The cost of DVD rentals 
at your local Redbox could be about to increase.
Kiosks in Austin, Texas have bumped the price of movies on DVD from $1 to $1.15 and $1.20. Percentage-wise, that’s an aggressive increase, though it’s still much lower than video on demand or rental store’s charge.
Given Motorola’s notable presence
in the cell phone world, the bulk of today’s coverage on the $12.5 billion deal has focused on what will happen with the Android operating system (quick answer: Not much- HTC, Samsung and other phones will still be supported). But the real interesting twist on this takeover could be its impact on Google TV.
The service, which lets users access the Web on their TV, hasn’t had a particularly strong launch. To be blunt, it has stumbled more than a baby taking its first steps. (In the first quarter of this year, there were more returns of Logitech’s Google TV box than there were sales.)
Given the success Time 
Warner has seen with HBO Go, it was only a matter of time before it expanded the concept to its other big pay cable channel.
That time has come. The company today launched MAX Go, allowing Cinemax subscribers to watch movies and original programming on their iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad – as well as certain Android devices.
There’s often a summer lull 
in the video game space, but this is taking things a little too far. Video game retail sales were down 26 percent in July, hitting their lowest levels in almost five years.
It was, frankly, a bloodbath for the industry. Physical game sales came in more than twice as bad as predicted, dropping 17 percent to $336 million and hardware sales plunged 29 percent. It was also a month where some seemingly bulletproof franchises were shot down.
The king of retail is 
launching a new digital service just as it throws in the towel on another.
Wal-Mart has brought its Vudu movie streaming service to the iPad in a move to expand its distribution. But as it dives deeper into video, the company has announce plans to shut down its MP3 download service by the end of the month.
GameFly has found a fair bit 
of success by emulating Netflix’s old business model in the video game space. For a fixed amount per month, users can rent console games and keep them for as long as they want.
Now, the company is following in its forerunner’s footsteps once again – with plans to add a game streaming site to supplement its offerings.
Spotfiy rode into the 
U.S. market on a high wave of anticipation and hype – and it looks like that pre-publicity has really worked well for it.
The cloud-based music streaming service has captured 1.4 million users in its first month – with 175,000 of those subscribers selecting the pay option.
A collective of the top 
television manufacturers have joined forces to make 3D TV more attractive to consumers.
Panasonic, Samsung and Sony have announced plans to collaborate with XpanD 3D to develop a new technology standard for active 3D glasses. The partnership, called the Full HD 3D Glasses Initiative, aims to eliminate the specialized glasses required for each manufacturer’s set.
It’s hardly a secret that North 
Korean leader Kim Jong-il is a big fan of the entertainment industry, but who would have thought he was using parts of it to fund his government?
Police in South Korea have arrested a group of hackers accused of heading a team that attempted to set up a series of unmanned computers to play massively multiplayer games like “Lineage” and Samsung-owned “Dungeon and Fighter” nonstop. The goal? Gathering in-game points that are convertible to cash.
When you think about it, 
it’s actually pretty astonishing that there hasn’t been a Rambo video game out in the past 22 years. Oh there have been games on Sylvester Stallone’s “First Blood” hero before, sure… but since 1989’s “Rambo III” on the Amiga and Sega Genesis, he’s been silent.
UK publisher Reef Entertainment is bringing him back, though – securing the rights to develop several titles based on the popular character from StudioCanal.
Chris Morris: Journalist 