The one thing you can guarantee about a war between two technologies is that somewhere along the line, some enterprising companies will come up with a solution that straddles both.
LG has launched a hugely expensive dual HD DVD/Blu-ray machine, Samsung has promised one and Warner announced something called Total HD. Total HD (THD) would be a disc with a HD DVD version of the movie on one side and the Blu-ray version on the other. So far, so odd. For some, it’s the ultimate in price gouging and for others it seems like an vaguely interesting solution that would placate a few early adopters, and then disappear without a trace.
It was due out around now but Warner has pulled the plug, claiming Total HD discs will not arrive [if ever] until sometime in 2008. Apparently, it’s gauging the market because it seems some studios can make cash from selling both Blu-ray and HD DVD versions of the same movie.
Although Total HD might arrive in Q1/Q2 next year, I don’t really see a market for it. Better a dual-format player than a dual-format disc.-Martin Lynch
Here it is, folks: BotCon 2007. I laughed, I cried. I sang "The Touch" with Stan Bush. And I almost got kicked out. But the fulcrum of my joy was derived not from the colossal Optimus Prime statue or the latest transforming Nerf weapons. It was derived from the fans I encountered. Some of what you're about to see might scare you. Just remember that it's much, much more than meets the eye. – Jack Ventura
What do you do when profits plummet from traditional music sales? Just ask HMV.
The High St. music giant recently suffered a massive pre-tax profits plunge of 73%, thanks largely crappy CD sales and more people turning to downloads. Therefore, from September, HMV will start flogging DRM-free music. HMV will offer EMI’s DRM-free catalogue – just like Apple and 7Digital.
The good news is that the tracks will be available at the higher 328Kbps bit-rate – higher than Apple’s 256kbps DRM-free downloads – and prices will be cheaper too, starting at 79p per track versus 99p at iTunes.
Everything will be dragged under the hmv.co.uk Web site, to make it easier for consumers to find what they need. HMV already does music downloads – the copyrighted ones – with partner MusicNet. The company is aiming [hoping, praying] for 20% of its sales to come from online operations by 2010.-Martin Lynch
German lighting wunderwizard Frank Buchwald has a series of lighting fixtures that will look as good in your desk as in Captain Nemo's quarters or some Area 51's specimen gallery. As illustrated by the Series 9 model here, they go beyond steampunk and get straight into alien life-form territory. I wish they could also walk. Another pic after the jump.
iDay has passed and with a weekend of frantic iPhone selling under the belt, has the iPhone managed to live up to the hype?
Whatever about the user experience, AT&T's network overload problems and generally decent reviews – with reservations – the sales figure predictions for Apple’s glossy combo are positive. According to analyst, Blackfriars, which has been monitoring stores, claimed that sales should top 500,000 for the first weekend. In it’s daily blog, it said:
“The bottom line: some analysts claimed that the iPhone launch would be a failure if Apple failed to sell 100,000 iPhones during the first weekend. Based upon the limited data we have, we believe that number was exceeded in just the first two to three hours. Blackfriars' prediction is that Apple will sell 500,000 iPhones this weekend, and based upon limited sales rates reported, that number now looks quite achievable. The only question is whether the demand and iPhone supply is great enough that they might push past the million unit mark this weekend.”
Things are really only going to get interesting though if sales remain strong for the rest of this year and into 2008.-Martin Lynch
What do you do when profits plummet from traditional music sales? Just ask HMV. 
Editor and Contributor | Martin Lynch
Contributor | Tamlin Magee
