PS3 2.60 firmware update available now, all 140MB of it

Go 'n get it. We're getting word from tipsters and forum jockeys alike that the 2.60 firmware update for your PlayStation 3 is out and ready to download. Seriously Sony, 140MB for a new Photo Gallery application and DivX 3.11 support?

First Windows Mobile 6.5 devices due in third quarter of '09?

Buzz is starting to get white-hot over Microsoft's plans for Mobile World Congress next month with a number of cloud services and a fresh UI -- presumably Windows Mobile 6.5 -- heading up the rumor pile, and if Digitimes is even close to right on this latest bit, an MWC unveiling is almost guaranteed. The publication is citing "sources" (oh, those wonderful "sources") at Taiwanese handset manufacturers saying that the first volley of WinMo 6.5-based devices will hit in the third quarter of the year with major volume following on in the fourth quarter, just in time for the holidays. These guys are well overdue for a serious overhaul and they have to be feeling the heat coming off the Palm camp right now -- among others -- so let's hope that window sticks.

HyperSpace instant-on OS on ASUS lappies: it'll cost ya

When Phoenix Technologies relaunched its HyperSpace instant-on OS, we didn't balk too much at the pricing plans for users looking to add it onto their existing laptop. On the same token, we fully expected it to be included gratis (or close to it) when it arrived pre-installed on Acer and ASUS machines. According to Phoenix Technologies' PR firm, the system will ship on a variety of ASUS machines, with the Hybrid edition being loaded on higher performance devices and the Dual product finding its way onto netbooks and the like. Sadly, ASUS won't be subsidizing the cost of the subscription-based system in part nor in full, meaning that users will be forced to pay the full $39.95 (Hybrid) / $59.95 (Dual) annually if they want to take advantage. Something tells us someone didn't think this plan through.

Transcend intros new 1.8-inch SSD drive, 2.5-inch portable hard drive

It looks like Transcend is intent on keeping everyone happy with its latest batch of portable hard drives, with the company rolling out both SSD and regular hard drive-based models. The SSD drives come in the form of the SSD18M, which boasts a glossy finish with built-in fingerprint capturing technology, eSATA and USB 2.0 interface options, and your choice of 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB capacities. The 2.5-inch StoreJet 25F, on the other hand, is apparently only available in an "astonishing" 500GB capacity, and only includes an USB 2.0 interface, along with Transcend's StoreJet data management software and, of course, that same glossy finish. No word on a price, but both are apparently available now if you're able to track 'em down.

Nokia 5730 XpressMusic gets exhaustively previewed

Well, hello there 5730 XpressMusic, so nice to finally meet you! This admittedly odd looking Nokia has been brought to our attention courtesy of Russia's own Mobile-Review, and while we're still trying to decide whether or not the QWERTY slide-out keyboard is a turn off or totally awesome (with its dot matrix-styled font), we figured it prudent to pass along the information, anyway. Said mobile sports a 2-inch QVGA screen, backlit keys, a 1,000mAh battery good for 4.5 hours of yappin', EDGE data, inbuilt GPS, 128MB of RAM, a microSD card slot, USB / Bluetooth and Symbian S60 running the show. We're told to expect it out in European markets this April for €220 ($289), though worldwide availability remains a mystery. Have a look in the read link for eleventy billion more images and a poorly translated preview.

Quantum Concord C Lab QuantumGravity watch "defies all laws," common sense

We'll be straight with you -- while the Quantum Concord C Lab Quantum Gravity "watch" does, in fact, look pretty slick, we're mostly taken with its marketing materials, which claim that the "aerial bi-axial Tourbillion mechanism" and "structure that makes emptiness its core material" grants the timepiece the ability to "defy all laws, including that of logic, and most of all, of gravity." Yes, logic is being defied here. We're not sure what other laws owning a timepiece valued at "infinite preciousness" allows you to defy, but we've got a stack of parking tickets, a Windows 7-related indecent exposure and at least one semi-legal Mac cloning operation going on here, so we'll see how many flying clocks make it out of Switzerland when this thing goes on sale in March.

LG, Chunghwa Picture Tubes execs to serve jail time for LCD price fixing conspiracy

LG and Chunghwa Picture Tubes already confessed to being involved in a scandalous LCD price fixing conspiracy, and now the US Department of Justice is laying down the hammer on four of the dirty-handed executives. Chang Suk Chung (LG), Chieng-Hon "Frank" Lin (Chunghwa), Chih-Chun "C.C." Liu (Chunghwa) and Hsueh-Lung "Brian" Lee (Chunghwa) have all entered plea agreements which will see them serving a "term of imprisonment" as well as paying a criminal fine and assisting the US government in its ongoing TFT-LCD investigation. 'Course, those pleas must all be approved by the court, but it's pretty safe to say these fellows will be spending a least a moment or two behind steel bars. Fun, fun.

Blazepro's Wireless PS3 Keypad is 80% cheaper than Sony's, and it costs less too

Oh it's boxy alright. But what Blazepro's Wireless Keypad for the PS3 lacks in highfalutin curves is more than made up for in price: just $11 compared to the $50 you'd have to pay for Sony's own Bluetooth Wireless Keypad. Unfortunately, there's no mention of included rechargeables and Blazepro's keypad communicates with the PS3 via a 2.4GHz USB dongle instead of using the PS3's built-in Bluetooth. Shame, but at least it includes a "Leap-frequency communication solution" and "strongly anti-jamming." Maybe you should just wait for the reviews.

Nokia's Comes With Music service plans world tour

Nokia's all-you-can-eat Comes With Music service has been humming along quite nicely across the pond, but until now, we've been left in the dark about its plans for world domination. No more, as a recent Reuters report has it that the unlimited music service should be headed to Australia, Asia and Singapore later this quarter and Latin America / USA sometime this year. We're also told that more corners of Europe should get served in the future, though no window of time was handed out there. It should be interesting to see if any carriers jump in to subsidize these, but our gut feeling says they'll be sold for a premium unlocked at your nearest Nokia flagship.

Sprint's Treo Pro in the wild, now with more box

Yo, Sprint, Palm, guys... seriously, give it up. We all know this thing's coming, so can we at least get an announcement or something? We've seen the CDMA-flavored Treo Pro in Sprint livery in the wild already, and now we're seeing the box, which -- no surprise -- bears a strong resemblance to its GSM bedfellow. As far as we can tell, this sucker is still on track for release before the end of the month, and with retail packaging floating around, it seems at least plausible -- so here's hoping, eh

LG Display CEO says that LCD panel prices have "reached a bottom"

The company may not exactly have the final say on the matter, but LG Display CEO Kwon Young-soo seems confident that the market for LCD panels is finally set to turn around, with him saying today that, "the good news is that we've reached a bottom," and that, "TV panel prices will likely stop the downward trend and recover." LG doesn't see things completely turning around overnight, however, and in the meantime it says it'll be pouring more than $400 million into a new production line designed to produce high-end LTPS LCD displays for mobile devices, which it apparently expects will be a more profitable area, and help it turn that frown upside down once more.

Green House rolls out Kana Micro digital audio player

It looks like anyone that wished their digital audio player looked more like a nondescript USB drive is now in luck, as Green House has just introduced its new Kana Micro player, which is far more likely to get lost than stolen. True to its barebones nature, it seems you'll also have to supply your own microSD card for storage with this one (up to 2GB is support), and you can apparently expect to get a whopping two hours of battery life before it needs to be recharged via the built-in USB connector. No word on a release 'round here just yet, as you might have guessed, but those in Japan can pick one up right now in their choice of seven different colors for a mere ¥1,480, or about $16.

Wrist Band Portable Battery charges your phone, electrifies your look

There are plenty of terrible portable chargers out there, but the "Wrist Band Portable Battery" sure isn't one of them. The name pretty much tells the whole tale -- it's a wrist band packed with a lithium-ion battery (that supposedly gets about five hours of juicing time) for charging numberless portable devices. It comes with 7 different adapters, and the totally awesomely-styled band itself has a set of LEDs which indicate the battery life remaining. It'll cost you about $25 to get one of your own and prove once and for all that no, punk is not dead. Check out a few more pics after the break.

NOKIA 6260 Slide

The Nokia 6260 slide is a Series 40 6th Edition phone, supporting quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900, triple-band WCDMA 900/1900/2100 and WLAN. Other key features include integrated A-GPS with included maps, a 5.0 megapixel camera with LED flash and Carl Zeiss optics, WebKit Open Source Browser, Flash Lite 3.0, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and MIDP Java 2.1 with additional Java APIs. Supported WCDMA frequencies depend on the region where the device is available.

Specifications:

Form Factor	Slide
Size	99.4 x 46.5 x 15.4 mm
Weight	114 g
Display Size	320 x 480 pixels
Display Colors	TFT, 16M colors
Ring tones	Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3
Media Player	Yes
Games	Yes
Ports	Yes, Up to 8GB
Total Memory	200 MB internal memory
Talk Time	Up to 6 h
Standby Time	Up to 400 h
Operating Frequency	GSM 850/900/1800/1900

Dell adds 256GB SSD option to XPS M1330 and M1730 laptops

Oh, how the times change! In August of last year we were talking up a 128GB SSD drive for Dell's XPS laptops like it was some kind of hotness -- and only $450! Now that same drive is a mere $200 upgrade, while a new 256GB SSD has been introduced to Dell's XPS M1330 and M1730 laptops for "only" $400. Sure, six months from now we're gonna be chatting up a slightly cheaper 512GB SSD and laughing at our January selves, but we just can't help ourselves and this pesky linear of progression of time we're so beholden to. Dell's also now offering a 7200RPM 500GB HDD as well, and plans to introduce both of these upgrades to additional laptops in the next few weeks.