Ricoh announces four-way optical device Reads/writes Blu-ray and HD-DVDBy Dean Pullen: Monday 10 July 2006, 10:33 FOLLOWING THE news that Blue-ray vendors are struggling to release product pre-2007, better news for consumers comes from Ricoh, which has announced an optical component that reads and writes to four competing next-generation optical storage devices, including the much maligned Blu-ray and HD-DVD.Ricoh will demonstrate the 'diffraction plate' at the International Optoelectronics Exhibition '06 outside Tokyo on July 12-14, with the company intending to offer the device to OEMs by the end of the year.A preliminary offering will be available for read-only players, quickly followed by a read/write device.
Blu-ray launch pushed into 2007, report Sony got the bluesBy INQUIRER staff: Monday 10 July 2006, 08:36 A REPORT claimed that members of the Blu-ray camp, including Pioneer, won't be ready to launch products in Europe until next year.But, on the other hand, Toshiba is more than ready, according to a report carried in the Taipei Times.The paper claimed that there will be no big splash of Blu-ray players at a major consumer show held in Berlin in a few weeks.Instead, the Blu-rayers will use the next Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January to "lay the ground" for a Euro release.More here. µ* MEANWHILE Digitimes reports there's a problem producing enough laser diodes for Blu-ray burners
