If you're the type that archives everything, heads-up. And if you're the type that archives everything, only to want to re-write it days later, double heads-up. In reality, we see limited use for re-writeable discs that cost an arm and a leg, but Verbatim is pushing ahead with these units anyway. The company has just started to ship Blu-ray...Read more...
Sony introduced the next generation of its internal Blu-ray Disc rewritable drives. The new drives are capable of writing single BD-R media at up to 12X and dual layer BD-R media at up to 8X speeds. Sony's BWU-500S model comes with CyberLink’s Media Suite 8 software and one 25GB Sony BD-R blank disc. In addition to recording to BD-R...Read more...
It seems that the disc requirement for streaming Netflix on a game console is now history. Earlier in the year, eager PS3 and Wii owners were checking their mailboxes each and every day in hopes of seeing a new red disc in there. That disc, when inserted into their console, would enable them to stream Netflix "Watch Instantly" content. It...Read more...
Here's some interesting fodder to chat about at the water cooler. Sony, the company responsible for producing a disc-free PlayStation Portable game console, is apparently not too keen on going the all-download route in the home console space. In a recent interview, Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai said that a digital future in the...Read more...
Thanks to high definition video, pictures, and other digital files, we need increased amounts of storage. Soon, the storage capacity of Blu-ray discs could double. In fact, companies such as Sharp, TDK, and Verbatim are already making plans to launch new discs that can store up to 100GB of data. According to a statement, Sharp will start selling...Read more...
We've sure come a long way since the days of 1.44MB floppy disks and the like. Beginning July 30, 2010, Sharp will beginning selling its VR-100BR1 triple-layer Blu-ray disc media, a write-once disc capable of storing up to 100GB of data. "This disc media product conforms to the new BDXL format specification that extends the storage capacity...Read more...
When it comes to storage and media, "big enough" never really is. With the amount of 1TB and 2TB hard drives on the market today, it's easy to see that the demand for massive amounts of storage isn't fading soon, and even on the optical media side, there's an unyielding desire to cram more and more data onto the discs...Read more...
Blu-ray adoption still has aways to go before it matches the ubiquity of DVD, but those who can't get enough storage are already looking beyond the first generation. We've already seen TDK working hard on a 320GB optical disc based around BD technology, and now there's a new report suggesting something entirely more...Read more...
Amazon unveiled a promotion called Disc+ On Demand that could change the way some of us consume media. When you buy select DVD or Blu-ray discs under the new offering, you'll get the ability to download a digital copy of a film for instant viewing on your Mac, PC, Roku, TiVo, and other devices. There are a few catches...Read more...
TDK has always been one to push the limits. Back in August, we heard that the company's roadmap included 960GB laptop drives and 3.2TB desktop drives. Now, we're also hearing that it's looking to push the same boundaries in the optical media realm. How does a 10-layer, 320GB disc sound? Sounds like Blu-ray whimpering.Reportedly, the media...Read more...
Have you ever wondered just how amazing it would be to store your data on an optical disc for 1,000 years? Probably not, considering a) it's not remotely possible right now and 2) that's an awful lot longer than even the best lifespan you could ever hope for. But on the other hand, it sure would make the act of opening time capsules a lot...Read more...
Netflix and Samsung Partner to Instantly Stream Movies on Next Generation Blu-ray Disc Players Samsung BD-P2500 and BD-P2550 Blu-ray Players Transformed into Gateways that Give Consumers Access to More Than 12,000 Choices of Movies and TV Episodes from Netflix Partnership will Include Streaming to a Range of Home Entertainment Products LOS...Read more...
Sub-$400 Model Leaps Ahead in Recording Speed; Includes Blu-ray Disc Movie Title 'Men In Black' SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Electronics today announced its third generation internal Blu-ray Disc(TM) (BD) writer for the computer aftermarket, which at about $400 achieves a new level of affordability for BD enthusiasts.The...Read more...
There is little doubt that Internet access for many of us has transmogrified from the realm of useful tool to downright obsession. In fact, about a month ago we reported on a study that showed that 46 percent of U.S. e-mail users claim to be addicted to e-mail. Now a new study coming out of the U.K. gives a name to the malady we suffer when...Read more...
From a technical perspective, the biggest advantage Blu-ray discs (BD) offer is more storage space--up to 25GB (for single-layer discs) or 50GB (for dual-layer discs). From a more practical standpoint, the best thing BD brings to the table is higher-quality, high-definition (HD) movies. More storage space means less data needs need to be compressed...Read more...
Social music networks are like college. You all meet up there for a while, make friends, maybe a few enemies, share all sorts of things, and then scatter to other places and make new friends. The overriding constant is that nobody has any money in either place. Social.FM, which until recently was known as Mercora, was launched in 2005, and...Read more...
Microsoft has disclosed some details regarding the next iteration of its gaming and graphics API, DirectX 11. Shacknews has the full scoop on what Microsoft has disclosed up to this point, which isn't much, but there is still plenty to ponder. For example, the initial DirectX features and specifications disclosed at this point include......Read more...
Whether you like it or not, let's face it, disc media is just plain getting old. Further, "the power of the network" continues to rise and downloadable multimedia content continues to become more and more pervasive. Take a quick vitals check on companies like BlockBuster Video and you'll know why the folks at Netflix are running...Read more...
A group of Santa Fe residents claiming to be allergic to WiFi signals is requesting that all public buildings have the devices removed. Arthur Firstenberg says he is highly sensitive to certain types of electric fields, including wireless Internet and cell phones." I get chest pain and it doesn't go away right away," he said. Firstenberg...Read more...
As with all rumors, please take the following news item with a grain of salt until we can receive official confirmation or denial from Microsoft.“Vista SP1 shipped to duplication and OEMs Feb. 4, but since then it has only been available to previous beta testers, volume licensing customers and subscribers to IT subscription services. In fact,...Read more...
You have to measure the remarks of the Ericsson CEO about the future of Wi-Fi hotspot computing against the stake he has in the outcome of the race to serve the computing public on the go; but he does seem to be hitting the nail on the head when he predicts that Wi-Fi hotspots are "The telephone boxes of the broadband era." ... there's...Read more...
Here's an idea that - well, read it, then you decide.Indian manufacturer Spice Mobile on Tuesday introduced a phone with a built-in optical disc player, the first of its kind, here at the Mobile World Congress trade show.VMedia produces a 1.2", blue laser optical disk that holds one gigabyte per layer. Current discs have one layer, which is...Read more...