You may have heard of Zune – the “iPod Killer” that came out in the U.S. in 2006. Many wondered when (and if) this multi-media player would cross the border. Well, now we have an answer: “Some time this Spring,” we’re told, Spring defined as between March and May, so I’m guessing late April.

But what is the Zune? And how does it stack up against its adversary from the Monarchy of Mac? To answer these questions, we sat down with Microsoft’s Craig Tullett this morning and got the lowdown:

Media On The Go
The Zune will be available to us Canucks in three versions: 4, 8 and 80GB (they’re scrapping their 30GB line). The 4 and 8GB models are very small, thin, lightweight (like the old iPod Nano), and have built-in flash memory. The 80GB model is much larger (think iPod Classic) and has a built-in 80GB hard drive. All models feature three buttons: a “back” button, a play/pause button, and a touch-sensitive “Zune Pad” that works both like the regular directional clicker you’ll find on a cell phone, and also as a touch-sensitive pad you can slide or “flick” your finger across to scroll through menus. This is the Microsoft alternative to Apple’s “Click Wheel.”

Meant to be an extension to your personal media library, it plays music (mp3, wma, aac), plays videos (wmv, mpeg-4, h.264), displays photos and graphics, plays podcasts (both video and audio), and even has a built-in radio. All this content is uploaded to the player either through a USB cable, wirelessly from your network, or shared wirelessly from other Zunes nearby (with consent of course). And that’s where the Zune differs from the competition. As its tagline “Welcome to the Social” indicates, everything about the player revolves around the social aspect: Sharing music, graphics and images from device to device (trust me, it’s cool and we’ll be writing more about this soon), sharing favourites through the Zune Social website and discovering new songs and artists by finding like-minded listeners and related tracks.

Think of it as FaceMusicBook
On first impression, it is the social aspect that really stands out. The player itself is on par with the competition (iPod Classic) in terms of price (Canadian price TBA), quality, design, functionality and ease of use. But the “Social” concept could become a major selling factor. Here’s why: In the Zune “Marketplace,” you have two options: Either buy each track or album individually (to own permanently), or subscribe to the entire library (in case it’s not clear, we’re talking limitless use of) for a set monthly fee. In the U.S., this fee is around $14 and one would expect a similar price for the Canadian users. With the subscription in place, you can download as many songs as you want and listen to them for as long as you pay for the service. So when you find an artist you are curious about through Zune Social or any other avenue, you can download the tracks without any added cost and check them out. If you like the songs, you have them on your computer as well as on the go through your Zune. If you don’t like them, it didn’t cost you anything extra. And it’s all legal! For music fanatics constantly on the lookout for new and interesting (i.e. obscure Islandic) artists, this is a dream come true: Pandora without the crappy sound quality. And just imagine what this would do for a house party! Guests can log in, download whatever they want to listen to and then play it!

Now here’s the big “but,” BUT not one that will be an issue for long. Unfortunately the Zune Marketplace (and with it the subscription service) will not be available in Canada until the Fall of 2008. However, Zune Social will be up and running and with it, the ability to discover new artists, share your playlist as well as your ratings and comments, and become a musical trend setter. And in the interim, you’ll be able to purchase tracks from Zune Social through other online music retailers.

Is the Zune for me?
Good question. And we’ll help you answer it! Microsoft was kind enough to lend us two 80GB Zunes to test, and we will. We’re not exactly luddites when it comes to technology, so in addition to us working the new gadget to the bone, we’ll also give a unit to our brand new ‘everyday Jane’ product tester, who will gauge its user-friendliness to the average consumer. We’ll upload music and pictures, watch movies and TV shows on the SkyTrain, share files with other Zuners, stream content to our Xbox 360 and really put the device through its paces to see if this is something you should buy. At the same time, we’ll pressure Microsoft to get the Marketplace – or at least the subscription service – up as soon as possible. So check back here and on our brother site AndNowYouKnow.net to see what we think of our latest toy!

Our Zune 80GB Flickr photos

UPDATED: Nikkei is reporting that Toshiba president Atsutoshi Nishida will be announcing the end of the company’s contribution to the HD-DVD format tomorrow. With this announcement comes a plan to stop producing and selling HD-DVD players, both stand-alone units and drives for PCs and laptops, by the beginning of March. This will most likely be followed by similar announcements from other HD-DVD manufacturers like Microsoft.

We reported it a month ago and now it’s pretty much official: Blu-Ray is the winner of the High Definition format war. On Saturday, Reuters reported that Toshiba – the main backer of the HD-DVD format – is backing down and “giving up the format war.” This latest breaking news comes after Netflix announced they were no longer going to rent out HD-DVD movies and Best Buy announced they were recommending Blu-Ray players and discs to customers.

Reuters reports that Toshiba will make the announcement sometime later this week, putting the final nail in the coffin of what was originally thought to be the “winner by default” in the format war.

Why are we writing about this again? Because several major electronics retailers are dumping their remaining stock of HD-DVD players on uninformed consumers. The players are now going for under $200 and come with offers of up to 7 free HD-DVD movies. Problem is that once Toshiba backs down, there won’t be any more movies in this format.

The moral of the story? DO NOT BUY AN HD-DVD PLAYER no matter how cheap it is. And if you just bought one, take it back before it’s too late! The people selling them are desperately trying to get rid of their inventory before the whole thing implodes (which apparently is going to happen tomorrow).

If you’ve bought a new TV recently, you’ve more than likely heard talk of “HDMI” connectors or cables. To most, this just sounds like another weird tech abbreviation they will never understand, but HDMI is becoming to video what USB is to data: A standardized high-speed cable that connects your HDTV to your computer, DVD player, gaming console or other device.

HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface and is used to refer to the type of plugs and cables that transfer all-digital video and audio signals in one package. This type of connection is set to replace the old HD standard, which was the three-headed Component cables (the red, green and blue ones). The idea of the HDMI system is that it consolidates 5 to 9 cables into one while simultaneously increasing the quality of the video and audio output by bypassing the digital-to-analog conversion of Component.

To get an idea of why HDMI cables may be a worthy investment, take a look at these side-by-side comparisons between 1080p through HDMI, Component and regular Composite (RCA) cables:

The images are all from the same Blu-ray Disc freeze-frame of the porcupine character from Chicken Little. You can see the difference between the crystal clear all-digital 1080p image, the slightly blurry and “steppy” Component image, and the horribly blurred Composite image (this is even more obvious when seen in person). Keep in mind that some of the blurriness and stepping in the Component and Composite cable images may be caused by the analogue image processor within the TV. Even so, there is little argument against HDMI giving you a better picture.

So why are people confused? Well, if you go to an electronics store, you’ll find a wide range of HDMI cables that are priced anywhere from $10 to $400 without any real explanation of why there are such dramatic price gaps. And you’re not the only one who is confused. Over the last year, a debate has been raging in the tech community over whether the more expensive cables are actually better.

For many years, Monster Cable has been a mark of excellence in audio cables, and rightly so. When it comes to analogue equipment (such as stereos), sound quality is very much dependent on cable quality. With the introduction of HDMI however, things have became a little more complicated. I wrote an article about this topic a while back if you are interested in the details but basically, digital and analogue worlds are very different. To clear some of the confusion (and to promote their products), Monster Cable put on a show in Downtown Vancouver to demonstrate why not all HDMI cables are created equal. Noel Lee, The Head Monster (yup, that’s his title) and his colleagues took us through a detailed and highly technical demonstration of what happens when you have a bad quality cable.

So was there a difference? Absolutely. Does it matter to the everyday user? Well, that depends. If you ask Monster, they’ll answer that you should always buy the best (i.e. Monster) cable your budget can afford. But in reality, that cable might be way more than you actually need. Let’s break this down:

If you have a 56” 1080p plasma TV with a top-of-the-line Blu-ray player and a PS3, you should get the top-of-the-lineMonster HDMI 1000HD Ultra-High Speed HDMI cable to go with it. Pushing the content from your players to your TV through cheap cables would be a bit like drinking Cristal Champagne from a dirty Starbucks cup.

On the other hand, if you have a 37” 720p LCD TV with a standard DVD player or a cheap HD-DVD player, the difference between a cheap and a more expensive cable is negligible, so buy the cheap one and spend the rest of your money on better speakers.

Why is there a difference? It all depends on how much information goes out of your players and into your TV. Right now, very few players are able to output full 1080p video at 120hz with 7 channel audio, which is what the top cables are designed to do. Moreover, very few TVs are capable of displaying such a signal. Your cable should therefore match your equipment.

Monster (and the people at your local store) will tell you that you should always plan for the future and get a cable that will be able to handle the equipment you are going to buy a year or two from now. But let’s be serious here. Most people stick with their TVs and players for years (the TV we replaced over the holidays had been in our household since the early ’90s) and when we get new equipment, we usually get new cables as well. In addition, the half-life of tech product prices is about one year, so when you do get your next TV and player that has all the bells and whistles, the cable you need will more than likely cost half as much as it does now.

That said, based on the impartial demo live infomercial Monster gave us, their cables do outperform the competition by an alarming margin. Some of the expensive competitor cables demoed, like the German $380 Ohelbach and an equally expensive cable bought at a local electronics retailer, were astoundingly bad. So there is some truth to the saying “you get what you pay for” as long as you buy it from the right company.

What’s the final word? If you’re going to buy an HDMI cable for your new HD setup, go to a store with a 30-day exchange policy, find the cheapest cable, take it home and test it. If something seems off, like the image being jittery, there’s pink snow in Hawaii or there is no image at all, take the cable back and exchange it for a more expensive one. Be forewarned that just because it says “HDMI,” it doesn’t mean it’s the real thing. If you bought it at an unknown shop for next to nothing, it’s quite likely a knockoff. For most people, a low-end Monster cable like the Monster 300 for HDMI will do just fine. And if you have one of those top-of-the-line setups…well, then you can afford to shell out the big bucks on the Monster HDMI 1000HD Ultra-High Speed HDMI and get the best cable on the market.

Still confused? Leave us a comment and we’ll be sure to clarify any of the above details!

If you are one of the many people who got a new fancy flat-screen TV for Christmas, or you are planning on getting one for Super Bowl, you are undoubtedly going to be inundated with suggestions to buy a “next gen DVD player” that will give you full HD quality. The players in question come in two formats: HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. You’ll notice that the HD-DVD players are much cheaper and that might be the deciding factor. It shouldn’t be, and here’s why: In 6 months time, HD-DVD will probably be dead!

Let me explain: There are two mutually exclusive HD disc formats available on the market today. One is called HD-DVD, the other one Blu-Ray. They use different discs, different lasers and different compressions. Two entirely different animals. This means that an HD-DVD disc (in the red boxes in the stores) will only play in an HD-DVD player while a Blu-Ray disc (in the blue boxes at the stores) will only play in a Blu-Ray player. At present, there are two dual-format players available, the BD-UP5500 from Samsung and the LG BH200 Super Blu from LG, that retail for around $800. Unless you have either one of these, you are stuck with just one format.

The names are confusing. Many people think that only HD-DVD gives HD quality video, but in fact, there is no discernible difference in the image or audio quality between the two. The major difference is how much data the discs contain (Blu-Ray has over twice as much storage space as HD-DVD) and what companies support them. When the two formats were launched a couple of years ago, the distribution companies were split pretty much evenly between the two formats. Over the last few months however, the majority of them have switched to Blu-Ray, leaving HD-DVD with few new releases on the horizon.

What will probably go down in the history books as the final blow was when Warner Bros. just two days before the major Consumer Electronics Summit (CES) in Las Vegas announced they were going exclusively with Blue-Ray. The announcement was quickly followed by other defections as the HD-DVD supporters started leaving what suddenly became a badly listing ship. And with that, it seems that the format war which has been raging for 2 years is quickly coming to a final bloody end.

In a final desperate gesture, the backers of the HD-DVD format are now dumping the prices on their players in the hopes that people will buy them in droves and then demand that the distributors start publishing movies in the format again. Unfortunately, this strategy is doomed to failure and will just result in a lot of angry customers.

So take my advice: Don’t buy an HD-DVD player. If you are going to buy something right now, get either a Blu-Ray player or a dual format player. Although the HD-DVD players are cheap, they are going to go the way of LaserDisc within the next 6-8 months and you’ll be stuck with another machine you can’t use.

Is it still taboo to talk about sex toys and lubes? Well, if we still have to give vibrators cutesy names like “The Rabbit” or ambiguous one like “The Magic Bullet,” then yeah, I’d say it’s still not quite the social norm. Wildly popular shows like Sex and The City however, have certainly made it quite clear that society is more than ready for a dramatic change in the way we view sensuality and pleasure. And as we tried to maneuver our way through the crowd of people down the aisles of the Taboo Naughty But Nice Sex Show in Vancouver this past weekend, the general public is obviously not only able to admit that they are curious, but also willing to explore new things in the realm of sex.

For anyone who’s ever wanted to, but have been embarrassed to attend one of these trade shows, you can rest assured that it’s neither intimidating, nor obscene or dirty. Like the operation of any other business out there, all the exhibitors are nothing but friendly and professional. You won’t feel pressured to buy anything and if you do make a purchase, you won’t feel like you have to hide it. The atmosphere is fun and relaxed, and the stage shows are always a draw. There are open seminars and workshops that teach you anything from how to to avoid dating disasters to how to find that elusive G-spot. It’s definitely not just about sex toys – There are booths for energy drinks, protein shakes, “clothing optional holidays,” skin care products, tattooes on the spot, anti-snoring solutions, aromatherapy, bed sheets, and even cancan dancers…and that’s just naming a few. There are contests and giveaways galore and raffle ticket sales for worthy causes like Aids Vancouver.

But let’s be frank here. What we all want to know about is what the latest sex toys are, right? Well, if that’s what you want, that’s what you’ll get! Click on the link below for the pleasure trove of goodies that we found at the Sex Show and keep an eye out for the fantastic giveaway that we’ve got for one lucky viewer, courtesy of our friends at the Little Shop of Pleasures!

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Starting to feel like you need professional help when you visit an electronics store these days? You’re not the only one. But fret not! Frank Lee from LG and the techies at Dabbler are here to help.

We sat down with Frank right before Christmas to take a look at the latest and greatest LG devices and are using them as a reference to explain the ins and outs of modern tech. So take a walk with us as we draw a map through the electronics jungle.

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On Boxing Day 2006, I bought an Xbox 360 from Future Shop for the unbelievable price of $399 (unbelievable because the exact same kit is now on “sale” for the same price in the same chain. But I digress). But why? I’m not a gamer and I have very little time to spare, so it might seem like a pointless expenditure. Not so. “Next generation” gaming consoles like the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 (PS3) are much more than just gaming consoles; they are entertainment centers in a box – the link that brings all your digital content from your PC to your living room and onto your TV. With one of these sleek boxes hooked up to your TV and your home network, either wired or wireless, you can enjoy all your music, photos and video without having to plant your butt in the office chair.

Out of the box, both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 will link up to your existing network and let you access your photos and music to be displayed on your TV. Until recently, you were only able to play limited video content but that changed this last month with major updates to both consoles and now you are able to stream most video content including DivX and XviD files straight from your PC to your TV. Why is this important you ask? Well, most high quality video content on the web (legal as well as illegal) uses these two compression formats and until now the only way to get these onto your TV would be a complicated home entertainment PC setup or a DVD player that supported DivX. With the new updates, these cumbersome walkarounds are a thing of the past.

In addition, the two boxes support the new HD video formats HD-DVD and Blue-Ray respectively. An Xbox 360 with an HD DVD Player runs you about $600 (CDN) depending on the model and a PS3 goes for $400 (CDN) so if you are looking to buy HD disc players for your fancy new TV, your money is better spent on these gaming boxes than a dedicated player simply because they are cheaper and you get more out of the box.

Both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 are bridging the illusive gap between PC and TV, making digital content more accessible to everyone. They are easy to set up, intuitive to use and relatively cheap. So if your kid wants one for Christmas, you should remember that the term “next-gen gaming console” means that it packs far more than just games and that you’ll probably get as much use out of it as your kids will.

Oh, and did I mention they come with unbreakable parental controls?

Buy an Xbox 360 with an HD DVD Player

Buy a PS3

Angela isn’t a big fan of tooting her own horn, but that doesn’t mean I can’t. This morning one of the world’s most recognized gadget and technology blogs Gizmodo.com featured the Dabbler.ca video from a while back about Oakley’s Rolling ‘O’ Lab. The Giz guys found it in a post about the Lab on NotCot.com. So, in the true spirit of Black Friday and the blogosphere, here’s a link back to the gadget gurus.

Gizmodo.com via NotCot.com