The Princeton Xiao Pix [Babel] is a multi-function flash memory, digital camera, web cam which features 128MB of RAM, 25fps at VGA res., data mirroring for syncing the information on two machines and nPOP email client software. A tad expensive at around $145.00 though.

Canon has just announced a range of ‘mobile compact photo printers’. Example, the dye-sublimation CP-330 with rechargeable battery, infrared, PictBridge and membership of Canon’s Image Gateway with 100MB of free online storage space for photos and albums. If you really really need to print in the car, it even has an optional car battery adapter. �199.00.

Newsmap is ‘a tool to divide information into quickly recognizable bands which, when presented together, reveal underlying patterns in news reporting across cultures and within news segments.’ Uses the Google News aggregator and is very innovative. Not sure whether it’s actually that useful though.

It is a lesser known fact that one of the guiding missions of then NEC chairman, Dr Koji Kobayashi, back in the day was to develop a voice recognition translation device which could instantly translate between Japanese and English as the conversation occurred. Methinks they’re still working on it now. The Panherina [Babel] is a flat tablet komputa which has the ability to cope with voice recognition in difficult environments. Here we see a Tokyo hip-hop cap salesman using said…

Auntie today quotes a Directline survey showing that ‘Young people in particular are keen to update their gadgets every couple of years’. At the same time I receive a press release from insurance peddlers Hiscox which urges ‘all gadget-lovers to check the small print on their home contents insurance to make sure these expensive goods are fully covered for loss, theft or accidental damage – wherever they are taken….Hiscox’s own claims data shows that accidental damage or loss is very…

Er…what happens…especially in light of the recent farango over Shell overstating reserves and all…if the Peak Oil theory is actually…gasp…true? ‘I stress that we are not about to run out of oil, but production is about to reach a peak. When peak comes depends on the issue of Rates � Discovery Rate – we now find one barrel of conventional oil for every four we consume � Extraction Rate is controlled by the physics of the reservoir � Demand is…

Oh yes, I most definitely do love this oh-so-bodelicious retro TV remote control [Babel]. So simple it hurts. Twiddle dial for channel, twist knob for volume. You need more? Works with many television models – $38.00.

OK I admit it. I only featured this because I love the headline possibilities. Anyway the Cool Heat Soldering Tool is still pretty funky. For geek tinkerers everywhere. $19.99. ‘The Cold Heat Soldering Tool is a cordless soldering iron that uses a special material that heats quickly and cools down nearly as fast…It heats to 800 degrees F in less than one second and back to touch-safe temperature in approximately two seconds.’

The StrikeAlert personal lightning detector. For those times when you absolutely need 100% confidence and protection. From lightning. Which never strikes twice. Honest. $79.99. ‘Finally, an affordable easy-to-use personal lightning detector that provides an early warning of approaching lightning strikes from as far away as 40 miles. Lightning has just met its match.’

The clever Japanese have come up with a system which can beam advertisements and informational stuff from billboards to people’s mobile phones using infrared. The Popar [Babel] system is being promoted as a sales and promotional tool, but I fail to see how infrared can be preferred over the vastly more flexible transmission features of something like Bluetooth.

Synergy – ‘lets you easily share a single mouse and keyboard between multiple computers with different operating systems, each with its own display, without special hardware.’ Note the ‘without special hardware.’

The No.1 Phone is a Russian concept cellphone with some interesting features (as well as an ambitious name). Like a 2mm thick touch screen, integrated display loudspeaker, fuel cell power pack and a wireless charging system. Interesting, if it ever sees the light of commercial day. [via Gizmodo]

Now tell me kind sir, why on earth would anyone want or need a waterproof PDA case good for depths of up to 15 feet? The Aquapac – 100% waterproof. While we’re on the subject, check out the Expansys range of sumptuous Chairman leather cases for portable devices. The hot item at the mo is the Chairman’s Case for the iPod, but the company also produces versions for Palm, P800/900, Treo, Clie, SPV, iPaq et al. Even for a penguin…

SlickDeals.net. Er…cheap deals…on the Internet.

So there’s this company called GenLife. Which has created a human cloning service called the Phoenix Plan (shades of Robert Ludlum here…but I digress). The idea is to offer you a chance of a new cloned body at a future date. Ahem. The really really funny thing? ‘Recent evidence and research performed by leading researchers in their fields also indicate that a person’s individual characteristics will be fully retained. Hey no problem, produce a new cloned body and along will…