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CNet has an in-depth piece on the way increased computer usage and videogame playing affects kids and their bodies. Many more children are developing repetitive-stress disorders and complaining of sore necks and backs due to sitting in front of a screen for many hours at a time. With kids even doing homework online instead of in books these days, kids have no choice but to become used to long-term computer use. Check out the article for the full investigative report.

Is Microsoft going to release a handheld version of the Xbox? That’s the word according to a new report from The Diffusion Group, a new-media research firm. While Microsoft head honcho Bill Gates was mum on the subject at this month’s Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, he hinted that game development is all about the software. That might imply Microsoft is planning to let hardware companies (like Alienware) actually build the consoles, licensing them to use the Xbox system. Or it could mean that the Redmond software giant will introduce its own portable game console (like the mock-up shown here that made the rounds a few weeks ago), which would almost certainly be a multimedia player similar to Sony’s PSP. With an Xbox portable in the market, gamers would have three handheld consoles to choose from (including the PSP and the Nintendo DS), and it would certainly be popular with anyone wanting to play Halo while on the go!

Um, Dell? Could you explain exactly what’s going on inside your laptops that could cause them to suddenly blow up, just like the one that exploded earlier today at a conference in Japan? I’ve always assumed the tiny magic hamsters running around underneath the keyboard were given enough synthesized gummiberry juice that they were never tempted to chew on any wires, but I guess things don’t always work as advertised. Apparently no one was hurt, though a reader of the Inquirer snapped a few fuzzy pics of the incident, which was punctuated by plenty of flames spewing from the laptop, and it went on to explode for five minutes. As the reader notes, it’s a good thing this didn’t happen on a plane, though it would make for a novel defense against, say… a bunch of deadly snakes!

Source: The Inquirer

This watch, the CEC GSM F88, is as ugly as sin but is also probably the coolest thing we’ve seen all morning. It’s got a color display, speakerphone, 3-megapixel camera, and weighs a mere 3.5 ounces. How much is this amaze-o-phone? Try $1,100. Not available here, don’t even ask for it. We’re not getting it for you. – John Biggs

Source: Gizmodo

T-Mobile officially announces the highly anticipated Sidekick 3. Apparently T-Mobile’s PR already distributed Sidekick 3 review units to several sites as the first reviews already popped up at the same time.

Existing T-Mobile customers will be the first to be able to purchase the T-Mobile Sidekick 3. For an initial 12-day period beginning on Wednesday, June 28, limited quantities of Sidekicks will be available. July 10th is the official release date for everybody else.

T-Mobile’s Sidekick 3 has an updated design that is 20 percent smaller than its predecessor, and features a new trackball for one-handed navigation and integrated Bluetooth technology for wireless headset use. The device is also enhanced with a new MP3 player, removable battery, and Mini-SD card slot for expandable memory. The new Sidekick 3 supports also EDGE connectivity, a 1.3MP camera and a faster ARM9 CPU.

Source: I4U news

Laptop magazine is one of the first who have published a review of the Sidekick 3.

Headlining Toshiba’s new line of Satellite laptops is an impressive gaming notebook, the P105-S9321, an upgrade based on the S921. Specs of the new model are respectable: a 2-GHz Intel Core Duo processor (up from 1.83 GHz), 2 GB of RAM (up from 1 GB), and a 200-GB hard drive (up from 160 GB). One spec that thankfully doesn’t change is the price: the new Satellite orbits a reasonable cost of $2,000, just like its predecessor (look for the S921 to be discontinued). The new notebook features a 17-inch widescreen display and clocks in at 7 pounds, a mere quarter pound heavier than the 17-inch MacBook Pro, to compare. Rounding out the package are Bluetooth connectivity and a 256-MB nVidia graphics card to power your 3-D graphics, making this a solid laptop for gaming as well as general use. The P105-S9321 awaits you at stores now.

We know some of you have been counting the days on you calendar for this one, and now it looks like Sony’s NW-A1200 MP3 player is finally getting a release in the US after previously being exclusive to Japan, and will launch here in two new colors: violet and pink. Better get used to ‘em cause they’re also the only colors available, which is all the more curious since Sony already released a slick-looking black version in Japan — is it really so hard to release it here too? Style preferences aside, the player still looks like a solid enough device, with MP3, WMA, and AAC support, 20 hours of promised battery life (on AAC, of course), and a 1.5-inch OLED screen. Sony’s taking pre-orders now for $199.95 with an expected ship date of July 20th.

Source: Engadget

NEC has just announced a credit card-size phone for the Asian market, the N908, coming into existence this fall. Despite the fact that it probably won’t see the light of day on American shores, the touchscreen features give a taste of a technology we’ll be seeing much more of in cell phones in the near future. By getting rid of a keypad altogether, the N908 manages to fit quite a bit in a very small package, including a 1.3-megapixel camera, a MicroSD card slot to hold music and video, USB and Bluetooth connectivity, and dual stereo speakers. The most notable feature is the screen, however, which acts as the display as well as the keypad. With the drive to make phones as small as possible continuing, this method will be the only way to make phones any smaller than they are now. With technology in the works to give tactile response to touchscreens that would make them feel like you were pushing actual buttons, the roadblocks against putting touchscreen tech in more gadgets are quickly tumbling down. We’ll keep you updated as this style of mobile makes its way westward.
— Adam Frucci

Via TechEBlog

Imagine a world where the next generation of computers isn’t a hundred times faster and a lot more expensive than the one you just bought. What if they were designed without all the bells and whistles to be just a little more practical at a fraction of the price? A small Chinese firm has made good on the not-so-new idea that the bulk of personal computing can be done for much less money.

YellowSheepRiver Municator is selling a new Linux-based desktop for about $150. Like Nicholas Negroponte’s One Laptop per Child project, makers of the Municator say they want to banish the digital divide.

“As (the) OLPC project is for children, Municator is for all people with such needs — the scope is a little bit different,” said David Lin, executive director at YellowSheepRiver, in an e-mail. “Although the target end users are different, one point (that) remains the same is that both OLPC and Municator would like to promote computers to people all over the world with a reasonable and affordable price.”

Read the rest here

Source: Advanced Dark
June 27, 2006

Is Fox adding another superhero movie to line-up for 2007? According to The Hollywood Reporter, that’s exactly what they are doing:

The promise of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine headlining a spinoff of 20th Century Fox’s “X-Men” franchise next year was a highlight of Day 2 here at Cine Expo.

20th Century Fox promised the gathered exhibitors a Jackman starrer titled “Wolverine” for next year and Jackman himself sent the show a taped promise to back up the news.

Pencil in Wolverine for 2007!