Browsing Posts published in April, 2008
Epic Games’ president, Mike Capps, reiterated what Epic has previously said in an interview with IGN, stating that Epic won’t ever be developing games for the Wii. It’s not about the success of the platform to him, but what can be done on it. When asked whether there would ever be a time when Epic would be forced to give in and create a game for the Wii, Capps said, “no, we go forward, not back. It makes more sense for us to invest in the next-generation tech.”
As for why he believes the Wii has become so popular, he says it’s like a virus that just keeps spreading:
It’s a virus where you buy it and you play it with your friends and they’re like, “Oh my God that’s so cool, I’m gonna go buy it.” So you stop playing it after two months, but they buy it and they stop playing it after two months but they’ve showed it to someone else who then go out and buy it and so on. Everyone I know bought one and nobody turns it on. Obviously there’s a class of people who really love it and enjoy it and are getting into the games but I’m still waiting for that one game that makes me play it.
Kendle comments: What a bunch of morons.
A German company has introduced a disposable DVD that can be viewed for 48 hours, then thrown away. The DVDs will sell for just €3.99 ($6.44 /£3.20).
So, it’s about the same price as a new video rental in Europe – and it used to be about the same price as in the US, before the Mighty Dollar shrank into the Pygmy Dollar. But there are no late fees and no need to pop the disk in the post or return to the store. This opens up DVD distribution possibilities for new premium-priced movie releases – in petrol stations, convenience stores, coffee shops and the like, as well as online retailers – as there is no longer the need to book the DVDs back in. That’s the idea. Will it work?
DVD-D Germany Ltd’s ‘Einmal’ (German for ‘once’) – discs incorporate a self-destruct chemical coating to render them unreadable after a pre-set time. The process begins as soon as the discs are removed from vacuum-sealed packaging. After 48 hours (or longer, depending on the price) the DVD gives a ‘No disc’ error when put into a DVD player or PC. There appears to be no DRM (digital rights management), so you could copy the disks, if you’re quick enough.
Self-destruct DVDs are not a new idea. In 2003 Flexplay, an Atlanta, Georgia technology company, introduced disposable DVDs using its own self-destruct technology, dubbed ED-D. This was met with fierce criticism from environmental groups, who slammed the notion of throwaway DVDs.
But Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Flexplay’s content partner at the time, had a recycling program in place when it launched the initial test. Polycarbonate, Flexplay argues, is a fully recyclable plastic and the proprietary chemical and technology used in the limited play DVD conforms to US Environmental Protection Agency standards.
Flexplay stills offers disposable DVDs in the US – new releases include Beowulf – but its products seem pretty low-profile. We could find no evidence of time-limited DVDs for sale today on Amazon.com, for example. Point us in the right direction, if you can see them.
DVD-D Germany Ltd has high hopes for its home country market. Disposable DVDs have already been successfully introduced in France, Italy and Scandinavia, it says. Others believe the concept is dead in the water, as on-demand online rentals will kill movie DVDs, of whatever hue, soon enough.
Source: www.theregister.co.uk
Here is Intel’s Moorestown PC motherboard which is possibly world’s smallest. Can you imagine the your cellphone running as an authentic PC? Well its only time until that comes true! I want XP running on my phone.
