Audio

Expect Blu-ray/HDTV bundles for the holidays

Samsung P-1400 Blu-ray player. Image: Samsung

It's been quite a busy few days for the high-definition format war between Blu-ray and HD DVD. First, Wal-Mart (WMT) confirmed that it has begun selling the Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player in stores for less than $200. The next day Amazon (AMZN) and Circuit City (CC) began offering the player online for a penny less.

Now there are reports that Wal-Mart today will sell the MORE

AMD on the future of the desktop computer

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is having a tough time battling Intel (INTC) for market share and profits in the PC business. While chipmaker AMD has forged relationships with market leaders like Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Dell (DELL), there are plenty of customers who haven't embraced the microchip upstart – most obviously, Apple (AAPL).

HD DVD vs. Blu-ray: Wal-Mart offers Toshiba player for under $200

Toshiba HD-A2. Image: Toshiba

The battle for the future of the high-definition DVD has taken an intriguing turn: For the first time, mega-retailer Wal-Mart (WMT) has begun selling a player for less than $200.

In various online forums, enthusiasts have reported seeing the Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player available in stores for $198, significantly less than its common price of $230-$280.

AT&T exec: big year ahead for mobile GPS

Mobile phone services that offer directions and other location-based services will be huge in 2008, says Mark Collins, vice president of consumer data services for AT&T (T).

AT&T exec: mobile video not ready for prime time

Why isn't video on mobile phones taking off? The economics don't work yet, says Mark Collins, vice president of consumer data services for AT&T (T).

HP offers technology to cut the Internet's energy bill

Servers like this one, which put information onto the Internet, let off a lot of heat – and it takes energy to cool them. Photo: HP

The Internet is hot. Not just hot as in popularity. Hot as in heat.

It's so hot, in fact, that data centers – those expensive warehouses full of computers that serve up information – are racking up huge power bills. According to Hewlett-Packard's (HPQ) calculations, a MORE

Live: ATT consumer data chief talks iPhone, mobile Web

It's the walk-up to the CTIA show in San Francisco, and Mark Collins, VP Consumer Data, AT&T Wireless (T), is on stage talking about Apple's (AAPL) iPhone and other developments that are changing the wireless game.

iPod sales now driven by style more than storage

Flash-based models such as the new iPod touch are increasingly upstaging Apple's hard drive-based players. Photo: Jon Fortt

In the iPod's world, storage isn't the selling point it used to be.

That's one clear lesson from the sales rankings at the Apple Store, which posts a regularly updated list of the most popular iPod models. Though the iPod classic, which uses a hard drive to store music and video, offers a whopping MORE

Apple squeezes more profit out of hard drive-based iPods

Apple's cost to build the iPod classic is 11 percent lower than the previous verison, iSuppli estimates. Photo: Apple

Apple's (AAPL) redesign of the iPod classic has allowed the company to make better profits while also offering more storage, an analysis from researcher iSuppli has found.

The iSuppli numbers (below) help shed light on how Apple continues to make money off of its iPod line even as certain versions mature. iSuppli estimates MORE

Microsoft: Our video conferencing is more practical

With the latest Microsoft software, it's easier to set up conference calls that include video, and a roster that shows who's talking. Screen capture image: Microsoft

At the launch of Microsoft's (MSFT) improved communications platform earlier this week, videoconferencing was a hot topic; with the company's new Office Communications Server and client software, it's easier than ever to set up conference calls that include advanced features like video and screen sharing.

After MORE