Coming to you live from left field, it's this week's edition of Ask Engadget. Once your done reading and replying (in comments below, naturally) to the question here, feel free to send us your own to ask at engadget dawt com.

"I am looking for a portable hard drive with memory card slots so that I can save my photos onto it, straight from the memory card. It needs to function without the use of a computer. I have seen a few of these, but nothing name brand, and I was looking for some recommendations. A color screen to view photos would be nice, but not necessary. It doesn't need to be very large, 100GB should be more than enough."

You're right Seth, most of these things do indeed come from relative unknowns. That said, we're sure a few of our readers have taken the plunge, so hopefully you'll find out who likes and dislikes the one they chose. Right, folks?

Esteemed lens manufacturer Carl Zeiss is breaking new ground by releasing the PhotoScope 85 T* FL, a spotting scope that also serves as a seven megapixel digital camera -- just in case "super-zoom" wasn't enough for you. With 15 - 45x magnification, a focal length of 600 - 1800 mm, a flip-out OLED display, and an IR remote for vibration-free release, it's great for birdwatchers but perhaps even better for the paparazzi. Look for it in Spring or Summer 2009 if you're planning to profit off the next Amy Winehouse meltdown.

[Via PhotographyBLOG]

You've got to be kidding us, right? Since February of 2007, Jobo has been dangling this unicorn-like geotagger in our faces and threatening to launch every six months or so, and right on cue, the company is back with yet another claim of "it's almost here." This time at Photokina 2008, the outfit is asserting that its $159 GPS-packing add-on, which automatically geotags images of any camera it's docked on, is just one month away from being released in the US. Or, the Windows version at least -- Mac users will have to wait until the end of this year. Or next. Or the next. Or maybe even the next.

[Via CNET]

While we're sure that some Wii updates have been more highly regarded than others, it seems that MP3 diehards will want to pass on a forthcoming Photo Channel update if you just can't bear to lose support for your favorite music format. Apparently, the aforementioned channel will be revamped early next month, and while users will then be able to personalize their menu by implanting an SD-based digital image into the Photo Channel icon, gamers who previously used their Wii to play back MP3s will no longer be able to do so. For whatever reason, the Big N will be axing MP3 support and adding in AAC compatibility, and the company even goes out of its way to make sure that you realize downgrading will not possible once you install v1.1. Mark it down folks -- don't be left full of regret (if you're partial to MP3, that is) after carelessly downloading an update without reading the changelog first.

[Via GameBrink, thanks J]

Since the medium-sized digiframe market is getting so crowded these days, it's leaving manufacturers with little choice but to spruce up their offerings or get left in the crowd. Thankfully for us all, Aluratek has decided to bolster its stance by throwing down a 10.5-inch digital photo frame that not only sports a sleek, classy design, but also ups the ante in the specs department. The 1,024 x 768 resolution seen here has definitely made an appearance on another (albeit larger) frame before, but it touts 256MB of built-in memory, USB 2.0, compatibility with CF, MS, SD, MMC, and xD flash cards, and support for JPEG, Motion JPEG, AVI, and MP3 file formats. Additionally, a bundled wireless remote allows you to control the still / video slideshows from afar, and the audio output enables users to crank things on the home stereo whilst utilizing the integrated display. Best of all, the pricetag isn't one to balk at, as the $199 Aluratek is asking for here isn't too greedy at all when compared to the (mostly lacking) competition.

[Via PopGadget]

Thrown together by well-traveled ODM Inventec, i-mate's new Momento series of digital picture frames break some important ground. First of all, they do WiFi -- a seemingly obvious feature for this category of devices that's inexplicably missing from a majority of the mainstream models currently in the marketplace. Next up, the Momento is among the very first commercially available devices to support Microsoft's SideShow concept for secondary displays that should (theoretically, anyway) untether all manner of information from the PCs on which it typically resides. In that respect, the Momento is very much a first-generation device -- but as a picture frame, we came into the hands-on expecting a certain level of refinement, now that they've had a few years to ripen on the vine. Does the unit deliver on its promise as a highly connected, Vista-compatible accessory? Does it deliver as a plain ol' frame, for that matter? We took the $200 Momento 70 -- the smaller of the two, clocking in at 7 inches of diagonal real estate -- for a test drive to get some answers.

We're absolutely certain there's a vast array of naturally gifted photographers out there that don't need a robot to do a man's job, but for those of us who can't hold our elbows perfectly still and snap a dozen or so photographs in a panoramic pattern without ruining the entire shot, Gigapan's got you covered. The robotic shooting platform was developed by Carnegie Mellon University and the NASA Ames Intelligent Robot Group, and can manhandle almost any digital camera in order to capture a wide-angle view of any particular scene without the breaks we humans often inject. The robot will click away depending on a timer and the number of snapshots that users program in, resulting in a very high resolution, widescreen image of a crime scene, vacation overlook, or your entire basement wall of Transformers posters. Moreover, the team has developed accompanying software to "piece together" the resulting images, leaving a nearly flawless reproduction of a panoramic view with an immensely increased level of detail. Expected to cost "around $200 or less," the Gigapan could be in civilian hands as early as next month, after which we'll have to start an entirely new photo contest devoted to cramming as many miles as possible into a single, uber-wide shot, but for now, be sure to click on through for a small taste of what this monkey can do.

[Via Primidi]

Apparently Pandigital put up some stellar sales figures over the holidays with its foursome of video-playing digital photo frames, and now the company is raising the stakes by tossing out a 10.4-inch edition with 256MB of internal memory. The PAN10-2 features a 1,024 x 768 resolution, 350 cd/m2 brightness, 500:1 contrast ratio, and a 178-degree viewing angle. Additionally, the frame will play back MPEG 1/4 and AVI movie clips, MP3 files stored on the internal memory, and of course, roll through slideshows of your favorite galleries. You'll also get a wireless remote to control the action from afar, and if the quarter-gigabyte of built-in space isn't roomy enough for you, feel free to cram any of your SD, xD, MS, MSPro, MSDuo, CF, or MMC cards in the flash card reader for nearly limitless fun. So if you weren't able to woo your secret Santa into gifting you with a digiframe last month, you can pick up this 10.4-inch rendition for $249.99 in "mid-February."

[Via PhotographyBlog]

In a market already crowded with iBooms, iJams, and Hi-Fis, do we really need yet another iPod boombox to choose from? Memorex thinks so, as evidenced by their recent introduction of a 12-watt 'box -- called, unsurprisingly, the iMove -- which accepts fourth and fifth generation 'Pods along with nanos, the iPod photo, and even the good old Mini, plus anything else you can plug into its auxiliary port. Also sporting a remote, AM/FM tuner, and SRS WOW sound enhancement, the iMove can be powered from your car or boat's cigarette lighter, eight D batteries, or a regular wall outlet  -- and by using the latter option, you can simultaneously charge whatever iPod you have docked as well. No word yet on a release date, but as long as its cheaper than the Hi-Fi (it is, at around $100) and more polished than models like the Toolbox Player or iBoom (which it seems to be), it should probably be able to eke out some decent sales when it finally hits Wal-mart shelves.

[Via fosfor gadgets, thanks Mikael S.]