The Toshiba RD-X4 – an upgrade to the old RD-X2 hard disk DVD recorder we featured previously, but with better image quality and a massive 250 GB disk. Almost big enough, with some 350 hours of recording capability, for those endless Friends re-runs. Is there that much worthwhile TV around?

I’m fascinated by guitar stuff at the moment. Maybe it’s the collaboration between the new and the old that intrigues me. As does the Guitropolis site – a mix of online virtual world and guitar tuition. Maybe there could be a lesson here for our whole educational system? ‘The ten locations also contain lessons, songs and exercises that teach you how to play guitar. The trick is that the course material is hidden somewhere in each location. In order to…

Althea Merback likes to knit. Very small things. Very very small things.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has launched a cool web site offering virtual undersea exploration. One of the interesting places you can go is the Magic Mountain hydrothermal vent site on Explorer Ridge in the northeast Pacific Ocean, which is a scene of much underwater volcanic action. Hot stuff!

So when is a brick not a brick? Why when it’s a new Nokia 9500 Communicator of course, silly. How new? Werlll….it’s got WiFi onboard, which is pretty cool, a massive 80MB of RAM, MMC card slot, Bluetooth, infrared, USB 2.0, integrated VGA camera – and what looks to be a funkily delicious keyboard with a new joypad. Housebuilding will never be the same again.

The Siemens XT55 Triband Combi Module is the world’s first tri-band mobile phone module which features an on-board GPS satellite tracking receiver. ‘The new module is especially suitable for performing tracking functions in applications such as fleet management, vehicle positioning, navigation, and emergency and location-based services.’ Right then, Robin.

Those clever folk at Socket have done it again, with a neat little SD card barcode scanner module. The In-Hand Scan Card fits into any Palm or PocketPC SD slot and gives full barcode goodies to the bearer. Priced at $269.00.

The new Sony DPP-EX50 [Babel] looks like a cute little photo printer with a difference. It prints without using a computer. Instead you use your television and a direct connection to the camera via PictBridge cable technology. And what’s more it can even do basic editing functions like removing red-eye, has media card slots and can create calendars and other artistic stuff. Clever, clever.

The new 0-360 Panorama Optic lets you take one shot panorama photos from any standard threaded lens type digital camera. The $595.00 gizmo also comes with special software to let you create online interactive photo tours from the image. Very cool for a lorra lorra people like realtors (estate agents peeps!) and hoteliers etc. Genius product! Short preview here.

BayNews is a web log. About eBay. Even more surprising is the fact that it’s actually rather interesting.

Atrua Technologies of the US have announced the world’s first mobile phone touchpad, Atrua Wings. That’s right, a little touch pad on yer handset providing games and applications control and fingerprint security for buying stuff. But heaven forbid that you would want to lend your phone to the wife, kids or other close family members eh? ‘Atrua Wings, the world’s first family of products to utilize haptic processing – the science of human touch – to convert finger movements into…

Mmm, reports coming in of a move to turn the XBox into a voice mail device. Strange life.

Sometimes one stumbles across a web log design which is simply out there. Tokyo Ouja is such a one.

Well, you’ve got to hand it to them, they keep on trying. The Sony DCR-DVD101 [Japanese] is a camcorder which records onto cut down 8cm DVD -R/-RW discs. 30 minutes footage per disc. But why, Morgenstein, why?

Can’t find the �17,050.00 needed to buy a Vertu Signature mobile phone? Then you’ll be overjoyed to hear that the company has now released a cheaper and infinitely more ugly model called Accent. �2450.00 to you, sir. And no haggling. ‘The Vertu Ascent Collection is a thrillingly tactile design where exceptionally hard materials are synthesised with the softness and subtlety of leather.’ Thrillingly tactile? Huh?