Nikon D300s officially announced -- 720p/24 movie mode with autofocus and mic input

Well well, Nikon managed to keep the big secret about the new D300s under wraps even as everything else was leaked in the past few weeks: the new $1,799.95 body will shoot 24fps 720p video with contrast-detect autofocus and offers an external mic input. That's basically every would-be DSLR videographer's major wishlist right there -- sure, 1080p would have been nice, but we'll take better sound over a couple more lines of resolution any day. Other highlights include a 12.3 megapixel DX sensor, 51-point autofocus, and 7fps burst shooting, as well as those dual CF and SD card slots and a 920k pixel screen. Yeah, it's looking like a real beast -- that DX sensor probably doesn't have Canon 5D Mark II fans worried, but if you're looking to get into DSLR video this looks like the new cam to beat.

Its Official! Ferrari Confirm Michael Schumacher will Replace Felipe Massa

Michael Schumacher on Wednesday announced he is looking forward to the challenge of replacing his injured former Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa at forthcoming grands prix.

"I met this afternoon with Stefano Domenicali and Luca di Montezemolo and together we decided that I will prepare myself to take the place of Felipe," the 40-year-old German, who retired in 2006, said.

Schumacher hung up his helmet as a record-holding seven time world champion and winner of 91 grands prix and insists he has never regretted his decision.

"Though it is true that the formula one chapter was completely closed for me a long time ago, it is also true that for loyalty reasons to the team I cannot ignore (this) unfortunate situation," he added.

"But as the competitor I am I also very much look forward to facing this challenge," said Schumacher.

Ferrari also confirmed the news, following reports in the respectively German and Swiss newspapers Bild and Blick.The Italian team said it will enter Schumacher as the alternative competitor of Massa's car number 3 following a training programme for the German, who earlier this year hurt his neck in a motorcycle testing crash.

"I really can't tell you if his neck would be fine to drive an F1 race ... and remember he is a 40-year-old man, too," Schumacher's spokeswoman Sabine Kehm said on Tuesday.

More Nikon D300s sightings in lead up to rumored July 30th announcement

Nikon's D300s seems to be having a hard time staying out of the viewfinder of other cameras, as the DSLR has popped up both in a nondescript close-up shot and in the hands of the president of a Nikon distributor at a Nikon Club gather in the Philippines. Same observations as last time, from what we can tell it's got the same body as the D300 but with holes that suggest a mic input below the logo, although we've seen hints of a SD card slot in previous leaks. As for when we'll be seeing the official debut, Nikon Rumors has a pretty good track record when it comes to these things, and it's reporting with near-absolute certainty that the company has lined up a press conference that'll take place either July 29th in the UK or 30th in Stockholm, Sweden, and a second date for August 4th in Sweden. The first event is expected to be the unveiling for D300s and D3000

and the second some new point and shoots -- or it could be the other way around. Either way, with any luck all these uncertainties will work themselves out by the end of next week at the latest.

THQ's CEO joins the fun, says Natal is coming "late next year"

So, let's recap. We've got Microsoft's own Steve Ballmer on record saying that the company's Project Natal is on track for a 2010 release, a redaction of said statement, and a slimy report
"With respect to the cycle itself, if you look at what's happening in the industry, the fact that we have for example, Natal from Microsoft, a platform addition coming late next year." from overseas noting that the motion-sensing accessory is slated for a 2H 2010 launch. Just in case you needed one more modicum of evidence that Natal is headed for Christmas trees far and wide next year, THQ CEO Brian Farrell has said as much on the company's Q1 earnings call. To quote:

2010 Saab 9-5

Ferrari 458 Italia Revealed

Ferrari has officially taken the wraps off their highly anticipated F430 replacement, the 458 Italia.

Described as a "massive leap forward" and a "genuine departure from the current range", Ferrari considers the new supercar to be "a synthesis of style, creative flair, passion and cutting-edge technology."

Boasting a futuristic Pininfarina design, the 458 Italia has a compact aerodynamic shape which helps to reduce drag and improve downforce (which is 140 kg at 200km/h). The front end features a bold grille which houses small aero-elastic winglets "which generate downforce and, as speed rises, deform to reduce the section of the radiator inlets and cut drag." Elsewhere, the car features small openings between the hood and headlights for added engine cooling. Out back, the 458 has aggressive rear end which houses a massive diffuser, California-style taillights, and three center-mounted exhaust tips.

Jonah Hex Poster

Fox Announces Avatar Day

On August 21, the world will get its first look at director James Cameron's motion picture epic Avatar, when Twentieth Century Fox and Cameron debut the film's trailer everywhere - while select cinemas and IMAX® theaters will screen extended footage prepared by the renowned filmmaker for this global "Avatar Day" event.

The worldwide trailer launch will be presented in all formats, including IMAX® 3-D, IMAX® 2-D, digital 3-D, digital 2-D, and 35mm 2-D. The trailer will also be available online.

The extended look at Avatar will unspool only on August 21 - and only in 3-D - in select theaters and IMAX®. Details on locations and reserving tickets for this extraordinary and unprecedented experience will be announced soon.

In addition on the 21st, Ubisoft® will unveil the trailer for their videogame James Cameron's Avatar: The Game, and Mattel will reveal the action figures for the film's Avatar and alien Na'vi characters.

Avatar takes us to a spectacular new world beyond our imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption, discovery and unexpected love, as he leads a heroic battle to save a civilization. The film was first conceived by Cameron 14 years ago, when the means to realize his vision did not yet exist. Now, after four years of actual production work, Avatar

Avatar opens in theaters everywhere December 18, 2009. delivers a fully immersive cinematic experience of a new kind, where the revolutionary technology invented to make the film, disappears into the emotion of the characters and the sweep of the story.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro Transformers Special Edition

Chevy used the Comic-Con festival in San Diego to launch their new limited edition Transformers Camaro.

The special edition features "Autobot" logos on the front quarter panels, wheel caps, and center console. Other design touches include a Rally Yellow exterior, branded sill plates, and a Transformers logo embedded in the black rally stripes on the hood.

According to Samantha Lomow, Global Brand Leader for Transformers at Hasbro, "Hasbro is thrilled to team up with Chevrolet and excited to see the Camaro Transformers Special Edition come to market for our fans to enjoy. The yellow Camaro with the black stripes has become so iconic and closely associated with the Bumblebee character that this edition was a natural fit for both companies."

Priced from $995, the Transformers package is available on all Chevrolet Camaros.

Bugatti Bordeaux second teaser image surfaces

A second teaser image of Bugatti's upcoming Bordeaux super sedan has surfaced.

Like the first teaser, that we brought you earlier this week, the new picture shows the rear end of Bugatti's highly anticipated sedan. While we can't make out a lot of details, it is clear the Bordeaux features a distinctive design thanks to two horizontal horseshoe taillights and a large vertical center taillight which suggests the car may have a split rear window. Below the unique lighting display, we can see twin sets of quad tailpipes.

Nikon addresses major D5000 glitch

We've fondled Nikon's D5000 SLR, stacked it against the competition, and read no shortage of reviews. In general everyone seems to love the camera, but there's apparently one, big, nagging problem: the durned thing won't always turn on. That's obviously a no-nonsense sort of glitch and thankfully Nikon isn't beating around the bush when it comes to addressing it, posting a service advisory today and pledging to follow up next week with a full list of affected serial numbers. If you're unlucky enough to be mentioned you'll sadly need to part with your hot new body and let Nikon tear it open, but the company will at least cover shipping to and fro. That's something, right?

source : engadget.com

Manchester United Asia Tour/Training Session @ National Stadium Bukit Jalil

Atlona HD-AiR wireless HDMI system

One of our ultimate dream gadgets has long been a dead-simple wireless HDMI dongle for our laptops -- something that would let us just throw a window (say, Hulu) up on our HDTV without a lot of fuss, cables, or configuration. So obviously we were pretty excited to try out the $199 Atlona Technologies HD-AiR, which marries Wireless USB with DisplayLink and promises to send 720p video directly from your laptop to a base station with VGA and HDMI outputs up to 30 feet away -- until we received the box and noted the small print saying that it doesn't support audio. Hopes: dashed.

On top of that, we're not sure if it's DisplayLink, Wireless USB, or some combination of the two, but the video link seemed pretty bandwidth-starved -- full-screen video was close to unwatchable, PowerPoint transitions were kinda jerky, and even just moving windows around was pretty choppy. For such a promising -- and much-needed -- device, the HD-AiR just doesn't get it done. Atlona says the next version will have audio support and 1080p video support using the next generation of DisplayLink chips and drivers, but we'd hope the company's engineers spend a little more time in the lab polishing up their 720p framerates before they push this thing any farther.

Natalie Portman Cast as Jane Foster in Thor!

Marvel Studios announced today that Academy Award® nominated actress Natalie Portman has been cast to star as Jane Foster in the studio's highly anticipated movie Thor.

In the early Thor comics, Jane Foster was a nurse who became Thor's first love. The character will be updated for the feature adaptation.

Portman will star opposite Chris Hemsworth who will play Thor and Tom Hiddleston who will play the villain Loki. Kenneth Branagh will direct the film.

Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige will produce Thor. Principal photography for the film is set for early 2010. The film will be released in the US on May 20, 2011 and distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Marvel Studios expands its film universe with a new type of super hero: Thor. This epic adventure spans the Marvel Universe; from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is The Mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.

Japan Most Popular DSLR Camera Sales Ranking in June 2009 - #1 Canon Rebel T1i

According to the BCN analysis of DSLR sales trend in Japan for the most popular DSLR camera in June 2009, the Canon EOS Kiss X3 (aka Rebel T1i & 500D) took the #1 spot for 2 consecutive weeks, it is Canon mid-range DSLR camera that can support 1080p HD video footage at 20fps and 720p video at a smoother 30fps, all while carrying a 15.1 megapixel CMOS sensor that offers a boosted ISO of up to 12,800. It is the second Canon DSLR to offer video recording after the professional 5D Mark II$729.

The second ranking is the older Nikon D40, which lacks a lot of the latest features like liveview or video capability, its #2 position is likely due to the promotional drop in price that generate bigger sales quantity as the model will be out of production soon. The total sales share of Canon among the top 10 is 30.5%, which is lower than Nikon at 32.1%. Panasonic is the distant third at 9% and Sony is last at 3.5% with only one DSLR-A300 model on the top 10 list. Next month sales figure will be interesting as there will be two new cameras coming to the market. The highly praised Pentax K-7Olympus PEN E-P1. Pentax K-7 was announced on May 19, 2009 and is a 14.6 megapixel sensor shift stabilized DSLR that features 720p/1080i HD video recording, magnesium/steel alloy body, 3 inch LCD, 1/8000th shutter speed, dust removal system, HDMI output, dedicated ISO button, distortion and chromatic aberration correction, adjustable dynamic range highlight and shadow correction, 3-shot in-camera HDR capture. Amazon.com now estimates shipment of Pentax K-7 to begin on July 7 and is priced at $1,299.95. model. The lowest price for the Rebel T1i camera is around and the

Here is the top 10 DLSR camera sales ranking in June 2009:

Rank	Maker	DSLR Model	Launch Date	Megapixels	Sales Share
1	Canon	EOS Kiss X3 (aka Rebel T1i & 500D)	3/25/2009	15.1	16.8%
2	Nikon	D40	11/16/2006	6.1	10.1%
3	Canon	EOS Kiss X2 (aka Rebel XSi & 450D)	1/24/2008	12.2	9.3%
4	Nikon	D5000	4/14/2009	12.3	8.7%
5	Nikon	D90	8/27/2008	12.3	8.1%
6	Panasonic	Lumix DMC-G1	9/12/2008	12.1	6.4%
7	Nikon	D60	1/29/2008	10.2	5.2%
8	Canon	EOS 50D	8/26/2008	15.1	4.4%
9	Sony	Alpha DSLR-A300	1/30/2008	10.2	3.5%
10	Panasonic	Lumix DMC-GH1	3/3/2009	12.1	2.6%

Source: BNC Ranking data for the month of June

Xbox 360 is only console to grow sales this year, Microsoft says

Microsoft said sales of its Xbox 360 game console grew 20% in the first half of 2009, citing figures from NPD Group. The Redmond, Wash., technology company crowed that the data show it was the only major console to increase hardware sales this year (implying that sales of Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PlayStation 3 were down from last year).

Microsoft credits its growth to the $199 price tag for the basic version of the Xbox 360. The Wii is $249 and the PS3 sells for $399.

Games for the Xbox 360 snagged four of the top 10 best-selling titles for June, according to Microsoft. Those include Prototype from Activision, Fight Night 4 from Electronic Arts, UFC 2009 Undisputed from THQ, and Red Faction Guerrilla, also from THQ.

In a release entitled "Xbox 360: The Industry's Sole Bright Spot in 2009" and e-mailed to journalists, Microsoft said 85% of its 20 million active Xbox Live users have downloaded digital content onto the console in the last 12 months.

How does that compare with its rivals? We'll see when NPD releases its U.S. sales figures later this afternoon.

• US Hardware in June 2009

  TITLE	ACTUAL UNITS	EXPECTED UNITS	% FROM EXPECTED
  Nintendo DS	766,500	684,000	+12.03%
  Nintendo Wii	361,700	350,000	+3.34%
  Xbox 360	240,600	210,000	+14.57%
  PLAYSTATION 3	164,700	170,000	-3.29%
  PlayStation Portable	163,500	133,300	+22.66%
  PlayStation 2	152,700	--	--
  Total Hardware Units (excludes PS2)	1,697,000	1,547,800	+9.64%

Microsoft: Natal isn't the only new hardware coming for Xbox

In an (update: now online) interview with trade magazineMCV, Phil Spencer has said that Project Natal is just one of several planned hardware innovations that could replace the need for a next-generation Xbox 360. When talking about Natal, he states, "It's not about trying to sell consumers a new piece of hardware at the wrong time, it's about evolving the platform continuously. And we are going to find things, like Natal, that are hardware related to also do that." Could this mean that Microsoft has another peripheral in the works? It's pure speculation at the moment, but Microsoft has always spent big on research and development so there's doubtless more stuff in the labs it can bring out.

Audi A5 Sportback officially revealed in depth

Audi officially went public with the new Audi A5 Sportback today following months of leaks, teasers, photo shoots, and spy shots. We have seen undisguised photos of the A5 Sportback before, but never this many, and never so high quality. The vehicle features a smooth design that makes the car look much less like a wagon than the A3 Sportback, while sitting 36mm lower than the A4 sedan. Frameless doors definitely add to the car's clean look. The nicely-angled side windows, ringed in chrome, show off a sporty look with a flowing roofline. Inside, customers can create either a monotone or contrasting look. Four individual seats are surrounded with a comfortable amount of space no matter how big the passenger.

At 480 liters, Audi also provided nearly the same amount of cargo space as the A4 Avant. Under the hood, we were hoping for at least one higher-powered engine. Three petrol engines include 180 and 211 horsepower variants of the 2.0-liter TFSI unit, and a 3.2-liter V6 model providing 265 horsepower. If it is diesel you prefer, you can choose the incredibly efficient 2.0-liter TDI. The 170 hp unit uses just 5.2 liters of fuel per 100 km, or rougly 45+ mpg. A start/stop system helps increase fuel efficiency. The other TDI engines are a 190 hp 2.7-liter unit and a 3.0-liter, 240 horsepower model. The 2.0 TFSI quattro, the 3.2 FSI quattro and the 3.0 TDI quattro models are available with the seven-speed S-tronic gearbox.

Modern Warfare 2's Prestige Edition includes fully functioning night vision goggles

Now this is how you do a special edition. Activision and Infinity Ward look to be going all out for its Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 "Prestige Edition," with not only the usual accoutrements like a special casing and an art book, but also what is described by Community Manager Robert "fourzerotwo" Bowling as a "fully functioning NVGs -- night vision goggles." No idea how well they work, but it's got alternating modes and MW2 branding. That's pretty awesome, but we gotta imagine it's gonna demand a pretty penny -- this is definitely more than that $80 "collector's edition" for $80 GameStop is currently listing. You won't be able to get your actual hands on the game until November at the earliest, so in the meantime, hit up the read link to get a glimpse of the "official" unboxing.

‘Transformers’ on all-time top 20 list

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” the new Paramount Pictures movie based on Hasbro Inc.’s toy brand, is already the 16th-highest grossing film ever in the United States after just 16 days in release, according to Box Office Mojo.

The “Transformers” sequel sold a total of $339.22 million in tickets domestically between its opening on June 24 and last Sunday, the research firm reported.

That eye-popping haul put the movie at 16th place on Box Office Mojo’s list of the movies with the biggest domestic grosses, ahead of “Spider-Man 3” (2007) and behind “Finding Nemo” (2003). The list is not adjusted for inflation.

The movie also is now ranked ahead of the original “Transformers” film, which came out in 2007, on the list. The first movie ranks 21st with $319.25 million in domestic ticket sales, according to Box Office Mojo.

After last weekend, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” has already nearly matched the total worldwide gross of the first film in the “Transformers” series. The second “Transformers” has made $703.44 million worldwide in two and a half weeks, only slightly less than the 2007 film’s final tally of $708.27 million globally.

Richard Corliss, a film critic for Time magazine, also pointed out that “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” has now made more money domestically than any of the “Harry Potter” or “Pirates of the Caribbean” films.

Astana controls first Tour week

Galloping sprints, dramatic crashes, French victories and inner rivalries added to the excitement of the first week of the 2009 Tour de France. Saxo Bank may have spent the first six stages with the maillot jaune on Fabian Cancellara's shoulders, Columbia-HTC may have taken two stages with Mark Cavendish, but all eyes were focused on Team Astana and the Tour de France comeback of its most famous rider.

With the return of Lance Armstrong, the Tour has enjoyed bigger crowds, more press and undoubtedly more drama than it has seen since he left the sport back in 2005. His battle to establish himself as leader of his team was the theme of the first week, even if, as his team likes to claim, much of it was fabricated by the press.

Round one, the opening time trial, saw Contador get a leg up in the leadership department with a second place finish, laying claim to the race's first mountains jersey. Armstrong finished a solid 10th place but on stage three he set tongues a-wagging by leaving Contador behind when the field was split in strong crosswinds by Team Columbia-HTC. With that move he pulled himself into third overall, 19 seconds ahead of his Spanish teammate.

Harmony was restored within the Kazakh-backed team's camp in time for the Astana squad to smash the overall classification to bits in the team time trial. Many a GC hopeful lost his chance at winning the Tour on that fateful day and Armstrong came within fractions of a second of claiming his beloved maillot jaune.

That stage might have been the 37-year-old's best chance of taking the lead in the race, however. Three days later, on the climb to Andorra Arcalis, Contador stamped his authority on the race and the role of team leader with a stunning, final-kilometre attack that was apparently, 'not according to the plan'.

Showing that there may be no need to ban race radios, opening-week breakaways had unprecedented success this year - on three separate occasions the victor from the escape came from the race's host nation and won for a French team. Thomas Voeckler and Pierrick Fedrigo made Bouygues Telecom's Tour a huge success with wins, while newcomer Brice Feillu gave Agritubel a dramatic victory in Andorra.