Get your snowboard out. Or if you are as bodily uncoordinated as me, your sled. It's snow time and the Frequency Audex Motorola Bluetooth, a $US300 Bluetooth-equipped helmet with built-in controls developed by Burton and Motorola, is just what the doctor ordered to listen to your fav tunes speeding down those pearly-white slopes. Then, the doctor will order plaster, anti-inflammatory drugs and three months in bed. Full specs ahead:

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The Italian fashion house so beloved of fans of pubic topiary is no stranger to having its products knocked off by enterprising people wanting some of the Gucci dollar. Nevertheless, you can bet your life that its people will wince when they see just how a chinese mobile phone company has interpreted the brand. The Gucciphone, complete with crystal and gold trim, is upholstered in that utterly naff double G-logo fabric. Full stats and a gallery are below.

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Toshiba has just announced the imminent availability of their Super Charge ion Battery (SCiB), which will recharge to 90% in 5mins and has a life span of over 10-years. Unfortunately, the battery will only be made available to industrial markets initially (in either 2.4V/4.2Ah/150g or 24V/4.2Ah/2000g versions), but we are keeping our fingers crossed for a consumer edition. The SCiB will launch by March 2008, and it shall find its way into electrical vehicles as well as other "industrial systems," according to Mr Watanabe, CEO of Toshiba Industrial Systems. We understand that Mr Watanabe is probably very busy with the whole SCiB release thing, but that hasn't stopped us pleading to him:Mr Watanabe, we are hurt that you have shown us these great treasures without means of attainment. However, we have faith you will implement this technology into all our juice sipping gadgets at some point. We look forward to that day. (Sometime in 2008 works for us, many thanks.) [Toshiba Press Release via I4U News]

Dear Steve, I knew you could do it— get away from that zen-inspired "one single look means one minute in the closet" sartorial philosophy. But a shirt and tie? Oh, my son, you look positively ravishing. Look how the silver tie brings out the distinguished saltiness of your hair, puts a ruddy fairness in your cheeks, enfin, makes you look hawwt (continues in this vein for several minutes until colleagues administer a slap around the face). So, who was lucky enough to see Steve rock the "I'm a PC, but admit it, a really gorgeous one" look?Jobso (or Jobsø, since he's in Vikingingland at the moment) was in Norway to watch Al Gore pick up his Nobel Peace Prize. While he was there, he also hooked up with the boss of Telenor, yes, that is a Norwegian telecoms company, to discuss a potential iPhone launch in the Scandinavian country (the other candidate for Norway's iPhone gig being Netcom). Talks have been postponed until after Christmas, as Apple is currently more interested in the iPhone's sales in Britain, France and Germany.

And finally, according to a Telenor spokesman, "Apple might be deciding on which unit to launch." I think they mean 3G, or not 3G, that is the question. [VG]

Starting this Friday, Via Technologies will roll out their ARTiGO do-it-yourself mini-pc kit for any hacker looking for a fun (but brief) holiday project. The package includes an EPIA PX10000 Pico-ITX motherboard with a1-GHz C7 Via processor, a chassis, power adapter, and essential accessories—but you are on your own as far as a hard drive and memory are concerned. More info and a video of the build are available after the break.

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You already saw the unboxing, but that was like thumbing through a Victoria's Secret catalogue. For the real hardcore stuff, you have to see this gorgeous XEL-1 OLED with its downright obscene 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and sexy 3mm frame without any covering whatsoever. Don't tell us it doesn't turn you on. Hit the jump for more info.

Most of what the guys at TechOn realised during the process was observational. For example, the 3mm thickness was achieved by arranging the drive circuit and other parts of the OLED panel at the lower side of the unit. They also noticed that an inordinately large number of radiation sheets were attached on the back side of the mainboard and the unit. In other words, Sony wasn't taking any chances with the heat. Hit the link for the full details. [TechOn and Product Page]

Now that USB video is a reality for many PC users, it makes sense that someone would take that technology wireless. It also makes sense that it would come from DisplayLink, developers of the USB display technology found in products from Kensington, Toshiba, IOGear and Samsung, and Alereon, best known for the ultrawideband WiMedia AL5000 10-foot wireless USB chipset we told you about earlier this year. There are no sexy video demonstrations just yet—apparently that'll happen at CES. In the meantime, there are some bold initial promises:

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As far as home theatre PCs go, you would be hard-pressed to find a design more appealing than the TT concept HTPC from Omaura. The work seems to derive its inspiration from traditional speaker bars, but one look under the hood and you can see that this thing is pure PC. Unfortunately, imagining what it would be like is as close as you are going to get until Omaura decides to make this thing a real-world product. A picture of the interior is available after the break.

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Even though solid state flash drives are quickly coming to take over for regular HDDs, there are still innovations to be had with our trust old platter drives. Take this Tomato D-18, for example, which is an external 60GB HDD that's a mere third of an inch thick, enclosure included. Coming in a slick little case and not requiring external power, this wee HDD looks more like a PMP than an external drive. It's available now for $120. [Product Page via PMP Today]

If you recall some of the previous Kewpie mobile phone charms, you know a special blend of creepy weirdness is par for the course. The latest installment keeps the tradition alive with 8 new figures that are guaranteed to make you feel uncomfortable. Each doll will set you back around $7 — so collect them all (you sick freaks). Hit the jump for an even more bizarre promotional video.

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Complete the Gizmodo AU Survey and receive our eternal love and gratitude. Don't worry, we didn't think that would be enough of an incentive. You'll also be in with a chance to score a $250 voucher from Coles/Myer, David Jones, Harvey Norman or Bunnings. Thanks to all who have already responded!

Gizmodo AU Survey

As promised, here are stats for 20 different Intel chips from the past 35 years, most of which I included briefly in the Moore's Law video I made earlier, along with bonus factual tidbits I came across while looking over some Intel stuff today. Here you can enjoy it at your own pace (and without the music that some of you found not to your liking), but sadly the pics are not in any particular order, thanks to the way we serve up Flickr galleries. Enjoy it, but remember, it's only Intel's side of the story. Perhaps AMD would be kind enough to shoot over a similar dossier of fun facts. After the chip gallery is a timeline of transistor-related happenings from 1947 up to today.Intel Chips from 1971 to 2007:

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If you are the kind of person who is willing to drop $US13,500 on a projector, Sim2's new Domino 80E may be worth checking out. What does $13,500 buy you? Naturally, you will get 1080p —but the 80E also features UNISHAPE lamp technology that promises a "revolution in the reproduction of colour and huge increases in both brightness and black levels" when combined with BrillantColor from Texas Instruments.

Other features include: a DarkChip3 DLP chipset, tons of inputs, and the option of using a 2.35:1 anamorphic lens adaptor that doesn't require an external processor to change the aspect ratio. Sure, the price tag seems high, but it could be worse. Check out what other Sim2 projectors can run you. [Product Page via SmartOffice]

Toshiba is throwing its hat into the SSD business with a new line of multi-level cell (MLC) NAND SSDs in three distinct flavours: 32GB, 64GB and 128GB. They will also be available in three distinct form factors: embedded module, 1.8-inch and 2.5-inch drive enclosures. Expect 100MB/s peak read speed, 40MB/s peak write speed, a SATA II interface, and a lifespan of 1,000,000 hours. No word yet on pricing, but we should be able to see these on store shelves starting in March 2008. [infosync and MacBidouille via Ubergizmo]

More Windows Errors Take Over the World, Prepare Ground for Alien Invasion
Absurd Windows errors in handy gallery form. Vote for your favourite!

The $100 iPhone/iPod Touch Stand Made from a Piece of Paper
It works with smaller bills too, except for the tiny detail that we don't have one dollar bills. Or paper money...

The World's Tallest Building Has a Hell of a View
Well, at 585 metres, it better wanna.

Half of Japanese Bestsellers Typed on Phones, Printed on Paper
If the Japanese are trend-setters, could this signal the beginning of the end of literature?

The Gadget: Homedics Brethe, an air "neutraliser" that's essentially an air purifier and liquid scent dispensing machine.

The Price: $US59

The Verdict: Unlike normal aerosol sprays or room scenting plug-ins, the Brethe Air Revitalizer is actually supposed to filter air as well as freshen it with scents. The scent part is nice, and comes in lime, vanilla, citrus or lavender. You add two teaspoons to a bowlful of water, and when you switch the thing on, the liquid sloshes around in the base in order to dispense the scents.

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It's the holidays, so you know what that means: loads of Christmas themed crap that you won't touch for 11 months out of the year. Take this flying Santa, for example. While you could buy a normal remote control helicopter, why would you want something that wouldn't be really awkward to use in June? This Flying Santa will only really feel right in December, which has got to be one of the worst months for using remote control helicopters due to lousy weather. Hey, it's your money. [Brando]

An iPod Touch developer has just created a SIP-based VoIP app (which works with Asterisk and other open source free and paid VoIP providers) that was ported from an older app called SvSIP. The upside is that iPod Touch users that have the pre-amped mic addon that plugs into the dock connector will be able to actually talk on their iPods. iPhone users won't need the addon to talk (obviously), and should be able to get in on this action soon as well. We'll update when we know more. [Touchmods via TUAW]

It appears that Everex, the same company that sent Wal-Mart shoppers into a tizzy of values with its Linux-based gPC , now has its sites set on the Asus Eee PC with a new ultra-portable dubbed the "Cloudbook." The device will feature a 7-inch screen and the same Linux gOS found in the gPC. A 1.3 megapixel webcam is also rumoured to come standard. Additional image and info after the break.

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Even if Greenpeace isn't on the Apple bandwagon, research shows that Apple customers are the greenest among computer companies. With all those hippie dollars to be had, it is not surprising that someone decided to combine the lava lamp with an iPod speaker system and docking station. The main feature is a LED light show that syncs with the music—adding to the trippy vibe. Too bad we can't get dirty, smelly hippies interested in more practical iPod docks. Available for $US100. [Product Page via 7Gadgets]

• The Wii Shop now lets you send Virtual Console games to friends as gifts. First person to send me Super Mario 64 gets a gold star. [Crave] • Ireland will ban the sale of incandescent light bulbs in 2009.... Read More »

The Gadget: The Samsung BlackJack II, a Windows Mobile 6 Smartphone with 3G, GPS and faster hardware.

The Verdict: There's not much about this in terms of general speed and build that we haven't said already in the first hands-on, but here are the things we didn't cover.

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I've got two words for you: vacuum broom. It's a simple idea, but one that makes a lot of sense. Well, a lot of sense until you wonder if all the bulk in a vacuum cleaner is necessary to, you know, run the vacuum. And that there's no room for a bag in a broomstick. But hey, it's a slick design, right? What with each of the "bristles" actually acting as a mini vacuum, sucking up dust while you sweep bigger stuff into the dustpan. If it weren't for stupid logic this thing would be heading for store shelves post haste, I'm sure. [Yanko Design]

This week, the transistor turns 60, and to celebrate, we decided to take an animated look at Moore's law from the early 1970s to today. Here's you'll see most of Intel's major chip lines, the year they were first introduced and the number of transistors they could support. Watch the numbers go up and up and up, and notice how the chips seem to get more and more colorful along the way. Ahhh, progress!

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The Voyager 2 probe could be the first man-made object to travel outside the solar system in a few years, which may or may not result in it being discovered by sentient life and then sent back to "join with its Creator". V'ger 2 actually lost out to V'ger 1 in terms of crossing the "termination shock" boundary, a place where solar wind falters due to pressure "from gas in the interstellar medium lying outside the solar system". It's all very astrophysics, but suffice it to say that the probe is now about three times as far away from the Sun as Pluto, and will manage to give us a firsthand look at what's outside the solar system. [NewScientist]

Johnny Lee's description of "Low-Cost Multi-point Interactive Whiteboards Using the Wiimote" may sound boring, but it's actually a very cool and very innovative use of the Wiimote. Since you can hook the controller up to your computer and accept inputs using the Wiimote library interface, you can use its infrared sensors to detect and track infrared light on any kind of surface. With Johnny's app, you can in turn use a cheap DIY IR pen as an input device and make your own whiteboard/input tablet. You should watch the video to see more, but this thing looks really exciting. [CMU - Thanks Adam!]

Designed by Mino Kodama, the Expected Curtain is a sort of instant virtual posse, aimed individuals who either have no friends, or who are plagued by stalkers*. Hang the curtain in your window and, while the three shadowy "friends" won't show up during the day (thus making your neighbours fear you are a work-shy fop and endeavour to have you thrown out of your co-op) but appear once the lights go on and making you look like a truly popular person. The creator has a website, but it's still under construction. [Designspotter via MAKE]
*I suppose that if you are the sort of person who has no chums, then a stalker could well become a "friend," could they not?

The $US295 Keyport that allows you to combine six keys into one slick-looking device is near the Optimus Keyboard on the scale of totally overpriced things we would really love to have. Their production videos show you at least part of what your three hundred bones go toward: manufacturing. A machine that urinates water onto key slides doesn't come cheap.

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Since anyone who's going to buy this Tux Droid already has at least three Linux machines in their house, it's unlikely that they'll care just how nerdy this thing will make them look—which is great, because this penguin bot is actually pretty neat.

The thing's covered in felt and can communicate with the "USB fish" transmitter to wirelessly alert you to emails, RSS feeds, weather reports or breaking news. You can customise him to dance, spin, flap or flash, and can also use him as a VoIP phone, MP3 speaker or alarm clock. AND, you can program him to detect sound (intruder alarm) or light (turn off your TV). Oh, and you can use his text-to-speech to read stuff to you as well. Only $US99. [Firebox]

The intelligent lantern could be termed the Swiss Army Knife of flashlights—although the purists among you will probably complain that you can't file your nails, peel an orange or get a stone out of a horse's hoof with it. As well as a super-bright beam that can be seen a mile away, the nine-inch outdoor gizmo rocks stereo speakers, an AM/FM tuner, access to NOAA Weatherband and an MP3-compatible connection. There's a digital clock, and as well as running on 6 C batteries (alkaline or rechargeable) you can also run it through your vehicle's cigarette lighter or the mains. And all of this will cost you just $US39.[Norm Thompson via Crave via PopGadget]

Pleo the robot dinosaur showed up on my doorstep Friday afternoon, and I figured it would be nice to take it in and introduce it to my dogs. Unfortunately, the dogs gave Pleo the cold shoulder, and that really pissed Pleo off, sending it into an anger-filled rampage against one of the dogs. Let's just say Pleo claimed its spot as the new pet of the house. Poor doggie.

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