Welcome to Brand New Technology Update. We are a UK Gadget and Technology Blog. Great stuff for all you Gizmo Gadgeteers.

Monday 30 April 2007

Scarface: The World is Yours For The Nintendo Wii

So the next gen version of Scarface: The World Is Yours wont be released on the Xbox 360 and the PS3 after all. Instead it is the Nintendo Wii that has bagged the game. With more drugs, more violence and more effin and c'in than Grand Theft Auto, this could just be the game that transforms the Wii from a "sissy girls mini golf stroller" into a "bad boys blow em away monster!"


The unique control set up can only make this game so much better surely! I will be expecting to receive sore arms from all the grenade throwing frenzy's and cocaine dealing that I'll be doing. It is to be released in June/July and can be pre-ordered from Game now!

Wednesday 4 April 2007

HD-DVD Prices Slashed!

With Sony rolling in the cash on their Blu-Ray PS3 console, Toshiba have decided the only way to compete is by offering a bargain. The Toshiba HD-E1 deck which is normally retailed at £450 (which is a pretty good price anyway) has shed 100 pounds to a very attractive £350. Even better still, Amazon are pushing them for £289.99, an amazing price for this quality player! The HD-E1's slightly more talented brother, the HD-XE1, wont be joining it and will remain at its usual price.

Will Sony retaliate with a cut in the Blu-Ray department though? Well we'll just have to wait and see.

Tuesday 3 April 2007

Worlds First Dog To Sniff Out Mobile Phones In Prisons

Meet Murphy the dog! Murphy is part of the police service, he works as a sniffer dog but wait, Murphy's job isn't to sniff out cigarettes that get you high or powder that makes you fly no, Murphy is the worlds first to dog to be trained to sniff out mobile phones. Mobile phones have become a common accessory to in-mates all over the country, whether its harassing victims, making deals from inside prison or prank phone calls to the wardens office its done using a smuggled in mobile. Not anymore though thanks to Murphy. And the officer of the year award goes to.....


Check out the video of Murphy in action


BT To Stop Its ISDN Service

Some time later on in the year, BT is to withdraw its ISDN service from consumer use. ISDN was the most popular choice of connection between home workers as dial up just wasn't quick enough at accessing data. With broadband deals being as cheap as chips nowadays there is just no need for ISDN BT say, but some people still believe that ISDN is essential for their jobs. According to watchdog Ofcom the UK average speed used by the 50% of adults with broadband is 3.8Mbps. Bit of a step up from the 64Kbps ISDN connection ain't it? The death of ISDN is mostly affecting broadcasters. When filing reports away from base, ISDN has proved to be very useful, unfortunately the technology is being discontinued all over the world leaving many broadcasters with a problem of what to replace it with. Gavin Davis who is head of Glen Sound who make ISDN equipment for the broadcast industry believes that there is nothing that can replace it! as ISDN gives you the same speed upstream and downstream.


I'm not sure but i think BT might just be about to make a bit of a boo boo.

Monday 2 April 2007

DRM Is Being Removed From Music Dowloads!

I wrote a post back in February on this subject, when companies were debating whether or not to abolish DRM from music downloads. At the time it seemed the only label up for it were EMI and they had already started to get rid some of their DRM. The process has now gone a step further and EMI and Apple have joined together to finally scrap these bloody DRM's.

EMI sent out an invitation to a media event today, to the media on Sunday with EMI stating that themselves and Apples Steve Jobs had a new exciting digital offering. The conference is at 1pm today and you can listen to it here

DRM backers say the locks protect the rights of artists and stop wholesale copying of music. Steve Jobs argument is "The abolition of copy protection software known would be good for consumers and music suppliers. Copyright protection has failed to tackle piracy"

I have to say, i very much agree Steve! Get rid of it!