Topic: News

The UK's data protection authorities seem to be smiling on Google's plan to offer Web users a gigabyte of email storage in return for targeted adverts. Google's forthcoming email service probably won't run into legal issues in Britain, as long as the company doesn't deceive customers about how their personal information will be treated.

Eager to move its proprietary audio/video codec into Europe's steadily growing digital radio market, Microsoft has brokered a full membership in the global industry group now developing digital audio broadcasting (DAB) technology.

A removable hard disk drive system first unveiled more than two years ago will see its commercial launch later this month. IO Data Device, a Tokyo-based manufacturer of computer peripherals, will put on sale a drive and disk based on the IVDR (Information Versatile Disk for Removable usage) standard in late-April.

Film studio representatives and independent film-makers have met to discuss the ongoing piracy issue. The parties were recently involved in a row over preview DVD and video tapes, known as screeners, being distributed to award judges. And they continue to disagree over the significance of screeners in worldwide piracy.

Press Release: ProLine, a longtime producer of accessories and media packaging, have announced a new development for an invisible disc coating that makes the data side of all disc formats more scratch resistant. The formulation, Disc Guard 2, is a liquid compound of special emulsifiable resins that simply buffs on and off the disc.

Hitachi will make a full-scale entry into the DVD recorder market by releasing five new models in mid-April, company sources have said. It will follow up with models featuring a hard disk having a maximum storage capacity of 300 gigabytes in late May.

The PlayFair project, which removes fair-use restrictions from music purchased through Apple's online store, has become the latest victim of offshoring. Actually, that's not quite true: only the hosting provider has moved to India. Not surprisingly, Apple has used the Digital Millenium Copyright Act to ask SourceForge to remove the project. SourceForge declined to use the Safe Harbor provisions of the Act.

Four out of the five Web sites targeted by a Netsky worm DDoS attack have either been knocked over, or had to change their Web address to remain accessible. File-sharing network eDonkey's main Web site has been knocked offline following an attack from Netsky, but Kazaa has survived -- so far.

Nikkei Market Access is reporting that hard drive capacity matters the most to consumers when purchasing a new DVD recorder. According to the report Consumers' purchase process for digital home appliances: the second survey 28.3% of the respondents who "wished to buy a DVD recorder with a HDD within a year" answered that they placed the highest priority on "HDD capacity" in deciding which model to buy.

In a few years time, when you walk out of a film, you might be able to buy the DVD right then and there. Forget the six-month wait. That's one of the projections by IBM technology researchers who see the entertainment industry changing the way it sells products in order to cut advertising costs, combat piracy and take advantage of new digital technologies.

BenQ have announced that it will offer the DW830A, its first 8x DVD+R DL (double layer) burner model, in mid-May and the DW1600, its first 16x DVD+RW model, in early June.

American cinephiles will soon be able to enjoy their movies without sex, violence, swearing - indeed, without any of the interesting bits. Wal-Mart, the country's mightiest retailer, is preparing to ship a $79 (£44) DVD player that automatically strips out potentially offensive content.

Shortly before popping off on his holidays Flash managed to file a quick review of the new Datawrite Version 3 Red 4x DVD-R. The discs are entirely new as they are manufactured by a different company: MCH . Datawrite hope the discs "will be the most stable entry level disc on the market". You can find out if they are by reading Datawrite Reds v3.

Software giant Microsoft is likely to release copy protection software that will enable the online music industry to rent out titles legally. Codenamed Janus, the software adds a clock function to portable music players using Microsoft's Windows Media Audio (WMA).

Sima have announced the availability of there new video enhancement tool, the CT-2. With GoDVD! you can copy DVD to VHS, VHS to DVD and DVD to DVD. Both NTSC and PAL conversions are included for videos recorded or viewed overseas. The GoDVD! digitizes the video signal to reduce sync "noise" and features 4 output settings to improve image quality.

Jon Lech Johansen's code that circumvents iTunes DRM has been given a fresh workout. A project named 'playfair' allows users with an iTunes key to create unencrypted AAC files. Apple uses the AAC format in combination with FairPlay DRM to lock down the music bought from its iTunes Music Store.

The Opto-Electronics & Systems Laboratories (OES) under the Taiwanese government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) have formally introduced its self-developed DVD format, FVD (forward versatile disc, originally called finalized versatile disc).

Despite an expected short life cycle, Lite-On IT will offer 12x DVD Dual burners later this month because the new 12x models can command higher OEM prices, according to the company's Optical Disc Drive Business general manager Michael Gong.

Sony's forthcoming handheld console will follow the example of the Game Boy Advance and feature no region coding for its games, according to SCEE boss David Reeves - who also confirmed that the system's RAM has been upgraded.

According to a report by Asahi PC magazine, Sony may be considering using Blu-ray Disc (BD-ROM) technology in the PlayStation 3. The news comes from an interview that the magazine conducted with Kiyoshi Nishitani, Sony's management director in charge of Blu-ray Disc development and next-generation home electronics.