Klipsch has given its 2-year old iGroove SXT iPod dock a much needed refresh. Now boasting Apple's 'Works with iPod' certification, the iGroove accommodates all current iPod and iPhone models, and charges a docked device using a 1000mA rapid recharge circuit (theoretically twice as fast as charging through USB). Other enhancements include retuned bass ports and bi-amplification - amplifying each driver individually so as to eliminate distortion. I've had good experiences with Klipsch products, and the updated iGroove looks set to uphold the Klipsch tradition of excellent sound quality at reasonable prices. The refreshed iGroove SXT is available exclusively at Best Buy until later this month, with the price unchanged at $149.99.

This is the Olympus E-P1 , the digital camera that set a million tongues wagging when it was announced. The first Olympus camera to be based on the Micro Four-Thirds standard co-developed with Panasonic, the E-P1 is supposed to be able to capture close to professional DSLR (digital SLR) quality photographs, in a form-factor barely larger than a compact point and shoot camera. The E-P1 is also one of the smallest digital cameras with interchangeable lenses.

I'm not a professional photographer, and my experience with digital cameras has thus far been limited to point and shoots, so bear in mind that this review is from a purely amateur perspective. That said, I've had the camera for almost a month, and it's shaping up to be a great experience.

Mobile Edge, maker of functional laptop cases and accessories, has acquired the Sumo brand of fashionable carrying cases. Along with the acquisition, the Sumo brand is being expanded to include non-computer related bags and accessories, such as trendy totes, duffels and storage cubes. The addition of the new range, to be sold as the Sumo Lifestyle Collection, has more than doubled the total number of items in the Sumo product portfolio.

Read the whole announcement at the Mobile Edge Blog

Tin foil is sooo passé. If you're stylish and paranoid, the Flipside wallet is the fashion accessory for you. This polymer and aluminum wallet comes in three striking colors, holds 6 cards or 15 cash bills, and springs open automatically at the press of a button. Credit cards these days come with embedded radio (RFID) chips, and the Flipside's shielded interior prevents identity thieves from skimming your cards. The stylish geek knows that fashion is fleeting, and when it's time for a new wallet, the Flipside is completely recyclable. Best of all, it's made entirely in the US of A.

$40 each from Flipside Wallets

The iPhone has done it again. Google announced today that in less than a week since its release, the latest iteration of the iPhone has boosted mobile video uploads to YouTube by 400%.

This is part of a wider trend that has seen a 1700% rise in uploads to YouTube from mobile phones over the past 6 months.  The number of uploads is 'increasing exponentially' with the iPhone 3GS set to take the lion's share of those uploads as it goes on sale in more markets across the globe.

What's next? An explosion in mobile multiplayer gaming (sorry Nokia, n-gage just doesn't cut it)? Let's hope the iPhone 4G

According to one iPhone app developer, the current paucity of push-capable apps is due to server-side problems at Apple. Powerybase, developer of the NotifyMe app, received an email from Apple notifying them of a delay. According to NotifyMe's developers, they believe Apple may not have even started testing some (most?) of these apps; as with NotifyMe, Beejive, a popular instant-messaging app, has been in Apple's review queue for about a fortnight now, with no estimated release date. Powerybase notes that their app has been working fine in internal testing, so the problem probably lies with Apple, with other apps in a similar limbo. Given that we've been waiting for push notifications since September last year, another

RapidRepair got one of the first commercially available iPhone 3G S' from France and performed a quick teardown. They're in the process of conducting a more detailed analysis, but they've already found out that the 3G S runs on a Samsung S5PC100 SoC (system on a chip). The S5PC100 is capable of running at up to 833 MHz, but is downclocked to 600 MHz, presumably for power-saving reasons. (Photo: The 3G S board is on the left, 3G is on the right)

The iPhone 3G was launched internationally a year ago. From June to August 2008, iPhone mania reached a peak; lines snaked around phone stores worldwide, and for a while, the ubiquitous xylophone ringtone was heard everywhere.

It's been almost a year since then and the true 3rd-generation iPhone, the 3G S, is about to be released. In the meantime, a plethora of other phones have hit the market, and various Android, WebOS, Blackberry and Symbian smartphones are in the pipeline. How many of you are still on your 1st and 2nd gen iPhones, and what is iPhone sentiment like in your country?

It's amazing that in these troubling times filled with economic uncertainty and unbridled social woe, the petty-minded governments of various countries still manage to find the time and resources to censor media outlets in order to protect their citizenry from the corrupting influence of free speech.

Iran briefly blocked access to Facebook, ahead of its June presidential elections. China has upped the ante by blocking, amongst others, Twitter, Flickr and Hotmail. Even Microsoft's newly unveiled bing search engine hasn't been spared. The ongoing media blackout occurs ahead of the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre this Thursday (June 4).

There are some hardcore Windows Vista fans out there, but for the rest of us, October 22 can't come soon enough. That's when Windows 7 is expected to be "generally available" to consumers - well ahead of its original schedule. Windows 7 will begin shipping to OEMs at the end of July, and by late October, you'll be able to pick up a boxed copy or get it preinstalled on a new computer.

Source: Reuters

A while ago, I ranted on a Symbian forum about what a piece of cr disappointment the Nokia N96 was, and how it'd put me off Nokia smartphones forever. Until a recent firmware update, the N96 was slow, buggy and practically unusable. It creaks so much, I've actually come to think of the squishy casing as a feature - use it as an expensive stress ball, and it's entertaining; the built-in DVB-H TV tuner is essentially useless anyway. Given the vitriol, you can imagine that it'd take a lot to get me interested in using the N96 again.

Spb TV has temporarily saved the N96 from The Drawer of Forgotten Gadgets. Spb TV is an IPTV client for Symbian S60 devices. It receives streaming live television over a mobile internet connection, and includes an electronic program guide (EPG) for supported channels; if you've ever used Livestation on your desktop computer, Spb TV is just like a mobile version of it.

The Register reports that Apple is considering expanding the iPhone range; not with radically differentiated hardware, but by varying the software features included with various models. Oppenheimer analyst Yair Reiner, speaking exclusively to Register reporter James Sherwood, recently met with Apple executives in which several hints about future iPhones were dropped. Apple staff are notoriously reluctant to speculate about future products for fear of incurring the Wrath of Jobs, so it is somewhat surprising that an executive would reveal that:

“(iPhone) Segmentation would focus on software.”

I reviewed Diino last week and while I thought that it had potential, I couldn't really recommend using it as a primary online backup solution. I was trying out two other services at the same time, so here's Part II of the trilogy.

Memopal is a year-old start up based in Italy, providing online backup and storage services. They have two plans for consumers: a $49 plan with 150 GBs of combined space for backups and file storage, and a $99 plan with 250 GBs.

BB was a great @#*&... we @(*#& and (#*$&@ *censored* 'til the sun came up 10 minutes ago from lindsayluvsBB Grandma's had a heart attack. Meet us

Researchers from Ohio State University have found that Facebook users, in general, receive lower grades in college than non-users. Their research, to be presented today to the American Education Research Association, is by no means definitive - Facebook usage was a common factor, but not the only one.

This probably comes as no surprise to anyone in college. When you're updating your page during a lecture, you probably aren't paying attention to the Deadweight Loss of Taxation. From personal experience, the 5-steps to academic downfall are: 1. Whilst in class, make plans to go out on Facebook; 2. Have a night out; 3. Get home and check out pictures on Facebook, videos on YouTube; 4

If you're in the market for a new laptop bag, camera case or designer iPod/iPhone accessory, Rushfaster's offering a storewide 20% discount, ending Tuesday 14th April. Their prices are usually lower than Amazon, and comparable to eBags, but what I like about them is their range - it's not the largest, but they have some pretty quirky and unique offerings. Bit annoying, but the good stuff goes very quickly. They're based in Australia, so the prices listed are in Australian dollars (A$1=US$.73 according to xe.com), and if you're buying from overseas you don't pay GST (it's like sales tax) so you get a further 9% off at checkout. Their international shipping rates are quite reasonable too. Also

Customizable Flip Minos have been available for a while now, but if you want one that's been professionally designed, Amazon and CafePress have just introduced several new designs by 'talented artists and well-known designers'.

Through April 19, you'll get two free accessories of your choice with the purchase of a MinoHD, and one free accessory with the normal Mino. Unfortunately, the range of eligible accessories isn't vast - several cases, a tripod and a set of USB cables - but for a basic camcorder like the Mino, those are pretty much all the accessories you'll need.

Flip Online Store at Amazon.com