The iPod with camera is pretty much a given at this point in Apple's evolutionary approach to its audio / video players. In fact, we've already seen iLounge's confident rendering of an iPod nano with camera. Now we have the first cases with matching camera cut-outs (like that of the above) for the iPod nano in addition to an iPod touch case with similar cutouts passing through our tips box. This morning TechCrunch is claiming that a "massive number of camera modules" for iPods have been ordered per information provided by a source in Asia. Add it all up and we should see the announcement of a new iPod touch and iPod nano with photo / video recording sometime around September per Apple's usual pattern.

[Via MacRumors, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Our initial experience with Windows 7's multitouch was decidedly less than stellar, but it looks like Microsoft's taking the initiative to ramp up the usability with the newly-unveiled Touch Pack. It's a software suite consisting of three games and three Surface apps, including a a globe you can pinch and twist around, the ever-popular surface collage for images, and and a zen-inspired lagoon screensaver. OEMs making touchscreen-capable Windows 7 rigs are being offered the pack to use as a pre-installed option, so look for these to arrive around the same time as the new OS, which should be sometime this holiday season. In the meantime, GottaBeMobile's gotten their hands on the app collection early, and you can view their efforts in the video after the break.

Read - Windows 7 Team Blog
Read - GottaBeMobile's hands-on

Just a note to everyone who carries around a spare smartphone Li-ion in their rear pocket: buy thicker underwear. The scene you see above was all caused by an obviously volatile HTC Touch Pro battery, one that the pants-wearer claims is an authentic HTC cell and not a cheap-o alternative from eBay. As the story goes, a foul odor led him to a laundry pile, where he uncovered eight moist socks, a torched battery and a ruined pair of pants. Look, we're glad this guy's okay and all, but seriously, can you imagine what this testy little thing would've done when tossed into the dryer? It's a blessing in disguise, kiddo.

[Via phoneArena]

Microsoft's Surface has been shipping out to corporate customers for a year now, but we haven't heard much about the backend setup of the $17,000 table -- sure, we know it's fun when it's up and running all those custom apps, but what's it like after the unboxing? Incredibly frustrating, says FD kinesis's Gordon Miller. Hired to implement a Surface solution for a client, Miller and his team first spent 30 minutes on the phone with MS phone support trying to locate the power socket, and another lengthy period of time poking at an unresponsive touchscreen before realizing that the Surface doesn't respond to touch out of the box. Yep, you read that right -- Microsoft's $17,000 big-ass touchscreen table requires a keyboard and mouse to set up, something which isn't noted in any of the marketing or manuals. Ouch. Hopefully that'll get fixed before this thing ships to consumers in 2011, but in the meantime, hit the read link for the entire harrowing tale -- it's a pretty fun read for a Friday afternoon.

P.S.- We actually talked to Gordon on the phone for a quick minute and he said that Microsoft's been in touch about the experience -- he's working on an new post about that which we'll link when it goes up.

Update: As promised, here's the followup, which includes Microsoft's response.

[Via Daring Fireball]

Attention, Orange and the random supplier who's manufacturing these ripoffs: the world has moved on from the original HTC Touch's design language. Hell, we've actually moved on twice now; once to the Touch Diamond, and once to the Touch Diamond2. On that note, we're not sure what's possessing a Western European carrier to release a cheesy rip of a such a well-known late model phone -- whose manufacturer Orange has a great relationship with, no less -- other than the fact that they're looking to give entry-level customers a really inexpensive way to get into the touchscreen game. Indeed, the prepaid device will apparently run just £48.50 (about $71) when it launches, but in return, you're only getting a 1.3 megapixel camera, presumably EDGE data, and the mocking of everyone you've ever known -- including your own mother, who we understand uses an actual HTC Touch.

[Via mobile-review]

Update: If T-Mobile UK is more your style, turns out they're offering the very same device as the Vairy Touch. Thanks, everyone!

Okay, now it's official. After a misstep late last week, LG's ready to pull the trigger for reals on the Viewty Smart, the follow-on to one of its more successful high-end feature phones in recent memory. Pretty much every major feature has been improved or revamped over the original Viewty, including bumps to WVGA display resolution, an 8 megapixel camera with claimed ISO 1600 sensitivity (we'll see about that), DVD-quality video recording, LG's recently-introduced S-Class user interface concept, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, integrated WiFi, AGPS, and 1.5GB onboard with microSD expansion theoretically to 32GB. What's more, LG has somehow smushed this all into a package just 12.4mm thick, which makes this just about the most desirable non-smartphone on the planet -- on paper, anyhow. Look for it to start hitting European carriers next month, with availability elsewhere to be announced later on.

[Via Akihabara News]

HTC's been pretty coy with pricing on the Touch Pro2 and Touch Diamond2, but now that units are starting to trickle out overseas, the numbers situation is getting slightly clearer. HTC's just announced that an unlocked Pro2 will set Singaporeans back S$1,328 ($887), while a Diamond2 will hit 'em up for S$1,088 ($726) -- a little more than in Taiwan, but probably close to what we'll see off-contract in the States. A little rich for our blood, though -- let's hope T-Mobile cleans the goo off soon.

[Via Unwired View]

We haven't heard much about the appearance of the HTC Touch Diamond2 on US shores apart from a few AT&T-related whispers, but the squared-off handset is starting to pop up overseas, and the requisite unboxings and video tours have started flooding in. Sadly, these early units are still running Windows Mobile 6.1, so beauty's only skin deep -- or at least as deep as TouchFlo2 3D. Hardware video after the break, but there's plenty more at the read links.

Read - Windows Phone Mix
Read - Tracy and Matt

We've spent some time with Windows 7 Beta's new touch and multitouch features this week, and came away largely disappointed. It's not that they don't work, at least on occasion, it's that they don't really provide a comprehensive or pleasurable method for using a computer. The primary enhancements to the OS that really make touch usage possible include a taller taskbar, pinch to zoom and tap-and-drag scrolling. There's a fancy new onscreen keyboard that's actually usable, and those quick-swipe gestures from Vista remain for forward, back, copy, paste, undo and redo.

After watching its Toughbook 19 and 30 siblings get a makeover, Panasonic's CF-52 wasn't about to miss out on all the fun. The semi-rugged laptop has a few new tricks up its armored sleeve, chief among them an optional 13.3-inch XGA touchscreen with integrated stylus holder, dual overhead keyboard light, and Intel GM45 video controller. If you're not the touchy-feely type, the 15.4-incher is still around, swapping tactile interface for WUXGA resolution and an ATI Radeon HD 3650. Both models sport Intel Core 2 Duos with vPro technology, 2-4 GB DDR2 RAM, Bluetooth and 160GB HDD. Look for these babies to hit retail shelves -- and still work -- later this month for an estimated starting price of £1851 ($2677).

We've seen some interesting large-scale multitouch products from SMART lately, but the company's bread and butter is still the SMART Board interactive whiteboard, and it's getting a neat little upgrade today: touch recognition. The board now intelligently senses the difference between a pen and your hand, so you can draw with the pen, move objects with your finger, and erase with the palm of your hand all at the same time -- no tool switching required. It's just a little tweak, sure, but it's the stuff like this that's going to make touch a viable primary interface -- check out a video after the break.