Author: Rosa Golijan

While Plastic Logic‘s Que reader is intended for business-minded folks and has a focus on schedules, BlackBerry syncs, and documents, it would still make a fantastic reader due to its size and design. If it weren’t $650, that is.

The Que is the tall and slender beauty among many of the readers on the market. Next to it, the Kindle and Nook both look chubby and tiny. The unfortunate part is that the large screensize comes at a price: $650 for a 4GB version and $800 for an 8GB 3G-enabled model. Each of the versions comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, of course.

Holding the reader is blissful. It’s incredibly light, but feels firm and solid—not at all plasticy or flimsy as I’d expected. While that was a pleasant surprise, the refresh rate of the Que was not. It felt slower than two readers I’ve played around with recently—the Nook and the Kindle.

Either way, if crave for a large screen and don’t want to deal with buttons being in your way while you lay in bed, the Que with its slim, single-button design might be your gal—if you can take the price. The reader will be shipping in April 2010 and can be ordered on the Que website now. [Que]

At tonight’s Microsoft Keynote, dear ol’ Steve Ballmer made it a point to include plenty of lame jokes, gimmicks, and antics. Whether all of them were intentional, we’ll never know, but here are our favorites.

Yes, those are a crazy cat lady’s Twitter page, a skydiving Sea Hawk, some censored boobs, Steve’s anatomy homework slides, and half-loaded old-school Internet porn. What some of those we’re doing on the screen, I’ll never understand, but I’ve gotta hand it to Ballmer. The man knows how to give us something to laugh about.

Thanks to Phillips’ CushionSpeaker, I’m well-rested despite getting a mere three hours of sleep. That’s because the lapdesk not only has a built in speaker, but happens to double as the best pillow I’ve slept on since arriving at CES.

Phillips intended to make the CushionSpeaker more comfortable than some other lapdesks by adding a soft, cushion-like bottom to caress your lap, but what they really did is create an almost ergonomic pillow. All you have to do is flip the accessory upside down and you’re ready for a nap.

That unintended purpose aside, the CushionSpeaker does in fact make a good lapdesk and a decent speaker. I have been using it for a good portion of the day in Gizmodo’s improvised pressroom and I’ve no complaints. Except that Frucci briefly kidnapped it for some sleepy time. [Phillips]

Finally! We’re getting word that the Facebook 3.1 iPhone app now has push notifications and contact syncing, something that was a shortcoming of previous versions. You should be able to download the update through the App store soon. [Thanks, Shawn!]

We jokingly call it joining the Mile High Club, but the idea is that we’re inviting people to test out in-flight Wi-Fi speeds while taking silly pictures of themselves.

The rules of the Mile High Club are simple: A goofy picture isn’t mandatory to gain membership, but you do need to run a Speed Test while using in-flight Wi-Fi and send us the results. So either take a screenshot or copy the data and email it to me (along with any in-flight webcam pictures) under the subject line “Mile High Club.” Please make sure that you also include the name of the airline you’re flying (and, if possible, the cities you’re flying to and from). Oh, and don’t forget to grab coupon code for free inflight Wi-Fi before you go (some of those codes might still work).

In exchange for your email, you’ll get no membership cards, no tshirts, no cookies, and no invitations to member-only events, but you will receive a “thank you” from me and be able to count yourself as part of our little club.

Ooh hello! Photo Rumors has come across what appear to be the specs of Panasonic’s six newest cameras along with their pictures. And they’re as lovely as can be.

The line up includes the Lumix FP1, FP3, F3, FH3, and FH20—a bunch of ugly names for some pretty decent cameras—several of which boast that they’re ultra-compact and include an “advanced Venus Engine IV image processor.” Check Photo Rumors for more on the specs and check back here for more once we check these babies out at CES. [Photo Rumors]

My favorite books have something very special between their pages: Inscriptions and autographs. Unfortunately, that special quality can’t be replicated with ebooks or readers. Not exactly, at least, but Danie Ware has an idea that might almost work.

Danie Ware, a PR gal for comic book store Forbidden Planet, describes her plan to capture the collectible nature of old-fashioned books with readers as follows:

Removable, collectable vinyl covers – plain, a selection of colours, maybe they can be stylised by your favourite art toy designer – but ultimately, they’re there to collect signatures. Take one to a Convention, keep it on you, it protects your Kindle, it looks cool – and you get to show off all the autographs/sketches you’ve collected.

Clever idea, but then you’re left with a shelf full of book covers and at that point you might consider collecting regular books again. It’s a workable solution, but still not perfect. How will autograph collectors cope in the age of ebooks? Or will they just never make the jump from paper to e-ink? [Danie Ware via Futurismic]

Photo by UggBoy

Apparently the University of North Dakota thinks that you should spend four years in flight school and then never actually get off the ground. That’s because they’re offering a new degree in flying UAVs, unmanned aerial vehicles.

The four-year undergraduate program already enrolled its first 12 students and there’s even talk of a graduate program being started up. Whatever happened to plain ol’ regular pilot school? [Discovery via Pop Sci]

Lenovo’s IdeaPad U1 is quite the clever combination of multi-touch tablet and laptop. When you ditch everything but the screen for the slate-like tablet section, the device is to switch processors and operating systems. Oh, and it’s gorgeous, too.

When both halves of the U1 are together, it runs on Windows 7 on a Intel Core 2 Duo SU processor, but when you split them up, the tablet will use a custom version of Linux and a Qualcomm ARM Snapdragon processor. This means that you’d be getting the best combination of power and battery life for each scenario. Other than that neat setup, the U1 brings 4GB of RAM (512MB in slate/tablet mode), two USB 2.0 ports, eSATA, VGA, HDMI, 4-in-1 memory card reader, and a 1.3-Megapixel camera.

Not too bad for about a thousand bucks. Lenovo will start selling the hybrid in June, but in the meantime I’ll be left wondering if it is really the best of both worlds wrapped in a pretty package or yet another half-hearted combination device.

Reddit commenter icallthebigspoon posted an ad on Craig’s List trying to swap his camera for a usable AT&T phone. I sincerely doubt that he expected this offer, but he’d be one cruel man if he didn’t take it.

Click on the image for a bigger version.

According to icallthebigspoon, he posted this simple, unremarkable Craig’s List ad:

I have a pink Casio Elixim 7.2 Megapixel digital camera that needs a new battery and maybe a new charger as well. I am selling it for $30 OR I am willing to trade it for a useable cell phone that works on the ATT network. Email me if interested.

and received this response:

Hello,
I am very interested in trading with you. I have a barely used att i-phone that my ex-wife gave me. I don’t like to use it because it reminds me of her ugly face. I also have a camera just like yours except that the screen is cracked (I have the battery and charger). I need a camera bad because I have a new girlfriend and she is hot and is willing to let me take pictures of her!!!!! Lets make a deal straight up?

There’s no word on whether he made the trade yet, but how could he not when it would make the other man’s life oh-so-much more fun? [Reddit]

Designer Karim Rashid has a knack for off-the-wall designs, so I wasn’t surprised to see his name attached to the Iamo Go baby bottle concept. This somewhat phallic-shaped bottle is supposed to heat milk to body temperature without using electricity.

The idea behind the Iamo Go is that it uses “a disposable capsule containing water and salt” instead of power cords to heat up fluids. The heat is generated as the salt in the organic cartridges is rehydrated, so it’s a safe reaction. Clever idea, and Karim even seems to emphasize the safe, child-friendly nature of the design with his lovely matching outfit:

Oh, that look on his face says “Bet you thought this thing was something entirely else when you first saw it.” And yes, Karim, yes I did. [Dezeen]

Dual microphones, capacitive volume control, a built-in six-band equalizer, and the ability to pair with eight phones make the Spracht Aura EQ bluetooth headset sound as insanely futuristic as it looks. Heck, it might make bluetooth headsets appealing again. Maybe.

I’m not—and suspect that I never will be—crazy about any sort of headset, but the robotic alien symbiotic look of the Aura puts it among the more appealing headsets I’ve seen in a while and it doesn’t hurt that it’s got more features than it can handle phones. Considering that the gadget will go for about $80 when it hits shelves in March, I’d say it might be a hit. [Engadget]

iLuv, iPhone and iPod accessory maker extraordinaire, has a clever alarm clock dock which uses your Apple gadget and a customizable app as its interface. I doubt it’ll get me out of bed any faster, but it certainly looks great.

The App Station‘s corresponding (and free) iLuv app drives the clock, allowing you to adjust settings and appearances. The entire thing also rotates so that you can have your screen set to your preferred orientation. We’ll see this $130 dock at CES, but you’ll be able to purchase it in February 2010. [iLuv]

Cool-er’s lineup of readers is getting new models such as the super-small Compact, the Wi-Fi-enabled Connect, and the appropriately named 3G. Based on previous models, it’s quite possible that these will find a place in the hearts of bargain shoppers.

We’ve seen 3G, Wi-Fi capabilities, touchscreens, and the like in plenty of readers on the market. What Cool-er focuses on is putting those features into lighter, thinner, and cheaper gadgets. I suppose that explains why they saw the need to make the Compact and announce that it’s got the smallest footprint of any reader out, even if Sony might disagree with that claim. Either way, the Compact is still among the smaller devices and still sounds rather good given Cool-er’s budget-friendly price tags.

Thes new readers will be shown off at CES, but they’ll be hitting the shelves Spring to mid-2010.

Interead Announces New COOL-ER Ereader Models

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ — Interead, makers of the COOL-ER line of ereaders, today announced new models that will be introduced at the 2010 International CES® in Las Vegas.

* At only 6.7″ x 4.6″ x 0.41″ (170 mm x 117 mm x 10 mm), the amazingly affordable and portable COOL-ER Compact has the smallest footprint of any ereader while still maximising the reader experience with a 6″ E Ink® screen. With 2GB onboard memory (expandable via SD card to 6GB total), it easily holds thousands of ebooks.

* COOL-ER Classic, the lightest and most elegant ereader currently available, has quickly become a favourite of readers around the world, and will be offered in exciting new colours.

* Weighing in at only 5.8 ounces (164 grams), COOL-ER Connect adds the convenience of WiFi and ease of a touch screen, ideal for readers on the move.

* Available in mid-2010, COOL-ER 3G adds robust 3G connectivity to the ereader experience to download 1,400+ periodicals and 2 million + books wherever they are.

All COOL-ER ereaders come in numerous vibrant colours, which now include Midnight Blue and Orange Crush, bright new additions to the colour line-up. Working in every country on the planet, COOL-ER ereaders support ebooks in every language and have menus in English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Russian, Japanese and Chinese, and also support multiple zoom levels to create a customized and comfortable reading experience.

COOL-ER Classic is currently available from premier global retailers and www.COOLREADERS.com. COOL-ER Compact and COOL-ER Connect will be available in Spring 2010, and COOL-ER 3G will be available in mid-2010.

Any of the more than 2 million books from COOL-ER’s companion online bookstore, COOLER-EBOOKS.com, can be shared with up to five other readers to let friends and families share the works they love. COOL-ER works with ebooks in all commonly used ebook formats, including EPUB and PDF.

Neil Jones, Interead’s CEO, commented: “As we have seen the ereader market evolve over the last year, it has become clear that the ereader is now a lifestyle device—not just a niche gadget. As such, it’s important that we offer a range of ereaders to accommodate a variety of preferences and reading habits, and this product range does just this.”

[COOL-ER]

With some elbow grease, we’ve been able to play Doom on our WebOS devices for a while, but now we can do so without any messy terminal commands. Oh, and there’s a playable version of Quake, too.

The folks of the webOS Internals global team have been throwing new things at us each day lately. At first Quake was only an unplayable demo, but now it plays just as well as the previously released version of Doom. These won’t be the last games we’ll see on the Pre though, because the same team has discovered demoed an OpenGL application and a “method for installing and running native Linux applications without the need for add-on services like webOSInternals’ own Upstart Manager Service.”

All of this is great news for homebrewers, Pre owners, and smartphone gamers, but tell me, what are you most eager to see next? [PreCentral Thanks, “Yinzers Are People Too!”]

When thinking about the cost of a cellphone, we consider the phone itself and any service plans, but what about the price of misuse? How often are we finding ourselves paying an unsubsidized price to replace phones under contract?

It’s just so easy to damage a phone. It slips out of your hand and crashes to the ground, gets knocked into a sink, thrown into the wash, and abused in who-knows-what other ways. The lousy part is that when you need to replace your precious gadget in the midst of a one-two-three year agreement, you’re very likely to find yourself paying full retail price.

It’s miserable, but it happens to even the best of us.

What we want though, is for you to ‘fess up. Tell us how often you’ve been in this costly situation during your last two-year agreement and whether it’s affected any of your buying decisions. [Thanks to Shooter for this QOTD idea!]

A wannabe Wolverine is crying somewhere in the UK, because these homemade claws of his were seized by border agents as part of a crackdown on illegal goods shipping into the country. Guess he’ll just hope for a mutation now.

Look at how sharp these seem. A pair of them and some of those nanopaticles that aid healing and I could be the next Logan. [TMZ]