Konnet Power Pyramid charges PS3 and XBox controllers

Konnet makes a few versions of its Power Pyramid charging docks, including one that's designed to charge four wireless Xbox 360 controllers at one time and one that charges four PS3 controllers (which only come in a wireless version). However, the model we reviewed is the only one that charges both wireless Xbox 360 and PS3 controllers. That duality obviously has some appeal to gamers who own both systems and don't want to invest in two charging systems.

Wireless Xbox 360 and PS3 controllers can be charged via USB, but a dedicated charger such the Power Pyramid eliminates cable clutter (there's only a single AC adapter) and lets you charge controllers without having the respective game consoles turned on. Like many other charging stations, what's nice about the Power Pyramid is that it also doubles as a storage stand for your controllers.

Via CNET.com

Toshiba goes retro with hybrid VHS/DVD recorder

VHS tape, anyone? If you're still holding onto the legacy video tapes, the Toshiba D-VR8K may be an interesting product to replace your antique recorder. This hybrid recorder will allow users to archive their tapes to DVDs in various formats from write-once -R to rewritable -RW and RAM. Like most current DVD players, it also plays back JPEG files, though support for MP3 and DivX is missing here.

While the D-VR8K is definitely a lot less exciting than a spanking new Blu-ray player, we cannot comprehend the negativity the recorder has garnered so far. Yes, it has only one analog TV tuner according to Akihabara News, and, no, it doesn't spin Blu-ray like the Panasonic DMP-BD70V DVR. But we’re sure there's a niche market for this 28,800 yen (US$303) Toshiba kit slated for preorder in Japan come August.

Via Akihabara News

Sony debuts two 400-disc Blu-ray changers

Sony announced the first Blu-ray megachanger back in 2007, and now, two years later, the company is following up on the effort. The BDP-CX960 (US$800, coming to the US in the fall) and BDP-CX7000ES (US$2,000, coming in August) both hold 400 Blu-ray Discs and use Gracenote's VideoID and MusicID service to automatically retrieve disc data over an Ethernet connection. That's big news, as our biggest complaint with Sony's older DVD megachanger was how tedious it was to manually enter program data.
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Sony's BDP-S360 BD-Live Blu-ray player finally shipping to Asia

It has been months since the Sony BDP-S360 was first announced in January's Consumer Electronics Show in the US. Now it's finally heading for Asia. This model will be available from the first week of August in Singapore at S$499 (US$354.38).

Sony's entry-level BDP-S360 is typical of the new breed of Blu-ray players. It has the basics covered, with BD-Live support and onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Here's a quick overview of the key features.

Film-based 24p Blu-ray video output

1080p DVD video upscaling

Blu-ray Profile 2.0/BD-Live-ready

Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio bitstream output via HDMI

Onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding

MP3, JPEG, DivX and AVCHD multimedia playback

Xross Media Bar icon-based advanced user interface

Sony, however, did not reveal more on the higher-end BDP-S560 which features 802.11n Wi-Fi connectivity and DLNA-compatibility. Nor was the company forthcoming on when the BDP-S360 would ship to the rest of Asia.

3D movies downloads coming soon

The maker of the CinemaNow video service says it wants to start adding 3D movies to its repertoire. (Note: This service is currently available only in the US.)

Sonic Solutions is working with Nvidia, Samsung, and Mitsubishi to start delivering video in a variety of 3D formats to PCs and some 3D-capable TVs. Whenever it does become available--which is not clear yet because Sonic isn't ready to discuss which hardware partners it's working with--the movies will be delivered via the same method as the company's CinemaNow service.

The technology, however, is still new. It will only work with devices with graphics processors optimized for 3D, which mostly means it will work on PCs with 3D-capable monitors. Some Samsung and Mitsubishi TVs that are 3D-enabled might also work. In all cases, you'll still need plastic 3D glasses.

Though Sonic Solutions actually sees Blu-ray as the best way of delivering 3D content, there are several issues holding that up: The technology has not been agreed upon by all the parties that subscribe to that standard. In the meantime, Sonic says its video service will be a great way to fill the gap, since there are a growing number of 3D movies in the theater.
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