Tech Digest

We love Wii because...

Where else can you spend a happy hour or two pulling worms out of rabbits' teeth? Click below for a bonkers clip from one of the mini-games in the upcoming Wii Rayman title. Since when did worms have teeth? Actually, since when did rabbits go to the dentist to have worms with teeth removed from their mouths? Maybe it's better not to ask.

One Minute Video Review: Motorola KRZR

Here's Ashley and I looking at the Motorola KRZR, and having heaps of fun trying to figure out how you say it. There's also a respectable amount of time looking at what exactly it does. Expect it to appear in the shops in the next few weeks.

YouTube Video of the Day - Fool shoots hornet nest.

What happens when you give a fool a gun and show them the location of a troublesome hornets nest? Predicatbly, the answer lies in pain and sorrow.

Mof Gimmers

YouTube Video of the Day - The tale of the Russian singer and plain bad luck

Well, seeing as today is Friday 13th, you couldn't get away from a bit of bad luck. If something has happened to you, keep in mind; You're day is probably going better than this poor bloke.

Mof Gimmers

Spoof Cameron vid online gets MPs in a tizz

A spoof video posted online by Labour MP Sion Simon as a mick-take of David Cameron's first "I'm just like you - doing the washing up and telling my kid to be quiet" YouTube video has caused a bit of consternation amongst MPs on both sides of the House.

Tory MP Peter Luff says the spoof video brings 'all of us in politics into disrepute' (you need help?) whilst fellow Labour backbencher Stephen Pound thought Mr Cameron's wife Samantha would be "hurt and insulted" by some of the references in the video.

Well, having watched the spoof, it's not completely innocent, but then neither is it worse than a lot of the satirical comedy on TV - and the fact it comes from a politician - well, bless him, he tried.

I was going to link to it, but unfortunately it's been removed from YouTube. Self-censorship. Shame.

YouTube Video of the Day - Real Life Transformer

Can I have one of these please? Any generous TechDigest readers up for buying me one? No? Damn you.

Mof Gimmers

One Minute Review: LG KG810, the Chocolate Clamshell

Too lazy to read? In this instance you're ok, since you can sit back and watch a brief synopsis of the LG KG810 in this video (you might have problems with the rest of this site though). If you want more details, check out the full review here.

Thirty years of VHS

I missed a significant birthday on Monday, so here's a belated happy birthday to the VHS video system. Thanks to JVC the whole world of home movies and recording really opened up. I know no article is complete without the obligatory mention of Sony's Betamax (which is probably older than me), but it was VHS that stormed the world - thanks in part to the porn industry.

It's easy to dismiss VHS as a graveyard technology now that we've entered the world of DVD and hard disc recording, and are pushing on towards high-def optical disc formats, but VHS still has its place - for one there's a lot of content sitting around on tapes, and combined machines (HDD, DVD and VHS) are still being released, though they don't get as much attention as sleek PVRs and DVD recorders.

VHS was even granted an IEEE milestone as an honour of its significant social and historical impact.

So raise a glass to VHS and that stack of black plastic video cases I know you've got stashed away somewhere at home. The future might be all shiny and disc shaped, but VHS revolutionised home cinema.

Via GizMag

YouTube Video of the Day - The Monkey Drummer (Aphex Twin vrs Chris Cunningham)

You should have heard of Aphex Twin by now. You should have also heard of Chris Cunningham. If not, one makes marvellously mental electronic music, the other, marvellously monged films. When the two come together, you get the frightening Come To Daddy Video... or this. Brilliant.

Mof Gimmers

Warner does streaming video deal with Google. Sound familiar?

As David Brent might say, you have to look at the whole pie. We've just seen that Google have bought YouTube. Fact. We also saw that last month Warner signed an agreement with YouTube, so I suppose it's not surprising that Warner have also agreed to allow its music videos to be streamed on Google Videos.

The deal should mean that US residents (sheesh they always get the good stuff first) can watch thousands of music videos, interviews and behind the scenes footage, and Warner Music Group videos will also be available on Google's partner websites. Google are also developing technology that will allow users to include authorised content from Warner and other record companies in videos that they create and upload.

It's going to be interesting to see whether this deal was inked because of Google's acquisition of YouTube (I can't believe it was a coincidence) and how it will affect the services. I wrote in the post about Warner and YouTube: "What's interesting is that YouTube have developed a royalty-tracking system that discovers when a user has uploaded video with copyrighted music on it, and then allows Warner to decide whether to approve or reject that video."

Will this same system be ported across to Google? Will Google Video and YouTube share the same technology? Or will the services remain separate, serving different audiences?

It's something Google will be keen to sort out, anyway, as there are legal concerns on both GV and YouTube. Getting all the major record labels on side (YouTube's nearly there) will give the sites a major boost in terms of content and what users can legally do with copyrighted material.

One Minute Interview: XBox 360 on Windows Mobile

I speak to John Starkweather at Microsoft about the future of Xbox gaming, and how it's being developed to work with Windows Mobile. Hear about gaming on the move, and beaming your gaming creds to all and sundry when you're out and about.

YouTube Video of the Day - PC Animation

Ah. Animations about PCs. Dull right? Wrong! Here's a sweet little stop frame animation which is high on ideas and inventiveness and low on CGI rubbish.

Mof Gimmers

One Minute Video Review: Philips Living Colours Life

More from the Philips Simplicity event now, and this time they're giving you a reason to completely give up on the whole decorating your house experience. With these lights you can throw practically any hue onto your walls, without even a hint of paint. They're planned for launch in the UK in the new year.

One Minute Video: Philips Concepts Part II

Here's part two of Philips concept event. This is an idea they've developed regarding the future of health in the home. Your mirror will do so much more than reflect your morning face, including telling you when you're dehydrated, how much closer you are to your health goal, and even recharge your 'magic wand'.

One Minute VIdeo: Philips Concepts

Philips held an exhibition recently to give us a sneak peak into the way they're developing their consumer electronics business. Here's part one of the opening, which looks at their 'Family Album' concept, complete with actors.

Google to buy YouTube: or how to do a really good Internet rumour

TechCrunch have started a rumour (OK, solid news based on something someone said somewhere) which I found via Tech's Message: namely that Google could be gearing up to buy YouTube.

Now, apart from the obvious traffic that this generates for TechCrunch, this might not be as fanciful as it first seems. Though Tech's Message has reported that a billionaire by the name of Mark Cuban said that 'only a moron would buy YouTube', that surely doesn't apply to Google.

We've already seen Yahoo! taking over other potentially competing video services, and online video sharing sites are hot property at the moment (even if they are still quite difficult to monetise and are nasty legal minefields). Google Videos and YouTube are competitors - why not have the might of Google take over YouTube?

Whether this is good for the consumer is another matter. I suppose it depends whether Google would keep the two entities separate (better) or merge them somehow. I think YouTube is a stronger brand than Google Videos.

The going rate? Oh just $1.5bn - $2bn.

Let's pretend this isn't still a rumour, and that the consumer is the most important factor here (of course). Would this be good for us? For video sharing sites in general? What do you reckon?

YouTube Video of the Day - Stylin' with Mr T

Now, you lot have been too obsessed with technology, and neglected your wardrobe. Don't worry about it though, because Mr T is on hand to offer you some style tips... I'm being serious too. (NB. You may have to watch this through your fingers)

Mof Gimmers

Sharp TU-R160H recorder with twin Freeview tuners

Sharp has a new DVD/HDD recorder on the market - TU-R160H - featuring a 160GB drive and twin Freeview tuners, so you can simultaneous record one digital channel whilst viewing another.

It's a slimline player with an 8-day EPG for planning and timing and a hard drive that should offer up to 80 hours' recording capacity. It also features 'Chasing Playback' - where you can pause the live broadcast then continue watching where you left off, a 'Picture In Picture' function and the ability to record subtitles of shows. The company claims it's also more environmentally friendly - with a low power consumption rate of 0.5W in Standby mode, compared to similar products on the market that can consume more than 15W.

The TU-R160H should be available sometime this mont from most high street retailers - price to be confirmed.

Sharp website

One Minute Video Review: Nokia 5500

Nokia has today announced the 5500 Music Edition, which is a super-rugged phone for sporty types. The music version features a 512 MB microSD card, a fitness carrying strap, bicycle holder and sports headset. I took a look at the 5500, not getting too worked up about the sport possibilities, instead focussing on the great game you can play whilst you're not out being fit.

One Minute Video Review: Philips Living Colours

Philips showed off some concept designs this week at their Sense and Simplicity event, as well as some products which will be released soon. This is their Living Colours product, which promises to transform the ambience of your house through some special lighting. They're set to come to the UK next year.

BT strikes deal with Sony BMG for forthcoming BT Vision service

If Postman Pat and Basil Brush aren't your thing on the forthcoming BT Vision service, then maybe some Sony BMG's music video content will interest you. BT have done a deal with the music giant that will see names such as the Foo Fighters, Jamiroquai, Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, George Michael and Justin Timberlake (oh well never mind) come to the new service.

BT already have agreements with Warner, i-concerts and Eagle Rock. Dan Marks, CEO of BT TV Services expects many of the videos to be exclusive for a period of time after their first release. There's also the BT Vision Download Store which, so long as you're connected to Microsoft in some way, will get you videos to your PC or mobile multimedia player. Videos from this new deal will be available from November, according to PCW.

So, are we excited about BT Vision?

One Minute Review: Dyson Airblade. Strike 2

YouTube is playing silly buggers, and I know the Dyson video isn't showing, so lets try it this way. It requires a bit more effort on your part, as you now have to click here, but just think of how much more clued up you'll be on Dyson's latest innovation. But you should know, there aren't actually any blades involved, despite the name.

YouTube Video of the Day - The Kid From Brooklyn

Before I say anything else, this video has a lot of swearing in it, so if you're offended, please don't watch it. Right, now that's out of the way, have any of you heard of 'The Kid From Brooklyn'? This is a guy who is grade A bile! This is his best outing, and the palpable rage contained is all from a trip to Starbucks. Enjoy.

Mof Gimmers

YouTube Video of the Day - Satellite Sunbather

How on (Google) Earth do you come across something like this? Some cad, scouring Google Earth found a nudey sunbather prostrate in their back yard. This leads me to wonder... maybe you can find a big crime taking place with the satellite snaps? Or maybe the loch ness monster? For more satellite picture fun, follow this link and see some of the most impressive snaps ever taken from space!

Mof Gimmers

Tuesday Top Ten: YouTube videos that'll make you want a Nintendo Wii

The headline says it all, really. Nintendo's Wii console launches here in the UK on December 8th, with a price of £179. And I for one cannot wait, having slapped my pre-order in as soon as the games retailers started taking orders. But if you're still unsure, or don't have a clue what all the fuss around Wii is about, here's ten videos from YouTube that should have you reaching for your wallet.

1. The Official Trailer (Pt. 1)
A decent introduction to what Wii is all about, courtesy of Nintendo. See Japanese families sharing the fun of virtual conducting! Fall head over heels in love with the Wario game! Marvel at why the grungey guy isn't out playing a gig rather than staying in playing first-person shooters! This is the video to watch if you're completely new to Wii, or need to convince a non-gaming husband/wife/parent of its charms.

2. See why it's called Wii
Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto explains why exactly the console is called Wii, as thousands of British viewers collapse in mirth at the thought of the urine-related punning to be had once they've got one sitting in their living room.

3. Wii drumming
As someone unable to see a pair of chopsticks without recreating the solo from Led Zep's 'Moby Dick', the Wii Drumming game has got me PROPERLY excited. It's like SingStar on PS2, except for those of us who can't hold a tune, and like hitting things! In time or not.

4. Underwear attack
Okay, so Wii is being pitched as a break from console industry norms. But one thing remains the same – there's nothing like a woman in hotpants and a skimpy bra to get gamers hot under the collar about a new product. I don't know if Nintendo had anything to do with this cheeky Wii v PS3 parody of Apple's Mac v PC ads, but if they didn't think it up, they should have.

5. The overview
This one's another good video to show Wii virgins, as it provides an overview of the console feature by feature. By the end of it, you'll be as HELL YEAH enthusiastic as they are...

6. At last! Realistic fishing in video games
Okay, apart from Sega Bass Fishing on the Dreamcast. But in The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess you can fish by casting your Wiimote. Don't let your dad play on this, otherwise he'll monopolise it for hours and never let you get any further in the game. And that'd mean you miss the horseback bits...

7. Men in black show you how to play Zelda
More Zelda, which looks like being one of the most dribble-worthy launch titles for Wii (i.e. the one you'll choose if a retailer forces you to buy a 'Wii + 1 game' bundle). And who better to show you how this flagship game works than some blokes dressed in black looking sharp?

8. Bollywood Dancers love it
Check this video out. It appears to be a dubbed Bollywood-style video singing Wii's praises in typically over-the-top style. Who knows if the subtitles have just been slapped onto an old movie where they're singing about something completely different. Like PlayStation 3. EDIT - Thanks commenters for alerting me to the fact that this isn't a Bollywood video at all, it's actually a Tamil video. I'd still like to think they're singing about Wii though.

9. Geeks love it
This video's good too. It shows the stampede at this year's E3 conference when the doors opened, and hundreds of sweating mad-eyed gamers ran for the Wii stand. Don't be offended, by the way. In my household, being called a sweaty mad-eyed geek is the highest praise. And I did run for the stand one morning at E3...

10. Wii Tennis
Genius. Even when played by the people who created it on a big-screen, which is a bit embarrassing for all concerned.

One Minute Video Review: Dyson Airblade

Before you watch the video, it seems only fair to warn you that there are in fact no blades involved in this film, despite Dyson's name. It is in fact a hand dryer, but in typical Dyson fashion, involves something a bit different to your bog (geddit?) standard model.

YouTube Video of the Day - Mic Throat

This is, without doubt, the funniest thing I've ever seen in my whole life. We all like to laugh at other people's misfortune... well I do...  and the punchline of this actually made me weep tears of painful laughter. Enjoy.

Mof Gimmers

One Minute Preview: RS Media and Mark Tilden

A couple of weeks back at the Boys Stuff Xmas Shindig, Susi grabbed Mark Tilden for a chat about his Robo range, and in particular the new bot on the block - RS Media.

Yahoo acquire Jumpcut video website

Yahoo have acquired the Jumpcut video-editing and publishing website, in the ongoing scrabble on the web to compete with YouTube. Is it just me or do Yahoo seem to be doubling up on services? First they acquired Flickr and then launched their own photo-sharing service, now they're buying out a video service even though they have one of their own.

Indeed, they've said that Jumpcut will become part of the 'Yahoo Video family' and won't replace what Yahoo already do. Presumably they'll cater to different audiences.

I took a very quick look at Jumpcut and wasn't overly impressed. Sure, it was first impressions based, and maybe I'm doing them a disservice, but it didn't seem to have the same feel as YouTube or Google Videos, for example. One feature that sounds intriguing, however, is 'Remix' where you can take other people's content and, well... remix it. Ahh, a copyright nightmare!

It also sounds as if Jumpcut will stand to benefit more from the deal than Yahoo, with access to a broader audience.

Have you used Jumpcut (had you even heard of them?). What do you think of the deal?

Jumpcut

One Minute Video Review: Fuji S6500fd

I look at the Fuji S6500fd, which is their attempt to bridge the gap between compact and full SLR cameras. You can get one here for £275.

YouTube Video of the Day - Windows advert for Pigeon mail

Just how useful is it having email and MSN and the like? Think of a world where these things didn't exist... a world where we'd have to use carrier pigeons instead...

Mof Gimmers

YouTube Video of the Day - Little Superstar

I found this in my mailbox the other day... and it's the oddest thing I've ever seen. Is it wrong?

Mof Gimmers

Online video UK popularity to soar over next 3 years

New research from the British Internet Broadcasting Company suggests that online video will dominate traditional video over the next 3 years.

The survey shows some interesting statistics, including 85% of respondents prepared to buy movies online. A significant proportion of people are happy to watch these downloads on either a PC or a TV, though mobile content is less popular.

24% would prefer to pay nothing for their movies whilst 41% would be willing to pay between £2 and £5 for a film that could be kept. 25% said they'd prefer buy-to-own movies whereas 36% would like to pay a monthly subscription for unlimited viewing.

Amongst 18-24s, one-third would like to own the movies, versus half who would rather subscribe to an unlimited service.

Respondents were concerned about the poor quality of downloaded movies, the limited range of viewing options, a perception that downloads were no cheaper than buying the hard copy, and nearly a third of people worried about deleting downloaded content.

This could be very good news for the many online download film retailers, not least of all Apple's iTunes. Paul Hague, MD of the BiBC, said "These statistics offer further proof that video downloads are seeping through into popular culture. This is particularly pertinent to the DVD market, which cannot compete with downloads, as they cannot possibly offer the same cheap, environmentally friendly, high-quality and secure offering that video downloads can provide."

What do you think? Are the days of the physical DVD numbered?

YouTube Video of the Day - 'Flipbook' Fight

When I made flipbooks, they looked quite good... or so I thought until I saw this. Pah.

Mof Gimmers

One Minute Video Review: Motorola Razr Maxx

I took a look at the Motorola Razr maxx, together with a bit of help from Duran Duran. It's not in the shops yet, so we'll keep you updated on pricing.

YouTube Video of the Day - Super Mario Theme played on two guitars at once!

Is it geeky that I like this video? Possibly, but who cares. Some crazy kid playing the Super Mario theme... on two guitars at once. What joy!

Mof Gimmers

One Minute Video Review: Parrot Photo Viewer

I took a look at the Parrot Photo Viewer, which is designed to display photos from your phone or other Bluetooth equipped photo device. You can pick on up for £150 here. 

Thursday Top 10: Things we learnt on VideoJug this week

How do you do stuff? It's a question that's constantly in my mind, whether I'm trying to fit a new door lock, cook a swanky meal, or find my way back home at 3am in the morning after a few ciders. If only there was a helpful online guide with videos showing me how to do, well, the first two of those things.

Well, there is. It's called VideoJug, and it's a nifty Web 2.0 site with the slogan 'Life explained. On film'. It's basically a cross between YouTube and Blue Peter, with a healthy element of Look Around You style humour. Here's the top 10 things I learnt this week on there.

1. How to Make Octopus Spanish Style. Sadly this doesn't involve chasing it round a swimming pool waving a red flag.
2. How to Fit a Cat Flap. Release your moggy into the wild. If whippets are more your thing, there'll hopefully soon be a How to Fit a Flat Cap video too.
3. How to Do a Testicular Self-Exam. You have to be registered with the site and over 18 to watch this, as it features actual sweaty man-balls. As it should.
4. How to Brush Your Teeth. Because I never paid attention when I was young, and they're starting to go black and drop out.
5. How to Unblock a Toilet. Watch this to save yourself having to work it out with a pencil. The old gags are always the best...
6. How to Make a Submarine in a Bottle. Face it, you know you've always wondered.
7. How to Spot a Bogus Caller. Show this to your Nan.
8. How to Make a Mojito. God's own cocktail. Don't show this to your Nan.
9. How to Serve and Drink Sake. No, you're not allowed to swig it from the bottle. Not until the fifth bottle of the evening, anyway.
10. How to Make a Wooden Spoon Puppet. I'm easily amused.

Disney sells 125k movies over iTunes in 1 week

Disney, the only studio to sign up with Apple to distribute movies via the iTunes Store (no surprises there, Steve), has reported a whopping 125,000 movie downloads in its first week of selling online in the US. That's a cool $1m which should leave Disney, Apple and Steve feeling pretty happy.

Disney CEO Bog Iger said it meant that customers were seeking to get content in 'multiple ways'. Whether they're downloading them to view primarily on an iPod, or their computer, is unknown to us outsiders.

It will be interesting to see whether these figures will entice other studios to strike a deal with Apple. Licensing and other legalities remain an issue even for Disney, though they hope to add further titles over the coming months.

Hopefully by the time we get a sniff of movies in the UK there'll be a decent line up to choose from - and all in time for the launch of iTV.

YouTube Video of the Day - Extreme Breakdancing

Breakdancing is mental enough at the best of times. Spinning on your head, done badly, can result in badly broken bones. Well, this bloke is taking breaking to a whole new level... watch and drool.

[Mof Gimmers]

New technology could make mini projectors possible

I love video projectors, but they can often take up valuable space in the middle of a room as they're still relatively large, particularly in a home environment. So I was interested to read of news of a projector that has been developed that's about the size of a sugar cube. Actual dimensions are 16mm long by 9mm wide and 9mm deep.

The prototype developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany uses only one tiny mirror - instead of the millions found in traditional projectors - which vibrates extremely quickly to diffuse the light emitted from coloured lasers in order to form the image.

There's a slight problem in that green diode lasers aren't yet small enough to be used in something this size, so with just red and blue there's a limitation on colour palette, but researchers expect this to be overcome as laser technology evolves.

Applications could include projecting images from mobile phones, laptops and other devices. Apparently it's also easier to project onto non-flat surfaces, which could open up some creative applications.

(Via BBC)

Warner's video distribution deal with YouTube

Last month we reported that several record companies were in talks with YouTube about licensing their content to the video sharing portal.

Today Warner Music have announced that they've done a revenue-sharing deal with YouTube to allow thousands of music videos and interviews to be uploaded.

"Technology is changing entertainment, and Warner Music is embracing that innovation," said Warner Music Chairman Edgar Bronfman Jr. "Consumer-empowering destinations like YouTube have created a two-way dialogue that will transform entertainment and media forever."

What's interesting is that YouTube have developed a royalty-tracking system that discovers when a user has uploaded video with copyrighted music on it, and then allows Warner to decide whether to approve or reject that video.

It all feels a bit 'in the mix' at the moment - on the one hand YouTube are currently existing on a modest amount of venture capital, and seem fervently against 'selling out' to a rich corporation - on the other hand they may be forced to allow record companies who come on board to censor videos.

Sounds like a good deal for Warner - they get to advertise, show off their own music videos (presumably with some kind of preferential treatment), and will still allow some use of their songs in amateur videos.

It might even make those wonderful lip-sync videos legal. Joy!

Some other labels aren't quite so happy with YouTube - Universal is threatening to sue YouTube over copyright violations.

What do you think? Is this good news for YouTube?

YouTube Video of the Day - Fat Boy Nearly Falls Out of Bungee Machine

Watch. Watch as fat child nearly falls out of bungee machine... and his guardian... just laughs at him. His guardian is called Janice. Janice is a bit cruel. And so am I.

Mof Gimmers

One Minute Review: Navman ICN 750

Chris takes the Navman ICN 750 for a jaunt in France. You can get this in shops now, setting you back £357.

Yay or Nay: Apple "iTV"

Steve Jobs unveiled Apple's plans for superiority over your living room TV by telling us that "iTV" (work in progress on the name) will be available from early next year.

Yay or Nay to the iTV?

Is iTV, coupled wirelessly with a decent desktop computer running iTunes, going to be a hit in the living room? Is this Apple innovation or too little too late? Will Apple be able to get the killer content needed for a system like this to work well, or will it turn out to be a niche system?

Share your thoughts below.

Apple's grand plans: iTunes, movies, iTV, home entertainment Appleised...

Steve Jobs delivered a speech yesterday that initially sounded like a basic product and software update but became a glimpse at Apple's plans for moving into the living room. Here's the highlights:

iTunes 7

We expected an upgrade to the iTunes software. Available to download right away, the software better manages music and other digital media (most of which we can't get hold of in the UK yet). There are new views to display your music by track, album or virtual CD rack. Apple have offered anyone with an iTunes store ID free album art downloads, so long as that music is in the store of course.

The virtual CD rack looks pretty good, assuming you get a decent amount of album art - otherwise it looks a bit empty.

An aside, though, is that I've found both iTunes 6 and 7 crash out on an Intel Mac when trying to run the visualiser. Hopefully that'll get fixed in an update, unless it's something to do with my setup. Anyone else noticed this?

Movies

We also expected the iTunes Store to begin selling movies in earnest. What we got was something that seemed to show that deals are still to be done, and there could be licensing problems. Apple have managed to get Disney-owned studios on board (hardly surprising). Oh, and just to make us jealous, this is all US only at present:

Today, there are 75 films online from Walt Disney, Pixar, Touchstone, Miramax. Apple will be adding more each week and month. Downloads will reach near DVD quality (at least for a NTSC DVD) at 640x480 resolution. Steve Jobs cited a 30 minute download on a 5 Mbps broadband connection.

New releases will cost $12.99 for the first week, then $14.99. Many other titles $9.99. Steve says that they hope to go international on this from 2007, and that iTunes movie releases will be on the same day as the DVD.

New iPods

Read about the new Shuffle, nanos and 5G iPods.

iTV

The 'one more thing' this time is the iTV (working title) - Apple's planned entry into the centre of your living room.

Steve built up to it by talking about getting movies and TV programmes on your iPod and your computer (a Mac of course, he said he was biased) - but how about when you want to watch movies on your new big screen flat-panel TV (who doesn't?)

The solution? iTV - a box half the size of the Mac Mini that acts as a set top box in your home cinema setup, and wirelessly or via Ethernet streams digital content from your Mac or PC. It'll have a built in PSU, USB, Ethernet, 802.11 wireless technology (G or draft N is not clear), optical audio and HDMI ports, and RCA stereo audio. It will have an advanced Front Row system and use the Apple Remote.

Now, assuming that content is coming from your computer, and that content is available, there's no reason why this can't be released in the UK at the same time as the US - sometime in Q1 of 2007.

Apple don't usually do these advanced announcements, but it does make sense as a taster because the other announcements weren't that cutting edge and on their own (with or without John Legend playing at the end of the show) might've been a letdown - that's one problem of all the pre-event hype.

What do you think to these announcements? Will Apple make a bigger impression in home entertainment and gain control of your TV?

One Minute Review: Palm Treo 750v

Palm launched their latest Treo 750v today, which is their first Windows based device available in Europe. It's also heavily Vodafone friendly as they've got exclusivity for at least 3 months. It'll be available from the end of October, although you can preorder now.

Marantz DV6001 upscales your DVDs to high-quality HD 1080p

Another day, and another DVD player that's offering you close-on all the benefits of HD without foregoing your existing DVD collection or ending up being Betamax Boy by investing in the wrong next-gen HD format.

Today it's Marantz with their DV6001 universal SACD/DVD player with 1080p upscaling, for £349.90.

Whilst that's quite a hefty price tag for a DVD player, it's probably several hundred cheaper than the price you'll pay for first-release Blu-ray or HD DVD players in Europe. Worth it if you're not ready to make the HD jump yet?

Marantz claim that their premium 216MHz/12-bit DAC with 'Noise-Shaped Video technology' (sorry, I don't know what that is) and Faroudja video processing provides 'the ultimate match for the latest HD-ready screens and projectors'. Now of course your existing DVDs are never going to look as good as a 1080p high-def disc, but they may well come close with this level of technology built-in - more so than your thirty-quid standard-def player, anyway. It'll upscale to the other formats (720p, 1080i) also, and will also play CDs at top quality with a low jitter 24-bit/192kHz audio DAC.

There's an HDMI 1.1 connection for your HDTV or projector, and the case design features thick metal front panel, double layer bottom plate and shock-absorbing feet, to help minimise internal vibration and mechanically induced jitter.

Whether it's worth investing in at this transitional stage is another matter. Next-gen players should also play existing DVDs, though they may not do as good a job on upscaling them as playing native HD discs. You might still end up with both players if you've the cash and an extensive DVD library.

Marantz website

BFI expands classic films online archive

The British Film Institute has expanded its online archive of great British films and TV programmes with a selection of short films from the likes of Stephen Frears, the late John Schlesinger, and brothers Tony and Ridley Scott. There are also six features available including Pressure from 1974.

The archive currently contains nearly a quarter of a million films and 675,000 TV programmes, and can be downloaded for between £5 and £12.50.

The film minister Shaun Woodward extolled these "vintage and rarely-seen films" which are now opened up to anyone going online rather than having to visit a specialist cinema. "This is a fantastic resource for the public who will now, more easily, get to see films from a bygone era."

Extra titles will be released on a monthly basis including older films and some quite recent TV shows.

Amanda Nevill, BFI Director, says: 'As we launch our new-look website today and this further range of products, resources and services from the Archive, we are well on the way to meeting the challenge of opening up this extraordinary resource even more and working to exploit the enormous potential offered by new technologies. Film and television are a social record, a historical resource, a chance to travel through time and to share the dreams and aspirations of artists, directors and writers. BFI Online is about sharing that passion and delivering more of our film and television heritage via the Web.'

BFI Web site

One Minute Interview: Christmas Predictions from BoysStuff.co.uk

We spent the evening with BoysStuff.co.uk, not only speaking to Dr Mark Tilden, but also getting their Christmas predictions for the year ahead. There's also some random footage of the next generation Robosapien shaking this thang.

YouTube Video of the Day - How Superman should have ended

Ok, here's a little something to raise a grin to take you into the weekend. Here's a nifty little animation which shows us how Superman should have ended. A nice little cameo from Batman at the close too.

Mof Gimmers

One Minute Video Review: Harmon Kardon/JBL Spyro Speakers

I took a look at the Creature II and Spyro speakers from JBL whilst I was in Berlin, including the limited edition shiny siver ones. The Creature II models are available now from £58 whilst the Spyro is yet to be released.

To subscribe to the Shiny Media YouTube channel click here.

Watch YouTube videos on your iPod

Who cares if Apple is launching a movie download service anyway? What you want to watch on your iPod is teen webcam diaries, lip-synching Chinese blokes and funny animals, right? I didn't realise it was possible to put YouTube videos onto your iPod, but apparently there are two applications that do just that.

iTube is a Windows app that gets you to paste the YouTube URL in, and then does the hard work of downloading and converting for you. Meanwhile, PodTube (pictured) is for Mac OS X users, and does pretty much the same thing, albeit through the Safari browser.

(via Epic Empire)

YouTube Video of the Day - Light Emitting T-Shirts

All dancing, flashing, spangly, light emitting T-Shirts anyone? That's exactly what Philips are developing... or is it just the next Global Hypercolour fad? You decide.

Mof Gimmers

One Minute Video Review: The Blackberry Pearl

A first look at the new phone and email device announced by Blackberry today, the Blackberry Pearl. It's aimed at the part of the market they've yet to convince - consumers who value the style of their phone above all else.

YouTube Video of the Day - Boy gets struck down by basketball

It's an old one, but a goldie. A match winning shot ends up in tears for one poor pup.

Mof Gimmers

One Minute Video Review: Samsung K5 MP3 player

One of the final IFA videos, this time looking at the Samsung K5 MP3 player, which features in built speakers. You can get more info here or check out Samsung's promo video here.

YouTube Video of the Day - How to fold a shirt Japanese style

God bless the Japanese. They're always coming up with new ways of doing things. Usually, these 'new ways' involve bonkers robots and eye bleeding graphics. Let's try something a little simpler. How to fold your shirts in an impressive (and super quick way).

Mof Gimmers

One Minute IFA Interview: Archos and the future

A look at the forthcoming Archos 604 with WiFi, as well as a chat with the product manager about the future of Archos.

One Minute Video Review: Samsung Ultra Range

A quick look at a few of the new phones in Samsung's line-up, including the world's slimmest phone, and the new clamshell HSDPA phone.

Monday interview: Amino's Mike Leigh on taking Internet TV back to the living room

In some ways, YouTube is just a big melting pot of stuff you've already seen on normal TV. I spent 20 minutes in tears of laughter at a succession of 'animal falls off furniture' clips last week (yes, I know I need to get out more), while there's enough ageing soft-rock vids to fill a week's worth of VH1. But plenty of it is original too, from bonkers lip-synchers through to worryingly-honest videobloggers.

Many of us could happily fill a whole evening surfing YouTube rather than settling down onto the sofa to watch proper TV. But why can't we have the best of both worlds, and watch a few hours of hilarious web clips from our sofas, on the telly rather than on a computer monitor? It'd be like Home Entertainment 2.0 (and I'm claiming that term if it ever takes off).

An announcement today from IPTV firm Amino seems to answer this request. The company is launching a device called the AmiNET125i, which is a set-top box "which allows consumers to browse and access video content from the Internet on their television". Great, YouTube on the telly! Well, not quite. But Amino's Mike Leigh explains what it's about, and how the company expects it to change web-heads' viewing habits. 

The driving force behind AmiNET125i (if I'm honest, I reckon they could have come up with a catchier title) is the fact that most telecoms companies are using a walled garden model when it comes to TV. Sign up to, say, NTL, and you get a choice of channel packages, but they're still channels that have a commercial relationship with NTL.

Leigh likens it to the AOL approach in the early days of the Web, with its  walled garden of content. Yet at the same time, there is a parallel trend that younger people are drifting away from watching TV at all, in favour of getting their entertainment online.

"There's this almost maverick renegade trend of people saying 'I want to see the content when I want to see it, through my own navigation'," says Leigh. "They want to go and pick it out of YouTube, MySpace, Bebo or wherever. And that trend will grow as that 16-24 year-old segment gets older."

The press release announcing AmiNET125i is a little misleading, in that it quotes an industry analyst talking about YouTube, Google Video and iTunes, while elsewhere it mentions MySpace. The device won't actually let you watch content from these sources on your TV, at least not in the early days.

Instead, it's designed to deliver Windows Media 9 and MPEG-4 video streams to your TV direct from your broadband connection, whether wired or wirelessly. The device also supports Windows Media Digital Rights Management 10, and includes an embedded HTML 4 browser with JavaScript support, to resize content to your TV screen.

So what can you watch? Amino has partnered with Internet TV firm Narrowstep, and will initially be offering the latter's portfolio of channels, which includes everything from GolfBug.tv, ITV Local and The Baby Channel through to Martial Arts TV and Teachernet. Which is all very cool, but it sounds a bit like... a walled garden.
 
Leigh accepts that, but says the aim is to get people used to the concept before launching them into full unfettered access to Web video. Amino has three target audiences in mind for the box. Firstly, there's ex-pats – people living abroad who want to watch TV channels from their native country. He gives the example of Polish people who've come to live in the UK, so I daresay the Daily Mail will be frothing at the mouth over AmiNET125i any day now for encouraging this sort of thing.

Secondly, there's the niche audiences: cyclists, golf nuts, and so on. They're the core audience for many of the channels that Narrowstep provides. "Many of these channels have audiences of 200,000 to 400,000 people," says Leigh. "You can make a decent business model out of running those channels, but they wouldn't interest the likes of NTL/Telewest. Rather than expect people to watch that on their computers, we're putting the content where it deserves to be: on TV."

Finally, Amino is also targeting businesses - accountants, lawyers, surveyors or anyone who needs to do continual professional education. For home use, in the early days Amino plans to offer AmiNET125i to ISPs who can us it to add extra value to their broadband packages (and also try and avoid the trend towards broadband becoming a free 'commodity'). But Amino has ambitions beyond this.

"In 18-24 months time, we want to expand from that model to being something where you might get your broadband access from an ISP, but then you'd buy this set-top box from Amazon, Dixons etc, and then get top-up cards which are read by the set-top-box to give you specific paid-for content, whether it's Hollywood movies or Playboy. Anything where you need a subscription or to check who you are."

Again, this is all cool, but will it mean watching literally whatever you want on your TV, and particularly user-generated content from YouTube, MySpace and so on? Leigh says there are a few issues that will need to be sorted out, including the business model of how sites like YouTube make money. But there's also technical challenges.

"Nearly all the content out there now has been prepared with Windows Media 9 and Microsoft DRM in mind," says Leigh. "But Google and Yahoo are using Flash 8 codecs, so that question needs to be resolved. It doesn't make a difference to us, as we can write the codecs, but what configuration does the box need to run?"

Of course, one pertinent question is whether those 16-24 year-olds Leigh mentions are fussed about bringing Web TV back to the living room? After all, they seem quite happy migrating away from sitting on a sofa watching stuff, towards sitting in front of a PC doing stuff, including watching but also all the interactivity that goes around it. Do they want to be dragged back to the lounge?

"It's true up to a point, but on the other side, those people are now or will very soon be buying HD televisions, and who want the large TVs that both presentationally and socially make an impact," says Leigh. "If there was content that they could put on their TV rather than on a PC, I think they would be very keen to."

But in that case, surely they won't want to watch grainy web videos on their big screen? Leigh points out that as people upgrade their broadband connections, the quality of Internet TV will improve, which will start to solve this problem. But he has other thoughts.

"If you've got HDTV and you're watching HD content, do you want to go back and watch channels on a PC that you could otherwise get on a TV? No. It's a regressive move. It may take a while for that content to be presentationally HD, but it will certainly be a better viewing experience than on a PC. I won't say that very soon we're going to get HD content from YouTube or even Narrowstep, but people will start to look at viewing on a PC as inferior to viewing on a TV, and especially so if that content is fit for a shared experience."

AmiNET125i is an intriguing device, and the idea of Internet TV on your, well, TV is a great one. But when someone invents a box that really does give you access to unlimited amounts of user-generated web videos, that's when things will get really exciting. AmiNET125i is at least a first step to bringing those thousands of lip-synchers into your living room. I think that's a good thing, anyway.

One Minute IFA Preview: Philips Entertaible

Here's a quick glance at the Philips Entertaible - a touch screen gaming table it hopes will be in a pub near you some time soon. You can find the details here.

One Minute IFA Update: Philips Blu-Ray players and recorders

Ashley looks at Philips Blu-ray DVD players/recorders - the Media Center PC, the MCP9480i, and the  Blu-ray player - the BDP9000. For more info, check this link.

One Minute IFA Update: Philips WACS7000 wireless music system

Ashley looks at the Philips WACS7000 wireless music system, which was announced today at IFA. For further details, click here.

IFA 2006: Eight Fox Blu-ray discs to launch in November

Mike Dunn, Worldwide President of Fox Home Entertainment ,today announced at IFA that its first eight Blu-ray disc would reach the stores on November 14th in both the UK and the US. MGM will also launch titles at the same time.

According to Dunn, the key titles is Kingdom of Heaven, which will be the first dual sided 50 Gigabyte disc - it has to be the movie in this Directors Cut edition is three hours and 42 minutes long.

Its other key Blu-ray title is The league of Extraordinary Gentleman which also includes searchable categories and an apparently unique 12 layer game.

Both discs, as well as the other titles, feature HD Lossless audio.

Other discs includes Ice Age II, The Usual Suspects, Bulletproof Monk and The Fantastic Four. I'll give details of the other titles when I get the release.

IFA 2006: Philips Blu-ray for PC and TV

Philips has been one of the major Blu-ray players for some time and has already committed to new models for the PC. At IFA it unveiled its products.

From a PC perspective the key one is the Philips TripleWriter SPD7000. This internal drive for PCs has a 2x read and write speed and works with CDs and DVDs too. It goes on sale in both the US and Europe next month (September).

Philips has also confirmed its debut Blu-ray player - the BDP9000. It connects to HDTVs via HDMI and delivers full 1080p HD resolution. It also has an on board card reader and uses a Java based interface to aid set up. It goes on sale in the US in the autumn with a UK launch lined up for early 2007.

Philips has also announced  a 50 gig Blu-ray disc.

One Minute Video Review: Navman Mobile

I looked at the Navman Mobile Travel Assist S60 - there was a name change in the time between I recorded this video and you seeing it now, so excuse the trip into the past. You can read a full review here.

YouTube Video of the Day - The Simpsons versus Star Trek in theme music battle

So. Fans of Star Trek and fans of The Simpsons are in for a treat. Rhodes piano, theremin and casio keyboards lock antlers with a man in a yellow hat and a shouting through a funnel. This is ace.

Mof Gimmers

YouTube Video of the Day - Brilliant Magic Trick

I love magic... I love watching magic. I don't like magicians coming up to me and giving me hassle however. This is why the internet is so ace. You can watch tricks without the fear of being made to walk up to a stage and forced to act like a chicken.

Mof Gimmers

One Minute Video Review: Nokia N73

Susi looks at the Nokia N73, which features a 3.2 megapixel camera as well as all the applications you need to get the best of your photos. You can check out the full review here.

YouTube Video of the Day - Cult kids TV from the US' Electric Company

This is the fabulous US kids TV show The Electric Company. In short, why don't they make 'em like this anymore?

Mof Gimmers

YouTube Video of the Day - Skater Bail Video

Now, I've posted a few things up here that have been people doing things really really well. It's about time we had a laugh at some people doing things badly. The last minute of this video is hilarious, and the last scene... well, once you've stopped laughing at the sobbing, chances are you might wretch.

Mof Gimmers

YouTube Video of the Day - Diet Coke and Mentos experiment

We've all seen the 'diet coke and mentos' skits right? (If not, search for 'diet coke mentos' in YouTube). Well, surely someone must have eaten some of the offending sweets and had a swig of the terrible pop at the same time? Thankfully, this buffoon has filmed it all for our viewing... but I can't decide if he's hamming it up or not. What do you think?

Mof Gimmers

New Screens Make Better Blues

According to a report in New Scientist researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology have developed a new polymer screen technology that can generate the full spectrum of colours in visible white light.

Existing display technologies cannot produce every colour that the human eye can perceive becase they are based on mixing varying intensities of fixed red, green and blue coloured light, and even the best screen have difficulty in reproducing a wide range of blues.

The new display technology, still at the prototype stage, uses microscopic ridged pixels, coated in a thin gold film and positioned behind a diffraction grating. When exposed to an electric charge the pixels expand and contract so when a while light source is shone on the pixels the change in size varies the wavelength and hence the colour of the light reflected from its surface.

If Microsoft designed the iPod

Thanks to Coolest Gadgets (happy birthday, by the way) for pointing the way to this great Microsoft-generated parody video. Let's see what would happen if Microsoft designed the iPod (and in particular, the box packaging)

Remind you of anything?

Coolest Gadgets writes:

Microsoft spokesman Tom Pilla sent an email to iPod Observer saying that his company initiated the creation of the parody video.

“It was an internal-only video clip commissioned by our packaging [team] to humorously highlight the challenges we have faced RE: packaging and to educate marketers here about the pitfalls of packaging/branding… While MS did not release the video, it’s natural to share funny things with friends. So while we didn’t publicly share the video, it was shared with appropriate teams internally. We’re happy to see others enjoy the laugh as well.”

Well worth a viewing or two - and the music (“The Breakfast Machine” from the movie Pee Wee's Big Adventure) fits perfectly!

One Minute Preview: Samsung X830 mobile

We wrote about the new Samsung X830 earlier today, and yesterday I got my hands on it for a brief look, in a very noisy hall.  Check out the video below.

One Minute Video Review: T-Mobile's MDA Vario II the first HSDPA phone to go on sale in the UK

We have waited a very long time for HSDPA phones, but now they seem to be coming in droves. T-Mobile looks like it will win the race to be first to market with its MDA Vario II, which goes on sale next week.

Here's a vid and a mini review

The phone is pretty similar to the Vario I but with the following key differences.

1 HSDPA - Yep it will be able to run at speeds of up to 1.8Mbps - four times faster than standard 3G. T-Mobile claims to have HSDPA across most of the major UK cities, which is far more developed than say Orange. Ultimately the speed of HSDPA does improve the web browsing experience on the phone - pictures certainly load much more quickly. The other key use for the phone in this space will be as a modem for laptops, though if you plan to use it in this capacity check out T-Mobile's data fair usage rules.

2 Better camera - It now has a two mega pixel snapper and the video shooting quality has been updated.

3 Different styling - it looks a little tidier now. Another tweak is that the keyboard apparently glows red in the dark - nice.

4 The device now has a BlackBerry style track wheel for speeding up access to applications.

Overall - the Vario I was a big hit in the Shiny offices, so there's sure to be a lot of interest in the second version. The HSDPA facility certainly worked well in central London

YouTube seeks record companies' music video content deals

We reported yesterday that YouTube was said to be in negotiation with various record companies to get their music video content legitimately onto the service.

The Interactive Investor has reported that both US labels Warner Music and Universal Music, and the UK's EMI music, are all in some kind of discussion with the network. Details are very sketchy at present, and it will be interesting to see how YouTube deals with the issues of copyright and content ownership which the record companies will undoubtedly raise.

It seems that this is a new trend towards getting legitimate music video content from major labels onto video-sharing sites. Whether it will enhance the experience or detract from the home-grown, user-led feel of YouTube remains to be seen.

What do you think? Legitimate music videos on YouTube a good idea?

One Minute Video Review: Fatman Referee Suit

Watch as the Shiny team (helped by some unwilling assistants) recreate the Ronaldo/Rooney World Cup fiasco, complete with fatman referee suit. The suit is available for £35 from BoysStuff.co.uk.

Tunes in 30 seconds: see 3's HSDPA network in action

3 was showing off its speedy new HSDPA network in London this week, demonstrating how much faster it is than slow old 3G for activities like downloading music tracks and streaming video. Our video below shows two handsets – the one on the left is HSDPA, and the one on the right is 3G.

As you can see (from our, ahem, blurry camphone footage), the HSDPA one downloads the song in around 30 seconds, at which point the 3G phone isn't even halfway. Later today, we'll post our interview with 3 in which they explain some of the other benefits of HSDPA, and tell us just how fast it'll go in the future. In the meantime, click below to watch the vid.

Note, the HSDPA handset starts downloading first, but that's not an unfair head start – just a reflection of how long it takes the 3G one to begin the download. The button to start was pressed at the same time for each.

YouTube Video of the Day - Zero Gravity

When NASA aren't losing incredibly valuable videos of man's first landing on the moon... and thereby giving the conspiracy theorists something to sink their teeth into, they're making people float around in zero gravity for seemingly no reason at all. Marvellous.

Mof Gimmers

One Minute Video Review: Oregon Scientific Smart Globe

Watch as Susi reveals she's not sure where Ghana is, and Gemma becomes strangely addicted to proving her own geographical knowledge. For a full review, click here. Alternatively, go and pre-order it for £130.

One Minute Video Review: LG U400 music phone

Katie and I look at the new LG U400 phone, which is chock full of music-related features. For an in-depth review click here. The phone is available free on a 3 contract.

Monday interview: RawFlow on why Peer-to-Peer technologies will revolutionise webcasting as we know it

Peer-to-Peer technology isn't just about cheerfully downloading the new Justin Timberlake album from some bloke in Greenland. Really. In fact, P2P could be the gateway to watching legal, full-screen webcasts from big broadcasters and media companies.

At least this is the view of RawFlow, a provider of, you guessed it, live P2P streaming technology. So why are the concepts that powered Napster, Kazaa, BitTorrent and co now being taken up by Big Media? Tech Digest talked to RawFlow's Mikkel Dissing and Ian Keeling to find out.

The problem with current video streaming technologies is that they're costly for the content providers, says Keeling. “Right now, when you broadcast over the Internet, there’s a success penalty. Every new audience member incurs a cost for the broadcaster in terms of bandwidth and server capacity."

His view is that this is why webcasting hasn't taken off properly yet. In a layman's nutshell, RawFlow's P2P technology harnesses the unused bandwidth of internet users to provide more efficient streaming, and lower the costs for broadcasters.

 

The firm is ultra-keen to make a couple of things clear, however. Firstly, this is a live streaming service, it’s not about downloading stuff. And secondly, this isn’t piracy – a stigma that Keeling says has been attached to P2P technology since Napster was in