HD-DVDs fall like dominoes

Nothing has been announced, but Variety is reporting that the last two major studios backing HD-DVD - NBC Universal and Paramount - are opening the door for a switch to Blu-Ray, says New York Times.

These studios have commitments to release some discs this year in HD-DVD, but both have ended their exclusive commitment to that format, which is backed by a group led by Toshiba.

This comes after Warner Brothers, which had been issuing movies in both formats, decided to go exclusively with Sony's Blu-Ray format. Variety also reports that retailers may put pressure on Universal and Paramount to back Blu-Ray. Last summer, Blockbuster decided to go with Blu-Ray only.

Microsoft put the kibosh on talk of a dual-boot XO laptop after One Laptop Per Child chairman and founder Nick Negroponte told IDG News Service on Wednesday that the two organisations are working on such a project, reports News.com.

"While we have investigated the possibility in the past, Microsoft is not developing dual-boot Windows XP support for One Laptop Per Child's XO laptop," a Microsoft representative said in a statement yesterday.

While that might appear to be a flat-out denial, in a way, it depends on what your definition of "dual-boot" is.

Results from a year-long study on hi-tech electricity meters found smart grid technology performed as intended, saving consumers about 10% on their bills while easing strain on the power grid, says News.com.

The Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest Laboratory on Wednesday released the findings from its GridWise project, which tested the use of Internet-connected thermostats and other controls in 112 homes in the Seattle area.

Consumers also tried out appliances, like water heaters and dryers, that were able to automatically change their settings according to signals sent by the utility over the power grid.

Sony will discontinue the sale of 20GB and 60GB PlayStation 3 (PS3) models in Japan this month to emphasise a single and more cost-effective 40GB model, which excludes backward compatibility, reports PC World.

The newer 40GB model sells for less in the country than the already discounted and outgoing models; $362 for the 40GB compared to $410 for the 20GB and $501 for the 60GB.

Similar plans are under way in the UK, where Sony has began flushing 60GB inventory at a discounted price in favour of the single 40GB model.