Steve Jobs talks Television at All Things Digital D8

So, the AppleTV was a hobby for Apple… shame, as I really liked the idea. I think it was more popular in the USA, but certainly here in the UK we had even less content. In the video below Steve talks about set-top boxes. In his response he sort of admits defeat, that there is no current way to bring 'better TV' to the market. Check out the video below and the full article here.

Apple quietly updates MacBook

New MacBook revealed today, as previously leaked on the world wide internet webby thing that we all use. It is listed as shipping within 24 hours, with a price of £849. That asking price gets you the white MacBook with a new 2.4GHz speed, 2GB of RAM, 250GB hard drive and a SuperDrive. The biggest change has to be the NVidia GeForce 320M graphics with 256MB of shared memory. This should boost performance a great deal. A great little laptop from Apple here, that'll keep you going all day with a 10-hour quoted battery life.

Of note, this is the same speed as the entry level unibody MacBook Pro. So if you can live without the aluminium body, SD card slot and extra 2GB RAM, you can save your £150. Hmmm, now that makes it a little more difficult to choose.

This also just leaves the MacBook Air and Mac Mini needing updates now. It has got me thinking that Apple may well wait a few months, then refresh these two with Core i3 processors, closely followed within six months from now with the i3 being introduced to the MacBook and 13-inch MacBook Pros.

Microsoft’s Project Natal Could Cost $200

I just read over on Mashable that Microsoft's Project Natal could cost the equivalent of almost $200, so for those of us here in the UK, that'll equate to, errr, £200 at the current exchange rate.

In all seriousness, I find the whole Project Natal thing intriguing. From the demonstrations it looked like quite a nice way to interact with a new breed of games. Certainly a step forward from the wiggle your Wii remote in any direction and it works. More of an intelligent way to move around a game and to perhaps have a sword fight with someone. It is due out really soon, but if the price is this high then they are onto a loser. I would have liked to see Natal as a £50 add-on if you are purchasing with a console, or a maximum of £79 as a standalone unit. At least that way it is within the reach of most gamers budget.

Of course Sony are trying their luck too, with their Move Motion and Navigation controllers. These are more like a direct take on the Wii controllers, but without the wire that you have connecting the two together. They certainly do look funky, I just hope that they work well and get some great game support.

So, it seems like game console manufacturers are not currently looking for the next level of hardware with improved graphics (well not telling us yet), rather they are trying to enhance their current consoles. It looks like an interesting time for gaming as we all get to try out these new control methods.

T-Mobile & Blockbuster made my night for just a fiver!

 I love gaming, my second love is a good film, something like a few rounds of COD followed by sitting down to Avatar is pretty much all it takes to make my night perfect. On some occasions though I find myself at a loose end and fancy a change, but I just hate buying a game at full price and finding it is rubbish, so rental is sometimes the way to go. So, being on T-Mobile with my HTC Desire I took advantage of their special night in deal. To keep it simple, you have to text this special number and then they text you back a voucher code. Then you head on down to Blockbuster and you get a game and a film for two nights, plus a bottle of pop, some popcorn and a bag of the sugary stuff, all for just a fiver. This is just fantastic VFM.

I went for Avatar the Game for the PS3, having watched the film I really fancied a look at the game. Actually it was pretty fun, some awesome graphics and nice gameplay. The only downside are that the controls were a little hit and miss, but both myself and my mate had a blast at it. The film of choice just had to be The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, something weird and far out to go along with the popcorn. This film is so weird, following the life and adventures of the crazy doctor who has made a deal with the devil for eternal life. They travel around with this weird sideshow that takes visitors into another world. A plus point for myself is that Verne Troyer plays the part of Percy and I really like him as an actor. Although the storyline is quite hard to grasp, there are some wonderful visuals in the film that make it a very worthwhile watch. Even if I had paid £5 for just the film and game, I would rate it a bargain. The fact that you get drink, popcorn and sweets thrown into the mix, make it a no brainer. Thanks T-Mobile !

Full details of the deal are below, or simply follow this link.

  • Rent a movie and a game, and grab some snacks – all for £5
  • Pick a movie and a game, or 2 movies – for 2 nights
  • Grab a bottle of cola, bag of popcorn and a bag of sweets
  • Get this offer every single week, between Monday-Thursday
  • Just text ‘NIGHT IN’ to 3000 for free, get your voucher code and pop in to your local Blockbuster store
  • It’s that simple – and exclusive to T-Mobile Customers
  • You'll need to be a T-Mobile customer and a member of Blockbuster to take advantage of this offer
  • Simply text 'NIGHT IN' to 3000 for free. We'll send you a voucher code by text, which you have to show on your mobile phone in your local Blockbuster store to claim your 5 for £5

Olympus PEN E-P2 now available in stylish silver

Next week the E-P2, until now only cloaked in classic black, will also be available in silver. The camera unites the power and performance of an SLR with the ease and spontaneity of a compact.
To enrich photographic potential, the E-P2 includes an accessory port to clip on accessories such as an electronic viewfinder and a microphone adapter. It also enlivens creative impulses through two additional Art Filters and supplements ease of use with further innovative options. Now available in silver, like its predecessor the E-P1, the hybrid photo and HD Movie shooting Olympus E-P2 boldly brings fun and simplicity back in SLR quality. It’s a legend in the making – and available from mid May 2010 for £699.99 including the M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 lens.