Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) recently unveiled its success at developing a haptic display with a touch panel function. Information is shown to users by forming both characters and images on the display using protrusions and recesses made by minute pins. The latest working prototype comes with an optical touch panel function which is smart enough to detect the current finger position, and the display can output information audibly via Braille or even guide the users to select the next operation. This is a positive development since prototypes developed in the date have not managed to sufficiently detect the positions touched by a finger, and this new display lets users select a button even while reading Braille. It'll take a fair bit of time before this technological advance will be commercialized though.

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Check out this interesting invention - an echolocation hat that is meant for blind folks or those who have extremely poor vision. It uses the theory of echolocation (bats navigate their way around with this principle as well) that helps blind people find their way around. This ultrasound device could potentially and drastically shorten the amount of time required to learn the art of echolocation, as this time round it will be done electronically. Hopefully the final version will have some sort of low-battery life indicator.

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There is just something about SpongeBob SquarePants that freaks me out, and this one definitely takes the cake. The Musical SpongeBob Digital Thermometer takes a mere nine seconds in order to get an accurate readout, featuring a large night light display for easy reading, last temperature recall, automatic shut down and a bite-resistant shield. No mercury is used when manufacturing this, so you can be sure there won't be any case of accidental poisoning happening. I sure as heck wouldn't want this stuffed up my rear end at the doctor's, only to have the SpongeBob SquarePants theme playing once my temperature has been taken.

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So the iPhone's touch interface has helped propel it to the top of many people's wish lists, in addition to its stunning looks and overall hype despite the glaring lack of 3G connectivity, but what happens when you want to go back to the good old days of a rotary dial when making a call? That's the advantage of the iPhone's full touch screen display, with the iDial iPhone Retro application which allows you to dial phone numbers via a virtual rotary dial. Needless to say this is much slower than just punching some numbers, but at least it helps get your retro kicks in. You will be able to get the application here.

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Reebok's NXT Speaker Backpack not only allows you to carry all your books and laptop in relative comfort, it even comes with an integrated stereo sound system for you to share your tunes with Joe public. Powered by a couple of AA batteries, the NXT Speaker Backpack is compatible with any device that uses the 3.5mm audio jack. Interestingly enough, you will be able to turn your NXT Speaker Backpack into an impromptu portable laptop speaker. It retails for £69.99 a pop, which is extremely affordable compared to Quiksilver’s NXT sound backpacks that retail for at least half a thousand clamps. Don't expect thumping tunes though, but it should be decent enough for casual listening.

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One of the most convenient and easiest methods to "network" your devices would be to pick up the USB 4-Port Data Switch - it allows you to change to the particular machine you want at a single push of the button. I suppose those who rely on USB printers and a permanently plugged in USB device will definitely find this $29.99 purchase useful. The design could definitely do with an overhaul though as it is nothing short of awful and cheap looking.

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The Berg Moov Kit is one great toy to purchase if you think that your child has engineering skills that needs to be awakened, as it not only allows you to build just one vehicle but four - a go-kart, scooter, carver and trike. There will be explicit instructions for all four designs, and if you're imaginative enough, you might even conjure out other unthought-of designs for kids aged between 5 to 12. Chances are you'll be curious to know how it feels like riding one of these, but do so at the risk of breaking this £189 kit.

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LG rolled out its Bikini touch screen phone in Korea, featuring the special InteractPad not found on other handsets. The InteractPad does away with physical navigation keys, using context-specific virtual keys instead that will change according to the task at hand. I'm not too sure whether this will be easier to use than the iPhone, and I highly doubt it but it is a positive step in the right direction to help wean us off our dependency on pushing buttons. Available in either the HSDPA model (LG-SH640/KH6400) or Rev. A model (LH6400). I guess being dubbed the Bikini, it makes perfect sense for scantily clad ladies to help promote the handset.

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Guns don't kill people, people with guns do. The BrickGun Glock 17 is built to a 1:1 scale and fits your hand just like the real thing. It looks very much like a LEGO-built replica, featuring many details of the actual glock. You can even pull the slide back and to cock the internal striker, where pulling the trigger will cause the striker to fall with a sharp "click". The slide can also be opened just like the real thing once the magazine is emptied. Good thing this doesn't shoot any projectiles out, and there is no word on pricing yet.

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With flash memory getting dirt cheap these days, I wonder whether the day will come where software is released on USB flash drives instead of DVDs and CDs. Nexcopy is certainly taking that view with its new USB200PC USB duplicator. Capable of copying up to 20 blank USB flash drives simultaneously from a master copy, you will be able to save up to hundreds of hours in production time and perhaps even up to thousands of dollars in production costs. There is no word on how much the PC-based USB Duplicator device will cost though, but I'd be pretty suspicious of your intentions if you clamor for one of these - are you selling some sort of bootleg files on a large scale?

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iFeelU of Korea has released a pair of "body-sonic" earphones known as the EX2, and these feature built-in rumble motors that supposedly recreate a home theater environment in your ears. I think it is bad enough my ears suffer from endless ringing after listening to my favorite songs too long and too loud at a go, but to have my outer ears vibrating? I'll pass. If you're curious enough to try it out, the EX2 will hit the US market sometime in the near future (date has yet to be specified).

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Check out the Cool 920 dual SIM phone - this one features a display that resembles one of the other LG handsets that have a flip display, giving you a horizontal point of view without having to turn the phone itself. Not only that, it can carry two SIM cards simultaneously, although I'm not sure how it is possible to carry out two conversations at once. Other features include Bluetooth connectivity, a 2 megapixel camera, GPRS and WAP support (now that's a real shame - not even EDGE?), a microSD memory card slot as well as audio and video file format support. Guess its looks are all there is going for the Cool 920 - best you wait for other handsets from more reputable manufacturers.

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RKS Design has come up with the Mimique design - I suppose this is what the bastard child of a Treo and iPhone would look like, although it must have mated with a really old Treo considering the large antenna is still retained. I think that is the only flaw with the product as it really takes away the over charm. Another problem would be the lack of connectivity - it seems that only a single USB port is available - what happens when I want to listen to my music or transfer data? Guess it is USB-charged then.

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Microsoft has allowed its Windows XP operating system to ship as an option in the $100 OLPC XO laptop, and this will happen sometime in August or September. Perhaps Windows XP might even replace the current Sugar front-end that is available in all XOs, although OLPC has not released a statement to support or counter that theory. Windows XP won't come on a CD as it normally does, but will instead ship on a dirt cheap 2GB SD memory card, providing users with approximately 1.5GB of free space for document storage and media. The XO, despite running on Windows XP, will be dual-bootable between Windows and Linux.

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The Eee PC 901 which will be released this June won't just come with a larger display, as Asus clearly plans on throwing in more value for your money by adding a Bluetooth module for greater connectivity, metal alloy parts to its keyboard and hinge along with a metallic border around its touchpad. Those cosmetic changes will be accompanied by similar specifications to the Eee PC 900, as the 901 will see the Asustek logo replaced by an Eee logo at the bottom of the display along with the top of the lid. Linux-powered Eee PC 901s will also receive additional software applications at no extra charge. The Eee PC 901 is tipped to launch on June 3rd under the $650 mark.

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Sony has just unveiled its new limited edition A350 DSLR in Japan which will cause approximately 850 clams' worth of damage to your wallet. It comes in a rather fetching champagne color, but other than the exterior cosmetic change, everything else inside remains the same. Shame this isn't launched simultaneously worldwide. I'm sure there are some folks out there who have avoided picking up the A350 based on its color alone before this - all three of you, time to head off to Japan and pick this up.

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Forget about LCD displays - those will be phased out in the future once AMOLED technology takes over as the mainstream player. Samsung has just demonstrated its 12.1" AMOLED laptop concept that features a keyboard which sports similar keys on a cell phone. It is extremely thin, thanks to the display technology and the screen is just gorgeous to look at. Other than the 1,280 x 768 display resolution, nothing much else is known about this concept laptop. AMOLED displays are still mighty expensive though in comparison to vanilla LCDs, so it will take a fair number of years before it becomes mainstream.

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The Samsung SGH-i900 touts itself to be a full touch screen Windows Mobile smartphone from Samsung, and here's a collage of images that will put to rest all doubts as to the authenticity of the device. Some of the specifications will definitely floor you, and this will be one high-end smartphone that won't give up an inch when it goes up head to head against the 3G iPhone.

• 3.5G HSDPA connectivity
• Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• 3.5? 240 × 400 resolution 262k color TFT touchscreen display
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera
• Front VGA camera for video calls
• Built-in GSM
• Integrated FM Radio
• TV-Out
• 16GB memory
• microSDHC memory card slot (up to 8GB)
• Bluetooth 2.2 A2DP connectivity
• Wi-Fi b/g connectivity
• 1,500mAh battery

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Samsung and Sprint have declared that mobile WiMAX technology is ready to rock and roll where commercial service is concerned. While it is very close to commercialization, it remains to be seen whether the touted standards of performance will be able to live up to expectations. After all, it isn't as though we consumers weren't burnt by marketing claims in the past, right? Remember the PS2 and how it was supposed to render Toy Story 2 graphics?

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Metal Gear Solid 4 is definitely going to rock, and Sony executives can look forward to higher sales figures for their PS3 consoles with the game's release. They also won't let go of this marketing opportunity by releasing details on the Gun Metal Gray MGS4 Limited Edition PS3 Hardware Bundle. It retails for $599.99 a pop and will feature the 40GB PS3 model within, a matching DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller as well as a limited edition of the Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots title. Are you going to line up for one of these?

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OWC has begun to ship a new range of OWC Mercury On-the-Go external hard drives, and these are compatible with both Windows and Mac platforms, working just fine with Mac OS X Leopard's Time Machine. These new drives will come with FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 ports, and will comei n 100GB, 200GB, 320GB and 500GB capacities. The 320GB and 500GB models operate at a slower 5400 rpm, while the smaller 100GB and 200GB drives have superior 7200 rpm speeds. Depending on the capcity chosen, the new OWC Mercury On-the-Go external hard drives will retail for $140 all the way up to $330.

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Philips will most likely bid the PDP TV market adieu next year, and will not have any plans to develop new PDP TVs from the end of this year onwards. I suppose Philips will be concentrating on the LCD TV market instead, since demand for LCD TVs are around 100 million units for this year, while PDP TVs consist of a mere fraction at just 13 million units. Hopefully support will still be there for customers who have already purchased PDP TVs from Philips in recent times.

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The Ringshot is a change from your regular slingshots, as this one is worn on your hand with a durable rubber band attached to the metal piece. It won't be easy to miss your target now, unless the "bullets" that you use are of inferior quality. Unfortunately, most kids these days prefer to settle their rivalry online by spamming hate messages on one another's blogs instead of slugging it out like a man in the classroom with discreet projectiles under the teacher's nose.

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Here's an image of the finished Treo 800w that ought to be coming out pretty soon. Some of the rumored specifications include :-

• Windows Mobile 6.1
• 400MHz processor
• 128MB RAM
• 256MB flash memory
• GPS navigation
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• EVDO Rev. A support
• microUSB connectivity

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Sprint will be releasing a Novatel 3G modem in the near future that will support the MacBook Air's USB port - at least that's the word that is currently going around. Apparently the US carrier will be launching the yet-unannouced Novatel U680 - an ultra-thin USB modem that will play nice with the MacBook Air's slot. The U680 supposedly supports Sprint's faster EVDO Rev. A network and will load drivers automatically for majority of operating systems including Linux, Mac OS X and Windows. It will have an asking price of $250 when released this June on a standalone basis, but if you want to sign up for a 2-year data plan, the price will be reduced to as low as $100.

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I think the first glance at the Chronoswiss Wristmaster will probably result in you thinking that this is a parallel Nintendo Wii of sorts. Remember Wii jokes that involved two GameCubes being duct-taped together? Well, I guess the same can be said for the Chronoswiss Wristmaster. Hailed to be the first automatic board watch for the wrist, you get a double strap and double displays, with a chronograph on the right while a standard display is located on the left.

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The Radioraft is perfect for those who have a pool in their homes - after all, this waterproof iPod speaker dock comes with full 360-degree directional audio thanks to five built-in speakers, pumping out a grand total of 400 watts of power. Its battery provides up to 8 hours of non-stop partying, while 6 stainless steel cupholders lets you enjoy your favorite beverage with up to five other friends in the pool. Your iPod won't sleep with the fishes though since there is a watertight glove box to house it with waterproof controls on top. At $2,000 a pop, this is one expensive party toy. Couldn't they have thrown in a remote control at the very least? Guess your guests will be charged per entrance if you're going to recoup your investment.

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This device just catches my fancy - the Bluetooth Cassette Adapter. Meant for those who still drive in cars with a cassette deck in there, it enables one to connect wirelessly to other Bluetooth-enabled devices like a mobile headset, a portable media player or even a notebook if you're so inclined. Since they fit into the cassette slot like any other tape, you won't find yourself taking up even more space in your old jalopy that has turned into Cockroach Hotel. It is powered by an internal lithium ion battery that will last up to 5 hours, and each $46 purchase comes with a car charger and a USB cable.

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Mtron successfully completed its PRO 7500 Series SSD that will be launched later this June, supporting SATA II interface while boasting a maximum read speed of 130Mb/s and a write speed of 120MB/s, making it the fastest SSD in the market. Targeting the enterprise market, the PRO 7500 Series SSD includes Random Read IOPS (Data input/output speed) of 19,000 and a much lower electricity consumption - up to 60% less compared to a hard drive. Operating in a virtually noiseless manner, the new PRO 7500 series will come in 32GB all the way up to 128GB capacities, in both 2.5" and 3.5" sizes to suit different needs.

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Mitsubishi has recently rolled out its XD211U projector that brings the following specifications to the corporate board room :-

• XGA (1,024 x 768) resolution
• DLP technology
• DDP 2230 DMD chip with BrilliantColor
• 2,200 lumens brightness
• Long lasting lamp of up to 3,000 hours

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Cheer on your favorite sports team with the Mini Megaphone. Sounds like an oxymoron, I know, but at least you don't have to shout yourself hoarse whenever you see Roger Federer toying with his opponent on the Center Court. Retailing for just $15 a pop, it comes with an On/Off button, volume controls and a power indicator light. No idea how long the three AAA batteries required to power it will last, but for folks heading to Austria for the Euro 2008 Finals this summer, this is one nifty gadget to have if you don't want to end up voiceless at work the next day.

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I guess there are just way too many uses for solar power, and here's another to tickle your fancy. This DIY Solar Synthesizer can be worn around the wrist, allowing you to express yourself musically whenever the fancy strikes you.

Rows of buttons run along the underside of the wearer's wrist for triggering of musical tones and a light sensor is available for shifting the pitch of the tones being played. This design allows for a form of musical expression that integrates itself very intimately with the human body. Tapping with the fingers plays tones and movement of the wrist and arm shifts these tones in pitch up and down.

Necessity is the mother of invention, but so is boredom.

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Gennai Yanagisawa, inventor of the GEN H-4 personal helicopter, will be taking flight in Italy in order to pay homage to the birthplace of da Vinci - the man who came up with the helicopter idea a few hundred years ago. Yanagisawa's GEN-H4 design follows the original "ornithopter" design by doing away with the tail, using twin counter-rotating propellers that cancel out the torque generated by single-rotor helicopters, requiring those to have a perpendicular tail rotor instead. The GEN H-4 personal helicopter isn't doing too hot in sales though, considering its sky high price of $58,250. So far only half a dozen units have been sold worldwide, but at least you get a birds' eye view on the way to the office at 31 mph.

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The Prius is already one green vehicle, and here's another way to make it even more so with the SEV Solar Roof Module. Fitting snugly onto a stock Toyota Prius roofline, it offers 215 watts of energy that helps you drive without consuming a drop of fuel for an additional 20 miles per day. No plug-ins are required as regular sunlight would do. It takes approximately 2 to 3 hours to install and comes with a battery pack. The return on investment has been rated at around 2 to 3 years, so a simple mental calculation would mean the initial cost might be out of reach for some.

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There is a social stigma that geeks can't get chicks at all, or they have all the hottest ladies in tow - there is no middle ground. Drew Burrows has developed INBED - an infrared sensitive light projected virtual girlfriend. You will be able to interact with this 2D girlfriend, but she does have a fairly limited number of responses. A peck on the cheek when you slide into bed won't get the response a hot blooded male would expect, as she'll bury her face in the pillow instead. When you lie down on your side, she'll casually move into a spoon position, cuddling up with you whenever you're on your back. I wonder whether version 2.0 will feature a more raunchy version.

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Western Digital just released its My DVR Expander External Hard Drive USB Edition that is compatible with DISH Network ViP-series HD DVRs, offering a 500GB capacity that is able to hold up to 60 hours of High Definition programming and five times that amount in standard definition. All it takes to hook up to a DVR is a USB 2.0 connection - this is a more convenient approach compared to Western Digital's previous iteration of the Expander that uses an eSATA interface instead. The My DVR Expander USB Edition drive will retail for $150.

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Texas Instruments have confirmed that cell phones with mobile projectors within will be released later this year, and apparently there is a belief that such handsets will be as popular as camera phones today within five to ten years from now. I suppose that is a pretty safe estimate, but one main thing such cell phones will have to look out for is the problem of battery life. After all, projectors do consume a whole lot of power, and they let out plenty of heat as well. Hopefully fuel cell technology will be able to cater for such devices in the near future, while engineers get to work on an efficient cooling solution. Wouldn't want your pants to catch fire and risk being called a liar now, eh?

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Motorola has released its RAZR2 V9 Pink Silver in Korea, obviously targeting the female demographic although Lim Joung Ah, Marketing Director of Motorola Korea claims otherwise that is was released to "appeal to the confident young generation". This will be a Korea-only exclusive, but I am pretty sure there will be folks with the necessary connections who will be able to import one of these no matter where you live, although be prepared to pay through the nose for it. Other than a different paint job and the ability to attract envious stares from others, this is but a vanilla RAZR2 in every sense of the word.

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iKey has just expanded its industrial keyboard product line with a new range of membrane keyboards. These are specially built to withstand even the harshest of environments, making me sure that even the devil has one in his abode. It is able to function well thanks to a hardcoated, textured, polyester film that is superior to industrial silicone rubber keypads. Features include slightly raised, mechanical snap-dome keys and an integrated Synaptics touchpad. You will be able to choose from a desktop or panel mount model, and both of them will come in stainless steel cases. Cleaning is a snap as they can withstand directed hose water, disinfectants, environmental contaminants and heavy use. I think it is also hard enough to hammer someone over the head during a heated LAN game without suffering any adverse effects (to the keyboard).

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iPods are everywhere - you cannot deny that fact. The iPod accessory market is also a profitable one, as evident by tons of speaker docks to suit every taste and fancy. The iPod Lamp you see here offers something a little bit different - not only does it provide adequate reading light at night, there is a tiny speaker located at the base so that you will be able to enjoy your favorite tunes while catching up on your reading. The iPod Lamp retails for $150 a pop and comes in white, pink, black and brown colors.

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