Johnny Simmons

Multitouch tables haven't exactly hit the mainstream, but price is likely to be a major factor. Merel's Mtouch table brings that familiar Microsoft Surface-like multitouch functionality for a fraction of the price, retailing for $3,995, or about half as much as Surface. The 720p, 32-inch display doesn't sacrifice on power -- a 3.2Ghz quad-core Intel Quad i5 Sandy Bridge processor and dedicated Radeon HD 1GB video card keep the Windows 7-based interface running smoothly -- but the table's display suffers from some uniformity issues, likely due to the pair of super-bright LEDs used to light it.

We spent a few minutes with the Mtouch at the CEA LineShows in NYC, and liked what we saw -- once we got past the lighting issues, which appear slightly exaggerated in the photo above (notice the two bright spots near our subject's fingers). Content is loaded using a web interface, and the table is compatible with a variety of formats, including PDFs, which are displayed as "magazines" with easy-flip pages. The table is in the early stages of production -- just 30 have been made and sold so far, assembled completely at Merel's factory in Yonkers, NY. They are available for purchase now, however, and should be shipped to your door within 30-days of placing an order. Jump past the break as we go hands-on with the Merel Mtouch.

Loving your Galaxy Tab 10.1 but just itching for some accessories? Samsung knows you are, and today helpfully unveiled a "premium accessory suite" to soothe your jones for both add-ons and premium prices. The collection (parts of which appeared earlier on Sammy's German site) includes a full-size keyboard dock ($70) and a multimedia dock ($35) enabling HDMI pass-through – you can have Tab video on your TV, as long as you buy the separate HDTV adapter ($30). You have your choice of cases, as well: a book cover model ($60) you can leave on while using the tablet, or a leather pouch edition ($30) that is, you guessed it, a leather pouch. A few miscellaneous items round out the collection, including various chargers, a conductive stylus and the already-released USB adapter. The company also promises a Bluetooth keyboard and SD card adapter to come "mid-summer," just in time to ease your next bout of premium-accessory fever.

Hitachi's G-Technology unit has already showered us with a slew of external hard drives, but it's taking a slightly more hybridized approach with the G-Connect -- a device that offers both wireless storage and portable WiFi access to smartphone and tablet users. Designed with nomadic content-hoarders in mind, this little rascal boasts 500GB of mobile storage, can simultaneously support more than five different devices on its 802.11n wireless network, and, when connected via Ethernet, serves as a WiFi access point. It's also robust enough to stream up to five standard-definition movies at one time (or up to three HD flicks), and, at about 9.7 ounces, it won't add too much weight to your quiver of gadgets, either. If you're worried about security, you can surround the network with a password-protected fortress, or store some of your less mentionable content in your very own private folder. iOS users can further enhance their G-experience by downloading the accompanying app, which will allow them to view and access all of their G-stored documents and media from the comfort of their iDevices (an equivalent app for the Android crowd will launch this fall). If you're interested, you can pre-order the G-Connect from G-Technology's website for $200, or wait until it hits retailers next month. Full PR after the break.

We've already seen it turn up in a few blurry shots, and seen it pictured a bit more clearly inside a case, but we now finally have our first good, unobstructed look at T-Mobile's still unannounced myTouch 4G Slide. What's more, the tipster that provided the shots to TmoNews also offered up a few quick impressions, saying that the keyboard was "amazing" and roughly comparable to the T-Mobile G2, and that the phone itself is "surprisingly fast" but a bit heavier than the G2. Hit up the source link below for a closer look.

Stephen Elop said that Nokia would unveil its first MeeGo device this year, and he just made good on his word with the N9 (also known as Lankku). Just as we spotted earlier, the N9 is a solid slab of 3.9-inch AMOLED screen (854 x 480) sans a keyboard or physical switches of any kind (well, aside from that oh-so-necessary volume rocker and camera button). The phone comes with 16GB or 64GB of onboard memory and 1GB of RAM wrapped in a polycarbonate shell that's colored all the way through, so dings and scratches won't show -- unless the wounds run deep, of course. An OMAP3630 1 Ghz processor does the computing while a PowerVR SGX530 GPU is around for graphical grunt work. Connectivity comes courtesy of quad-band GSM and penta-band WCDMA radios, plus Bluetooth 2.1, NFC, and GPS. There is also a dedicated camera button for the 8 megapixel wide-angle shooter, which is capable of aperture F2.2 for low light picture taking and true 16:9 720p video recording. Oh, and it's an AF shooter, not EDoF.

The entire thing measures 116.45- x 61.2- x 7.6-12.1mm and weighs 135 grams, with a battery capable of lasting up to 50 hours (music), 4.5 hours (720p video), or between seven and 11 hours (GSM yappin'). You'll also get gratis turn-by-turn drive and walk navigation with voice guidance in Maps, a dedicated Drive app, proximity sensor and a choice of hue: black, cyan, and magenta. Other hardware specs include 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, an ambient light sensor, compass, orientation sensor, a micro SIM slot, tethering support and a 3.5mm "AV connector." It'll be humming along on MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan, with apps being compliant with Qt 4.7 and HTML5 support bundled in.


As for software? Aside from Angry Birds Magic, Galaxy on Fire 2, Real Golf 2011 and OpenGL ES 2.0, those who take the plunge will be greeted with a Webkit2-based browser, pinch-to-zoom support, unified notifications for Facebook, Twitter and RSS feeds in the Events view as well as social networking profiles and status updates merged into phone contacts. MeeGo touts a user interface simplified to three home views -- events, applications and open apps -- with a swipe gesture able to take you back to the home view. For those looking to expand upon what's loaded from the factory, Ovi Store access is included, but we've no idea what kind of pricing will be affixed. We'll be getting a fair bit of hands-on time with this guy in just a few hours, so keep it locked here for our first impressions!

Looking for a display that can do justice to all that 4K footage you've been shooting on your Red One or Arri Alexa lately? Okay, perhaps not. But if you were, then the DuraVision FDH3601 from Eizo Nanao could handle it easily with 4096 x 2160 pixels spread over 36.4-inches of LED-backlit real estate. It comes with another big number too: a price tag of ¥2.88 million ($36,000), which gently hints at the fact that this beast is primarily aimed at specialist industrial applications. Eizo claims it's perfect for air traffic control, where staff can make full use of specs like "Digital Uniformity Correction" circuitry to compensate for uneven color or brightness, motion sensors to power the monitor on or off as needed, and a stand that can be minutely adjusted to get the perfect angle. Suddenly, despite the heavy burden of responsibility and the fact that you have to keep your phone switched off all the time, that career choice seems almost worth it.

Clearly sick and tired of watching all of the fun other companies have been having with their all-in-ones, Toshiba this week announced the DX1215, the company's first entry in the space for the US market. The 21.5-inch touchscreen desktop has two USB 3.0 ports (and four of the boring old 2.0 variety), an HDMI port, 1TB of storage, and built-in Onkyo speakers. The system ships with a wireless mouse and keyboard, and will be hitting Best Buy's stores and website exclusively on July 3rd, starting at $930 -- just in time for your Independence Day ketchup-covered fingerprints.

When technology meets music, interesting things can happen -- for better or worse. In the case of Stanton's standalone SCS.4DJ Digital DJ Mix Station, anyone can try their hand at DJing. Notable hardware features include two weighted slabs with touch sensitivity, a 4.3-inch LCD, four USB ports for hooking up HDDs (two of which are hidden in handy storage slots), and a mic input for spitin' and spinnin'. If you're lacking in pro skills, the unit can automatically sync the tempos of whatever tracks are queued up, or even mix on its own like a player piano for your favorite block rockin' beats. Lastly, there's support for WAV, MP3, and AAC files, and any regrettable Lady Gaga and Skrillex fusion fun party mixes you make can be recorded live for transfer off the device. If you're psyched to start scratching, the SCS will be available for pre-order from Best Buy's website this month for $500 (pre-packaged skills don't come cheap), and in retail stores this July. You'll find the full press release after the break.

The eye-catching P220 ultraportable isn't the only system LG is showcasing at Computex -- the Korean manufacturer is also gracing Intel's booth with the V300, an all-in-one with a few tricks up its sleeve. Not only is that 23-inch display using a beautiful IPS panel (full HD), but it's even 3D-capable and includes a touchscreen in some versions. Yes, this isn't your father's PC. A variety of processors are available including Intel's Core i7 with room for up to 8 GB of DDR3 RAM. Some models are paired with AMD's Radeon HD 6650M video card. Blu-ray is an option, and storage maxes out at 750GB. The computer takes some visual cues from Apple's iMac (the stand), but still manages to have its own personality. The display is quite thin, and while the model we played with didn't appear to offer the touchscreen option, it did feature a Core i5 CPU. Take a look at the gallery below, and hit the break for our hands-on video and LG's press release.

Other manufacturers may say they're living large with their latest HDTVs, but Mitsubishi's "Go Big" slogan is supported by the biggest displays available for 2011. It's finally revealed details on the models, with new features including a clearer screen and 16 speaker soundbar with support for a wireless subwoofer on its top of the line 840-series that includes the 92-inch model (pictured above) we saw at CES. The other big addition for 2011 is support for Mitsubishi's iOS remote control app in the LaserVue TV as well as the 740 and 840 series DLPs. If you don't need those features, a built in IR emitter for 3D glasses or Stream TV Vudu Apps then look at the lower end 640-series rear projection sets. Still, no matter what the trim level, the new Mitsubishi is strictly a 73-inch and over TV manufacturer so it's definitely going to be big, whether it's the 840 series that ships in July or any of the other models that will be available this month. Specs and MSRPs are in the press release after the break, from the 73-inch 640 series for $1,599 all the way up to the $5,999 92-inch.

Here's a little intrigue to go along with your morning cuppa. The Xperia Play is a lovely bit of hardware lacking in a few crucial areas -- one being an inability to play games over HDMI. That's a definite problem for those who aren't quite ready to devote themselves wholesale to gaming on the (very) small screen. We had hoped Sony might release a micro-USB to HDMI adapter at some point, and indeed when we first saw the image above of a Play pumping graphics to an HDTV that's what we thought we had. But, on closer examination, we realized that the cable is coming out of the left side of the handset. On the current retail Play there's nothing there but shiny chrome, which you can see for yourself after the break. We also took a look at the exposed motherboard, and there are no obvious contacts. This could be a developer edition with additional ports, but none of the dev whitepapers we've pored over this morning mention any such things, so maybe a revised version of the hardware is coming that adds a hole where once there was none. We'll keep working to find out what's up, but weigh in for yourself in the comments below.

It may have been hard to believe when it was announced back in February, but you can rest assured that Texas Instruments' new color TI-Nspire CX calculator is indeed real, and shipping right now. Assuming you're ready to make the jump from monochrome, the $165 asking price will buy you a 3.2-inch 320 x 240 display, 100MB of storage, 64MB or memory, and TI's new version 3.0 operating system that comes complete with 3D graphing capabilities. Of course, TI isn't completely breaking new ground here -- Casio's had a graphing calculator with a "high res" color screen since way back in 2010.

So it can't predict the future, but the latest biometric reader from Fujitsu can tell that you're one in a million -- quite literally. Looking something akin to the love child of Simon and a Polaroid camera, this as-of-yet unnamed device is apparently the "world's first biometric authentication technology that combines data on palm vein patterns with fingerprint data from three fingers." That's a mouthful, but Fujitsu says the combination of these two biometric authentication techniques allows for accurate identification of an individual in a pool of one million in just two seconds. What's more, it expects to up that capacity to groups of ten million by the end of 2011. For professional evildoers rocking three fingers and a palm, maybe now's a good time to start rethinking your career path.

NZXT took the wraps off their Avatar S gaming mouse yesterday. It probably isn’t the brawniest in its class, but seeing as it costs just $39.99 and achieves a sensitivity of 1600 dpi it ain’t a bad deal. But that’s not all. If need be it can be turned down to 800 and 400dpi, the 5 buttons are fully programmable, the LED lighting can be manipulated and the X-Y sensitivity can be adjusted. All these features can be saved to 16kb of built-in storage to this ambidextrous mouse with Teflon feet.

We've seen plenty of handheld console mods, but only a few laptops -- most impressively, Ben Heck's sleek PlayStation 3 -- and PSHax member Pirate recently finished his water-cooled take on the notebook PS3. The cooling system replaces the stock heatsinks, allowing for a slimmer design, and one much more polished than the last water-cooled version we saw. Weighing in at 15 pounds, it's also got a built-in keyboard and speakers, a 500GB hard drive, and a 720p / 1080i screen. If this sounds like your type of machine, Pirate's put it on eBay, where it's currently heading north of $1,500. He's not looking to make a profit, promising that after costs a portion of the selling price will go to server expenses at PSHax, with another portion dedicated to tornado relief efforts in Joplin, Missouri. Check out the video after the break to see this beast in action.

NVIDIA has been pushing its 3D Vision platform for a couple of years and at this year's Computex it is looking to pull in more PC users with new wired LCD active shutter glasses. The original wireless specs rely on the same IR sync tech and battery power seen in glasses for many HDTVs, but these get power and data over a 10-foot USB cable. While that might not work for living room viewing, a single user application like PC gaming or watching a Blu-ray 3D on a laptop doesn't suffer for the cable restriction. Besides foregoing the sometimes finicky IR sync these are also cheaper, with a $99 MSRP when they go on sale in "late June" compared to $149 for the wireless version. The company hopes the combination of a lower entry price and ability to be secured to the PC make it a viable option for gamers who may already have a compatible LCD and GPU, or gaming cafes that want to run a few Starcraft II tournaments in 3D -- check the rest of the details in the press release after the break.

Steeping tea is one of the keys to a successful brew. Without it, you’ll end up with a somewhat flavorless, less full bodied beverage. The Tea Kettle By NORM Architects incorporates an innovative design that helps you achieve tea bliss. You simply fill with hot water and drop the tea steeper, which is attached to a rubber stopper. The spout appears to be the only flaw in the design, which will let some of the much needed heat out. Nonetheless, we’re digging the all glass body contrasted by the stainless steel steeper.

Finding that perfect size for tablets will require a bit of trial and error. I’ve been playing with a few 10.1″ tablets that, I think, are a bit too big. Even the iPad with it’s 9.7″ screen is on the bigger size. On the other hand, the 7″ ones like the PlayBook are awesome for portability but feel a bit small at time. So, in the middle, is the 8.9″ form factor that we have seen the LG tablet in as well as the upcoming Samsung Galaxy. I’m really looking forward to the Galaxy Tab 8.9- seems to have everything I would want from a tablet. They were on display in Russia and the following video shows the awesomeness.



I do hope that the Touchwiz interface could be turned off as I prefer a stock experience. Expect to see the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 to appear some time towards the end of summer