Avatar 3D planned for November 2010 Blu-Ray launch

James Cameron has confirmed that his hugely profitable 3D flick Avatar will be coming to home cinema users with all three dimensions intact, but you will have to wait until November this year until it finally arrives.

Some had hoped that Avatar would be one of the first movies to arrive on Blu-Ray when the 3D revolution kicks off in the summer of this year, but the film’s landmark technical achievements will not be completely available to consumers until the winter.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mr Cameron said that standard definition DVD and high definition Blu-Ray versions of Avatar would be released in April for US customers. However, by the time the 3D version arrives later in 2010, titles such as Cloudy, With A Chance of Meatballs will already have made their debut in 3D.

Some observers have expressed their annoyance at the decision, as it means that many consumers will pick up Avatar in 2D when it first makes an appearance and will then have to buy it again a few months later when the 3D version is released. Creating special collectors’ editions of movies is not particularly unusual, especially since the dawn of the DVD and the arrival of multiple endings, special features and director’s cuts.

However, Avatar will still be one of the first 3D Blu-Ray releases. It should be able to really show off the capabilities of the technology and hopefully generate enough interest to finally give Blu-Ray its killer app.

Sausage used as capacitive touchscreen stylus for iPhone

A number of enterprising South Korean residents have started using meaty snacks to interface with their iPhones. The news comes after it was discovered that a certain brand of sausages, created by the CJ Corporation, possess the correct electrostatic charge to allow for the iPhone’s capacitive screen to register them.

It may seem a little odd to use a sausage as a prosthetic finger, but the main motivation behind the switch has been the cold weather, which leaves people wearing gloves unable to use the iPhone unless they first remove their unwieldy but warming hand-wear.

At the moment there is no real way in which to use the iPhone, or indeed any other mobile that has a capacitive touch screen interface, without getting your fingers out. However, both Apple and Taiwanese manufacturer HTC are in the process of patenting special styli that will allow for precision input on capacitive screens.

According to reports, the sale of the snack sausages in question has risen markedly since their iPhone compatibility was discovered, leading many western media outlets to label them as the ‘meat stylus’. It is certainly a low-fi way of getting around the iPhone’s capacitive interface.

Sadly the sausages are not sold over here in the UK and it looks as though you will have to wait for some brave souls to spend a few hours smearing their iPhone’s with local sausages to see if there is any brand available over here that can achieve the same results.

The hygiene factors at play here are, of course, another matter entirely!

High Definition Freeview Channels On The Way

Although Virgin Media and Sky customers have had access to pricey subscription freeview services for a while now and Freesat has brought a limited bunch of free to air HD channels to those willing to fix a dish to the side of their houses, most people have been stuck with standard definition broadcasts via Freeview.

However, this spring Freeview HD is launching in certain areas of the UK, coming with ITV HD and BBC HD to start with, but with plans to offer Channel 4 HD and potentially some HD channels from Channel 5 as and when they are made available.

It is worth checking out the official Freeview website if you want to see when your area will become Freeview HD enabled and as the switchover to digital proceeds over the coming years, more and more regions will get high definition content without the need for a subscription.

At the moment there is no officially sanctioned Freeview HD set top box on offer. However, manufacturer Humax is working on the first, which it has called the Fox-HD T2.

When Humax and other manufacturers come out with Freeview HD boxes, they will be required to include an Ethernet connection. This will allow for the box to take advantage of catch up TV services such as iPlayer and 4OD using your broadband connection, which will take Freeview HD in line with subscription services without the monthly costs.

Whilst HD broadcasting will be fairly limited at first, the 2010 World Cup will arrive in HD, as will the 2012 Olympic Games.

Gesture Cube to offer multi-touch social networking

The Gesture Cube, which is a clever gadget produced by a trio of tech companies, might look a little off the wall, but it boasts a host of clever features and touch sensitive tricks that really make use of your fingers to their full potential.

With downloadable applications, web access and social networking functionality, the Gesture Cube could well become the hub in your home, providing rapid access to your online life.

The device itself is just in development and the prototype is a black cube mounted on a raised stand, with five of its sides sporting fully multi-touch sensitive screens. There appears to be no physical buttons, so the whole interface is ready for wipes, swipes, taps and tracings with nothing but your fingertips.

Your hand does not even have to be on the surface to drive an interaction, as the Gesture Cube can detect it as it moves towards or away from the device, allowing for interaction in 3D space with onscreen content.

There is a snazzy video on YouTube showing a mock up of the Gesture Cube, running thorough how it could be used. The creators intend to include some kind of motion sensitive controls to allow the device to know when it is being picked up, automatically locking the touch sensitive interface during transit and making it fully portable.

Because the Gesture Cube is still in development there is still much about it that remains a mystery, but the companies backing it are confident that when it does come to market it will be a hit.

Underwater craft from Virgin revealed

 

 

 

 

 

 

Richard Branson’s firm may be looking to launch people into the stratosphere with Virgin Galactic, but this latest toy is a new way for the super-rich to get their kicks without having to leave Earth’s atmosphere.

The Necker Nymph is effectively an underwater plane, using wings to provide downward pressure that pulls it beneath the surf and then allows for a 2 hour journey around the aquatic realm in a way that few will have experienced before.

If you have £204,000 lying around then you can book a place on the Necker Nymph for yourself and a passenger, with a pilot being the only other person present in the three seater craft that is named after Mr Branson’s private residence in the British Virgin Islands.

The Necker Nymph will make its first commercial trip on the 20th of February and with panoramic, uninterrupted views its passengers are likely to have their minds blown ever so slightly.

The Nymph has been a project of Hawkes Ocean Design and a spokesperson for the firm said that the transition from aquaplaning along the surface of the ocean to underwater cruising was seamless and simple to control. He also said that any passengers would be required to have undergone SCUBA training.

Virgin has said that the Nymph will cause virtually no damage to the environment, with minimal emissions of light or sound to worry the life underwater and a clever system that, fortunately, allows it to avoid crashing into any reefs or the bed of the sea.

Historic 3D broadcast aired

Sky became the first provider to broadcast any live event using digital 3D techniques over the weekend, when Manchester United’s 3-1 victory over Arsenal went out over the airwaves.

The match was not made widely available in 3D, however, because consumers have not actually got their hands on the necessary television technology quite as yet. The audience consisted of journalists and fans who watched it cloistered in the bowels of the Emirates stadium, as well as a few lucky punters who happened to have their local pub converted into a 3D viewing den in secret.

Everyone else will have to wait until April this year when the full 3D service from Sky goes live, although at the moment it will come at no extra charge to current Sky+ HD customers. All you need now is an HDTV set that supports 3D broadcasts.

Obviously the success of 3D TV will rely not just upon the technology being widely available and at prices similar to those of current HDTV sets, but on the 3D content itself being suitably impressive. Without that initial wow factor for viewers, 3D could be dead in the water as a home viewing experience before it has even had a chance to gain traction.

Reactions to Sky’s landmark 3D broadcast have been mixed. Journalists said that whilst Sky had clearly worked hard on its graphics and the accompanying promotional trailers, the match as a whole looked a little underwhelming.

However, live sport is not going to be the only 3D offering and it is likely to be 3D movies that draw the larger crowds in the long run.

Samsung reigns supreme in tech market

The latest figures suggest that Samsung has become the largest technology conglomerate in the world, knocking former leader HP into second place.

The table is based upon sales figures and in 2009, Samsung was able to sell nearly £74 billion worth of gadgets and gizmos to consumers, whilst HP came a close second with just under £72 billion in sales.

Experts said that the main products that managed to push Samsung to the top of the charts were HDTVs, memory cards and digital cameras, which have continued to grow in popularity.

For Samsung the biggest blow, despite its excellent general performance, was its inability to capture a larger percentage of the mobile phone market in 2009. Although Samsung is selling lots of low-end mobiles, the smartphone market is still dominated by Apple and Nokia.

Many believe that Samsung will be looking to emulate Apple’s success and generate higher profits from its mobile phone division, although there is a long way to go. Samsung will be releasing many mobiles in 2010 and it really needs a hit smartphone to retain its relevancy.

With Samsung planning a range of LED HDTVs that can display the 3D content that is going to arrive on Sky at some point this year, it looks as if it will not be letting go of the top spot any time in the near future. At this very moment, millions of consumers are probably piling their pennies somewhere safe for that next big HDTV purchase.

Solar-powered iPhone and iPod rumoured

Apple could be in the process of developing the technology necessary to integrate solar panels into its portable electronic devices, leading some to claim that an eco-friendly iPhone is not too far away.

Apple has allegedly filed for patents which would cover solar technology being added to touch screen displays. This would allow the outer design of the iPhone to remain intact and unchanged by the new power source, but would boost its green credentials and keep it operational without the need for a recharge for much longer.

According to sources, Apple is looking into sandwiching a layer which would draw energy from sunlight in between the touch screen technology and the pixels of the display itself. This would make the solar panel completely invisible and would allow Apple to continue to create beautiful electronic devices without compromising their design.

Solar panel technology has been used to power electronic devices for years and other mobile phone manufacturers have already taken advantage of it as a secondary power source. The LG GD510 Pop, for example, was shown in all of its promotional material as coming with an interchangeable battery cover complete with a solar panel, although LG has since said that this accessory will not make it to market until later in the year.

Apple will be the first mobile manufacturer to attempt to disguise their solar panel, although some have predicted that it could compromise the responsiveness of the touch screen and others have said that the cost of the new technology could make it too expensive for general sale.

Motion-sensitive controller for PS3 imminent

Although speculation has been heating up for a while, it now appears that Sony is definitely gearing up for the launch of its first truly motion-sensitive controller for its PlayStation 3 console.

The first stirrings began back in August 2009 when Sony hinted that it was developing a control scheme that would rival the Wii’s remote and nunchuck setup. Since then Sony has been keeping quiet about the product, but a launch in the spring of 2010 has always been on the cards.

The latest development comes after Sony bought a domain name ‘playstationarc.com’, which has led many to claim that the motion controller will be named the ‘Arc’ when it finally arrives. Various code names have been attached to the project since its inception, with an EA exec accidentally revealing that he had heard it would be called the ‘Gem’.

Most industry observers expect that Sony will give the Arc, or whatever the name ultimately chosen may be, a full unveiling at the E3 gaming convention in June this year. As with the Wii Remote, it is likely to require a sensor that sits atop your television to detect motion, as well as using onboard accelerometers, which means that those who own both a Wii and a PS3 will be stacking up their sensor bars on top of the TV later in the year.

The PS3 motion controller is likely to be a direct rival to Microsoft’s Project Natal on the Xbox 360, which should also be arriving in the second half of 2010.

Fashion phone market joined by Versace

Although Prada has joined forces with LG in the past and Giorgio Armani has had its own stab at creating a mobile, Versace is one of the few international fashion houses that has not applied its aesthetic sensibilities to a phone. That is until now.

Versace has announced that it will soon be selling its own branded fashion phones after it committed to a global distribution and manufacturing deal with the ModeLabs Group.

You may not have heard of ModeLabs Group directly, but this is because it spends its time behind the scenes creating stylish handsets for the likes of Christian Dior and Tag Heuer. With several satisfied fashion clients on its books, it is no surprise that Versace has picked ModeLabs Group for what is apparently going to be a whole range of flawless looking mobile phones.

Versace has done nothing more than announce that it will be creating a line of fashion phones and technical specifications have yet to emerge. However, there is no doubt that the cost of the phones will be in line with the opulent heritage of the fashion brand.

Versace has said that it will begin selling the phones through its own shops as well as via select third party retailers from some time in the spring of this year. All this talk of fashion phones could make you wonder whether anything as banal as design is important in the software-driven smartphone market of today.

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