Dell has a bunch of refurbished Dell Digital Jukeboxes (DJs) for $169 a pop. Not bad for a 15GB hard disk player. Or you can spring for the 20GB version for $193. Knock yourself out.
Read [Dell via Slickdeals]

Nokia has announced that the 7610, the slick 1-megapixel phone that everyone was so worked up about when it was announced at CeBit (Hanover) is now shipping in Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. This is also the first phone that ships with Nokia's 'Lifeblog' application, designed to be an all-in-one moblogging tool for uploading pictures and entries easily onto your blog (presuming you run Nokia's software and not, say, MovableType or Wordpress). I would be happy to accept this phone into my family, sharing our love and laughter.
Read [MobileMag]

Low-end videogame accessory maker Nyko has a new camera for the Game Boy Advance SP, inventively called the "Digi-Cam SP," which GadgetMadness speculates uses the same innards as the Nyko WormCam, another low-quality camera peripheral for the regular GBA. I'm sure it's pretty terribly, but might be a fun distraction for a few minutes as you play around with its motion-detecting 'spycam mode.'
Read [GadgetMadness]

Google has a new version of their rack-mountable search appliance designed to provide Google-strength searching to corporate intranets or high-scale public websites. With an updated festive yellow case, the 2U appliance can perform up to 300 queries per minute across up to 1.5 million documents, as well as continuously spider the network for new documents, instead of waiting to check at set intervals. You can't buy the GB-1001, though, only license it, with entry-level contracts starting at $32k. It looks like the heftier GB-5005 and GB-8008 are either using the old casing or new pictures aren't available (or they haven't updated the hardware yet, but that seems unlikely).
Read [Reuters]
Read - Product Page [Google]

I hear the next one will come with a color plate that can play bacon.
Read [TheOnion]

You know, I wrote this big, stupid rant (which is after the jump if you really want to read it) but let me cut to the quick: The music industry just took your lunch money, and now they want you to pay them to do it again.
Read [CNet via TechDirt]

Obviously inspired by the accurate per-blow scoring of games like Tekken and Virtua Fighter, scientists at PARC, Stanford, and Impact Measurement are testing a wearable system that lets martial arts judges decent the force of a hit. By stringing up a series of wireless piezoelectric pressure sensors in the hogu armor that protects the combatants, the system can display the exact force of the blows on the judges' wireless handsets. Since tae kwon do fighters are judged not just for the accuracy of their kicks but also for the force behind them, the system can be much more fair than trying to determine which 'Oof!' was the loudest.
Read [TechnologyReview]

CNet, among other places, is reporting that Microsoft is releasing a beta version of Windows Media Player 10 for public testing. Although leaked copies of the software have been available for the last week or so, the official release will allow everyone a chance to play with the new features, such as enhanced synchronization methods that keep some of the newer, more full-featured media players full of not only audio, but video and pictures, as well. And from this screenshot, it appears that Microsoft is adopting the Rip and Burn terminology that pretty much everyone else does. I've resisted upgrading even to 9, so far, and will probably refrain from 10, as well. I only use it to play movies, and I'm finding myself using Media Player Classic more and more.
Read [CNet]
Read - Official Download Page [Microsoft]

Reader Tom Amoy asked me to forward a link to Zedge, a free wallpaper, themes, and ringtone site run by mobile enthusiest Kenneth Sundnes. I hear some of you people are into customizing your phones and what not, so I thought I'd pass it along. Free is much better than not free, usually.
Read [Zedge]

Although it took them three writers to do it, Newsweek takes a look at the smartphone trend, trying to pose the seemingly deep question "Will Phones Replace PCs?" while blissfully ignoring the fact that the only possible answer is, you know, 'maybe.' That's some thought-provocation right there. Still, there's some good stuff in the article, like a stop-smoking program that sends encouraging messages to Japanese students, and (hypothetical?) examples of two single people hooking up in a bar using Symbian Dater.

Which reminds me, I've been meaning to ask if any of you have been hooking up via these social mobile applications like Symbian Dater or Dodgeball. And I don't just mean 'hooking up with your friends.' I mean, 'hooking your interface meats up to anonymous or recently met humans.' If you send me something put [MobiHump] or something in the subject so my spam filter doesn't eat it.
Read [MSNBC.MSN via Textually]

The BT Voyager Digital Media Player is a simple $300 wireless audio receiver that uses a USB base station to connect to your home PC and stream audio, CDs, or internet radio as far as its wireless transmitter will allow. Similar to many other home audio streamers, the BT Voyager unit sets itself apart mainly by using a wireless link that will not interfere with 802.11b signals (and not interoperate, for that matter). It also has dual audio ins and outs if you'd like to use it as part of a less mobile get up. It's a little pricey, but the simplicity and portability make it unique (if you can convince them to ship it outside of the UK).
Read [BT via TRFJ]

Update: Looks like Stuart at Pocket Lint got in a review.
Read [Pocket-Lint]

ChaitGear has an extremely detailed review of the SoniqCast Aireo, the 1.5GB hard drive music player that is most notable for its built-in 802.11b, which allows the Aireo to by sync'd from anywhere you have a WiFi connection (on your home network, that is). It seems to be a solid device, and it has a great feature set, including FM receiving and transmitting and an SD/MMC slot, but it's relatively tiny 1.5GB hard drive is definitely its weak point, especially for $300. If SoniqCast can get at least a 4GB drive in the next revision (which will be tough considering the supply issues) and polish off some of the rough spots in the firmware there may be an opportunity for this player to take a chunk of the iPod mini's market.
Read [Chait]

PurseLipSquareJaw collects a set of three experimental art pieces that attempt to show the effects of technology on social interaction. The first piece, called 'Fashion Victims' is a series of clothes, hats, and bags that stain themselves with a red dye when the in-woven electronics detect a cellular phone call in progress. At first I thought they had developed a fabric that constantly changes to mobile phone radiation, but unfortunately that isn't the case -- it's a one-time stain. The second is a project called 'Mass Distraction' that humorously amplifies the disconnection of everyday cell phone users by using a series of specially-designed jackets that focus the attention of the user on the call at hand, or include a possibly left-out meatspace person by entertaining them with a handheld game, or requiring the user to continue to add coins to their jacket to make a call. No, this isn't practical. This is art (be sure to click on each jacket).

The last is definitely the most adorable. Called 'Hybridization,' the project is an attempt to make a visual signal that clues in others to the state of the portable audio user's awareness. Flaps down? I'm listening to music. Flaps up? I'm ready to talk.
Read - Fashion Victims
Read - Mass Distraction
Read - Hybridization

Toshiba's upping the storage capacity of their 1.8-inch hard drive --the same ones that provide the guts of the iPod -- to 60GB. Apple already has their order in, too, so expect 60GB iPods to be announced sometime around July or August and to begin shipping soon after. The real question, though, is what will push down to the rest of the iPod line? I'd love to see 60GB/40GB/20GB models instead of the current 40GB/20GB/15GB.
Read [Yahoo via Engadget]

Dell has a bunch of refurbished Dell Digital Jukeboxes (DJs) for $169 a pop. Not bad for a 15GB hard disk player. Or you can spring for the 20GB version for $193. Knock yourself out.
Read [Dell via Slickdeals]

Nokia has announced that the 7610, the slick 1-megapixel phone that everyone was so worked up about when it was announced at CeBit (Hanover) is now shipping in Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. This is also the first phone that ships with Nokia's 'Lifeblog' application, designed to be an all-in-one moblogging tool for uploading pictures and entries easily onto your blog (presuming you run Nokia's software and not, say, MovableType or Wordpress). I would be happy to accept this phone into my family, sharing our love and laughter.
Read [MobileMag]

Low-end videogame accessory maker Nyko has a new camera for the Game Boy Advance SP, inventively called the "Digi-Cam SP," which GadgetMadness speculates uses the same innards as the Nyko WormCam, another low-quality camera peripheral for the regular GBA. I'm sure it's pretty terribly, but might be a fun distraction for a few minutes as you play around with its motion-detecting 'spycam mode.'
Read [GadgetMadness]

Google has a new version of their rack-mountable search appliance designed to provide Google-strength searching to corporate intranets or high-scale public websites. With an updated festive yellow case, the 2U appliance can perform up to 300 queries per minute across up to 1.5 million documents, as well as continuously spider the network for new documents, instead of waiting to check at set intervals. You can't buy the GB-1001, though, only license it, with entry-level contracts starting at $32k. It looks like the heftier GB-5005 and GB-8008 are either using the old casing or new pictures aren't available (or they haven't updated the hardware yet, but that seems unlikely).
Read [Reuters]
Read - Product Page [Google]

I hear the next one will come with a color plate that can play bacon.
Read [TheOnion]

You know, I wrote this big, stupid rant (which is after the jump if you really want to read it) but let me cut to the quick: The music industry just took your lunch money, and now they want you to pay them to do it again.
Read [CNet via TechDirt]

Obviously inspired by the accurate per-blow scoring of games like Tekken and Virtua Fighter, scientists at PARC, Stanford, and Impact Measurement are testing a wearable system that lets martial arts judges decent the force of a hit. By stringing up a series of wireless piezoelectric pressure sensors in the hogu armor that protects the combatants, the system can display the exact force of the blows on the judges' wireless handsets. Since tae kwon do fighters are judged not just for the accuracy of their kicks but also for the force behind them, the system can be much more fair than trying to determine which 'Oof!' was the loudest.
Read [TechnologyReview]

CNet, among other places, is reporting that Microsoft is releasing a beta version of Windows Media Player 10 for public testing. Although leaked copies of the software have been available for the last week or so, the official release will allow everyone a chance to play with the new features, such as enhanced synchronization methods that keep some of the newer, more full-featured media players full of not only audio, but video and pictures, as well. And from this screenshot, it appears that Microsoft is adopting the Rip and Burn terminology that pretty much everyone else does. I've resisted upgrading even to 9, so far, and will probably refrain from 10, as well. I only use it to play movies, and I'm finding myself using Media Player Classic more and more.
Read [CNet]
Read - Official Download Page [Microsoft]

Reader Tom Amoy asked me to forward a link to Zedge, a free wallpaper, themes, and ringtone site run by mobile enthusiest Kenneth Sundnes. I hear some of you people are into customizing your phones and what not, so I thought I'd pass it along. Free is much better than not free, usually.
Read [Zedge]

Although it took them three writers to do it, Newsweek takes a look at the smartphone trend, trying to pose the seemingly deep question "Will Phones Replace PCs?" while blissfully ignoring the fact that the only possible answer is, you know, 'maybe.' That's some thought-provocation right there. Still, there's some good stuff in the article, like a stop-smoking program that sends encouraging messages to Japanese students, and (hypothetical?) examples of two single people hooking up in a bar using Symbian Dater.

Which reminds me, I've been meaning to ask if any of you have been hooking up via these social mobile applications like Symbian Dater or Dodgeball. And I don't just mean 'hooking up with your friends.' I mean, 'hooking your interface meats up to anonymous or recently met humans.' If you send me something put [MobiHump] or something in the subject so my spam filter doesn't eat it.
Read [MSNBC.MSN via Textually]

The BT Voyager Digital Media Player is a simple $300 wireless audio receiver that uses a USB base station to connect to your home PC and stream audio, CDs, or internet radio as far as its wireless transmitter will allow. Similar to many other home audio streamers, the BT Voyager unit sets itself apart mainly by using a wireless link that will not interfere with 802.11b signals (and not interoperate, for that matter). It also has dual audio ins and outs if you'd like to use it as part of a less mobile get up. It's a little pricey, but the simplicity and portability make it unique (if you can convince them to ship it outside of the UK).
Read [BT via TRFJ]

Update: Looks like Stuart at Pocket Lint got in a review.
Read [Pocket-Lint]

ChaitGear has an extremely detailed review of the SoniqCast Aireo, the 1.5GB hard drive music player that is most notable for its built-in 802.11b, which allows the Aireo to by sync'd from anywhere you have a WiFi connection (on your home network, that is). It seems to be a solid device, and it has a great feature set, including FM receiving and transmitting and an SD/MMC slot, but it's relatively tiny 1.5GB hard drive is definitely its weak point, especially for $300. If SoniqCast can get at least a 4GB drive in the next revision (which will be tough considering the supply issues) and polish off some of the rough spots in the firmware there may be an opportunity for this player to take a chunk of the iPod mini's market.
Read [Chait]

PurseLipSquareJaw collects a set of three experimental art pieces that attempt to show the effects of technology on social interaction. The first piece, called 'Fashion Victims' is a series of clothes, hats, and bags that stain themselves with a red dye when the in-woven electronics detect a cellular phone call in progress. At first I thought they had developed a fabric that constantly changes to mobile phone radiation, but unfortunately that isn't the case -- it's a one-time stain. The second is a project called 'Mass Distraction' that humorously amplifies the disconnection of everyday cell phone users by using a series of specially-designed jackets that focus the attention of the user on the call at hand, or include a possibly left-out meatspace person by entertaining them with a handheld game, or requiring the user to continue to add coins to their jacket to make a call. No, this isn't practical. This is art (be sure to click on each jacket).

The last is definitely the most adorable. Called 'Hybridization,' the project is an attempt to make a visual signal that clues in others to the state of the portable audio user's awareness. Flaps down? I'm listening to music. Flaps up? I'm ready to talk.
Read - Fashion Victims
Read - Mass Distraction
Read - Hybridization

Toshiba's upping the storage capacity of their 1.8-inch hard drive --the same ones that provide the guts of the iPod -- to 60GB. Apple already has their order in, too, so expect 60GB iPods to be announced sometime around July or August and to begin shipping soon after. The real question, though, is what will push down to the rest of the iPod line? I'd love to see 60GB/40GB/20GB models instead of the current 40GB/20GB/15GB.
Read [Yahoo via Engadget]