Sound off with the Personal Soundtrack T-shirt

For those of you who've oft-times been called (read: Maligned) a loudspeaker to your face, get it off your chest. The Personal Sountrack T-shirt actually sports a working speaker right on the front--though, if you ask me, it's an awkward placement for the well-endowed female since, well, like the saying goes, "three's a crowd". Still, if you don't mind music thumping right off your chest like an Alien offspring erupting forth, ThinkGeek's actually put this crazy item into production after it proved an April Fool's hit.

So if you want a wearable audio solution that's, ahem, right upfront, it's ready for pre-order at US$39.99. A pocketable remote lets you access over 20 different themes and sound effects, ranging from drum rolls to boos, to Western face-off theme.

Wacky ThinkGeek vid clip to follow on how you can snag a gal with one. Though it'll be a challenge cuddling up if she starts to sport her own Personal Soundtrack T-Shirt, too.
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ASUS says YES to free SG battery upgrade

Good news! ASUS Singapore has finally decided to go ahead with a comparable free extended battery upgrade to match its Hong Kong office.

Currently, customers in the Special Administrative Region are entitled to a free upgrade to the four-cell 5,800mAh battery upon purchase of the ASUS Eee PC 900 which presently sports a lower-capacity 4,400mAh battery. This upgrade is available till end July, although we've learned that future batches of the UMPC will carry the larger-capacity cell.

For Singapore, this was until today not the case. Now ASUS Singapore has decided to follow suit indefinitely, though it isn't clear at this point if future Eee PC 900 stock will offer the 5,800mAh battery.

To be entitled to the free upgrade, Singapore customers will have to get in touch with the ASUS Singapore office for registration together with the original valid invoice from authorized ASUS resellers. Following this, a notification will be sent upon availability of the replacement battery with the original 4,400mAh exchanged in return.
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Cowon joins the post-bamboo era

Bamboo is so yesterday. While the eco-quotient of that reputedly sustainable material remains the subject of some debate, a few manufacturers are headed for other forested regions to make their wares with finishings of the wood-grass variety.

Fujitsu went with cedar in a laptop showcased earlier this month in Milan, and now Cowon is gracing the Korean market with a new version of its N3 all-in-one gadget in what appears to be burl walnut, as Akihabara News reports. Other than the sylvan exterior, this portable navigation device is pretty much the same as the original model with a 7-inch touch screen, GPS features, and audio and video functions. Our prediction: A future model for the dashboard.

Via CNET Crave | Credit: Akihabara News

B&O: Get your paws off our TouchLess remote

Bang & Olufsen has always been driven by avant-garde designs, but its latest concept for a remote control may be crossing the line from innovation to science fiction. Apparently not satisfied with its previous efforts, no matter how bizarre they may be already, B&O is contemplating a model that requires no physical contact to operate. We're not kidding.

The aptly named TouchLess was inspired by germaphobic trends that are increasingly influencing product development, leading the company's design mavens to work on a device that would never be sullied by your bacteria-infested mitts. "Designed primarily for kitchen use, the TouchLess can control the cooker, washing machine, and boil a kettle from the comfort of your armchair," T3 says, as well as command the media center with simple Louis XIV-style wave of the hand. What's next for B&O R&D? A cloak of invisibility, of course.



Via Crave CNET

All hail the Optimus Maximus from--ThinkGeek?

So it finally happened. The Optimus Maximus--the most-hyped keyboard of all time--is now for sale to the consuming public as promised. To which we have only one response: ThinkGeek?

We don't have anything against the gadget peddler, mind you--it was just a little surprising to see a US$1,589.99 product being sold by a retailer that's better known for such products as USB rocket launchers. On its What's New page, for instance, the vaunted Maximus is sandwiched between a Dueling Space Marines Copter Set and a pair of Speed Racer Mini R/C Cars.

Not that we have anything against such items, of course. We just thought that Art Lebedev, the uber-keyboard's Russia-based purveyor, might have opted for a higher-end distributor for its crown jewel. Which, by the way, is selling for around US$25 more than the oft-quoted price for the version that allows all 113 keys to be programmed separately. Just to show we're paying attention.

Via Crave CNET

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