It’s looking like a slight bit of admittance of defeat coming from HP in regards to their Mini-Note, according to some recent statements from Jerel Chong, HP Australia’s Market Development Manager for Notebook PCs they are looking to follow up the 2133 Mini-Note with a lower priced model.

“From a retail perspective we’re looking at a similar device (to the 2133) but at a lower cost”

While the Mini-Note is a very nicely made and very solid feeling notebook, its hard to argue that its among the most expensive of the netbooks currently on the market, so a lower priced model may be a welcomed addition.

In regards to the lower pricing, while HP has not mentioned just where they would be cutting those costs, it appears that they may be looking to recoup some of that cost from how the Mini-Note is made because Chong went on to state that “it won’t be as durable but it will be cheaper”.

Lets just hope that if they do make a cheaper but not as durable model they are still able to at least improve on the processor, because while the current Mini-Note works fairly well for everyday use, it would be much nicer with an Intel Atom processor as opposed to the current VIA C7-M.

Read [apc mag]

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In you are into Star Wars or like collecting creature shaped flash drives in general, then you should give Mimoco a looksee. They have unleashed their new Series 3 of their Star Wars Mimobot collection bringing, “The Force” a little closer to our CPUs. This new line features the likenesses of the ominous Darth Sidious, the scarlet draped Imperial Guard, golden droid companion C-3PO or the fuzzy, loveable Wicket the Ewok. Also each of the Star Wars flash drive can be made to play Star Wars sounds when they are plugged-in to the USB port.

Each one can be found on the Mimoco website and range from a 1GB to a large 8GB flash drive model. Cuteness doesn’t come cheap, however, as the Star Wars flash drives start at $39.95 for the 1GB model and a whopping $109.95 for the 8GB one. Other Star Wars flash drive Mimobots currently available are; Princess Leia, Han Solo, Boba Fett (Boba Fett?!?!), and Luke Skywalker.

Read more at Mimoco via Gizmodo.

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FROM GAMERTELL - Sony PSP fan Samuel Lau has created interesting concept art for the next version of the PSP. His vision for the portable console includes a built in QWERTY keyboard and camera.
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After finally realizing that the slow 3G connection on my new iPhone 3G was due to some clever network manipulation by AT&T, I’m now thrilled with my very fast new phone. The new iPhone looks almost identical to the original, but the tiny bit of extra width means that the cases for the original will no longer fit. I stuffed my iPhone 3G into a leather case meant for the original, and while I just managed to get its slightly wider load inside the case, after a few hours, the leather cracked. If you want a perfect fit, you’ll have to upgrade your case as well.

Disappointingly, I haven’t found a single case yet that I think is worthy of the iPhone. They’re all clunky and chunky and either add a lot of bulk or a flimsy silicone skin. Generally I would never think of buying a phone case that costs very nearly as much as the phone itself, but Miniot’s beautiful iWood tempts me. The iWood is carved from a single piece of wood, and comes with a personal engraving so you can brand your phone. In five beautiful wood finishes, from Cherry to the actually much redder Padouk, every iWood is slightly different due to the natural material. It’s sleek but the form-fitting style offers excellent protection as well. You can also purchase an optional matching wood dock.

The iWood for iPhone is about $125 (€ 80) and available from Miniot.

And hey, if your company is making cases for the iphone 3G, something a little unusual or stylish, we’d love to review them. Please contact us, or forward review products to
Popgadget, Attn: Mia Kim
4189 S. Four Mile Run Dr.
Suite 202
Arlington, VA 22204.

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Chinavasion might not manufacture any ipod-killing devices, but they do have what is touted to be the “thinnest portable media player” on the planet - the nigh unpronounceable CVSJ-1304. Measuring a mere 4.5mm thin, you get 4GB of internal memory, ASF format support, compatibility with major audio formats, an integrated FM tuner and USB 2.0 connectivity to get all those files transferred over. Just how thin is 4.5mm? Stack up a quartet of credit cards and you’ll have your answer. The Chinavasion CVSJ-1304 will retail for $39.55 a pop.

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The only good thing about the Pour Thing is its name. It is also the correct term to apply to anyone on whom you might inflict it as a gift. Its purpose? To ease the ever-present difficulties of tipping soda into a glass, a problem that has plagued millions without solution. Until now:

Don’t risk dropping a heavy bottle on your foot or spilling liquid all over the counter when you want a glass of soda! No need to haul a beverage container to the counter when you want a drink – keep a bottle in the Pour Thing and store it right in the fridge!

A two liter bottle weighs around two kilos, or 4.4 lbs, Hardly a great weight, although this could help kids and the weak to more easily heft their sugar fix into a cup. Better, surely, to buy smaller containers, or even stop drinking soda entirely. It melts your teeth, makes you fat and sends you skittering around the place like an ADD spinning-top. In short, soda is a wusses drink. Real men take their stimulation in the old-fashioned way. Strong coffee, Marlboro Reds and a rolled up Hustler in the back pocket. $20

Product page [Solutions via Oh Gizmo]

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You know how filling up a fridge’s front with your more memorable photos can be a fun thing to do? Well, that is now possible in a radically different manner with the Digital Fridge Photo Frame.

DigiFrame the digital magnetic photo frame is a stylish accessory for your home. Display up to 66 of your favorite digital photographs on the magnetic picture frame – downloaded via USB – and stick the digital photo frame to your fridge. You can even use this stylish fridge photo frame as picture frame for your desktop by simply folding down the back stand. Show off your loved ones and keep your treasured memories safe on a sharp LCD display with a generous 2.4 inch screen. All the most common file types like JPG are recognized and the built-in rechargeable battery of your USB digital photo frame can be powered up via any USB port - a full charge delivers 11 hours of life.

Unfortunately, the Digital Fridge Photo Frame is not compatible with Macs as the bundled software CD works with Windows-based computers only. You will be able to pick this up for £29.99 a pop.

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FROM APPLETELL - Apple has just seeded a beta version of iphone 2.1 Firmware to developers. Apple has apparently included Core Location, which might suggest turn-by-turn GPS.
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FROM APPLETELL - I thought this was going to be a top-down, 2D style Mahjong game, where it’s hard to tell what level the pieces are on. Not so. In fact, this game feels like a mature release from the App Store.
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Fans of Legend of Zelda will definitely be thrilled to know that ThinkGeek is now offering the Ocarina for you to make music with. This is a real-world, playable musical instrument made from glazed earthenware - which means you will break it into a million pieces in the event it is used as a projectile in a domestic disagreement. There are half a dozen holes in total, and it plays note from C4 to D5. Each purchase comes with a song book complete with instructions on belting out your favorite Zelda tunes. To top it all off, a Tri-Force logo is located on the stem for that added authentic look.

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