DVD capacity becoming an issue for 360

Some developers are starting to whisper about the fact that the use of DVD storage on the Xbox 360 is finally leading to capacity issues. A dual-layer DVD is capped at about 9GB of available storage per disc, and with the PlayStation 3 sporting a Blu-ray drive that is able to handle discs with a capacity of 25GB to 50GB; it is easy to see how developers can start to feel cramped with the max of 9GB on a standard DVD.

According to our source, the problem is that when you know you have all of that extra storage available on the PlayStation 3 platform, it is becoming harder to make the cuts and reductions in content necessary to pare down to only a 9GB max capacity. This is why quite a few of the recently released Xbox 360 titles are arriving on two DVDs and now sometimes require installation of the second disc to the hard drive.

Word is that Capcom is the latest to feel the pinch with its upcoming release Lost Planet 2. While the first game fit on one disc, the second game required significant cuts in order to fit within the capacity limits of the Xbox 360. According to the whispers we hear, it is still undecided if the game will be one DVD or two; but the material that was cut will likely be molded into some sort of DLC content to be released at a later date.

With no potential help for this issue on the horizon, one has to wonder how developers are going to be able to curb their creativity in order to make it fit on a 9GB disc. In the end, it is just a limitation that consumers and developers will have to live with. It could be worse, as no one ever thought that a single game could take up 9GB, let alone 15GB; and now with 50GB possible, we have to wonder who will be the first to claim they are out of space with the Blu-Ray format.

by: http://www.fudzilla.com/content/view/17736/38/

Charge your phone via WiFi

Some might think that the title is one lengthy typo, as it’s usually WiFi that depletes your battery, but we assure you it’s not. A company called RCA has managed to devise a great little gadget that will allow your phone to harvest WiFi energy and convert it into electricity, thus charging your mobile phone for free. Yes, you read it right - for free. (Tesla was a genius, but not much of a businessman. sub.ed.)

The device is called Airnergy and while this concept isn’t new, this seems to be the first time it’s found a practical use. In fact, the Airnergy managed to charge a Blackberry from 30% battery to full battery in 90 minutes, all the while using “free” energy.

The Airnergy packs a battery within, so all you need to do is carry it around with you in your pocket. Of course, reasonable proximity to WiFi spots wouldn’t hurt either, but the device runs all the time, so charging should not be a problem.

RCA says that Airnergy will hit retail in summer, with the same technology-based battery soon to follow, and will cost as low as $40, which sounds almost too good to be true. We just hope they stop using the word “free”, as history has proven many times that free energy is not something that “Big Brothers” would ever unleash on the great unwashed.

by: http://www.fudzilla.com/content/view/17340/38/