Posted by Eugene Morton - Wednesday, January 10, 2007 5:33 PM
 The high definition video format war may not be over, but at least Warner is giving peace a chance.
The creator of the Total Hi Def disc, which can simultaneously hold dual layers of any Blu-ray and HD-DVD movie, has been holding a conference centering on the hybrid disc and the word coming out of the conference is positive.
Those who’ve already invested in a high definition player of any kind (Blu-ray, HD-DVD or a hybrid player) won’t have to worry, because the Total Hi Def disc will work on any type of player.
Also, studios and manufacturers catch a break, because the disc will not be "materially" more expensive than either format. Let’s just put our blu and red lasers down and sing Kum Ba Yah around a campfire or better yet, a plasma screen.
Engadget.com: Warner officially announces Total Hi Def hybrid disc
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Tags: Tech
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, January 10, 2007 3:47 PM
The phone was only announced yesterday, and already the lawsuits are starting to fly over the iPhone, Apple's entry into the mobile market.
Cisco has owned the trademark on the name "iPhone" since 2000, when it acquired InfoGear Technology Corp., which originally registered the name. So they aren't taking too kindly to Apple using the name on their new product.
"Cisco entered into negotiations with Apple in good faith after Apple repeatedly asked permission to use Cisco's iPhone name," said Mark Chandler, Cisco senior vice president and general counsel, in a statement. "There is no doubt that Apple's new phone is very exciting, but they should not be using our trademark without our permission."
Find all our iPhone storieshere.
BreitBart: Cisco Sues Apple Over Use of IPhone Name
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Tags: iPhone, Tech
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, January 10, 2007 3:20 PM
 Your loved ones don’t understand you. They don’t understand why you spend so much time playing video games. And they sure aren’t going to contribute to your habit by buying you the latest gaming systems and the hottest new games. The holidays came and went and all you got for the holidays were socks and underwear…again. Well, fear not gamer, our friends at Ziddio.com and Game Invasion are teaming up to come to your rescue and make your Holiday season just a little brighter!
The contest is called “Holiday Wish List.” You’re encouraged to submit a brief video telling us what you wanted and didn’t get for the holidays. Be creative, Be original, and Be downright desperate because now is your last chance to score “The Ultimate Gamer’s Prize Package” courtesy of GameInvasion.net and Nintendo. And here’s the best part, Morgan Webb is one of the judges. So even if you lose, Morgan Webb will actually pay attention to you. Well, to your video. Either way, she’ll know that you exist and that’s awesome. Click the cut for the list of prizes.
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Tags: Videogames, Wii
Posted by Eugene Morton - Wednesday, January 10, 2007 3:06 PM
 Videogames have been going mainstream since the original Nintendo debuted, but they’ve finally reach the pinnacle of mainstreaminess.
We’ve got jocks hooking up with nerds across Xbox Live to play Gears of War, grandmothers teaming up with grandsons for Wii Sports and now video game folk are getting Emmys! It’s kind of crazy, well deserved and over due, but crazy.
Last night the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences chose CES as the venue to honor some of the innovators in the gaming industry, granting the coveted statues to id Software for "the company's technological leadership in rendering breakthroughs with the Quake technology" and to id’s co-founder, John Carmack for "cutting-edge contributions to rendering technology as the lead programmer on Doom." The PlayStation 3's Dual Shock controller even won a Technology Emmy Award.
Leading to controversy when Sony announced that the Sixaxis won. It's all a mess. You can read about it here.
Bravo boys and accessories, bravo!
Gamespot.com: CES 07: Emmys doubly Doomed
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Tags: PlayStation 3, Videogames
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, January 10, 2007 2:39 PM
A recent quote from New Line president Robert Shaye highlights an interesting Hollywood battle over the rights to the Lords of the Rings sequel/prequel (The Hobbit.)
Shaye told Sci Fi Wire that as long as Peter Jackson is suing for more profits from The Rings Trilogy, New Line isn't working with the Rings director. Understandable, but it's all in the way he said it.
"I do not want to make a movie with somebody who is suing me," Shaye said in an interview on Jan. 5 while promoting The Last Mimzy. "It will never happen during my watch...He got a quarter of a billion dollars paid to him so far, justifiably, according to contract, completely right, and this guy, who already has received a quarter of a billion dollars, turns around without wanting to have a discussion with us and sues us and refuses to discuss it unless we just give in to his plan. I don't want to work with that guy anymore. Why would I? So the answer is he will never make any movie with New Line Cinema again while I'm still working for the company."
I'm going to translate this from Hollywood to English:
"As soon as we both find a way to make more money, we'll make the movie."
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Tags: Movies
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, January 10, 2007 1:45 PM
Zombie-murderizing videogame Dead Rising sold a million copies according to Capcom. No surprise-- that game rules--but here's the news: A sequel, probably several sequels, are coming.
Mark Beaumont, executive vice president and head of consumer software for Capcom, told GamesIndustry.biz: "When you're at the front-end of a hardware cycle, people are willing to take more of an experiment in what games they'll try...Bringing out Dead Rising has allowed us to establish a new franchise that we can use for years to come," he added.
I need to change my pants.
Gamesindustry.biz:
Capcom celebrates Dead Rising's 1m success
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Tags: Videogames
Posted by Frank Meyer - Wednesday, January 10, 2007 12:21 PM
One of the two dudes stopped for littering in Tempe, Arizona and asked by the cops to rap about the incident to get out of the ticket is suing the city for $500,000, claiming the segment has done irreparable harm to his reputation. You know…since it was broadcast on local television and everything…
I say, sue the pants off those dirty cops…and then sue them for not wearing any pants!
Allhiphop.com:
Man Asked To Rap To Avoid Fine Sues City Of Tempe For $500k
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Tags: Music
Posted by Eugene Morton - Wednesday, January 10, 2007 11:15 AM
 It’s been a decade since Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was released on the original Playstation, but a classic is a classic and Microsoft understands that. That’s why they’re making it their next big Xbox Live Arcade title.
The XBLA port of Symphony will feature the usual Live Arcade add-ons, like achievements and leaderboards, but more than that, it will have improved graphics and audio, as well as widescreen support.
Fret not nostalgiaholics. You can turn off the enhancements if you want and play it just the way you did ten years ago, but why would you want to play a Castlevania game without enhancements? There's really no reason to, unless that game is Super Castlevania IV for the SNES, which totally kicked vampire ass. Now, there’s a Castlevania title that needs portin'!
Gamespot.com: Symphony of the Night tunes up on 360
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Tags: Videogames, Xbox 360
Posted by Frank Meyer - Wednesday, January 10, 2007 11:15 AM
 Pompous rapper/producer Kanye West is developing an untitled reality series for HBO with Larry Charles, who served as the executive producer for movies like Borat and television shows like Seinfeld, Mad About You and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
The show will focus on his day-to-day life as a chart-topping producer/rapper.
Geez, that sounds fascinating. I hope we get to see him flash his money and wealth and tell us how much better he is than the rest of us.
West has also been tapped to perform during pre-game festivities during the NFL's Super Bowl XLI, which takes place Feb. 4.
Allhiphop.com:
Kanye West Developing Reality Series With HBO
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Tags: Music, TV
Posted by Frank Meyer - Wednesday, January 10, 2007 10:37 AM
 Fox News Channel host Bill O'Reilly will appear on The Colbert Report at 11:30 p.m. Thursday, January 18, as a guest on the show, while Colbert will return the favor by appearing on The O'Reilly Factor at 8 p.m. EST that same night.
"I'm really looking forward to speaking to a man who owes his entire career to me," O'Reilly said in a statement.
Wow!
Next can we get Bush and Osama to trade places and guest on each other’s wacky comedy news shows?
YahooNews.com:
O'Reilly, Colbert trade appearances
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Posted by Frank Meyer - Wednesday, January 10, 2007 10:32 AM
 Tyrese Gibson’s pregnant girlfriend has come forward to deny reports that he beat her last week.
"Reports Tyrese punched my client -- his girlfriend -- in the arm, thigh or anywhere else are false," says her attorney. "It is true, Mr. Gibson and his girlfriend had been arguing. She became very emotional and distressed during the argument and called 911 in an attempt to get a mediator. Mr. Gibson, frustrated, left the home."
"My client, Mr. Gibson's girlfriend, who is 11 weeks pregnant, then became more upset and began throwing up. When the paramedics arrived, concerned about the baby, they took her to the hospital. Fortunately, she was fine. Once at the hospital, she was asked by a nurse whether she had been assaulted. She said no. She was then asked what her pain level was on a scale of zero to ten. She said zero. She then discharged herself. Mr. Gibson and his girlfriend are very much still in love, together and excited about their expectant child.”
Okay….but then how did the cops get the impression that he beat her? Something does not make sense here (and it’s not the fact that Tyrese is being referred to an “actor”).
Allhiphop.com:
Girlfriend Of Tyrese Gibson Denies Assault, Attorney Explains Incident
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Tags: Movies, Music
Posted by Frank Meyer - Wednesday, January 10, 2007 10:09 AM
 A rapper named Max B of Cam'ron’s Dipset crew has been ordered held on $2 million bail on Tuesday after being charged with robbing and murdering a man in his hotel room in Fort Lee, New Jersey last September.
Oopps.
"Police say Charly "Max B" Wingate conspired to rob David Taylor and Allan "Jay" Plowden after his girlfriend, erotic dancer Gina Marie Conway, revealed that the men had flashed wads of cash and drove expensive cars. He allegedly called a dude named Kelvin Leerdam of New York to help rob the men, who were staying in separate hotel rooms at the Holiday Inn in Fort Lee."
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Tags: Music
Posted by Frank Meyer - Wednesday, January 10, 2007 10:00 AM
 According to People.com, Marilyn Manson is dating 19-year-old actress Evan Rachel Wood (Thirteen), which has a lot to do with why his wife is divorcing him.
As we reported earlier this week, Dita Von Teese has separated from the shock rocker and is filing for divorce.
Apparently, Manson first met Wood when he asked her to be in his upcoming horror film, Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll. Then she posed for a watercolor painting he made and attended the opening of his new Hollywood art gallery, the Celebritarian Corporation Gallery of Fine Art, last Halloween.
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Tags: Music
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, January 10, 2007 9:51 AM
Calculator and cheap synthesizer manufacturer Casio announced recently that is has sold one billion calculators since its first model was released in 1965.
In other calculator news, if you type "5318008" into your calculator and turn it upside down, it looks like it says "BOOBIES." This is a very naughty thing to do. It does not work on an abacus.
Engadget: Casio sells its one billionth calculator
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Tags: Tech
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, January 10, 2007 9:24 AM
Check out this eBay Auction. That's 90 old-school game systems in one huge lot for you to enjoy.
Everything from Nintendo's Virtual Boy to the Sega Nomad. Looks like European systems, so you might have some issues with your TV, but still... 90 systems.
Looking at all those old pictures made me want to take a time machine back to the late '70s/early '80s to ask some system designers: "Hey, fellas, what's up with the fake wood-grain? What makes you think gamers want a console made out of a tree?"
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