20th February 2006 Archive

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Sony admits PS3 could be delayed

Blu-ray copy protection system set-backs the cause?

Sony said today it is still aiming to ship PlayStation 3 this Spring, but it warned the next-generation console's release could slip if unnamed industry-set specifications - possibly a reference to the Advanced Access Content System (AACS) copy-protection technology adopted by Blu-ray Disc - are not completed in time. Today's …

Consoles 20 Feb 2006, 10:23
Apple 17in MacBook Pro 'to debut in June'

Waiting on the right optical drive?

Apple will launch a 2.16GHz 17in MacBook Pro in June - exactly one year after it formally announced the move to Intel processors. However, there's still no sign that the company will similarly create a MacBook Pro version of its 12in PowerBook G4. So claim "reliable" sources cited by AppleInsider. According to the website, …

Mac 20 Feb 2006, 11:22
iPod Shuffle becomes t-shirt icon

Too tempting for tea leaves?

Can you take the act of demonstrating your support for Apple's diminutive iPod Shuffle too far? The latest in iPod-oriented apparel, the PodShirt, might well prove that you can. PodShirt's new t-shirt incorporates a magnetic clasp on the right breast to hold your Shuffle exactly where the 'i' in the screen-printed iShirt caption …

Gadgets and Gizmos 20 Feb 2006, 11:41
Nintendo to drop DS for DS Lite

Summer switch-over, says Nintendo US exec

Nintendo will nix its current DS handheld console this summer, replacing it with the recently announced DS Lite. The video game pioneer will also formally announce the launch date of its Revolution console on May 9, Nintendo US marketing chief Reggie Fils-Aime said last week. Fils-Aime spilled the beans on US TV video game …

Consoles 20 Feb 2006, 12:00
Lite-On EZ-DUB DVD writer

An easy way to copy...er... dub

DVD writers have become something of a commodity item these days and you can pick up a top-of-the-range internal model for not much more than £30. However, bundled software packages can also be confusing for someone unfamiliar with how they work, and has most likely put off a fair few potential buyers. Lite-On thinks it has …

Storage 20 Feb 2006, 12:48
RIM open to 'reasonable' settlement offer from NTP

Blackberry ban hearing draws nigh

As Research in Motion (RIM) prepares itself for this Friday's US District Court hearing into NTP's request that its Blackberry service be shut down in the US, it has once again said it is open to a "reasonable" settlement offers. Speaking at CIBC World Markets conference last Friday, RIM CFO Dennis Kavelman said: "You know if …

Phones 20 Feb 2006, 13:08
Dell seeks damages from man called Dell

Butterfly and wheel...

Web designer Paul Dell is asking for donations to help him defend himself against legal action and a claim for damages from computer maker Dell, Inc. Paul Dell has been summoned to appear before the Tribunal de Grande Instance Paris because he owns dellwebsites.com. Paul uses the web address to publicise his web design …

The Register 20 Feb 2006, 14:35
Mio eyes CeBIT for mass GPS device roll-out

Six models lined up for launch, apparently

Mio is preparing to announce six Windows Mobile-based navigation devices with integrated GPS receivers, it has emerged. The line-up includes a pair of GPS-enabled PDAs, and four dedicated navigations systems in a variety of form factors. The machines' debut is reportedly set for next month's CeBIT show in Hannover, Germany. …

Gadgets and Gizmos 20 Feb 2006, 15:26
Sony preps Vaio VoIP mouse

Squeakerphone™ March debut

Sony UK has introduced an optical mouse that doubles up as a VoIP handset. The VN-CX1 is kitted out in Vaio styling and colours - black, blue and silver - though its angular edges suggest it's not the most comfortable controller around. There's an LED on top, next to the scrollwheel, that flashes when someone's trying to get in …

Gadgets and Gizmos 20 Feb 2006, 16:02
iPod Nano add-on adds old iPod add-ons

Re-use your old accessories

US manufacturer Battery Technology has come up with a rather neat accessory for iPod owners who've downsized to a Nano from an older third or fourth generation player, or from an iPod Mini. It's a connector that allows you to plug almost all of your old headphone accessories into your new player. The u-Link clips onto the …

Media players 20 Feb 2006, 16:15
OSx86 Project forum reopens after DMCA black-out

Links to OS X patch download to blame

The OSx86 Project has re-activated its forum after the virtual bulletin board's Apple-induced absence made headlines last week. The project's leaders confirmed that it was indeed the Mac maker's lawyers who'd asked them to remove content that allegedly infringed the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). What content? …

Mac 20 Feb 2006, 16:28
Intel next-gen South Bridge to kill parallel ATA

ICH8 has Serial ATA only, apparently

Intel's upcoming ICH8 South Bridge chip, a key component of its 'Broadwater' family of chipsets, will wave farewell to the Parallel ATA bus, if a presentation slide said to have come from the company and posted online is to believed. Also for the chop is the AC'97 sound system. According to the slide, posted on Chinese- …

Channel Register 20 Feb 2006, 16:51