July 11, 2005, 5:10 PM PDT
Samsung and Sanyo for Sprint
Posted by: Kent German

Sprint has introduced to its lineup two new cell phones that emphasize multimedia features. The Samsung MM-A880 offers such goodies as a 1.3-megapixel camera, an integrated media player for streaming video and audio, text and multimedia messaging, voice commands and dialing, a speakerphone, polyphonic ring tones, and a wireless Web browser. And like the Samsung MM-A800, the MM-A880 supports the ability to send camera phone pictures directly to a printer via a USB cable. No software is needed, but the USB cable is sold separately, of course.

The carrier also has rolled out the Sanyo MM-8300. An upgrade to the Sanyo PM-8200 from last summer, the new phone looks similar and has about the same features. This time, however, you get a 1.3-megapixel camera and access to Sprint's multimedia service. There's still no Bluetooth with either model, but what else is new? Like we always say, cell phones are only as good as the calls they make, so check back soon for full reviews.

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July 11, 2005, 4:24 PM PDT
Logitech's headphone parade
Posted by: Jasmine France

Several weeks ago, I met with Logitech and knew within a few minutes that a slew of iPod owners were about to be very happy. Logitech's reps revealed to us the Wireless Headphones for the iPod, which would finally allow hordes of iPod users to disentangle themselves from the frustrating leash of white earbuds (and other wired headphones, for that matter). Cool. But I was even more pleased when they brought out the Logitech Wireless Headphones for MP3 ($130, announced today), a "generic" version that will work with any MP3 player. Since I don't use the iPod, this announcement was more exciting to me personally. The Wireless Headphones come in black rather than iPod white, but they work the same as those for the iPod, employing Bluetooth technology to allow for cord-free listening. Unfortunately, while these 'phones include volume up/down buttons, they don't have the integrated track controls that the iPod's smart headphone jack affords the Wireless Headphones for the iPod. Bummer.

In that same meeting, Logitech also showed us two other headphone products, which were both officially announced today: the Logitech Curve Headphones ($30) and the Logitech Identity Headphones ($40). The first are designed for active use--they're durable, they're water resistant, and they feature the behind-the-head design popular with sporty 'phones. They're currently available in a rather stylish opaque green color (Lime), but keep an eye out for two additional colors in the near future: Crystal and Graphite. The Identity Headphones are a bit more sleek with square earphones rimmed in shiny silver, and they come with interchangeable color plates (black, white, red, and green).

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July 11, 2005, 4:21 PM PDT
T-Mobile gets the Razr
Posted by: Kent German

As I wrote earlier this month, rumors about when T-Mobile would pick up the Motorola Razr V3 have been flying lately. Today, it finally happened, and the sexy, slim phone is now available on T-Mobile's Web site. The style and features are exactly the same on Cingular's version, but Cingular also has a black model, while T-Mobile's Razr comes only in silver. That said, a T-Mobile store employee told me Motorola has upgraded the software for the carrier, but we'll have to wait and see if that's true.

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July 11, 2005, 1:30 PM PDT
Let the cost-cutting begin
Posted by: Robert Dubbin

In news destined to disappoint almost nobody, GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that the PlayStation 3's home-network router functionality, a minor if extant cog in Sony's next-generation hype machine, has been dropped. This is a cost-cutting decision, of course, to say nothing of the fact that most gamers already own perfectly functional routers. But Sony's effort to cut an extravagant, useless feature from its forthcoming console doesn't quite mesh with its stated PS3 sales strategy; namely, Sony Computer Entertainment chief Ken Kutaragi's hope that "consumers [will] think to themselves, 'I will work more hours to buy one'."

So where does Kutaragi get off, promising us a hideously expensive console the week before he starts removing pricey and unnecessary features from it? See, I've already started scheduling overtime hours for the eight months leading up to the PS3's launch, and by jove, I want to spend my $3,250 on a console whose onboard pencil sharpener and real-world missile defense system lie hidden beneath an inch-thick layer of 24-karat gold and Swarovski crystals. Honestly, it wouldn't even need to play games.

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July 11, 2005, 8:14 AM PDT
DVD sales: Too much of a good thing?
Posted by: John P. Falcone

Powered by Fox's Fantastic Four, weekend box office receipts finally reversed a 19-week slump, taking in more ticket revenue than the same weekend last year. But considering almost three-quarters of Americans prefer to watch movies at home--and the fact that the studios front-load their heavy hitters toward the beginning of the summer season--it's hard to imagine the upward trend of theatrical revenue being anything more than a brief blip. Previously, Hollywood had been looking at ever-burgeoning DVD sales as the silver lining of the darkening cinematic storm clouds, but now it appears the mighty silver disc may be on the wane as well, with megahits like The Incredibles and Shrek 2 selling below expectations. Experts are divided as to the reasons, with at least one entertainment analyst blaming a glut of titles on the market. Furthermore, flat-fee DVD-by-mail programs from Netflix and Blockbuster make renting easier than ever before. And while BitTorrent and its peer-to-peer file-trading brethren are certainly a convenient target for the MPAA, it's hard to imagine that the availability of cheap PC DVD burners isn't a bigger threat to the industry in the short term. Just hang out at the checkout line of a Staples, Office Depot, CompUSA, or Best Buy: consumers are snapping up those 50-disc cakeboxes of blank DVDs for $20 a pop, and you can bet they're being used for more than making hard drive backups.

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