On CE - For Dealers, Distributors and OEMs of Consumer Electronics throughout EMEA

The Dune HD Lite 53D is the first in a series of entry-level universal media players. While small in size, it supports most audio and video formats, and plays both standard and HD video.

The player has 2 USB ports, an SD card slot and an eSATA port. An internal HDD can also be installed. It has a built in ethernet port and BitTorrent client.

Video output is provided by HDMI, composite and component analog outputs, and sound via HDMI, Toslink optical interface and RCA Stereo.

It also doubles as a specialised set-top-box for Digital TV reception.

All this comes in a compact and attractive device available in 4 different colours.

Go Dune HD Lite 53D

RIM enters the tablet game with the Blackberry Playbook - its first device of the sort.

The announcement follows news of rival tablet devices such as Samsung's Android powered Galaxy Pad.

With a 7" screen, dual core processor and dual cameras it's described as a 'professional-grade' tablet aimed at business executives.

A slick video presentation highlights the tablet's strengths against the iPad, including multitasking, tabbed web browsing, and Flash 10 and HTML 5 support. It also shows videoconferencing and business presentation capabilities.

The Playbook supports wi-fi but has to be paired to a Blackberry handheld to access 3G networks.

RIM emphasises the Playbook's security strengths and seamless connection to other Blackberry devices and Enterprise server.

Also highlighed are unbusinesslike features like power as a gaming platform and HD video playback.

The device seems to be an answer to both the iPad and core enterprise market tablets like Cisco's Cius.

RIM commands 3rd place in European smartphone sales after Nokia and Apple.

Its international sales are growing strongly particularly in Asia, while dominating the US smartphone market with 18.2% market share (down from 19%). It faces increasing competition from the iPhone and Android devices from Motorola and HTC.

Go RIM Unveils Playbook

Watch Playbok preview

Netflix's renting and streaming services are only available in North America. A restructured, largely debt-free Blockbuster is likely to concentrate efforts on digital distribution. This could also involve its international operations.

Not closing physical stores while restucturing for digital distribution ensures maximum customer retention.

Go Blockbuster FAQ for non-U.S. operations

A solution to the 'interim inconvenience' surrounding Kaleidescape's Blu-Ray importer/players is revealed at CEDIA Expo 2010. While the M500 and M300 copy discs to a Kaleidescape server, copy control agreements dictate playback from server is only enabled if the actual disc is present in the player's disc tray.

The Vault eliminates the need for disc handling. Housing up to 100 Blu-Rays it switches and verfies between discs whenever required. Once connected to a player the vault also rips and imports movies to the server.

Customers can connect multiple vaults to house large collections.

This neatly bypasses Kaleidescape's legal struggles surrounding DVD/Blu-Ray ripping. The company was sued in 2004 by the DVD CCA for breach of contract.

Kaledescope also hosts a seminar at CEDIA 2010, "Why Innovators Get Sued by the Hollywood Cartel" on why the Vault was needed in the first place.

Watch Disc Vault demonstration at CEDIA 2010