Bites

The Age

Thursday December 11, 2008

Adam Turner

SOUNDS GOOD

TALK of the music CD's demise continues with the release of albums on USB sticks. Local artists including the John Butler Trio, Lior and Regurgitator's Quan have already signed up to release music using the new USB DDA format, which was developed in Melbourne. Tracks can be backed up into an online locker system, which makes your music accessible from multiple computers and mobile phones. Users will also have access to a wealth of bonus content provided by artists on an ongoing basis, such as photos, videos, lyrics, artwork, new tracks and even concert tickets.

www.dda4me.com

GOOGLE CALLING

BUCKING the trend of Australia waiting years to see the latest technology, Google's highly anticipated Android mobile phone is coming to these shores in January. Android isn't actually a phone, it's the software that runs on a phone. While Apple locks down its iPhone tighter than a padlock, or at least tries to, Google has made the Android software open-source and freely available for any phone maker to use. As a result, Australia is set to become the second country in the world to get an Android-powered "gPhone", thanks to local company Kogan Technologies. Kogan sells a wide range of audiovisual gear custom made in China, recently releasing Australia's cheapest Blu-ray player at $349. Now Kogan has unveiled the Agora ($299) and Agora Pro ($399) - two Android-powered phones set to shake up the Australian phone market. Forget expensive contracts. Forget being locked into using one phone network. The Agora phones can be bought outright and will work with any phone network, posing a serious challenge to expensive smartphones from the likes of Apple, Blackberry and Nokia that are often available only on expensive contracts. The Kogan's Android-powered Agora phones also play music and videos, display photos as well as letting you access the internet. They're designed to tie in seamlessly with Google's wealth of web-based services such as search, webmail, calendar, maps and instant messaging as well as YouTube. The phones feature a 2.5-inch touch screen display, built-in full QWERTY keyboard, 3G connectivity and a microSD expansion card slot. The Pro version adds wifi, GPS and a two-megapixel camera.

www.kogan.com.au

A SLICE OF THE ACTION

THE new TiVo personal video recorder aims to be your best friend in the lounge room. Not only will it record your favourite shows each week, soon it will let you order a pizza without getting off the couch. TiVo's backers have struck a deal with Dominos to let you order a pizza through your television and have it delivered to your door. Now we're waiting for news of the TiVo door latch attachment, so the delivery boy can drop the pizza into your lap without you having to move a muscle.

www.tivo.com.au

SHUT UP AND SHOP

DON'T think you can take refuge in computer games from the onslaught of advertising. Microsoft subsidiary Massive has been previewing games slated for 2009 along with offering big business the first dibs on advertising space within the games. In-game advertising reached a new high (or perhaps low) this year with Massive dropping Barack Obama advertising billboards into nine games on Microsoft's Xbox Live network. Massive has also signed a deal with Activision to deliver ads within 18 of its PC and Xbox 360 games, including Guitar Hero III, Tony Hawk's Proving Ground and AMAX Racing.

IS THIS SOME KIND OF BUST?

POLICE have arrested two Brisbane men charged with allegedly making $10,000 a month by managing an illegal offshore video-sharing website with 400,000 international members. It is alleged the men facilitated the transfer of more than 10,000 terabytes of information, equivalent to 14.3million copies of videos and television programs. The pair have been released on bail until December 18, when they will front the Brisbane Magistrates Court. If found guilty, they each face a maximum 10 years' jail or $66,000 in fines.

www.afact.org.au

NOW HEAR THIS

NOT content with annoying teenagers with a high-pitched squeal designed to drive them away from public places, Welsh firm Compound Security Systems has developed a new "anti-vandal" device capable of disturbing the peace of many more people. The original Mosquito device, launched in 2005, emits an irritating high-pitched pulse which, at 17kilohertz, most people aged under 20 can hear but almost nobody over 30 can. The new version can operate at a lower eight-kilohertz frequency that adults can hear as well, making it the perfect device for infuriating everyone within earshot.

www.compoundsecurity.co.uk

-- ADAM TURNER

© 2008 The Age

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