Got nearly $7,000 in spare change and a lust for magnesium-bodied digital rangefinder cameras? Then we've got the solution to your itch, dear friend, as Leica has just let the M9 out to dance with credit cards in the courting ritual colloquially known as a pre-order. Claimed as the world's smallest full frame digital shooter, the latest Leica sports an 18 megapixel sensor, a new cover glass that eliminates the need for IR filters, dual image processors, and a 2.5-inch LCD. You'll have to be really sure this shooter is for you, though, because the quoted price is for the body only, and the lenses   read more

Look, we know we give Colorware a hard time -- mostly because it regularly spits out miscast creations like the abominable Kindle or the unlovable DSi -- but in the case of the Nook we're a lot more ambivalent. Sure, on the one hand you can concoct clashing color schemes like the one above that only someone from Portugal can truly appreciate, but if you slide past the break you'll find tasteful color combos are possible as well. Perhaps it's the Nook's simple logo on the back and straight-line color separation, but this is one instance where we might actually be willing to shell out the $125 asking   read more

Rovers may have been able to endure life on Mars longer than anyone expected, but things could be more tricky for any sort of long-term exploration, where dust could cause equipment to grind to a halt or even pose a risk to human explorers. Some researchers from the University of Vermont now say they might have an answer to that problem, however, and it's not too far removed from levitating fish. While no fish were actually involved in their experiment, the group is suggesting that the same principle of acoustic levitation could be used to lift dust off the surface of solar panels, space suits   read more

With all the recent talk about the iSlate, iPad, iSlab, whatever doesn't it seem like the obvious candidate for the name of Apple's rumored tablet computer is being completely overlooked? Like Apple's first phone that later came to be called the iPhone, isn't the most obvious name for an Apple tablet the iTablet? To support the theory we decided to share the above image that we received from a trusted source and believe to be authentic. It's a picture taken of an Apple Store employee's corporate email after receiving information about the time and place of Wednesday's Apple event. While the   read more

Panasonic's just announced quite a handful of Lumix compact cameras, featuring both the new Venus Engine VI and Venus Engine HD II that claim to perform quicker with better noise reduction. What's more exciting is that these are all compatible with the forthcoming SDXC cards too, but check out their "Happy Mode" -- it makes photos "more vivid and true to the color of the scene you memorized." Yeah, as if we'd want photos that are more, um, real. Anyway, let's break it down here (clockwise from top left; non-US model numbers in brackets): DMC-FX66: This one's a 14.1 megapixel slim camera with   read more

We have absolutely no idea what kind of voodoo, pseudoscience, and black magic goes into making an analyst-grade industry forecast, but considering that our local weather dude can barely tell us whether it'll be raining in a few hours -- much less a year or two from now -- you've got to take these sorts of things with a healthy dose of skepticism. That said, we're finding it pretty notable here that IDC's latest worldwide smartphone shipment forecast through 2013 has Symbian continuing to dominate the field of ever-stronger competitors thanks "primarily to the strength of Nokia in markets outside   read more

Today's Nexus One may be the hottest keyboard-free Android smartphone on the market today, but it doesn't exactly have the hottest network support. That looks like it'll be changing soon thanks to Walmart of all places, which has put up a "Coming Soon!" page for the Nexus One, listing an impressive suite of wireless bands including 1xEvDO for 3G on Sprint and Verizon and UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900 for 3G on AT&T. Could this finally be the network-agnostic smartphone (or smartphones, as the case may be) that Google has wanted, or is it just a case of some optimistic web admin letting his fingers do   read more

We're receiving word from multiple early-bird readers indicating that they've received the 4.2 update on their Zunes and that, now that they're out of that nasty maintenance window, all is right with the world. That said, our tipsters are not spotting any major differences, and neither are we, certainly nothing as exciting as 4.3 brought to the Zune HD. What about you? Have you been granted access to 4.2 yet? If so, let us know in comments if you've found anything fresh and exciting. And, if you haven't, feel free to discuss the weather -- it sure has been a little crazy 'round these parts lately.   read more

Grrr It's not fair, is it? You'd think Hong Kong's award-winning airport already has enough to keep travelers jolly (there's free WiFi too), but as the old Chinese proverb goes: "Those who don't move forward will only go backward." As of this week, Hong Kong International Airport has 14 free-of-charge PlayStation 3 game poles that are preloaded with Final Fantasy XIII, Avatar, Uncharted 2, Assassin's Creed 2, etc. Hey Sony, too bad you didn't start from the top of the "world's worst airports" list -- passengers at London Heathrow would've been forever in your debt.   read more

You know it's coming: the inevitable slew of boutique 3D television channels that will serve nothing but gratuitous content the same way all those HD-specific stations and their nature programs did a few years ago. Comcast wants to be at the forefront of the 3D exploitation capitalization to come, and while its current offerings are modest (a 3D version of The Final Destination, a Jonas Brothers concert, and other stuff your step-brother Billy might like) and only offered in anaglyph format (red/blue glasses), the good news is it isn't charging any extra for the content -- yet. Better still is   read more