Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Tech News: Stick a Fork in HD DVD, Albums on Bracelets, Linkin Park in Live Apple Event

A few stories at the intersection of technology and entertainment:

HD DVD is Dead: Following a period in which Wal-Mart, Netflix, and other major retailers said they were dropping the HD DVD format and carrying the competing Blu-Ray format only, Toshiba has waved the white flag. Toshiba, which created and advocated the HD DVD technology against Sony's Blu-Ray for high-definition DVD, announced that it was no longer going to make or market HD DVD players. Toshiba says it will continue to support owners of HD DVD units for the foreseeable future.

Wear That New Album on Your Wrist: The latest music industry effort to boost sales involves a twist of the wrist. Or a distinctively shaped collector's item. At the recent Grammy Awards Ringo Starr revealed that he was wearing his new CD: a wristband containing the album on a wearable USB drive.

Mars Volta is issuing its latest album on a USB drive, too, designed to look like a Quija board piece. Although these USB drives are more expensive to produce than a CD, companies are finding it's a popular item with die-hard fans. The USB drives can contain a DRM-free version of the album, extra space for the user to put on his or her own content, upcoming exclusive content from the artist, and more.

Linkin Park to Play "Secret" Apple NYC Gig: Alt-rockers Linkin Park have been enlisted to perform at an event for Apple in New York City, probably sometime in the next week, according to AppleInsider.com.

Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park mentioned the gig in a brief message to the band's fans referring to "a special show that we’re doing in NYC in conjunction with Apple…shh…it’s a secret…" Some rumors have speculated that the performance is tied into a new product or feature announcement from Apple, but nobody seems to know for sure.

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