While most earphones will happily blast music in your ears, how many will actually keep your ears warm? Enter the Ear Toasters, which will warm your ears while you’re listening to your music collection on your music player. The Ear Toasters combine the comfort of fleece lining and earphones intro a nylon frame for just $22. 
A lot of us have cool keyboards, but how many of you have keyboards that are literally cool? Thanko is offering a USB keyboard that has a built-in cooler and heater, which should be useful in all kinds of climates. There is a control wheel on the side of the keyboard that will give you complete control over the temperature orientation of your keyboard. The keyboard is going for just $50 on the Thanko website, and if you want the cooler-only version, you can find it on RareMonoShop.co, though it’s surprisingly more expensive at $78.
Just when you thought that you've seen it all, along comes the Catch 22 Yo-Yo which will come in extremely limited quantities - 70 units worldwide to be exact. Hence, the insanely high $460 price point that will definitely send collectors whipping their calculators out. The Catch 22 Yo-Yo does all the tricks and stunts that most other yo-yos do, but its extreme limited quantity and special bi-metallic design augmented with a black aluminum body and titanium rims for superior weight distribution make this a highly desirable toy. Each purchase will come with its personal carrying case and a bunch of spare parts. Get this only if you're a hobbyist or a serious collector.
Alltel is late to the party yet again, being the last major US carrier that is offering the Samsung Delve. This full touch screen display handset does share some resemblances with the Instinct for Sprint, but it does differ in terms of non-touch call and menu buttons. The Samsung Delve is also the first US phone which offers Samsung's TouchWiz interface, although it does lack a smartphone operating system like its much higher end sibling, the Omnia. Other features on the Samsung Delve include :- 
You will be able to place a $200 pre-order for the Delve today, and shipping commences on November 7th as long as you agree to a contract.
Just in case you mistake the Compaq Mini 700 for the HP Mini 1000, here are some of the rather subtle differences :- 
Other than those four, the specifications are more or less identical, although there have been reports floating around the internet that the US version of the HP Mini 1000 comes with a 1024 x 600 resolution for its display, while the UK version will most likely sport a 1,024 x 576 resolution display.
T-Mobile is now offering a new RED BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 that offers a chance for you to match your crimson wardrobe with this handset. Other than the color change, everything else remains the same as the vanilla version of the Flip 8220. Just in case you have forgotten, its features include :- 
Pricing has not changed either - you will still have to fork out $150 for a 2-year contract after rebates.
Dell's new all-in-one desktop is now available - the sleek looking 24" XPS One 24. At first glance, it looks really sweet, but when you take a gander at its price tag, chances are you will recoil in horror. The XPS One 24 commands a $700 premium over the previous year's configuration, with prices starting from $1,699 upwards. With all that additional dosh thrown in, you will benefit from the following upgrades :- 
If you happen to have extra money to spare, you can always opt for a larger hard drive of the new NVIDIA 9600 GT 512MB mobile graphics chipset. Those who are more altruistic can always pick up the PRODUCT(RED) version which sees $50 to $80 of your purchase go toward the effort in halting the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Acer has just rolled out its eMD620-5777 notebook that will come with the following features :- 
Strange to see this have less USB ports than even netbooks (with just two). Well, good thing it comes with a price point that could challenge certain netbooks with a sticker tag of $430 when it hits Best Buy stores this November 1st onwards.
This is totally weird, seeing a Sony PSP getting manhandled by an old school SNES controller, courtesy of modder [foo] who managed to come up with this miraculous mod. An additional port has been added to the rear part of the PSP so that this SNES controller can be plugged in. Pretty pointless since you will need a cradle of some sort in order to play the PSP in the optimal viewing angle, but it must be remembered that this mod was developed because of a special request from someone who had limited use of one hand.
Nextar's new Q4-MD GPS navigation system will come with most of the bells and whistles associated with a device of its class, including a 4.3" touch screen display as well as Tele Atlas maps which make sure you can find your way around all 50 US states along with Canada. Other features include :- 
What's more, you will be able to take advantage of a year's subscription of up-to-the-minute traffic reports, current/three-day weather conditions, news headlines, stock quotes and local event listings for free thanks to the MSN Direct service. The Nextar Q4-MD is expected to arrive in stores next spring for $329.99.
Samsung has upped the ante where OLED displays are concerned, unveiling its monstrous 40" OLED panel that comes with the following jaw-dropping specifications :- 
Don't expect to see this huge display hit the market anytime soon, since a Samsung executive has mentioned that "this 40" TFT panel is the largest size that can be made on our pilot line, and it cannot be mass-produced right away."
Today, Radus is launching a sleek media browsing website that allows users to search, discover, share, post and view digital content from various internet sources, including blogs and social networking sites. I like the "iphone' looking user interface and the search function that gives fast access to different type of search results: videos, text, photos or all type. The relevancy of the search results is not as satisfying as it is with Google, I tested it with several words like "G1 phone", " iPhone" or "Blackberry Storm", the results are sufficiently relevant but not as good as what I get from Google from a pure information prospective. However, to search and discover videos and photos, Radus' user experience is better than Google. When you resizes the window, the user interface adapts itself very well, allowing the application to make the most of its surface, that's neat. I did not test too much the social component (friend list, interacting with other members, sharing...), I was able to quickly post a video on my Facebook profile. I am not a fan of the way the articles from the various news and blogs sources are displayed: the source name is not visible inside Radus, you can only discover it once you clicked on the article, it takes you the original article page in another window. I saw this product for the first time at DEMOFall 07 under the name metaRadar, and I was immediately drawn to its design and user experience (this version is a bit different). The mobile version will be available later. 
Upcoming TIVO boxes will be able to stream movies and shows from Netflix's Watch Instantly library that contains 12000 or so movies and shows. With its 800,000 subscribers that are connected to broadband internet, TIVO can generate some appeal for hardware makers. Samsung has already inked a deal to make its next-gen Blu-Ray players compatible with Netflix's streaming services. I have been using them on my PC and to be honest it's OK. The quality is sub-DVD and sometimes the network is quite slow (it's no vudu), but it's cheap and that's a good trick to watch a TV show or an old movie.
I know, it's already frustrating that other countries get widespread DVB-T or 1-SEG digital TV availability, but now Japanese iPhone 3G owners can have their own wireless 1-Seg TV Tuner that sends video via WIFI. Irritating, isn't it? That's not all, the 1-Sef tuner also acts as a battery charger if needed. It is said that the 1-Seg tuner can last for 3 hours of TV viewing, 2 to 4 hours in charge mode. If you wonder, the iPhone app is free. Links: Ringo-sanco, Softbank.
Philips isn't exactly the first name that comes into the mind where MP3 players are concerned, but they're still hanging tough in that department with the GoGear 2940 being the latest device to be launched from their stables. Nothing groundbreaking about this squarish MP3 player here, although it does come with a color OLED display that works wonders if you're going to tote around your favorite sized-down photos. Oh yeah, having color album art for your MP3, WAV and WMA files won't hurt either. Other features of the GoGear 2940 include an integrated equalizer, USB 2.0 connectivity, voice recording capability and a built-in FM tuner. No idea on pricing or availability though.
With the world heading towards unprecedented levels of energy crisis, no thanks to industrialization across the globe, we humans must start to look for more efficent ways to harness the renewable energy sources, and among these include a solar powered satellite that is powerful enough to beam down energy onto the earth. Ben Bova, president of the National Space Society, has recently urged the future US president to commission a US$1 billion solar power satellite from NASA that will be able to transmit energy directly from the sun, broadcasting it to a receiver located on earth via microwave frequencies. I wonder if this energy could be transformed up in space to act as a giant laser instead upon enemy territory - now that'd be a terrifying thought.
Super Talent must still be stuck in limbo as they figured out Americans have plenty of spare cash to throw around, since they have just released a luxury 18-carat-gold USB drive under the Pico-C moniker. These 8GB luxurious memory sticks will offer data transfer rates of up to 30MB/s and will be accompanied by a serialized certificate of authenticity, encryption software, a free laser-etched logo of your choice, and a black-velvet jewelry box. At $599 a pop, this is a deal of a lifetime which you ought not to miss. Seriously.
Crunchgear has a tutorial on how to create your own Wooden USB flash drive that will surely be one-of-a-kind once you're done with it. The build time is approximately 5 to 7 days, so don't start to think that you can make a fortune out of this since you can basically churn out 6 of these each month at the most. The whole reason behind the long waiting period consists mainly of glue and poly drying time. Before you start, make sure you have the following items in stock :- 
Head on to Crunchgear to read up on the remaining steps.
With winter fast approaching, it is imperative you get the proper gear so that you won't end up chilly and miserable when the mercury starts to drop. Enter the Aevex PrimaVolta Gloves that help you keep your hands nice and warm no matter what the temperature is outside. There is an on/off button located on the cuff which will kickstart the Aevex Intelligent heat function that regulates heat output over the hand, depending on changing conditions on the outside. A full charge provides anywhere from 4 to 6 hours of heat, while the materials used will insulate your hands at all points in order to minimize heat loss. They're pretty pricey at $259 though, and chances are you won't be able to take advantage of many touch screen devices while wearing these.
Alcatel is still hanging around, folks, and this time round they have (yet another) entry level handset that features a built-in accelerometer. The whole idea of including this is to make it easier to switch between applications simply by shaking the phone - taking a page out of Sony Ericsson's books, I see. Inside, you will find the following features :- 
A talk time of 12 hours and standby time of 30 days sound pretty amazing. You can pick up the Alcatel OT-I650 in Russia for $120.
Did we just catch you casting a jealous glance at the Asus Eee PC 1000H GO? Well, you can also come up with your very own DIY solution thanks to Tnkgrl Mobile who has posted instructions on tricking out your Acer Aspire One with a 3G HSDPA modem. This hack is a wee bit trickier compared to adding Bluetooth connectivity or replacing the hard drive with a SSD, since you are required to hook up the modem to a mini-PCIe connector while diverting power to it and to a SIM card holder. Beginners ought to steer clear of this.
Italian mobile carrier TIM is offering the Asus Eee PC 1000H GO, essentially an Eee PC 1000H, albeit with the added advantage of built-in 3G capability. In addition to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, you will be able to take advantage of its 3.5G HSUPA connection whenever there is a signal, letting you surf just about everywhere you go (although areas where the signal drops to GPRS might just leave you seething at the teeth). Other features remain the same, including the Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor, 1GB RAM and 160GB hard drive. You will have to fork out $611 for this model if you're in Italy.
At first glance, the Sonic Lounger might resemble the dreaded dentist's chair, but you can breathe easy knowing that this torture apparatus-lookalike is actually meant to help you relax and not tense up. It boasts a futuristic tactile sound system that offers a comfortable and ergonomic space to enjoy sound, music and vibroacoustic therapies simultaneously. It is able to massage and resonate your whole being by transferring high fidelity music into the skin, bones and tissue so that every aspect of the sound which cannot be heard via your ears alone can be experienced. Other features on the Sonic Lounger include articulating arm rests, flax seed pillows and memory foam. The $9,000 asking price is a definite turn off though.
Is this one of the easiest timers ever to use in existence, or what? The Cube Timer requires you to just turn the cube to where the desired time is facing upwards, and you're good to go. Powered by a couple of AAA batteries, you don't have to worry about pressing buttons as it really can't get any easier than this. As with all timers, an alarm will beep the moment time is up. All numbers are printed in easy to read fonts, but the major drawback of this $17.99 device is you can't set the timer to say - 2 minutes and 43 seconds.
One of the stand-out features of Ford’s new 2010 hybrids will definitely have to be the SmartGauge LCD panels. Instead of usual boring analog dials, Ford has opted to give you a LCD screen instrument cluster with some lively animations, with the fuel gauge being one of the more noticeable indicators, as it’s definitely pretty looking yet extremely functional. Being an LCD, the display is obviously customizable, and you can see all sorts of useful information on it. While this is certainly pretty and cool, it still isn’t as cool as the one on Nissan’s GT-R. 
Ooma is a one time fee VoIP good looking device that was introduced on the market for the first time in September 2007. Today, Ooma is introducing new features to its Hub and Scout bundle priced at $249.99 for unlimited US calling (low-cost International). The Hub can support one phone handset and each additional phone handset need to be connected via a Scout, one Hub can support up to 4 Scouts ($69.99 per additional Scout). This time, customers will be able to get the ooma from retail stores like BestBuy.
Guess Psystar isn't just content with mocking Apple with its Blu-ray enabled desktop, but will also be releasing a new notebook that can run Mac OS X. It would be interesting to see how the lawyers between both companies sort out the situation, but you can be sure that Steve Jobs and co. are not going to take this purported affront so lightly. After all, Psystar is already committed to offer this Open Computer notebook at a very competitive price. One can only wonder whether the Blu-ray drive will be included then...
If you think you are the number 1 Android fan on the planet, then it is imperative for you to place a bid on this $860 (at press time anyways) Android tribute PC. All proceeds will enter the pockets of charity, but at the very least you'll own bragging rights of having the only Android PC in the whole world, with its signature 12” steel hemispherical case turning your friends literally green with envy. Other features include compatibility with Good OS’s 3.0 Gadgets.
The venerable PlayStation 2 is still around despite the PS3 making some headway in the world of gaming consoles, and Sony has just made this particular platform open - a sign that the console's on its last legs, but also one that will see a sure spike where low-cost titles are concerned. Hopefully the quality will be there as well, since playing too many turkeys in a sitting could drive a person nuts as the search for a quality game ends in futility. Interested parties will still need to pick up a development kit, but good thing there are no more PS2 licensing fees to concern yourself with. 
Nearly everyone knows that it is bad form to type everything in Caps, since that is the equivalent of shouting in real life. Unfortunately, this sound advice seems to have fallen on deaf ears for some, which is where the Caps Lock Trainer Key comes in. Sounds foolish, but it is actually a standard Caps Lock key that features a couple of 14-gauge 10-millimeter spikes screwed inside two tiny holes drilled into the key. Sounds dangerous if placed in the hands of a mentally unstable employee, since in a fit of rage, that employee could use this keyboard as a deadly weapon.
Kent Displays will be causing a stir with a couple of new technologies set to rock the world of consumer electronics in 2009 - with a fairly entry-level monochrome electronic writing tablet that features a pressure sensitive display, while the second would be a color-changing electronic skin. Known as the eGo (for obvious reasons), this electronic skin does not require a single drop of juice at all in order to maintain the current color, so unless you're that fickle minded and need to change the external color every few seconds, your battery life will go virtually unaffected. This is a neat way to kiss goodbye to external cases, although third party accessory manufacturers might not be too happy with it.
Wish you could have the latest and greatest phones most of the time without having to fork out a huge wad of cash for it? The Screen2 concept might help - it is but a cell phone dock that actually offers you much more viewing real estate compared to what you're currently enjoying, and throws in additional features such as email support, web browsing, photo viewing, video playback, and instant messaging, all via the touch screen display. Guess this works best with older phones since most of the newer handsets already come with the mentioned features.
Samsung's new OLED panel is so thin (0.05mm), that is will flap in the presence of strong winds. This 4" display that is currently on parade at FPD International 2008 comes with the following specifications :- 
Sounds too good to be a cell phone display, but can they make it large enough to be a flexible electronic banner?
Bang & Olufsen has thrown in the towel where cell phone manufacturing is concerned, which means the Samsung Serene and Samsung Serenata F310 will no longer be available in due time. This news will probably result in a mad scramble for the last few sets that will eventually make their way onto eBay, where market forces will determine whether it is worth the value stated or not. This pullout does not mean that Bang & Olufsen will severe all ties with Samsung, but this means we won't get to see any more weird looking handsets from them ever again.
Most people flee to gold when the world markets are in an uproar, but lately this safe haven isn't really that stable either with prices down from their year's highs after the hike in oil prices has come down to normal levels again. This does not stop people from lusting after the precious metal though, and the world of computers have decided to embrace the Pure*Gold PC that relies on ceramic or glass as its case. Features include :- 
No idea on how much it will cost, but we're pretty sure King Midas would love to have one of these back in his day.
Most bug zappers are nothing but unsightly devices, and along comes this concept which looks pretty much like an air conditioner unit that won't cramp your home's style when installed. Known as the "Slim" mosquito trap, it was specially designed to make short work of flying insects, thanks to the changeable fly paper that is stored within. Assuming you live in an insect-infested area, it can be presumed one will have to change the fly paper on a daily basis since rotting carapaces of these insects, even though covered by its external housing, does send some chills down the spine of some people.
Concepts tend to be rather far fetched at times, but this Sony Ericsson XPERIA concept design is a little bit more down to earth, bringing together the X1’s generous touch screen display complete with Sony Ericsson’s very own keypad. It would be interesting to see whether Sony Ericsson adopts the ideas found on this concept once they have ironed out all the bumps on the Xperia X1. What else do you think that Sony Ericsson needs to improve upon if they're going to claw their way into the top echelon of cell phone manufacturers?
Slim is in, but we never expected Taiwanese company Chi Mei EL to go the distance with their new 25" display which measures less than a millimeter thick! This display does not skimp on performance either, featuring a resolution of 1,366 pixels by 768 pixels (WXGA) with the ability to display up to 16.7 million colors simultaneously. This beats its previous prototype by a good 300% or so, thanks to a new production method. It would be interesting to see just what kind of devices will embrace this new display, although that would mean thinner pockets.
The Xbox 360 is really much more than a gaming console, as high definition Netflix content streaming will be available on the Xbox 360 itself when November 19 rolls around - that's the date when the New Xbox Experience will be released. As with many new ventures, it will start off rather slowly at first with around 300 movies in HD being made available, followed by an expanding catalogue in due time. It is getting harder and harder to make a decision between all three consoles for this generation, so the best solution would be to buy up all of them.
Mibuds aims to help out customers who love customizing nearly everything in their lives, including those earbuds that come with each iPod. That really depends on your fashion sense, but guess there is always a certain segment of the population who wouldn't mind standing out from the crowd most, if not all, of the time. These accessories offered by Mibud will clip themselves to stock earbuds, resulting in a look as that of large earrings. You will go dizzy from the vast selection with 36 different options in a dozen series to choose from. At $4.99 a set, it is certainly cheap enough to warrant multiple purchases to complement that iPod you're giving to your girlfriend.
The iPhone 3G is an object of beauty to many, but here is a way to totally up the bling ante. Incase has made available the iPhone 3G metallic slider case that comes with a minimal thickness of just 1mm. We're not sure if that is going to cramp your style where iPod speaker docks are concerned, but you surely can't argue with the $34.95 price tag that makes your iPhone 3G stand out from the crowd, can you?
G.Skill (weird name that) of Taiwan has a couple of solid state drives for the masses, and just like many other products from the Far East, they aim to offer the best bang for your buck, although sometimes there are quality control issues to contend with like the recent melamine scare. Still, we would think G.Skill wouldn't skimp on QC with these economical ultra-performance SATA II 2.5" Solid State Drives (SSD) that rely on NAND MLC flash storage medium. You will be able to choose from 64GB and 128GB storage capacities, and they are protected by a sturdy metal alloy housing to prevent damage in the event of an unwanted knock or drop. G.Skill touts a read and write speed of 155MB/sec and 90MB/sec, respectively, coupled with a sub-0.2ms access time. Sounds good? If only we had the pricing details before we can make up our minds...
Pantech and AT&T have come together to bring the Slate smartphone to the masses without breaking the bank. Heck, you don't even need to fork out a full Benjamin for the Slate, since it costs a mere $50 after a rebate and a new agreement. This candybar message-centric handset comes with the following specifications :- 
Guess the only reason you pick this up would be to practice for the LG Mobile World Cup, eh?
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. 
The Lenovo S10, which is quite an interesting machine is going to have one more feature that might come in handy: super-fast boot time. Lenovo has decided to install Splashtop, the mini-linux pre-boot OS that ASUS has been using on a number of their products. With Splashtop, the S10e users can access basic functions such as Web Browsing or Skype faster than if they were booting into Windows. That's the first Netbook design-win for VMDevice, but I'm willing to bet that more will follow. [more info]
HP teased us by putting partial information last week, but we had our hands on a couple of HP Mini 1000. We did not play with them long enough to write a review, but here are our first impression on their physical design. They are thin (less than 1") and it shows. The Mini 1000 is a really cute computer. It is a cousin of the HP MiniNote 2133, but this one has a shiny plastic shell that seem resistant to scratches, but not as tough as the metallic body of the 2133. The keyboard has slightly curvy keys and it felt pretty good. Overall, this is a very nice design but we need to take a closer look at the cost. The base model starts at $399 and it features: 512MB RAM, 8GB SSD, 8.9" Display. The upgrade to the 10.2" display is $50. Specifications after the jump. More HP Mini 1000 photos in our gallery. The HP Mini 1000 will come in three versions: 
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 the month is over and will retail for $219.99.
