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[Yahoo HD via io9]

Question: Paramount was part of the $150 million deal too—how come they're already out and true Blu? Did that extra $50 million lock Dreamworks into an even tighter (read: shittier) contract? [Reuters]

DRM Sucks: Thanks to DVD Jon's DeCSS hacks and programs like Handbrake, ripping a DVD is as easy as ripping a CD. Not so with HD discs, which can sometimes be ripped with difficulty, but take gigs to store, anyhow.
Not Too Big: The 480 lines of res on a DVD is not so far off that it's time consuming to convert a ripped DVD into a version that fits on a portable media player, or can be shared with a friend.
It doesn't look so bad On a TV less than 42-inches, you'll be hard pressed to tell the difference between HD and SD unless you're sitting close or doing a side by side.
Auto Archived: Call me old fashioned. Storing BitTorrented files on hard drives seems like a waste of space. I'd rather have 'em on discs to start with, rather than data files that have to be converted or burned to disc to be watched in the living room DVD player.
Renting: I won't lie. Renting a movie by Xbox's Live market place is incredibly simple. But when you rent a disc, you're actually in the position to rip it, too. You can't do anything but watch your DRM'd downloads expire after a day or two. Also, the subject or renting brings me to the next point.
Content is Still King: No emerging format, be it a video store like Amazon's Unbox, or Xbox Live, or Netflix's streaming rental service, or HD DVD or Blu-ray, can claim to even have a majority of films and TV shows in their library. Only DVD.

I am an HD nut. So I too worry about buying a movie only to have it come out in HD later down the road. If the points above don't sway you, I'd understand. But consider the fact that I do feel safer buying old movies like, say, a box set of Kurosawa films, as I don't suspect I'd get much more out of a high res version of the black and white flicks.

I mean, what would be the point? Most music that gets widely pirated comes from scene groups that do rips from CDs, not from people who legally purchase music online. It's the same thing I never understood about DRM: it only takes one copy getting ripped or spread around for something to be easily accessed in the pirate-o-sphere, so why waste so much time keeping normal people from sharing? I mean, even if they did find some Kanye song in a girl's shared Soulseek folder and it was ID'd with some dude's name, what does that prove? Not much. In any case, Amazon doesn't look to be doing anything of the sort, so bravo to that, and another kudos to them for selling only straight-up MP3s. Now just get all the labels on board and we'll have the music store we've all be clamoring for for so long. [Listening Post]

Most of the major details we've heard before stand, such as the 10.1MP CMOS sensor, but a couple differ for the better, most notably the 3-inch LCD display (up from 2.5) and 6.5 fps and 75 large JPEG burst. There also appears to be a new 802.11b/g wireless transmitter accessory, the WFT-E3A.

Product Features

• 10.1-megapixel CMOS sensor captures enough detail for photo-quality poster-size prints
• Large 3.0-inch LCD display with enhanced Live View and broadened color gamut
• 6.5 frame-per-second continuous shooting capability (for bursts of up to 75 Large/Fine JPEGs or 17 RAW images)
• sRAW mode; 35-zone metering system; integrated Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit
• Powered by BP-511A, BP-511, or BP-512 lithium-ion battery pack; stores images on CF cards

Technical Details

• Resolution: Approximately 10.1 million effective pixels (total pixels: approximately 10.5 million)
• Recording pixels: 3888 x 2592
• Sensor type: CMOS sensor, with primary R-G-B filtration
• Sensor size: 22.2 x 14.8 millimeters
• Pixel size: 5.7 microns square
• Lens focal length factor: 1.6x
• Sensor dust removal: EOS Integrated Cleaning System; active removal of dust by vibrating front low-pass filter; automatic removal of dust spots, in Canon Digital Photo Professional software (v. 3.1 or higher)
• Maximum frames per second: 6.5 frames per second (fps) at full resolution
• Maximum number of frames / burst: JPEG: 75; RAW: 17
• Shutter speeds: 30 seconds to 1/8000, plus Bulb (1/3 or 1/2-step increments)
• Flash sync speed: Up to 1/250, with EX-series Speedlites
• Anticipated shutter durability: 100,000 exposures, based on Canon test methods
• Computer interface: USB 2.0 (Hi-speed)
• Image recording storage media: CompactFlash (CF) cards (type I or II, including Microdrives)
• Card compatibility: "FAT32" compatible—OK for cards over 2GB
• Image format options: JPEG (choice of "Fine" or "Normal" compression); RAW (Canon .CR2 RAW file format); RAW + JPEG (any JPEG file size available; JPEG file written as separate file)
• Analog to digital conversion: 14 bits per channel (16,382 separate tones from brightest to darkest, for each channel)
• Resolution options: "Large"—3888 x 2592 (approximately 10.1 million pixels); "Medium"—2816 x 1880 (approximately 5.3 million pixels); "Small"—1936 x 1288 (approximately 2.5 million pixels)
• File numbering: sRGB color space: IMG_0001.JPG or IMG_0001.CR2; Adobe 1998 RGB color space: first character is always underscore (_)
• Folders: Automatically created for image storage; new folder can be user-created with "Manual Reset" function; folders cannot be freely selected on memory card by the photographer
• Highlight tone priority: Expands tonal range of bright highlights by about one stop; ISO range limited to 200 to 1600; activated by C.Fn II-3-1
• Data verification: "Original Image Data" can be appended to each image via Custom Function IV-6-1; requires optional Canon Original Data Security Kit OSK-E3 to check authenticity
• Live View viewing options: Camera's LCD monitor; computer monitor, via USB; computer monitor, via wireless transmitter WFT-E3A
• Manual focus: Viewed on LCD monitor, with option to magnify focus area 5x or 10x
• Autofocus: Possible—C.Fn III-6-1 active, press AF On button; mirror drops down temporarily while AF On button is pressed, allowing AF to function
• Silent mode Live View shoot: Mode 1: First shutter curtain remains open; shooting up to 6.5 fps possible; Mode 2: Quieter option; 2nd shutter curtain doesn't close until user's finger is taken off shutter button
• Accessory wireless transmitter: Canon WFT-E3A (optional, dedicated wireless transmitter)
• Attachment to camera: Attaches to base of camera; totally integrated with EOS 40D's design
• Wireless transfer methods: 802.11b or 802.11g; link speed: approximately 11 megabits/second (802.11b) or 54 megabits/second (802.11g)
• Connection method: Infrastructure or Ad Hoc (802.11g functions in Ad Hoc mode)
• Maximum wireless distance: Approximately 490 feet (150 meters), if "receiver" has its own antenna (depends on environment)
• Wireless channels: 11 (in North American market)
• Ethernet (wired) transfer: Yes; Ethernet 100Base-TX (maximum distance approximately 1,000 feet); link speed: approximately 100 megabits/second
• Transfer options: 1. FTP mode (images sent to folder on host computer); 2. PTP mode (remote control of camera possible from computer); 3. HTTP mode (view camera's files using web browser; remote firing of camera possible)
• Security options: Encryption: WEP or TKIP/AES; authentication: open system, WPA-PSK, or WPA2-PSK
• USB "host" capability: Plug compatible USB devices into WFT-E2A, for use with the EOS 40D; GPS devices (write GPS time, coordinates, and altitude info into each file's EXIF info); external hard drive (connect compact external USB hard drive, and write files directly from camera to the hard drive as if it's an additional memory card)
• LCD monitor: 3.0-inch (diagonal) TFT color; approximately 100% coverage; approximately 230,000 pixels on monitor; approximately 140 degrees viewing angle
• LCD monitor brightness: Adjustable in 7 levels (via Menu)
• Video-out: Yes (to standard TV monitor); NTSC or PAL, selectable on Menu
• Number of AF points: Nine, all cross-type AF points
• Center AF point: Unique hybrid cross-type AF point; world's first high-precision AF point with both horizontal and vertical high-precision; additional standard precision, cross-type sensors for lenses from f2.8 to f5.6
• AF point selection: 1. Manual AF point selection via 9-way multi-controller on back of camera; 2. automatic AF point selection
• AF activation: Shutter button, or new AF On button at back of camera
• AF modes: One-Shot AF (for stationary subjects); AI Servo AF (for tracking moving subjects); AI Focus AF (auto selection of One-Shot or AI Servo AF)
• AF sensor: Entirely new Canon CMOS AF sensor
• AF sensitivity range: EV -0.5 to 18 (at 73 degrees F / 23 degrees C, ISO 100)
• Shutter speeds: 30 seconds to 1/8000 second, plus Bulb (1/3 or 1/2-step increments); x-sync at 1/250
• ISO range: 100 to 1600, in 1/3-step or full-stop increments; ISO can be expanded to 3200 via C.Fn I-3-1
• Auto ISO: Can be set in any exposure mode, including P, Tv, Av, and M; ISO usually based at 400; typical auto range is 100 to 800, depending on conditions; manual exposure mode: auto ISO fixed at 400
• Exposure modes: Manual, Aperture-priority (Av), Shutter-priority (Tv), Program AE
• Full-auto modes: Green Zone, Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Action, Night Portrait, Flash Off
• Metering: 35-zone metering sensor; Evaluative metering (linked to all AF points); Center-weighted metering; Partial metering; Spot metering at center of picture (approximately 3.5% of picture area)
• Metering range: EV 0 to 20 (all patterns, at normal temperatures)
• Exposure compensation: Possible in P, Tv, Av, and A-DEP exposure modes; +/- up to two stops, in 1/2 or 1/3-stop increments (via Quick Control Dial)
• Autoexposure bracketing: Possible in P, Tv, Av, M, and A-DEP exposure modes; +/- up to two stops, in 1/2 or 1/3-stop increments
• Compatible flashes: All Canon EX-series Speedlites, including new Speedlite 580EX II
• Camera menu sets flash: Yes (580EX II only, as of August 2007)
• E-TTL II flash metering: Flash metering not linked to active AF point; distance from compatible EF lenses now used; entire metering area can be averaged using Custom Function 14-1
• Modeling flash: 1-second burst of flash possible at 70Hz when depth-of-field preview button is pressed (580EX/EX II, 550EX, 420EX, MR-14EX, MT-24EX, and Speedlite transmitter only)
• Wireless E-TTL: Fully compatible, including ratio setting over six-stop range
• Flash exposure compensation: Up to +/- 2 stops can be set on camera body (can also be set on compatible Speedlites)
• Built-in flash: Covers lenses as wide as 17mm (27mm equivalent); Guide Number 43 (feet)/13 (meters), ISO 100
• Viewfinder focus screen: New interchangeable "Ef" series focusing screens; standard screen: Ef-A—precision matte screen very similar to EOS 30D; optional Ef-D screen—precision matte with grid lines; optional Ef-S screen—Super precision matte (superior manual focusing with fast lenses, f1.8 to f2.8)
• Viewfinder display: Similar to EOS 30D; new: ISO is always displayed; new: B/W shooting mode icon; new: maximum burst available now two digits
• Dioptric adjustment: User-set from -3.0 to +1.0 (range can be extended using optional Canon dioptric Lens E, plus rubber frame Eb)
• Mirror lock-up: Possible via Custom Function III-6-1
• Eyepiece shutter: None (cover is provided on included strap)
• Color space: Standard sRGB or Adobe 1998 RGB (separate setting on Menu)
• White Balance: Auto; Pre-set (Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Flash); color temperature (set by user from 2500K to 10,000K in 100K increments); custom (shoot white object or 18% gray card, base WB on that neutral object)
• White Balance correction: Fine-tuning of overall color, in any white balance mode; amber-blue correction, in 9 steps; magenta-green correction, in 9 steps; set on graph on LCD monitor, using 9-way controller; both types of correction can be combined
• White Balance bracketing: Three separate files written with a single click of the shutter; can be varied in the amber-blue direction, or the magenta-green direction; can be adjusted up to +/- 15 mireds (equivalent to 3 steps on the 9-step adjust scale); can be combined with standard auto exposure bracketing (9 files written to CF card)
• Picture style: Extensive range of settings for user to tailor color, contrast, sharpness, etc. to their preference; same characteristics as previous EOS SLRs with Picture Style control
• Black and white recording: Set via monochrome setting within Picture Styles menu
• Computer connection: USB 2.0 Hi-speed, via small "B"-type USB connection
• Remote control: N3-type push-in terminal (same as EOS 20D, EOS-1D Mark II, etc.)
• Video-out: Single-pin mini-jack
• Direct Printing compatibility: PictBridge printing to compatible Canon and other brand printers
• Compatible images: JPEG, RAW, or sRAW, if they comply with DCF protocol
• Preview effects on camera's LCD: Printing effects can be previewed (includes brightness, levels, contrast, color saturation, color tone, and color balance—face brightener and red-eye correction cannot be viewed)
• Connection to printer: Via USB cable included with camera
• DPOF image marking: Compatible; images can be "tagged" while reviewing on LCD monitor
• Battery: BP-511A, BP-511, or BP-512 (rechargeable lithium-ion, same as EOS 30D) (BP-511/BP-512: 1100mAh; BP-511A: 1390mAh)
• Shooting capacity: Approximately 1100 shots (at 68 degrees F / 20 degrees C); approximately 800 shots (at 32 degrees F / 0 degrees C)
• Charger unit: Canon CB-5L or CG-580 (also can be charged with compact power adapter CA-PS400)
• AC adapter: AC adapter kit ACK-E2 (optional; consists of adapter AC-E2, and "dummy battery" DR-400)
• Battery grip (optional): Battery grip BG-E2N or BG-E2
• Date/time back-up battery: CR2016 lithium battery—coin-type; user-replaceable (estimated life 5 years)
• Body exterior material: Magnesium alloy top, front, and rear covers
• Chassis material: Polycarbonate and stainless steel
• Lens mount: EF lens mount; metal; compatible lenses: all Canon lenses for EOS cameras
• Compatible with EF-S lenses: Yes
• Custom functions: 24 custom functions, in four distinct categories; 9 entirely new custom functions
• Operating temperature range: 32 degrees to 104 degrees F, at 85% or lower humidity (0 degrees to 40 degrees C)
• Dimensions (W x H x D): 5.7 x 4.2 x 2.9 inches (145.5 x 108 x 73.5 millimeters), very slightly larger than EOS 30D
• Weight (without battery or CF card): 26.1 ounces (740 grams), approximately 1.4 ounces (40 grams) heavier than EOS 30D

The company showed its latest SanDisk Extreme, 4GB ($164.99) and 8GB ($314.99) Compact Flash cards with 45MBps read/write speeds. They're able to withstand extreme temperatures, from -13°F to 185°F, and the company also says they're more rugged with silicon sealed internals, and also come with a fancy-schmancy case.

SanDisk also showed its $129.99 SD Plus card (pictured above), with a USB plug inside so you won't need a reader. That drive is also capable of a speedy 20MB/sec. transfer rate. [Sandisk Ducati Edition USB Flash Drive]

We appreciate a design that not only unabashedly displays its wires, but one that is structured around the very idea. The Button Lights manage to both look fantastic and diverge from the ceramic goose styling I would generally anticipate from the name.

Just don't lose a button or you're f&#;!@ed. – Mark Wilson

NY Design Week 2007 [core77]

It also shows you a list of the actors in that program you like, and then you can "swivel" to other programs in which those actors appear, or actors similar to them. It can also give you suggestions based on other viewers' feedback, and also finds shows using tags added to programs.

This is a lot more powerful than TiVo's current keyword search, which requires you to tediously enter characters without a keyboard. It's a clever idea, taking advantage of the strengths of the TiVo interface. Available to broadband connected TiVo users, this new search feature lets you wander around programs that are broadcast, on cable, and even on the Web.

TiVo says it will begin rolling out this update today, and gives you the opportunity to sign up to receive it as soon as possible at this URL. – Charlie White

Universal Swivel Search Demo [TiVo]

This is their all-new, world-first A4 electronic paper, a 4,096-color flexible 14.1-inch page made using "metal foil and plastic substrates rather than glass." They only use power when the image changes and since they are reflective like real paper, they can be seen perfectly from any angle. Even under direct sunlight.

For even better viewing, figure 1 here shows that you have to hold it up on high like a Holy Hand Grenade and wear stripped gloves. Something that might prove somehow unpractical while reading your electronic New York Times in the loo. – Jesus Diaz

LG.Philips LCD claims first flexible color A4-size e-paper [Digitimes]

If you're inclined to take off the bottom of your Xbox 360 controller and solder these wires in place, your Xbox 360 might be able to do Nintendo Wii-like tricks. Too bad none of the Xbox 360 games were specifically written for motion sensing. Could be awkward, but we'll reserve judgment. – Charlie White

Product Page [Total Console]

So, this certainly adds value, though it doesn't make the costs go down: once you've spent the $799 on the Rock-N-Road, you'll want to pony up another $250 for the super-sweet license-plate-frame "collision avoidance" camera.

Then there's $50 for the special Rock-N-Road cradle that powers the unit, routes satellite radio and turn-by-turn directions through your car stereo, and tells the Rock-N-Road when you are in reverse, automatically activating your camera. The new cradle requires a professional install, unless you're handy with auto A/V and electrical.

Once you're set up, you have to buy the XM Mini Tuner ($30) and subscribe to XM Radio ($12.95 per month) and to NavTraffic as well (an extra $3.99 per month, or $9.99 monthly if you don't care about the radio).

You may be saying, "Why don't I just buy an aftermarket in-dash system instead?" The answer, to me, is that when you travel, you can pop out the Jensen and stick it in a rental car, using the original cradle that came with it. So the cost will add up to more than a Nuvi, in the end, but it's a cool platform. Hey, sometimes you gotta spend money to spend money. – Wilson Rothman

Rock-n-Road Portable Navigation System Features XM Satellite Radio and Real-Time Traffic Capability [Audiovox]

World's Biggest Vending Machine: An Entire Store [Gadget Lab]

Product Page
Hands On [Gizmodo]
Lab Rat Week 1 [Gizmodo]
Lab Rat Week 2 [Gizmodo]
Lab Rat Week 4 [Gizmodo]

We use the word cohesive lightly, since even after watching this we still don't know what the hell those crazy characters are up to. But it is worth a look if you're wondering what kind of designer European drugs the creators were on when shooting it. Oh, and it's NSFW. – Jason Chen

This is Living [NSFW]

More as we get the release, but this is pretty big news for fans. – Jason Chen

Utunbu [via Fabian Rodriguez via Boing Boing]

The Philips X200 Ultra Portable is shipping now to the U.K. for £850, or $1,700. No word on it hitting American shores, but we can hope. –Adam Frucci

Philips X200 Ultra portable: As Good As They Get [New Launches]

In other news, their updated development schedule has the plastic tooling done by July 10, OLED tooling done by July 16 (they have a new manufacturer), and a fully functional prototype done by early August. After all this is done, they have to go through the certification process by the FCC, but after that, you're free to plop down a grand and a half for this. Oh, and there's only going to be 200 units done by the end of November, another 200 by the end of December, and 400 by the end of January '08. Really crankin' them out, eh boys? – Jason Chen

Optimus Maximus Development Schedule [Optimus Bog]

PS. My PS3 is running at the moment as well. You know, curing Alzheimer's.

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