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SELENE to moon: Konichiwa!

Guess who's going to the moon? All systems are go for Japan's first lunar orbiter, scheduled for liftoff on August 16. The $269 million probe, called SELENE, is four years behind schedule. Japan's space agency did launch a moon probe in 1990, but that was just a fly-by mission — unlike SELENE, which should actually orbit the moon. Researchers will use data from the probe to study the moon's orgin and evolution.

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A Blockbuster decision

If you've been holding off on buying one of those next-generation DVD players, waiting to find out which format will win the war, there's news from the electronic industry's front lines this morning.

Blockbuster is expected to announce today that it will rent high-definition DVDs only in the Blu-ray format when it expands its offerings next month at 1450 rental outlets. That's a major setback for the rival HD-DVD format.

In explaining this decision, a Blockbuster executive tells The Associated Press consumers who've been renting limited releases so far have been choosing Blu-ray more than 70 percent of the time, a message he says the rental giant can't ignore.

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Bracing for iPhone

If you need anything from your neighborhood Apple or AT&T store, might we suggest you go before June 29. That's when Apple's highly-anticipated iPhone goes on sale and it's expected to cause quite a commotion. The device will only be available at those shops, and demand is expected to be so great that AT&T is hiring 2,000 temporary workers as well as enhanced security to handle the extra shoppers for a couple months.
Of course, they might get bored pretty quickly. AT&T execs are predicting that iPhone will sell out within a day, maybe two.

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Even the Jetsons had to push buttons

Maybe the future really is here. Long gone are the days of getting up and walking over to the TV to change the channel. Ah, the remote. But we still have to manage not to lose it in the sofa cushions. And push all those pesky buttons. But maybe not for much longer...

Hitachi is developing a new device — a "brain-machine interface" — that turns your thoughts into a remote control. That's right, you just think about changing the channel. It detects changes in blood flow in certain areas of the brain and converts those thoughts into electric signals.

Now before you get too worked up about the perils of laziness, consider this: Besides taking all the exercise out of watching TV, this technology could also help paralyzed people operate wheelchairs or speak. Honda wants to apply it to driving.

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X-tra huge repair bill for Microsoft

A billion dollars is a lot of money, even for Microsoft. The company says it'll spend at least that much to fix the Xbox 360 and reimburse customers in what could be the biggest warranty repair bill for any consumer electronics product ever.

The game console has a major hardware problem that causes it to shut down. Gamers call it the Red Ring of Death because three lights start flashing when the console is about to die on them. Microsoft is also extending the warranty on the Xbox from one to three years.

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Another iRumor

News of a possible "iPhone Nano" has Apple watchers abuzz this week. Citing an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, JP Morgan analyst Kevin Chang outlined plans for a smaller, cheaper version of the iPhone. The patent app refers to a handheld device with a scroll wheel control — like an iPhone version of the iPod Nano music player according to Chang, who said to look for a fourth quarter launch and a price tag around $300 or lower. Apple's not commenting.

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Apple profits soar on sales of iPods, computers

Wednesday's earnings report from Apple was pretty eye-popping: a 73 percent jump in profit. The iPhone may have been grabbing the limelight lately, but it was sales of iPods and Mac computers that stole the show in the second quarter. Apple shares were up nearly 10 percent in after-hours trading to $150.

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Not as romantic as old-fashioned stargazing, but...

It's amazing what you can see now without even leaving your computer chair. Like the universe. Today, Google launches a new service called Sky. It's part of Google Earth, only it looks the other way, so you can view stars and constellations and galaxies. Google says the project came up because some of its engineers thought it was cool. To download Sky, you just need the latest version of Google Earth.

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Who says hacking doesn't pay?

The New Jersey teenager who hacked the iPhone is getting a new sports car for his troubles. And a job. 17-year-old George Hotz struck a deal with a cell phone repair company in Kentucky called Certicell. He gave the company his two unlocked iPhones; They gave him a Nissan 350z. Hotz figured out how to make the iPhone work on cell networks other than AT&T. A spokesman for Certicell says the company has no plans to commercialize Hotz's discovery, but they would like to hire him as a consultant. In the meantime, he's off to the Rochester Institute of Technology.

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Teen horror: Parents get cell phone control

Rob Zombie's "Halloween" remake brought in a record-breaking $31 million in its Labor Day weekend debut, but the nightmare may be just beginning for teens across America. AT&T announced today it's launching a service that'll give parents control over when their kids' cell phones can make and receive calls — and to whom — as well as the ability to put restrictions on text messages, conversation length and what can or can't be downloaded. The "Smart Limits" program will cost an extra $5 a month. Disney Mobile and a couple smaller upstarts offer similar parental control services, but AT&T is the nation's largest wireless carrier. Any bets on how long it takes one of these kids to find a hack?

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Sorry your iPhone cost so much

You could almost hear the collective "Duuuuuuude..." of early adopting iPhone buyers when CEO Steve Jobs announced yesterday that Apple was slashing the price of its 8GB iPhone from $599 to $399 — effective immediately. Jobs also announced the discontinuation of the 4GB model, available for only $299 while supplies last. If you want the cheaper model, you'd better hurry to your local Apple store, it's already vanished from the company website.

Investors saw the price cut as a sign of weakness and dumped Apple shares. They were down more than 5 percent yesterday, which helped to send the stock market lower.

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Sharing no longer against the Microsoft code

Microsoft's code for the Windows operating system is closely guarded. That's been a problem for so-called open-source software developers. They want the code. It would help them design programs to run more smoothly with Windows. The European Commission ruled against Microsoft in 2004 for being anti-competitive. But now, Microsoft made a major reversal in a deal with the E.C. They'll share the code with open-source developers.

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Cell phones and technology go hand in hand

Blame it on the iPhone and BlackBerry, Americans are spending more than ever on mobile phones. Bloomberg reports U.S. customers paid 40 percent more for handsets last quarter compared to a year ago. That of course means higher sales for Apple and Research In Motion. It could also translate into boosts for rivals like Nokia and Sony Ericsson.

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FDA approves cloned meat

Here's something sure to stir up some moo's and boo's. The Wall Street Journal is saying this morning the FDA is set to give cloned meat the OK as soon as next week. The Journal isn't naming its source. The announcement would be huge for a small group of biotech firms that want to produce copies of prize dairy cows and animals. Cloned cattle cost $15,000-$20,000 a copy.
Many consumer groups oppose cloned food. FDA approval could lead to backlashes from Congress and the European Union.

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No Microsoft competitor for iPhone

Bill Gates isn't going near an iPhone, and neither is Microsoft. Gates told a German newspaper today his company will not launch a product to compete with Apple's superstar phone. Gates says when it comes to the so-called smart phone business, Microsoft is focusing on software. The Windows Mobile program has partnerships with cell-phone makers like Samsung and Motorola.

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iWon't-be-in-China

Plans to launch the iPhone in China have been disconnected. Apple and China Mobile have called off talks to launch the popular product. Some experts say the iPhone faced a lot of technical and fee issues unique to China, including a standard revenue-sharing agreement China Mobile didn't like too much. Chatter about getting the iPhone into China helped pushed Apple's stock up more than 10 percent in November.

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In House of the Future, house organizes you

It'll look like a typical suburban home on the outside, but inside, it's the House of the Future.
Disneyland is bringing back "The House of the Future" this May. It was a popular attraction at the Southern California park in the 1950's. Back then, it showed visitors futuristic gadgets like hands-free phones, wall-sized TVs, and even electric toothbrushes. In 2008, the future means kitchen counters that can identify groceries and make menu suggestions, and closets that provide fashion tips.

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The winner of the DVD wars is . . .

It appears that questions over what would be the DVD format of the future have been answered. And the winner is Sony. The competition was between and Sony's Blu Ray disks and Toshiba's HD DVD. Both offered superior clarity and picture, but neither were compatible with the other. And though Toshiba did not say they were defeated, today they admitted they'd review their HD DVD strategy. Probably the clearest losers are the estimated one million people around the world who have already bought HD DVD players.

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...Actually, the winner of the DVD format war is everyone

Apparently there are no hard feelings between Toshiba and Sony after the end of the DVD format war. The two companies announced a joint venture today to start making advanced chips. The chips are used in Sony's PlayStation as well as digital items from Toshiba. Toshiba is paying $835 million for Sony's semiconductor operations. That gives Toshiba 60 percent ownership.

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Happy Birthday, deskjet printer!

The deskjet printer is celebrating a big day today. It's 20 years old. Hewlett Packard rolled out the deskjet in 1988. Back then it weighed 14 pounds and cost $1,000. These days it costs less than one hundred dollars. HP has sold more than 200 million in the past two decades.

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Gates to Congress: More foreign workers, please

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is heading to Capitol Hill today to talk about an issue he's brought up before. He wants the government to issue more visas for highly-skilled workers. Gates says changes to immigration laws are necessary for the U.S. to remain competitive in the technology sector. Right now, the H1-B visa cap is at 65,000 people. In 2007, that quota was filled the first day applications were accepted. Gates is also calling for more math, science, and engineering programs in schools.

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They hung out, but nothing happened

Senior execs at Microsoft and Yahoo got together again this week to talk about their proposed merger but there was no spark. The Wall Street Journal says Yahoo didn't show much passion since Microsoft is unwilling to raise its bid for the web company. Microsoft offered to buy Yahoo at the end of January for about $42 billion but Yahoo turned it down.

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