Olympus pushed out the Mju (that's the Stylus over here) 1020 in a lackluster pre-PMA update back in January, but the company is trying to spice up the 10.1 megapixel shooter with a trio of custom skins designed by Romanian artist Matei Apostolescu. The skins are bundled with a special white-bodied 1020 and are apparently available now, but you'll have to act fast -- only 5,000 are being produced. Check the other two designs after the break.

When talking menus just aren't futuristic enough, we reckon Teraoka's Deli Touch pen -- which strongly reeks of LeapFrog's Tag -- is the next best thing. The system works with barcode-laden menus and enables customers to simply swipe their choices and have them beamed directly to the kitchen. Besides hastening the order process and keeping the interaction between customer and waiter / waitress at a minimum, the device may also give you a solid reason to skimp on the tip -- not that we'd recommend such a thing, of course. Unfortunately, we've no idea if this setup is built to play nice with picky eaters and their laundry list of special requests, so we'd probably recommend steering clear unless you're totally cool with the standard fare.

[Via PopGadget]

Basic point-and-shoot digicams is what the Stylus line is all about, and the trend continues. Up here are some shots of the 840, 850SW and 1030SW. 8-megapixels on the 840 and 850SW with 5x and 3x zoom, respectively. And if you vacation includes some light snorkeling (or you like taking pics in the rain), note that the 850SW is shockproof 1.5-meters and to waterproof to 3-meters. Need more megapixels? Step on up to the 1030: 10.1-megapixels and a 3.6x zoom and waterproof to 10-meters.

It's been a tick since we've heard any news on the 3D drawing front, but a number of computer scientists from Brown University are putting the art back in the proverbial foreground with its Drawing on Air installation. Put simply, users can slip on a virtual reality mask, grab a stylus and tracking device, and go to town. The system uses "drawing guidelines, force feedback, and two-handed interaction" to assist artists in drawing more precisely, and once movements are made, the patterns are transferred to a computer for use in 3D modeling and design programs. Unfortunately, such a system can't currently be priced at points which John and / or Jane Doe would be happy with, but the researchers did state that commercialization wasn't "too far away" and that prices should decrease from "thousands of dollars to hundreds of dollars in the next few years."

Have you ever been sitting around and suddenly thought of the cure for cancer, or figured out how to build the world's largest hamburger, but you didn't have any way to get your idea down? Sure, you could write it on a piece of paper, but what if that paper got ripped, or blown away by a strong gust of wind? Well luckily, EPOS Technologies thought about all of this and came up with a solution: a digital pen which records your movements on a piece of paper, and then saves them to a USB flash drive for later use. The two-part combo utilizes the company's proprietary system of transmission which employs ultrasonic acoustic waves to help measure the distance and position of the pen, so apparently all you have to do is clip the flash drive to a notepad or related writing surface, and off you go. The whole wacky set-up is available for the bargain-basement price of $79, and should be available by the end of the year.

Tablet PC devices seem to be getting overshadowed (as always) by other initiatives at this year's WinHEC, but scrappy Arizona outfit InPlay Technologies is hoping to swing some attention back to the platform with the release of the InPEN, its new computerized RF stylus. Unlike traditional analog styli, the InPEN contains a programmable microcontroller that broadcasts a unique identifier to the tablet, which allows multiple pens to be linked to the system. InPlay is touting several uses for the tech, such as simultaneous editing (each user gets a different color ink), change tracking, and device security, but the company hasn't explained if the system extends the current Windows Tablet Edition digitizer or totally replaces it. We're also curious to know what happens when the stylus battery dies -- can you still use your finger? We probably won't get any answers for a while, as InPlay says it's still shopping the tech to tablet manufacturers.

Finally, something useful to do with these heaps of ballpoint pens that either don't conform to our writing style, or worse, show up with ink that refuses to leave the cartridge. LSN Global is making sure we do something other than pick locks with our leftover pens, and furthermore, will probably save us a bit of cash by avoiding those overpriced replacement styli. The ECOPLUS can purportedly fit within the confines of a given writing instrument, clip onto one's pocket, and on a whim, can be whipped out and used to jot down notes in a lecture or throw down your digital John Hancock at a retail checkout counter. Not a lot of details beyond that, but be sure to click through for a few more shots of the creation in case you're feelin' a little DIY action rather than waiting it out.

Oh yeah, and Olympus also announced the Stylus 780, another in their line of cleverly press-photographed cameras that may not be as thin as some by other camera makers, but that does feature 5x optical zoom, a 7 megapixel sensor, 2.5-inch display, 15MB of internal memory, xD slot, and a $350 pricetag which we think could be a bit high. It's due May, so you've got plenty of time to decide whether this is the camera for you.

In addition to that freaky 18x zoomer, Olympus is shepherding out a pair of newborn Mjus this morning with their Mju (AKA, Stylus) 760 and Mju 770SW all weather shooters. Both pack a 7.1 megapixel CCD, 3x optical zoom, 2.5-inch 230k color LCD, choice of 3 all American/French/Dutch colors (red, white, and blue), support for xD-Picture Cards, ISO 1600 shots, and a suite of pre-defined underwater modes for easy point-and-shoot snaps as deep as 40-meters when coupled with their optional underwater cases. The Mju 760 differs by offering mechanical image stabilization not found in the 770SW. And while the 760 won't shy away from a little dampness, the 770SW downright prefers it just like its predecessors. In fact, it can take pretty much anything you throw at it: it's shockproof against falls from as high as 1.5-meters, waterproof to a depth of 10-meters, freezeproof in temps as low as -10 Celsius, and can withstand loads up to 100-kg (220-pounds) for those tempted to risk a slip of this slimster into their back pocket. It also packs a built-in "one-touch light" to find subjects tucked inside the reefs, an on-screen water pressure gauge, and a lens slathered with water repellent for droplet-free shooting. Both are expected to hit in March with the 760 demanding about £200/$394 and the 770SW about £300/$591. Pics of the 760 after the break.

[Thanks, David]

Read -- Mju 760
Read -- Mju 770SW

Olympus also knocked out five new digital cameras in their Stylus line this morning, all of which are weatherproofed. Click on for images and details of each of them: