We’d be naive to think manufacturers were twiddling their thumbs while Apple pimps out its iPad. Sure enough, there could be as many as 50 tablet devices from competing manufacturers worldwide this year, according to mobile microprocessor company ARM. In anticipation of the upcoming tablet invasion, ARM has rented out more space at the Computex electronics trade show in Taipei to accommodate the new devices, according to ComputerWorld... 

This amazing Lego mecha is, according to the authoritative Brothers Brick , the first walking Lego mecha that “also boosts aesthetics”. We take that to mean that it actually walks by picking up its feet rather than shuffling along like a burned-out meth-addict. Either way, the IR-remote controlled bot, named Element Commune , is a fantastic build by Flickr user Legohaulic. Here it is in herky-jerky action: V2.0 will actually be steerable... 

Cisco Tuesday announced a new router, the CRS-3 , that it says is capable of delivering 322 terabits per second. Now, we don’t usually cover routers and similar enterprise hardware here in Gadget Lab, but this one’s worth a brief mention. Let’s leave aside Cisco’s breathless hype (it will “forever change the internet” — yeah, we’ll believe that when we see it). And nevermind the fact that, actually,... 

MacHeist, an annual Mac software promotion, is nearing the end of its NanoBundle sale. At the last minute, the bundle just added our favorite Twitter app Tweetie. Other apps in the MacHeist NanoBundle include Flow, an FTP app, Tales of Monkey Island , a five-episode adventure game, and RipIt, a DVD ripping utility, among others. With the retail prices of the eight apps added together, the collection is worth $280 but will cost you $20 as a bundle.... 

For years, man has been trying to build a jetpack which would actually be safe and cheap enough to use by anyone other than Lee Majors on the title sequence of The Fall Guy . It turns out that we’ve been doing it wrong. Instead of starting with a pack and adding on the jet, we should have torn the giant engines from a plane and strapped them to some poor schmuck. This is what the New Zealand Martin Aircraft Company did, resulting in the... 

Sony Ericsson’s new Android-based phone interface, like those from other cellphone manufacturers, integrates Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and other social networking services into one unified portal on your portable. The difference is that Sony Ericsson’s interface — UXP, formerly known as Rachael — actually looks useful. The company plans to launch a slew of new Android-based phones this year. Top of the list is the Xperia... 

DaringFireball’s John Gruber claims hearing from “well-informed little birdies” that the iPad will ship without some apps that were included on the iPhone. In his blog post today, Gruber responds to a question I posed last week about iPhone apps that appear to be missing from the iPad. Apple’s iPad press materials suggest the device will ship with 12 built-in apps, and noticeably missing are a few wares that came with... 

The Apple iPad’s Oscar debut on millions of TVs may have been the talk of the town Monday morning, but not for long. Rival PC maker HP has launched a sneak attack on the iPad. HP released a video introducing its tablet called the Slate that will run Windows 7 operating system and support Flash–a jab at the iPad, which will not display Flash-based sites or videos. “With this slate product, you’re getting a full Web browsing... 

Panasonic continues to tear a hole through the high-end camera market with an update to its original Micro Four Thirds camera, the G1. In fact, there are two new bodies and one new lens. Both the G2 and G10 share the same body and 12.1 MP sensor with the G1. The G2 is the high-end model, and adds AVCHD-Lite video recording (1080p) and a camera-controlling, flip-out touch-screen. The G10 has 1080p motion JPEG, loses the touch and flip functions... 

Playing with apps on an Android phone is fun. Building your own apps, even more so. But what about using the phone to operate a moving, talking bot? Tim Heath and Ryan Hickman have done exactly that. The bot they recently finished building — Truckbot — is still relatively simple. It’s got an HTC G1 phone for a brain, riding on top of a chassis with some wheels and treads. All it can do is roll around on a tabletop, turn and... 

Apple on Friday announced the official release date of its iPad — April 3 — but the company also raised more questions. Specifically, Apple’s press statement suggests the iPad won’t ship with all the apps that came with the iPhone. What will happen to them? Apple’s press release states the iPad includes “ 12 new innovative apps designed especially for the iPad.” That number presumably refers to the brand new... 

This blind camera will snap a picture for you, capturing a moment in time. It does this with no lens, no sensor and no viewfinder. In fact, the black box consists of little more than a red button and a screen. Point it where you like, press the “shutter” and the time of your exposure is captured. The box, named Buttons , gets to work trawling the web for a photo taken at the exact moment you pressed your button and when it finds... 

This monstrosity is the Casio G-Shock MAN BOX, and it is the ugliest watch you will see. Ever. The plastic timepiece, possibly conceived after a Casio designer accidentally drank a box of crayons and then vomited, is shock resistant, waterproof to 20 meters (65-feet) and anti-magnetic (?). That line-up of ruggedized features means that when you inevitably try to smash this thing to tiny…  Read More →

Sanyo has added a new electric bike to its Eneloop line-up, and it comes with the brand-new Eco Charge Mode . We first saw the Eneloop bike when we took it for a spin around the car-park at CES in Las Vegas (before being kicked out by a security guard). That bike would charge only on downhill sections and when decelerating, or braking. The Eco Charge Mode lets the rider charge the battery as he rides on flat roads. The …  Read More →

Apple announced Friday that the first iPads will be available on April 3 and that the long-awaited device will be available for pre-order on March 12. The launch is for the WiFi-only version, with the 3G-enabled device on sale later in the month. The release of the 3G version will also coincide with rollout of both models in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK, Apple said . Apple thoughfully picked...