In a stealth move after announcing their new Xsan 2 software, Apple has killed their Xserve RAID as if it were a vulgar HD DVD player. After years of promoting their solution as the best in its class for pro environments, Apple’s Xserve RAID page has been eliminated completely and now redirects to a new page which presents the Promise’s Vtrak E-Class RAID subsystem. Apple gave us an explanation about why Xserve RAID has been canceled and what to expect from now on:

Promise’s VTrak E-Class RAID delivers a great combination of performance, features and value. When configured with Xsan 2 and Final Cut Studio 2, it can deliver up to 6 streams of 8-bit uncompressed high definition video, 22 streams of ProRes HQ compressed HD video and 26 streams of 8-bit uncompressed SD video at costs as low as $1.12 per GB.

“Xserve RAID is still available while supplies last and we will continue to sell the 500 and 750GB drive modules,” said Apple’s Anuj Nayar, “for new RAID purchases we recommend the Promise VTrack E-Class subsystem.” However, if you try to buy an Xserve RAID in the Apple Store, you will be greeted with this message:

The item you have selected is currently not available from the Apple Store.

Please note that Apple cannot guarantee availability of any product.

So those purchases are probably limited only to resellers. There’s not mention of Xserve RAID demise in Apple press release about the latest version of its Storage Area Network filesystem manager, which now allows for a single workstation to access multiple SANs at the same time. It is also “qualified to work with third-party RAID storage,” just like the Promise RAID system.

Apple Introduces Xsan 2

CUPERTINO, California–February 19, 2008–Apple® today introduced Xsan® 2, the first major upgrade to its easy to use, high performance, enterprise class Storage Area Network (SAN) file system for Mac OS® X. Combining enhanced performance with Apple’s legendary ease of use, Xsan 2 makes it easier for first time users to set up and quickly deploy a SAN; introduces MultiSAN, allowing users on a single workstation to access multiple SANs at the same time; is fully integrated with Mac OS X Leopard™ and Mac OS X Server Leopard and is now qualified to work with third-party RAID storage.

Administration tools have been completely redesigned in Xsan 2, making it easier than ever to set up and manage a SAN file system. Xsan 2 intelligently handles different data types, file sizes and usage scenarios for ideal performance. For example, administrators have the ability to pre-set volume workload settings for optimal streaming of all file types, from very large files, such as uncompressed HD video to small data center files. Xsan 2 includes a new feature, MultiSAN, for users who need to access multiple Xsan volumes from the same workstation or server, such as in newsrooms with separate SAN volumes for production and broadcast.

Xsan 2 is fully integrated with Mac OS X Leopard and takes complete advantage of core Mac OS X features, such as Spotlight™ to search across multiple SAN volumes. Xsan 2 also works seamlessly with Server Assistant in Leopard Server for easy setup and configuration of SAN volumes. Leopard Server features, such as iCal® Server, Mail Server and Podcast Producer, can now integrate with Xsan 2 to support clustered file systems, improving performance and scalability and reducing the impact of a service outage from the loss of any one server.

For the first time, Xsan 2 has been qualified with third-party RAID storage hardware. Along with Apple’s Xserve® RAID, Xsan 2 supports third-party RAID solutions from Promise Technology in configurations tuned and optimized for Xsan, Mac OS X Server and Apple’s professional applications.

Pricing & Availability
Xsan 2 is available immediately through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com) and through Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $999 (US) per node.

Apple has qualified Xsan 2 with Xserve, Mac® Pro and Apple Fibre Channel PCI-X cards. Xsan 2 requires Mac OS X version 10.5 or Mac OS X Server version 10.5 software installed and will support qualified Fibre Channel switches from vendors such as Brocade, QLogic and Cisco, and RAID storage hardware including Xserve RAID and Promise VTrak E-Class RAID subsystems.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

[New storage RAIDThanks Jacob]

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This e-paper bathroom scale idea from Duck Image Studio seems like a fantastic idea at first. It’s e-ink, so it’s thin, which means you can embed it into bath mats or floor tiles or maybe even into your shower. Imagine being able to see how much you weigh every time you bathed, or brushed your teeth, or took a leak (men only). You’d develop body image issues in record time. [Yanko Design]

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HD DVD is dead. Officially. That may mean a whole bunch for the early-adopter tech geek crowd that’s been wading in the kiddie pool of technological bickering and backhandedness for years, but what does it mean for the average consumer with only a cursory interest in high-def DVDs? Here’s our cheat sheet Q&A for you to whip out if you ever have to explain the high-def format wars to your parents.

Q: I chose sides early in the HD DVD/Blu-ray shenanigans and unfortunately, made the right decision and supported HD DVD. What do I do now?
A: Try and sell your HD DVD player or Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on as fast as you can. Go list it on craigslist or eBay already. The mainstream hasn’t heard about HD DVD’s demise just yet, which means you can find some chump to buy your player and movies on the cheap. How soundly you sleep at night is up to you.

Q: Really? You mean my player is useless? Won’t there be any more movies released on HD DVD?
A: A few more releases that are already in the pipeline might trickle out in the next couple months, but just watch as all the studios abandon the format and go exclusively Blu-ray. You’re better off just selling off all your stuff unless you want to keep it around to win our retro Gizmodo tech contest of 2028.

Q: But what if I already have a gigantic HD DVD library?
A: It depends on how gigantic it is. If it’s not too big, you can re-buy your library on Blu-ray. If it’s huge, you might want to buy a combo player, like the one from LG, in order to ease your transition. Either way, you’re going to be out a bit of money. You might want to just shoot yourself in the face now and be done with it.

Q: I chose sides early in the HD DVD/Blu-ray shenanigans and chose Blu-ray. What do I do now?
A: Besides calling up your grandmother to rub it in her face, there’s not much you need to do. Just sit and wait for your favorite movies to come out on Blu-ray.

Q: Right, but how long do I have to wait, exactly, before I can watch Batman Begins on my PlayStation 3?
A: Beats me. Now that Blu-ray is the de-facto format, the studios should be falling over themselves trying to remaster their already released HD DVD movies onto Blu-ray. If we had to guess, it’d be within the year.

Q: OK, now that the war is “officially over,” is it time for me to buy a Blu-ray player?
A: Maybe. It’s still relatively early in the technology’s lifespan, which means prices for Blu-ray players are still quite high when you compare it to the sub-$100 upscaling DVD players you can find at Wal-Mart. Plus, the BD library is incredibly thin when compared to DVD, so you might not be getting much use out of the player in your day-to-day movie watching. But if you really do want to get into the HD game (and have an HDTV to back it up), it’s finally safe to buy a player.

Q: So you’re saying that I’m going to be paying more for these movies on Blu-ray? When will the prices drop to DVD levels?
A: That’s tough to say. For example, Superman Returns is only $14.98 for the DVD version but $23.95 for the Blu-ray version. It’s going to take a few years yet for that 23 to drop to 14. If you had to force us to guess, we’re going to say about three years. That’s 2011.

Q: I don’t buy movies, I rent them. When are Netflix and Blockbuster going to get in gear and stock a bunch of Blu-ray movies?
A: As soon as the major studios start releasing Blu-ray movies in bulk. If you recall the VHS to DVD transition, it took quite a while for VHS tapes to phase out, and this transition will be quite similar. Again, if you forced us to guess, we’d have to say 2010.

Q: Screw it, I’m convinced. I’m going to go out and buy a player today. Which player should I buy?
A: Unless you’re morally opposed to gaming or having a gaming device in your living room, you should go with the PlayStation 3. It’s software-upgradeable, plus it’s relatively cheap even when compared to standalone Blu-ray players. You even get a gaming system thrown in.

Q: Speaking of gaming, what if I already purchased an Xbox 360 and want to be able to watch Blu-ray movies? Will I have to buy a PS3?
A: Maybe not. Even though Microsoft backed HD DVD and released an HD DVD add-on, they weren’t staking their entire console on the format (hence, the add-on). This means that Microsoft has a big minus in their column when comparing the 360 to the PS3 in terms of high-def DVD playback. It’s a hole they’re going to want to patch up right away, so don’t be surprised if you see a Blu-ray add-on for the 360 some time in the near future.

Q: Can you sum up what I, the average consumer, should do at this point in one sentence?
A: Wait one more year for the Blu-ray format to mature, for more titles to be released, and player prices to drop before jumping in.

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Seeing ponies where Toshiba sees death, LG isn’t letting go of HD DVD just yet. They’re going to keep popping out dual format HD DVD/Blu-ray players (launching new ones even), scraping up the remaining dregs of HD DVD and easing HD DVD adopters’ transition into this brave new Blu world. It might seem like they missed the memo, but if you ask who’s crying now, it’s not anyone with a dual format player.

“LG believes that at this present moment in time, it is necessary to provide a player which supports both formats and therefore create simplicity and convenience for the existing HD DVD consumer.”

“With the recent announcement from Toshiba, Blu-Ray will now be the format that will pave the way for high definition movies, however this does not rule out HD DVD immediately as there are still a number of consumers who have chosen HD DVD and begun to build a HD DVD collection.”

“Overall LG is still excited about the future of this market, LG has always set out to lead high definition players and will continue to do so with more technology evolutions and hybrids which will launch in due course.”

[Pocket-Lint]

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Refurbished iPhones almost never show up on Apple’s Special Deals page, but here it is. Quizzically, $599 is listed as the original price, but it’s yours for $349. Act fast, they probably don’t have too many. [Apple Store]

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Only a few people remember this, but DVD Jon cracked Apple’s Fairplay DRM way back in late 2006 and offered it up for companies to purchase the tech and integrate it into their own media files. Now DVD Jon has started his own company called doubleTwist that lets people rip protected iTunes music in order to have those files play on other company’s devices, such as the Sony PSP or the Zune.

The method doubleTwist uses isn’t quite perfect, however. You drag and drop files onto the app, which then fast forwards the file in order to rip and re-encode the contents, which makes it a lossy conversion instead of a purely lossless ripping of the DRM. You can convert about 100 songs in half an hour—much more convenient than the old method of burning a CD, then ripping it back into iTunes.

The whole thing gives you a 5% degradation in sound quality, but is a small price to pay for someone who wants to migrate your music over into another biosphere, such as the PSP, the Zune, Nokia’s N-Series, Sony Ericsson’s phones, Palm and Windows Mobile (just for example). [Reuters]

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Greg Zanis’ Dream Car is a solar-powered pyramid on four wheels that he built at home with the help of his two sons. Deceptively fragile, this little one-seater weighs in at 8,000 pounds, but its 80 batteries powering four electric engines really make it shift. Find out how fast, and watch the video of it pootling along a wintry Illinois street, after the jump.

Greg claims he can get his dream car up to 45 mph. The vehicle can run for 80 miles on a single charge (it takes around four hours to juice the battery) and has all sorts of fabulous extras, such as an in-car heating system, electric brakes, gel-filled tires and lowrider-tastic neon lights.

The Dream Car cost the Zanises $60,000 in supplies, and who knows how many hours of their time. Now looking for financial backers, he says he needs $40,000 to build a Mark 2 prototype, and aims to get its range up to 500 miles. [Dream Car and YouTube via Treehugger]

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AT&T’s responding to Verizon’s Unlimited calling and data contracts with a $99 all you can eat voice plan that can be combo’d up with any data plan. The data plans are a step in the non-evil direction for AT&T: $35 bucks for unlimited connectivity and messaging. An AT&T spokesperson tells us that includes 3G.

That makes it $15 cheaper than Verizon’s full everything plan for $149. (Although you can’t compare the limited coverage of AT&T’s HSPDA with Verizon’s EVDO Revision A. Yet.) What else is rad? One Year contract for new subscribers, and no additional contract for existing customers! For those who DL a lot more than they yap, you can get unlimited data plans without signing up for unlimited voice. The plans will be available on 2/22. iPhones aren’t legit for these data plans, since they’ve already their own $20 unlimited data plan, and the pricing doesn’t quite fit. More details below:

Also, data cards and tethering limitations:

This new unlimited voice plan has no impact on our existing data plans. Our data plans are unchanged. The only data plans subject to the 5GB limitation are Laptop Connect plans for data cards and tethering plans, where your wireless phone acts as a modem for a laptop.

Unlike Sprint EVDO, AT&T and Verizon have usage caps per month. Could be hard for pros who use their 3G data cards or phones as modems, exclusively.

[Thanks Yoshi!]

AT&T To Launch Unlimited U.S. Calling Plan
12:47 p.m. 02/19/2008
$99.99 Plan Available Feb. 22 for New and Existing Customers
SAN ANTONIO, Feb 19, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ — AT&T Inc. (T) announced today new unlimited voice plans targeted to wireless users who want the predictability of flat rate pricing for unlimited minutes. The plans will be available to new and existing wireless subscribers for $99.99 a month for unlimited U.S. calling on all devices with no domestic roaming or long distance charges. The plans can be combined with any current wireless data plan to give customers the ultimate in wireless freedom.
The new plans, available Feb. 22, can be ordered at one of AT&T’s 2,200 company-owned retail stores and kiosks, at http://www.att.com, or at one of the thousands of authorized AT&T retail locations. Existing customers can choose unlimited calling without extending their contract. New customers have the option of a month-to-month, 12 or 24 month contract.
As with other voice calling plans, AT&T customers can choose from a variety of data and messaging plans to meet their needs. For example, customers with standard wireless phones* can choose a data plan such as $5 for 200 text, picture, video and instant messages or $35 for unlimited messaging and MEdia Net access.
“We are pleased to offer our customers these great new plans that deliver value and simplified pricing,” said Ralph de la Vega, president & CEO, AT&T Mobility. “This is a highly competitive market and we’re committed to moving fast to meet customer needs.”
AT&T customers benefit from the nation’s largest digital voice and data network, with 3G broadband available in more than 260 major metropolitan markets. The company recently announced plans to expand its 3G network to 350 markets, including all of the top 100.

For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit http://www.att.com

* Standard wireless phones do not include smartphones or PDAs or the
iPhone.

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Filed under: Cellphones

Clearly not wanting to seem unhip in this fast-paced, modern era of all-you-can-eat cellphone plans, T-Mobile has announced that it will begin offering a — wait for it — $99.99 unlimited calling and text message plan starting February 21st. Now the magenta team can join the ranks of AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and, er… Helio, in giving customers almost exactly the same plan, though unlike AT&T and Verizon, this includes all the text messages you could possibly type. For those with happy fingers and a whole slew of friends, that might be the deciding factor in this war of nearly-identical calling deals. Can unlimited Faves be far away?

[Thanks, Pete]

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Time to focus, lots of dirty dishes to clean. Oooh look, a bubble! Wow, I can blow more bubbles? Yay! Bubble bubble bubble, bubble bubble bubble. I’m tired of blowing bubbles, let’s do Jumping Jacks! Yay! Jumping Jacks stink, let’s eat candy ’til we puke! Yay! So sick, so many dirty dishes, the best $5 I ever spent. Firetruck! [Bubble Scrubber via Boing Boing]

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