The UpStream (Page 511)

If Twitter is the condensed soup of the social networking isle in the internet super store then Twitter music must be to music what DJ Hero is to rhythm games. No, I'm not talking about posting links to music in a tweet like what works and is normal. Dan Stowell took it upon himself to find a different way of doing things and in the process created, SuperCollider 3, a software program that turns code into sound creating the worlds first "Twitter Album." Before you get too exited don't go thinking you can fit your favorite Jay Z song into 140 bytes or less. Anyone who is familiar with old school video games should know what they are going to hear.

I would just like to say congrats to Dan Stowell for creating a software program that does what countless others can already do but worse and for no good reason. To be fair however, the idea is kind of nifty but the implementation seems pointless. I don't think song tweets will be replacing download links anytime soon.

Sony announced at an investor presentation that they would be upgrading the PlayStation 3 to incorporate 3D capabilities. Sony has made a big deal to the industry about 3D Blu-Ray, and it was only a matter of time before we saw it come to the PS3, but it sounds like they have their hopes set higher than that.

By patching the PS3, they would be giving developers the ability to write games that take advantage of the same 3D engine. Can you imagine if you could convulse your way through Lair while feeling like you're really being flown to the hospital by a dragon?

Some new advances may be occurring in the space exploration field in Japan. At a meeting this week, titled "Realization of Moon Exploration Using Advanced Robots by 2020," a robot was announced. The only problem is they did not specify what it will be used for.

The robot can operate for 7 hours, weighs 55 kg, including battery, and consumes power at 0.4kW. It also possesses a solar battery, internal status displayed on the chest, and has springs in legs that allows it to jump, along with some other pretty cool features.

The robot was created by Toyota and is expected to actually be able to step foot on the moon. Although the robot may not be used until 2020, we hope to see where Toyota plans to go with it...to space!

Good news everyone! TVs are still everywhere and most households have more than one but TVs are so last MacWorld. I want my TV in my computer without forcefully trying to insert it into my monitor. Will my dreams ever be realized in a manner that is efficient and practical? It does seem plausible. We covered the initial story a few weeks ago so feel free to fresh yourself and your screen here TV Is Everywhere, Hulu Is Not.

TV Everywhere is certainly an exciting prospect considering the fact that it takes an old business model and meshes it with a new medium and it's reasonable to expect some turbulence along the way. The most pertinent issues so far are related to advertising. "Channel conflict" happens when two ad sales teams sell the same product or brand. Restricting advertising right to one seller would solve the problem but is also a risk since it is unlikely they will be able to effectively reach a large target market.

This is an important week in history for Nintendo. Their two major brands both launched this week: Nintendo DS on November 21, 2004 and the Wii on November 21, 2006. With that being said, it is only appropriate that we take a look back at all they have done.

Nintendo DS

It has been 5 long years since the DS launched, and the handheld market has changed a lot in that time. The PSP has continued to not perform for Sony since its launch, but the iPhone/iPod Touch and Android platforms have certainly made a play for Nintendo's marketshare.

In combat, and just for the hell of it, they have launched 2 upgraded models of the DS (DS Lite and DSi) with the DSi XL planned shortly after the new year. As new hardware has come out, we have seen significant price drops on the devices, leaving the DS Lite at only $129.99 right now.

I love unsolicited class-action lawsuits. There is nothing that proves our legal system is broken more than a law firm filing a class-action lawsuit without actually having anyone come to them and claim damages. This time, Abington IP has decided to file suit against Microsoft on behalf of all banned Xbox Live accounts.

That's right, if you modded your Xbox 360 and were banned from Xbox Live, you might be in for some money. If you were banned because you went snooping through another 360 without permission, it turns out you were wronged. Why, you may ask, does this firm believe you were wronged? Because of the timing, apparently.