Back in the olden days, before Abraham Lincoln put an end to the megahertz myth -- or was it Theodore Roosevelt, we always get so confused -- the Pentium 4 ruled the land, with its deep instruction pipeline and PR-friendly xtreem clock speeds. Luckily, Intel wised up and started beefing up the quantity and efficiency of cores instead of just the megahertz, but the megahertz myth still lives on in our hearts, and OC Team Italy keeps that hope alive with its latest achievement: an 8000MHz (8GHz in layman's terms) overclocked Pentium 4. The lucky chip to reach such ridiculous frequencies is a "Cedar Mill" Intel Pentium 4 631, with a standard clock speed of 3GHz. It wasn't just a case of flipping a few pins here and there, the OC folks used a modified ASUS P5B motherboard, with an added copper pipe and a few voltage modifications, along with a little bit of your garden-variety liquid nitrogen to keep it all cool. Golf claps all around, OC, now can you do something to rev up a processor that's actually going to be useful for something? Wait. What's gotten into us? Keep up the good work!

[Via Slashdot]

There's iPod knockoffs, and then there's the SOAP MP4 Player. This little gem unsurprisingly comes in black and glossy white flavors, boasts an unmistakable scroll wheel and stark white earbuds, and throws a few curves around the edges in a futile attempt to disclose its true inspiration. Furthermore, this device even rips a chunk of its name from another knockoff, providing two times the unoriginal fun, but sadly, we can't find a direct link to Samuel L. Jackson. Nevertheless, this 2GB PMP plays nice with MP3, MP4, WMA, WMV, ASF, and WAV, and features a built-in FM tuner / voice recorder, seven pre-set equalizer modes, USB 2.0 connectivity, 1.8-inch OLED display, rechargeable Li-ion battery, and support for a plethora of languages. So if you're looking to impress your clueless friends, or you just want a curvaceous 1G nano with a fancy screen a few extra niceties, you can pick this unit up now for $99.

While you might color us impressed if JVC's latest player / dubber handled recordable HD DVDs or Blu-ray discs, the SR-DVM700 really isn't much more than a brushed up version of its DR-DX5S from back in the day. Sure, it can offload content from Mini DV tapes, DVD-R/RWs, DVD-RAM, and basically any other analog device, but you still won't be compiling your data on any of the newest high capacity optical discs. Nevertheless, JVC's latest touts "six-way dubbing", provides on-deck / remote controls, an MPEG2 image processor, and a 250GB internal hard drive. It also provides a foolproof UI to handle your dubbing needs, component outputs, front / rear AV inputs, rack-mountability, simple editing and authoring features, and a simultaneous video recording function to dub to multiple sources at once. Although pricing and availability details haven't been divulged, we suspect this triple-duty device will be hitting Japanese DV stores soon.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

We've seen dozens of (mostly futile) attempts to bring 3D technology into our lives in a non-gimmicky manner, but the 54-year old Yoichiro Kawaguchi has developed yet another device that will likely fall by the wayside rather than gain steam. The University of Tokyo professor has devised a psychedelic 39- x 24-inch screen that boasts no fewer than 72 air cylinders behind the flexible fabric front, which are used to "push and pull" based on whatever action is being portrayed. The creator describes the Gemotion as a "soft, living display that that bulges and collapses in sync with the graphics on the screen," creating a moving display that's likely to terrify (or thrill, depending on perspective) small children. Apparently, the idea is to use computer software to convert images projected onto the screen into specific movements, allowing characters on screen to literally "jump out" at viewers, and can purportedly liven up your average "video game, TV show, or film" by giving it "an element of power never seen before." While the idea seems impressive in theory, we'd definitely need to see this thing in action before taking it too seriously, but those hanging around the National Art Center in Tokyo can drop by and give it a once over for us until February 4th.

[Via PinkTentacle]

If your built-in WiFi antenna is less than phenomenal, or you're just looking to jack some WiFi from another country to avoid severe punishment, Buffalo's AirStation WLI-U2-SG54HP might be the answer. This USB 2.0 stick adapter operates like any vanilla 802.11b/g wireless LAN adornment, but ups the ante by suctioning to the rear of your display and reportedly boosting your reception capability by 210-percent. Granted, we're not sure where the firm is deriving this lofty figure, but it's probably safe to assume that strapping a relatively large antenna on the back of your lappie will persuade a few more far away signals to come your way than your factory-installed alternative. So if you're looking for a way to extend that range (legally), or just enjoy having a tethered weapon at your disposal at all times, Buffalo's WLI-U2-SG54HP can be snapped up next month for ¥3,700 ($31)

[Via OhGizmo]

Anyone with even an ounce of geek cred has at least one of the many varieties of duck-shaped flash drives hanging obtrusively off of his or her computer, but up until now there hasn't really been a proper way to showcase these tributes to the whimsical bathtub days of youth. Well that's all about to change thanks to duck-loving SolidAlliance, who has just released a USB hub specifically designed for the iDuck, iDuck Love, Devil Duckie, and their many, many brethren. What makes this particular hub so duck-tastic, you ask? For starters, its got pictures of USB ducks adorned above each input -- so, you know, you don't accidentally plug in your sushi drives or something stupid like that. You'd think that they'd also space out the USB jacks so that you could squeeze in three full-size ducks next to one another, but alas, it seems that you'll need some baby ducks (or ducklings, as it were) in the mix if you want to fill up all four slots. And if you don't have enough electronic waterfowl to justify a dedicated dock? No problem: these damn ducks are so popular nowadays that you can even pick up non-functional, completely ornamental models to fill in the blanks.

We've seen a bevy of interestingly designed speaker systems come our way, and we've even caught a few glimpses of concrete-based gizmos, but a few crafty Germans decided to create their own nearly immovable 5.1 surround set by casting each speaker in pure cement. By measuring out the dimensions and constructing molds using wood and wax, the speaker enclosures were then placed in a wire cage and doused with concrete. After solidifying, the internal molds were removed and a custom etched logo was carved on the side, only to be further decorated with a few dashes of paint. Eventually, the electronics and drivers were all installed and sealed up, leaving a surround system that would be quite a burden if any thieves tried to relocate them. While there's no specific step-be-step guide available, the entire process was fairly well captured in photographs, so be sure and hit the read link if you're interesting in killing gobs of time creating a very bizarre set of speakers, or click on through for a few more snapshots.

[Via HackADay]

If there's one thing the iPod has going for it in comparison to basically every other DAP / PMP out there, it's that the accessory market is just brimming with new Made for iPod gizmos, but for those of you non-Apple owners out there who yearn for an iPod Hi-Fi or one of the other bazillion speaker systems tailored specifically for Apple's cash cow, you can commence thanking your lucky stars. ANYCOM has unveiled a Bluetooth receiver / protocol converter for any device that supports Apple's iPod, which takes any tune streamed over A2DP and plays it through the iPod speaker system, regardless of the type of media player / cellphone you're using. The tiny (black or white, obviously) device operates on Bluetooth 2.0 and accepts music from any A2DP-enabled device as well as controlling functions from any unit supporting AVRCP; users simply click the device into the accessory's dock adapter, pair it with their A2DP source, and stream away. While we're admittedly enthused about such a device, it is a bit shocking that something similar hasn't come along sooner, but regardless, ANYCOM's FIPO should hit mass production in mid-February and run you about $99.

[Via BlueTomorrow]

If you dig the nearly endless applications for jazzing up almost anything with light emitting diodes, you'll be thrilled to know that a Kyoto-based firm has now crafted an even smaller rendition of our favorite lighting gizmo to give you even more flexibility when brightening up your life. Joining the bloated list of "world's smallest" gadgets, Rohm's latest LED, dubbed the PicoLED, comes in at just 1- x 0.8- x 0.2-millimeters in size, besting the previous title holder of 1.6- x 0.8- x 0.2-millimeters. The firm purportedly aims to pump out around 10 million of these bantam diodes per month when it hits mass production in April, and if you've got some serious buying power, you can pick these up for around ¥100 ($0.83) apiece and go absolutely wild.

[Via PlasticBamboo]

If relying on sunlight and downhill routes in Venturi's uber-green Eclectic doesn't exactly sound feasible for your everyday (and night) errands, and your ultraportable's five hours of battery life just isn't where you think it should be, EEStor is hoping to remedy those issues -- along with basically every other battery-related quandary -- in one fell swoop. In another case of "this just can't be for realz," an elusive Texas company is coming clean about what's been happening in its labs of late, and the proclamations are nothing short of sensational. The firm boldly states that its one of a kind system, a "battery-ultracapacitor hybrid based on barium-titanate powders, will dramatically outperform the best lithium-ion batteries on the market in terms of energy density, price, charge time, and safety." Moreover, this miracle-working solution is said to produce "ten times" the power of lead-acid batteries at half the cost, sans the need for "toxic materials or chemicals." Additionally, EEStor is hoping to have its Electrical Energy Storage Unit (EESU) powering the wheels of Toronto-based ZENN Motor vehicles, and if "estimates" are to be believed, it will only take about $9 worth of electricity for an EESU-propelled car to travel 500 miles, compared to nearly $60 in gasoline. Of course, such a "breakthrough" product is bound to have its fair share of naysayers, and Jim Miller, vice president of advanced transportation technologies at Maxwell Technologies, is indeed skeptical that EEStor's technology will be able to withstand the unique pressures that a vehicle would place on the "brittle" structure. But we've got to give credit to the company's vow to veer clear of hype, as it notes that this is just the first time it has come forward to intro the technology, and maintains that it will "meet all of its claims" -- guess we'll see about that, eh?

[Via The Raw Feed]

They're a little slow out of the gate with this one, but U.K.-based Quantum Research Group has decided to get litigious with Apple nonetheless, claiming that the familiar iPod click-wheel violates its patent on "charge-transfer technology." Apparently, the legal action actually got going all the way back in December of 2005 but has only been made public now. While the merits of the claim remain to be seen, unlike some lawsuits we've covered, Quantum Research at least actually makes regular use of its various patents, providing its capacitive sensor technology to a wide range of companies, including Logitech, Meizu, Samsung, and Sony, among others. For its part, Apple unsurprisingly denies the company's allegations, also going so far as to file counterclaims for "non-infringement and invalidity." It's apparently not all animosity between the two companies, however, with Quantum CEO Hal Philipp telling Electronics Weekly that he "respects Apple products," also adding that he "expects Quantum to gain from the buzz around its iPhone" and hopes that it doesn't contain "Quantum-patented charge-transfer technology."

[Thanks, gamebittk]

While it's no surprise that Sony's not exactly jonesing to knock a few bills off the PlayStation 3's premium price tag, it's still somewhat notable that a top exec at the company would go out on a limb and explain exactly why you won't be getting a break on one anytime soon. When asked by Game Informer whether the PlayStation 3's price cuts would be "as soon or as drastic as they were for the PlayStation 2," recently-promoted SCEA head Jack Tretton said flatly "no," adding that all the increased investment in R & D and hardware make the system "a lot more difficult to cost reduce" than the PS2. Tretton further clarified things by saying that "there's a heck of a lot more under the hood and it costs us more money to make it." Our pals at Joystiq did the math, and if that statement holds true, it looks like we won't be seeing a price reduction on the PS3 until June 4th, 2008 at the absolute earliest and, in all likelihood, not one on the level of the $299 to $199 drop the PS2 saw.

We realize that Intel has probably waited about as long as it possibly can on this not-yet-ratified 802.11n deal, but on the very day we see some rare signs of life in the 802.11 task force, Intel is making its own draft-spec 802.11n Mini PCI card official. While we've known that Intel would be backing the protocol for some time now, the company has just announced that the 4965agn card (backwards compatible with a/b/g networks) will be replacing the existing 3945abg card and should be shipping on most Vista-equipped laptops. Intel claims that its new card will offer up "five times the performance, twice the range, and greater battery life" than its predecessor. Additionally, the firm launched the "Connect with Centrino" campaign, which will force vendors such as Asus, Belkin, Buffalo, D-Link, and Netgear to pass Intel's own line of testing in order to receive its coveted seal of approval, which is just begging to cause inoperability problems whenever 802.11n goes final. Users interested in getting the latest WiFi chip in their Centrino package can look for that (probably large) palm rest sticker signifying that it's certified starting this week, and if you're completely bored interested, you can click on through to see a demonstration video on how Intel tests its own Connect with Centrino program.

Vista hasn't even completely made it out the door yet, but Microsoft looks to already be hard at work on the inevitable first service pack, code named "Fiji," sending out a call for testers in hopes of rolling out the upgrade by the end of the year. As rumored the first time we got wind of the Fiji moniker, the upgrade will apparently add a number of features to Vista that had to be axed in order to meet this month's launch date, as well as address various "high impact" issues, although Microsoft doesn't seem to be willing to elaborate on exactly what those issues might be or how high their impactedness may rank. Of course, all this pales in comparison to rumored changes coming in that other exotically-named Vista upgrade supposedly in the works, with Vienna promising to turn the OS on its head, doing away with that pesky compatibility for "all applications" and throwing everyone for a loop with a completely new interface. No word yet on a possible service pack for it.

[Via The Inquirer]

Just in case any manufacturing stragglers out there hadn't caught on yet: if it ain't packing Vista you might as well go home at this point. We know the changes might not be huge in Microsoft's upcoming OS, but it's shiny and it's fresh, so get on that. Anyways, no complaints here -- Toshiba didn't hold back with its new A135 15.4-inch laptops, and you can nab your own with Windows Vista Home Premium of Windows Vista Ultimate on January 30th. As for specs, there's nothing too incredibly surprising here, but Toshiba did manage to squeeze dual 2.4-inch drive bays into the 6 pound, 1.47-inch thick laptop, which is a bit of a feat in itself. The 15.4-inch display rocks a 1280 x 800 resolution, graphics are provided by an Intel 950 integrated number, while WiFi is of the 802.11a/b/g variety. Other perks include a 5-in-1 memory card reader and a PCMCIA slot, but it really seems Toshiba left a lot of the usual media-friendly suspects out to make room for those dual 120GB SATA drives. Prices start at $900 for the A135-S4427 1.73GHz Core Duo laptop with 1GB of RAM and a single 120 gigger, ranging up to the $1500 A135-S4499 which packs a 1.66GHz Core 2 Duo proc, 2GB of RAM, dual 120GB disks and of course Vista Ultimate.

[Via Laptoping]