Tech & Gadget Stream

Pioneer brags that its XMp3 device is the lightest portable XM radio in the market, and it doesn't look as though there will be anyone who will rise up to this challenge. That's all fair though, since the lightest MP3 player in the market will probably garner much more attention compared to a portable XM radio. Still, the Pioneer XMp3 is able to play back your favorite MP3 tunes when you are tired of tuning in to XM radio stations, and it comes with a microSD memory card slot for expansion purposes, an auto-record feature, a buffer that stores the last 30 minutes' worth of programms and a 100 hour storage space. You can pick up the Pioneer XMp3 for $280 a pop.

The new MacBook Air has landed, and folks all over are recording their impressions of the slightly-revamped ultraportable. Obviously there's very little to note externally, with the same packaging and design to the computer -- the only real difference is the new mini DisplayPort plug to replace that totally oddball microDVI plug. What's much more exciting is what's under the hood, namely integrated graphics (NVIDIA 9400M) with enough juice to, say, play back a YouTube video without overheating the computer to a point of non-usability. Shocking, we know. Booting is a snap (25 seconds in informal testing) with that new 128GB SSD, the computer runs cool and core-shut-down-free, can handle full HD video, and outputs to external monitors without a problem. Apple really hamstrung an otherwise interesting computer in the original Air with a criminal lack of power and cooling, and we're happy to report that they seem to have righted those wrongs -- though MacBook Air 1.0 owners

The Apple vs Microsoft ad war keeps escalating. Microsoft has setup a booth just outside the Apple Store, Bullring, Birmingham. The booth looks like it will aim to turn patrons away from the Mac store over the next few days. As part of Microsoft’s new $300 million advertising campaign, Microsoft has invited visitors to its website to upload their own videos and photos to show “how they, too, are PCs”. This is probably a response from Microsoft to Apple’s “I’m a Mac” ads. To be honest, Apple will probably just make fun of Microsoft’s latest attempt to look trendy and fun, so we’ll just wait and see what the response from Apple is.

Vicious and Divine's Laplace webcam had it all... 2 megapixel photo and 1.3 megapixel video resolution, an integrated flash so that it could handle innumerable lighting situations, a folding mechanism that particularly suited it to mounting on laptops or flat panel monitors, plus that compact and sleek design. It was the jet-set of webcams, some might say, but it seemed to lack something -- some essential quality of life. Possibly a higher purpose? As it turns out, all it needed was to be absolutely, 100 percent covered -- bedazzled, if you dare -- in Swarovski crystals. The results are pretty... stunning. And not at all obscene. It comes in both black and clear crystal variations, and €49.99 (about $63) seems a small price to pay for something that's going to make you the envy of all of your friends -- but it seems to be available only in Europe. Your loss, rest-of-the-Earth!

You can run, but you definitely can't hide - not when you have the Recon Scout robot hot on your trail. This might look like a technologically advanced dumbbell at first glance, but it actually does something totally different from building up your biceps. The Recon Scout robot moves around on electric motors that are quieter than a human whisper, and can be controlled by a handheld controller as long as it remains within a 100 foot radius. The remote control comes with an integrated display so that the human controller will know where to position the Recon Scout robot as it searches for someone hiding in a prison or correctional facility. It is durable enough not to be turned off by a hard impact, so anyone throwing the Recon Scout against the floor or wall will be in for a big surprise, as it was specially built to survive a 30 foot drop onto concrete.

Sanyo was one of the first companies in the world that released a transistor radio, and nice to see them coming back to their roots with an update in the 21st century in the form of the Sanyo Internet Radio 227. This device comes with integrated Wi-Fi connectivity that makes it a snap for you to tune in to hundreds of online radio stations and podcasts from all over the world without having to fork out a single cent in terms of subscription fees. Don't worry about security as the Sanyo 227 uses an easy network key entry to work with secured wireless networks, searching via country or genre and can hold up to eight Internet station presets. Other features also include an FM stereo digital tuner with eight station presets just in case your area's Internet connection is hampered. The Sanyo R227 will be out in Canada before this month is over and will retail for $219.99.

Apparently, Asus is going to launch its first Android phone in the first half of next year. ASUS has a history of making Windows Mobile phones and we can only guess that they will continue to do so, at least for the time being. Some speculate that after launching its own Android phone, Asus will produce "white label" phones for other brands. The ASUS P552w touch-phone or something like it could be the hardware platform for an Android phone. Well, as long as it looks better than the T-Mobile G1, I'll gladly look at it.

Tired of those long car journeys? Get bored sitting on the train with nothing to do? Then check out the new improved MP4 Film Watch! This little beauty has it all, it is compact, but large enough for you to see what is going on, stylish yet practical and it has double the memory of any other MP4 Film Watch on the market. You now have the chance to walk around with your very own movie and video library, a massive selection of songs and it also has an inbuilt FM radio. The MP4 Film Watch can hold 1000 songs, 6 full length movies and 160 music videos all on a device which literally slips onto you wrist – how good is that? While it goes without saying that the picture and sound quality are top of the range, the easy to use USB connector allows you to download movies, music and videos from your PC and store them on your watch. The MP4 Film Watch supports all of the latest technology, has a very useful help system and a battery which allows 10 hours of music and 5 hours of movies before it

Ever regret that you did not take up French classes back in school, only to be interested in this article in a French magazine that features snapshots of a bootylicious European chick ? Well, with the Quicktionary TS , you can. This device comes with an integrated 400 dpi scanner located at the pen's tip, allowing you to scan in a word or even a full line of text for instant word-by-word translation and phrases. Each $190 purchase will come with English-Spanish-English and English-French-English instant translation capability in addition to the American Heritage dictionary for English definitions. The touch screen display lets you navigate through dictionary functions, and you can also opt to listen to how the words are spoken in order to enhance your learning experience.

The Asus Eee PC might have just turned one recently, but plenty has changed in the space of 12 months. The extremely dated Eee PC 701 could be better used in this cool mod that functions in your car, helping provide the driver with GPS navigation capability and Bluetooth connectivity, all controlled via a wireless keyboard which is located in the glove compartment. This hack will most probably be powered by Windows XP and also features multimedia playback capability to keep the kids entertained during those long road trips. Since the dashboard has basically zero ventilation to speak of, it is not wrong to assume that heat sinks will be featured heavily.

Bringing the benefits of technology to the visually impaired is a challenge since designing devices for them requires thinking unconventionally along with an increased sensitivity to their needs. Take the example of cell phones - they are everywhere but all that they have offered for those who have problems with figuring out where the keys are is the "dimple" on the 5 key. Japanese designer, Takumi Yoshida took on the task of coming up with a cell phone that would be solely designed for the blind. She started off by conducting extensive user research, interviews, observations and testing with students from the Royal National Institute of Blind People, United Kingdom. The result is the SENS concept phone. The SENS phone cleverly uses a combination of touch sensors and the regular phone keys to provide an audible feedback to the user. So when a person presses a certain key, the phone informs him what key has been pressed without actually considering it as a normal key press. I

Why bother poring over dozens of books when the rest of the world is gaining an unfair advantage by going digital? That is the very concept of this cramming aid from Leapfrog – the Crammer . Compatible with both Windows and Mac systems, the Crammer is a digital cramming aid which provides answers to more than 16,000 popular questions on mathematics, science and social studies – all compiled from leading school textbooks. The device can be programmed via its USB port through the Leapfrog Connect software that runs on your PC. Keeping in mind that all work and no play can make you a dull-head, there is also the option to play music on the Crammer – it has 8GB of built-in memory to load your music, and a headphone jack. Plus a couple of games and a Spanish translator. Priced at $60, the device is great value for the money. It's primarily aimed at kids between 8-14 years old, but can also be a great aid for grown-ups who need to brush up on their basics too. After all, who wouldn’t wan

Of all the sweet and chic cases available in plenty for your iPhone, why would you want to even glance at this leather iPhone case which, at best, can only be termed an ugly duckling ? Because, forgetting its ungainly looks for a moment, it is a solar powered case which can juice up your iPhone perhaps during that unexpected emergency when your phone’s completely dead and an alternate power source is hard to find. The leather case conceals a rechargeable battery that you can charge either by solar power or via USB. Then transfering the power to your iPhone takes just a few simple steps – just insert the iPhone into the case and you are done. The iPhone fully charges up in less than 3 hours provided the battery within the case has been fully charged. Cons ? The battery itself takes an agonizing 12 hours to charge on solar power, and you will have to part with an unreasonable $48 to bring home this beast.

The Motley Fool has a good point: unless the upcoming G1 Phone is a complete and utter failure, Google wins whether or not its entry into telecom hardware market does well. The money quote: Google wins when more people use the Web. If the Android platform kills the iPhone, that’s great. Google wins. If Apple ends up killing the Android, it’ll have to be with better software that takes full advantage of connectivity everywhere. Again, Google wins. The only way to lose is to release a total dud, so failure this month is not an option. In any case, a 1.5 million pre-sale figure is pretty impressive. It’s proof that Google’s concept for mobility is interesting enough for lots of people to shell out money—despite the lack of any significant experience with the phone. Unfortunately, it’s still ugly!

The Minoru webcam wants to introduce a paradigm shift where Internet surfing is concerned, relying on both lenses to form a single 3D image, although the viewer will need to wear a pair of 3D glasses in order to see the intended effect. It is compatible with instant messaging services such as Skype, AIM and Windows Live Messenger. According to the manufacturers, the Minoru webcam can also capture 3D photos as well as output 3D video that can be uploaded to video sharing sites such as YouTube. You can pick up the Minoru webcam for $100 when it arrives this December. Do you think this will catch on, or is it just a fad?