Filed under: TECHNOLOGY | Tags: Blu-ray Disc, Consumer electronics, DVD, Hewlett-Packard, High-definition television, High-definition video, Sony, Television
High-definition products for the home-entertainment market are poised to triple by 2012 compared with 2008 numbers. “The high-tech industry’s efforts to provide HD service to every home now are finally coming to fruition. This has resulted in an explosion of shipments of consumer-electronics devices that support HD video, from new Blu-ray DVD players to ultrathin LCD HD Televisions (HDTVs) — and even some portable media players,” said Randy Lawson, senior analyst for iSuppli. Dealerscope (3/31)
Global information technology spending will fare worse in 2009 than during the dotcom bubble collapse of 2001, says industry research firm Gartner. A worsening global recession is discouraging corporations and consumers from spending to get the latest in technology. (Iwantmedia 3/31, http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE52U6B820090331 3/31)
Intel, as expected, on Monday unveiled its Xeon product, a new chip line designed for server systems that is said to double computing performance when compared with existing models. Several server makers are already making plans for the new chip line, with Hewlett-Packard developing 11 machines based on the Xeon 5500 chip. eChannelLine USA Daily News (3/30) , The Wall Street Journal (3/31)
Sony is offering two new Blu-ray recorders that include support for the acTVila video-delivery service for digital TVs. The 500GB BDZ-A950 and 320GB BDZ-A750 are both available in Japan. Electronista (3/30)
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Filed under: TECHNOLOGY | Tags: Blu-ray Disc, Google, IBM, Liquid crystal display television, Sharp Display Products, Sharp Electronics, Sony, United States
With the end of the first quarter of the 2009 almost here, even the strongest companies companies are making last-minute layoffs to shave costs. Today, layoffs were announced across the tech sector, from IBM to Google to Amazon. The biggest layoffs came from IBM, where 5,000 people
are losing their jobs in the U.S.. Amazon cut 210 people at three distribution centers in Nevada, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. Google also announced layoffs of 200 people from sales and marketing (so far, engineers have been spared). In all three cases, the job cuts amounted to roughly one percent of each company’s global workforce. The New York Times also announced a 5 percent cut of its newsroom, or 100 people. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/26/end-of-quarter-layoffs-hit-amazon-ibm-google-and-the-new-york-times 3/26)
“Ambivalent Networkers” — primarily males in their late 20s — admit to being glued to their mobile devices. Still, they would like to “take a break” from all the new technologies, says a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Technology “feels like an obligation.” (Iwantmedia 3/26, http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090325/ap_on_hi_te/tec_techbit_digitally_ambivalent 3/25)
Revenue from mobile-broadband services will reach $137 billion by 2014, a more than 400% rise from current levels, according to a report from Ovum, a consultancy and research firm. The report also predicts that average revenue per user will decline as the number of users will outpace the growth in sales. InformationWeek (3/25)
Sharp Electronics and Sony on Wednesday will christen Sharp Display Products Corp., a new joint-venture company to produce LCD TV panels. The firm, which will be two-thirds owned by Sharp and one-third owned by Sony, will be based in a new facility in Sakai, Japan. Dealerscope (3/25) , TWICE (3/24) , CEPro.com (3/24
Hewlett-Packard has debuted the new Pavilion Elite m9600 desktop, which is powered by Core i7 processors and has up to 1TB of hard drive storage and Blu-ray options. The company also introduced a suite of new LCD monitors featuring HDMI connectivity. Digital Trends (3/25)
The first-quarter 2009 reliability rankings by computer-service chain Rescuecom do not hold good news for Apple’s Mac. For the first time, Mac dropped out of first place and fell to third, where it now must look up at Asian computer makers Asustek Computer and Lenovo Group. Computerworld (3/25)
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Filed under: TECHNOLOGY | Tags: Blu-ray Disc, Business, Lithium-ion battery, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mobile phone, Panasonic Corporation, Surround sound, Times
MIT researchers have developed a lithium-ion battery that can recharge cell phones, notebook computers and other electronics equipment much more quickly than at present, according to the scientists, who said the development would also lead to smaller and lighter hardware. “If you can charge your phone in 30 seconds, that becomes a life changer,” said MIT professor Gerbrand Ceder, who led the research team. The Times (London) (3/12)
Panasonic on Wednesday introduced a family of new products, including several Viera plasma TVs, three Blu-ray players and two home-theater systems. The new and upgraded devices, many of which had their coming-out parties at 2009 International CES, begin hitting store shelves next month. Dealerscope (3/12) , TWICE (3/11)
Onkyo USA has debuted its TX-SR607 AV receiver, the first to feature Dolby’s ProLogic IIz surround-sound format. Paul Wasek, Onkyo’s marketing manager, said the exciting new format was so realistic that “it adds a new realm of audience involvement in three dimensions, with surprise aircraft flyovers triggering the ‘duck’ reflex.” Dealerscope (3/12)
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Filed under: TECHNOLOGY | Tags: Blu-ray Disc, Broadcom, Chumby, John Cusack, Scripps Networks Interactive, Television, VUDU, War Inc.
Vudu says it will begin offering owners of its Internet Movie Player the chance to download on-demand movies to own — not just rent — and watch them in the device’s HDX format at 1080p resolution. Most of the titles will be independents, including the critically acclaimed “Man on Wire” and John Cusack‘s “War, Inc.” Dealerscope (2/25) , CED Magazine (2/2009)
Broadcom announced the integration of Chumby content into TV sets, Blu-ray players and set-tops powered by Broadcom’s latest “system-on-a-chip” solution. When completed more than 1,000 widgets on the cuddly little $200 Wi-Fi powered device will be accessible on broadband-connected televisions including apps from Pandora, the New York Times and Scripps Networks. (Cynopsis 2/25)
Panasonic has introduced six new versions of its popular Viera LCD TVs. The updated models feature 800 lines of moving-picture resolution for minimal blurring, 50,000:1 dynamic contrast and an IPS Alpha panel for clearer pictures. Pocket-lint.co.uk (2/24)
Anthony Gallo Acoustics, as part of its Reference Series, has debuted two spherical speakers: the Strada and the Strada Center. The units can be mounted in a variety of ways and feature Anthony Gallo’s S2 Technology for low-frequency extension and a new CDT 3 tweeter. ElectronicHouse.com (2/24)
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Filed under: TECHNOLOGY | Tags: Amazon Kindle, Apple, Blu-ray Disc, iPhone, Playstation 3, Sony, Steve Jobs, Television
As Amazon’s Kindle 2 e-book reader starts shipping, bookseller Indigo Books & Music on Thursday will launch Shortcovers, an e-book reading program that works on the iPhone, Blackberry and other devices. The service lets users share comments and Twitter while they read. (Iwantmedia 2/24, http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/02/23/kindle-2-arrives-and-so-do-rivals 2/23)
When Muvico opens a 14-screen movie theater this week in Thousand Oaks, Calif., the real star will be Sony products. The theater will use Sony’s 4K SXRD digital projectors, which will get on-screen billing before the show starts, Sony LCD TV screens at the concession stand and PlayStation 3 consoles in the arcade. The New York Times (2/23)
Apple on Wednesday will convene its first annual shareholders’ meeting since Steve Jobs, the company’s iconic leader, took an extended leave of absence for health reasons. The event will give investors an opportunity to question Apple executives about how the company will transition to a Jobs-less future. Bloomberg (2/23)
While the gap between smartphones and netbooks has converged along certain lines, such as system cost and complexity, other, more wide-ranging differences will keep the segments from competing with each other in the short term, according to this analysis. EE Times (2/23)
Blu-ray discs are moving beyond their “early adopter” status and are becoming a mainstream product for top-quality video. According to a study by Futuresource Consulting, U.S. sales of Blu-ray discs topped out at 24 million last year and will reach more than 80 million in 2009. PC Magazine (2/23)
The makers of the latest flat-panel TVs are rolling out a series of technological advances designed to make their sets more eco-friendly. Companies such as Vizio, Funai, Sharp, Samsung, Sony and Panasonic are developing models that reduce power use in a number of ways, including changes in back-screen lighting and complete system shutdown when the TV is off. The Wall Street Journal (2/24)
Looking to offer a sound experience that will match the visual excellence of its Cinema 21:9 TV, Philips is offering a new home-theater sound system that includes the company’s HD AV receiver and a 7.1 speaker system. The package also includes four floor-standing tallboy speakers, two satellite speakers, a center channel and an active subwoofer. Pocket-lint.co.uk (2/23)
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Filed under: TECHNOLOGY | Tags: Blu-ray Disc, Business, Consumer electronics, DVD, Electronics, Fiscal year, Panasonic Corporation, Wall Street Journal
The one-two punch of a global slump in demand and a strong yen that makes Japanese products less attractive to importers has led Panasonic Corp. to forecast a $4.3 billion loss for the fiscal year that ends March 31. As a result, the consumer-electronics giant said it would cut 15,000 jobs, about 5% of its work force. 
ClipSyndicate/New York Financial Press (2/4) , The Wall Street Journal (2/5) , Reuters (2/4)![[Panasonic Gloomy Outlook]](image014.gif@01C987C2.AE824D30)
Game consoles are turning out to be the most popular nexus point for consumer-electronics devices connected to a home network, according to a new study from research firm In-Stat. The study went on to say that, in the future, Blu-ray and DVD players — and not personal computers — will become more important conduits in the networked home. Cartt News Service (subscription only) (2/4)
While demand for low-cost, no-frill netbook computers seems to be on the rise, the number of people considering a notebook computer is ebbing, according to a survey by ChangeWave. In the survey, the number of respondents who said they plan on buying a notebook in the next 90 days fell from 8% last November to just 6%. CNET (2/4)
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Filed under: TECHNOLOGY | Tags: Blu-Ray, Blu-ray Disc, CES 2009, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Laboratories, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, High-definition television
Characterizing it as “an ultimate-quality, reference-standard, high-definition source component,” Marantz has introduced its new Blu-ray player, the BD8002. The device serves up 24 frames per second, 1080p image resolution and decoding of Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Pocket-lint.co.uk (1/29)
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