPhone is something else. Apple–likely at the behest of AT&T–has kept much streaming video from the iPhone. Afterdawn points out that the streaming would likely be via Wi-Fi, only to keep bandwidth on the already overloaded network down.
What’s interesting is the lack of mention of the Apple TV. Sure, the iPhone and iPod Touch are much more popular devices, but the Apple TV–which already features streaming media via YouTube and the iTunes Movie Store–seems like a much more natural choice. People want to watch the movies on their TVs.
Apple wants you to rent or buy from iTunes and has never been happy with an “all you can eat” subscription service. But if Netflix can convince Jobs and company that “Watch Instantly” will be OK on the iPhone, then it can argue the same for the Apple TV.