For those of you that’ve been using Megaupload in the past, do not worry, your data will be safe until mid-February – but good luck getting it back. There’s one gigantic investigation going on right this second regarding Samsung 3G patents by the European Commission. There’s a brand new Google+ page made for and by Android Developers. We’ve gone ahead and finally done a review of some stylus pens – Kuel H10 and H12 to be precise.

Inside Windows 8 Office you’re going to see some fake Metro skins. Google is in trouble with the United States Congress and has responded to privacy concerns in kind. The software known as Final Cut Pro X has been massively updated. Panasonic has launched a brand new Lumix DMC-ZS20 for you tiny lovers. And what do you know – Windows 8 Kinect has been leaked again.

Rather than being actual WebRT Metro apps, Office 15 on Windows 8 machines will – at least initially – simply feature a more streamlined UI. The interface “will be flatter, feature more white space, and use fewer lines in an effort to focus on content” it’s said, but underneath will be the regular apps.

Interestingly, the Office 15 version for Windows 8 on ARM machines will supposedly be the desktop software as well. It will run in what’s described as a “restricted Windows 8 ARM desktop mode” that prioritizes power efficiency; it’s unclear if Microsoft will be allowing other software providers to use this wrap technology.

A proper WebRT version of Office 15 could still be in the pipeline. Meanwhile, Microsoft is supposedly readying two WebRT apps from the Office suite, at least; OneNote and Lync – the company’s digital notetaking software and its communications package – are both being prepared in Metro versions, presumably for launch alongside the first Windows 8 tablets.

Microsoft announced an Office 15 Technical Preview earlier this week, though spaces filled up before the company could even open it to the public. A beta will follow later in the year.

Featured: On the subject of T-Mobile, our Chris Davies wrote a column about where the big T is headed. Read it here – Could “Unlimited” Save T-Mobile USA? Also on our featured list today, Chris Burns shows us what some of the best iPhone 4S apps are in his article, A Week With the iPhone 4S. Spoiler alert – the SlashGear app is in there.

Gaming: When it comes to using video games in a classroom environment, it’s a win-win situation, so this trial of using the DSi’s speech recognition in school is pretty cool. So is this build of a portable Counter-Strike game on Android. But the biggest thing we heard about today is the Xbox 720 – new rumors suggest there will be two versions of the new Microsoft console.

Software & Gadgets: Speaking on Microsoft, a technical preview of Office 15 has been released. Woot. On the Apple side of things, AirPort Utility, Time Capsule, and AirPort Base Station have all been updated. But if you’re looking for someone a bit more exciting and new, you have to check out this – Panasonic demos WiGig with tablet and in-car system.

Customers testing this early build of what’s currently code-named Office 15 will be providing feedback to Microsoft’s Office team and changes they suggest will be taken into account for the final build and release. Hough notes that Office 15 will be “the most ambitious undertaking yet” for the Office division. When the release comes down to the public, there will be one simultaneous update to all of the following: PC and mobile clients for Office, Office 365, SharePoint, Visio, Project, Exchange, and cloud services and servers.

There will be a public beta offered up later in the year, in the Summer to be a bit more precise, and more information on the builds being released then will be released closer to that time. The Technical Preview group is working with a sort of Alpha build if you will, while the Beta will be much closer to the final product. We can therefor take a wild guess and say that Office 15 will be out by the start of 2013.

[via Office]

The SUR40 with Surface 2.0 tabletop can be placed horizontally on table legs or mounted vertically on a wall as it no longer uses cameras underneath the table for recognizing finger-touches. Instead, it now uses PixelSense, which allows more than 50 simultaneous touch-points on the surface.

Inside, the table is powered by an AMD-based Windows 7 machine running Microsoft’s Surface 2.0 platform. The Surface 2.0 SDK will allow developers to create custom apps for the table, although not many folks will be able to afford the table itself, which is priced starting at $8,400 for the tabletop only and $9,049 if purchased with a matching stand. Shipping begins this month.

[via TechCrunch]

It’s not the first time we’ve heard talk of Microsoft looking to the iPad for its next big Office push, though the company isn’t short on iOS software currently. So far, though, only Windows-based tablets have been able to run Office, leaving iPad owners to pick up the iWork bundle instead; Apple pushed those apps out to the iPhone and iPod touch back in May.

A focus on tablet content creation is something Microsoft and its partners seem to be slowly waking up to. CEO Steve Ballmer confirmed the company’s engineers were looking at how Office could be reworked in the Metro style of Windows 8 during Build 2011 earlier in the year, while NVIDIA’s president argued that an Office build for ARM-based Windows 8 tablets and notebooks would be “the killer app” for the platform.

Still, with the iPad still dominating tablet sales, it makes a lot of sense for Microsoft to focus on tablets outside of its own fold, at least initially. No release date for the iOS suite has been suggested at this stage.

It’s the very first invention that’s got my attention, for sure – as a woman walks up to a road in front of what must be an airport, she hears a language she does not understand coming over the intercom. At a tap of her glasses, she’s got instant translation into her own English. Sort of reminds you of a Babelfish, doesn’t it? From there’s it’s all displays, all the time. Each window to a car shows off everything the woman needs (or thinks she needs) to see such as an outline of a building that she’s passing by with a note about how she needs to go there tomorrow or she wont get the job she wants – she has a device in her hands that’s one big display connected to everything under the sun, including her kitchen fridge, and everything is full-screen.

Notice, if you will, the similarities between this “future device” and the current Windows Phone interface and it’s tiles. Sort of makes you think that, wow, Windows Phone is really advanced already, doesn’t it? Then there’s giant displays as large as a desk, made for touch interaction, and all sorts of 3D interaction that I’m not quite sure how to explain. Objects jump off the displays and can be moved around with a waft of the hand. Have a peek at this newest video here:

Then head back to the video from a bit earlier this month:

Microsoft Office Labs Vision 2019

And notice finally, if you will, now similar these videos are to the video from a few months ago made by Corning (the makers of Gorilla Glass and now Lotus Glass,) in A Day Made of Glass…

[via YouTube]

To get this app, you’ll first have to download the Amazon Appstore. All this consists of is dropping your email in the box in the upper left of Amazon’s Online Appstore, waiting for a confirmation email in your inbox, and clicking the link inside that email. Your download then will contain the appstore itself, and inside you’ll find not only a full-range of lovely applications including the only ad-free Android versions of Angry Birds, but OfficeSuite Pro 5, an app that’ll normally cost your three $5 bills, completely free today.

The Amazon Appstore is set to gain some vast popularity this holiday season as the Kindle Fire will rely solely on it for app purchases. In that Amazon used its own appstore instead of working with Google to gain their favor for the Android Market, Amazon freed themselves from adding the rest of the Google suite of apps as well, creating a whole new monster based on the Android system architecture. Have a look at the Kindle Fire, download the Amazon Appstore, and see for yourself why Amazon is set to make bank this coming holiday season.

While the desk may not look like anything extremely spectacular on it’s own (it being the modern minimalistic masterpiece that it is,) it’s the pulling back and down of the black piece of the desk that makes the most magic. You’ll see what’s going on in the video below, as Herman Miller specialists see a young lady working at her desk in the normal fashion, taking away the elements that aren’t working for her, replacing these then with Herman Miller pieces of furniture, the Envelop Desk included – she gets to a point in her day when she wants to lean back a bit and – what’s that – she’s got the ability to pull her desk back and down to compensate!

Based on what Herman Miller is noting was “extensive research and development,” the Envelop Desk provides “the ideal alignment of a users eyes and posture with their screen for optimal ergonomic comfort.” Sounds rather nice and comfortable to me. And what’s best? The Envelop Desk is made entirely of recyclable materials so if you ever find a desk to replace it, this piece of furniture can be broken down and turned into new desks!

This desk is going to run you right around $960 USD before shipping costs, and you’ve got a couple choices as to what you’re going to get for your surface material and base finish. Designers Bill Stumpf and Jeff Weber would LOVE for you to pick one up, and your humble narrator CERTAINLY wouldn’t mind having one for himself. ALSO Herman Miller lets us know that between the 1st and 15th of August you can get standard shipping for just $9 on all orders over $499.

The new features will be integrated for the latest Office for Mac 2011 and will include Auto Save, Versions, and Full-Screen mode. However, don’t expect the update to come tomorrow or even in the next few weeks. Instead, Microsoft Office team member Pat Fox confirmed that the wait for the update will more likely be “measured in months.”

Fox also emphasized that Office for Mac 2004 will not work with Lion as it is written for PowerPC systems and Lion no longer includes the Rosetta code needed for backwards compatibility. This seemed to have been the same problem for several other software packages, including Intuit’s popular line of QuickBooks and Quicken accounting software.

If you use Microsoft’s Communicator for Mac, however, you can get an update for that immediately to solve the crashing issues it has in Lion. The update can be downloaded via Microsoft’s AutoUpdate system or through their Download Center.

[via MacNN]

The system includes a desk that has an adjustable height with some slots for mounting monitors to the desk so they can move up and down easily. The key part though is the semi-recumbent elliptical trainer chair. The thing is built to operate at slower speeds so the user can pedal away and not be too distracted. Hammacher claims the user can burn about 4,000 calories in a typical workweek. The desk can adjust from 27″ to 47″ to accommodate the elliptical trainer, a normal chair, or a standing worker.

The resistance of the trainer is electronically controlled with the little LED screen assembly you see on the left side in the pics. It will track distance, watts, rpm, and the number of calories burned and can store details for up to 30 users. The good news is that you can still blame being fat and pasty on work unless you make enough to smile and spend the $8,000 plus $450 shipping the thing costs.

[via Hammacher]

The legal battle between the two firms has raged for years and Microsoft is still fighting. Microsoft is fighting, though it has lost the case in two courts so far. It lost the initial case in 2009 and i4i was awarded a $290 million judgment and a permanent injunction. Microsoft appealed in late 2009, losing again, and then sought a rehearing, which was denied.

The case is set to go before the Supreme Court and i4i has filed its brief with the highest court in the nation. Oral arguments before the Supreme Court in the case are set to take place on April 18 and a decision in the case is expected by the end of June. Loudon Owen, Chairman of i4i, says, “We continue to be confident that i4i will prevail.” Owen adds, “Our position from the outset has been clear – this attack on patent holders and the adverse implications from the change proposed by Microsoft are unprecedented and would deal a devastating blow to any US patent holder, large or small. The proposed change would dramatically hurt employment growth in any industry where new technology and invention is important – maintaining the existing law is vital for continuing innovation and job creation.”

This board is made of molded plywood and has foam and leather upholstered to the top. Although it’s made for the office, I imagine the goofiest of ladies and men would have an alright time skating barefoot with this pillow of boards. Don’t fall off though, I’ve done such a dare and it doth hurt quite mightily. I’ve also skated around campus way back in my college years, and having a board under my feet during class can be surprisingly soothing – supposing the wheels are properly greased.

Would you like your own “Secret” board by designer Carissa Carter? Too bad! This is an art project, and not made for mass consumption -unless of course you and enough other people contact her to make you one. All art projects are open to multiplication under the right kind of well-meaning duress.

[Via SnowFlyZone]

However, while the move does make downloading extra content for Office more straightforward, it’s not a sign of Microsoft taking its eye off general Office privacy. The Office activation process is still in force, as is the more general Windows validation.

[via ZDNet]

Apparently, and I’ve not been there to confirm this by watching offices like a hawk, in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, people take 30 minute power naps right in the middle of their work day to increase their productivity. Does it work? Have you seen the movie Office Space? You gotta do what it takes go get ahead, even if that means laying your head back.

[Via Akihabara News]

While some have criticized the idea of trusting Facebook with more personal data, the general movement of the industry does seem to be heading in that direction. A new Gartner study estimates that by 2014, 20-percent of employees will use social networks as their business communications’ hub.

“The rigid distinction between e-mail and social networks will erode,” says Gartner research VP Monica Basso, and that “e-mail will take on many social attributes, such as contact brokering, while social networks will develop richer e-mail capabilities.” They also predict that, by the end of 2012, 10-percent of email accounts will be on cloud-based services.

Black powder is made of saltpeter (potassium nitrate), charcoal, and sulfur, and can readily be made useless by simply pouring water on it. Similar packages were delivered to (and exploded in) two embassies in Athens on today, and several other explosive packages were intercepted by Greece police, while on Monday authorities intercepted several other packages addressed to other embassies as well as to French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Most or all of these packages contained similar explosive components.

Is it a time traveling Bomberman? Is it the sort of situation where Wild West Doc sends a package Western Union to the future? Who knows!?

[Via Der Spiegel Online]

However, while Outlook has been steadily improving on the PC, its Mac counterpart sounds like it still needs some work.  Reviewers have been complaining about its poor sync potential with other Apple hardware and services; there’s only basic address book sync, rather than integration with iCal or the iPhone, and direct Google sync is also out.

The Office 365 site goes live today with a sign up sheet customers can put their name on to learn all sorts of fun info about their glorious future in super functionality and tied-togetherness. The actual release date for Office 365 isn’t firm as yet, but Microsoft states that it will be generally available in 40 countries as early as next year. Behold the press release:

Microsoft Announces Office 365

New cloud service brings together Office, SharePoint, Exchange and Lync for organizations of all sizes.

REDMOND, Wash. — Oct. 19, 2010 — Microsoft Corp. today announced Microsoft Office 365, the company’s next generation in cloud productivity that brings together Microsoft Office, SharePoint Online, Exchange Online and Lync Online in an always-up-to-date cloud service. Office 365 makes it easier for millions more organizations to get and use Microsoft’s award-winning business productivity solutions via the cloud. With Office 365, people can work together more easily from anywhere on virtually any device, while collaborating with others inside and outside their organization in a simple and highly secure way. As part of today’s news, Microsoft is also opening a limited beta program for Office 365 in 13 countries and regions.

Office 365 is built on years of experience delivering industry-leading business cloud services ranging from the first browser-based e-mail to today’s Business Productivity Online Suite, Microsoft Office Live Small Business and Live@edu. Moving to the cloud with Office 365 means people don’t have to change the way they work, because Office 365 works with the most popular browsers, smartphones and desktop applications people use today.

“Office 365 is the best of everything we know about productivity, all in a single cloud service,” said Kurt DelBene, president of the Office Division at Microsoft. “With Office 365, your local bakery can get enterprise-caliber software and services for the first time, while a multinational pharmaceutical company can reduce costs and more easily stay current with the latest innovations. People can focus on their business, while we and our partners take care of the technology.”

Microsoft worked closely with existing customers to develop Office 365, resulting in a cloud service that is designed to meet a wide range of customer needs.

With Office 365 for small businesses, professionals and small companies with fewer than 25 employees can be up and running with Office Web Apps, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Lync Online and an external website in just 15 minutes, for $6 or 5.25 euros per user, per month.

“For a small business, Office 365 is a perfect way to start,” said Rob Nichols, chief technology officer of Allovus Design, a graphic design firm and member of Microsoft’s Customer Advisory Board for Office 365. “It has all the features we need, and we can come out of the gate with the same tools the big guys have — on day one.”
Office 365 for enterprises introduces an array of choices for midsize and large businesses as well as government organizations, starting for as little as $2 or 1.75 euros per user, per month1 for basic e-mail. Office 365 for enterprises also includes the option to get Microsoft Office Professional Plus desktop software on a pay-as-you-go basis, for the first time ever. For $24 or 22.75 euros per user, per month1, organizations can get Office Professional Plus along with e-mail, voicemail, enterprise social networking, instant messaging, Web portals, extranets, voiceconferencing and videoconferencing, webconferencing, 24×7 phone support, on-premises licenses, and more.

Office 365 creates new growth opportunities for Microsoft and its partners by reaching more customers and types of workers and meeting more business IT needs — all while cutting costs for customers.

Product Availability
Office 365 will be available worldwide next year. Starting today, Microsoft will begin testing Office 365 with a few thousand organizations in 13 countries and regions around the world, and the beta will be expanded to include more organizations over time. Office 365 will be generally available in 40 countries and regions next year.
Later next year, Office 365 will expand to include Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online to provide Microsoft’s complete business productivity experience to organizations of all types and sizes. In addition, Office 365 for education will debut later next year, giving students, faculty and school employees powerful technology tailored specifically to their needs.

Today at 12 p.m. PDT, Microsoft will launch http://www.Office365.com. Customers and partners can sign up for the Office 365 beta and learn more at that site, or follow Office 365 on Twitter (@Office365), Facebook (Office 365), or the new Office 365 blog at http://community.office365.com to get the latest information.

Supple thighs or otherwise, Wilkhahn claim the ON’s movements follow those of your own knees and hips, tracking the body’s center of gravity and supporting you as you lean in any direction.  Best of all, there’s minimal setup to be fathomed: two buttons and your ON chair is set up.

Of course there’s no replacement for going down to your local chair emporium and trying a few out, but with more people spending the majority of their days desk-bound we won’t argue with something that promises less strain and more comfort.  The Wilkhahn ON is available now, priced from €569 ($848) plus tax.

Press Release:

New concept to combat back pain: office chair ON teaches seating to walk

After five years in development and with four decades of expertise in dynamic seating, German office furniture manufacturer Wilkhahn is presenting the world premiere of a unique office chair concept. A chair that gives our bodies the freedom to sit the way they want and can. At the core of the innovative office chair lies Trimension®, a mechanism that precisely follows the positions, functions and scope of movement in the knee and hip joints. As a result, sitting does not cause fatigue and assured movement is encouraged. Just like when we walk about. The Centre of Health confirms that the chair activates the entire metabolic system, making office work more healthy and productive.

Scientists, healthcare professionals and ergonomists have long been advocating as frequent changes of posture as possible. The goal is to combat back pain which is now the number one medical complaint. Recent scientific studies, such as those produced by the Centre for Health at the renowned German Sport University Cologne, cite a permanent lack of physical stimulation and exercise as the main cause of virtually all illnesses in the modern world. Extensive studies carried out by the Bertelsmann Stiftung underscore these findings. Prevention-based therapies even prolong back pain, because instead of activating they switch off the body’s natural regulation mechanisms. Millions of people worldwide are then caught in a vicious circle. Back pain occurs because we do not take enough exercise. We then take preventative measures because of the back pain. This in turn hampers the metabolism, makes the situation worse and leads to degeneration in our bodies.

Forced postures and a philosophy of prosthetics in the office
Back pain is becoming a progressively worse problem for office workers. And this comes as no surprise. Thanks to computer technology, the only exercise we take at our desks is typing on keyboards or using a mouse. Nowadays, the majority of filing is also done electronically, without even having to leave our desks. If we want to maintain our concentration and work on the computer using digital (from the Latin for digitus = finger) fine motor skills, pressure on the body needs to be relieved. We often sit for hours at the computer without a break. This forced posture has catastrophic results. By sitting still, our muscles are forced into a posture which in turn leads to disruptions in our metabolism, ill-health and strain. As a result, for many decades office chairs have been developed with diverse adjustment mechanisms that aim to counteract the consequences of sitting still. However, the increase in ill-health shows that this philosophy of prosthetics removes the body’s natural inclinations to move about. And the problem gets worse instead of better. Today we know that any physical skills that are not activated degenerate. Activating and stimulating concepts are required, not the opposite. So body and mind are in top form – and both employers and their workforce benefit.

Away from two-dimensional movement towards natural freedom of movement
Prevalent office chair concepts limit freedom of movement to leaning backwards and forwards. When developing ON, the goal was therefore to achieve the natural freedom of movement advocated by the experts. In addition to flexing and stretching the back, three-dimensional flexibility of the hip joints is the key to stimulating the elasticity of the spine, the shoulder joints, as well as the back and neck muscles. The aim is not just to provide for axial forwards, backwards and sideways movements, but to combine these as rotational movements. Over a five-year period, Wilkhahn engineers developed Trimension® with this goal in mind. It consists of the integrated interaction of two swing plates that are just as supple as thighs, with an extremely flexible seat and backrest design (Flexframe®). The pivotal sections’ positions and movement follow the knee and hip joints. Consequently, it goes without saying that a completely natural flow of movement is encouraged that becomes a matter of course. The chair follows and supports the body in any movement it makes, the body’s centre of gravity automatically remains between the swivel sections and therefore in perfect balance. Prof. Ingo Froböse from the Centre for Health accompanied and verified the development procedure. “This office chair stimulates a new range of natural postures and movement in seating that activates the entire body. You could say that ON teaches seating how to walk”.

Design and ease of use as a new dimension in health
Recent preventative healthcare studies indicate that the design of a chair also has a direct impact on people’s feeling of well-being. Seating contraptions that resemble medical equipment, tend to hamper a proactive, intuitive and natural approach to the way we control our bodies. Incorporating sitting problems into the design of the chair becomes part of the problem. So ON’s design fully embraces the new sense of freedom to sit how we want. This new dimension in seating becomes a matter of course. Together with design company wiege, the movement functions were incorporated into the design in the simplest conceivable way. ON offers clarity and space and you could almost imagine it in your own home. ON immediately conveys trust, assurance, value and comfort. Form follows simple and intuitive handling. By pressing just two buttons and the integrated rapid counterpressure adjustment, the office chair is immediately ready to go. Your body and the chair will do the rest, so that you can keep your mind on the job.

New seating: from the home office to the executive environment
The wide range of models with three backrest heights and three types of upholstery provides office chairs for the home office to the luxury executive chair. A variety of upholstery options complements any interior design.

The longstanding and painstaking development process led to a very high quality, but technically simple solution. Combined with state-of-the art design and manufacturing processes, we have created a chair that is exceptionally good value. The list price for the basic model is 569 EUR plus VAT – including everything that is synonymous with the new dimension in seating. So there are many reasons why ON is set to become a new milestone in healthy seating.

The mobile apps will arrive on the Nokia Eseries of smartphones first, the company’s business-focussed range.  After that, while there’s no confirmation as yet, it seems likely that other high-end devices – such as the Nseries of multimedia handsets – will get access to at least some of the software.

In the future, Microsoft have plans to bring a mobile version of its collaboration tools – such as Sharepoint – to Nokia devices.  Again, no timescale was made public for those developments, though the phrasing of Microsoft’s press release indicates that the new software will be freely bundled with the Eseries range.

Nokia also confirmed that it has renewed its ActiveSync license with Microsoft, the technology that enables synchronization with Exchange servers for push email, calendar and contacts.

“[Project Natal is] for media consumption as a whole, and even if they connect it up to Windows PCs for interacting in terms of meetings, and collaboration, and communication” Bill Gates,

In fact, based on ongoing price reductions, Gates envisages hardware based on Project Natal to be in “most office environments” at some point in the future.  He held off from describing specific usage applications, but given Natal uses video recognition we’re assuming obvious areas of focus might include collaborative prototype interaction, augmented reality systems where users are identified while on video calls, and general controlling of PCs with gestures.

Natal uses an RGB camera, depth sensor, multi-array microphone and custom processor all in one compact bar, which can track gamers’ movements in 3D space as well as respond to verbal commands.  Unlike the Wii, it requires no controller; Microsoft have not revealed when the device will see a commercial launch.

[via Engadget]

For those that love Pac Man, or just want a desktop distraction, there’s the Stap Man Stapler from Propaganda. This gadget is first and foremost a stapler. Yes, you can punch down on this thing and it will bind sheets of paper together with pointy metal precision.

But it comes in the form of a “Stap Man,” which I guess is one way of saying Pac Man without the trademark lawsuit. So that’s pretty cool. Will this stapler make the day more exciting? Probably not. But will it liven up your desk and make stapling papers a little more fun? Sure. And for about $26, why not?

The online versions will obviously have fewer features than their desktop counterparts, but they’ll still offer basic document creation, editing and distribution functionality.  They’ll also tie in with the desktop apps, which are getting their own clutch of new functionality.  Word 2010, for instance, will have collaborative editing, new navigation abilities and a nifty copy & paste boost that has Robert Scoble practically weeping with anticipation; Outlook 2010 search is improved, and there’s a new threaded messaging system and the ribbon UI from other apps.

PowerPoint 2010 introduces an in-app video and image editing package, similar to iMovie and Photoshop, plus real-time slide sharing online.  Meanwhile Excel 2010 will get browser-based spreadsheet support, one-click snapshots of trends and, crucially, will offer more functionality in the online version than Google Spreadsheets.

TechCrunch have a good overview of the new features and what might change, and there are more details at the official Office 2010 site.  The software itself is expected in the first half of 2010.

It’s unclear whether by “compatible” they mean that the Pre will sync with Outlook 2007, or if it will ship with viewer apps for Word, Excel and other Office 2007 document types.  Also left unclear is call functionality while the Pre is connected via USB: Sprint say calls will be auto-diverted to voicemail when the Pre is in USB Mode, but we don’t yet know if that mode is automatically activated when the smartphone gets hooked up to a computer.  If it does, it could have frustrating implications for those users wanting to charge their Pre up via USB connection.

Updates for PictBridge support and video recording from the Pre’s integrated camera are “on the way”, and the handset already supports picture messaging via MMS.  Sprint’s Calltones service will also work, and you can make your own ringtones from your own music too.

[via My Pre]

These Office Web Applications are to include Excel, Word, PowerPoint and OneNote and will feature full editing functionality. It will utilize the Ribbon interface currently used in Office 2007 for a streamlined browser experience.

Two people can edit a document at the same time, making for greater networking abilities. What’s really neat is someone using the web client and the real program can both edit at the same time. Both are compatible. Edits appear just a few seconds after they are made on the other person’s screen. The idea is that it will maintain desktop functionality on the web. To be delivered through Office Live, the web apps will be funded by ads and subscriptions and will work in Internet Explorer, Safari and Firefox

This Bubble Wrap Calendar has 365 days worth of bubbles just waiting to be popped. Rather than using a boring old red marker to cross out the days, you can just walk up and pop a bubble.

Of course owning this calendar means that you will have to exercise restraint each and every day. I think I’d be too tempted to pop a few extra bubbles each time I walked by. At least it’s only $30.

[via OhGizmo]

If you’re stuck at a desk all day, then when this Posture Pod is used properly it is supposed to decrease back, shoulder and neck pain. It will also help with tension headaches.

According to the site, by having this and sitting up straight it will improve your efficiency as well as productivity. The Posture Pod is being sold for $363 AUD.

[via gadgetvenue]

Revolve was designed by Takumi Yoshida, who takes the typical power supply and gives it a slightly different touch. Although I have enjoyed some of the more elaborate power strips, this one is much more practical and one that could easily slip its way into your average tech or office supply store.

Each individual socket will turn to accommodate cords that have those bulky plugs. Making it a much better design than the average strip which typically forces you to cover more than one outlet.

[via techdigest]

The Harkonnen Chair, whether or not you even know what Dune is, is bad ass. Once you order one of these excessively expensive chairs it will take two months to get to you after you have placed your order.

The prices range depending on your specifications. The fiberglass version will only set you back a mere $30,000 whereas the aluminum is being sold for $45,000. A small price to pay to seem all-powerful while pwning noobs on your lvl 70 rogue.

[via gearfuse]

First off, you get a new 1.5GHz VIA processor, a full gig of RAM, and the same Wicker OS. You also get the same 19” LCD panel enclosed in a rugged metal casing, but that same monitor is now driven by VIA’s fairly new UniChrome Pro AGP graphics chipset.

Connectivity is still the same with 10/100 Ethernet, 802.11 b/g, USB 2.0 ports, and PS/2 ports. The cost is $599 for the SignBeta and can be used at your house for a digital picture frame, or you can use it in a more professional setting as a Kiosk, Digital Signage, all that jazz. I got my hands on the RedPost/Kit for a while when we had it in the SlashGear offices and it was heavy, but it could do just about anything, it was nice.

[via Technabob]

The idea is that you can feasibly pack this thing with you inside your laptop bag and then connect this to the Ethernet connection in your hotel room or at the office or at the convention center and set up your own WiFi b/g wireless network. Everything is managed from the web interface of the router which would also be where you’d set up your connection.

At 75x60x23 millimeters and with a weight of 60 grams in should be small and easy enough to take wherever you need it. Then again, if you have an entirely wireless network at home and want something small so you can hide it away, it could work just as well as a permanent solution too. This would be perfect for use with an iPod Touch or iPhone so you aren’t stuck without a connection on the iPod and so you don’t have to rely on slow EDGE on the iPhone.

[via Ubergizmo]

This unit doesn’t just stop at providing communications services, it even optimizes them for you. It also allows you to connect SIP services through and Internet Telephony Service Provider should you choose to, which if you are dealing with equipment like this, it’d probably be a good idea.

Once again, it supports SIP phones, soft phones, and many hybrid technologies as well, it also offers easy migration from TDA to TDE or hybrid to pure IP technology. It seems to be available now, and this thing has got to be hitting at least the 5 digit price mark so your pockets better be deep if you want one.

They do it by hand selecting the NAND flash chips to get the fastest ones and by implementing some new advanced flash controller technology. Some examples are office files, pictures, and movies, the transfer times for those 3 different sets of files are 5 seconds, 70 seconds, and 358 seconds, respectively, for a standard USB 2.0 flash drive the Flash Voyager GT has the following times: less than 2 seconds, 24 seconds, and 98 seconds respectively for the same files.

The Flash Voyager is also quite durable, water resistant and shock resistant, and you get the TrueCrypt encryption software that offers up 256-bit AES encryption, and you get a 10 year warranty. The new 16GB Flash Voyager GT will cost you $170, but its well worth it if you need that much storage and don’t like waiting around for file transfers.

You could even open a door by just stepping on the rug in front of it or touching the door handle as you go to open it, depending on how you rig up the readers. I’d say that it could be used with your vehicle, but proximity unlocking/starting key fobs are old hack so not much of an advancement there.

Its not as insecure as RFID, but it works along the same lines and offers similar conveniences. NTT says they even picture it being used in doctor’s offices to transmit patient data as the doctor or nurse examine you, meaning it could be transferred to another device via another human, just imaging exchanging digital business cards by simply shaking hands, god knows CES would have been a lot easier if that had been the case.

[via Gizmodo]

Basically if you’ve been gaming all day, typing all day at the office, or using your Crackberry non-stop you throw this thing on and do some exercises with it and it helps prevent long term damage like Carpal Tunnel, or if you are already afflicted with such a problem, it helps alleviate the pain and stress. When you put it on, it has your hand more or less in a fist then you just stretch your fingers out against the force of the strings.

Its 40 dollars, but it doesn’t just alleviate pain and tension, it also builds muscles so you can keep on keeping on longer each day, which if you are getting into professional gaming any time might be nifty. I can’t say whether it works or not, but it looks kind of cool.

[via dvice]

Skype and/or your choice of Bluetooth capable phone are pretty much the only ways to use this thing. The 5 headsets around the device are Callpod’s Dragon model, but just about any Bluetooth headset should work.

The upside of using Callpod’s headsets though, is that you get push to talk capabilities so that you don’t have to listen to each other breathe heavily when you jobs are on the line. So, you have a rechargeable, battery operated base that can connect to a mobile phone with Bluetooth and split that call across 5, presumably rechargeable, Bluetooth headsets, clearly this is made for those that are on the go, and not for permanent placement in the office, but I’m sure you can use it however you want. Sadly, there is no price or availability info.

Callpod Phoenix: conference calling the Bluetooth headset way [via engadget]

You connect the little server device to an Ethernet cable, and then connect it to the rest of your LAN via a router, switch, or hub (who still uses hubs?) and then you install the software which consists of a startup item, a framework, and then a utility that helps you setup and connect the USB devices you plug into the server. Other than connecting it to your network and setting up the software, all you have to do is plug in your choice of up to 2 USB devices.

At $129.99, it might be a little pricey for home users, but if you have a small business of just a small office full of computers, and you need to share a printer, this might be an easier solution than dedicating server resources to it, of course I doubt you get to maintain the prioritization capabilities of a server, but if you just have a few people in the office, prioritization can’t be that big of a deal. Macnn liked it, so much so they gave it a 4.5 out of 5 stars, they said that they only had two times within the 60 day trial period that the device gave them issues, and even then, a simple power cycle of the USB server fixed everything.

Review: keyspan usb 2.0 server [via macnn]

Wizpy from TurboLinux is a gizmo packed with features such as media playback (MP3, OGG, WMA, AAC, DivX,) – FM radio, sound recorder, e-book reader, and photo display device. Another notable attraction of this gizmo is its computing applications that includes browser, email, and office software. The Wizpy sports 256,000-color OLED screen weight only 60g. Plugging this gizmo to a PC using USB will give user their own operating system environment. Wizpy was launch in Japan earlier this year.

[via Wizpy]

The Pock-it is actually kind of cool. It’s not only a post-it but with glue on three sides instead of one it makes itself into a nice little pocket to put whatever you may need to put in there. Need some money from your mom? Leave her a note and let her leave you the cash. I want to remember call someone, again, leave a note and maybe stick their business card inside. The possibilities are endless but my imagination is not, I’m out.

Anyway, I like it. It’s a grand idea and oh so useful. I look forward to buying it in bulk, it better come in green and pink.

Pock-it: Like a post-it, but with a pocket [via Crunch Gear]