Asus are all set to release the ‘big brother’ of the popular 7 inch Eee PC. The new larger model referred to as the Eee PC 900 (not confirmed) will boast a slightly higher spec as well as some great new features.

The Eee PC was a big hit for Asus, being voted the “The Most Wanted Christmas Gift” by American Amazon.com and Cnet, as well as winning a prestigious award at the International CES Innovations Design and Engineering Awards for 2008, it was inevitable that Asus would develop a bigger more powerful machine.Recently unveiled at CeBIT 2008 the new Eee PC 900 seems to have kept the same basic concept as its smaller counterpart, adding a slight specification upgrade and just enough new features to keep you happy.

ASUS promises the screen will display a 1024 x 600 pixel resolution and specs will be upgraded to 1G of memory, a larger storage of up to 12GB and wider 8.9-inch screen. There is also the addition of a “multi-finger gesture input” trackpad, which will provide the ability to zoom in and out as well as allowing for two-finger scrolling similar to the pad found on Macs.

The Eee PC will be compatible with both Linux and Windows although the Windows version is set to retail at nearly twice the price. Here we really notice the cost benefits of open source software.The Eee Pc is set to release in the summer, will retail for around 399 (Linux OS), making it reasonably priced depending on the choice of hard drive space.

This great custom R2-D2 PC case modification is set to rock the worlds of all Star Wars fans. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be information regarding this particular mod, except that it could possibly have been made from the original R2 chassis.

The original R2-D2 chassis used in the movies was precision made to a high standard by an Australian firm called Petric Engineering. A closer look at this R2-D2 PC case reveals slight imperfections in the build quality but considering the thing looks this much like R2-D2, I don’t see many people complaining, just asking where on earth they might be able to pick one up.

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Whether or not the creator actually wanted to keep his name quiet is unclear but one thing is for sure, he has sparked off a lot of interest regarding R2 mods. There seems to be a bunch of R2 case mods popping up here and there, and one of the better ones we found actually had some information.

This R2-D2 case was created by Ken “TGS” Kirby for ExtremeTech’s Science Fiction Case Mod Contest. Unfortunately he wasn’t able to complete the mod in time for the competition deadline so didn’t make rank, however many have reported that R2 would of certainly taken the 1st prize had it been entered.

The idea started when Ken salvaged two R2-D2 legs from an old R2-D2 Pepsi cooler. The after a long search he managed to find a white plastic barrel for R2’s body and a weber grill for R2’s head, then the chassis was ready.

Ken’s finished mod comes complete with:

• ABIT IC7-G
• P4 3.2Ghz w/HT @ 3.71Ghz
• 2GB (4 x 512MB) of DDR400 RAM
• 120GB Hard drive
• Radeon 9800XT 256MB Graphics Card
• Creative 7.1 surround sound
• Asetek Vapochill Phase Change cooling @ -38C

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As the trend for R2-D2 mod’s catches on and begins to grow, perhaps it won’t be long before a large company patents the idea and sets up for mass production.

Brickhouse Security has just released their “Secret Service Invisible 2-Way Micro Headset,” the smallest communications device currently available to the general public. So, if you’re in need of an invisible headset for your business communications, covert operations or simply to impress your friends, you can pick one up for a mere 650 bucks.

This tiny communications device comprises of a micro-sized earphone, a transmitter necklace and a microphone which is connected to a cell phone. The micro earphone is wireless and weighs approx 1 gram, the wireless transmission works silently and is automatically picked up by the micro-earbud on the transmission necklace.

The earphone isolates the sound in the ear so nothing can be heard from the outside and there is an invisible thread which allows for a quick safe removal after use.

The device is marketed for suits business negotiations and meetings, live media appearances and personal surveillance requirements. People like President Bush and Barak Obama are already wearing the Secret Service Invisible 2-Way Micro Headset to ensure the correct wording, details and quotes are used when speaking publicly.

Check Out The Promotion Video From Brickhouse.

When it comes to racing simulators the VRX Mach 4 wins hands down. Power by 4 Xbox 360’s – one for each of the 3 Sharp Aquos LCDs, and one for the 7″ LCD rear view mirror – There are hands-on (and feet) controls to mimic the driving experience, a Harmon Kardon surround sound receiver with 10 Bose Acoustimass speakers. There is even a “Virtual Wind System”, consisting of 2 dual Honeywell fans and Tactile Vibration Feedback System for extra realism.

More Pictures And Full Technical Specifications After The Jump!

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Scientists believe to have made a break through discovery that could one day allow us to charge or power electrical devices such as cell phones, by converting body heat to electricity.

A team of scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California at Berkeley have been working with silicon nanowire-based converters and recently announced that they may have found a way to use to increase the conversion efficiency by a factor of 100.Using a process called “electroless etching” the scientist are able synthesize silicon nanowires in an aqueous solution on the surfaces of wafers. The “technique involves the galvanic displacement of silicon through the reduction of silver ions on a wafer’s surface” the team explain in their paper.

This technique of creating the nanowires results in vertically aligned wires that feature a rougher surface than normal nanowires. It is believed that the rough surface of the nanowires is to account for the high thermoelectric efficiency.

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First introduced in 2005, the Rip Saw, an awesome all terrain vehicle is about to hit the market to the masses with a $200,000 price tag. The custom-built Unmanned Ground Vehicle can hit 0-60 in 3.5 seconds, has 80 mph top speed, and can maneuver over any surface or terrain a tank can.

The privately funded Rip Saw was first built by the Howe brothers for the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge. Based on the original manned prototype, the newest version of the Rip Saw is now remote controlled. Though the Rip Saw didn’t win, its video certainly turned some heads, enough to find funding to build more than one.Check out the video of the original manned Rip Saw in action, watch as it drives through a barn as if it were a cardboard box….

A Japanese company recently unveiled a new device that will allow people “speak” through their ear so they can use their mobile telephones in noisy places.

The device - named “e-Mimi-kun” (good ear boy) - doubles as an earphone and a microphone by detecting air vibrations inside the ear, developer NS-ELEX Co. said.The ear piece and the accompanying device can be connected to a mobile phone, or wirelessly to a Bluetooth handset, so users no longer have to cover their mouths when speaking in a loud environment.

“Exterior noise is reduced six-fold by the ear piece, while a chip developed by Sanyo Electric for the accompanying device reduces sound levels ten-fold.”

NS-ELEX believes the product would be useful for people working in places such as factories, restaurants and amusement parks.

Electronic Paper Display is due to shape the future of how we display text and graphics. The new display technology is designed to mimic the appearance of ordinary ink on paper and possess a high contrast appearance, ultra-low power consumption, and a thin, light form.

The EPD reflects light like ordinary paper and is capable of holding text and images indefinitely without drawing electricity, while allowing the image to be changed later. The images are displayed in black on a whitish-gray background with a resolution similar to that of a typical laptop computer screen.

Check out this video of a new prototype PDA from Phillips that incorporates the new E-paper.

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New high speed digital video camcorders are capturing speed and giving scientist a new perspective in time, speed and motion.

With the rapid growth in small electronic devices such as mobile phones that are required to work both indoors and outdoors, the risk of water ingress and damage to these high value items has grown enormously. Now a new military technology may be able to protect these valuable electronics from the risk of water damage.

Ion-mask, as the product is known is being developed by a company called Hi Tec and is able to modify the surface of virtually any material, applying a protective layer, just nanometers thick, over the surface of the object by means of an ionized gas or “plasma”.Ion-Mask works at a molecular level, binding invisibly to the surfaces of products, giving them an extraordinary ability to repel most liquids. Ion-Mask is transparent and invisible to the naked eye and the treatment not only coats the external surfaces but also the inside without damaging precision circuitry.

The technology was originally developed to protect soldiers from chemical attacks but is beginning to show its many uses. Apart from increasing the protection of smaller items, ion-mask can also be used to ensure that larger, more complex items are given an additional level of protection.

A complete XBox 360 Package. Xbox 360 sets a new pace for digital entertainment and is regarded as a cutting-edge game system. With integrated high-definition video, DVD movie playback, digital music, photos, and online connectivity into one sleek, small tower it got only better with the release of Halo 3. Halo 3 is included, and featured on this Special Edition XBox 360.

XBox 360 Halo 3 Package Includes:

• XBox 360 Console / Halo 3 Special Edition
• Wireless Remote Controller (Halo 3 Special Edition)
• Wireless Remote Controller (White)
• Halo 3

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Talks of a phone from Google dubbed the Gphone, have recently been causing a stir on the World Wide Web. There are articles mentioning deals between certain high profile companies with expected release dates and even articles from people claiming they have already seen prototypes. Whether or not we can believe everything we read, Google are on the up and up so a move into the wireless industry is not out of character.

There have been a few reports that Google are making a big push in the development of their own handset. High Tech Computers, a Taiwan-based smart phone maker are rumored to be designing the Linux device which is said to incorporate a Texas Instruments “edge” chipset. There have been a number of specifications listed in these reports and if all of this turns out to be true, Google may revolutionize the way we use our cell phones.

Reports suggest we can expect a handset that provides Wi-Fi, 3-G and GPS capability, a user friendly browser such as Linux or possibly one designed by Google, access to VoIP, Gtalk or even Skype, a 2 Megapixel Camera, Mp3, a predictive Qwerty Keyboard and of course, a large color screen.

The Gphone is apparently scheduled for release early 2008, with T-Mobile and Orange tipped to be providing services it may seem like everything is almost decided. If Google can come up with a handset that can incorporate all these features then they really will have a rival to the Apple iPhone.

The iPhone is a great device and certainly did take mobile technology to the next level; however some felt it didn’t quite live up to the hype. All this talk of the Gphone is setting the stage for something really spectacular but with no sign of any official concept designs, it’s difficult to really predict what’s on the companies mind.

Note: All images are Unofficial Concept Sketches; designs are artist impressions of what the Gphone may look like.

Storage and disk space have always been a problem since computers were first invented. Organizing files, creating compilation music CDs, cataloging your movie collection, and backing up your files that you hope will be available when you need them; all consume large amounts of your vital virtual reality. Now if that wasn’t enough, after we have gone through all the trouble of moving all these files around, we have to make sure we bring the right CD or thumb drive at the time they are needed. Being randomly deployed and stationed at various bases has only added to the trouble. Thanks to the advancement of fast internet, there is actually a solution that helps organize your files and have all your files at a moments notice known as online storage.

Some sites require you to login and access the files. However, if you really wanted to do this correctly you would create a network drive to a dedicated server, so all you had to do a was click an icon to access the folders. But this requires a lot of money to make sure you have good server with a fast connection and that was very secure and maintained properly. Well with IBackUp all of your storage needs are finally resolved and you have the ability to secure personal data online while having the ability to access your files easily anywhere!

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Over the weekend I was able to get sometime at the paintball courses out here in Thailand. The courses are actually just jungle with some forts and miscellaneous vehicles for reference points. Paintball is a huge hobby for military guys and a great way to hone your military skills. Most bases offer paintball courses, and of course you can always set up your own in your backyard. Today well list out where to get the latest paintball gear online.

Ultimate Paintball Gun Store, obvious by its name, carries a large selection of hot paintball manufactures such as: Tippmann, Spyder, Smart Parts, Dye, Draxxus. The list doesn’t stop there so you can easily compare prices, check out the latest styles, and research extreme paintball gear to find which is best for you.

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If the previous post about the Airborne Laser Weapon got you thinking, check out the video below which runs through steps on how to make your own high powered laser.

Careful where you point the thing and don’t forget, UN protocol outlaws permanent blinding as a combat tactic!!!!

Enjoy!