The lucky, lucky chaps over at Laptop got an early sit-down with the glossy 14.1-inch Samsung X460 we've been hearing so much about. We'll have to be patient and wait for the full review, but some early impressions are that the outer shell smudges up quite easily (as evidenced by the above photo), it's got a pretty fast boot-time and that the display is very, very bright. Check out the deeply riveting video of the handling after the break.

At WinHEC yesterday, Microsoft also announced early industry support of its Device Stage, advanced peripheral management scheme. So far, the list includes Brother, Epson, HP, Motorola, Nikon, Sansa, Canon, Sony and Nokia. This is more than just plug-and-pray kids, Device Stage is meant to provide users with customized device information and access to things like ring tones, direct management of ink cartridges and photo printing, or links to live customer service chat sessions -- just to name a few of the end user benefits. Microsoft demonstrated the new Windows 7 feature by attaching a Canon SD990 camera to an Eee PC S101 running a 1.6GHz "Atom dual-core chip" (the Atom 330, we presume) to upload a photo over Sierra Wireless' 3G data modem to Flickr, not Windows Live Photo Gallery... oops. See the full video after the break.

Update: Microsoft's PR folks just got in touch to let us know that the device demoed was not a dual-core Atom, but actually a single-core chip. Apparently the speaker misspoke when mentioning what kind of processor was being used.

Seriously, is there anything carbon nanotubes can't do? We've got shock absorbers, flexible displays, atypically small eating utensils and now, film-like speakers. For times when NXT flat drivers simply aren't thin enough, a team of Chinese researchers have reportedly found a way to create sound from a thin sheet of carbon nanotubes. The film, which could be stretched and placed on PMPs, HDTVs or even clothing, can generate sound when "zapped with a varying electric current." Great, the perfect recipe for a new wave of Milli Vanilli copycats. A video of the tech can be seen after the jump.

[Via Physorg]

You've already been given the skinny on Microsoft's New Xbox Experience -- you know, that stupendous, sure-to-be-life-altering dashboard update that'll hit 360 owners on November 19th -- but one aspect that still hasn't been adequately addressed is the difference in load times between the DVD and HDD. If you're staring blankly ahead with a look of decided curiosity, here's a bone: the NXE will enable users to load full games onto their Xbox 360 hard drive for "quicker load times" versus the traditional DVD method. When tested on a variety of games, MTV Multiplayer found that the bootup sequence was between 9 and 15 seconds quicker via HDD, though loading a ~6.6GB title initially took around 11 minutes. Whether or not those precious ticks are worth it is totally your call, but avoiding the annoying hum of the optical drive has to count for something. A trio of comparison vids await you in the read link.

[Via Joystiq]

Retailers may be having a tough time moving inventory, but they're not using a Dreamoc to advertise. RealFiction's latest blend of holographic technology, 3D imagery and mind-blowing eye candy has resulted in the device you see above. Hailed as a 3D display system designed "especially for high profile brands in a competitive retail environment," this box possesses the innate ability to "mix free-floating animation and video images with physical objects." We can only imagine how lovely this would be if removed from that chamber and utilized as a tabletop HDTV, for instance, but until the company works that idea into its product line, have a look at the current incarnation (in video, no less) after the break.

There's seamless, and then there's Foo's PSP mod. Easily one of the most remarkably clean gaming mods we've seen to date, this here hack involved an old socket originally intended for a cellphone, steady hands and an unwanted Super Nintendo controller (we're simplifying things, but work with us here). In the end, the mod left a nearly-flush port on the rear of the handheld where a hacked SNES controller could be plugged in for input, and better still, the connector doubled as a PSP kickstand. The whole concept was conceived after someone with limited use of one hand contacted Foo for help; needless to say, this workaround now has that individual in business. Hop on past the break to see it in action.

[Via Hack-A-Day]

It was inevitable, was it not? T-Mobile's G1 lasted an entire week as the T-Mobile G1; now, it's really anyone's G1. Thanks to the kids over at Unlock T-Mobile G1, any owner with a few spare moments and $22.99 can open their handset up for use on AT&T or any other GSM network across the globe. Reportedly, prospective unlockers simply hand over the aforementioned cash and their IMEI code (scary, we know), and in return they receive an eight-digit unlock code that frees it from the bonds of T-Mobile. Initial tests have shown that calling and texting work just fine on non-native networks, but the inability to even login to Gmail (and thus, the Android Market, etc.) puts a real damper on things. No worries -- we're sure those minor hindrances will be worked out in short order. A video full of proof is waiting just beyond the break.

[Via Android Community]

We saw Windows 7's multi-touch capability way, way back in the day when Bill Gates was still at the wheel of Microsoft (uh hem, May). That demo was pretty limited to in-application touches and did little to show off the interaction with the OS and Internet browser -- the two places we find ourselves most often. Now we've finally got some video, brief as it is, that gives a better idea of what it might be like to work with arms out-stretched in front of you to manipulate icons and images on a desktop display. At about 4.20 into the video posted after the break, we see the usual panning and gesture controls already available in Vista on what looks to be HP's TouchSmart PC. We then learn that Microsoft's goal is to enable "most applications," out of the box with simple (think: pinch to zoom) multi-touch on day one of the Windows 7 launch. Individual apps can then be optimized to improve performance and offer a greater degree of touch and multi-touch control. As demonstrated in the video, finger flicks applied to Microsoft's optimized Internet Explorer send the scroll whizzing away compared with an un-optimized MS Word document (shown in a zooming gesture above) while gentle upward swipes to Windows 7 taskbar icons expose jump lists normally requiring a right mouse click. Interesting.

[Via NowhereElse]

Sure, it looks like a friendly robot strapped to a mobile toilet, but this robo-maid developed by Tokyo University's Information and Robot Technology (IRT) center won't be assisting with the after birth of your Turducken food baby. Assistant Robot is domestic enough to do the laundry, sweep, and clean up the kitchen... but there are limits to what its 3D sensors will respond to. Its creators claim that it can recognize when there's more laundry to do and won't be distracted from completing its task by the roar of the crowd from the television. That gives men about 10 - 20 years to get their act together before this robot could conceivably go production. Hot domestic cleaning action in the video posted after the break.

You already know the Xbox 360 is getting new community features, a revamped dashboard, Avatars, and of course Netflix video -- all things we've been excited about since we saw them in action at E3 this year. There hasn't been much to go on since then, but we recently came across some short videos exhibiting Parties (which let users socialize and make plans while engaging in separate games and activities) and Avatar customization options; hopefully they'll hold you over until the features go live November 19th. We won't be held responsible for the brain deterioration caused by the vacuous marketing-speak accompanying the moving images, however. "It is where you get to enjoy entertainment -- that's the vision." Yes, it is.

If this here press releases didn't have a date of February 1997 on it, we'd swear this was some sort new fancy new development. Sure, robots have been playing sports for ages, but seeing this here creature revived begs the question: why don't we all have one or two of these laying around the house by now? The prototype seen in the video linked below can recognize spoken commands, react to incoming spheres, identify actions of nearby humans and spike volleyballs in your grille all day long. In all honesty, Tosh probably converted this into some sort of elderly assistant bot that didn't catch nearly as much press, but we're still holding onto a sliver of hope that this thing is just about ready for commercial release.

Read - Volleyball robot video
Read - Original volleyball robot press release

Aigo's P8860 MID was already a potent, handsome piece of machinery in its factory form, but adding in 3G is like adding melted chocolate to a glazed hot doughnut from Krispy Kreme -- it's just better, even though it's tough to accomplish and potentially harmful to your health. Far-reaching metaphors aside, our pals over at jkkmobile have put together an all-telling 18 minute video that explains how to add 3G HSDPA to this here MID. For seasoned DIYers, the process of opening it up, soldering a mini PCI-e connector / SIM card slot and tossing in a 3G card / antenna won't seem that difficult. For everyone else, we'd recommend watching thrice to make sure your confidence level is at the appropriate position before delving in. Vid's after the break, per usual.

While being the first DSLR to shoot HD video sounds mighty excellent on paper, it's not worth much if the execution isn't there, right? The general consensus was that Nikon's D90 was a stellar DSLR, but the 720p movie mode was simply a so-so cherry on top. The gurus over at CamcorderInfo decided to take things one step further and actually write up an in-depth review on the movie mode alone. The long and short of it is this: the D90's movie mode simply can't produce the same results as a dedicated HD camcorder, and while it was "often able to produce impressive results (especially in moderately low light)," the unfortunate "wobble effect" really put a damper on things. In essence, the aforementioned problem causes objects to look like Jell-o when the user pans quickly from left to right, and the only real way to avoid it is to utilize a tripod or slow down your pans -- neither of which are terribly convenient. Critics did find quite a bit to praise, and they certainly appreciated the inclusion in an otherwise amazing camera, but it's still far from being ideal in all scenarios.

One might think that the BlackBerry Bold and the BlackBerry Storm could get along together, but similar to twin brothers who both aspire to graduate Magna Cum Laude from an Ivy league school, these two aren't exactly the most loving of siblings. Oh, and toss in that iPhone 3G -- which played a huge role in helping Apple sell more phones than RIM last quarter -- and you've got yourself a bona fide mess. Check out all three getting shoved up on one another in the name of comparison just after the break. It's a little uncomfortable at first, but you'll get used to it.