Philips to make your movies fit once and for all!

Many people may just now be getting used to the idea of the 16:9 aspect ratio HDTVs have. The whole black bars at the top and bottom just kinda throw people off I guess.

Personally, I've never had a problem with this. I just never understood how someone could prefer pan scan movies over letterbox once the difference was explained to them. I mean, you're getting the whole movie with Letterbox and a cheap knockoff with "Fullscreen" that has its edges cut off. Not to mention really awkward pans. Yeah, I'm a movie snob, so what?

Phillips will attempt to end any association home movies have with black bars when it releases what is, according to them, the world's first 21:9 aspect ratio HDTV, the Cinema 21:9.


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The Laser Disc format is officially dead

Anyone still own one of these mammoth Laser Disc (LD) players and oversized optical discs at home? (Psst: I do) Well, it's finally time to say goodbye as Pioneer has recently cut the lifeline of this antique video format. According to Akihabara News, the company is halting production of all LD players. The victims include the versatile LD/DVD/VCD/CD DVL-919, the hybrid cassette tape-equipped DVK-900 and karaoke-oriented DVL-K88.

On a separate note, the manufacturers are not making disc players like they used to nowadays. Mine is still in pretty good working condition after more than 10 years of use. You just need to open it up once in a while to clean the laser lens to keep it going.

Via Akihabara News

Flexicord cables take rattlesnake approach

Kiss your blistered fingers and headaches goodbye--tangled cords are a problem of the past as long as you use Flexicords. If you're someone who sets up and breaks down your television, home theater kit, laptop, or desktop computer, Flexicords' coiled design eliminates the need to measure exactly how much cable you'll need to hook up your gear.

The cables come curly and extend out up to 10ft, ensuring that you have just enough slack without any excess clutter.

Flexicord offers cables for just about any application, including USB, phono jacks, S-video, networking cables, and HDMI. Once extended, the coils retain their shape thanks to a thick pipe cleaner that bends alongside the cable itself.

Finally, each wire comes with its own "recoiling tool", aka an inanimate plastic rod that helps you coil it back up. Prices vary depending on size and maximum length, but generally cost around US$20, with the exception of the 10ft HDMI cable that goes for US$34.
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Samsung speakers: The salty sound of the sea

Has Samsung finally lost the plot? We've heard about speakers made from paper, Kevlar and even silk, but those materials weren't good enough for the Korean mega-corp. So it's gone and dragged some seaweed out of the ocean and made speaker cones with it.

The company claims kelp is a perfect material for speakers, because it has a very fast response time and a natural tonal balance. That means you should have decreased noise and distortion when listening to your favourite music or movies. Apparently, the key to bio-kelp's success is that the density between fibre tissues is quite high, which is supposed to result in better clarity.


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Sony plays Santa for PlayStation Home

Heads up to all Singapore and Hong Kong PS3 users, Sony is handing out HKS$10 (US$1.30) PSN credits in its latest publicity drive for its new community-based service, PlayStation Home. All you need to do is to track down its mysterious Money God avatar by finding the right poster put up by Sony in the virtual world. This will point you to a hint site with the relevant instructions and a step closer to the above-mentioned freebie.

You'll probably need a lot more than HK$10 to purchase a PS3 mini game online, but this is still a nice token for your PS Home purchase to beef up your online persona with a new jacket or skirt in its cyber stores. This contest will run from today to January 22, so you'd better hustle to it! Click here for more details.

Via Ars Technica

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