Windows XP to smartphone with ITG xpPhone

How would you like to have a device as small (relatively speaking) as a large smartphone with Windows XP running on it? Well, that would be the ITG xpPhone?

In Technology Group (ITG) has been toying with the idea of a Windows XP smartphone for close to 2 years, and is finally putting their xpPhone on the market. The xpPhone brings the embedded version of Windows XP to a large, 4.8 inch 800x480 touchscreen device with a slide out QWERTY keyboard.

Besides the fact that this runs Windows, the xpPhone is remarkable for it's keyboard. It's not only a 'full' QWERTY, it also has a separate numerical keypad on the right, as well as buttons that correspond to the left and right mouse buttons. Before you reach for your wallet, you should know that this retails for $798 (3G), $732 (no 3G), and $666 (no 3G, DOS instead of Windows).

Electric Bicycle: M55 Beast

I must admit, I have been intrigued by the theoretical possibility of electric bikes for some time now but I have never seen a model that offered the performance, longevity, and style that would make it a practical alternative to less Earth friendly methods of transportation.  However the new M55 Beast may just be the perfect amalgam of those qualities.  Unfortunately, it’s not cheap.

The Beast offers riders a tops speed of up to 40 miles per hour and can maintain battery life for up to 75 miles which is a lot better than the industry standard of 40 miles.  Not only is the speed fast enough to get you to and from work in a reasonably good time frame, the range is enough to allow an average commuter 2, maybe even 3 days of use on a single charge.  My commute is a little shorter than most so I could, theoretically, go for 20 days or more!

New software processes hundred-billion-pixel photos in seconds

Computer scientists from the University of Utah have developed computer software that allows editing of "extreme resolution" image files in a matter of seconds, a process that could previously have taken hours. Whereas existing editing suites require the full gigapixel image to be loaded into a computer's memory before manipulation can begin, the new development draws a lower resolution preview image from an externally-stored image into the editing screen. Users are said to benefit from being able to make image-wide modifications in seconds rather than hours and on devices normally not nearly powerful enough for such things.

double-screen tablet to replace giant textbooks

Huge, heavy reference tomes are still a major part of modern study and research. If you've ever wished that those textbooks in front of you could come to life and offer a more engaging experience than just reading through reams of text, then the Kno could be what you're looking for. Weighing in at 5.5 pounds, the dual-screen electronic textbook will offer students access to a wealth of published educational material as well as wireless access to the internet and multimedia content such as high definition video. Just like with its paper cousin, the Kno will also allow for note-taking, highlighting and bookmarking.

The upgradable, recyclable Bloom laptop

It’s a given that we will one day be discarding our present laptop computers. It’s also a given that e-waste is currently a huge problem, that looks like it’s only going to get worse. While most of the materials in a laptop can be recycled, all of those pieces of glass, metal, plastic and circuitry are stuck together pretty tight, and require a lot of time and effort to separate. What is needed are laptops that are designed to be taken apart, for easy recycling – that’s why a group of graduate students from Stanford University made one. Check this Video out to find out About it