Hi-tech Frontier

Rubik’s Cube Salt & Pepper Mills It might have brought you years of frustration as a child, but as a grown-up you can now use the power of the Rubik’s Cube for good. Or at least good taste. This set of salt and pepper mills are made to look like the iconic twisting puzzle cubes from the 80’s, but instead of messing up the colored grid pattern, the twisting motion is actually used to grind out your choice of salt or pepper. They’re available for about $16.55 each. Yeah, you have to buy them separately.

Armstrong Bin Reduces The Consumption of Garbage Bags Armstrong Bin is a compression dustbin designed by Sukwon Park and Sungwoo Park, which is an unusual effort to increase cleanness and convenience by reducing the use of garbage bags. Using more garbage bags will eventually increase the waste since garbage bags are likely to be turned into more garbage. The concept Armstrong bin would be the initial step of developing a waste free earth, just like the monumental step of Armstrong on the moon. This bin can reduce the garbage bag consumption by compressing the bags with simply putting pressure with a foot.

MSI details Wind U123 variants, introduces GX403 gaming laptop Earlier this month, MSI let loose details on its slimmest ultraportable yet and its oh-so-promising Wind U123 netbook. Today, it's fully detailing the U123 lineup and formally introducing its newest gaming / multimedia laptop. As for the former, users can soon expect to see a U123, U123H and U123T; the first is the standard fare model, while the second gets equipped with a 3.5G (HSDPA) WWAN module. The U123T gets gifted with an integrated TV tuner, but sadly, there doesn't seem to be a way to get both extras bundled into one mega-U123. Moving on, there's the 14.1-inch (1,280 x 800) GX403, which sports a Core 2 Duo CPU, NVIDIA's GeForce GT 130M (512MB) graphics card, Turbo Drive overclocking, 4GB of system RAM, gigabit Ethernet, WiFi, HDMI output, 4-in-1 card reader, USB / eSATA sockets and an optional Blu-ray drive to boot.

Limited edition Prince Opus iPod touch While certainly not the most expensive iPod we've ever seen, the limited edition Prince Opus iPod touch is definitely amongst the priciest. Sold only as part of an ultra rare kit that includes a luxurious book of Prince photographs from Kraken Opus, this touch (of unknown capacity) comes preloaded with 40 minutes of "exclusive" footage along with a live soundtrack from Indigo Nights. Of course, it's also doused in purple and splashed with Prince's symbol 'round back, but even with only 950 kits available, we still say the $2,100 price tag is far too lofty. Hate to break it to ya, Opus, but those hedge funds are no longer partying like it's 1999.

Sony's OLED Walkman at $400 for 16GB Forget about Amazon UK's variable estimations, Sony's gone ahead and given us official release details for its OLED-equipped NWZ-X1000 series Walkman -- known there without the "Z" but with an one-seg TV tuner. Street date is April 25 and the open price is 40,000 yen (US $400) for the 16GB NWZ-X1050 and 50,000 yen for the 32GB NWZ-X1060. Both models will be availble in black or red. No word yet on US or Europe date, but we can't imagine those will be far behind.

Ultimate Ears 700 noise-isolating earphones Logitech's high-end Ultimate Ears division just announced these new Ultimate Ears 700 in-ear headphones. Weighing in at 11.6-grams, the dual-armature layout separates the 10Hz to 16.5kHz frequency response into two high-fidelity channels per ear while offering passive noise-isolation of up to 26dB. While the press release touts iPod compatibility in the boisterous headline there doesn't seem to be anything about these -- like Apple's proprietary in-line remote control (and chip) for the new iPod shuffle -- that's unique to the iPod... other than the price. Available in the US and Europe for $230 sometime this month.

Nintendo's $19.99 MotionPlus Wiimote accessory Alright, so maybe the rumors weren't that far off, but the Big N just did us a solid by establishing US availability of its MotionPlus Wiimote accessory a few weeks ahead of when we were expecting. Granted, it's downright baffling that these things still aren't out on the market, but we're fully anticipating perfection from something that has been in the Crock-Pot® for so long. Shortly after E3 2009 concludes (June 8th, to be precise), Nintendo will ship its MotionPlus add-on stateside. The device itself will run you $19.99, though you could wait until July 26th to pick up the totally attractive Wii Sports Resort for $49.99, which naturally comes bundled with one of the accessories.

TechLab 2000's Xaos Gamma phone There's no shortage of solutions for making your phone conversations as secure as the privacy of the room you're standing in while placing the call -- problem is they only interoperate with compatible products, and needless to say, encrypting cellphones aren't exactly in wide supply. TechLab 2000's SYLAN system of encryption suffers the same shortcoming, but the bright spot here is that they've got a handful of wireless and wireline models that can all talk to each other, so the next time you need to get hold of Agent 49 sitting back at his desk at Langley, you can do so knowing that it's gonna be tough for the baddies to crack the call. The Polish firm just rolled out its Xaos Gamma model, featuring quadband GSM, six hours of talk time, and a 220 x 176 display -- not the most aggressive stats, but odds are you don't care about a music player with 5.1 surround capabilities when you're running Operation Silent Dawn from...

Sprint BlackBerry 8350i We knew it was coming, but the last time we checked, we had a big fat "TBD" in the launch date column -- now, the wait has finally ended and throngs of camera-free phone fanboys and girls can get their BlackBerry on (come on, you know who you are). The iDEN-only 8350i has been stripped of its cam, but not its dignity -- a good match for businessfolk working in higher-security facilities where covert imagery is still a concern. Unfortunately, the removed technology won't save you any dough; you'll pay the same $149.99 on contract after rebate as the "normal" 8350i buyers, but at least you won't get thrown out of a secret laboratory by ripped guards wielding AR-15s for bending the rules.

HP MediaSmart Server LX195 Not even two weeks have passed since we first spotted HP's 640GB MediaSmart Server LX195 in boxed form, care of Mr. Blurrycam, and now we've got what appears to be a couple of official press photos. Stylish aesthetics aside, it's sporting four USBs, an ethernet port, and DC input for a power brick. What we're not seeing is any way to swap out or add storage, so it looks like that "single drive server" speculation might be on the money. Speaking of which, the company still hasn't made this official, and as such, there's no word on pricing or availability.

JVC 1080p GD-463D10 3D LCD monitor Not that JVC's been avoiding the 3D bandwagon or anything, but it has yet to formally introduce a 3D HDTV to really take advantage of the in-home 3D revolution that 3D backers just swear is right around the bend. The GD-463D10 is a 46-inch LCD HDTV with a native 1,920 x 1080 resolution, 2,000:1 contrast ratio, twin ten-watt speakers and support for three-dee material. We're also told that the set will come bundled with a pair of polarized glasses when it ships in Japan early next month. The only problem? That ¥700,000 ($6,978) price tag, which seems particularly painful with no real 3D programming to speak of. Yet, of course.

AOpen intros new XC Encore OE700 media PC It's been a little while since AOpen last popped up on our radar, but the company certainly hasn't stopped cranking out tiny media PCs in the interim, and it looks like it might have a winner on its hands with its new XC Encore OE700 model. While the core specs of your choice of Core 2 Duo processor and up to 4GB RAM aren't exactly anything remarkable, the system does employ a number of measures to ensure it stays as quiet as possible, including a Smart Anti-Vibration System that dampens hard drive noise, and a new case design dubbed SNSS (or Smart Noise Suppression System) that promises to keep all the other noises in check. You'll even get a home theater-friendly VFD display and, of course, a Media Center compatible remote control -- assuming you live in Japan, that is, as there's still no indication of a release 'round these parts.

Momitsu BDP-899 Blu-ray player Looking for region-free Blu-ray and DVD support? The Momitsu BDP-899 fits the bill, including BD-Live and Dolby TrueHD output. It's not clear whether multi region support is included by default or only due to retailer mods, but the BDP-899 can be manually changed between DVD & Blu-ray regions when there isn't a disc in the tray via a code input by the remote. We found a few reviews indicating its region switching and PAL/NTSC conversion works as advertised, though checking out every possible combination could stress anyone's disc library. At $349, it's the cheapest BD-Live compatible region free player we've seen, although questions about how fast Momitsu will be in providing firmware updates in case of problems might have the region switching consumer eyeing more expensive modded players from other manufacturers instead.

Samsung's tiny DMX-R10 Full HD camcorder Samsung's impressively small HMX-R10 HD camcorder has finally been set free to dance upon Korean retail shelves. The mini cam is just 12.5-cm long and 4-cm wide (4.9 x 1.5-inches) and records 9 megapixel stills or 1,920 x 1,080 pixel video (courtesy of its 1/2.33-inch CMOS sensor) to SDHC memory cards up to 32GB in capacity. The cam also brings a 5x optical, electronically stabilized zoom lens angled at a unique 25-degrees which, according to Samsung, makes for a more natural shooting angle. The 2.7-inch touch-screen LCD features Samsung's Magic Touch UI that automatically focuses on any point that you touch on the LCD. Sounds sweet but in practice this type of tech is a novelty requiring two handed operation that will just slow you down in the field. It'll also shoot super-slow-motion at 60, 300, or 600 fps at decreasing resolutions most assuredly (Sammy doesn't say). Fortunately, Amazon has this shooter listed at $500 for a...

Sonos 2.8 adds Deezer Radio to multi-room systems The growing number of "zone 2" speaker taps on the latest generation of receivers is all the evidence you need that multi-room audio systems are big with consumers. Cynics might argue that 7.1 channels of sound pretty much saturated the living room, but a study from the CEA (Consumer Electronics Association) says that people with multi-room audio covering more than two rooms are happy with their setups. A whopping 85-percent of those folks would take the plunge all over again, and with more than half of them using their systems daily, it's easy to understand why. With prices on multi-room audio moving down -- especially with after-market solutions -- we're hoping lots more people jump into this product sector and join that happy 85-percent.

Medigenic Infection-Control Keyboard If you’ve ever looked down at your keyboard and wondered what parasites, bacteria and other forms of unclassified life were crawling all over it, imagine what the keyboards at a hospital must be like. That thought alone is probably what inspired a company called Esterline to create their Medigenic Infection-Control Keyboard. Instead of raised keys, which provides endless places for crud to get trapped, the Medigenic features a flat keyboard design (with fake 3D key graphics) that can be quickly wiped clean with hospital-grade disinfectants. Supposedly the flat design can still be used by touch typists with “conventional keyboard-like performance” and there’s a dedicated disable button which prevents accidental key presses while the Medigenic is being wiped down. There’s even a backlight allowing the keyboard to be used in low-light environments without disturbing a patient, and a warning light that will flash at user-defined intervals reminding you ...

Nikon D5000 is available now Having used a DSLR for many years now, I much prefer looking through a viewfinder to compose a shot than starting at an LCD. But with more and more people making the upgrade from a P&S to a DSLR these days, it makes sense that Nikon would introduce a model like the D5000 which is their first to include a “Vari-angle” or flip-out LCD display. The D5000 features the same 12.3-megapixel CMOS sensor as the D90, and is also able to capture HD video in 720P at 24fps. The LCD display is a bit smaller at 2.7 inches, but it’s not that much of a trade-off if you’ve been really hoping for a swivel LCD on a DSLR. Personally, I’ve still got my sights on the D90 because it features a larger viewfinder and a bit more flexibility when it comes to custom settings, but the D5000 kit which includes the AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens should be available in late April for about $850, making it an excellent choice if you’re looking to replace your P&S.

iBoo iPod dock The iPod dock that I was referring to was the iBoo, which is also from Speakal. This time around they have slimmed down a few of the features into a less-expensive ghostly shape. The main question is whether or not the lower price means lower quality. So what are the main differences between the iBoo and iPanda? Well if you’ll recall the iPanda had 5 individual speakers (1 bass, 2 mids and 2 tweeters). In order to trim down the price the iBoo has only three speakers. The mids have been removed, while the tweeters are now picking up the slack. Another change is that the sub only puts out 9W, bringing the grand total to only 15 Watts of output. On paper it doesn’t look like the iBoo will be all that impressive when stacked up against its big panda brother. Once again I’m surprised. For obvious reasons, the sound wasn’t quite as strong, but the dedicated bass does deliver decent lows and the new tweeters produced some very clear highs. As one would expect, the mids were a ...

Resident Evil 5 Chainsaw USB Flash Drive These nifty, though somewhat macabre, chainsaw 2GB USB flash drives have started popping up all over eBay. They were originally included with special limited edition copies of Resident Evil 5 for the Xbox 360 and PS3, but have since been put on the auction block as sellers like hk-wan have decided to make a quick buck (or $23.99 in this case) instead.

OfficePOD : A Next Generation Workplace Office Pod is an innovative design of a next generation workplace where people will be able to work in a different manner. This complete and organized service will improve the workplace and can be remarkably cost effective and beneficial for environmental and productivity issues. Office Pod is a garden based pod which is a dedicated place for working with its highest quality design as well as provides a superb work environment that is apart from the disturbance of home life. In this way, being an Office Pod user, you will surely bring noteworthy positive change to your life by increasing the productivity and cutting down on commuting.

Hansol Paeng Redesigned Urine Collection Bag This urine collection bag is being considered as a unique addition with latest medical equipments industry. Hansol Paeng , a korean designer, has tried to eliminate the trend of creating medical equipments with maximum efficiency without considering the appearance issue by designing this urine collecting bag. This object is designed in a more human-centered manner, hiding the discomfiture of the patients which was overlooked for efficiency purpose. Additionally, this design has been simplified to the level possible for ensuring the ease of use. With this bag, taking readings of the quantity of urine has become easier than ever.