The usual ferment of speculation about the holiday retail landscape is in full swing, and Dell has a great story to tell with the up-tempo rhythm of award-winning new consumer products Dell has achieved this year continuing through this holiday season. Consider just a few of the recent and upcoming launches:

· We’ve updated the Studio 15 (starting at $599) and Studio 17 (starting at $749) laptops – both inside and out. We’ve added Centrino 2, plus a few other cool features like a gestures touch pad that enables circular scrolling and zoom and RGB LED display (Studio 17 only).

· And, from a personalization perspective tomorrow we will expand out Art House series options from Mike Ming to include three unique (PRODUCT) RED artwork (additional $75) choices from three very cool artists. Each purchase of a Studio laptop with the (PRODUCT) RED artwork donates $20 to the Global Fund and is connected directly to saving lives in the fight to eliminate AIDS in Africa.

· Speaking of (PRODUCT) RED, we just updated our XPS One – adding a 24-inch full HD display and a special 65W Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 quad core processor, and a new color –Pure White (which is actually (PRODUCT) RED).

· One of the “hottest” products available today is the very cool Studio Hybrid, Dell’s greenest consumer PC. It’s small (80% smaller than typical desktop minitower) and uses up to 70% less energy. Since its small size allows for it to be put in more visible locations, you can also personalize it with color or bamboo or leather sleeves.

· The Inspiron 13 is truly an unsung hero in our product portfolio. While it comes in one color, that Pacific Blue is a serious head turner. More importantly – where else can you get a sleek, sexy thin and light that weighing around 4.5 lbs with starting price of $649? This is a student’s dream machine.

· Inspiron Mini 9 ($starting at $349) and Mini 12: Certainly the Mini 9 has been well received – both the XP and the Dell-customized Ubuntu versions. The Mini 12, announced on Oct. 26, will be available on dell.com very, very soon.

· Traveling to the other end of the product spectrum – gaming – we recently announced that the Alienware Aurora desktop is available in 200 Best Buy stores and on bestbuy.com. We’ve also launched our first quad core gaming laptop – the Alienware M17.

· Next week we will expand our desktop portfolio with four systems based on the new Core i7 architecture. Three of the four systems will target gamers who tend to appreciate the latest and greatest performance technology. The fourth system is unique – it is NOT targeted toward gamers but instead should appeal to the more advanced digital divas (or those who aspire to be such), and given it’s sub-$1,000 starting price point, it should be on the list of those who are looking to purchase a PC that will be relevant for the foreseeable future.

As far as speculation about Zing goes, the interest in Dell’s digital entertainment strategy is encouraging, but there is significant confusion and misinformation in the blogosphere and in press reports about it. As we said a few months ago, our strategy focuses on content offerings and delivery platforms that mix Zing software, remote access and pre-configured media bundles across all of our devices, including licensing agreements with entertainment distributors. It has never been about a music player.

Dell’s approach extends personalization beyond the box and into delivering exceptional content and experiences. The innovative Music & Movies bundles we launched a few weeks ago are clear and promising examples of what’s happening at Dell in digital entertainment. We’re very proud of our emerging role as a change agent, so stay tuned as we continue to generate new ideas and new approaches to personalization.

For 23 years, Dell has been the leader in “configure-to-order.” When you by a desktop or laptop from dell.com you are in charge of your destiny – at least this small part of it. You can pick and choose any number of components. For some, this is the only way they will buy a PC.

Last year, Dell took that ability to customize a PC and added a “personalize” twist – you can still choose what goes “under the hood” but better yet you can also select your “paint job,” be it Flamingo Pink, Midnight Blue, or Mike Ming’s “Red Swirl.” Response has been enthusiastic – on average, seven out of every 10 laptops that ship out are a color other than basic black.

So, how can we improve on this whole “Yes! It’s mine!” theme?

Today, only on Dell.com, you now have the option of getting favorite music and movies pre-loaded on your new desktop or laptop. We’ve teamed up with some entertainment industry giants: Universal Music, Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Warner Bros., etc. to create “hand-picked” music and movies bundles that can seed an instant  digital library. No need to download or rip CDs – it’s there the very first time you boot up your computer – just click on the “music” or “movie” icons on the Dell Dock and voila! your music and movies listings appear, neatly organized and ready to play! And here’s another thought – with a starting price of $25 for 50 songs, you get twice the music for your money versus other music services. The movie bundles are a bargain too – three (or four) movies, starting at $25. The bundles are grouped by series (e.g. all of the Matrix movies) or by genre – comedy (Who can resist the Blue Steel pose?), romantic comedy, and children’s movie bundles.

For those of you interested in some of the more seminal details: the pre-installed music are DRM-free MP3s, and so will play on the software or hardware player of your choice. The movies on the other hand are licensed – and this is where our other team member, CinemaNow, plays an important part: CinemaNow handles license management. The first time you play a movie, the system will contact CinemaNow and acquire the license to the movie. I strongly encourage you to do this for a couple of reasons – think of it as proof of purchase. Should something happen (heaven forbid) and you “lose” your movie, by having registered the license you have access to a backup. This leads to the second reason –with the license you can also transfer the movie to other PCs and devices – the number depends on the movies / studio – so read the fine print for more details on that.

Let’s see – anything else? Oh yeah, this is only the beginning. I know some of you are going to look at the bundles and think that maybe these selections aren’t quite up your alley. (What? You haven’t really checked out the nitty-gritty details just yet? Head to www.dell.com/musicandmovies now.) We understand this is about you – reflecting your tastes, your passions, your secret indulgences. We will be regularly adding to and refreshing our selections, and of course looking forward to hearing about what you’d like to see in the future.

(BTW, I’ve seen the “roadmap” and by the end of this year I expect we’ll “make you an offer you can’t refuse.”)

If you’re at the GiTEX Technology Week tradeshow in Dubai on Tuesday, why not step over to the Dell stand to hear ABRI, the first band from the UAE to be nominated for an MTV Europe award, in an exclusive interview with DJ Moe. Also let me know if you have any great questions for the band and I can see if Moe will ask them for us.

Dell is excited to be a principal sponsor of the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards - the perfect partnership that both celebrates the artists and their work - and the technology that enables individuals to bring their passions to life.

This year for the first time MTV is introducing a category for the Best MTV Arabia Act, so I consider myself very lucky that ABRI, can join us at GiTEX. Everyone I’ve spoken to here in Dubai knows about them and I quote: “Like the desert sun, ABRI’s music seems to come from all corners; a blended heat that moves the core.”

Some work days are good and some are very, very good. Next Tuesday I’ll get to meet the band in person and see the interview. After the interview the band will be handing out signed autographs to the audience.

• Time: 4.30 pm
• Date: Tuesday, October 21
• Location: Gitex, Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre

 I hope to film the interview too, so watch this space for my next update. ABRI is a band you don’t want to miss!

The Dubai-based band is built on the soulful union of vocalist Hamdan Al Abri and keyboardist Julian Symes, and is fleshed out with the musical styling of bassist Rami Lakkis and drummer Andre Atherley. Learn more about ABRI here:

Heads up, movie buffs. Now there’s an easy and legal way to build a personal digital library of your favorite flicks.

Thanks to a deal with Sonic Solutions, Dell is bringing the big screen to your PC screen with the first PC-based Qflix drives. Using an intuitive software application, Roxio Venue, you can search and select from a variety of major Hollywood hits available from CinemaNow, download them on your PC, transfer them to multiple digital devices in your home, and then create a permanent and portable DVD-format copy on Qflix DVD media.

The Qflix drive bundle is available in the U.S. now as a $120 option on most Inspiron, Studio and XPS laptops, as well as this link to Dell’s Entertainment, Software and Accessories online store. It soon will be available as option on select consumer desktops.

The bundle includes an external Qflix-enabled drive, which also supports standard DVD read/write functions, two recordable Qflix DVD discs, Roxio Venue and CinemaNow software and a USB cable.

According to Crave, approximately 100 Qflix-ready selections are currently available on CinemaNow, which says it plans to expand the number of offerings. For a deeper dive, check out what Stephen Nathans-Kelly has to say over at eMediaLive.

The Telluride Film Festival - which starts tomorrow - famously keeps its line-up secret until the last minute, and that minute has arrived. I’ve been tweeting fragmentarily about it this afternoon, but Variety has a more complete accounting, as well as commentary.

Green Cine took note of the schedule, and the Dell Lounge’s nifty Festival widget that provides the latest/greatest on the event and other local goings-on.

If you haven’t guessed already, Dell is this year’s presenting sponsor.

When you think about how technology has changed the way films are made and experienced, Dell’s sponsorship of the festival is an exceptional fit. PCs play an important and expanding role in the entertainment ecosystem, making it easier for filmmakers to create their vision, and for audiences to enjoy the movies.

Along with Dell’s  Summer Rocks tour - which hits Bumbershoot this weekend - the Telluride sponsorship is another way that Dell is creating and sharing unique experiences for passionate fans.

This collaboration between the festival and Dell will add new dimensions — online and on-site — to the festival-going experience, and extend the festival’s virtual reach to cinephiles and artists all over the world.

The Dell Lounge venue, located at the Brigadoon Hospitality Tent, will feature a selection of Festival Short Films, and Internet access so visitors spread the word about their festival experience. Kiosks in the Dell Lounge and around the festival grounds — new to this year’s event — will provide access to the complete schedule and live ticket queue information.

In true festival spirit, the Dell Lounge will host a special pancake breakfast Sunday morning. And after the event, Dell will host exclusive festival footage and interviews on the Dell Lounge.

When I was a child, my parents had no real clue I was a gamer. I would spend hours banging away at the family’s Commodore64 I had co-opted, and strangely, they barely noticed. I guess it went both ways: I was so involved in my own world that I didn’t notice that they didn’t notice. It was only brought to my attention when I began working at Dell, when my father asked me, “When did you get into computers?” LOL indeed!

Last night, I was able to see the QuakeCon featured film “Frag”, which helped reinforce my realization that my childhood experiences as a gamer aren’t as unique as I thought they were. I didn’t know what to really expect going into the auditorium. What was delivered was creative, highly entertaining, and extremely informative. The film attempts to lift the curtains hiding the gears of the Professional Gaming machine, and does so stylishly and unapologetically. I realized very early in the viewing this wasn’t a movie just for gamers. “Frag” aims to inform, and it does so AMAZINGLY. Given my personal experience as a gamer, I can certainly attest to its authenticity.

I was able to get the director, Mike Pasley, on camera for a quick interview. I’ll be posting that video at a later date.

In short, this is a movie I highly recommend to both gamers and non-gamers alike. Gamers will love it for its candor and wit, and non-gamers will be both entertained and a little more enlightened about what makes their gamer brethren tick.

I, like everyone else, want what I want.  I sit in an office, stare at a computer all day and type my fingers to the bone.  When I get home, like you, I want my TV and I want it on my terms.  Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you know how great a digital video recorder (DVR) is.  They give you the freedom to watch a show while recording another, they provide an onscreen TV guide and best of all allow you to skip commercials.  Now, what if I told you, you may already have the best DVR available in your home right now, and it doesn’t require any fees.  A Vista Media Center PC is just that, and is hands down the best TV viewing experience I have ever encountered.

Microsoft hasn’t exactly just introduced this.  For years they have built this capability into Windows to organize your music, photos and videos.  The Media Center program was written specifically to view these items on your TV.  This is commonly called the “10 Foot Interface.”  With all due respect to your grandmother’s scrapbooking efforts, nothing compares to seeing your home photos and movies elegantly organized and in high definition with your own custom audio.  All of this available, with the press of a button on your remote control.

The Vista Media Center program seamlessly records the TV shows you choose from the onscreen guide.  You can opt to record more than one show at the same time, simply by installing an additional TV tuner.  Many tuners don’t require the PC to be opened, and can even record free, over the air (OTA) high definition shows as well.  Like a traditional DVR, you can watch one show while recording another.  If you don’t want a PC in the living room, a Microsoft XBOX 360 will work just as well.  The XBOX connects to your TV, which in turns connects to your PC in another room (wired or wirelessly). 

The free onscreen guide is built into Media Center

With my beefy hard drive I can record as little or much as I like.  My measly (by today’s standards) 200 Gig hard drive has over 40 hours of HDTV.  Odds are, I’ll delete much of it, but the shows look great.   Browsing and selecting a TV show could not be easier.  A large visual thumbnail of each show scrolls across the TV with a description and the time it was recorded.  Even my three year old can successfully navigate the simplistic menu to drill into the very exact “Thomas and His Friends” that he absolutely has to watch.
 

Selecting a recorded TV show is simple and elegant

In another post, I’ll describe how you can edit the TV show you recorded, and splice it into a home movie.   Also, I’ll go into how you can rip your DVD collection and integrate it into the experience.

The fact of the matter is, I have a three year old.  So I don’t have lazy Sunday evenings to sit and watch reruns of “American Dad.”  However, at least it is still pretty darn easy to watch TV on my own terms.

Who doesn’t enjoy a good movie?  I love movies so much that during my college years, I made my spare change as a manager working in local video stores.  Free rentals were certainly a perk, and right within the budget of a struggling student such as myself.  For those still on a budget but with a passion for independent movies, Indiflix has launched MyFestival, a streaming video site that allows the public to be involved in the selection process for the upcoming Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF).

MyFestival features 10 features and 10 short films that you can watch and judge.  In order to be part of the judging process, all you need to do is sign in, download the small Gridnetwork software and enjoy!  I’ve already watched a few short films myself and added my feedback, and you can be sure I’ll find time to watch the remaining clips available before the judging ends.

The basics of MyFestival:

• Web site: MyFestival.SIFF.net
• Films in competition: 10 features and 10 shorts
• Voting begins: Friday, May 23
• Voting ends: Sunday, June 8 at midnight

While the clips available for the festival are free to view, you can also purchase independent films for your own viewing pleasure directly from the IndiFlix site.  While many of these films may never make it to worldwide screens, this doesn’t take away from the very creative works of these filmmakers and I encourage you to explore the site and support the art.

My good friend Wim Wenders (actually, I only met him once, at the “Wings of Desire” L.A. premiere, but he seemed nice) reportedly is one of the judges for a film contest site called Filmka.com. The Movie Blog notes that:

“Former Fox TV exec Sandy Grushow has joined with ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ producer Deepak Nayar to create Filmaka.com, a web-based movie studio that is attracting aspiring filmmakers with promises of big coin for their feature films or series pilots.”

“Filmaka.com hosts a series of contests judged by a jury that includes Wim Wenders, Paul Schrader and Werner Herzog. The entrants submit a fee and a three-minute short, of which Grushow said the site has received 3,600 from 95 countries. Filmaka.com hosts the shorts for the curious, but when the contest is over, Grushow and Nayar will produce the winner’s feature film with coin ‘in the range of $2 million to $3 million.’”

The site runs 12 smaller contests a year, with different themes. The rules are kind of confusing, but the gist of it is that Filmka community members vote on “entry level” finalists, and the top 10 vote-getters each receive $500 and the option to do a “jury level” film, for which they receive an additional $1,000. Three “jury level” winners compete for the $2 million -$3 million prize.

After you submit your short, be sure to send the link our way (via the Idea Submission section) so other Your Blog readers can check it out.