We just reported on Ricoh's new optical device to make dual-format players an easier undertaking, and nary three days later the same company has announced its plans to build one. Unfortunately, the player won't be available this holiday season, instead due to be released in late 2007. Yes, 18 months away. We aren't sure what will take them so damn long, but you've got to assume that if it was an easy and fast undertaking it would be out as fast as possible. To recap, the player will be able to play both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs, making this silly format war currently raging in mainly press-release form even easier for consumers to ignore. There's no pricing info available as of yet, but right now a Blu-ray player will run you about $1, 000 while the cheapest HD DVD players cost about $500. Those prices are sure to drop significantly over the course of the next year and a half, which is like an eternity in the consumer-electronics industry, so what we're trying to say is we have no idea how much Ricoh's model will cost. — Adam Frucci

Akihabara News, via Gizmodo