SilverPac's SilverFrame is certainly doing its best to break the boring mold of typical digital photo frames, and while we were understandably skeptical about the idea on paper, we're beginning to warm to it after a little face time at Computex. Said frame is more like a widget console than anything else, and it definitely reminds us of that Samsung / Chumby prototype digiframe that we peeked back at CES. Don't take our word for it, though -- hit the read link to soak it in yourself.

D-Link, the company best known for its workings in the networking space, is suddenly branching out into new territories. Taking a pretty noticeable cue from Nanovision, D-Link is debuting a secondary display today in Las Vegas. The 7-inch SideStage, which rocks a 800 x 480 resolution and can be used in either landscape or portrait mode, weighs just 1.34-pounds and gets all the juice it needs from a powered USB 2.0 socket. Regrettably, the outfit failed to disclose a price or release date, simply saying it would be on display at CES. Why the tease, D-Link?

Not that we haven't seen laptops with multiple screens before, but this is a ThinkPad, people. You know, an all-business, totally not flashy ThinkPad. Hidden deep within a Lenovo Asia-Pacific hardware announcement is something we'd swear was a prank if it were hosted anywhere other than IBM.com, but it looks like the dual-screen W700 is for real. Reportedly, the machine will feature a 17-inch WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200) primary display along with a 10.6-inch WXGA (1,280 x 768) secondary panel. Think SideShow, just jacked up on whatever Clemens and McGwire were using. The rest of the specifications are swell but expected, but the tidbits we're really reaching for (price and availability, naturally) are nowhere to be found. Can you say "want."?

[Via NotebookReview]

Man, remember when everyone thought their next laptop would have a minuscule SideShow display baked in the lid? Yeah, whatever happened to that fantasy? Apparently the engineers over at Novatech never got the memo that said technology was doomed for failure, as they certainly included a 2.5-inch color display on the lid of the X50MV Pro gaming laptop. That nifty inclusion aside, the unit also packed some pretty stout internals, though reviewers did lament the GeForce 9600M GT graphics chip. Still, the LCD was deemed gorgeous to look at, the inbuilt TV tuner was a welcome extra and performance was highly lauded in every area except hardcore gaming -- which is obviously odd given the nature of the beast. In the end, critics couldn't wholeheartedly recommend this machine over a litany of others for close to the same price, but there just might be a few unique features here that push you over the edge.

So you've just purchased a new desktop that checks in at 1.6- x 2.4 - x 2.1-inches (actual size may vary), and you're looking for the perfect LCD to accompany it. At long last, we finally have a solution for the aforementioned quandary. The Century LCD-4300U is a 4.3-inch LCD monitor that not only provides the convenience of a USB connection, but it also gets every ounce of energy it needs via that same USB cable. The mini monitor touts an 800 x 480 resolution, LED-backlighting and compatibility with Windows XP / Vista and OS X. Now, if only the darn thing didn't cost ¥19,800 ($197), we might have ourselves a runaway winner.

[Via OhGizmo]

We know this here device is real, but excuse us while we share our skepticism of ASUS' ability to deliver -- after all, we're still waiting patiently for that ROG XG Station to actually find a price and release date. That aside, this here motherboard companion was recently demonstrated by ASUS, and apparently, it gives users the ability to monitor their PC internals, overclock devices in real time and check out widgets on the side. The OC Palm is one of the very few devices we've seen of late to actually take advantage of SideShow-like functionality, though it's only compatible with the high(er)-end P6T DELUXE mobo right now. ASUS has yet to disclose a sticker / launch date, but it's not like you didn't see that coming, right? Check the read link for lots more hands-on shots.

Remember way back when everyone and their third cousin twice removed was hopping on the SideShow bandwagon? Yeah, those were the days. We'll admit, we still think SideShow has had a lot of promise, but you know what they say about a technology without support. At any rate, Mini-Box has decided to offer up a (comparatively) inexpensive way for folks to indulge in a minuscule auxiliary display, and while the $49.95 PicoLCD 4X20-Sideshow won't provide any looks at high-res widgets, the basic blue display is a real champ at showing off stock prices and birthday reminders. Worst case scenario? You can probably use it in a random DIY project that you've been meaning to get to.

[Via SideShowDevices]

We've heard rumors about it and even seen some third party apps that bring Vista's SideShow tech to Windows Mobile devices, but Microsoft has finally made the obvious crossover an official reality with the release of the Windows SideShow for Windows Mobile Development Beta. It's still in early, early stages (the version number is 0.01), but if you're feeling particularly courageous you can install the beta on WinMo 5 and 6 devices that use the Microsoft Bluetooth stack and have the .NET Compact Framework installed and have them function as SideShow devices when in range of your machine, and access previously-sent data when you're away. Let us know how things go in comments, won't you?

[Via the::unwired]

Finally, a little innovation in the midst of watered-down, me-too digital photo frames. Here we have the UFOTO UF735, which exhibits a 7-inch 800 x 480 resolution display, USB 2.0 connectivity, headphone jack, 128MB of built-in memory, integrated speakers, a multicard reader for handling JPEG / BMP / GIF / MP3 files and your choice of silver, pink or blue frame colors. Beyond those yawn-inducing stats, you'll find a swank sub-display function, which enables owners to use it as a secondary display (SideShow, anyone?) on their PC. As is customary for ASUS, it's not doling out pricing / release information just yet, but this one may actually be worth paying attention to when it finally lands.

Devices supporting Vista's SideShow functionality aren't exactly flowing like water yet (seriously, when's the last time you saw someone sporting a W5Fe?), though that's not necessarily for a lack of interest. The functionality's plenty cool, it's just not really an overnight job getting enough manufacturers on board to support the concept and transform the consumer electronics landscape into a Vista-interfacing armada of small screens. If you had to boil it all down to exactly two things Microsoft could do to take SideShow from an ultra-niche market to ubiquity, though, let's be honest: they'd have to be to add Windows Mobile and iPhone support. Indeed, official WinMo support is a standing rumor, but in the meantime you can grab Ikanos Consulting's Go Gadgets beta, which supports installation and control of SideShow gadgets over pretty much any form of mobile connectivity you can throw at it. Turns out these guys have been hard at work making a general HTML renderer for gadgets, too, and have specialized it to look snappy on mobile Safari -- hence the iPhone and iPod touch support. This one isn't quite ready for public consumption yet, but if WinMo's how you roll, you can sign up for the beta now.

Read - SideShow on the iPhone
Read - Go Gadgets for Windows Mobile

There's not a big pack of SideShow laptops out there, but BenQ's leapt to the front with the 14.1-inch Joybook Q41, which adds Skype support to Microsoft's under-utilized auxiliary display tech. In addition to the usual RSS, email, and media controls, you can make and receive Skype calls from the 2.5-inch SideShow screen without having to open and fully boot the machine, which runs an unspecified Core 2 Duo. No word on pricing or availability, but honestly -- isn't it time we saw way more SideShow-equipped machines?

[Via Laptops Blog]