Tan says he found his inspiration from old Disneyland attraction posters – something the Pixar guys are allegedly obsessed with. To differentiate the new Wall-E prints from his last line of The Incredibles art, Tan decided to go for a 1950s advertisement twist. Get your own at Acme Direct or, if you'd rather risk jail than spend $165, steal them from the walls of the main lobby of Pixar Animation Studios. [Slashfilm]

Microsoft:

In addition to Microsoft technology we are already familiar with like Surface, Home Server, Vista, the Zune , Xbox 360 and the like (the home of the future is still running the 360?), there are a number of future technologies installed in the home that were inspired by innovations from their prototyping lab:

•Magic Mirror: A mirror projects different clothes, accessories and hairstyles onto each family member’s image when they stand before it. The clothes not only morph to the contours of the body, but also sway as the person in front of the mirror moves.

•Kitchen of Your Dreams: The kitchen recognizes ingredients as a family member sets them on the counter, suggesting recipes for those items and providing instructions once a recipe is selected.

•Story Time: Visit the child’s room to be transported to Neverland. Read “Peter Pan” aloud to absorb a full multimedia experience, as cues in the story set off lights, sounds, colors and video.

HP:

In the kitchen, HP has their TouchSmart PC keeping things organized and the iPAQ 510 Voice Messenger is available to make calls. In the living room the aforementioned iPAQ is connected to the Surface table to transfer and display photos. They can also be transferred wirelessly to any number of HP digital photo frames in the house as well as to the MediaSmart TV.

As for Life|ware, they provided much of the RFID technology and media center solutions that tied all of the technology together.

To get the full scoop on the home of the semi-present, hit the following press releases. [HP and Microsoft and Life|ware and Disney via Hemagazine]

The collaboration between the big, bad and evil fun-loving kid's entertainment company and Thinkway Toys and others, including WowWee, will further result in a whole host of Disney characters being reincarnated as a scary, robotic army. Next on the list is Tinkerbell, and this time she really flies. The new toys will be showcased at the upcoming Bay Area Maker Faire and, to be honest, we're a little scared they may all corrupt and attempt to take over the world. You have been warned. [Gearlog]

Out on June 1 in Japan, the Stitch CD player, which runs either off the mains or on eight AA batteries, will cost around $90. [Far East Gizmos]

But the best part is that he usually hated this Microsoft-caught-without-pants humor. He tells his story after the jump.

Mark, There are images of weird BSOD all over the web and you've even done a couple of stories on them, but to tell you the truth I've never really found them all that funny. So what if an ATM has a BSOD, they're thousands of them running 24-7, one of them is bound to crash. It could also be that I'm a life long PC user. However, after a week of toting my two little girls all over Disney World and into and out of every kind of Disney store imaginable, I found the scene of a Potato Head with a Blue Screen on Death funny enough that I actually laughed a little and had to take a picture. Sorry the photo is a little blurry. I had to turn the flash off so the screen would show up. Danny

Everybody Hurts
It's been discussed at length how brutal this contest was for Toshiba. But the Blu-ray members in the victory circle are licking some pretty serious wounds, too. Sony basically bet their entire company on the format—plowing over a billion dollars into the PS3 trojan horse, plus, as far as we know, another half billion on largesse for studios to put on Blu's stripes, for starters.

Chris Walker, Pioneer's senior product manager for Blu-ray told us he thought that the format war "affected Blu-ray prices substantially," and that "for a new technology to drop the prices by half within a year of coming out" seriously hurt everyone involved. People are still ready to complain about the relatively high price of Blu-ray players, but they are way lower than the manufacturers had planned, and now they can't recoup the high fixed development costs they would have with higher price tags during the first couple years on the market. DVD players were stratospherically priced for several years.

On the studio side, the drawn-out conflict was sapping both HD disc and DVD sales, as consumers waited for a victor and slowed down DVD purchases in anticipation. Everybody was losing, even the winners. It got so bad that we have reason to believe Sony didn't just urge Best Buy, Netflix and Wal-Mart to go exclusively Blu, but went so far as to ask Toshiba directly to please pull out.

Their pain, you're pay-ing
Point is, a lot of money was spent to hoist Blu-ray onto the winner's pedestal. Why do you care? Because it means manufacturers aren't rushing to drop player prices any further than they have already. Walker admitted the only reason players are as cheap as they are—calling $399 a year after the format's introduction a "bargain"—is because of the format war. Interestingly, Walker also told us that low hardware margins are part of the reason Toshiba mostly stood alone in standalone player production: "Why would Pioneer want to build one when Toshiba was selling them at $150?"

So, while Pioneer promises healthy competition between Blu-ray Disc Association members this year, don't expect it to be too healthy—the big price-killer among them is the PS3, ironically. The major force that drove down DVD-player prices years ago was the flood of cheap Chinese models at Wal-Mart, and the BDA is holding them at bay, refusing to license the tech to low-cost manufacturers for the time being. Piracy is implied as a concern, but the more obvious motive is to keep player prices as high as they can, while they can, to recoup the heavy losses incurred waging the format war in the first place. A $199 player with a Sony name on it is definitely at least a year away.

Spec Wars, SKU Times
We've already told you not to buy a Blu-ray player yet, citing the spec issue—if you buy a player without an Ethernet port, you're screwed when it comes to more updated specifications like BD-Live interactive content and picture-in-picture. But it's actually even crazier than we thought. When we finally see a geniune $199 Blu-ray player, it will more than likely be spec 1.1, so you'll get picture-in-picture, but there won't be any internet-fueled interaction, like that sweet-sounding AVP multiplayer game.

That's right, even after Blu-ray spec 2.0 players finally hit the market, new 1.1 spec players will continue to roll out as well, so the potential for consumer confusion will remain stratospheric. (Everyone should heed Sony CEO Stan Glasgow's own comment: "Any confusion curbs consumer demand.") See, the 2.0 spec is not mandatory for manufacturers, though 1.1 is. Consequently, the cheapest players we will see finally hitting shelves will be 1.1 (though all of Sony's actually will be 2.0 "capable" from here on out). Walker confirms that while he personally "would like to see BD-Live players only," even Pioneer "will be offering both types of players."

The different players will be labeled either "BonusView" or "BD-Live," not 1.1 or 2.0, which is good, because Glasgow doesn't "think consumers are that aware of 1.0, 2.0, whatever." Will they even know the difference between BonusView and BD-Live? Will they understand why a player they buy now won't access features on a disc they buy later, just because Sony says "that's the way it goes in the world"?

Content is King Queen
The spec issue is messy on the content front as well—and we're not just talking about clearly labeled discs. The 2.0 spec being optional on future players makes its feature set all the more frivolous—why spend a lot of money creating features only the richest Blu-ray users—a smaller fraction of an already tiny fraction—can access? For example, while Fox is definitely sporting wood for interactivity, others aren't as excited. Sony Home Entertainment biz dev VP Rich Marty told us it's "just the icing on the cake." Icing not everyone can lick.

On the other hand, things are mostly looking up on the new-release front for Blu—all of the major studios we talked to said that pretty much every major theatrical release will hit the format from here on out. It's the back catalog that's the prob, and it's going to be slow coming by most accounts. Not only will Universal probably take a very long time getting its current 150-disc HD DVD catalog out on Blu-ray, but other studios will most likely double dip, releasing the same movie a second time with better features and perhaps a cleaner transfer, before getting around to some of your favorite old chestnuts.

Speaking of Universal, we're currently looking at a months-long black hole of Universal, Dreamworks and Paramount's releases, thanks to their belated integration (or re-integration) into the Blu-ray fold. Not only will it be late spring or early summer before we see any of their flicks hit Blu, we're hearing that they might have trouble buying dual-layer 50GB Blu-ray discs to produce them on, because the more settled Blu-ray studios have already purchased the entire 2008 stock—not hard to do, thanks to the limited number of replication sites and lower yields. This means that they'll only have access to 25GB discs, which could mean fewer features and lower-quality video and audio.

If you don't think capacity is an issue—necessitating the dual-layer discs— a Disney spokesperson (not to mention Metal Gear guru Hideo Kojima) says otherwise: even 50GB isn't enough. Disney's upcoming Sleeping Beauty Platinum release is going to take up two discs: a 50GB double layer plus another 25GB one. While every release won't be a two-disc monster, the company tells us that "franchises like Pirates of the Caribbean or Narnia...also get similar kind of treatments." It also confirmed that, for the moment, Blu-ray disc replicators are "kinda limited."

The Real Enemy
Truthfully, these are all just minor issues. The biggest problem on Blu-ray's hands? DVD. It's entrenched, it's cheap, and for most people, it's good enough (especially upscaled on a 720p LCD from 8 or 10 feet away). Sony mouthpieces and execs laugh off the "threat" of video downloads, but they don't seem to laugh when you talk about the exact same content on DVD. Even while Glasgow assures us they "think [Blu-ray sales] can get up to DVD levels," he admits "there are some issues: upscaling DVDs is getting better and better." Sony continually must "convince people of the value of high definition."

In fact, everyone we talked to—in Hollywood or in hardware—emphasized the need to educate consumers about high def and convince them to make the switch. If it's so inevitable and obvious, why do they need to pour a load of money and ad time into it? Sony's major campaign for the entire year is "HDNA," all about educating consumers about HD.

The Sony brand might "hold up well during difficult economic times" but a recession will keep DVD looking pretty good to a lot of people, even ones who already bought an HDTV. Bundling players with HDTVs—which Glasgow said would happen soon—might spur adoption, but until the Wal-mart masses can easily (read: cheaply) adopt Blu-ray, it's not going to knock DVD players off shelves. That's several years out.

The Dim Light at the End of the Tunnel
Naturally, Blu-ray will only get better—the hardware will improve, the catalog will grow, the feature set will expand. Already standalone players load up much faster than craptastically slow players of yesteryear—one of Pioneer's new players, which will be announced shortly, already boasts a boot time of 14.8 seconds, nearly halving the time of the current fastest standalone player, Panasonic's BD-30, which stands at around 26 seconds. It's on those kind of things that Pioneer plans to compete on in the market, though it'll be asking a heavier price to get them.

Blu-ray will get cheaper though, slowly but surely. Competition between and among BDA members will nudge prices down to the $299 mark this year, and we'll see that mythic $199 mark within a year—with the Chinese cheap-player cavalry not far behind, ready to grind profit margins into oblivion. That's when we'll see mass adoption—when, from a consumer perspective, Blu-ray really "wins." Too bad, on the hardware side, there may not be any spoils left for the victors.

We're not going to tell you that HD DVD will somehow come back from the grave to eat Blu-ray's brains or anything Romero-esque like that. Even China's CH-DVD—an easily mass-produced sibling to HD DVD—once a looming HD DVD mercenary force on the horizon, now seems to serve the opposite purpose. By keeping Chinese firms busy with something other than Blu-ray, Hollywood's movie content may be kept safe from piracy, and big electronics brands may be able to hold onto their profit margins—at least for a short while.

No, the earth is Blu, and we are at least grateful for having a winner. Now begins a different kind of shakeup, where once friendly compadres like Sony, Pioneer and Panasonic start to lock horns with one another. This will bring multiple benefits, but here's what all parties involved need to accomplish:

1. Get the Spec In Order
Now that Blu-ray is fully in the spotlight, it's got to get its act together spec-wise. You may recall that we lambasted many Blu-ray supporters for only building 1.0 spec players, including the $1000+ home-theater flagships from Sony and Pioneer. Except for Panasonic's DMP-BD30 and the PlayStation 3 with up-to-date firmware, no current Blu-ray player can even handle the 1.1 spec with picture-in-picture, already appearing in certain Blu-ray discs (and quite the handful of HD DVD titles—but we'll get to that).

The place to be is spec 2.0, referred to as "full profile." Suddenly, it's Sony who is looking the best here, with not only the amazingly upgradable PS3 but two new players announced this week, the BDP-S350 and S550. For $400 and $500 respectively, they are set to deliver all of the features promised in the Blu-ray palette, including both picture-in-picture and BD-Live internet connectivity (with USB storage for downloaded content). Nobody else, with the possible exception of Daewoo, has even muttered about a 2.0 spec player.

Samsung's BD-UP5000 dual-format player is purportedly compatible with 1.1, but besides the fact that it's pricey even at $550 and requires a firmware update for full compatibility, it'll soon be discontinued. Given our initial experience with it, we say that it's best to wait and see what its successor, the BD-UP5500, can do. Heck, dual-format playback may not be all that necessary for long. But that brings us to another reason why you should wait...

2. Finalize the Video Library
We only need dual-format players as long as the library is split down HD DVD and Blu-ray lines. We are waiting for Universal, Paramount and DreamWorks to jump to Blu, and even once they do, it's not a certainty that they can simply re-release everything currently out on HD DVD. Universal claims 150 titles—surely the Bournes will go Blu as soon as Uni does, but how long do I have to wait for a Blu-ray of The Big Lebowski? Hell, it's almost worth scooping up an ultracheap HD DVD player now just to enjoy that one movie alone, 47 or 48 times in a row. At any rate, some speculation suggests that the remaining HD DVD studios may not even come around until summer or fall, depending on weird smoke-filled-backroom negotiations with Toshiba.

Even when all the studios are on the Blu-ray tip, though, a new problem begins to surface: second-edition releases of movies already on Blu-ray. Think about it: a handful of big Warner titles like 300 and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix came out with more deluxe HD DVD versions which include picture-in-picture and certain online capabilities. Who's to say Warner won't re-release their 300 and Harry Potter Blu-ray discs with the same compelling extras, now that it's feasible on the Blu-ray platform? Warner is easy to single out because we have that comparison, but who's to say that half of the blockbuster movies out on Blu-ray now won't get a re-release with more interactive content when the spec 2.0 players saturate the market?

3. Bring On the Old-Fashioned Electronics Store Competition
Sony's more affordable new Blu-ray player will hit the market this summer for $400. Nothing built by Sony or anyone else should be considered before then, the one exception being the PS3. But even the Sony standalone at $400 is expensive, especially for a player whose capabilities are more or less the same as Toshiba's HD-A30 HD DVD player, now (in a price nose dive) selling for around $130. Only when Panasonic, Samsung and LG announce their own Blu-ray 2.0 players, will true competition finally exist. (Pioneer will launch a 2.0 player too, but it probably won't get involved in a price war.) It surely wouldn't be long after that that we see a full-spec Blu-ray player for $200 or maybe even less. Our bet is Christmas, since Sony doesn't seem like it will have anything on the market until "summer" and no one else is talking about their next Blu play.

There you have it, the three big reasons why you need to hold off on buying a standalone Blu-ray player, and amassing a library of Blu-ray to rival your intimidating DVD collection. Don't worry though. Your patience will have its rewards. And Christmas will be here again before you know it.

[Blu-ray on Giz; image source for "halt" parody graphic]

The first is Disney's vision of now back in 1957, the second, its re-vision of the House of the Future with Lifeware, HP and Microsoft, which is debuting this May in Tomorrowland. We've more or less seen it every year at CES , and it's not really all that fantastical or jaw-dropping. I didn't feel teleported to some technological paradise that I couldn't wait to blast through years of icky time to get to, anyway.

Give me wall-sized super HDTVs, plastic toilet paper and genuinely exciting, if tacky and the over the top, futuretastic baubles over intelligent lights and DRM'd furniture from Microsoft any day. (Now, or in the future.) [AP]

Bill appears and after a brief state-of-the-industry intro, notes that this is his final CES appearance. He'll look back on some of his previous experiences, noting how far we've progressed since he declared the "Digital Decade" in 2001 for three reasons:
1. The promulgation of lower-cost HD displays and soon interactive surfaces.
2. Mobile intelligence - cellular and GPS enabled products that help us get through the day
3. Interaction with technology increasingly mirroring the way we interact with people

First announcement: NBC Universal is making MSN the exclusive home for NBC's coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics in China. It's the first "long tail" Olympics: there will be thousands of hours of content available at nbcolympics.com, ranging from the most popular sports to the most obscure—from basketball to badminton. The video will be both live and on demand, with over 30 simultaneous live broadcasts; 2,200 hours of live broacasting and 3,000 hours of on-demand content. All of the video will be shared in Silverlight format in "near HD" quality.

Hands-on: Never-before-seen demo of the Surface table. In this demo, Bill designs a snowboard for himself—yes, a snowboard—using multitouch technology to try out different designs, then save them to his Windows Mobile phone and share with his friends. I only wonder what his insurance company thinks about his snowboarding plans.

Robbie Bach, Microsoft's President of Entertainment & Devices Division, will take the stage to cover the bulk of the presentation, talking about:

• Xbox's banner year - 17.7 million Xbox 360 units sold; 7 titles surpassing 1 million sales mark; U.S. users spent more on Xbox 360 in 2007 than more on any other game console ever

• TV show deal with ABC Television and Disney Channel for Xbox Live programming, available for direct download to Xbox 360. It includes 500 hours of content, in standard and high def, available at the end of the month, with shows such as Desperate Housewives, Lost, Grey's Anatomy, plus Disney shows including Hannah Montana.

• Movie deal with MGM - Xbox will offer MGM films in standard def and high def including the entire Rocky series, Terminator, Dances With Wolves, Silence of the Lambs, Legally Blond, Barber Shop and the Bond franchise.

• New application for Microsoft's Media Room IPTV, distributed by AT&T U-Verse: On TNT, NASCAR fans can choose a view of the race from the camera inside their favorite driver's car via their set-top box; Showtime boxing will let you choose camera angle and audio feeds from the trainer, ref, or the commentators; in CNN's coverage of US presidential campaign, viewers can vote on issues, gauging voter opinion in realtime.

• Media Center Extender support is growing in the consumer-electronics industry, led by Samsung, which will be working on a connected TV with MCE capability.

• Zune 2 off to a good start, with 1.5 million people starting Zune social fan pages since the service began in November. Bach will announce the availability of the Zune in Canada, the first distribution outside the US.

When Bill takes the stage again, he will demonstrate a "device of the future," something that won't necessarily become a product sold by Microsoft, but still a good glimpse of things to come. The device will ostensibly store and catalog all of Bill's memories so that he can pull up a reel of all his past CES keynotes. At one point, he will snap a picture of the Venetian auditorium and the gadget will recognize the venue, proposing various recreational activities he might enjoy after the keynote.

This is a rough sketch of the proceedings, one that's bound to change considerably. I'm told there will be some surprises—maybe a celebrity guest or some farewell treat. Who knows? That's why we plan to catch the whole event, and fill in any gaps that may be missing from this otherwise thorough digest. (You're welcome.) [Microsoft at CES]

Burbank, CA , January 4, 2008 - Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE) announces an exciting new line-up of Blu-ray initiatives in 2008, an ever-expanding Blu-ray slate and new technological-advancements in bonus feature materials, all which guarantee a superior high-definition home entertainment experience.

"This is an exciting time for Disney as we not only announce the release of our first Platinum Disney animated classic on Blu-ray with Sleeping Beauty, but also allow consumers to create an entirely new home entertainment experience with stunning new bonus features and amazing interactive capabilities like never before seen," stated Bob Chapek, President of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

For the first time ever, WDSHE will begin releasing its treasured animated classics on Platinum Edition Blu-ray Disc™ launching with Sleeping Beauty in the fall of 2008. Taking advantage of the numerous technological advancements of the Blu-ray format, these all time favorites have been revitalized to include exceptional high-definition picture and sound quality and compelling interactive content such as virtual games, full motion picture-in-picture and online shopping capabilities via BD-Live broadband connection.

Sleeping Beauty will be WDSHE's first Platinum Edition Blu-ray Disc and will feature a Virtual Castle, utilizing the new BD-Live technology, as well as the interactive game Maleficent's Challenge which puts viewers face-to-face with one of Disney's greatest villains.
Sleeping Beauty Blu-ray Disc will also feature an all-new enhanced home theater mix in 7.1 surround sound.

Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo Blu-ray Disc will debut the first Cine-Explore featuring full motion picture-in-picture (BonusView). This interactive visual commentary with director Andrew Stanton, co-writer Bob Peterson and co-director Lee Unkrich allows the viewer to dive deeper into the making of Finding Nemo without ever leaving the film. For kids and families, there is the all-new BD-Java enabled learning mode "Mr. Ray's Ed-venture." Hosted by Dory, Marlin and of course Mr. Ray, viewers will learn all about sea life and have the opportunity to earn stickers for their virtual sticker book by answering "quizlettes" while watching the movie. Viewers can also go to their sticker book at any time and create their own scene. Finding Nemo will also feature an all-new enhanced home theater mix in 7.1 surround sound.

As part of its continued worldwide Blu-ray release strategy, WDSHE will be announcing the addition of many exciting movie titles to their 2008 Blu-ray line-up in North America, Europe and Asia.

In North America, WDSHE will be releasing new theatrical titles to Blu-ray Disc day-and-date with DVD including The Game Plan (Walt Disney Pictures) on January 22; Gone Baby Gone and Becoming Jane (both Miramax) on February 12; and Dan In Real Life (Touchstone Pictures) on March 11. WDSHE will expand its catalogue titles on Blu-ray Disc with the releases of The Rock (Hollywood Pictures) and Con Air (Touchstone Pictures) on January 8; Crimson Tide (Hollywood Pictures) on February 5; The Rookie (Walt Disney Pictures) on March 4; Hidalgo (Touchstone Pictures), Coyote Ugly: The Double Shot Edition (Touchstone Pictures), Unbreakable (Touchstone Pictures), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Walt Disney Pictures) and National Treasure: Collector's Edition (Walt Disney Pictures) in spring 2008.

In Europe/Australia, WDSHE will roll out Blu-ray Discs in 2008 beginning with The Recruit (Touchstone Pictures) in January; and Dark Water (Touchstone Pictures) in February; Underdog (Walt Disney Pictures) and Starsky & Hutch (Buena Vista) in February;
Coyote Ugly (Touchstone Pictures) and The Rookie (Walt Disney Pictures) in March; Hidalgo (Touchstone Pictures) and Gone Baby Gone (Miramax) in April; Signs (Touchstone Pictures), There Will Be Blood (Miramax), Shall We Dance (Miramax), Ladder 49 (Touchstone Pictures), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Walt Disney Pictures) and National Treasure: Collector's Edition (Walt Disney Pictures) in May; and
The Game Plan (Walt Disney Pictures) and Unbreakable (Touchstone Pictures) in summer 2008.

Japan will see WDSHE release Blu-ray titles starting with Hollywoodland (Miramax) in February; The Rookie (Walt Disney Pictures), Hidalgo (Touchstone Pictures), Meet The Robinsons (Walt Disney Pictures), and Starsky & Hutch (Buena Vista) in April; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Walt Disney Pictures), Coyote Ugly (Touchstone Pictures) and National Treasure: Collector's Edition (Walt Disney Pictures) in May; and Unbreakable (Touchstone Pictures) and Signs (Touchstone Pictures) in summer 2008.

Following overwhelming consumer response WDSHE is also announcing the extension of Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour, sponsored by Panasonic, to eight additional North American cities. The first stop will be to Toronto, Canada the weekend of January 25th and continue on to Nashville, Denver, Dallas, Raleigh-Durham, Hartford and conclude with Chicago at Unity 2008 in July.

Also interesting is the pricing scheme that Apple's unleashing. Movie rentals will be somewhere between $2 and $5, depending on the newness and goodness of the movie (they decide, not you) and will only be valid for 24 hours. That's it? Even Blockbuster lets you keep a movie for two days before slipping into their "no late fees late fees" period. And, to top it off, they've got movies from Sony, Universal and Warner Bros. as well. [Variety via Valleywag]

Shooting up to 300 rounds per minute and undeterred by nasty, uneven terrain, Robotex hopes to sell their...Robotex...for $30,000 per unit to the government. And if this concept video proves in any way accurate...let's just say I'll never look at Micky Mouse the same way again. [fortune via inventorspot]

Available in four designs (Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Doraemon and — aargh! — Tamagotchi, the sticks contain a secure internet browser (Yahoo! Kids), a couple of games, and you can even limit the amount of time your little darlings spend attached to their computer. My suggestion? Buy them an OLPC and keep them well away from your notebook. [Buffalo via Akihabara News]

That's right, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak reportedly does not make an appearance in the scene (though we're guessing he and Kathy Griffin may be necking in the back of the ride). Also of note: Distant Creations reports that the bearded figure may or may not actually be referred to as Mr. Jobs himself, but that it's inarguable who the figure represents.

Sorry Woz. Methinks that groups of Apple haters and lovers alike will never visit Epcot again. [distantcreations via boingboing]

The setup would work a lot like GooTube's—the networks would hand over a bank of material that AT&T/Vobile would run traffic on the network against, looking for positive IDs. If it matches the "video DNA" on file, it gets the hammer. Supposedly Vobile's ID tech is tops, at least among "a dozen or so other systems" tested by the MPAA. AT&T's reportedly been testing it since spring, though it'd launch until late 2008 at the earliest.

In order to keep consumers and net neutrality advocates from flipping out, one marketing strategy AT&T might use is to emphasize the filter as a way to catch child porn, since no one can really argue against stopping predators. On the flip side, an effective monitoring program is loaded with business propositions, from helping them net content distribution rights to being able to "offer far more detailed information on [customers'] likes and dislikes, in turn enabling AT&T and its partners to land lucrative deals with advertisers hungry for such data."

I could act all shocked and appalled like Wilson about AT&T being so disinterested in customers' privacy (to put it lightly), but it wouldn't be genuine, and I'd feel dirty in the morning for lying to you. [BusinessWeek via Broadband Reports]

Since it ended in September, the count doesn't include Michael Bay's reluctantly sold 190,000 Transformers HD DVDs, a figure which will probably continue to rise, adding to the HD DVD camp's overall numbers. And the numbers may shift more favorably towards HD DVD as Paramount and Dreamworks maintain exclusivity for at least 17 more months.

Nevertheless, it does suggest that, still without serious pushes from Fox and Disney, the Blu-ray posse is maintaining its lead, and even growing it: Since the advent of high-definition discs back in spring 2006, just over 3 million Blu-ray discs have been purchased stateside, while only around 2 million HD DVD discs have sold. [Reuters]

"Once an industry initiative is formed, Google will be forced to accept the common model rather than use its own solution as a competitive differentiator," Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey said. "The pressure on Google to go along with this cooperative initiative will be intense, as the fate of existing lawsuits will likely hinge on Google's acceptance of the common solution."

Some titles that come out exclusively on HD DVD in the U.S. come out on Blu-ray overseas, such as Universal Pictures' "Bruce Almighty" and "Hollywoodland," but consumers must be sure they are buying from a region that works with U.S. players. For Blu-ray, the U.S. is in the same region as almost all of the Americas and Southeast Asia.

The bottom line as far as the format war is concerned:

Still, most major high-definition titles available overseas seem to reflect a switch to HD DVD, rather than the reverse.

The Walt Disney Studios Presents DISNEY'S MAGICAL BLU-RAY™ TOUR

Consumers in Malls Across the Nation to Experience the Exciting
High-Def Blu-ray Disc® Format

Tour to Visit 18 Markets and Focus on Consumer Education

Featuring a First Look at Upcoming
Cars and Meet the Robinsons Blu-ray Disc Releases

BURBANK, CA, July 17, 2007 - The Walt Disney Studios today announced the launch of Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour, which will visit 18 malls nationwide beginning August 17. The announcement was made by Bob Chapek, president of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour, sponsored by Panasonic, is an interactive exhibit designed to educate consumers about the new high-definition home entertainment technology and will feature interactive kiosks, viewing stations and a special presentation theater where consumers can experience first-hand the amazing capabilities and benefits of Blu-ray Disc technology. Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour will also focus on providing clarity to consumers confused about high-definition home entertainment and educate them on the benefits of Blu-ray Disc technology. The tour will kick-off in Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world, beginning August 17 at the Westfield Topanga mall in Canoga Park, CA and continue on to 17 additional locations across the U.S.
According to a recent survey by Leichtman Research Group, close to one-half of the 24 million households with HDTV don't actually watch high-definition programs because they haven't obtained the necessary hardware from their cable, phone or satellite operators. About one-half of those viewers - about six million - don't even realize they're not watching HDTV. The tour aims to educate consumers by delivering a comprehensive and entertaining high-definition
Blu-ray experience, allowing them to interact with the technology and view live demonstrations hosted throughout each day of the tour.
"Disney has always put consumers first and we are here to help everyone understand this amazing new technology. It is imperative that we continue to educate and engage consumers as to the advantages and exciting features that are unique to the Blu-ray Disc format," said Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios. "There are so many high-definition enabled households not taking full advantage of its capabilities and we hope to change that with the Disney Magical Blu-ray Tour."
Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour will feature exciting first-look opportunities in each market including previews of Disney/Pixar's Cars, as well as Disney's Meet the Robinsons, and live demonstrations where consumers will get first-hand experience playing the interactive "Liar's Dice" game from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. The Mall Tour features six to fourteen interactive stations (depending on the size of the mall) which will showcase all aspects of the Blu-ray Disc technology. A special mini theater will host hourly live presentations on Blu-ray high-definition technology. To date, Disney has released such hits as Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, The Guardian, The Prestige and many more on Blu-ray Disc.
"Our goal with the Disney Magical Blu-ray Tour is to reach as many people as possible and to help educate the consumers across all demographics," said Bob Chapek, president of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. "Our presentations and demo areas will hold something of interest for everyone, from kids and their parents, to older adults and teens. Even early adopters won't be disappointed with the first looks of the bonus materials that we're rolling out for our future titles. Since high definition is for everyone, we made sure that the Tour elements reflected that as well."
"We are very excited to be working together with Disney to bring Blu-ray technology to consumers in this very personal, grassroots experience," said Eisuke Tsuyuzaki, vice president Corporate Development & General Manager, Blu-ray Group for Panasonic. "Consumers will be blown away by the 1080p High Definition presentations we have in store for them and are sure to be excited about the biggest new development in home entertainment since the advent of DVD 10 years ago. Also, we are proud that Disney will be displaying these beautiful images on Panasonic Plasma TVs."

Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour, sponsored by Panasonic, will travel to select markets across the country beginning August 17 and continue through December 23, 2007. Cities on the tour include Canoga Park, Costa Mesa, San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago, St. Louis, Washington DC, Long Island, Boston, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Houston, Austin, and Phoenix.

Mall Tour Sweepstakes
Guests who visit Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour in each market can register to win a Blu-ray home entertainment package comprising a Blu-ray player and a library of Disney Blu-ray Discs.

Mall Tour General Schedule
Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour, sponsored by Panasonic, will be open in all locations during regular mall hours from Friday - Sunday, with a special preview for the media on Friday mornings. The exhibits will be hosted by experts from both Disney and Panasonic, who will be available to answer questions about the technical aspects of Blu-ray and content featured on Disney Blu-ray Discs.

DISNEY'S MAGICAL BLU-RAY TOUR SCHEDULE:

MALL LOCATION EVENT DATES

Westfield Topanga Canoga Park, CA Aug. 17 - 19
South Coast Plaza Costa Mesa, CA Aug. 24 - 26
Westfield North County Escondido, CA Aug. 31 - Sept. 2
Westfield San Francisco San Francisco, CA Sept. 7 - 9
Washington Square Portland, OR. Sept. 14 - 16
Westfield South Center Seattle, WA Sept. 21 - 23
Mall of America Bloomington, MN Sept. 28 - 30
Orland Square Orland Park, IL Oct. 5 - 7
Westfield West County St. Louis, MO Oct 12 - 14
Tyson Corner Center McLean, VA Oct. 19 - 21
Roosevelt Field Garden City, NY Oct. 26 - 28
Burlington Mall Burlington, MA Nov. 9 - 11
King of Prussia King of Prussia, PA Nov. 16 -18
Circle Centre Indianapolis, IN Nov. 23 - 25
Lennox Square Atlanta, GA Nov. 30 - Dec. 2
The Galleria Houston, TX Dec. 7 - 9
Barton Creek Square Austin, TX Dec. 14 - 16
Chandler Fashion Center Chandler, AZ Dec. 21 - 23

About Blu-ray Disc
The Blu-ray Disc format is currently the leading high-definition packaged media supported by the foremost entertainment companies in film, music, gaming and computer industries. In the U.S., Blu-ray is continuing to outsell the competing format week-by-week, maintaining a 70 percent market share per week of all high-definition titles sold this year.

Blu-ray Disc is the next-generation optical disc format for high-definition video and high-capacity software applications. A single-layer Blu-ray Disc will hold up to 25GB of data, and a double-layer Blu-ray Disc will hold up to 50GB of data. A standard definition DVD holds only 10GB by comparison. Blu-ray Disc is supported by the world's leading consumer electronics, personal computer, gaming, music and film companies, and, with seven of eight Hollywood studios releasing their high-definition content on Blu-ray Disc, Blu-ray will deliver the widest variety of high-definition, home entertainment content.

Blu-ray Discs deliver a truly unique high-definition viewing experience with a crystal-clear 1080p picture (the number "1080" represents 1,080 lines of vertical resolution, while the letter "p" stands for progressive scan) and astounding 5.1 channel surround and 48 kHz, 24-bit uncompressed audio.

About Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, a recognized leader in the home entertainment industry, is the marketing, sales and distribution company for Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax and Buena Vista product which includes DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and electronic distribution. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is a division of The Walt Disney Studios.

About Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company
Based in Secaucus, N.J., Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company, a market and technology leader in high definition television, is a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (NYSE: MC) and the hub of Panasonic's U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. Information about Panasonic products is available at www.panasonic.com. Additional company information for journalists is available at www.panasonic.com/pressroom.

Slated to debut with the August 7 release of an album by the undoubtedly wholesome teen punk band The Jonas Brothers, CDVU+ will include "digital magazine extras, song lyrics, band photos and other extras" says Reuters. (They said "extras" twice; they must like "extras.") Oh, and as a shoutout to the greenest teens, CDVU+ "replaces the traditional CD booklet and plastic jewel case with recyclable packaging." To access the content you don't need some fancy new CDVU+ player. No sir, you just need a computer.

You know what I hate? When marketing innovations are disguised as new technologies. I for one won't be buying any CDVU+ discs, thanks much. And unlike many people I respect, I actually buy music. [Reuters]

This is one of several $300 TVs that Disney will be rolling out this fall. (This one should be available in September at Toys"R"Us and Wal-Mart.)
All of the Disney LCDs are 15" and use Sharp panels. And anyone worried about the digital switchover can rest assured, these TVs include ATSC tuners. Stay tuned for a gallery of Disney products from the ex-frog team.

From fact sheet: High School Musical 15" LCD TV Features: • 15" LCD Screen • Cable-Ready Digital Tuner • Resolution: 1024 x 768 • Full-Function Remote Control (2 "AAA" batteries required - not included) • Headphone output • Composite A/V input/output • Component video input

High School Musical Clock Radio
for iPod & Disney Mix Stick
Features:
• Digital AM /FM Stereo
• Wake up to the sounds of your radio, music player or alarm
• Charges iPod with AC Power
• Back-lit LCD display
• Compatible with most iPod versions
• Video output supports iPod content on TV

They do. All of the previous speculation stands for the moment: The ears act as knobs, controlling volume and track selection, the player will be available in a variety of colors, and it might not come to the States.

Disney commissioned iRiver to make the player for their Hong Kong amusement park and for retail in South Korea, though if sales go well enough iRiver hinted that Mickey might sneak into other regions. But given the size and relatively unimpressive specs compared to other players on the market, there's a good chance this thing will remain a Hong Kong Disney keepsake. – Kevin Hall

Product page [iRiver Korea via Digital World Tokyo]

The ears, mind you, are not just for show. Flick one to or fro to adjust volume; do the same on the other to change tracks.

Given the size of the jack at the top of Mickey's head—and the picture above—it looks like the player may be pretty small. What we don't know is whether or not the product will turn up in the US. If it does, it's not necessarily a home run: that chunky body could be uncomfortable in your pocket, and what happens if the ears are constantly wiggling? Could be annoying as hell. – Kevin Hall

iRiver+Disney=Mplayer [iriverfans via technabob]

Pursued by the newly formed COPYRIGHT ALLIANCE, composed of 29 entities, such as Viacom, Microsoft, Disney, MPAA and RIAA, pirates raced home aboard their mopeds and bicycles, custodians of cracked copies of Windows Vista and bootlegs of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, looking to save their people and restore freedom software, movies and music to the galaxy. – Matt Buchanan.

Backers of stronger copyright laws form lobby group [CNET via Techdirt]

Collectors of Disney memorabilia are going to go nuts for this limited-edition Mickey Mouse iPod - if there are any