120 GB Zunes begin to appear in stores
Microsoft has confirmed that it has begun to ship the newer high-capacity Zunes at a price that makes it quite competitive against the market-leading iPod.
The 120 GB Zune will sell for $249, the same price as the 80 GB Apple iPod. Internet reports say the devices began shipping to retailers this week, and Microsoft says the rollout will continue to additional retailers over the next several weeks.
Is there a subsidized netbook in your future?
True to words spoken by Dell CEO Michael Dell last week, Dell's newly launched Inspiron Mini 9 will soon be bundled with Vodafone's mobile broadband services in parts of Europe. Could a certain US wireless carrier be next?
Retail availability through Vodafone "in key European markets" of Dell's Inspiron Mini 9 -- launched just yesterday -- is scheduled for late September, according to a statement from the two new partners. The Minis will be sold through Vodafone's online sales outlets and brick-and-mortar stores, and will be bundled with mobile broadband.
Evidence Samsung and SanDisk are in merger talks
The company that holds patent rights for a breakthrough flash memory technology is apparently discussing the possibility of being acquired by the world's biggest flash producer. It's come down to this.
Flash card manufacturer SanDisk issued a statement early this morning, essentially using a bull-horn with trumpet accompaniment to awaken the world to the news that it does not comment on rumor and speculation. That speculation, it said, concerns news emerging from the Korean business press this week, indicating that it and leading flash memory producer Samsung are in merger talks.
Where does John McCain stand on technology issues?
With over two decades in the Senate, John McCain of Arizona has developed quite the resume with respect to technology legislation. BetaNews' Ed Oswald takes a look at where McCain stands on some of the most high-profile issues.
Perhaps simply because he is 72 years of age, Sen. John McCain is often the brunt of jokes that presume he knows little or nothing about modern technology, consumer electronics, or the Internet. Yet McCain's record tells a different story.
Germany to improve its privacy regulations
In response to the discovery of an expansive black market trade in stolen bank data, German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble assembled a summit to rein in the illegal collection and sale of private data in Germany.
Schäuble has been at the forefront of technological policy reform in Germany, proposing a measure late last year that would give authorities access to terror suspects' personal data in crisis situations.
Oracle CEO Ellison destroyed critical e-mails, judge rules
In charges stemming from a 2001 shareholders suit, a federal judge found this week that Larry Ellison deliberately withheld evidence that would have shown his awareness of problems surrounding Oracle's finances and its Suite 11i software.
Oracle CEO Larry Ellison has been found by a federal judge to have destroyed e-mails and withheld recorded interviews that could have been used against him. This in connection with a shareholders' suit charging Ellison with making false financial statements.
Sun takes command of VirtualBox, adds 64-bit, VHD support
Download Sun xVM VirtualBox 2.0.0 for 32-bit Windows on x86 from FileForum now.
It should be the easiest, most readily available software anywhere for setting up a Linux environment on a Windows host. And maybe it will be, but in the meantime, BetaNews tests seem to indicate VirtualBox 2.0.0 has a few hurdles to overcome.
Cablevision rolls out muni Wi-Fi in Long Island, NY
New York triple-play telecommunications provider Cablevision announced that it has completed the initial phase of its municipal Wi-Fi coverage for the Nassau and Suffolk county areas in Long Island.
The company first announced its Optimum Wi-Fi plans in May, with a two-year deployment schedule that will eventually comprise much of the New York tri-state area. This leg of the rollout appears to have been designed around the Long Island Railroad system, with station stops along a number of lines receiving connectivity first. Cablevision had previously set up "Wi-Fi Community Zones" in the Bridgeport and Port Jefferson ferry stations, and also in commercial areas Sag Harbor, Northport and Huntington.
Analyst: US 3G growth pulls even with Europe
The US has finally caught up with Western Europe in 3G wireless adoption, according to one analyst group, citing an 80 percent market surge over the past year. And Asia-Pacific, other research says, may actually be lagging behind.
As of June 2008, a total of 28.4 percent of US mobile subscribers (64.2 million) were equipped with 3G devices, in comparison to 28.3 percent across the largest countries in Europe, says a new report from ComScore released today.
Korea Times: Sony home video at the tail end of a Korean exodus
Korea Times reports that Sony's DVD distribution arm in Korea has decided to stop selling discs in that country, making it the last of the major studios to do so.
A request for confirmation by BetaNews with Sony went unanswered as of press time. If the news is accurate, Sony would actually be the last of the major Hollywood studios to pull out of the South Korean market over the last two years, following Paramount, Disney (Buena Vista), Universal, and 20th Century Fox. It seems as if Korean consumers just aren't interested in DVDs any more.
Toshiba debuts 'SRT' upconverting LCD TVs
Toshiba's new functionality -- dubbed Super Resolution Technology -- makes its debut in the company's Regza line of televisions, and promises to upconvert standard definition television to HD-like quality.
Toshiba has made several moves over the past few months following HD DVD's collapse that almost make it seem like it wants to sabotage Blu-ray, and this latest play could be considered one such move. It also announced plans in June to add firmware to SD DVD players to improve picture quality of regular DVDs.
Google's Chrome is gaining users, especially in the wee hours
Download Google Chrome 0.2.149.27 Beta from FileForum now.
Less than day after its beta release on Sept. 2, statistics show Google's Chrome became the fourth most used browser on the Web, well above Beta 2 of Internet Explorer 8.0 -- another browser that had shown big gains in recent days.
Blu-ray gets more high-end consoles
Today at the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) expo in Denver, Colorado, The Blu-ray player market got bigger by a fraction as Sony and Pioneer debuted new hardware.
Sony introduced its BDV-IT1000ES and BDV-IS1000, single-disc "theater-in-a-box" systems that feature Sony's S-AIR wireless 5.1 channel audio, and up to 1080p video quality.
Samsung UK exec: Blu-ray's got five years to live
An official with one of the format's principal supporting companies gives it a rather short life span, saying another technology would replace it.
If Samsung UK consumer electronics chief Andy Griffiths is correct, the format would have spent only seven years as a commercially viable format. Compare this to DVD, which has been available to consumers for well over a decade.
Dell launches its Inspiron Mini 9 ultra-portable
Officially launched by Dell today, the Inspiron Mini 9 isn't exactly the only Netbook out there, but Dell is selling it in some very interesting ways, including as a $99 extra if you buy it along with another laptop.
Weighing in at 2.28 pounds, the Mini 9 represents just the first in a series of ultra-portable from Dell, said John New, Dell's senior product line manager, in a pre-briefing for BetaNews at a Dell press event in New York City last month.
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