I was at the Target this weekend shopping the aisles when I couldn't help but notice the prices of the Blu-ray discs for the Planet Earth volumes. In comparison to every other DVD on the shelf, the prices were extremely high.
In response to the Blu-ray New York Times story, I would like to bring attention to the prices of this form of media. Movies haven't always been so cheap according to my pocketbook, but my curiousity lies in whether these prices will drop or not. I think so. Just like anything else, but how do we know for sure? I am certainly not here to doubt digital media (haha) and its failures. However, I would like to recognize that there is always something new, and with something new, I mean that something better than Blu-ray will potentially be here before we wake tomorrow.
In comparison to the I-Phone, there was so much controversy when it first came out about the costs. A few months down the road, and the prices came down. At the same time, I'm just intrigued as to what will be next. I'm not sure if consumers want to or are comfortable with paying these prices.
How much will prices drop for blu-ray discs? will they?
This is more of an open comment. Thx
p.s. VHS rules!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
BLU RAY, BLU RAY
Hot on the heels of last week’s report from ABI Research noting that many consumers may not see the picture quality difference between Blu-ray and standard DVDs comes the latest Blu-ray sales figures from NPD Group. And they’re not pretty.
According to NPD, sales of Blu-ray standalone players plummeted 40 percent from January to February, then rose a scant 2 percent from February to March. The general consensus was that once Toshiba dropped its support for the HD DVD format early this year, sales would increase.
In fact, sales of Blu-ray standalone players remain so low that NPD has not yet released actual numbers, for fear that it would be easy to identify individual retailers. The research group will start to give actual figures later this year, said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis at NPD.
The end of the format wars clearly did little to boost Blu-ray’s prospects. Like others, Mr. Rubin said the much cheaper upconverting standard DVD players are winning consumers’ hearts and wallets.
The price of upconverting players is hovering around $70. And this week, Amazon is giving them away for free when consumers purchase certain Samsung TVs. The result: a 5 percent uptick in upconverting DVD player sales in the first quarter of 2008, compared to same quarter a year ago, and a 39 percent decline in players that don’t have that feature.
With Blu-ray players still costing more than $300 — and a number of players on the market still lacking some Blu-ray features like Internect connectivity — NPD now figures that Blu-ray’s future won’t be clear until this Christmas, when prices should drop to the $200 range.
ABI Research is even less optimistic. In a report released yesterday, the research firm figures it could take until October 2009 until Blu-ray gains a foothold in the market.
According to NPD, sales of Blu-ray standalone players plummeted 40 percent from January to February, then rose a scant 2 percent from February to March. The general consensus was that once Toshiba dropped its support for the HD DVD format early this year, sales would increase.
In fact, sales of Blu-ray standalone players remain so low that NPD has not yet released actual numbers, for fear that it would be easy to identify individual retailers. The research group will start to give actual figures later this year, said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis at NPD.
The end of the format wars clearly did little to boost Blu-ray’s prospects. Like others, Mr. Rubin said the much cheaper upconverting standard DVD players are winning consumers’ hearts and wallets.
The price of upconverting players is hovering around $70. And this week, Amazon is giving them away for free when consumers purchase certain Samsung TVs. The result: a 5 percent uptick in upconverting DVD player sales in the first quarter of 2008, compared to same quarter a year ago, and a 39 percent decline in players that don’t have that feature.
With Blu-ray players still costing more than $300 — and a number of players on the market still lacking some Blu-ray features like Internect connectivity — NPD now figures that Blu-ray’s future won’t be clear until this Christmas, when prices should drop to the $200 range.
ABI Research is even less optimistic. In a report released yesterday, the research firm figures it could take until October 2009 until Blu-ray gains a foothold in the market.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
American student twittered to get out of jail
James Karl Buck helped free himself from an Egyptian jail with a one-word blog post from his cell phone.
James Karl Buck sent a message using Twitter which helped get him out of an Egyptian jail.
Buck, a graduate student from the University of California-Berkeley, was in Mahalla, Egypt, covering an anti-government protest when he and his translator, Mohammed Maree, were arrested April 10.
On his way to the police station, Buck took out his cell phone and sent a message to his friends and contacts using the micro-blogging site Twitter.
The message only had one word. "Arrested."
Within seconds, colleagues in the United States and his blogger-friends in Egypt -- the same ones who had taught him the tool only a week earlier -- were alerted that he was being held.
Twitter is a social-networking blog site that allows users to send status updates, or "tweets," from cell phones, instant messaging services and Facebook in less than 140 characters.
Hossam el-Hamalawy, a Cairo-based blogger at UC-Berkeley, was one of the people who got word of Buck's arrest.
"At first I was worried about his safety," el-Hamalawy said.
Then, el-Hamalawy took to the Web and wrote regular updates in his own blog to spread the information Buck was sending by Twitter. Nobody was sure how long Buck would be able to communicate.
But Buck was able to send updates every couple of hours saying he was still detained, he had spoken to the prosecutor, he still had not been charged, and he was worried about Maree.
"Usually the first thing the police go for is the detainees' cameras and cellular phones," el-Hamalawy said. "I'm surprised they left James with his phone."
Twitter is normally used to keep groups of people connected in less urgent situations.
But Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter, said he and others knew that the service could have wide-reaching effects early on, when the San-Francisco, California-based company used it to communicate during earthquakes.
Stone said that as the service got more popular, they began to hear stories of people using
Twitter during natural disasters with a focus on activism and journalism.
Buck's urgent message is proof of the value of Twitter, Stone said. Buck's entry set off a chain of events that led to his college hiring a lawyer on his behalf.
"James' case is particularly compelling to us because of the simplicity of his message -- one word, 'arrested' -- and the speed with which the whole scene played out," Stone said. "It highlights the simplicity and value of a real-time communication network that follows you wherever you go."
Initially, the Twitter message was a precaution -- something people could trace in case anything went wrong, Buck said.
"The most important thing on my mind was to let someone know where we were so that there would be some record of it ... so we couldn't [disappear]," Buck said. "As long as someone knew where we were, I felt like they couldn't do their worst [to us] because someone, at some point, would be checking in on them."
Buck began using Twitter as a way to keep up in touch with the bloggers at the heart of his project and the events going on in Egypt that he intended to cover. Buck was working on a multimedia project on Egypt's "new leftists and the blogosphere" as part of his master's degree thesis.
Buck found out from a Twitter message that a planned protest against rising food prices and decreasing wages in Mahalla had been shut down by Egyptian authorities April 6.
The next day, tensions rose as family and friends of protesters who had been detained took to the streets, eventually throwing Molotov cocktails and setting tires on fire, he said.
On April 10, Buck returned to Mahalla, where protests continued.
"I was worried about getting arrested, so I made sure to stay at a distance from the protest so there was no way I could be accused of being part of it," Buck said. "Mohammed and I had a bad sense; it was really tense."
When the men tried to escape, they were detained. That's when Buck thought of Twitter and sent out his message.
Buck and Maree were interrogated, released and then detained again by the same police officers.
"We are really worried that we are off the radar now," Buck said.
Eventually Buck was released, but Maree was transferred to another police station.
As he left the station, Buck reached into his pocket, as he did less than 24 hours earlier.
Another one-word blog entry said it all: "Free."
As happy as he was to be free, Buck said, his biggest frustration was leaving behind the translator who helped protect him during the riots.
Although the Twitter message helped him find contacts to get out of prison, he says it was more the power of the network he had as an American that enabled him to be released so quickly.
"Mohammed was sitting next to me," he said. "But he didn't have the network to call. I tried to use my network to shield him until they tore us apart."
Twitter may not have been able to secure Maree's release, but Buck hopes his initial reason for using Twitter will help find his missing friend.
"It was my big hope that people would get [the message] right away and at least put a thumbtack on the map as far as our location," Buck said.
There has been no official confirmation regarding Maree's whereabouts.
Attiya Shakran, press counsel for the Egyptian Consulate in San Francisco, said Maree was released April 13.
Maree's brother Ahmed Maree said that he had not heard from his brother and that he believes he is still in jail.
Government officials in Egypt could neither confirm nor deny Maree's release, despite repeated requests for comment.
Buck is now using his story and Twitter page as a way to rally people looking for answers about Maree's status. He's gone as far as publishing the phone number of the press counsel of the Egyptian Consulate in San Francisco and posting a petition for Maree's release.
For Buck, the main story is no longer about his quest for freedom from jail; it's a quest to find answers and, eventually, find his friend.
James Karl Buck sent a message using Twitter which helped get him out of an Egyptian jail.
Buck, a graduate student from the University of California-Berkeley, was in Mahalla, Egypt, covering an anti-government protest when he and his translator, Mohammed Maree, were arrested April 10.
On his way to the police station, Buck took out his cell phone and sent a message to his friends and contacts using the micro-blogging site Twitter.
The message only had one word. "Arrested."
Within seconds, colleagues in the United States and his blogger-friends in Egypt -- the same ones who had taught him the tool only a week earlier -- were alerted that he was being held.
Twitter is a social-networking blog site that allows users to send status updates, or "tweets," from cell phones, instant messaging services and Facebook in less than 140 characters.
Hossam el-Hamalawy, a Cairo-based blogger at UC-Berkeley, was one of the people who got word of Buck's arrest.
"At first I was worried about his safety," el-Hamalawy said.
Then, el-Hamalawy took to the Web and wrote regular updates in his own blog to spread the information Buck was sending by Twitter. Nobody was sure how long Buck would be able to communicate.
But Buck was able to send updates every couple of hours saying he was still detained, he had spoken to the prosecutor, he still had not been charged, and he was worried about Maree.
"Usually the first thing the police go for is the detainees' cameras and cellular phones," el-Hamalawy said. "I'm surprised they left James with his phone."
Twitter is normally used to keep groups of people connected in less urgent situations.
But Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter, said he and others knew that the service could have wide-reaching effects early on, when the San-Francisco, California-based company used it to communicate during earthquakes.
Stone said that as the service got more popular, they began to hear stories of people using
Twitter during natural disasters with a focus on activism and journalism.
Buck's urgent message is proof of the value of Twitter, Stone said. Buck's entry set off a chain of events that led to his college hiring a lawyer on his behalf.
"James' case is particularly compelling to us because of the simplicity of his message -- one word, 'arrested' -- and the speed with which the whole scene played out," Stone said. "It highlights the simplicity and value of a real-time communication network that follows you wherever you go."
Initially, the Twitter message was a precaution -- something people could trace in case anything went wrong, Buck said.
"The most important thing on my mind was to let someone know where we were so that there would be some record of it ... so we couldn't [disappear]," Buck said. "As long as someone knew where we were, I felt like they couldn't do their worst [to us] because someone, at some point, would be checking in on them."
Buck began using Twitter as a way to keep up in touch with the bloggers at the heart of his project and the events going on in Egypt that he intended to cover. Buck was working on a multimedia project on Egypt's "new leftists and the blogosphere" as part of his master's degree thesis.
Buck found out from a Twitter message that a planned protest against rising food prices and decreasing wages in Mahalla had been shut down by Egyptian authorities April 6.
The next day, tensions rose as family and friends of protesters who had been detained took to the streets, eventually throwing Molotov cocktails and setting tires on fire, he said.
On April 10, Buck returned to Mahalla, where protests continued.
"I was worried about getting arrested, so I made sure to stay at a distance from the protest so there was no way I could be accused of being part of it," Buck said. "Mohammed and I had a bad sense; it was really tense."
When the men tried to escape, they were detained. That's when Buck thought of Twitter and sent out his message.
Buck and Maree were interrogated, released and then detained again by the same police officers.
"We are really worried that we are off the radar now," Buck said.
Eventually Buck was released, but Maree was transferred to another police station.
As he left the station, Buck reached into his pocket, as he did less than 24 hours earlier.
Another one-word blog entry said it all: "Free."
As happy as he was to be free, Buck said, his biggest frustration was leaving behind the translator who helped protect him during the riots.
Although the Twitter message helped him find contacts to get out of prison, he says it was more the power of the network he had as an American that enabled him to be released so quickly.
"Mohammed was sitting next to me," he said. "But he didn't have the network to call. I tried to use my network to shield him until they tore us apart."
Twitter may not have been able to secure Maree's release, but Buck hopes his initial reason for using Twitter will help find his missing friend.
"It was my big hope that people would get [the message] right away and at least put a thumbtack on the map as far as our location," Buck said.
There has been no official confirmation regarding Maree's whereabouts.
Attiya Shakran, press counsel for the Egyptian Consulate in San Francisco, said Maree was released April 13.
Maree's brother Ahmed Maree said that he had not heard from his brother and that he believes he is still in jail.
Government officials in Egypt could neither confirm nor deny Maree's release, despite repeated requests for comment.
Buck is now using his story and Twitter page as a way to rally people looking for answers about Maree's status. He's gone as far as publishing the phone number of the press counsel of the Egyptian Consulate in San Francisco and posting a petition for Maree's release.
For Buck, the main story is no longer about his quest for freedom from jail; it's a quest to find answers and, eventually, find his friend.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
BTW, teen writing may cause teachers to :(
Question: could internet lingo be changing the standards in academic writing?
Read on plz :)
So, the article states that academic writing seems to be threatened by internet lingo. And teachers are worried folks. No way.
Amongst all the concern, this can be rather enlightening. Now there is no argument here. I'm sure that teens who use the Internet more frequently are certainly more inclined to use emoticons, "LOL", etc. in their academic papers. But I don't see anything wrong with it.
The Internet is a tool that has given freedom to lots of peoples lives, whether this be in meeting people, learning new things, or just writing. For me, writing online has set some kind of freedom. The nice thing about it is that there are not set rules, hence why people enjoy the Internet so much. So, i say the heck with it. Let's make sure our kids know proper English, but not slaughter them for having a little 'free' fun! LOL!!!!!
Read on plz :)
So, the article states that academic writing seems to be threatened by internet lingo. And teachers are worried folks. No way.
Amongst all the concern, this can be rather enlightening. Now there is no argument here. I'm sure that teens who use the Internet more frequently are certainly more inclined to use emoticons, "LOL", etc. in their academic papers. But I don't see anything wrong with it.
The Internet is a tool that has given freedom to lots of peoples lives, whether this be in meeting people, learning new things, or just writing. For me, writing online has set some kind of freedom. The nice thing about it is that there are not set rules, hence why people enjoy the Internet so much. So, i say the heck with it. Let's make sure our kids know proper English, but not slaughter them for having a little 'free' fun! LOL!!!!!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
I wonder if Facebook will follow in similar footsteps OR not let corporate media (Rupert Murdoch) get the best of 'em
MySpace launches Korean-language site
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/04/15/south.korea.myspace.ap/index.html
I came accross this article and it sparked some interest. I see the overwhelming interest in these social networking sites now, and quite frankly Zuckerburg had a grand idea. However, I also find it interesting, after discussing in class today that MySpace (Spacebook :D) is losing users. I would like to say a few things about this.
First, I can easily see why MySpace would be losing users in comparison to Facebook due to the creepy, stalkerish people who seem to gravitate more towards MySpace. But that doesn't seem to be educated reasoning. So, my digi promo attempt to this issue is by looking at the layout, ownership, bad media wrap, etc.. The layout is too busy, and I mean busy. The pages are entirely swamped by ads. It's very annoying to the users. MySpace also seems to have some approach to it that reminds me of the early days of the Internet for some reason, like tacky AOL homepages that can be created from home.
Second, I'm not sure if I speak only for myself when I say this, hence I am a journalism student. But when I heard that NewsCorp. bought MySpace I was very dissappointed. I thought that this was an open forum type of web-site where individuals could go to express their ideals freely. After the bad wrap NewsCorp. has gotten in the past about "free thoughts" I was immediately turned away. I didn't want my thoughts to be monitored, if you know what I mean.
Last of all, the scandals in the news recently about people logging on to spite one another is just sickening. I've just been turned off! So, I guess it's good their moving to Korea!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
FCC approves emergency alert text-messaging system
Cell phone users will get text message alerts of emergencies under a new nationwide alert system approved late Wednesday by the Federal Communications Commission, according to FCC spokesman Robert Kenny.
An emergency text message would be sent in the event of a widespread disaster, severe weather or child abduction.
Under the plan, the FCC will appoint a federal agency to create the messages and pass them on to cell phone companies that choose to participate, an FCC representative said earlier. Once that agency is named, the participating cell phone providers would have 10 months to comply with the new system's requirements.
"It is essential that we support and advance new ways to share critical, time-sensitive information with them in times of crisis," FCC chairman Kevin J. Martin said in a written statement.
Earlier, the FCC representative explained how the plan would work. Cell phone companies that voluntarily opt into the system would send text-based alert messages to subscribers in response to three types of events:
A disaster that could jeopardize the health and safety of Americans, such as a terrorist attack; these would trigger a national alert from the president of the United States
Imminent or ongoing threats such as hurricanes, tornadoes or earthquakes
Child abductions or Amber alerts. Watch how the cell phone alerts would work »
T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint Nextel and AT&T all stated that they would be likely to opt into the alert system if it is passed by the FCC.
"While we obviously need to review the details of the FCC's decision, we look forward to offering mobile emergency alerts to our customers," AT&T said in a written statement.
A Sprint representative said the company would participate if the FCC adopts the plan exactly as it was recommended by an advisory group.
A federal agency, yet to be appointed, would create the messages and information that would go to the participating cell phone companies, an FCC spokesman said. Once that agency is named, all carriers that opt into the system will have to meet the requirements of the system within 10 months.
Subscribers would be able to opt out of receiving the messages, according to the current plan, and carriers would be required to provide vibration or audio attention signals with a distinct sound for people with disabilities.
The alert system plan was generated from an act Congress passed in 2006 that looked at emergency communications. The act directed the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, the FCC and other agencies to work together to enhance and expand the capabilities of emergency communications in the United States.
An emergency text message would be sent in the event of a widespread disaster, severe weather or child abduction.
Under the plan, the FCC will appoint a federal agency to create the messages and pass them on to cell phone companies that choose to participate, an FCC representative said earlier. Once that agency is named, the participating cell phone providers would have 10 months to comply with the new system's requirements.
"It is essential that we support and advance new ways to share critical, time-sensitive information with them in times of crisis," FCC chairman Kevin J. Martin said in a written statement.
Earlier, the FCC representative explained how the plan would work. Cell phone companies that voluntarily opt into the system would send text-based alert messages to subscribers in response to three types of events:
A disaster that could jeopardize the health and safety of Americans, such as a terrorist attack; these would trigger a national alert from the president of the United States
Imminent or ongoing threats such as hurricanes, tornadoes or earthquakes
Child abductions or Amber alerts. Watch how the cell phone alerts would work »
T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint Nextel and AT&T all stated that they would be likely to opt into the alert system if it is passed by the FCC.
"While we obviously need to review the details of the FCC's decision, we look forward to offering mobile emergency alerts to our customers," AT&T said in a written statement.
A Sprint representative said the company would participate if the FCC adopts the plan exactly as it was recommended by an advisory group.
A federal agency, yet to be appointed, would create the messages and information that would go to the participating cell phone companies, an FCC spokesman said. Once that agency is named, all carriers that opt into the system will have to meet the requirements of the system within 10 months.
Subscribers would be able to opt out of receiving the messages, according to the current plan, and carriers would be required to provide vibration or audio attention signals with a distinct sound for people with disabilities.
The alert system plan was generated from an act Congress passed in 2006 that looked at emergency communications. The act directed the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, the FCC and other agencies to work together to enhance and expand the capabilities of emergency communications in the United States.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Facebook...topic of conversation?
I just wanted to comment on the post I made about the Facebook lawsuit. I think it is interesting that a social networking site like Facebook (a rather simple idea) holds so much value. This simple idea has gone a very long way, of course. Well it just seems as if someone is always after the $$$. Would these once upon a time ago students really be sueing Mark Zuckerberg if the site wasn't such a huge success? Probably not.
Anywho, for a site that only started a few years ago, there seems to be a whole stir up of conversation surrounding it. Another exciting mention about Facebook is the launch of its new IM tool and scrabble application! I've seriously been waiting for this to come out...so it was my idea folks. Thanks. But isn't that cool? In the age of digital promotion...that is going to attract so many people to their site. Watchout AOL.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/04/08/facebook.chat/
And for the record...look at me promoting facebook for free on my blog...:D
Anywho, for a site that only started a few years ago, there seems to be a whole stir up of conversation surrounding it. Another exciting mention about Facebook is the launch of its new IM tool and scrabble application! I've seriously been waiting for this to come out...so it was my idea folks. Thanks. But isn't that cool? In the age of digital promotion...that is going to attract so many people to their site. Watchout AOL.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/04/08/facebook.chat/
And for the record...look at me promoting facebook for free on my blog...:D
interesting...Facebook close to settling suit?
NRI expects big settlement from Facebook
9 Apr 2008, 0538 hrs IST,IANS
NEW YORK: Facebook , the popular social networking website, is close to settling the suit about its origins brought by three founders of ConnectU site, including Indian American hedge fund analyst Divya Narendra. The three were students at Harvard together with Mark Zuckerberg, who started Facebook.
The proposed terms of the settlement have not been divulged, said a newpaper on Tuesday. But it might turn out to be a huge sum, considering that Facebook , launched in 2004, has 69 million users and is valued by outside investors at $15 billion. ConnectU.com , an online community for students and alumni of colleges and universities, started by Narendra and twin brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, accused Zuckerberg of basing his site on their original project.
They also alleged in the 2004 suit that he had illegally used the source code intended for the website they asked him to build for them in 2003. After the earlier suit was dismissed last year, they filed again in a Boston court. Facebook filed a suit in Califronia, accusing ConnectU of unfair business practices. A federal judge in California ordered the parties into mediation last year. Motions to dismiss the case were expected "within weeks", the paper said.
9 Apr 2008, 0538 hrs IST,IANS
NEW YORK: Facebook , the popular social networking website, is close to settling the suit about its origins brought by three founders of ConnectU site, including Indian American hedge fund analyst Divya Narendra. The three were students at Harvard together with Mark Zuckerberg, who started Facebook.
The proposed terms of the settlement have not been divulged, said a newpaper on Tuesday. But it might turn out to be a huge sum, considering that Facebook , launched in 2004, has 69 million users and is valued by outside investors at $15 billion. ConnectU.com , an online community for students and alumni of colleges and universities, started by Narendra and twin brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, accused Zuckerberg of basing his site on their original project.
They also alleged in the 2004 suit that he had illegally used the source code intended for the website they asked him to build for them in 2003. After the earlier suit was dismissed last year, they filed again in a Boston court. Facebook filed a suit in Califronia, accusing ConnectU of unfair business practices. A federal judge in California ordered the parties into mediation last year. Motions to dismiss the case were expected "within weeks", the paper said.
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