LG Using Broadcom Chips in Dual HD Disc Players
LG said Wednesday that it had selected Broadcom's integrated dual HD disc format system-on-a-chip had been selected to power the company's next dual-format player.
Broadcom says that its solution continues to be the only one in the industry that can fully support the interactive features of either format -- HD DVD's HDi and Blu-ray's BD-Java -- and other mandatory requirements.
Nokia Tests on New Mobile Broadband Standard Crack 100 Mbps
Nokia announced today that the LSTI (LTE/SAE Trial Initiative) had achieved a 100 megabits-per-second data transfer speed in recent tests.
LTE/SAE is an evolved version of today's mobile phone radio access technology designed for faster data transfer with a simplified architecture, using new transmission schemes and advanced antenna technology. Initial deployment configurations are specified to have downlink rates above 100 Mbps and uplink rates above 50 Mbps.
Microsoft Steps Up Anti-Piracy Effort in China
Microsoft is trying to fight piracy in China by ensuring that more new computers in the region come with genuine copies of Windows pre-installed at the factory.
The Redmond company said Wednesday that it had come to an agreement with the nation's second largest computer manufacturer, Founder, which includes a deal to resell Microsoft hardware as well.
Opera Mini 4 Available for Phones
After nearly 5 months of beta testing, Opera Software has released version 4 of its Opera Mini Web browser for mobile phones. The update includes iPhone-like capabilities that enable users to see a full overview of a page and zoom in to specific parts.
When zooming, Opera Mini snaps to content so scrolling is smooth. A virtual mouse cursor aids users in moving down a page and selecting links, although the software resizes text and images to reduce the amount of scrolling required. These features were originally developed for Opera's browser on the Nintendo Wii.
Fired: Microsoft CIO Violated Company Policies
Without much explanation late yesterday, Microsoft notified the press that it had terminated the employment of its Chief Information Officer, Stuart Scott, for violation of its corporate policies. This after having appeared on stage just seven weeks ago to hold up Microsoft's IT department as a role model for, as he described it, stamping out "shadow IT" agents within corporations, so that they can do more with less.
Scott may have done exactly that for Microsoft during his short tenure there. In 2005, he was brought onto the CIO role from General Electric, only to find that Microsoft already had somebody called "Chief Information Officer" reporting to a different department. That person was Ron Markezich, whose role was described at the time as "chief beta tester." Since that time, Markezich has shifted to Vice President of Managed Solutions, with his awkward co-CIO role having effectively been stamped out.
How HD DVD Got its Groove Back
ANALYSIS: Sources close to retailers indicate that Toshiba sold over 90,000 $99 HD DVD players over the weekend, and that figure only represents a portion of the retailers that participated in the frenzy.
According to Video Business, the 90,000 count includes Toshiba HD-A2 players sold at Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Circuit City along with a few other brick and mortar outlets. But it apparently doesn't include online retailers who also participated in the price drop, such as Amazon.com.
MPEG-2 Patent Holder, Licensing Agent in High-Def Codec Dispute
The company which saw the biggest IP infringement verdict in history granted to it and then taken away, faces a new problem this week over another part of its MPEG IP portfolio. The principal licensing agent for MPEG codec technology, MPEG LA, has sued Alcatel-Lucent in Delaware court.
Its claim is that Alcatel didn't have the right to absorb Lucent's IP portfolio -- which included patents on MPEG-2 technology -- into a new and separate trust, after Lucent had already made a commitment to provide that technology through MPEG LA.
AT&T's U-verse: $2 Million Smaller, $500 Million Costlier
What began as the nation's biggest planned deployment of IP-based services, having originally anticipated a customer base of 19 million homes, AT&T's U-verse high-speed TV/communications/Internet service appears to be scaling down its predicted uptake while scaling up its cost estimates.
In a recent regulatory filing, AT&T downgraded the availability of U-verse to 17 million homes by the end of next year, 2 million fewer than its spring forecast.
Pirate Bay Developing BitTorrent-like Protocol
The Pirate Bay is pushing forward with the development of a new software standard that makes it easier for downloaders to pirate media files, as BitTorrent works to become more legit.
The site has long used BitTorrent to trade files between its users. However, the creators of that technology have taken great strides to market legal uses of its product and have begun to crack down on illicit file sharing where it can.
Microsoft Launches Assault on Google's Search Appliances
In a clear move to undercut one of Google's most noteworthy revenue sources outside of advertising, Microsoft today launched its "search server" strategy by releasing both a free and a commercial version of software that performs many of the same functions as a dedicated search appliance.
In classic Microsoft fashion, the company has released a free edition of the product as its way of crashing the gate.
Two Out of Three Didn't Pay for Radiohead
A survey by research firm comScore indicates that nearly two out of every three downloaders of Radiohead's release In Rainbows did not pay for it, while the rest only forked over an average of $6 per download. The band released its album in October without digital rights management, and let fans decide how much they were willing to pay for the release, if at all. In total, some 1.2 million people visited the website set up for the album download between October 1 and 29, comScore said.
The study also showed a disparity in how much was paid for the album inside the US and overseas. Here in the US, about 40 percent chose to pay for the album, and the average selling price was $8.05. However, overseas 36 percent paid, and only were giving an average of $4.64 per download. Radiohead plans to release the album in CD format next year. The band had no comment on the study.
Zune Updates Coming November 13
Microsoft is preparing users of its Zune music player for the much-hyped upgrade to both the Zune device and desktop software. According to an e-mail sent out to users on Monday night, the updates will begin to be delivered automatically starting November 13. Among the new features that come as part of the update are: wireless sync, a new Zune Marketplace, and a social network built around the device.
"By accepting the updates, your Zune will have the same software that comes preloaded on all new devices," Microsoft says in the e-mail. As first reported by BetaNews in early October, Microsoft is pushing the update as an effort to keep its early adopters current with the latest features to be provided to Zune customers.
EU Proposing Air Passenger Data Retention
Europe is looking to gain access to passenger data on American travelers much like the US already does with foreign nationals coming in to the country.
The European Commission is set to announce the proposal this week and is said to be part of the EU's efforts against terrorism. As well as American passengers, it also covera data on any airline passenger flying into the region.
Callahan: Yahoo Wasn't Cooperating with China to Target Dissidents
You know the odds are stacked against you defending your case that you didn't provide false testimony to Congress when the hearing you're invited to attend is entitled, "Yahoo Inc.'s Provision of False Information to Congress." Though official transcripts or video have yet to be made public, based on written testimony entered into the record, it's clear that House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Lantos (D - Calif.) turned the heat up to high in grilling Yahoo's chief attorney Michael Callahan and his boss, CEO Jerry Yang, for what Lantos described as conduct before Congress that warranted an apology to the nation.
"If you think our witnesses today are uncomfortable sitting in this climate-controlled room and accounting for their company's spineless and irresponsible actions," reads Rep. Lantos' prepared opening remarks for this morning, "imagine how life is for Shi Tao, spending ten long years in a Chinese dungeon for exchanging information publicly - exactly what Yahoo claims to support in places like China."
Sony Debuts New PS2 in Japan
Sony is about to release a new version of its aging PlayStation 2 console in Japan ahead of the upcoming holiday season.
The new version is lighter than the previous model, and includes a built-in AC adaptor. An older version with an external AC adaptor weighed some 30 ounces: the new model only weighs 25.
Most Commented Stories
BetaNews, your source for breaking tech news, reviews, and in-depth reporting since 1998.
Regional iGaming Content
© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. About Us - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Sitemap.