Our Nokia 5800 magically starts working on 3G

We powered up ye olde NAM 5800 XpressMusic today, and the weirdest thing happened: it worked on 3G. This comes after a day of frustration trying to get it hooked up to UMTS yesterday -- a sentiment echoed by several others who took the plunge. The only theory we can come up with is that we were in Chicago yesterday at the Nokia flagship store -- a place where many of the "defective" units were sold -- and today we're elsewhere, so it's conceivable that there's an issue with AT&T's 3G network in Chicago. We've noticed an uptick in 3G loss on other devices in Chicago the past few days, so it's possible that the 5800 is just particularly sensitive to crappy networks; then again, there seem to be others in New York that have the same issue, so it's anybody's guess. All we know for sure is that we're showing a big, fat "3.5G" logo in the upper left corner of our unit at the moment -- and we're going to cross our fingers that it stays that way. We have a request out to Nokia for official comment on the issue, and we'll let you know as soon as we have more.

Nokia 1600 survives week in fish's belly, still makes smelly calls

First off, it's rather amazing that someone in a developed nation is still using the Nokia 1600 as their primary handset. Secondly, it's even more astounding that said handset lasted a week in the belly of a cod and could still make calls after it was rescued. In a just-barely-believable story hosted up at The Sun, a businessman was both shocked and confused when his presumably sunk cellphone began ringing his lady friend around five days after he dropped it at sea. As the tale goes, a 25 pound cod managed to swallow the thing, and a pair of fishermen discovered it upon gutting their catch. The best part? The bloke who it was returned to is still using it, despite the fact that it literally reeks of rotten fish. Who knows -- maybe he suffers from ichthyomania.

Brammo Enertia electric motorcycle to be sold at Best Buy

You're already buying TVs, washing machines, cheap keyboards and cell phones at Best Buy, why not a $12,000 electric motorcycle? That seems to be the thinking going on at Brammo HQ, where an infusion of cash from Best Buy's investment arm last year has now led to plans to sell the $11,995 Enertia at five West Coast Best Buy stores in May. Okay, sure, but we're way less optimistic about plans to let the Geek Squad handle basic repairs and maintenance -- we don't let those fools near our laptops, god forbid Pimples McUpsell touch something that could actually kill us. Eventually Brammo wants to sell bikes at every Best Buy location around the world, but we'll see how this initial test works out.

How would you change Apple's Rev. B MacBook Air?

Generally speaking, we wouldn't bother asking you how you'd change the second iteration of something, but Apple's MacBook Air is a different beast. Given how Apple maintained a lot of those severe limitations the second go round (see: single USB port, non-removable battery, etc.), we're extra curious to see how you want the next round of MBA to go. Is it finally time for Apple to downsize into the world of netbooks? Or do you just want a more "pro" oriented MacBook Air? Is 13-inches really the ideal display size here? Would it kill the suits in Cupertino to throw an integrated SDHC card reader on the side? Time to take off the gloves and let it rip

MSI readying updated Wind U123 for April release

MSI's Wind U120 has only been available for a little over a month, and already received a minor update of its own, but it looks like the company is already planning on adding a few more digits to the Wind line, with its upgraded Wind U123 apparently on track for an April release. While much will apparently remain unchanged form the U120, the U123 does get a bit of a boost from Intel's new Atom N280 processor, which has already found its way into ASUS' Eee PC 1000HE, and from a maximum 2GB of RAM, as opposed to 1GB on the U120. You'll also be able to get it in your choice of four colors, and with a six or nine cell battery if you choose. What's more, MSI's director of US sales reportedly confirmed that the company has both 11.6-inch and 12-inch netbooks "in development," and that it "can bring that out of the gate," although he unfortunately didn't go any farther than that somewhat cryptic statement."

HP quietly updates Pavilion dv7t gaming laptop

While HP's dv7t provides a much more subtle way to game on-the-go compared to say, the HDX crew, we don't see the necessity in keeping these updates all hush-hush. For whatever reason, it seems that said laptop has been updated overnight from 17- to 17.3-inches (we're talking LCD size, by the way), and the NVIDIA graphics option has been replaced with a pair of ATI selections: the 512MB Mobility Radeon HD 4530 and 1GB HD 4650. The newfangled 17.3-inch panel sports a somewhat deflating 1,600 x 900 native resolution, though there is good news to be shared. The previous $1,229 starting point has dropped to a decidedly more manageable $799.99, though it'll cost you extra to equip this beast with the 2GHz Core 2 Quad CPU that it really deserves.

PSP 2 is ready and UMD-less, claims Earthworm Jim developer

We've lost count on the number of times we've heard from a friend of a coworker of a cousin whose girlfriend's stepfather happens to work at Sony and they're all but ready to launch a UMD-less PSP in 17 different color options bundled with a portable version of Street Fighter IV. Typically, we remain skeptical, but when it's veteran developer David "I made MDK and Earthworm Jim" Perry, we'll give him the floor to speak. Earlier this week, his Twitter account updated to say he's heard the PSP 2 is done and minus that disc drive. He later reaffirmed that comment to GameDaily, saying he can't reveal his source (naturally), but he feels certain UMD is gone. Is his source bunk? He's certainly a guy who'd know a guy, but we've heard this story far too many times to take a leap of faith now.

BMW purportedly working on adaptive ILENA navigation system

BMW's latest iDrive system is actually rather remarkable, but even it will look aged compared to ILENA. Intelligent Learning Navigation, as it'll be formally known, will reportedly pay attention to your daily driving habits in order to better predict routes and possibly even save a pinch of fuel. Details about the actual inner workings are still a bit vague (and German), but we're also told that the system will include an intelligent feature that recalls driver preferences based on his / her Bluetooth cellphone. When driver A steps in and pairs things up, the seat will automatically move to their preferred setting, their favorite stations will queue up, etc; obviously, changes are automatically made when driver B steps in for the return leg. There's no word on when this system is expected to leapfrog the existing navigation system, but you may want to hold back on that impending European Delivery trip if you just can't live without a GPS that learns.

Microsoft Surface on sale this June... on board a Lazzara yacht

You heard right, folks. There's absolutely no need to wait until 2011 in order to buy yourself a personal Surface. Instead, you can grab one of Microsoft's multitouch phenomenons this June, but there's just one tiny catch: it comes attached at the waist with a multi-million dollar yacht. Down at the Miami Yacht & Brokerage Show this month, Lazzara Yachts showcased its soon-to-be-released LMC 76, which -- coincidentally enough -- comes loaded with a Surface along with software from Infusion Development. The boat (and by extension, the Surface) should be ready to take on the open seas in just a few months, but there's no indication yet on exactly how many New York banks you'll have to rob in order to make it happen.

Windows Vista, Server 2008 SP2 officially Release Candidate status, coming Q2 2009

Well that didn't take long. Just last week, we heard about the Release Candidate (RC) builds of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 making the rounds, and now the official Windows blog has confirmed the updates should soon be available to TechNet and MSDN subscribers, with a public test to follow sometimes before its final release. And when might that be? Sometime in second quarter of this year apparently, which fits well with some rumblings we caught wind of last month.

Dell's greenish G2410 LCD monitor goes on sale

Dell's new 24-inch G Series LCD, which was previewed during CES this year, has finally gone on sale at the outfit's website. The G2410 flat-panel is said to be one of the firm's greenest LCDs, as it proudly sports an EPEAT Gold rating and utilizes halogen-free laminates in circuit boards along with chassis plastics that contains 25 percent post-consumers recycled plastics. Other specs include a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution panel, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 250 nits of brightness, VGA / DVI connectors and a 5 millisecond response time. It's all yours for $349, though there's no apparent discount for hugging a tree prior to pulling the trigger.

Windows 7 shipping this Fall... according to Compal, anyway

While Steve Ballmer himself declared that Windows Mobile 7 would be coming out next year, we've got a somewhat less reliable source suggesting that the desktop version of Win7 will be landing this fall. Ray Chen, president of Taipei-based Compal Electronics, was quoted as saying that "according to current planning," Windows 7 should be on its machines by "late September or early October." For those unaware, Compal is responsible for crafting HP and Acer laptops, and honestly, we're not exactly sure how this bigwig secured these dates. Of course, it stands to reason that everyone else in the industry is either 1) clueless or 2) just better at keeping secrets. For what it's worth, we're taking this with a huge spoon of salt, and just between us, you should probably do the same.

LG Versa heading to Verizon on March 1

If you're the type of individual who can never decide between the Cobb salad, the lobster bisque, and the sesame prawns and end up ordering all three, take note -- your phone has arrived. The long-rumored LG Versa lets you have your cake and eat it too by starting life as a full touchscreen slate, and when the time comes for some serious emailing, texting, or notetaking, you just snap on the included cover that includes a full QWERTY keyboard. The cover also features its own OLED display -- handy, since the Versa's 480 x 240 main display is concealed while the cover's closed -- while the phone itself rocks EV-DO Rev. A with tethering capability, a 2 megapixel cam with face detection and video recording, microSD expansion, and GPS. It'll be available starting March 1 for $249.99 on contract before a $50 mail-in rebate.

ASUS W90 gaming laptop now listed on Newegg

ASUS' heavy-hitting W90Vp-X1 gaming-friendly laptop has shown up on Newegg. The 18.4-inch behemoth's sporting a 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9600, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4870 X2, WUXGA resolution, 6GB DDR2 RAM, 320GB HDD at 7200RPM. Of course, with specs like that, you weren't expecting it to come cheap, were you? The retailer's demanding a $2,200 ransom to take it home. Admit it, you're just happy it's an ASUS machine with no "Eee" in sight.

Nokia working on laptops, ARM-powered MID?

If you were looking for proof that the line between smartphones and laptops is rapidly starting to blur, look no further -- Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasuvo told Reuters today that the Finnish company is "looking very actively" at making a laptop, since "what we we know as a cellphone and what we know as a PC are in many ways converging." Sounds about right to us -- but even more interestingly, we're also getting word from the generally-reliable Mobile-Review that Espoo's working on a MID powered by the new multicore ARM Cortex A9 Sparrow chip. If M-R is to be believed, the new device will only somewhat resemble the current N-series Internet Tablets, instead featuring a slide-out keyboard with diamond-shaped keys and a new widget-based interface. That's a mockup from Unwired View above, and we think it looks pretty nice -- although we're hoping Nokia's moved well beyond this hybrid N97 / Internet Tablet design language by the time this thing launches in 2011. This sort of convergence is definitely the next big trend, so we've got to ask: smartphone, MID, netbook or laptop -- what's in your (potentially giant) pocket?

Gigabyte's M1022, S1024, T1028 netbooks show themselves at CeBIT

Gigabyte said it'd be showing off a trio of new netbooks at CeBIT this week and, lo and behold, all three have now emerged from their less than secretive whereabouts and made their public debut, and the good folks from Engadget Chinese were on hand for an up close look. While all three pack more or less the same standard netbook specs, they do manage to differentiate themselves quite a bit from each other around the edges, with the M1022 "Booktop" in particular coming paired with a rather unique dock that holds the system vertically and lets you hook up a monitor and your choice of peripherals. The T1028 also takes things one step further by opting for a tablet form, as you can see above, while the ThinNote S1024 keeps things a bit more simple with a thin, more business-like design. Be sure to hit up the link below for plenty more pics, and the complete specs for each.

Leaked Snow Leopard screenshots and video show new Stacks, install options

We haven't seen too many Snow Leopard screenshots leak out, but it looks like a few more have finally surfaced, and they seem to show some interesting -- if minor -- interface enhancements. Most notably, Stacks now allows nested browsing, so if you click on a folder in the stack view, the old stack drops back and you can navigate the folder contents -- the old way just opened a Finder window. Other improvements include a Put Back menu item for accidentally-trashed items, a redesigned Keyboard Shortcuts prefpane that might encourage people to actually use it, and what looks like a welcome new installer option to only install printer drivers for printers that have been used with your machine. That alone should cut down on Snow Leopard's install size -- now if Apple would just figure out that we don't need 200 language packs by default, we'd be really getting somewhere.

SanDisk ships first ever multicard readers with style

Okay, so maybe you've seen a multicard reader or two in your day that wasn't unsightly to the nth degree, but it's a rarity, let us tell you. Furthermore, SanDisk's latest bunch are amongst the first we've seen that we'd actually feel somewhat proud to have sitting on our desks, and considering that there's only so much added functionality you can give these things, aiming for high fashion was probably a good move. The new line of ImageMate readers are currently shipping out to retailers in North America, with the All-In-One reader listing at $29.99 and the Multi-Card reader selling for $10 less.

Gateway intros four new gaming desktops

While Gateway's been on the laptop bandwagon of late, it's good to see the company doing its thang on the desktop front, too. Kicking things off is the bargain-priced LX6810-01, which houses 8GB of RAM, NVIDIA graphics, a built-in TV tuner and a $799.99 price tag. The even more affordable DX4200-11 gets going at just $609.99 and features an AMD quad-core CPU, ATI Radeon graphics, 6GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive. Stepping things up quite significantly is the FX6800-09, which sports a Core i7 CPU and a $1,649.99 sticker. Rounding out the bunch is the $1,299.99 FX6800-11 and the currently unpriced entry-level FX6800-01e. If any of these caught your fancy, head on past the break for a look at the full release.

Switched On: The "phonetastic four" versus Windows Mobile

Barring any disruptive portfolio shifts prior to its introduction, the Palm Pre will complete a new competitive handset dynamic that began with the introduction of the iPhone. Each of the four major U.S. mobile operators will be emphasizing a capacitive touchscreen smartphone. Curiously, none come from any of the top five global phone manufacturers. And even more curiously, each will be powered by a different operating system as the Pre at Sprint jockeys with the iPhone at AT&T, the BlackBerry Storm at Verizon Wireless, and the T-Mobile G1.

These signature handsets go beyond exclusives or even strong identification with the service provider. They bear the burden of attracting consumers looking for the coolest phone experience or at least minimizing the impact of the other signature handsets. In return, carriers lavish marketing dollars on them. Their role exemplifies a transformation of the market from the days when the RAZR was every carrier's "it" phone and operators competed on their particular shade of pink .

The carriers' selection of their signature handsets must be disappointing to Microsoft, which cannot claim a Windows Mobile device among them. Indeed, the single mobile operator Microsoft highlighted at Mobile World Congress as being an exceptional partner was France's Orange. It's not as if an operating system must be exclusive to the device as there are other BlackBerrys out there (although, as Verizon Wireless tirelessly notes, the Storm is the first touchscreen BlackBerry). And it is only an accident in time that has made the G1 the exclusive Android handset. It certainly isn't about application support as incredibly all of the current signature handsets will have debuted without extensive third-party programs available.

Regardless, though, and despite efforts by HTC, Sony Ericsson and Samsung to skin Windows Mobile as well as Microsoft's own improvements in Windows Mobile 6.1, there is a perceived cachet to these four signature phones that the best Windows Mobile devices are not yet delivering.

Cheaper Blu-ray? Sony, Panasonic, and Philips say it's coming, honestly

Look, we don't really "get" people who aren't willing to buy the latest and greatest thing regardless of the price and / or current economic state, but evidently there's a rather large sector still clinging to their antiquated DVD format. Blu-ray proponents Panasonic, Philips, and Sony are looking to change all that by knocking down the tab a few notches. The trio has revealed plans to form a single licensing firm for Blu-ray, which they anticipate will lower the cost of the license -- and therefore the retail price -- by "at least" 40 percent. They expect it'll amount to $9.50 for read-only BD player, $14 for a burner, 11 cents for read-only discs, 12 cents for BD-Rs, and 15 cents for BD-RE rewritable discs. In its current form, hopeful BD makers have to seek out each company individually. The group also hopes a single licensing entity will help them spot unauthorized BD devices, so watch out, suspicious mom and pop Blu-ray stores.

DDR3 shootout pits OCZ, Kingston and Corsair against one another

DDR3 modules aren't exactly new or anything, but given just how low the prices of big time kits have become, we figured it prudent to pass along one of the most thorough shootouts on the subject that we've seen. HotHardware grabbed a few DIMMs from the labs of OCZ Technology, Corsair and Kingston, threw 'em all in a Core i7 rig (not simultaneously, silly!) and benchmarked the lot until they literally fell asleep at the keys. The results? We'd love to tell you which sticks came out atop the pile, but that would just be spoiling the fun for you, now wouldn't it? Give the read link a look if you're ready for the action.

Samsung's laptop-accompanying LapFit display gets reviewed

Samsung has certainly carved out a curious niche for itself with its new LapFit display, which not only competes with regular LCD monitors, but laptop stands that accomplish the same basic goal for a fraction of the price. That said, the folks at TrustedReviews seem to think the display could still win its share of fans, especially considering its apparently low power consumption, and its more than reasonable sub-£100 price tag (or roughly $150). On the downside, however, it seems that the TN display is considerably lacking in terms of image quality, with it apparently displaying noticeable banding, poor grayscale performance, and a general lack of sharpness when it comes to text. The particular D190S model reviewed also just has a single VGA port, although the D190SU adds some DisplayLink over USB, and the LD190X tops things off with some wireless capabilities.

PS3 price cut may be on the way very soon, says analyst

Mike Hickey, an analyst with Janco, says that a major price cut on the Playstation 3 could be on the way in the near, near future (like, in the next few days). Hickey claims that the price slash needs to be at least $100 to get the retail juice moving again, and that, failing that, Sony should expect to see its sales on the console continue to decline. We've heard predictions of a coming price reduction already (sure, they were from Microsoft, but whatever), and this wouldn't be a huge surprise, though we'll just have to wait and see. Hickey also speculates that Sony could hack the Blu-ray out of the PS3 in order to make that price cut doable, but that seems slightly wild to us. Then again, stranger things have happened.

Toshiba shows off 32nm NAND flash chips, promises to go smaller

32nm NAND flash memory may not seem like a huge leap over some of the current 34nm chips out there, but Toshiba seems to be able to appreciate the little things in life, and it's certainly found plenty to boast about with its latest chips here. Perhaps most notably, the company apparently didn't make any major changes from its previous 43nm chips in terms of device structure, with the exception of one "major improvement" to the circuit that was made to overcome the "extremely small" write margin. The new 32nm chips also pack the same 32-gigabit (or 4GB) capacity as those aforementioned 34nm chips, which should let folks cram a bit more storage into the same small space. Better still, Toshiba says volume production of the chips should begin as soon as September of this year, and it's apparently already aiming to mass produce some chips in the 20 to 30nm range by late 2010 or 2011.

Panasonic's latest Toughbook 30 unboxing and hands-on

In preparation for a feature on rugged, semi-rugged, and generally brawny laptops that should be appearing here in the coming weeks, Panasonic was kind enough to send us a little overnight love in the form of a Toughbook 30. That it was packaged in a box labeled "handle with care" that was itself bundled in another box full of foam peanuts didn't exactly make us think "durable," but as soon as we got our hands on that magnesium alloy case with its rubberized edges we knew we were dealing with a serious laptop. More pics and impressions of this and other macho machines coming soon.

Engadget's recession antidote: win a Panasonic ES8103s Pro-Curve Wet/Dry razor!

This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff / companies stop sending things. Today we've got a Panasonic ES810-3s Pro-Curve Wet/Dry rechargeable razor (admit it: you really need a shave)! Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting!

Special thanks to Panasonic for providing the gear!

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic now for sale at flagship stores

Yep, the North American version of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is now on sale for $399 at the flagship store in NYC, just as we'd heard. (Chicago doesn't seem to have them yet but we're sure that'll change soon.) Sure, you've been able to score a $349 Euro unit for a while now, but for an extra 50 bones the NAM version does US 3G on AT&T, and we know you like that 3G action. Still no word on ship dates for those of you that pre-ordered online, but we'll see what we can find out when we head down to the local to pick this bad boy up.

Sony shows off its latest fuel cells and cola-powered batteries

In two days the world's largest fuel cell exhibition, FC EXPO 2009, kicks off in Tokyo, and Sony will be there showing off the latest revision of its hybrid fuel cell technology. The system contains both a methanol fuel cell and a Li-on battery, enabling it to intelligently switch between power from the battery, fuel, or even both under high-draw circumstances. Sony will have two sizes on display: a portable model (above, with real leatherette lanyard) that could keep you talking on your celly for a week, and a heftier "interior" model that could do the same for a month. The company's even attached a bottle of methanol to a wireless speaker, resulting in infinite placement possibilities and a groovy light show to boot. If that weren't enough, the company will be demonstrating an updated, more efficient version of its sugar battery, which can be powered by plain 'ol Coca-Cola -- and you thought that stuff was only good for making your nephews run.

Data Copy and Internet Connection Sharing dongle explains itself

Every so often, one of these off-the-wall USB peripherals really does do something worth clapping about. Today, we're taking a look at one such outlier in the driver-free USB 2.0 Data Copy and Internet Connection Sharing Dongle. While not fancy in design, this here device sure promises a lot. For starters, it enables data transfers between PCs to be handled easily and efficiently, but the real kicker is its ability to give the second computer the option of siphoning internet from the first. Sure, there are more legitimate ways of sharing one's signal, but when you're in pinch, who has time to fiddle with the Networking control panel? It's just $29, and it could save your life. Think about it.

Sleek new Studio XPS 435 materializes on Dell website

Well, what do we have here? Dell's own website has outed a new Studio XPS 435. Here's the specs for its supremum configuration: a 3.2GHz Intel Core i7 processor extreme edition on a X58 chipset, up to 24GB DDR3 SDRAM and 4.5 TB with three hard drive bays, ATI Radeon HD4870, Blu-ray disc drive, 15-in-1 card reader, and eight USB 2.0 ports. Of course, getting the max settings is certainly going to cost you a pretty penny, and at this point we've got no deets on pricing or availability.

Samsung Memoir hands-on

Is the world ready for consumer-class 8 megapixel cameraphones? That's a loaded question, but one way or another, T-Mobile's about to find out now that its SGH-T929 Memoir from Samsung is in the marketplace. With a full touchscreen and support for that elusive 1700MHz HSDPA, the handset packs some serious heat at the top end of the featurephone heap, and we've now had a chance to put it through its paces. Read on for video, pictures, and -- for the literate types out here -- even a few words about Samsung's mighty 3264 x 2448 worth of handset muscle.

PlayStation-induced palm lesions identified by Swiss scientists

It's no Wiiitis, but Swiss scientists have ID'd a new skin disorder they believe came from prolonged gaming sessions. Dubbed "PlayStation palmar hidradentitis," the condition is marked by painful lumps that appear on the palms. This Dr. House diagnosis came from a 12-year old girl who visited Geneva hospital with hand lesions allegedly from hours-long gaming marathon, and that she fully recovered after a ten-day PlayStation hiatus. While being careful not to discredit the findings, Sony spokesman David Wilson chimed in to say they had never heard of a case like this, despite hundreds of millions consoles sold, and as with any leisure activity, "there are possible consequences of not following common sense, health advice and guidelines." Hey, at least she didn't break her arm.

Clemson develops ballin' system to measure slam dunk intensity

For those of you who think knowing the miles per hour of each pitch is the best part of a baseball game -- and sometimes, it really is -- Clemson University civil engineering professor Scott Schiff and his students have created a system that'll measure the force of the dunks and display it on the overhead screens instantly. In one game against East Carolina, Clemson forward Raymond Sykes managed a dunk that measured 30 G's -- which we're told is mighty impressive, but really, we don't have much comparison at this point. The team hopes its system gets adopted for other venues, and for sake of having more excuses to stare at the giant TVs and not the court, we hope so, too. Hit up the read link to see video of the system in action.

Dell Mini 9 and 12 headed to AT&T stores?

You can already get an HP Mini netbook or a Sony VAIO P not-a-netbook up and running on AT&T's network with relative ease, but it looks like your options could be about to get more convenient still, at least if this seemingly authentic screen courtesy of The Boy Genius Report is any indication. Apparently, both Dell's Mini 9 and Mini 12 netbooks will be finding their way into AT&T stores at some point in the not too distant future, although there's unfortunately no indication of an exact date or price. As the Boy Genius speculates, however, it seems likely that they'll be at least somewhat competitive with the $99 that Verizon will be asking for the HP Mini 1000 on a two-year data card plan, which will apparently be available sometime in May.

ASUS begins shipping ultra-longevous Eee PC 1000HE

ASUS' Eee PC 1000HE, which managed to garner some pretty high praise amongst reviewers, is now shipping out to eager buyers. For those that missed it, this here netbook sports a 1.66GHz Atom N280 and a high-capacity battery that could last up to 9.5 hours under perfectly ideal conditions. And for under $400, how in the world can you complain with that? If you too have received your tracking number, feel free to gloat about it in comments below. Might want to hold the actual digits close to your chest, though -- we hear netbook interceptions are on the rise.

Philips debuts GoGear Ariaz, Opus PMPs

Philips has been keeping things relatively simple with its GoGear line as of late, but it looks to be getting back to full-on PMPs with its latest pair: the GoGear Ariaz and GoGear Opus. The GoGear Ariaz is the slightly smaller of the two, with it packing a 2-inch display, along with 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB of storage, an FM tuner, a built-in mic for voice recording, and a somewhat unique interface that includes a combination of "touchscreen buttons" and a large rocker key. The Opus, on the other hand, appears to be an updated version of one of Philips' original GoGear players, and packs a larger 2.8-inch QVGA display, your choice of 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB capacities, built-in Bluetooth, and integrated support for the BBC's iPlayer. No word on a release 'round here just yet, but both will apparently be available in Europe in April for between €79 and €179, or roughly $100 to $230.

Vista SP2, Server 2008 R2 start making the rounds as Release Candidates

It looks like the long-awaited Release Candidate build of Vista SP2 is hitting the streets today, alongside Server 2008 R2. According to Ars Technica, these guys will soon be available for testers via Windows Update, as a standalone installer, or as a slipstreamed version for select languages, including English, Spanish, German, French, and Japanese. Rumor has it that Microsoft is gearing up for a final release date sometime in April

Wii Super Famicom Classic Controller on sale to general public

Remember that limited edition Super Famicom Classic Controller? You know, that one that was once available only to Club Nintendo members over in Japan? By some remarkable feat of magic, wit and unmatched skill, the crew over at Play-Asia has secured stock to sell to the public at large, and wouldn't you know it, they have no issues shipping to the United States of America. Of course, you could also execute the X2Wii hack in order to make your existing SNES controller play nice with the Wii, but where's the fun in that? Unfortunately, this piece will run you just over $80 shipped, so you should make sure you're really as hardcore a gamer as you say you are before plunking down.

Canon's latest batch of cameras get the hands-on treatment

Canon certainly isn't cutting any corners with its pre-PMA batch of digital cameras, and the folks at PhotographyBlog look to be doing their best to keep up with them all, with them now churning out some hands-on looks with just about all of 'em, plus a couple of Canon's new lenses for good measure. Those include the SX200 IS pictured above, which they describe as "bigger and chunkier" than its rival Panasonic DMC-TZ7, as well as the "sleek and sophisticated" A2100 IS, the "toy-camera-like" D10, and a number of other compact shooters that stay a bit closer to their predecessors in terms of appearance. Of particular note to more serious photographers, Canon was also showing off its new TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II lens, which is replacing the 17-year-old original model, and its new TS-E 17mm f/4L lens, which is apparently the world's shortest focal length Tilt-Shift lens with full-frame 35mm coverage

Palm confirms games are in development for Pre, drops a few other tidbits

We sat down with Palm today and in addition to spotting that soft-touch cover we chatted them up on where things stand, how things are progressing, and various other clarifications about webOS and the Pre that have yet to be made. Palm's staying pretty tight-lipped and under-the-radar at the show, despite bringing a Europe-friendly HSDPA handset to show off -- they're not making any big announcements along those lines until there's a carrier firmed up, and not even clarifying what bands are supported. The build of webOS is exactly the same as what was at CES, and Palm still isn't letting the device slip out of its firm grip for a bit of rogue hands-on time.

Palm did confirm that games are in development for webOS, and seems a little defensive at accusations that the OS can't handle that stuff -- Palm hasn't changed its stance on app development, of course, there are no "native" apps allowed currently, but they seem more reticent to admit that web-style app development will limit gaming options. Perhaps they're hoping Adobe's Open Screen Project will save them some grief on this front, since Flash will be ready for webOS by the end of the year. Palm's currently working with a small amount of developers in private beta, refining the SDK to their feedback and needs, and will slowly expand that as the phone approaches launch, but we don't expect a full SDK to reach Joe the Coder until very close to before or after the launch. We asked about the potential for a soft keyboard, and they said that there's no reason that developers couldn't build their own -- though we're not sure how that would work. Out of the gate developers won't have super deep access to the OS from what we understand -- they wouldn't be able to do something like Facebook's level of OS-wide contacts integration, for instance -- but Palm hopes to open those APIs up further down the line.

We get the impression that Palm feels version 1.0 of webOS is very feature complete, and that the most surprises we'll get from here to launch will be mostly along the lines of 3rd party development and release details.

Samsung SCH-M830 hands-on

While perusing the Samsung booth for something fresh and fun we happened upon this, the Samsung SCH-M830. The M830 is a WiBro (mobile WiMax) and HSPA set, WiFI, Bluetooth, 3 megapixel camera, a 3.3-inch LCD, memory expansion with microSD, and runs Windows Mobile 6.1. The interface and all the UI elements were in Korean (see that Anycall branding? That's the hint) so if there were any special goodies in there we definitely didn't catch them. Impressions? It felt great and was really solid, but as to performance we can't add much there -- though just that big display had us smiling. Lovely gallery and a quick video flip-through follow the break.

Google demos offline Gmail for iPhone, Android at MWC

If you were thinking offline Gmail on your desktop was the greatest thing since sliced bread, prepare yourselves people. If an MWC keynote from Google's VP of engineering, Vic Gundotra, is any indication, the same functionality might be coming soon to an iPhone / Android phone near you. Amongst other things, the souped up web app boasts an overhauled interface, supports labels, and of course, offline access. Despite our own hunch that Google's just using black magic and voodoo to make this happen, Gundotra claims that it's all made possible through HTML5 standards -- AppCache being the biggie. This development certainly opens the doors to more offline-enabled web apps in the future -- Docs, anyone?. Of course, we know Apple has a thing about people messing with its own apps, so it's probably going to take some time / knee-breaking to get them to come around, but for some reason, we don't think it'll take as long with Android. There's a demo video available after the break, and please, try to contain yourselves.

Adtec unleashes Bluetooth wristband, delusions of grandeur

Adtec's just released its Bluetooth wristband, which enables hands-free -- well, sort of. The band, which is equipped with a speaker and volume control, connects to your cell phone via Bluetooth, and comes in white or gray. The company suggests one might find this little gadget useful while fishing or running. Maybe it's just us, but we were thinking it might be neat to use it while conducting highly confidential espionage missions, too. Or... you know, blogging. Pair it with this guy and you've got a match made in heaven! It's available now in Japan for ¥5,980 -- about $65 -- but will probably (sadly) never makes its way across the waters to North America.

WD debuts My Book World Edition NAS, we go hands-on

While some NAS devices can get a bit unwieldy or unsightly, that is thankfully not the case with Western Digital's new My Book World Edition, which keeps things clean and simple without skimping on the features most folks are looking for. Available in 1TB and 2TB capacities ($230 and $450, respectively) this one boasts both DLNA 1.5 and UPnP certification to allow for streaming with a variety of devices, and it packs a single USB port to let you turn any other USB drive into a network drive, though you're out of luck if you were hoping to plug a printer in there. What's more, our pals at Engadget Spanish have already managed to get their hands on one, and they've naturally wasted no time doing a complete unboxing.

Dell Mini 10 shows up for pre-order... from QVC?

You'd think with an in-demand new product like the Mini 10 Dell would want to snag as many pre-orders as it can for itself, but it looks like none other than QVC will be getting first dibs on the company's latest netbook, as Dell has now confirmed after the netbook made an appearance on shopping channel's website. Starting today, it'll apparently be offering one configuration of the Mini 10 for $559, which includes a 1.6GHz Z530 Atom processor, a 160GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, Windows XP and, of course, that 10.1-inch SVGA display. Shortly thereafter, on February 26th, Dell will begin taking orders itself for a couple more configurations, including a base $399 model that includes a 1.3GHz Z520 Atom processor and a 3-cell battery. Dell isn't getting any more specific than "next month" with an actual shipping date, however, although those orders from QVC will supposedly be shipping out on March 20th.

SEC charges, settles with RIM executives over backdating issue

Well, it looks like RIM's top executives weren't about to get off the hook after just paying a little fine to the Ontario Securities Commission over that backdated stock options issue, as the US Securities and Exchange Commission is now getting on the act with some charges of its own. In a bit of a twist, however, the SEC has simultaneously announced that it has already reached a settlement with the four top RIM executives in question (co-CEOs Balsillie and Lazaridis, plus Chief Operating Officer Dennis Kavelman and former vice president of finance Angelo Loberto), who have agreed to pay $1.4 million in fines and give back the more than $800,000 they made in profits. No more shakeups on the board, it seems, although there's only so many times you can step down from your position before you start to look silly.

RAmos T9 iMovie 2 PMP: 800 x 480, 16GB, $132

Yes, the kids at RAmos have arrived with that 800 x 480 PMP we first espied sometime in December. As you might have guessed, the T9 iMovie 2 is the followup to the smash hit T8 iMovie, sporting a polished aluminum alloy frame, 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen display, and 16GB storage. No further details at the moment, but if you can track this guy down he'll run you about $132.

Nokia E75 hands-on

Here she be, up close and personal, Nokia's newly official E75 QWERTY slider. We're still not seeing much of the 9000 series heritage Nokia mentioned in its presser, but it's one sexy wide-QWERTY phone, any way you slice it.

HTC CEO: Windows Mobile 6.5 to be announced this afternoon

Looks like HTC CEO and President Peter Chou just spoiled Microsoft's MWC surprised. In his words, "Later today, together with Microsoft, we're introducing Windows Mobile 6.5." Whoops! Keep your eyes peeled, we'll be live at Microsoft's press conference at 9AM ET today.