Los Angeles - Universal Studios and director Gore Verbinski ("Pirates of the Caribbean," "The Ring") have acquired the rights to a 2007 Wall Street Journal article about the online virtual world "Second Life," Variety reports. The article centered on the detrimental effect that hours spent in the virtual world had on the real life of a 53-year-old man and his family. Verbinski is also slated to direct a film version of the game "Bioshock" for Universal.

Cupertino, Calif. - Apple (NASD: AAPL) on Thursday announced that new release movies from the major Hollywood studios will now be made available for purchase and download from the iTunes Store on the same day as their DVD releases, and will be priced at $14.99. Participating studios include 20th Century Fox (NYSE: NWS), The Walt Disney Studios (NYSE: DIS), Warner Bros. (NYSE: TWX), Paramount Pictures (NYSE: VIA), Universal Studios Home Entertainment (NYSE: GE), Sony Pictures Entertainment (NYSE: SNE), Lionsgate, Image Entertainment and First Look Studios.

Los Angeles - Universal and Paramount (NYSE: VIA) have become the last of the major Hollywood movie studios to pledge support for Sony's (NYSE: SNE) Blu-ray next-generation DVD format, after Toshiba decided earlier this week to abandon its rival HD DVD format, ending a costly battle between the two companies to establish their respective format as the standard. "We are pleased that the industry is moving to a single high-definition format, as we believe it is in the best interest of the consumer," Paramount Home Entertainment told The Hollywood Reporter.

Los Angeles - Universal Studios' commitment to exclusively back Toshiba's next-generation HD DVD format has expired, Daily Variety reports, in a development that gives Sony's (NYSE: SNE) Blu-ray, which gained exclusive support from Warner Bros. (NYSE: TWX) earlier this week, another leg up in the DVD format war.

Santa Clara, Calif. - VUDU, the developer of a set-top box that features on-demand movies licensed from the major studios and many independents, announced on Thursday that it has signed deals with Universal, Paramount and Lionsgate to add HD movies to its service. The HD films will be available to VUDU owners during the traditional home video and video-on-demand windows. Santa Clara, Calif.-based VUDU's Internet-connected set-top box went on sale last month for $399; consumers also pay fees to rent or permanently purchase titles from the rotating library of 5,000 films.

Universal City, Calif. - Universal Studios Home Entertainment on Wednesday introduced a new website that will link directly from HD DVD discs, so users can download bonus scenes, create online profiles and buy movie- and TV-related items from a U-Shop store.

New York - Apple is in discussions with Hollywood movies studios on making films available to rent over the Internet via its iTunes Store, the Financial Times reported.

San Mateo, Calif. - Mobile entertainment publisher I-play announced on Monday a deal with Universal Studios, to make classic movie clips available for purchase and download to mobile phones. Initially available to Sprint, Verizon, Rogers and Amp'd Mobile subscribers are clips of films like "King Kong," "The 40 Year Old-Virgin," "Animal House" and "The Breakfast Club."