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.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Get Your Free Digital TV Coupon at www.dtv2009.gov
Procrasinators, beware: it is now officially one year before current analog TV signals will cease to be broadcast. That means if you have an old-fashioned rabbit-ears TV, you won't be able to receive any signal on it a year from now. If you're planning on buying a digital TV between now and then, no problem. But if you're planning on keeping your old TV(s), you'll need a digital-to-analog converter box to receive broadcast signals.
These digital converters can cost $70 or $80, but the government is giving away free coupons to help defray the cost of the converters. Just go to their Web site, www.dtv2009.gov, and fill out the information. Each household can request up to two coupons. Make sure to read the fine print, though: I've heard that the coupons expire a few months after their issued, so once you get the coupon from www.dtv2009.gov you'll need to buy your digital converters relatively soon after, or the coupon becomes worthless.
The www.dtv2009.gov Web site is experiencing heavy delays, because there's been a lot of publicity about the coupons because of the one-year countdown to the end of analog broadcasting. If you can't get through on the Web site, you can try their phone number:1-888-DTV-2009.
Engadget has a good article explaining the intricacies of the switchover to digital TV and what consumers need to do.
These digital converters can cost $70 or $80, but the government is giving away free coupons to help defray the cost of the converters. Just go to their Web site, www.dtv2009.gov, and fill out the information. Each household can request up to two coupons. Make sure to read the fine print, though: I've heard that the coupons expire a few months after their issued, so once you get the coupon from www.dtv2009.gov you'll need to buy your digital converters relatively soon after, or the coupon becomes worthless.
The www.dtv2009.gov Web site is experiencing heavy delays, because there's been a lot of publicity about the coupons because of the one-year countdown to the end of analog broadcasting. If you can't get through on the Web site, you can try their phone number:1-888-DTV-2009.
Engadget has a good article explaining the intricacies of the switchover to digital TV and what consumers need to do.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
2008 Kokua Festival Tickets On Sale Now
For an outdoor music festival in a truly exotic locale, you can't beat the Kokua Festival in Honolulu, Hawaii. singer-songwriter Jack Johnson was a co-founder of the festival and plays it every year. Tickets went on sale today for the 2008 Kokua Festival, which takes place April 19th and 20th. And besides Jack Johnson the festival features Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Hawaiian singer-songwriter Paula Fuga, Mason Jennings, and the reggae-ska-soul band Go Jimmy Go.
The Kokua Festival takes place at the Waikiki Shell in Honolulu and benefits the Kokua Hawaii Foundation. You can find the link to tickets here.
The Kokua Festival takes place at the Waikiki Shell in Honolulu and benefits the Kokua Hawaii Foundation. You can find the link to tickets here.
Radiohead Tickets Now On Sale
Radiohead tickets for their first set of concert dates are on sale now; you can find them at the Ticketmaster page here.
Here are the cities and venues for which Radiohead tickets are available so far; check the link above for dates and ticket availability:
Cruzan Amphitheatre
West Palm Beach, FL
Ford Amphitheatre At the Florida State Fairgrounds
Tampa, FL
Lakewood Amphitheatre
Atlanta, GA
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte
Charlotte, NC
Nissan Pavilion
Bristow, VA
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St Louis
Maryland Heights, MO
Woodlands Pavilion
Woodlands, TX
Superpages.com Center (formerly Smirnoff Music Center)
Dallas, TX
Here are the cities and venues for which Radiohead tickets are available so far; check the link above for dates and ticket availability:
Cruzan Amphitheatre
West Palm Beach, FL
Ford Amphitheatre At the Florida State Fairgrounds
Tampa, FL
Lakewood Amphitheatre
Atlanta, GA
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte
Charlotte, NC
Nissan Pavilion
Bristow, VA
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St Louis
Maryland Heights, MO
Woodlands Pavilion
Woodlands, TX
Superpages.com Center (formerly Smirnoff Music Center)
Dallas, TX
Billy Joel Shea Stadium Tickets on Sale
Tickets for Billy Joel's July 16th Shea Stadium show, said to be the last concert at Shea Stadium, went on sale Saturday, Feb. 16th. Apparently the tickets are available only at www.507tixx.com or at the phone number for 507tixx. Tickets are probably already gone at this point, but if you really want to go to this show the 507tixx.com site has a link to a site where you can bid for the tickets through a Ticketmaster auction.
While many people are dying to go to this concert because of the twin appeal of seeing Billy Joel and attending the last show at Shea Stadium, well, you may be better off waiting a bit. It's long been said that if the July 16th show sold out quickly, a second show might be added. If that show takes place on July 17th or later, then people with tickets for the 16th will not be seeing the "Last Play at Shea," as the original concert is being billed.
For those who want to get Billy Joel tickets but aren't wedded to the idea of going to the Shea concert, there are plenty of other venues to see the Piano Man. In fact, he's on tour now. The Billy Joel page at Ticketmaster lists shows at a variety of venues, from Anaheim later this month to Denver, Columbus, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
While many people are dying to go to this concert because of the twin appeal of seeing Billy Joel and attending the last show at Shea Stadium, well, you may be better off waiting a bit. It's long been said that if the July 16th show sold out quickly, a second show might be added. If that show takes place on July 17th or later, then people with tickets for the 16th will not be seeing the "Last Play at Shea," as the original concert is being billed.
For those who want to get Billy Joel tickets but aren't wedded to the idea of going to the Shea concert, there are plenty of other venues to see the Piano Man. In fact, he's on tour now. The Billy Joel page at Ticketmaster lists shows at a variety of venues, from Anaheim later this month to Denver, Columbus, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Radiohead U.S. Tour Dates On Sale On Its W.A.S.T.E. Site
Radiohead's U.S. tour dates were recently announced, and tickets are now available for presale (starting Feb. 14th) through the band's curiously named W.A.S.T.E. (or WASTE) Web site, the same site that sold its "In Rainbows" pay-what-you-want album download. The public sale starts on Feb. 16th.
NME.com lists the U.S. dates here, noting that the band will be adding more stateside gigs after it plays some dates in Europe.
NME.com lists the U.S. dates here, noting that the band will be adding more stateside gigs after it plays some dates in Europe.
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