Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

drag2share: Netflix: Warner Bros. movies now available after 56 day delay

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/warner-bros-doubles-netflix-delay/

Warner Bros. must have thought that CES was a good week to bury bad news, but unfortunately most people pay attention when you pull a move like this. Netflix has confirmed the rumor that if you wanna rent movies from the aforementioned studio, you'll have to wait 56 days, twice as long as the previous window. In the press-release (available after the break), the studio states it's doubling the window to maximize potential of its new releases. It also heavily implies that the studio was threatening to withdraw access to its library unless the rental service complied. We're keeping our ear to the ground to hear if similar announcements are forthcoming from Redbox and Blockbuster. Nothing like a little heavy-handed action to convince you that ownership truly is better than renting when it comes to DVD blockbusters, eh?

Update: Redbox got back to us with an official statement:

The current agreement Coinstar has with Warner Bros. is to receive movie titles 28-days after their release. No revised agreements are in place.

Continue reading Netflix: Warner Bros. movies now available after 56 day delay

Netflix: Warner Bros. movies now available after 56 day delay originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Dell's XPS 13 Ultrabook: IT-friendly, 128GB SSD and backlit keyboard standard, arrives in February for $999

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/dells-xps-13-ultrabook-announced/

You didn't think Dell was going to sit out the Ultrabook fad, did you? We'll never know exactly what the hold-up was, but whatever the company's excuse it finally has something to compete with the likes of the MacBook Air and ASUS Zenbook UX31. The company just announced the XPS 13, which weighs in at a shade less than three pounds (2.99, to be exact) and has a wedge profile that tapers from .71 inches to .24 (18 to 6mm). With a starting price of $1,000, it sports an aluminum lid and carbon fiber chassis -- a material we wish more Ultrabook makers would incorporate. Though it has a 13-inch screen, it's the kind of panel with bezels so narrow that Dell was able to build a chassis small enough for a 12-inch system. Put bluntly, expect this to be one of the most compact Ultrabooks around (though not the lightest).

What's that? You want technical details too? At the entry level, it'll come with a Core i3 i5 processor, 128GB SSD, 4GB of RAM and backlit keyboard, though you'll also be able to upgrade to a 256SSD and either a Core i5 or i7 CPU (Sandy Bridge at launch, with Ivy Bridge to follow in a refresh later this year). Other specs include a 300-nit, 1366 x 768, Gorilla Glass display; Intel HD 3000 graphics; a 47Wh battery rated for up to eight hours; Bluetooth 3.0; and Intel's Smart Connect and Rapid Start technologies. As HP is doing with the Folio 13, Dell plans to sell this in both its consumer and business channels; accordingly, the machine will be offered with TPM, asset tagging, corporate images and custom BIOS to keep the IT guys happy. It'll be available at the end of February, but if you need to know as much as you can now, we've got hands-on photos below, along with impressions after the break.

Gallery: Dell XPS 13 hands-on

Continue reading Dell's XPS 13 Ultrabook: IT-friendly, 128GB SSD and backlit keyboard standard, arrives in February for $999

Dell's XPS 13 Ultrabook: IT-friendly, 128GB SSD and backlit keyboard standard, arrives in February for $999 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: PayWizard offers more ways to pay for content on Samsung smart TVs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/paywizard-offers-more-ways-to-pay-for-content-on-samsung-smart-t/

PayWizard's "multi-screen" TV payment platform has been available for some time in the UK, but the company's now taking advantage of CES to attempt a big push into the US market. That multi-screen bit comes from the ability to manage your account and purchase content on multiple devices (including smartphones and PCs, in addition to smart TVs), and the company is also touting a new voucher system that can be used for gifting and promotions from content providers. While it remains to be seen how widely it will be used, the company has already gotten off to a decent start by announcing an application for Samsung's smart TVs, which will let folks refill their balance and manage their accounts. Additional details can be found at the source link below and in the press release after the break.

Continue reading PayWizard offers more ways to pay for content on Samsung smart TVs

PayWizard offers more ways to pay for content on Samsung smart TVs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Spotted: the elusive 15-inch Samsung Series 9

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/spotted-the-elusive-15-inch-samsung-series-9/

Though we got to spend several weeks poking around the redesigned, 13-inch Series 9 laptop, we never did get to handle the new 15-inch version. It's a matter of particular curiosity for us, not just because yours truly has a minor laptop obsession, but because we've never seen anything quite this thin with quite this expansive a display. So, we couldn't resist a little playtime when we stumbled upon it at Samsung's CES booth. Aside, from the industrial design, which you can learn about in detail here, we were impressed by how it almost manages to match the 13-inch version in thinness: 0.58 inches thick versus half an inch for its little brother. And because Sammy crammed a 15-inch display into a 14-inch chassis, it doesn't particularly look like a 15-inch laptop. What's more, at 3.3 pounds, it weighs as much as the HP Folio, an Ultrabook with a 13-inch display. Impressive, yes, but given that $1,500 price, it won't be an option for everyone, which is why it's especially paramount that that onslaught of 14- and 15-inch Ultrabooks doesn't include too many clunkers.

Gallery: Samsung Series 9 hands-on (1! 5-inch, 2012 version)

Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.

Spotted: the elusive 15-inch Samsung Series 9 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Gaikai partners with LG to power Smart TV gaming service

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/gaikai-partners-with-lg-to-power-smart-tv-gaming-service/

Sure, OnLive's got some mean video game (and desktop) streaming chops, but to use it you'll need a computer, MicroConsole or at the very least, a tablet. Need something simpler? An LG Smart TV might do the trick -- Gaikai, a rival streaming outlet (with a fairly different business model), has announced a partnership with electronics giant that will bring its cloud platform to your home theatre. Gaikai's servers will be backing in the new Smart TV cloud gaming service, which will permeate LG Cinema 3D TVs launched in 2012. Hopefully, LG's take on the service will offer more than just game demos. Read on for the official PR.

Continue reading Gaikai partners with LG to power Smart TV gaming service

Gaikai partners with LG to power Smart TV gaming service originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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