TG Daily is reporting that Circuit City has begun spring-cleaning on HD DVDs by offering them with discounts up to 50 percent. Can anyone confirm this?

Usually we like to write posts that have some sort of certainty about them, “iPhones have multitouch!” or things of that nature. For this, we cannot, as the point of the article is the unknown nature of the iPhone in Canadia.

Everyone sort of assumed it would go to Rogers, as Rogers is Canadia’s only real nationwide GSM provider. But if that’s the case, it should have started selling by now.

Canadia is about to have a bandwidth auction much as we just did, and Niagra Networks Inc., a mysterious networking company, plans to bid on much of the spectrum that can be used for GSM. Both AT&T and T-Mobile are rumored to be partnered with Niagra, who’d likely start up a new GSM network.

That being said, all of this is a little problematic for a quick launch of the iPhone, so we still see Apple and Rogers trying to work something out for June.

The Linux Foundation announced today that Adobe has joined the Foundation and that AIR (AIR runs and creates Web apps that run both off and online) will roll out onto Linux platforms shortly if not already. The newest member to the Foundation wants to help Linux become a leading platform for Web 2.0 technologies and rich Internet applications.

“Adobe’s decision to join the LF is a natural extension of its commitment to open standards and open source, which demonstrates its leadership and foresight in the software industry,” said Jim Zemlin, executive director at The Linux Foundation. “Adobe’s membership will contribute to our goal of increasing even more application development on Linux with a specific emphasis on Web 2.0 applications.”

“Adobe delivers key RIA technologies for Linux users, such as Adobe® Flash® Player and now Adobe AIR™, to deploy RIAs in the browser and on the desktop,” said David McAllister, director of standards and open source at Adobe. “The Linux Foundation is a valuable resource, providing a forum where we can work with the community to ensure Adobe RIA technologies are compatible across the Linux software platform.”

A recent poll of 2,000 international online marketers has revealed that Apple is the most successful brand in the world. Virgin, Google, Coca-Cola and Nike were right behind Apple in the polling that asked marketers which brands they wanted to sit next to at a dinner party and which would be the most successful in the future, among others. Apple took home six of the 10 categories while Microsoft took home two accolades I’m sure they’d rather forget about. The pollsters wanted to argue and rebrand the Redmond giant. D’oh.

Great. Super. Fantastic! As if I’m not neurotic enough, Scienticians or some dudes have postulated that we’re suffering from a new type of mental disorder known as nomophobia — the fear of being without your mobile phone.

No,they’re serious, and I’m afraid I suffer from the affliction.

If I leave my house for an important meeting and I’ve forgotten my phone, I turn around and go get it. I’d rather be late than disconnected.

And my therapist wonders why I can’t get any sleep.

High res

Any MotoGP fans in the crowd? Well, whatever. I’m a fan. Today, Capcom announced that they’ve acquired the exclusive platform rights to MotoGP through 2012. That means, you might see a MotoGP title on all platforms sans the Nintendo DS. The picture above should not be misconstrued, as I am not a Valentino Rossi supporter or Yamaha fan. I used to root for Sete Gibernau until he retired.

“We are very excited to have signed this long term agreement with Dorna Sports, which for the first time grants one publisher worldwide multi-platform rights to the adrenaline fuelled world of MotoGP,” said Mark Beaumont, executive vice president, officer and head of Capcom’s consumer software publishing in the Americas and Europe. “We feel this move to a single publisher will greatly benefit our ability to develop titles that deliver more authenticity and excitement to the consumer.”

“Capcom has already shown its ability to deliver a title that captures the essence of MotoGP and we look forward to working with them over the next five years,” said Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports.

These posters at ThinkGeek look pretty excellent. They got the palette right (if they were going for a Soviet look) and the show fits the concept exactly. The WWII-submarine-esque world of Galactica seems a natural fit for the “ENLIST!” look of these posters. It’s just in time for the season premiere this Friday, though you’ll have to order fast if you want to decorate your filthy hovel with these things in time for your nerdy party.
[via GeekSugar]

The first news is trickling out of CTIA and we’re actually quite impressed with this little bugger. It’s called the Cell Ranger and it’s a USB-powered cellular repeater that improves cell reception almost anywhere.

The Cell Ranger line includes two products: the Cell Ranger STIX is powered by a standard automotive 12 volt power supply; the Cell Ranger PORT is powered by a computer’s USB port and does not require software or drivers. Neither product requires physical connection or “pairing” with the phone. Users simply plug the Cell Ranger unit into the power source and properly place the magnetic antenna. Cell Ranger then automatically detects the closest handset. Cell Ranger can also be used by multiple handsets simultaneously for added convenience.

These little buggers should sell for about $149. We’ve done quite a few posts on cellular repeaters and I’ve found that they markedly improve most “dead zone” situations and even speed up EDGE in some cases.

Sony is partnering with AT&T to bring its back catalog of movies to wireless phones. Using the newly announced MediaFLO network AT&T is rolling out this month, customers will be able to browse, rent, and watch the films on their mobiles.

No word yet on pricing or why anyone would want to watch a movie on a 1.5×2.5-inch screen, but we’re guessing they’re targeting people stuck on tarmacs for hours at airports that don’t care if you live or die.

BlackBerry fans take heed for the BGR has learned a few things about the upcoming BlackBerry 9000.

Everything we reported was true. 624MHz processor, 480×320 screen, GPS, Wi-Fi, 3G, etc.
The web browser flies. “Loads web pages in 3-4 seconds.”
The BlackBerry 9000 in its current state runs OS 4.5
Early launch date was slated for a consumer AT&T launch on June 18th. Remember that we predicted the device was delayed. See below.
The battery lasts around 4 hours with straight phone calling. “Battery sucks, to be honest. With Wi-Fi on, I only got a little less than two hours browsing the web,” and all testers are reporting huge battery issues which could be why we’re all hearing it is delayed.
We’re not sure of the next part, but he said that the device either has 256MB of internal memory or 128MB. Don’t ask why we couldn’t tell the difference.

Blancier is a custom watchmaker. You can go to the site, pick out all the components, and get a handmade watch delivered to your door in a few weeks. I personally reviewed one and I loved it — they used Molnia movements and huge cases and have a neo-classical look that is just amazing. Well, they now have a few other “limited edition” pieces including this model, the Crazy Planet, with the hand drive gears hanging out on the face of the watch. Note: the speed at which this model is running is not quite accurate. I suspect they had an issue in the rendering. Regardless, take a look if you’re into mechanicals. No price or availability yet.

The very-businesslike MOTO Q9c will be available this summer to Alltel subscribers in lime green or “licorice” colors. I certainly don’t mean for anyone to take this personally, but it’s my opinion that lime green is a ridiculous color for a business-oriented cell phone (or any type of gadget, for that matter). That’s just me, though. That’s just me.

I’m guessing that the “licorice” version is a little more subdued, although Motorola’s press release didn’t indicate whether it was red or black licorice. If it’s blazingly bright red in color, you’re going to have to decide which is the lesser of two evils for you. Luckily, it’s black licorice. Trust me.

The Q9c for the Alltel network will be available sometime this summer for $99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and two-year service agreement.

Rumors abound about a potential method for transferring Blu-Ray content to PSPs using, presumably, some sort of Sony software called Portable Copy. Expected launch is later this year but nothing is confirmed but this is definitely something the B-R format was supposed to promote over time. Sadly, this will probably destroy the market for UMD movies. Oh, wait…

Sony Ericsson’s HSDPA Z750a just dropped on AT&T. It will cost $50 after rebate and comes in purple, grey, and pink. It has a 2.0-megapixel camera and runs on AT&T’s 3G network. Sure it’s no X1 or even one their latest UIQ phones, but it’s nice that Sony Ericsson is launching phones in the U.S., right?

I’m actually quite upset. S-E used to be a giant and their phones used to change the game on a regular basis. Now they dump a 3G clamshell every year and call it a day. They’re like my lazy uncle who talks about his days playing college ball.

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It’s only been a few months since MWC 2008 but that doesn’t mean US carriers can’t get in on the new cellphone act. Peter and Doug are winging their way to Las Vegas for CTIA Wireless 2008 as we speak, promising to cover a number of new “cellular telephones” including R.I.M’s new “Blueberry” electronic mail phones and Motorola’s hot RAZR phone that promises to replace the StarTAC. If you’d like to meet up with us on the show floor or at a floor show, drop us a line at tips @ crunchgear.com. You can read our coverage right here.

The DVR565HD from Vivitar should give Sanyo a run for its money. This 1080i video camera has HDMI out and records at 720p at 30 frams a second. No price or availability and I actually forgot that Vivitar still existed.

Microsoft has reportedly inked a deal with Hollywood producer Peter Safran to produce entertainment content for Xbox Live.

Safran’s been tapped to produce genre-specific short episodes (less than 10 minutes) that appeal to 14- to 34-year old males. His client list includes Sean Combs, Nia Vardalos, and filmmakers Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. I know — I’m excited too!

Look for the new content later this year, around fall. Microsoft’s expected to ink similar deals with other content producers as well.

Like the depths of my soul, the Palm Centro from AT&T now comes in obsidian black. While this won’t change the fact that this is a Palm Centro, it’s nice to know that you can now get a Centro in black or white (aka glacier) for $99.99.

Here’s an interesting development: Kyocera is building a new KJ4 series print head that can print at 150 meters per minute at 600×600 dpi, which equates to about 1,000 sheets per minute. Check your box for your current printer’s speed and be amazed.

The head should go into printers next month. Kyocera uses ceramic piezoelectronics to make this 4-inch head squirt out ink faster than a squid at a calamari festival. Sorry for that last joke. It’s early.

Hard, impacted stool? Try Grape Nuts.

Isn’t there a war on? Shouldn’t Sony be doing something better with its R&D budget?