LucidTouch, Microsoft’s see-through touch screen concept is definitely going to be revolutionary when it comes out, although it remains to be seen just how much of an impact it can make in the consumer electronics industry. In order to further aggravate our Pavlovian response to all things gadgety, Microsoft has released a photoshopped mockup of a tablet pc that uses LucidTouch and I can say that I’m sold. The only problem with mockups is this - the final product is rarely as cool and tantalizing as what was shown in renderings, and as we all know, there will be a camera located at the back to detect your hand and finger positions. (Read the full post about ‘LucidTouch Mockup’…)

The Nokia N-Series of cell phones will soon receive yet another member into their fold - the Nokia N78, if the FCC gives it a nod through numerous tests. What can you expect from this 3G-enabled handset? For starters, it will feature a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus capability, a much-needed Xenon flash unlike the N73’s weak flash, GPS navigation just in case you get lost in a new city, and a new form factor which shares its roots with the N82 and N81. The N78 will support AT&T’s 3G network bands, so you can start saving up for one until it is officially released here in the US. (Read the full post about ‘FCC Looks At Nokia N78′…)

Sharp’s new cell phone, the FOMA SH705iII looks like any other ordinary clamshell handset, but this one comes with a built-in TV tuner, allowing you to view just about any TV show no matter where you are on it, helping you keep up with the latest episodes. Some of the features include :- 3G international roaming 2.8″ 262k color display (400 x 240 resolution) 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus External monochromatic OLED display microSD memory card slot Battery life of 175 minutes for talk time, 2 hours for TV viewingUnfortunately, this is a Japan-only product as at press time. Tags: M4A, MP3, home cinema, toys (Read the full post about ‘Sharp FOMA SH705iII’…)

Now this is one interesting iPod dock that we have come across so far - the Disney High School Musical Clock Radio for ipod (what a mouthful) looks very much like an ordinary locker, but open its door and voila - you are presented with an iPod dock within. Other features include an integrated AM/FM tuner, a sleep timer, a snooze button, and volume display to know just how loud you’re rocking. Target is carrying this iPod dock for $59.99 a pop. Tags: digital, gadgetry, high definition TV, hi fi (Read the full post about ‘iPod Dock Resembles Locker’…)

Posted Mar 13th 2008 12:13AM by Ryan BlockFiled under: Storage 32 and 64GB capacities aren’t all that impressive when it comes to SATA II 2.5-inch solid state drives, but OCZ’s new devices do claim 120MBps read and 100MBps write speeds which would put it up there on the ranks. Unfortunately, OCZ neglected to clue anyone in on price or release date for these puppies.Tags: cellphone, DAB, video games, cable (Read the full post about ‘OCZ announces 32, 64GB SATA II SSDs’…)

Some keen eyes have spotted what may be an icon for the next Sidekick ID in the Catalog. On the Sidekick LX, if you go into the Theme section of the catalog and look at the newest themes, you’ll see that the phone icon is different. (Or if you don’t want to open the catalog, compare the phone icon in the first image above to the familiar icon in the second one) It’s yellow around the edges as if it has bumpers, but it has a wider screen than the normal SKiD, one that looks more like a Sidekick LX screen. My first thought was, it’s just an LX with yellow plastic pieces. But if you look close enough (I know, we’re examining like 10 pixels) you can see that the yellow part does not match up where you would replace the pieces on a Sidekick LX. (Read the full post about ‘The next Sidekick ID?’…)

Mmm — diesel! It will help to remember that attitude if the Exhaust Burger ever becomes a reality. Dreamed up by an Iranian design team as part of the Designboom competition, the automotive/culinary accessory consists of a metal hamburger caddy welded to an exhaust pipe extension. The hamburger chamber is sealed off, so supposedly the only thing that’s transferred is enough heat to cook the burger. Say the designers:Your car exhaust is a barbeque now.. Stop the car when you are hungry, install the device to the exhaust and back to drive,, You’ll have a hamburger in no time. This way you don’t need fuel for cooking while commuting and a large amount of energy would be saved.I’m thinking of this as a handy breakfast thing for commuters. (Read the full post about ‘Exhaust Burger Cooks While You Drive’…)

Bartenders are always good as they lend a listening ear, but isn’t it a bummer when you are trying to drown your sorrows in many a pint, but he ultimately stops you “for your own good”? Enter the Beer Pouring Robot - this unique robot is radio controlled and features a microphone/speaker configuration that actually allows its operator to strike up a conversation with the customer. I wonder if the voice coming out from it will be digitized to a certain extent, helping the robot flesh out a “colder” personality. Hopefully the goons controlling it won’t be able to know just how much beer you have had already. Keep those drinks coming, boys! (Read the full post about ‘Beer Pouring Robot’…)

We have yet another phone leaked via the FCC, this time its the Nokia N78 with support for US 3G. If all goes as well, we’ll all be seeing just how the Nokia N78 will fare with the 3G networks currently available in the US (read: the AT&T network since it’s the only operator offering 3G in the US at the time). If you remember, the Nokia N78 is supposed to be the successor of the N73, and a lesser powerful version of the N82. It features a 3.2-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, built-in Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, an FM transmitter, support for microSD storage cards up to 8GB in size, integrated A-GPS, and of course, that funky old keypad. Look for some more official leaked photos from the FCC to be available soon. (Read the full post about ‘Nokia N78 with US 3G gets the FCC treatment’…)

Posted Mar 12th 2008 5:53PM by Donald MelansonFiled under: DesktopsIt hasn’t exactly been the speediest of turnarounds but, according to Daily Tech, AMD is now finally getting its updated B3 stepping Opteron processors out into the hands of system integrators, making them the first K10-based Opteron processors to ship since the so-called TLB bug cropped up last December. What’s more, while there’s apparently only hard evidence of the Opterons (pictured at right), Daily Tech says that the B3 stepping Phenom processors are now shipping as well. (Read the full post about ‘AMD finally getting “B3″ Opterons out the door’…)