At this point, we've seen the Tube from everyone but Nokia -- heck, even Morgan Freeman got a chance to show it off -- and it looks like that trend isn't going to abate any time soon. Another round of in-the-wild shots of the supposed XpressMusic 5800 have popped up (yes, the latest prototype seems to have dropped the "XpressMedia" badge), showing off a pretty uninspiring keyboard that we can only hope has no bearing on the final product. Guess that's why they haven't announced this sucker yet, eh? We hope?

[Via The Nokia Blog]

Screen grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com. Even for gadget freaks, it was tough to take one's attention away from the outstanding action that filled The Dark Knight from beginning to end, but when Morgan Freeman had to hand over his Nokia XpressMedia 5800 (or Tube, as it were) at a stop in Hong Kong, we had to take a moment and gush. Nokia's still-not-official handset had a few critical scenes where it was highlighted, though we'd wager it was only viewable for 4 to 5 seconds in total. Beyond that, Nokia's peculiarly designed 6630 (circa 2004) was Gordon's handset of choice, which we risked an MPAA thug kneecapping in order to also snag and host up below. It's not really important that you go see it for a live shot of the Tube (though the incentive is nice), just make sure you go. Soon.

[Thanks to everyone who kept us on the lookout!]

We've been hearing whispers about Nokia's touchscreen "Tube" phone for what seems like ages, and now it appears that the wait is almost over... with potentially less than inspiring results. In a statement released today from the company's head of devices, Kai Oistamo, the phone-maker says it will be launching a series of touchscreen devices in the second half the year, with the first model -- likely the Tube -- aimed at the "volume market." Oistamo claims that the mid-range market (not the high-end sector that devices like the iPhone 3G occupy) account for 50 percent of the total value of the touchscreen phone game. Essentially, it looks like Nokia's strategy will be business as usual, likely flooding the field with unspectacular mid-range phones, rather than taking on pricier competition like recent Apple and Samsung devices head-to-head, at least initially. Of course, who can argue with the company that shipped 122 million units in Q2 2008?

Random flickr feeds aren't the typical way for hot new Nokias to be discovered out in the environs, but hey, who are we to question a good thing when we see it? Pictures of one totally unknown Nseries have emerged -- alleged to be the N79 -- showing a sublime S60 candybar in a pair of colors. Next, we have more of the just-scooped N85, including some of a white version, so we're definitely feeling more confident by the minute that it's the real deal and not some ridiculously sophisticated fake. Last but certainly not least, we have some shots of the XpressMedia 5800 affectionately known as the "Tube," a device that'll likely come to be Nokia's first to use S60 Touch. This one is Vodafone branded (doesn't really surprise us, we guess) and features a 3.2 megapixel sensor with Carl Zeiss optics, a stylus, and the key to our hearts. How much longer do we have to wait for these, Nokia?

[Via Talk About Nseries]

According to Nokia chief designer Alastair Curtis, Nokia will be offering several -- nay, a "lot" -- more products in the US very soon. "In the next few months," Curtis promised, "operators will carry a lot of new products from us." While Nokia controls 40% of the worldwide handset market, they only have a 10% share in the United States. It seems they're not happy with that and want a bigger piece of the American pie. Bring it on, Nokia. We're ready to see these phones from you, say, in the form of an E71 or Tube?

Like detective work? Good, this one's for you. That's the supposed first picture of Nokia's Tube which we've enhanced a bit to see all the detail. According to Symbian-Freak, the device code-named "Tube" will be Nokia's first touch S60 device but will not be a flagship phone. Another higher spec'd phone will ship "shortly after." The display is said to be between 3- and 3.5-inches with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a camera (with another up front based on the picture) which they say is "way better" than the iPhone's but not on par with the existing N-series shooters. The phone is said to ride atop quad-band GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSDPA radios with built-in Bluetooth, WiFi, uPnP support and a stylus. Something you'll apparently need judging by that skinny scroll bar. GPS? Yup, that too. No multi-touch on this model but it is said to provide haptic feedback in a package supposedly smaller (maybe a little bit wider) than the N73. We also notice an "XpressMedia" label on the phone which would indicate an affiliation with Nokia's XpressMusic class of media devices. You'll also notice that the icons have been slightly revised since we went hands on with the S60 Touch UI back in February. Real deal or not, it's a mystery worthy of your skills.

[Thanks Jose and to everyone who sent this in]

It appears that Nokia is readying its official response to the iPhone, a project grossly codenamed "Tube" that will feature a touch interface. The new handset -- which is said to closely resemble Apple's device (see above, we assume) -- was shown during a slideshow at the Evans Data Developer Relations Conference in Redwood City, California. The slide demonstrated the phone's UI, including a promotional shot featuring Shrek The Third. Tom Libretto, vice president of Forum Nokia, believes that the company can compete for the iPhone's marketshare, though the phone-maker hasn't set a street date for the device. Apple has sold more than 4 million units since the iPhone's launch, but Libretto smugly noted that, "We've done that [volume] since we've had dinner on Friday," (though he failed to mention that it was 4 million low-end candybar handsets). He then put on a monocle, puffed on a Cuban cigar, and knocked back a tall glass of Cristal while chortling, "Oh, I do say!"

[Thanks, Alex]

Finally, Sony is striving to incorporate its technology into our "everything everywhere" lifestyles with a stereo speaker that matches our fast-paced, Jetsons-esque, 21st century "chill sessions." What are we talking about? Mainly, the company's new non-directional speaker prototype, a thin, tall, acrylic tube with a woofer at the bottom, a mid range "unit" at the top, and a tweeter created through the use of the vibrating, resin cylinder. Apparently, the speaker is capable of projecting sound in a omnidirectional fashion due to it's circular shape and unique speaker placement, though there's no telling how accurately it reproduces Mastodon's harmonized guitars. The speaker is self-powered (i.e., active), and as far as we know, Sony has no immediate plans for release, Stateside or otherwise.

We like to give Venzero a hard time about appearing completely sketch and vaporware-ish in most of its product announcements and subsequent delayed releases, but it turns out the company very much exists and very much is building and releasing the DAPs of which we speak. So very many DAPs. In fact, Venzero just released that WiFi-capable LINQ player we were talking about a week or so back, which is the company's main offering that really has much to unique or ergonomic to offer -- the SLICKR and the mini are a bit of a pain to use in the button department. Unfortunately, the LINQ doesn't support player-to-player sharing just yet, but the internet radio features and home media streaming are pretty extensive, and further functionality is planned for down the road -- along with some other nifty releases we can't mention just yet. Oh, and before you jump into that gallery, Venzero would like us to remind you that the player interfaces are soon going to be getting a significant upgrade in the sub-menu department, so hopefully the players won't look like shady also-rans for too much longer.

Check it vacuum tube buffs, Rockridge Sound has a new iPod speaker dock boasting a trio of vacuum tubes per stereo channel. As a result the VTS-384 delivers "full analog" sound out a pair of 2x2W (8ohm) speakers. The kit ships with a remote for controlling the iPod, wire protectors for those precious tubes, and RCA and USB jacks for sourcing non-iPod music or connecting USB speakers. Now, we're not so delusional as to consider ourselves audiophiles, but any benefit achieved by that single-ended triode vs. digital amp will likely be nullified by its compressed audio, iPod source, dontchathink? Still, sometimes it's not how the gear sounds, it's all about the looks. But for an expected MSRP of between ¥70-80,000 (about $604-$777) when these hit in February, you might rightly wonder if she's really all that.

[Via Impress]

Nixie clocks, which use little vacuum tubes to display the numbers, have been around for a while. Geeks build them, hipsters put them in their lofts, and they range from very cool to not so cool. Now Friedhelm Bruegmann, a member of the German Tube Collectors Association, has spent seven years of his life putting together an all-tube digital clock. Instead of a little quartz module, he uses 103 tubes to calculate and display the time. Yes, it looks like a small army of pointy silver-headed robots. No, it's not for sale, but Friedhelm's site is so detailed, you can probably hack one together yourself in a decade or so.

[Via Music Thing]

In an age dominated by LCD, plasma and other flat-panel technologies, we're always a little surprised to see anyone still trying to advance the cause of tube-based displays. But Samsung, for one, hasn't quite given up on tubes, and is showing off what the company says is the world's thinnest Color Display Tube (CDT) display, the 14-inch thick SyncMaster 745MS. The 17-inch display is expected to debut globally in June for under $200. While the display is unlikely to woo away too many LCD fans, it could sway some CRT loyalists who prefer tubes for their color range, sharpness and fast response rate.