Filed under: Transportation

Wouldn’t you know it, just when we’ve finally perfected riding our Segway HT180i without falling off every five seconds and skinning our knees, multiple reports are claiming that the company is poised to release a brand new version of the self-stabilizing human transporter as soon as tomorrow. A generous tipster sent us the exclusive photo you see here which supposedly depicts a model known as the i2 (Does the “i” indicate some sort of iPod integration? We couldn’t say, but everyone else is doing it these days.); the same tipster claims a so-called x2 Segway is also on the way. Since the only info we have on the supposed i2 is what we we can glean from the pics, well, we really don’t know very much at all — but another tipster is reporting that Segway reps told him tomorrow’s release will be “70% new and very different from the old models.” Don’t worry, we’re a bit confused too, but if our sources are on the money, we’ll be able to deliver you all the solid deets in less than a day’s time.

[Thanks Dignan17 and other]

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Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

We should start off by saying that this could be nothing but cautionary corporate-speak, but rather than confirming the scheduled January ship date for Windows Vista — which is what everyone at the company’s annual analyst meeting wanted to hear — Microsoft exec Kevin Johnson seemingly opened up the door to fresh delay rumors by telling attendees that the beleaguered OS will be released “when it is available.” Johnson’s comments came as a response to analysts who wanted to know if Vista was still on track for a January release; instead of a simple “yes,” however, he told the group that “we are going to ship the product when it is ready, and we are going to take it milestone by milestone.” Now, what sounds like a non-denial of further delays could simply be part of a new policy to avoid making specific promises, but following Bill Gates’s recent “statistical analysis” that Vista is only 80% likely to ship in January, this development is troubling to say the least. At this point we don’t really know what to expect anymore, and since our current XP-powered setup already does everything we need it to, we’re getting pretty close to not caring if Vista is ever released at all.

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Filed under: Peripherals, Wireless

Well now we know why Apple "forgot" to file for ye olde confidentiality agreement on the Bluetooth Mighty Mouse FCC filing: they were planning on releasing the wireless rodent into the wild just hours after the documents went live. That's right, if you're looking to cut the cord and add some sweet laser-guided precision to your first-gen Mighty Mouse, you can pick up one of these models immediately for $69 (compared to $49 for the wired version). About the only new bit of information revealed on the official product page is the fact that this mouse will operate with either two or just one AA batteries -- you know, for those times when you're looking to shave every conceivable gram off of your travel weight. As much as we love Apple products, the Mighty Mouse has just never been all that comfortable to use; Bluetooth and laser-tracking are certainly nice additions, but until they make these things more ergonomic, we're holding on to our Logitech gear.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Filed under: Handsets, Multimedia, Nokia, Symbian, GSM, EDGE, UMTS

Even if you're a die-hard Palm or Windows Mobile fan, it's hard to deny the appeal of Nokia's N-series lineup of S60-powered "multimedia computers," whose connectivity and imaging options are some of the best you can find on a smartphone today. As promised, the company has just officially released both the N73 (pictured, bottom) and N93 (pictured, top) handsets that we've been following for some time, and although you probably won't be able to pick them up through traditional channels, we know that they'll definitely be available at your local Nokia retail outlet. As a quick refresher, both of the phones (we know, we know, we're not supposed to call them phones) are highlighted by 3.2 megapixel, Zeiss lens-equipped cameras, with the N93 throwing in a 3x optical zoom and support for 30fps VGA video. Both models also feature high-res 2.4-inch displays, Bluetooth radios, a miniSD slot for image capture or rocking tunes, and quad-band GSM plus 3G UMTS capability. On top of all these attractive features, the N93 also gives you built-in WiFi with UPnP functionality, video out for replaying your precious memories on a big screen, and what sounds like better-than-average in-camera editing. We're still gonna stick with our current smartphones for now, but these models are so hot that we're seriously reconsidering our snobby insistence on rocking those handy QWERTY thumboards at all times.

Read- N73
Read- N93
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

If you like to watch high definition video-- and we mean really, really like to watch it-- then Pioneer has a new 50-inch plasma on the market that promises unrivaled picture quality and realism -- for a pretty steep price. We first heard of the Elite PureVision PRO-FHD1 back at CES in January, where we instantly knew from the specs that this was a pretty special model: it delivers full 1080p resolution using over two million pixels that are just .576 millimeters across, features a 3,000:1 contrast ratio and 1,000cd/m2 peak brightness, and sports two HDMI, one DVI, and one component input. What you're not getting here, though, are any built-in tuners; not only does this display lack a digital ATSC tuner, but it's also missing even a regular NTSC version -- which actually isn't that big of a deal for consumers with a set-top cable or satellite box. Apparently you can run right out and pick up your very own FHD1 as of today, but some of you may need to bring along several methods of payment, just in case you don't have any credit cards that are $10,000 under the limit.

[Via HDBeat]

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Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

Although the SonyStyle site still lists it under pre-order, the Vaio UX180P non-UMPC is apparently already en route to ecstatic US customers, as at least two of our readers have received shipping confirmations from Sony via email. The Core Solo-powered machines are scheduled to arrive on the sixth of next month, which jibes with Sony’s promise of a July release, but we’re still a bit surprised that they’re getting them out this early — as you know, we’ve been burned by Sony a few times before.

[Thanks, Lee and Leland B]

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Filed under: Handsets, Nokia, Sharp, Vodafone, Symbian, GSM, UMTS

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Filed under: Handsets, Nokia, T-Mobile, GSM

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Filed under: Laptops

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