Tech & Gadget Stream

Minox of Germany is noted for their line of Leica cameras, and this time round the company decides to go covert with its DSC model, also known as the Digital Spy Camera in length. This isn't a looker and neither will it offer highly detailed images from afar, as you get a mere 3.2 megapixel camera with 128MB of internal memory. There is no word on whether the Minox DSC comes with some sort of memory card slot, although we think that would be a great feature to have considering the rather limited internal memory and the possibility of recording videos with this. Pricing details are unavailable, but we do know the Minox DSC tips the scales at 90 grams and measures a diminutive 86mm x 21mm x 30mm.

The Ecobee Smart Thermostat was first announced last October, and the device came with manufacturer claims that one is able to recoup the cost of its $385 price tag within 12 to 18 months of use. For those of us with a skeptical eye, why not put this claim to the test? After all, the Smart Thermostat isn't exactly a waste of money when it comes to using energy in a more efficient manner. This WiFi-enabled home automation tool also comes with ZigBee expansion slots and will cost an additional $35 access fee for the first year of use. Are you game to try this out, or would you rather wait for a review to pop up somewhere before placing your order?

Lenovo's 15.4-inch IdeaPad Y530 has been around the block a time or two, but if you've been putting off a buy as you wait for someone to test this puppy out good-fashion, your day has arrived. The benchmarking fiends over at HotHardware have abused (in a good way, of course) the Y530 in pretty much every way possible, even straining the Core 2 Duo CPU and the NVIDIA GeForce 9300M to see how they fared in gaming scenarios. Critics were particularly wowed by the display's crispness and overall stability of the machine -- not once during the gauntlet of tests did this bugger crash or weep under pressure. Of course, serious gamers should probably look elsewhere, but those scouting a do-it-all laptop at a sub-$1,000 price point should definitely dive into the read link below.

The scanU portable scanner throws all normal convention out of the window, coming in a svelte form factor that is comprised of its screen, power unit and storage. The display screen itself features a three-layer roll out scanning bed, where the upper and lower layers are OLED displays that provide illumination while the central layer has capacitive and photo sensors required to capture the scanned data. It looks all too fragile to us, what happens if someone has long fingernails and accidentally scratches either one (or all) three layers? Other features include USB connectivity and some flash memory within. Do you think this would be good for the industry if it materializes?

Nokia dabbles with the luxury handset market yet again with the Nokia Royal, and you don't have to be blue-blooded to own one, just make sure you have enough balance in your bank account after you make your purchase. You get 8.2 cts of vvs, color 'F' diamonds, alongside approximately 1,160 individually set sparkling gems with the Nokia Royal. Its carbon fibre exterior is removed and fitted with a vast amount of solid platinum, held down securely by 8 handmade platinum screws. The Nokia Royal has enough platinum to make 16 wedding bands of the same material. If you're thinking of a really, really lavish gift for your other half, we guess you'd best mosey down to the Colette store in Paris on January 31st and rub shoulders with sheikhs and other folks on the Forbes list since there will only be 50 Nokia Royals in existence.

Wacom's PL-900 is unique as this 19" LCD display also doubles up as a tablet, flexing Wacom's muscles when it comes to digital tablets. This display is equipped with a digital pen that allows users to write, annotate and even navigate directly without the help of a mouse. You will get a SXGA resolution of 1,280 x 1,024 pixels in the anti-glare display, making it easy on your eyes even after sitting in front of it for hours. Other features include DVI-I input and DVI-I output connectivity, a wireless and battery-free pen that offers 512 pressure levels and has a programmable double side-switch. The Wacom PL-900 is compatible with both Mac OS and Windows platforms and will retail for £1,249.99 ($1,785) after taxes, accompanied by a two-year warranty.

Ever tried to teach older folks on how to use a computer? Chances are, the more impatient young 'uns among you will end up with less hair than your "student" since you would've pulled all your hair out in frustration by the time you're done teaching someone on how to navigate through My Computer in Windows. Why not make computers easier to use for first timers with the Perch Computer concept? It introduces the fun element by incorporating intuitive navigation, featuring a touchscreen display and a key system that makes it a whole lot easier to use thanks to visual representations of the various programs. Induction technology is used to store information and programs, where placing a key on the allotted slot will initiate the process. Uploading data to the Keys is as simple as dragging and dropping.

Virgin Mobile jumps aboard the Valentine's Day bandwagon by offering a pink version of the clamshell LG Flare, and as usual, apart from the external difference in its paint job, everything else inside remains the same including Bluetooth connectivity and speakerphone function. The LG Flare is meant to be an extremely basic handset, so don't expect to do wonders with this apart from keeping in touch via SMS and phone calls. Of course, each purchase of this pink LG Flare from Virgin Mobile will see $5 being donated to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. Might as well surprise your mom or girlfriend this Valentine's Day if they have yet to own a phone and do a good deed at the same time! $29.99 is all Virgin Mobile is asking for.

Sound Blaster for iTunes from Creative Labs. Sounds like something we all want. I know I do. It wirelessly streams your music to any room of your home where you have a Creative Wireless Receiver connected to speakers or the new GigaWorks T20W speakers, which have a receiver built right in. The Sound Blaster for iTunes transmitter (the USB device) will be $99, the Creative Wireless Receivers will be $69.99 and the GigaWorks T20Ws will be $129.99.( If you already own the Gigaworks speakers, as I do, you just need a Creative Wireless Receiver that you plug into your current speakers via line-out.) Available in the Spring.

Bluetribe is a new pair of Bluetooth 2.1 headphones from Sigma-Apo of Japan, and it will sell with a couple of earpads to fit most ears. Won't be of much help if you're Goofy or Mickey Mouse though. How many of you out there think the form factor is way too retro to meet the criteria of a well-designed pair of headphones? We're not too sure whether the hexagon earpad is appealing or not, but let's just allow the sales figures to do the talking instead. Chances are this will be a Japan-only product, so no word on pricing at this moment.

Want to create your very own Wi-Fi hotspot and share that HSPA broadband connection with the rest of your mates? Well, Option is offering an, er, option, in the form of its Globetrotter III wireless router. This device comes with USB connectivity that enables users to hook up external hard drives for data back up purposes or even to share content over the Wi-Fi link. You can even connect a printer so that everyone who has access to the network will be able to kill a few more trees with their freshly printed reports. There is one cable to contend with though - the all important power cable, and the Globetrotter III's functions can be accessed through the integrated color display. Option has opted (here I go again, playing on the same verb twice ) for Qualcomm's 7225 chipset to run the proceedings, capable of touching download speeds of 7.2Mbps and upload speeds of up to 5.76Mbps. Those residing in the US will be pleased to note that the Globetrotter III supports Advanced Wirele

We're not too sure whether the Guitar Boat is romantic or a hoot, but nevertheless, it still exists. Commissioned by Australian singer-songwriter Josh Pyke, he is now auctioning off his Guitar Boat as seen above in order to raise funds for the Indigenous Literacy Charity. The Guitar Boat will appear on eBay's listing from February 2nd onwards, and most of the auction's share will go towards the “Busking For Change” coffer which Pyke is launching alongside the Indigenous Literacy Project. You have 10 days from February 2nd to bid with people all over the world in order to have this weird water-based transport parked in your garage (or docked at the pier, whichever floats your, er, boat), so make sure your bank account has enough balance to secure the winning bid. You might not be able to carry a tune vocally, but with the Guitar Boat, you ought to melt the heart of just about any lady who hears of your generosity while you ferry her down the romantic canals in Venice in it.

Osama and his half-brother Yeslam have two very different professions. One is the world's most notorious terrorist and the other is a pilot that makes fancy watches like those in his new "Aviator" line. First off, Yeslam has lived in Switzerland since the 80's and has openly condemned the acts of his brother. His company sells perfume and other fashion accessories, but this particular line of tourbillion watches was apparently inspired by the death of his father in a plane crash. Should the electronic instruments break down in an aircraft, the pilot can determine true airspeed without calculations and estimate the duration of the flight before takeoff. A watch in the Aviator line is expected to cost between 9,472 and $24,430 depending on the value of the metals used.

Alcatraz, or better known as The Rock, sees up to 3 million visitors each year, and all of them are ferried over from San Francisco's bay area. When you think of all the trips taken, the carbon footprint left behind is no longer negligible, which is why Alcatraz Cruises has just rolled out their own green solution in the form of the Hornblower Hybrid ferry. This multi-hulled hybrid boat relies on a couple of wind turbines and a solar array in order to power its navigation tools, lighting as well as a segment of its propulsion system. Maximum passenger capacity stands at 160 people, and whenever the Hornblower Hybrid is idling or in low propulsion mode, it will sip juice from its batteries. When power is required, it will kickstart its Tier 2 marine diesel engines that are touted to be cleaner in comparison to standard catamaran engines. Nice to see the tourism industry take yet another step in keeping the earth green - let's hope other cruise agencies follow suit.

I can't help but think that the Dz-Flex multi-screen display set up is meant to drive people dizzy, hence the initial part of its name. Jokes aside, this will definitely be a dream for many gamers as well as those who require a ton of viewing real estate including graphic intensive professionals, medical and financial workers. You will be able to take advantage of its advanced flexible arm-positioning and rugged aluminum frame structure, although it will be enormous in a small apartment. The flat panel design measures a mere 2.04” thin and comes with an integrated speaker, although we would recommend a dedicated audio system if you are a stickler for quality. There isn't any word on pricing or availability, but if you want one, better start working hard enough that your boss will reward you with a bonus even in these economically tough times.

If you own a PS3 and love beat 'em up games, then getting a decent joystick would be the right thing to do instead of relying on the SIXAXIS instead. XCM has something up their sleeves that might interest you - the Dominator PS3 joystick , featuring an arcade-style joystick that boasts programmable rapid fire/turbo and a macro mode for up to 20 moves, giving you the ability to churn out deadly combos that are all but impossible with a regular joystick. While purists might amount this to cheating, hey - some people just like having an edge over the others no matter the cost, right? Four memory keys are used to store the relevant macros, and these can be retrieved at the click of a button. Nice to see XCM throw in corny blue LEDs around the edge of the enclosure, although we're pretty sure the blue light in a dark room will end up hurting your eyes more in the long run. XCM will ship the Dominator PS3 joystick from next week onwards for $89.99 a pop.

No, seriously -- can you not envision that heinous object above suddenly conjuring up enough energy to transform into a real live, breathing, hungry alien? Brando's USB Aircraft Mouse is simply too frightening to recommend for children under the age of 25, but those hardened enough to control it can select one in five different hues (including camouflage, so you'll never even know when it arrives). We also get the idea that this thing is perfect for implementing carpal tunnel syndrome into your own life, which -- in our humble opinion -- is worth the $17 admission charge alone.

Maybe we're just hot for sleek, thin, ultra sexy renders of handheld computing devices, but we dare anyone to call the unit pictured above unsightly (and mean it). Shortly after showcasing its swiveling S7 at CES, Viliv has taken the wraps off of its X70 Atom Communication MID. The handheld comes stocked with a 1.33GHz Atom Z520 CPU, a 7-inch WSVGA touchscreen, your choice of a 30GB/60GB hard drive or an 8GB/16GB SSD, Windows XP or Linux, a battery good for six hours of continuous movie playback, 1GB of RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, an SD/SDHC card slot, optional WiMAX/HSDPA modules, stereo speakers, a USB port and a built-in microphone for good measure.

You have probably heard that Walmart is now selling iPhones at the bargain price of $197/$297 but Best Buy is going one better, selling refurbished 3G models for $149 for the 8GB version and $249 for the 16GB version - a $50 saving on Apple's pricing. But wait! It gets better... according to Seth Weintraub on the Computer World blog , AT&T is selling refurbished 8GB iPhones for $99. Run, don't walk - these deals are bound to be popular!

We've seen our share of computer mice, but this is one of our favorite new ones -- the SlimBlade TrackBall by Kensington which they demonstrated at CES . Not only does it look stunningly modern on your desk, but once you get used it, it's speedy and comfortable. Just choose a navigation mode to control cursor and scrolling, for instance, "media mode" controls volume, play/pause, stop, and track forward/backward, while "view" mode zooms in/out, and pans. Multi-function ball lets you easily navigate through music, pictures and documents using media or "document view" mode. Mac & PC compatible, including Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Mac OS X. Not cheap at $129 but worth it if you spend your life with a mouse. Available at Kensington.

We knew that Kenya was already home to the Obama beer , but now the Obama brand will also be used by to sell phones. The device itself is quite simple, but the back has the "Yes We Can" slogan with Obama at the top. Note that the 'O' letter is also where the camera is. The phone retails for $30 - in Kenya. The phone is, of course, built from the hordes of faithful followers of Obama's cause, and his famous "Change We Can Believe In" campaign. Does Obama himself own one of these? Who needs a Blackberry, eh?

I am not a huge fan of what I call the "pink" technology, since women deserve to like more than one color and appreciate high end specs too. This new Motorola basic phone fits the stereotype: pink and regular specs. However, the design is subtle and elegant; in addition, the pink color is discreet and it has 3.5G. The Motorola PEBL Rose Bloom will be available in Korea from SK telecom for an undisclosed price. It features a touch sensitive external panel, a 2 MP camera, a 3.5 mm audio jack, Bluetooth and HSDPA.

Philips goes all the way to 21:9 to deliver the "Cinema" experience at home. There's no denying that this LCD TV look very, very cool. It has a 56" diagonal and displays movies the way they were meant to (well, almost. The true cinema ratio is just a bit different). The pricing remains a mystery for now, but with the low volume, we expect to cost significantly more than a 56" 16:9 TV. Also, it's not clear if computers would support the screen resolution (TBD).

The Breo Sports Watch has an interesting design. It is basic but seems fairly comfortable and rugged, two useful attributes for any sports accessories. it is waterproof to 10 meters (10 yards). The color choices are limited (blue, pink, black) but it's still worth sharing the link. ( $15 )

We love RC helicopters. What self-repecting nerd doesn't? Add voice control and our dorktalic sensorloin careens into the red. Taiyo Co. plans to release a 7.2-inch radio controlled helicopter with 10-foot range sometime in 2009. At launch, the Voice-Heli will respond to commands such as "start engine," "up," "hold," "down," and "stop." Presumably, it'll recognize "quit spinning out of control you piece of Walmart shiznit!" in future versions. Taiyo says that it is targeting middle-aged men who would play with the toy rather than their children.

Eizo is best known for its often-specialized monitors, and the company has returned to its stomping grounds with its latest announcement: a pair of new FlexScan LCDs that promise to cover 95% of the Adobe RGB color space (and 92% of the NTSC color gamut). Those include the FlexScan S2242W-H and FlexScan S2232W-E, both of which are 22-inchers, with the former boasting a full 1920x1200 resolution and the latter dialing things back slightly to 1680x1050. Otherwise, the two seem to be mostly identical, with each sporting a 1,200:1 contrast ratio, a 12ms black-to-white response time, VGA and HDCP-capable DVI ports (but no HDMI), a pair of USB ports, and pair of built-in 0.5W speakers. No indication of a release over here, as usual, but folks in Japan will be able to pick 'em up next month for ¥69,800 yen and ¥62,800 (or roughly $780 and $700).

The Pro:Motion Keyboard goes one step beyond regular ergonomic keyboards by incorporating motors that shift both angle and separation between keys throughout the day in order to prevent you from getting carpal tunnel syndrome. There's a total of seven different "stations" that it cycles through, and only costs $130—not too horrible for a fancy keyboard. Seeing as regular ergo keyboards are proven to work at lessening the painful effects of typing too much, even if the motors don't work, you'll still have an ergo keyboard.

Sony launch their VAIO P Series which looks like netbook. It’s small, thin as a cell phone with weight only 1.4 pounds. The Sony VAIO P is small enough to put in handbag but the features like full PC. It has 1600×768 led backlit with 8 inch ultra-wide display. The XBrite-Eco Technology give the images briliant detail with sharp view on the go. Sony VAIO usually come with stylish and eye-catching colors, including garnet red, emerald green, onyx black, crystal white and classic black. The Lifestyle PC VAIO offers a convenient typing experience from the keyboard to expand the perimeter of the frame maximizing the typing area. The spacing between the keys is designed to help reduce typing errors, which makes it perfect for long nails. It includes built-in wireless WAN 3G mobile broadband, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies. It also includes real-time GPS functionality, making it easy to find restaurants, hotels and special attractions. The P-Series VAIO Lifestyle PC retail for about

Samsung kicks off the year with yet another 8 megapixel phone which was spotted in South Korea, adding to the exclusive stable of 8 megapixel club. There is no word on its availability and pricing, while details are as scarce as hair on Kojak's head. What we do know is, it will feature a 800 x 480 resolution touchscreen display that features the TouchWiz user interface, a Xenon flash and an autofocus ability. Hopefully this won't end up as a Korea-only handset, but be prepared to fork out a handsome amount for it.

Thorium is a radioactive element that, if processed properly, might be used as nuclear fuel, so this is a nuclear-powered car if you will. The idea from designer Loren Kulesus is that this car could be used for 100 years without (engine) maintenance and refueling. At least, it's the theory. I thought that nuclear-powered submarines or aircraft carriers did require quite a lot of maintenance, but I'm not a nuke mechanic. The question is: would the design last that long without becoming really cheesy?

Archos is totally getting in on the netbook game with the announcement of their own branded model (actually just a re-packaged Hasee MJ125), the Archos 10. This little 10.2-incher (with 1024 x 600 resolution) is going to pack a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive, with a 3-cell battery, WiFi, and three USB ports -- nothing to get too excited about, for sure, but we'll wait with breath bated for word on pricing and availability.

Even when gas prices have come down to saner levels, that doesn't give us the license to pump it up without a thought of how much it will cost us. The 2010 Prius has made its debut in Detroit and offers a combined rating of 50 mpg - according to Toyota's internal testing, of course. This is an improvement compared to its predecessor's 46 mpg rating, courtesy of its larger and more powerful 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle, four-cylinder engine. If that comes across as counterintuitive, Toyota debunks that, claiming that higher torque equals to lower rpm on the highway, and highways are not the most optimal place for a hybrid to be on. The new Prius features Eco, EV-Drive and Power driving modes, where the Eco mode enables battery-only operation "at low speeds for about a mile, if conditions permit." In addition, the 2010 Prius boasts the first air conditioner in the world that operates on battery power alone - neat!

Samsung unveiled its new flagship portable media player, the P3, at CES. It is an upgrade of the P2 . Like the previous model, the P3 features a 3” WQVGA TFT display (480x272), FM radio, Bluetooth, and an 8 GB version. The new P3 gets the updated DNSe 3.0 sound enhancement technology, an upgraded EmoTure™ touch interface with true haptic feedback, voice recording, 16 GB & 32 GB versions and a music easy access key called the “Music Hot Touch Key” . The P3 will be available in the first half of 2009 in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB and 32 GB storage capacities, in matte black or matte silver. No word on the pricing. Specs at a glance: Music Hot Touch Key 3-inch WQVGA TFT-LCD touch screen 16:9 widescreen video player 4GB, 8GB, 16GB and 32 GB Samsung’s updated DNSe 3.0 sound enhancement technology 0.39 inches thin Voice recorder Bluetooth FM radio

Although fuel prices have fallen down considerably off their highs from the middle of last year, that doesn't mean we should just go nuts by purchasing a gas guzzler just to impress the Joneses. Why not try something more environmentally friendly with the XM-50000Li electric scooter from X-Treme? This new model just debuted at CES this year, and is the first street-legal electric-powered moped/motorcycle that is powered by 20 lithium-ion batteries to achieve a balance in performance and weight. These batteries will crank out enough juice to power a 5,000-watt motor that allows the XM-50000Li to hit a maximum speed limit of 50 miles per hour within a range of 85 miles. It will retail for $6,000 when available - who said going was a cheap endeavor?

We were surprised to hear that Swiss Army ( Victorinox ) was showing at CES. What, they developed a crazy small cell phone to slide into one of the slots of their famous knives? Not quite, but the SwissFlash features a removable 32GB USB drive with fingerprint authentication, laser pointer, and Bluetooth remote control for Windows-only PC or laptop presentations. You still get the key ring and plus a handy-dandy blade. Not shipping till May, it will cost you a cool $330.

Lenovo has finally (officially) launched the world’s first dual-screen laptop, the ThinkPad W700ds, putting some of the mystery around it to rest. The limelight is obviously on the two screens – the main display being 17-inches, with a second 10-inches slide-out screen. And no, the second screen doesn’t weigh down badly on the laptop – just expect the ThinkPad W700ds to be half an inch thicker than its predecessor W700. The spring-loaded secondary display is housed within a “pocket door” configuration and can be angled upto 30-degrees. The other specs include a NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700M graphics card, 8GB RAM, WiFi, support for Dual-Link DVI, Display Port and VGA, a 7-in-1 multicard reader and five USB ports. Some select models also offer WiMAX and an optional fingerprint reader, a smartcard reader and hard drives with full-disk encryption. The device is priced starting at $3,663 and according to Lenovo, it is to be available immediately from the Lenovo website, though a search on the sit

Palm CEO Ed Colligan has made it known in a brief interview that the Palm Pre will go on sale in Europe sometime in the first half of 2009 - pretty much in tune with when those living Stateside will receive theirs. This is a welcome surprise as normally our friends who live across the pond will have to wait for some time before they get a version of their own. There were no further details from Ed concerning the Euro-friendly 3G model, but we speculate that it will most probably offer HSDPA support and HSUPA connectivity as well.