In life, it helps to have someone who can hold you accountable for your actions. In the case of electronics companies, it seems that Greenpeace is their accountability partner. The organization has recently released the current company rankings in its Greener Electronics Scale. To find out how certain companies fared, get "green-minded" and turn to the full article after the jump.

Remember amBX, Philips' ambient immersion technology for consoles, new entertainment sets, and PCs? Well it seems that the new immersive technology's about to gain support on Ubisoft's soon-to-be released titles: Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway and Far Cry 2. This is following an "alliance" that Philips announced recently over press wire. More at the full story.

Touch-screen and high definition display technology don't usually mix, especially in the world of gaming, but heading into the Consumer Electronics Show of 2008, LG.Philips will do what few other companies even thought of: A full-sized, touch screen LCD TV! It carries all the nice features that made the brand popular, and it will carry a new lighting technique as well. See the full article for more details.

80GB of hard disk goodness still not good enough for you? Well, James Yu of CNET Asia has detailed a handy tutorial on how to increase the storage capacity of your PlayStation 3 console.

All you need is an external storage device, a 2.5-inch SATA hard drive and a Philips-head screwdriver, and you're all set. For more information on how to play handyman with your PS3, read the full article!

The mere mention of the words "airport hotel" conjures up high-priced coffins where travel-weary zombies roost for a night to prowl the daytime. Add to that the mediocre food and you've got a recipe for unhappy travel memories.

Thankfully, consumer electronics giant Royal Philips Electronics N.V. (or Philips) is working on changing that image of airport hotels in cooperation with Amsterdam's citizenM hotels. The effort is called "One Star Is Born" and it seeks to bring high-tech comforts at a low cost so everyone can afford the accommodations. What's so special about this innovation is that it's modular and can be delivered on site for a customizable luxury feel.

For starters, this crib will be armed with a flatscreen entertainment center, MoodPad controllers to control the lighting and temperature, wireless internet access, and other high-end amenities. All of these are instantly operational with four cables once set up.

The project will be implemented near airport hotels across the planet, according to a press release from Philips which seeks to encourage hotel owners everywhere to adopt the project because it would lower costs into half of what it normally is. The plan is set to unfold early next year and we're all excited to see it happen.

A new, thinner LCD TV panel is being prepped for launch by LG.Philips LCD. This new 42-inch panel will reportedly be 40 percent thinner at only 19.8 mm and 10 percent lighter than conventional 42-inch panels.

Despite the slim frame, LG.Philips LCD still managed to cram a few impressive features into the panel. It uses 120Hz technology to eliminate motion blur and full HD resolution. Costs were also kept low with the use of a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) backlight.

LG.Philips LCD will launch its ultra-slim 42-inch TFT-LCD TV panel in the first quarter of 2008. The panel will be on display at FPD International 2007 in Yokohama, Japan, from October 24 to October 26.

Team modfreakz made waves yesterday after it showed evidence on how an Xbox 360 can run on a consumer SATA DVD drive with the original BenQ firmware. Now this discovery was first claimed a month ago, which was preceded by another mod using a Hitachi drive, but it was the second video released yesterday that presented proof that Microsoft's Xbox 360 console would run backup games and not compromise Xbox Live access.

Team modfreakz used a Philips DVD drive, a product available for PC users, and utilized the actual firmware from a retail Xbox 360 DVD drive - the BenQ VAD6038. So it's basically a Philips drive running on retail Xbox 360 firmware. Take note that this feat requires no actual modification to the game console, allowing the machine to log in to Xbox Live. Need to see to believe? Watch the video below. 

Much had been said about the ongoing format war between HD DVD and Blu-ray. For one thing, it has caught the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in the crossfire. Depending on what format you prefer though, all of this is going to be over soon, according Blu-ray Disc Association Chairman Frank Simonis.

"Due to the fact that we have some hard competition which sometimes makes strange moves, it's very unpredictable," said Simonis. "But I think in the next 18 months it will be very exciting to see what's going on"

Simonis, who is also Philips' Senior Director for Communications, further mentioned that consumers will be deciding soon because of all the new products coming into the market. Apart from the format war, there will also a battle between different brands for both the Blu-ray and HD DVD that will further cost "price erosion".

Definitely a good observation from Simonis part but in the end, he couldn't help but somewhat sell his company's preferred one. He commented:

We don't like to oversell ourselves, but we right now see that there is a major transition taking place from publishers who said they would initially go only for HD DVD and now make the move across the Blu-ray. [This is] based on the sales numbers of software happening in the Far East, US and also now in Europe.

Philips has teamed-up with Gas Powered Games to release an amBX Supreme Commander bundle. This is the perfect chance to pick-up a copy of both the game and the amBX Gaming Peripherals, if you haven't already done so.

The Philips amBX PC Gaming Peripherals is a very big package. It includes a pair of left and right satellite lights capable of projecting 16 million different colours, a pair of left and right satellite 2.1 speaker lights and subwoofer which offer 160-watt multi-directional sound and bass boost, a pair of desk fans, a wrist rumbler, and a directional wall washer light with controller unit.

Each of the different peripherals will be put to good use in Supreme Commander as the General Manager for New Business Development at Philips Consumer Electronics, Engelbert van Pelt, noted in the recent press release:

Supreme Commander is the perfect title to accompany and showcase the Philips amBX Gaming Peripherals effects. Supreme Commander’s real-time strategy game play will maximise the lighting, wind and rumble effects that the Philips amBX PC Gaming Peripherals are capable of delivering. War gaming has never been so realistically scary.

IT certainly looks sounds like a sweet addition to any gamer's arsenal. If it works exactly as described, then this bundle will be on every PC Gamer's wish list this holiday season.

The Develop Conference & Expo happens on the 24th to the 26th of July and developers are gearing up from all over the world to take part in one of the region's biggest developer gatherings to take place on an annual basis.

Headlining the shindig are top-brass companies Sony, Philips, Autodesk, and Nokia, who will be the prime movers and shakers in the event. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe will once again be the Platinum sponsor of the event while Philips and Autodesk are at Gold and Silver respectively. Nokia is the mobile sponsor of the gathering.

The event seeks to bring together the development community with European gaming market interests in a three-day conference where interests and demonstrations are exhibited for industry insiders, game media and the public. Top-caliber speakers from within the industry are invited to share their views and knowledge of the business.

Animazoo, artemdigital, Audiokinetic, Autodesk, Beyerdynamic, CRI Middleware, Develop Magazine, Emergent Game Technologies, gamesindustry.biz, Hansoft, IGDA, Instinct Technology, Mobile Entertainment, Nokia, Perforce Software, Philips amBX, Sony Computer Entertainment, Southampton Solent University, Tech Excel, Testronic Labs and Tiga will participate in this year's event to be held in Brighton.