This Week in Tech 83

Our CES and Macworld preview...

• Peter Gutmann has written an analysis of the total cost of the Vista content protection.
• A user named muslix64 has cracked HD-DVD.
• LG will announce a dual-format (HD-DVD and Blu-Ray) player. Leo believes this news enough to cancel his HD-DVD player order!
• Dvorak has posted an article on Marketwatch berating CES.
• Macworld will be in two expo halls this year.
• Apple may announce a partnership between them and Netflix for the iTV.
• At CES, there will be products using HD-PLC, a networking over power line technology that has a throughput of 190mbps.
• The speculation is that the iTV will have 802.11n wireless networking.
• Kevin wants one of the wireless charging mats.
• SED HDTVs seem to be vaporware for now.
• Leo likes the Sony SXRD televisions.
• Beginning February, Vizio will begin shipping 60-inch plasma for a "mere" $2999.
• Time Warner has announced a dual-format disc called Total HD.
• Hitachi has announced a 1-terabyte hard disk for $399.
• Prager bought a Garmin Nuvi 680 which gets information from MSN Direct.
• According to Wikipedia, the company is incorporated in George Town, Cayman Islands.
• Phil Torrone has started a laser etching service that is open-source: Adafruit.
• Watch Kevin's MacBook get laser etched.
• Watch Leah Culver get her Macbook Pro etched with advertisers.
• Windows Vista Sideshow runs little widgets on a screen on the lid of a laptop.
• Asus has launched one of the first Sideshow laptops, the W5Fe.
• Time Magazine has named TWiT one of the top 10 podcasts of the year!