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Thanks to widespread adoption and excellent cross-platform availability, the BBC's ubiquitous iPlayer is the perfect gauge of online viewing habits. New usage figures for December throw up little in the way of surprises, but still make impressive reading. The good old computer remains tops-of-the-client-pops for Brits, but smart TVs are taking a bigger slice of the (187 million) total requests, 7 million in fact -- a 1,000% year-on-year increase. More mobile telly-addicts saw smartphone and tablet views rise to thirteen million and ten million respectively, a growth of 163 and 596 percent. With 2012 offering ever more top gear and phones to chose from, we're expecting this trend to continue for some time yet. Square-eye stat-fans can hit up the source for the full breakdown. Hint: lots of Eastenders.

When AMD showed off its upcoming Trinity APUs at CES the company was pretty light on the details. We're still stuck holding our breath for specs, but DigiTimes is reporting some alleged info on pricing. According to the report, AMD's "ultrathin" laptops will hit shelves priced between $100 and $200 less than comparably-equipped Intel machines. Of course, the folks from Sunnyvale have traditionally hit Chipzilla on pricing rather than performance (except during a brief period in the aughts when Intel got lost in the Netburst woods), so dirt-cheap AMD "Ultrabooks" wouldn't come as much of a surprise. Then again, pressure on both the laptop and tablet front could cause the Santa Clara crew to reevaluate its pricing strategy leaving its competition to either further cut profit margins or find a new angle of attack.

Update: AMD has provided a statement on this story, certainly not denying things but clarifying that it isn't going to enforce any minimum specs or prices. Also, that "ultrathin" moniker isn't new and won't define any particular type of laptop like Intel's Ultrabook is attempting to do.

Microsoft may have already signed patent licensing agreements with 70 percent of the US Android manufacturers, including some of the biggest names in the market, but that doesn't mean Redmond's about ready to hit the brakes anytime soon. Next up on the block is Pantech, according to a company spokesperson talking with Yonhap News. No specific details have been decided yet, so we'll have to wait for the official word and see what happens.

After the recent rash of burrito robberies that has been plaguing our nation, we're not really sure why anyone would opt to pick up a case that disguised their camera lens as the popular Mexican dish. If you're so inclined, however, you can nab the Photorito, a lens wrap made from Tyvek and neoprene, which promises to protect lenses from 24mm to 200mm from water, dust and bumps. The Photorito ships with a band that will keep it in place -- it'll run you $15 if ordered directly from Photojojo, just don't come crawling to us when you get some guac in your sensor.

Update: Photojojo has written to inform us that the price of the Photorito has been bumped up to $20 -- but really, can you put a price of making your camera lens look like Mexican food?

With patent infringement accusations going every which way in recent months, we're certainly familiar with Apple/Samsung banter in the international arena. Now Apple has thrown yet another punch at the Korean smartphone maker, targeting its Galaxy S II, Galaxy S Plus and eight other handsets, claiming -- yes, you've got it -- patent infringement. The suit was filed in Dusseldorf Regional Court -- the same venue that the company used to target the Galaxy Tab 10.1N, which was created specifically to sidestep a September injunction, also in Germany. It's becoming rather difficult to keep track of all the IP hubbub across the pond, but we'll surely be back with more as soon as the German court has a ruling to share.

The number of internet-connected Chinese citizens jumped 4 percent in 2012, pushing the country's total number of users over the 500 million mark. A report issued by the state-owned China Internet Network Information Center (CINIC) reveals that over 37% (513 million people) living in The Middle Kingdom are now traversing the information superhighway. Unsurprisingly, the majority of these internet connections (close to 70%) can be attributed to mobile phones; as we've seen over the past few days, this mobile-centric user-base has generated very high demand for certain cellular products. Those scrutinizing the CINIC's report note that the statistics quoted by the Chinese government could be a wee bit on the high side. The report considers a user "internet connected" if they are over the age of six and have been online in the past half year. Hit the source link for more surfing stats from the Far East.

On the plus side, the fish needed additional space probe parts. On Sunday night, fragments of Russia's Phobos-Grunt probe landed in the Pacific Ocean 1,250 kilometers to the west of Wellington Island in southern Chile around 17:45 GMT. The probe, which experienced a failure with its launch rocket machinery on November 8, had become marooned in Earth's orbit, destined to crash back home. The cause of the incident remains unknown and stands as the latest in a series of gaffes by the Russian space program, including an impact in Siberia by a supply ship bound for the International Space Station and the loss of three navigation satellites in the past year. It's unknown whether the probe was carrying any radioactive alien materials, but stay tuned to Engadget for your up-to-the-second guide on how to fight the Cloverfield monster in the year to come.

We just got a look at one new mechanical keyboard designed for Macs at CES last week (Matias' Tactile One), and now we have word of another option for those who take their typing seriously. Das Keyboard confirmed today that a Mac version of its Model S Professional keyboard will be available on April 15th, and that you can pre-order it now for $113 (a 15% discount off its list price). It brings with it the same gold-plated mechanical key switches found on the existing Model S, but with the additional of all the keys you'd expect on a Mac-specific keyboard -- plus some other bonuses like a two-port USB hub and an instant sleep function. Unfortunately, Mac users looking to go truly minimalist with an Ultimate edition will either have to wait and hope that one's coming or break out some black paint.

Joining Oregon Scientific's range of waterproof sports cameras later this year are these two new models: the ATC Beats on the left and the ATC Chaméléon on the right. The Beats, arriving in November for $399, features 1080p 60fps video capture with a 130-degree field of view and a 270-degree rotatable lens, along with built-in GPS, accelerometer and heart rate monitor (via wireless chest belt) for those keen on recording some extra data. Most importantly, though, is its WiFi connectivity with any iPhone or Android device: not only can you do wireless file transfer with it, but much like the way ContourGPS Connect View app works, you can also use your phone as a wireless viewfinder. Pretty handy for when the camera's stuck on a helmet, of course.

The Chaméléon, on the other hand, is slated for a September launch at $199 only. While it doesn't have all those fancy wireless features, it boasts two 180-degree rotatable lenses (with a 110-degree field of view) at each end of the long body: one moves horizontally, and the other moves vertically; hence the name. The idea is that the camera can simultaneously capture 720p 30fps footage from both lenses (there's only one camera controller inside), and then output a synchronized horizontal or vertical split-screen video clip. We can already picture the Chaméléon being used on a surfing board or in a racing car, so there's certainly great potential here. Anyhow, enjoy our hands-on photos while you imagine the adrenaline rush.

Buried within the pile of gadgets at Oregon Scientific's CES booth were these two Time & Wireless Charging Stations. On the left we have the entry-level clock that's already out in the market, whereas the bigger "plus" model on the right made its debut at the show, boasting the extra clock projection and weather forecast feature. Also shown along side were the customized iPhone 4 Qi sleeves that Oregon Scientific will be offering online, and they actually had pretty high quality finish, too, especially with the texture coating on top of them. Do take a closer look in our hands-on photos below.

What's the big G up to here, then? It seems the Gmail team has been tinkering with a new secure method of accessing your precious email. Type your credentials into your phone, then scan a QR code in the browser to log in. It's ideal for public machines where typing your password might gift your credentials to any key-logging software. Sadly though, it seems the venture was just an experiment, with Google employee Dirk Balfanz confirming so on his Plus account. So, we might not be accessing our Gmail sans keyboard anytime soon, but with said staffer also teasing that his team are working on something "even better" who knows how we'll be logging on in the near future -- let's just hope it's not this.

There's only so much Sony could show off at the world's biggest consumer electronics show. According to the video embedded below, the company's looking to tie together all of your (presumably Sony-branded) screens with a single "Dot Switch". On the concept demo, a pair of ethereal arms are able to control music, TV, lights and a confetti shower through what appears to be an Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. The company's keeping pretty vague on the technicalities of it all at this point, but it looks like it would forgo the typical infra-red communication seen on other devices. Expect to hear more on this in just over a month away. Until then, let the delicate chiploops of this teaser ameliorate that post-CES come-down.

Everything we've heard about Judge William Alsup tells us he's a guy you don't mess with -- and yet Oracle seems bent on doing precisely that. When the company initially demanded $6.1 billion from Google in recompense for alleged violations of its Java patents, Alsup laughed that figure out of court and suggested $100 million might be closer to the mark. Ellison's crew then came back with a revised claim of $2 billion, which we just knew would lead to another smackdown. Well, here it is: the judge has now cancelled the latest trial date (which had been scheduled for March) and refused to set a new one until the claimant stops using "improper methodologies" for assessing damages, which are "obviously calculated to reach stratospheric numbers." Perhaps Oracle should try something more tropospheric?

Well, it was only a matter of time. Hongpaiyihao (literally meaning "red group number one"), a Beijing-based pro-government new media company, has launched a 9.7-inch Tegra 2 tablet that's "tailor-made for government officials" and patriotic consumers. Well, we're not sure whether the government's even aware of this Android 3.2 device's existence, but it's certainly preloaded with a bunch of pro-China apps (including one for the state-approved microblogging service), electronic subscription to a handful of newspapers (state-controlled, of course) and "exclusive" access to daily updates on some government strategic decisions. The damage? 9,999 yuan ($1,590) per unit, or 7,100 yuan ($1,120) each if you buy in bulk. As pointed out by Penn Olson, this RedPad is about two to three times as expensive as the iPad in China.

To be honest, having dug around Hongpaiyihao's unbelievably shoddy product pages, this reeks of a desperate company trying to squeeze money out of overly patriotic folks in China. Even the screen resolution and battery capacity are inconsistent across the site: it's either 1,024 x 768 and 8,000mAh, or 1,280 x 800 and 7,600mAh, respectively. Judging by the render, the former combination is more likely the real deal; yet the screenshots in the owner manual suggest the latter. Oh, and just so you know, there's no sign of the above interface in the manual at all. If you still care, other features include a five megapixel main camera, a two megapixel front-facing camera, 3G connectivity, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. We'll stick to our diet of regular Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich, thank you very much -- they'll keep our wallets healthier.

It looks like Apple loves recycling so very much, it's taking it across the Atlantic. The UK will also get to some cash for their technological old rope, with the Reuse and Recycling programme arriving to take that pesky dated tech off your hands -- and remunerate you for the effort. The news arrives not long after Apple published its annual responsibility report, detailing its eco efforts across its supply chain. The project extends across iPods, iPhones, iPads, Macs and PCs -- and it doesn't even matter if they work. The program will assess whether there's cash value somewhere in it and will either credit your account or offer up free recycling options. Check the source to see whether your device qualifies, and just wait for the money to roll in.

A projector from Oregon Scientific, you say? Nope, it's not one of those clock and weather projectors, but rather an actual DLP pico projector. At CES 2012, the company was kind enough to show us an early prototype of its Portable WiFi Projector that'll handle FWVGA (854 x 480) at 1,000:1 contrast and a good 80 lumens of brightness (50 if powered by USB alone). Apparently at 3.2 meters from the wall, such combination should produce a clear 120-inch wide picture in total darkness, so we shall see. The final unit -- dummy pictured above -- will be slightly smaller than the working prototype, yet it'll pack a 90-degree hinge (not a first, of course), a focus slide, a 3.5mm headphone jack and some buttons for brightness, power and volume.

ASUS gave you the Transformer Prime TF700T and a frosty injection of Ice Cream Sandwich -- what more could you possibly want? 3G on your convertible tablet? Listen, ASUS has needs, too. The company has rebuked reports that such a device would be heading our way in the first quarter of 2012 -- or at any point in the foreseeable future -- have been greatly exaggerated. According to a statement by the company, "no such product exists on its current roadmap" -- and keep in mind, that roadmap navigating comes after a GPS upgrade.