Here's something you didn't even know you needed: a Tension Labs EAP03 Earphone Audio Processor, taking that crappy sound you get from earphones and attempting to somehow improve it. The credit-card-sized unit is powered with a lithium battery, and attaches to your portable music player with Velcro. It's designed to give you lots of control and multi-band equalization of your audio with its multichannel audio processor, and can also tell you just how loud that music is you're listening to. Sound useful yet? Besides that sound sweetening, It has another feature that might actually make your life easier.

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If you want to see a building imploded with 1000 pounds of high explosives, Las Vegas was the place to be early yesterday morning. That's when demolition experts finally got rid of the 16-story New Frontier Hotel in grand style, as only Las Vegas would be sleazy enough to do. Anyway, we never get tired of seeing them bring down the big buildings, but found all the fireworks just distracting. Just blow the thing up already.

By the way, this was the hotel where Elvis made his big Vegas debut back in '56. In the place of this pile of ashes, by 2011 a phoenix will rise in the form of the Plaza, an $8 billion luxo-palace complex on the Vegas strip that will specialize in fleecing those who don't understand the difference between possibility and probability. [Metacafe and LA Times]

Sharp's DK-AP2 iPod dock looks like the result of a quick bunk-up between Darth Vader and a vacuum cleaner (laugh all you want, but I bet the nights are long and lonely when you're Dark Lord of the Sith). Compatible with just about every iPod ever made (including the new nanos) as well as other MP3 players, it's comes with a credit card-sized remote control and costs around $165. It's also available in white, meaning that any Princess Leia wannabes with Stockholm Syndrome should consider getting one. [Crave at CNET.co.uk via New Launches]

Teac Esoteric is celebrating 20 years of semi-high end stuff with the VRDS X-05, a Super Audio CD player that boasts all sorts of sexiness—well, the sort of sexiness that only comes with CD players. For example:

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Giving further proof that there's no problem that technology can't tackle (and that Addy and me should have stayed for another week diving in the Maldives) some guys have recorded on camera how you can use a laser cutter machine to perfectly slice a pizza with mathematical precision. No pepperoni was harmed in the production of the following video.

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Ah, holidays. Spend a couple of weeks on a faraway island, where the words "internet" and "connection" are met with baffled stares, and it's easy to forget what one's purpose in life actually is. And then you come across a concept gizmo like the Tok Tak and it all comes flooding back: The Giz! Her readers! Hot Verdommer and Eek-a-poos, I'd better get back to work before the editor realises that I didn't just nip out to get a packet of fags from the store. Designed by Tae-won Kim, the Tok Tak looks like an audio jack but is actually a basic MP3 player concept that comes with a base station — which, judging by the photo below, looks a bit like Tae-won got his inspiration from gazing at a smoke detector.

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With social networking sites being as hot as Jessica Alba's behind, everyone is understandably clamoring for a piece of the pie. Google and Yahoo are attempting to muscle their way in, and they hope to do this by creating a semi-social environment right within your inbox.

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We kinda forgot all about this little box for old folks with old TVs that was announced way back at CES and promised by the end of this year. It's got a fresh paint job and later street date (January), presumably because analogue support's been somewhat extended through 2012, with cable operators performing the conversion voodoo themselves or giving you a free box. If you're not getting the freebie, or rolling down to Best Buy, you can knock $40 off the DTA800 and keep on trucking with your grandma TV. More pictures:

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Sometime late this year, Monster (yes, that Monster) will roll out the iSonicast, a two-piece system that turns your iPod into a wireless remote control that streams music to the base station, located at your stereo. It's a simple system, and at $100, a pretty low price, especially for Monster. It uses 2.4GHz RF to transmit, and though it's currently spec'd to get a range of 30 feet, Monster's Noel Lee tells us they might try to jack up the range, though the downside may be less battery life. I know what you're thinking: I've seen this before. Logitech had something like this about two years ago, using Bluetooth. Not sure what became of it, but the sound quality back then wasn't great. Here's hoping Monster can live up to its reputation and get some decent sound. [Monster]

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Optoma's new 720p HD65 projector is a revamped, dwarfened version of the HD70. While holding on to the same resolution, it's 15 percent smaller and almost a third lighter, shaving off two pounds to tip the scales at just five. The HD65 also includes HDMI 1.3 and maintains the HD70's $1000 price tag. [Optoma]

ATI's TV Wonder 650 TV tuners have been out for PCs for a bit, but a Mac version of the Combo USB variety's arriving just this month for $149, and it comes in a special white case—guess they didn't get the memo silver's the new white. It's also sporting a polished new interface and parental controls, though spec-wise it appears to be the same as before (OTA Analog and HD, Clear-QAM, etc.), making it a pretty decent solution for a Mac mini HD PVR setup. This way for more photos.

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Today SanDisk revealed Vaulter, a 8GB or 16GB flash drive that can hold your entire OS, designed to sit on the PCIe port inside a laptop. In Windows, this creates a separate letter drive, which speeds the hell out of your computer, without taking the place of your 2.5" SATA-connected HDD. It's not a Santa Rosa "Robson" thing either—it's a real drive, not some caching assistant. (In case you're wondering, Mac support is coming.) Performance acceleration comes from "pre-controlling the distribution of storage data between itself and the hard drive." The fact that it's on the PCIe port means that both storage devices can work in parallel. Now, the bad news: SanDisk is only offering it to OEM partners at first. We won't be able to buy them a la carte for a little while. [SanDisk]

Like the Venturi Mini, the eX-10 includes an FM transmitter, along with support for the A2DP stereo Bluetooth profile, and can pair with up to four devices simultaneously. However, the Alpine device ups the ante by packing in an iPod cable and a larger display (but sadly it's not a touch screen). We also liked the fact that the eX-10 has a detached mic that clips onto your visor for clearer calls. However, we're skeptical about the device's remote control interface and think that the remote just begs to be lost. The hub simply connects to the cigarette lighter and can be mounted to your dash with the built in suction cup. The Alpine eX-10 should be available in about three weeks and will retail for $200. [Alpine]

Chances are that if you have $45,000 lying around to blow on a lamp, you probably did something shady to get it. So a Fall of the Dammed lamp depicting a Dante-esque decent into hell should be right up your alley. Thanks to a sophisticated laser sculpting process, owners can now enjoy an extremely expensive reminder that when the apocalypse hits, Satan will be there to kick their ass. [Product Page via BLTD]

SentrySafe has made safes for 70 years, but now they've teamed with Seagate/Maxtor to make hard-drive housings that withstand up to 1550degrees Fahrenheit for a half hour, and "full" 24-hour water submersion. Some like the Fire-Safe/Waterproof 80GB and 160GB ($320) drives are freestanding units that house 2.5" bus-powered drives in impervious containers. The other alternative is a full-blown $520 safe that has a USB pass-through for your bus-powered drive. A third option is a smaller filing box, the Data Storage Safe, which lets you keep DVDs and other small documents along with a small USB drive. [SentrySafe]

Despite Apple lamenting in their earnings report that "Japan continues to be our most challenging major market," they were big there, at least for a month. OS X toppled Windows in October, claiming 53.9 percent of total OS-only sales. While Leopard's launch earns the lion's share of the credit for pushing OS X to the top, Windows' year-over-year sales growth between Sept. and Oct. bombed from 75.3 to 28.7 percent. Leopard's not killing off Windows in Japan by any means, so what's up with the skydive?

One likely cause of Windows free-falling is the coinciding plunging of PC sales in Japan. People are sticking with the same old computers for longer since they—combo'd with other consumer electronics sporting limited PC functions—still do pretty much everything a lot of users in Japan want them to. So not only is there no need for shiny, glossy Vista on a functional level, it doesn't get along well with 4-year-old PCs.

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According to the Biological Farmers Association of Australia (flagging their organic interest up front), new research claims that the incidence of eczema in infants fed on organic dairy and whose mothers also consume organic dairy, is 36% lower than in children who consume conventional dairy. Why is this even here on Giz? Hurrah for science thanks very much! I'm all for healthy alternatives when there is a sound principle underlying the concept - not alterna-health for some naff 'feel good' reasoning alone. So while in part this study recommends further examination as being warranted, it's a genuine shot in the arm (teehee) for why one might choose organic dairy over modern factory methods.

The study, conducted in the Netherlands and published in the British Journal of Nutrition, investigated organic food consumption during the first two years of life. The research was examining not only eczema, but wheezing and alllergen sensitisation. The organic dairy eczema assocation was the single clear association, with organic meet, fruit, veg, and eggs all showing no association.

Mmmm, organic dairy. Not just tastier, but better for your babies! Please note how successfully I refrained from making any jokes about boobies. Release and link to detailed research coverage after the jump.

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When it comes to relaxation, there isn't much that the SpaCapsule can't do. It features a super "secret" Pulse Jet aqua massage system, a personal aroma diffuser that allows the user to choose from over 120 essential oils, a built-in iPod compatible sound system, and a video system that plays soothing trippy visuals for the customer to groove on.

The makers of the device claim that it can be used in both domestic and commercial settings —but it is available on a contact basis only, so don't expect it to come cheap. Although if you have the cash to drop on something like this it might be interesting to pipe in some Trek and pretend you're flying through space in this thing. [Product Page via TFTS]

EMI's efforts to ride Radiohead's wave of rainbow-y vibes didn't stop with their cute but obscenely priced USB drive loaded up with Radiohead's back catalog. If you Googled "Radiohead" last week, the top ad promised to bring you to a boxset of their new album "Rainbow" (like a bad Chinese knockoff) only to push your browser to EMI's overpriced back catalog options. Classy! [Guardian via Idolator]

It's expensive, but it's not built for those who worry about price tag when they're buying their workstation monitors. The new Samsung XL20 is a designer LCD with LED backlighting that pushes colour gamut up to 114% of the NTSC spectrum. Sadly, this is the figure they've shared with the local market, and we're having a hard time spotting the details for the specifics on its spectrum standards beyond this general figure. Is it xvYCC? No, that delivers 180% of sRGB.

Still, it's an important addition to the Samsung range and gives high-end users another company to choose from in this space. The monitor is packaged with hood and Huey colour calibration tool. Squeeze $2499 out of your wallet and one could be on its way to your desktop right now. [Samsung XL20]

This is probably not one of the uses Nicholas Negroponte had in mind when he thought up the OLPC, but at least we know some child, somewhere is benefiting from this little project. The hack lets you control the Roomba from a web browser, using the XO laptop's webcam and microphone as your eyes and ears for spying/cleaning operations. Is there cannon and laser sight upgrade option? [via Ubergizmo]

If sitting in an office cubicle all day wasn't bad enough, Gamercize wants you to throw a workout into the equation with their new GZ PC-Sport Power Stepper. The stepper itself is similar to other products on the market, except this one hooks into your computer via USB and shuts down your keyboard or mouse when you start slacking off. According to the product page, using the GZ PC-Sport can burn up to 400 calories per hour with a effort level that is equivalent to a "brisk walking pace."

In addition to my duties as a writer for Giz, I am also a certified personal trainer. So I know what its like to work out hard and sit in front of a computer all day. While I always encourage clients to try and work in fitness whenever possible, I have to wonder how practical a device like this would be. Is it really possible to concentrate on your work while furiously stepping on the GZ PC-Sport? Can the stepper get the average person's heart rate elevated enough to really see results? Is using the device going to result in more than just trim calves? Hopefully a hands-on with the device will help to clear things up. [Product Page via Crave]

• XM and Sirius shareholders approve merger, next stop: the FCC. [AP]

• Gas pumps claiming to measure 1/1000th of a gallon are really just tricking you into thinking you're getting more gas. [Gadget Lab]

• Scientists genetically engineer mouse that isn't afraid of cats; rodent homicide rate expected to spike soon. [Pink Tentacle]

The Helium Balloon Light consists of 35 "ultra strong" diodes suspended from a helium balloon. There are two versions of the device available —a limited edition cordless version powered by rechargeable batteries and a basic corded version. And just how much would you expect to pay for a technological marvel such as this? How does $1000 strike you? Yeah, I thought so. Call me crazy but I'll just get some helium balloons from a party supply store and a $2 flashlight. [Product Page via 7Gadgets via Geekologie]

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Infocus just released this Play Big IN1 Gaming projector, which is remarkable for it's lowish res 640 by 480 pixel count, $549 price point, yet decent 1500:1 contrast ratio and awesome capability to flip images from wall to ceiling by means of mirror.

To me, that last feature says that gaming is sooooo hard sitting on your couch, you'd better lie flat on your back, brain settling into the back of your skull while thumbing a joypad. DLP, takes up to 1080i signals via component (before squishing them to fore mentioned VGA), there's no zoom, an the max image size is 8 feet across kitty corner. Good for the kids, but not quite powerful enough for the high def gamers. [Infocus]

If you enjoy shaky, unproven software as much as I do, you will be happy to know that version 0.0.5 of gpSPhone is now available for download. Yeah It is buggy, you have to run it from /Applications, and you need to supply your own BIOS and games (anything but Hello Kitty please) —but hey, its GameBoy...on the iPhone! [gpSPhone via tuaw]

It's fantastic to see that all of OLPC's potential is being brought home to our own developing corner of the world, Alabama. Kids in grades 1-8 in Birmingham—15,000 of 'em—will receive XO laptops. Rumor has it Mississippi, Kentucky and West Virgina are also looking, and we can't think of better places to send 'em. [AL.com, Thanks Joseph!]

Our first look at Microsoft backed ZenZui came back in March when we discovered a new mobile browser that promises to make "painful loading delays a thing of the past." In a call today with the folks at ZenZui, I learned that they will now and forevermore be known as Zumobi, along with new details about the browser and information on how the general public can get involved in the beta that launches on December 14th.

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You might have heard, Google's offering $10 million in total prizes for savvy programmers willing and able to make kickass apps for the Android platform. Why so much when other dev communities are getting into the groove for free? A Google rep told me, "We wanted to provide a big enough pool to reward and recognise as many developers who do interesting things as we could." How's that for appreciation? Here's a summary of the Android Developer Challenge.

•Programs, built by using Android's SDK, can be submitted January 2nd through March 3rd 2008.

•The top 50 programs earn $25K to continue development.

•Those in the top 50 are entered into a final round where ten $275k prizes and ten $100k prizes will be awarded.

•A second round of the contest starts in the second half of the year, when handsets running Android launch.

•"We believe that developers will be drawn to, and flourish in, the open and collaborative environment offered by the Android platform. The Android Developer Challenge is designed simply to catalyze that reaction."

Pay people decent money to do decent work. Who would have thought of that? [Android]

By boosting its output to 30dBm (the maximum limited allowed by the FCC), this Extreme Range Wi-Fi router can allow you to get online wirelessly at up to a quarter-mile away from the base station.

Other features include 802.11b/g, WEP, WPA2, WPA-Enterprise and wireless repeater support. That last bit is important because you can actually keep using your newer, fancier router, but just use this Extreme Range Wi-Fi when you need to head down the road to berate your neighbours for keeping you up at night. Then again, $284 may be too high of a price for this when you can just buy a bunch of cheap repeaters and accomplish the same thing. [ThinkGeek via Random Good Stuff]

A serious Star Trek fan and collector died recently, and an anonymous tipster sent us pictures of the Star Trek memorabilia he left behind. Here's a heads up to dedicated Trekkies everywhere: These items will be appearing on eBay next week, so check out the gallery on the next page; maybe there's something you'd care to bid on.

There are prop replica phasers, communicators and a pinball machine in the lot, all in pristine condition, and some are autographed by William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and Patrick Stewart. There's no information about pricing, but these precious artifacts probably won't be cheap.