Wakey wakey: All the news in 30 seconds

Panasonic BD
Panasonic gets the honour of being the first BD maker to be chipped

We can't say it's a surprise, but region-free Blu-ray players had to come along sooner or later once modders could see there might be profit to be had, which is where Blu-Ray Mods comes in.

The European firm (we think they're Dutch, but these guys aren't easy to pin down) is offering a modified version of Panasonic's DMP-BD30 for €499 (£396) or a DIY kit for €89 (£70).

J Mark Lytle was an International Editor for TechRadar, based out of Tokyo, who now works as a Script Editor, Consultant at NHK, the Japan Broadcasting Corporation. Writer, multi-platform journalist, all-round editorial and PR consultant with many years' experience as a professional writer, their bylines include CNN, Snap Media and IDG.