HD DVD Player Price Drop

Toshiba will cut their HD-DVD players in Australia following a press release today. This will replace the current cashback offer and/or redemptions. The new prices for the players are:

• HD-E1: $299 with 4 free movies (box: 1 + redemption: 3)
• HD-EP10: $399 with 6 free movies (box: 1 + redemption: 5)
  
• HD-XE1: $599 with 11 free movies (box: 1 + redemption: 10)

Redemption titles is still unknown at this stage but expect to hear more in the next couple of days.

This is excellent news considering Australia rarely get any price cut. XE1 which is the top of the line player gets more than 50% price cut. It used to retail for $1399. Toshiba has cut the prices in the US as well a couple of weeks ago in the wake of Warner's decision to go Blu-Ray exclusive and a shift in marketing focus.

I was considering to get a dedicated player for HD-DVD but opted to wait cause of the prices in Australia. At one stage, I even wanted to import one from the US. But now, it seems that I can get a local one.

The press release can be read here.

iiNet Naked DSL Coming Soon

For most of us, to get a fast internet connection, we need to get ADSL. The first requirement to have an ADSL is a phone line. Getting a phone line means that we need to pay line rental every month. That obviously makes sense but nowadays there is not a lot of people that is still using home phones but they still want the internet connection.

This is going to change soon with the introduction of Naked DSL service, which basically means that you can connect your ADSL internet service without connecting your phone line. This basically saves you $30 a month.

iiNet is one of the internet service provider (ISP) that will do this. They have been trialling the service to a number of customers and it is going well. As a result, they will launch the naked DSL pretty soon. To get more info, iiNet has launched a website for this new product, http://www.gonaked.com.au/ or http://www.iinet.net.au/gonaked.

You can register your interest there and find out more about the naked DSL. I think it will launch end of November. I think it's a great product but customer need to realise that they will not have a home phone so any service that is associated with a phone (faxing, etc) will not work. Another downside is that you will not have a reliable line to call emergency (triple-0) if such a need arise.

A Few Tech Update

Well, I haven't updated the blog in a couple of days and a lot of things has happened in the tech world. Here is some of the highlights.

JB Hi-Fi to sell HD-DVD
JB Hi-Fi didn't want to sell HD-DVD a few months back (9 months ago to be exact), pledging its support behind Blu-Ray. This changed recently. They will start stocking HD-DVD titles and players effective immediately. The Paramount decision to go HD-DVD exclusive was what persuade JB to stock both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD.

I guess at the end of the day it's about sales. With Paramount decision to go HD-DVD means that titles like Transformers (HD-DVD) won't be stocked at JB and this will definitely hurt their sales. So I guess the battle between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD is still on.

Nokia N-Series to get Free Wi-Fi
If you own a Nokia N-series, here is some good news. Nokia has partnered with Azure Wireless here in Australia to enable N-series users to get free internet access. The agreement goes until January next year (1 October 2007 to 31 January 2008).

The phones that are able to take advantage of this offer is as follow: N73, N76, N80, N91 8GB, N93i and N95. Upcoming models, N81 and N95 8GB will also be supported.

For the hotspots, there are quite a lot. For a full list click here, it is mainly in serviced apartments, cafe, shopping centre, and so on.

iTunes Price Drop
Apple has put down the price of the DRM-less songs at the iTunes Music Store. Originally, you need to pay a premium to get a DRM-less track at $2.19 but now it is only $1.69. This makes the DRM-less track to have the same price with other tracks (with DRM and lower quality).

If this sounds like a lot of 'geek talk', I apologise but basically in English it means that all iTunes tracks will be $1.69, even the songs with higher quality and the capability of being played not only on an iPod but any other player (Creative Zen, Sony Walkman, your mobile phone and so on).

Sony PS3 40GB also in US
It was announced as well that the US will be getting the PS3 40GB version. The US will get it on the 2nd of November before the Japan (and Asia) release but after Europe (and Australia). The PS3 40GB version will retail at US$399 and comes with a Spiderman 3 Blu-Ray. The 80GB version will come down in price to US$499 (US$100 cheaper than before) and it comes with a game, Motorstorm. There is no mention whether the US will be getting the white coloured PS3.

Th HD War

The fight to claim position as the next big thing in media storage and high definition just got a lot hotter in Australia. The players for both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD has gotten a price reduction.

Blu-Ray is probably very excited with the new low price for Playstation 3. It dropped $400 so people can now get a next-gen gaming machine and a Blu-Ray player for $699.

The HD-DVD camp is seeing some price reduction as well. Toshiba just offered some cashback incentives for its players and also reduce its recommended retail price. The entry player for HD-DVD can be grabbed for $499.

This is new price list for Toshiba's HD-DVD players:

• HD-E1: $499 (after $100 cashback)
• HD-EP10: $699 (after $100 cashback)
• HD-XE1: $1,299

ASIMO on Tour

ASIMO, the Honda robot, will come and tour Australia. I'm not sure whether it will dance or sing or do a back-flip but it would be interesting to see because we always see it on TV and for once we can actually see it for real.

ASIMO's first appearance will be on Wednesday, the 17th of October 2007 at the Chadstone Shopping Centre in Melbourne. It will be there for a few days and each days there are several show times. It will then be followed by tours to Bendigo, Adelaide, Newcastle, Sydney and Brisbane.

The entry is free and if you have a Honda car/motorcycle, you can get a reserved VIP seating. Just make sure you show them your car/bike keys.

Check out the website for further details at www.asimo.com.au.

OLED is Coming

As if the battle between LCD and plasma is not confusing enough, Sony is going to bring another technology in display, OLED. It stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode.

The benefit ? It doesn't use a backlight, consume less power and therefore, enables the screen to be super-thin (like really thin). It also has higher contrast than any of the current display.

But perfection does come at a price, a really high one. Sony displayed some of this OLED display earlier this year and the section for OLED is for "look only and strictly no touching". There was no pricing or release details available at that time.

However, things have changed and Sony has just announced that they will start making these little beauties. The release is going to be December this year, just in time for Christmas.

It will retail at 200,000 yen (around about US$1,700) for a 25.1 centimetres wide and 14.1 centimetres tall TV.

If you want to get one, don't worry, there's still a few more months to start saving up. Now, if only I could persuade Sony to send me a demo.

picture from cnet.com.au

Bad News for Headphone Users

As you might know, listening to headphones for long period of time is not good as it might damage your hearing. However, with the increasing use of MP3 players nowadays, there are more and more people being in danger of losing their hearing.

A research was conducted by Griffith University found that 70% of people under 30s are showing early signs of permanent hearing damage. So by 50, they would experience hearing problem of that a 70 years old.

This is all because they listen to their iPod or music players for too long and too loud. I, myself never turn on up to full volume. I always try to limit myself to around halfway. Not just because I don't want to go deaf but I think it is a good idea to be able to hear your surroundings as well. So, you're not totally 'blinded' from the world.

Here are some interesting sound level facts. Apple iPods, the most popular MP3 device, has a maximum decibel level of 115, gunshot is 120, a jet taking off is 130 and lastly, disco is 105 decibel.

Some experts are now calling for warning labels to be put on MP3 players to show the 'healthy' time to use the device. The research suggest that you shouldn't listen to your music player for too long, 20 minutes is quite long enough.

An interesting and funny comment from the research Professor about teenager: "They're (teenagers) normally designed to think they're invulnerable to things like falling off balconies and loud music."

Whirlpool Sued

Whirlpool, an Australian broadband community website, has been sued by 2Clix, an accounting software publisher. The firm is seeking damages of $150,000 per month and the permanent removal of 2 threads in Whirlpool's forum.

Whirlpool is a well known website in Australia. It provides a range of information about broadband news, providers and their plans. It also has one of the largest discussion forum with regards to broadband in general. The forum has more than 180,000 members although the list has grown rapidly ever since the news broke.

The firm is suing because Whirlpool failed to close down 2 threads in its forum. The threads contains suggestion by people (users) to not use the software from 2Clix because it was unsatisfactory. 2Clix claims that this 2 threads have made them to lose customers and therefore they are seeking damages.

The statement of claim can be read here, as posted on Whirlpool's website.

Whirlpool has already said that they will fight the charges even though they are a community website with little resources. Support has been coming in from all Whirlpool members, some even started donating to help Whirlpool's legal cost.

The news has started to receive coverage from major Australian newspaper and internet websites, making it a headline. To read the articles, click here (news.com.au) and here (smh/the age.com.au).

No Free HD-DVD in Australia

Well, this is just not fair. In the UK, Matrix fans were rejoicing because they got a free present when purchasing the Matrix Trilogy in HD-DVD. The gift was a brand new HD-DVD player. Yes, a free high-definition player for 60 pounds (around $150) and don't forget you get the Matrix Trilogy as well. The player was a Toshiba HD-E1 which is valued at about $800.

This is definitely an excellent idea of promoting the new HD-DVD format. Remember that Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are still fighting for a pole position in the market of next-gen format. Blu-Ray seems to be taking the lead with the help of PS3. Blockbuster will only rent Blu-Ray movies. In Australia, music giant JB Hi-Fi announced that it will only sell Blu-Ray movies as well.

However, HD-DVD still is going strong. Paramount recently announced that they have chosen to side with HD-DVD. They were publishing movies in both formats before but not anymore. This means blockbuster movies such as Transformers will only be available in HD-DVD.

Actually, I don't mind if the two formats co-exist together as long as movies are not published both formats. Each movie should only be published in one format, either HD-DVD or Blu-Ray. Having 2 different players is fine, just get a PS3 and Xbox 360 (with the extra HD-DVD player) or just wait a little longer for a hybrid player that can play both formats.

Anyway, back to the Matrix. The movie is planned to be released next year in Australia (in HD-DVD) but there is no plans to distribute a free HD-DVD player with it or running a similar promotion. I guess we can only wait and see. In the mean time, if you want to check out the photos for the UK Matrix event, click here.

Mobile Phone = Personality ?

Does mobile phone really say something about the owner ? I don't have a fancy mobile myself but according to the latest research in Australia, they have managed to stereotype people based on their mobile.

So have a look and does your mobile really say something about you ? Maybe next time, we will be more cautious showing off our mobile phone.

Here are the results,

Nokia

• Family-minded
• Middle aged managers
• Balance seekers
• Health conscious

Motorola

• Fashion conscious
• Under 24
• Fun seekers
• Individualistic

Sony Ericsson

• Ambitious young men
• Professionals
• Success driven
• Individualistic

LG

• Favourite of mums
• Stay-at-home parents
• Success driven
• Harmony seekers

Samsung

• Young women
• Career focused
• Success driven
• Fun seekers

Source: Nielsen Media Research

Goodbye Quota for Yahoo Mail User

If you have an account with Yahoo Mail, you're in luck. Yahoo is going to offer unlimited storage for its web-based email service, Yahoo Mail. Currently, the quota is 1 GB for normal user and 2 GB for the premium ones. These will all be unlimited starting May.

Yahoo is doing this as a 'present' to everybody for Yahoo Mail's 10th birthday. This makes Yahoo the only provider (that I know) to give unlimited storage for email. Gmail (Google Mail) gives a generous 2.8 GB and Hotmail quota is 1GB (if you upgrade to the new service).

Yahoo has been rolling out their new service, Yahoo Mail Beta (still under development) that enhances the use of web-based email. The new service allows users to use keyboard shortcuts, preview messages, more interactive commands with the mouse and so on. Basically, it wants to have a look and feel of a desktop application (for example: MS Outlook, MS Outlook Express) as suppose to a web-based service. The catch is you need at least broadband to use it comfortably.

Yahoo Mail first started out with only offering a tiny 4MB (although at that time, it was already very generous compared to Hotmail's 2MB).

New Breed of Xbox360

There has been emerging reports that Microsoft is going to launch an 'elite' version of their Xbox360. This is done to coincide with the 1st birthday of the console. The 'elite' Xbox360 is rumoured to be black in colour, has bigger hard drive (120 GB), has HDMI built-in and possibly an HD-DVD as well.

It is expected to be sold around US$479 and only available in limited quantities. Major announcement is expected tomorrow so I guess we will have to wait and see what is up Microsoft's sleeve.

picture courtesy of TheAge

Blu Ray vs HD DVD = PS3 vs Xbox360 ??

Well is it ? At the moment it looks like that's the case. PS3 is equipped with the new Blu Ray format and Xbox360 is offering HD-DVD drive as a peripheral (for AU$250).

A lot of people compare the battle between the two formats to the battle of Betamax and VHS, and VideoCD and DVD. The winner of course was VHS and DVD. But can't the 2 formats co-exist together ? In the case of Betamax and VHS, it's impossible because the size is different in the first place. But with Blu Ray and HD DVD, it is more likely. A lot of "neutral" manufacturers are developing a player that will support both formats. I say "neutral" because they are not taking sides (yet).

However, Blu Ray might have the lead in Australia. JB Hifi, one of the popular retailers for CDs and DVDs, has said that they will only stock Blu Ray movies. Hmmm.....I don't how much Sony need to fork out to get JB to say that.

JB is not the only onw influenced by Blu Ray, it turns out that Xbox360 might go with Blu Ray format as well if it wins the battle of the next generation format. A Microsoft representative in UK mentioned this. This might happen or it might not. But does this portray a defeat for the Xbox camp ? The answer to that might still be a long way ahead of us.

Right now, people are still happy with DVD right now, the price is right, the collection is abundant. The high definition (HD) revolution has only begun to be embraced and people are still learning about HDMI, 1080i, 1080p, etc etc.

So until we see $100 players for both formats and a whole stack of movies in the new format, we might not know the winner just yet. And as far as the consoles are concerned, I think it's should be up to the games to decide who wins instead of the format they support.

Good Stuff

Ok, who said that reading newspaper is boring and you cannot get anything from it ? Today for example, by reading the Herald Sun I found out that the newest edition of Zoo Weekly magazine has some 'saucy' photos of John Howard's potential daughter in law. The photos were taken way before when she was in university or something.


picture courtesy of Herald Sun

Anyway, there's another interesting news when I was reading The Age (let's not start on the debate of which is the greatest newspaper) and this one is really something HUGE. For every university student in Australia, you can buy Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007 for just $75 and that's yours to keep. Now that's what I call a good deal.

The Office Ultimate 2007 is the top of the range for the Office packages, it includes everything: Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, and so on, and so on. Check here for complete products and its functionality. It retails for more than $1000 and it can be yours for $75 forever or $25 for 1 year. Just check out this website, www.itsnotcheating.com.au.

picture courtesy of Microsoft

The website might look a bit doggy and you are normal if you think that this is some kind of spam or fraud. I mean, come on, what did we (students) do to Microsoft to get the honour of 95% discount ? To earn your trust, it actually have a link back to Microsoft's website that explain the deal.

The website has all the details of how you can get the deal, each person is only allowed one copy and MUST be a student of the university listed. Payment can only be done via credit card and you MUST have a valid university email. This last one is important cause your serial/unlock code will be delivered to that email.

Although you might want to be careful when you type in the website. If you type in itsnotcheating.com.au without the www then you will go to the xbox360 website instead of the offer. Give it a try though.
[update: Microsoft has fixed the wrong link so you will get to the offer page however you type it in]

I'm not being paid by Microsoft nor will I get anything by telling you all this. However, I am trying to enter their blogging competition and I wouldn't mind the Vespa cause I got a motorcycle license from a year ago and I've never ridden a bike ever since (pathetic, I know).

So, just check it out and if you're a student, make sure you get it even though you don't need it. Cause this deal will not repeat itself. It will end on 28th of May 2007 but just get in early, in case the directors changed their mind and decide to withdraw the whole thing. It's one decision that you will not regret.

Just as a personal opinion, MS Office is a nice and handy product to have on your computer. Unlike it's relative Vista, Office does not get a lot of beating from critics. And if you are in university, there's a 100% chance that you will use the Office products. I know cause I survived my Bachelor degree with Word and Excel. So why not get an original and legitimate product and do the right thing.

DVD by Mail ?

Do you like to watch movies? Do you watch a lot a lot of movies? Well, I do. If you do too then maybe you want to check out Quickflix. It's basically an online store where you can rent DVDs, all the latest release and a whole lot more. Think of it as Blockbuster or VideoEzy without the store. Everything is done online.

How does it work ?
So, this is how it works. You sign up with them, choose your plan. They have 2 types of plan, the limited and unlimited one. Limited means you have a maximum number of DVDs per month and unlimited means you can have as many DVD as you want. If you like to watch movies, choose unlimited but if you're a casual person choose the limited. With unlimited, you have to choose the number of DVD that you can borrow at any one time. I'd recommend 2 or 3 DVDs. But if you live in front of the TV or make a living out of watching movies, well go crazy.

Once you sign up, you have to make a list of all the movies you like to borrow. This is your queue list. You order the list based on priority, meaning the movie that you really want to watch you put it in number 1, and so on. Just so you know, putting it number 1 doesn't mean that you'll get it tomorrow. It just means that you really really want it and if they have it, they will send it to you absolutely but if everybody wants it, then you might have to wait. With every movies, there is an estimate time, whether a lot is available or only a few left.

The DVD will then be sent to you via mail. If you have 3 DVDs out at one time then 3 will come, not necessarily at the same time. Then you watch it and return it whenever you like. If you return 1, another 1 will be sent to you. If you don't return anything, no more movies will be sent.

To return the movies is quite simple as well. The movies all come with a reply-paid envelope, so just pop it in and put it in the mailbox.

What's the catch ?
As far as I know there is no catch. So, it is possible for you to get as many DVDs as you want. You must make sure that you have a long queue list though.

There are other provider (Bigpond is one) that do this sort of thing but I like Quickflix. They've got a huge library and more delivery centres so you can get your movies faster. One of the reason why Quickflix has a big library is because in a couple of years ago they obtain Homescreen, which is another DVD-in-the-mail provider and their library just doubled.

Tips
If you like Quickflix and decide to subscribe, I have a few tips to get the most out of your membership.

1. Try to return your DVD before 5pm. The postman will empty the box at around 6pm depending on your area so you want to get there before him. Normally, it will reach the Quickflix centre the next (business) day so they can tick it off and send you another one ASAP. However, if it's a Friday see tips #2.
   
2. Do NOT return your DVD on Friday cause they are close on weekends so there is no use. Instead, return in on Sunday before 5pm. If you don't know, the postman also empties the post box on Sunday but not on Saturday. So you can enjoy your movies with you mates over the weekend.
3. Make a long lists so they can choose anything of it. Put a combination of the rare items and the available ones in the top 10 if you really want to see those rare ones.
4. With TV shows, try to separate each discs. If you put Grey's Anatomy Season 2, disc 1 to 8 as your number 1 to 8 list then there is a chance that you will get disc 2 first or 8 for that matter. You should put all the 1st disc of the show in the top 10 and the rest outside the top 10. Once you get the 1st disc, shuffle the 2nd disc to the top 10 and so on. That way you'll always get it in sequence.

My opinion
Quickflix is an excellent service for movie-lovers, no need to go out to get movies, just wait for it to come with the mail. I absolutely love it. One is the convenience and another thing is the library selection, they've got anime, non-Hollywood movies, TV shows and many more.

Just give it a go. They have a 14 day free trial, so just try it whether it's suitable for you and your area. Here is what I think you should look out for during the trial period:

• If the DVD delivery takes 3-4 business day to reach you then forget it, don't join them.
• If the DVD is received by them longer than 2 business days then don't join them.

I'm not saying this because they're bad but this service heavily relies on the post service so if the post in your area is not so good the you might be better off going to your local video store.

So, take the trial first then see whether it suits you. Click here or the banner below to take the trial. Enjoy Quickflix.

Offers from Microsoft

PC

Currently Microsoft is running a few promo for its products. As we know, next year Microsoft will revamp its product line by introducing the new OS, Microsoft Windows Vista and the new office applications, Microsoft Office 2007.

So, if you buy the current version of Windows XP or Microsoft Office that is specially marked, Microsoft will give you an upgrade to next version for $27. So if you buy Windows XP, you'll get Windows Vista for $27 (although it's not really that simple).

The version you buy now will determine the version you'll get later. So for example,

• Microsoft Office Professional 2003 Academic > Microsoft Office Professional 2007 Academic
• Microsoft Office Standard 2003 > Microsoft Office Standard 2007 Version Upgrade
• Windows XP Home Edition > Windows Vista Home Basic Upgrade
• Windows XP Home Edition Upgrade > Windows Vista Home Basic Upgrade
• Windows XP Professional > Windows Vista Business Upgrade
• Windows XP Professional Upgrade > Windows Vista Business Upgrade

For a full list of what software, you'll receive check this website. http://www.microsoft.com/australia/windows/terms.mspx

If you bought it already, you can redeem the offer here,
http://www.microsoft.com/australia/windows/upgradeguarantee.mspx


To bad the XP Pro doesn't upgrade to Vista Ultimate. I'm not sure though who wants to buy Vista Ultimate considering the price is going to be AU$751. Nice.

Note though that these products (Office 2007 and Vista) have yet to have a launch date. I just read that Office 2007 is completed and MS will begin shipping to business customers this month. But for common users like us, expect the products to launch early 2007 (Feb/Mar if MS doesn't delay anymore).

MAC

Anyway for Mac users, Microsoft has a deal going on as well. If you buy the Office 2004 for Mac (any versions - including the Student and Teacher edition), you can get a Microsoft Laser Wireless Mouse or $50 cashback. The mouse has an RRP of $99.


Purchase must be done at qualifying retailer then you can download the coupon and send it to Microsoft.


Further details here, http://www.microsoft.com/australia/office/mac/holidayoffer.aspx

Jobs on Zune

This is what Apple's CEO got to say about Zune (the new Microsoft media player to compete with iPod).

- Are you worried about Zune ?

In a word, no. I've seen the demonstrations on the Internet about how you can find another person using a Zune and give them a song they can play three times. It takes forever. By the time you've gone through all that, the girl's got up and left! You're much better off to take one of your earbuds out and put it in her ear. Then you're connected with about two feet of headphone cable.