Second Life exhibit at The Tech Museum

Image by Josh Bancroft

Apple’s iPhone vs. Google’s Android: Battle may set computing future
Many tech observers say the battle could determine how consumers use whole classes of new devices from smartphones to tablet computers to Internet-connected televisions.
Read more on San Jose Mercury News

Golden Tee creator taking a swing at iPhone games
Brad Spirrison: According to a report from research firm NPD Group, overall revenue in the video game industry declined 26 percent year-to-year in April to 6 million. Meanwhile, iPhone game sales are increasing by as much as 40 percent. Accordingly, it’s no surprise that Golden Tee’s developer, Arlington Heights-based Incredible Technologies, is charting a new course on the iPhone .
Read more on Chicago Sun-Times

I assumed that VHS tapes had gone the route of Polaroid film and were continuing to be phased out of existence. I must have been too hasty, because according to the Entertainment Retailer’s Association, videocassette sales in Britain have more than doubled in the past year.

In the grand scheme of home entertainment, these numbers are hardly a drop in the bucket. Movies, PC games, and console titles are still moving millions of copies per title. VHS has jumped up 214%, except total sales still haven’t cracked 100K.

But who’s still making all of these tapes? At least with other retro media formats such as vinyl and instant film, there are distinct advantages over today’s mediums. MP3s don’t have anywhere near the same fidelity or warmth, and modern cameras still can’t instantly print analog prints. But I don’t see anything VHS tapes can do that DVDs can’t do exponentially better.

One interesting tidbit is that music sales aren’t as far down as you’d expect. 2009 only saw a 0.8% decline despite the loss of large chain stores such as Zavvi and Woolsworth. According to ERA director general Kim Bayley:

“It’s too early to say whether this is the music market bottoming out”

But some changes to the music delivery system may be responsible. The average price of an album has dropped below £8 for the first time, and smaller, independent retailers are surviving. Seems the US could take a leaf out of their book, perhaps?

The recession has finally reached the stench filled bedrooms of ‘the gamer’, as gaming sales have plummeted to a nine-year-low. It initially seemed that gaming was part of the select band of recession proof industries, as people holed away in their bedrooms playing Call Of Duty 4 as opposed to squandering money on such frivilous things as “a social life”. But gaming sales plummeted 31% this year, down to $1.1 billion. Yes – down to. Console sales fell the most, at 38%, but this would make sence as their are, after all, only a finite number of viable gamers and this generation of consoles has been about for a while now. Game sales also fell while the Xbox 360 actually managed to increase its sales in July. (Via PCMag)