After having announced a slew of hardware updates in the last week, the company with the plan, Apple, has moved on to software updates by introducing the new Apple TV 3.0 software that aims to up the ante in the battle for your attention in living rooms throughout America (and the world, although Apple might not claim that officially). The Apple TV 3.0 software will come with a redesigned main menu that enables easier navigation of your favorite content in a faster and more simple manner, enabling you to enjoy the largest selection of on-demand HD movie rentals and purchases, HD TV shows, music and podcasts straight from the iTunes Store in an even better manner on your TV.

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Esquire Magazine continually thinks outside the box when it comes to the print media. First it was their 75th anniversary issue with an e-ink cover, and now it is their December 2009 issue full of Augmented reality.

It seems like I seem to be defining augmented reality every time that I cover it. In all honesty, if you haven’t experienced it for yourself, clearly you aren’t looking hard enough, as it has recently appeared in Best Buy ads and games based on Criss Angel’s Mindfreak.

Did I not tell you at last January’s CES that Augmented Reality was the Coolest Gadget Ever? That may have been exaggeration, but the rest of the world is starting to see how cool it really is!

Yes, the December 2009 issue will be full of images that will reveal 3D flying text and images when viewed on a webcam display.

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Starkey Laboratories has a reputation of being one of the world’s leading hearing technology companies, where they have recently unveiled the their very own Sweep Technology that is touted to offer an entirely new method of adjusting hearing aids for the wearer’s benefit. Sweep Technology can be found on the new S Series behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing instrument, where it will replace all of the traditional hearing aid buttons and dials with an innovative touch surface. This touch surface (why is everything heading the way of touch these days? Are there no more advocates for button-based access anymore?) will enable the wearer to perform various tasks including the adjustment of volume and change settings with but a simple sweep or touch of a finger. Don’t worry if you are suffering from limited dexterity – it can still be accessed with very little effort.

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Many radios go for the obvious dials that you’re used to twisting and turning.  Some go as far as to use buttons and things along those lines.  Well this Q2 Cube Radio goes for a slightly different angle.  Instead of being covered in useful knobs, it allows for you to control it by how you move the cube itself.  If you like having things to toy with, this radio might be enough to keep you entertained.

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Boredom is a dreadful thing, so you should always find ways to get rid of it.  Thankfully, Think Geek is always around to rescue geeks from being sucked into a bland dark place in their mind.  Now you can spend your days strumming on a fake guitar on your shirt.  It has all the major chords and plays them out loud for all the world to hear.  Whether they like it or not.

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Apparently, some experts claim that having your kid in the womb listen to music (especially classical music) is great for their mental development, giving them a head start before they pop out of the womb. Doesn’t explain how we get child prodigies like Mozart in the past when there was no such thing though, leading me to believe that this is more or less hogwash and is some sort of marketing tool instead. Still, if you’re adamant on making sure your yet-unborn kid will be the next world genius, the Lullabelly Prenatal Music Belt might be your cup of tea as it retails for $49, or $55 if you want a pair of packaged headphones to filter out what junior is listening to.

Source: Gearlog

I believe that it was Henry David Thoreau who wrote in Walden: “Out life is frittered away by detail…Simplify, simplify, simplify!” Of course, if he really wanted to take his own advice, he would have written “simplify” only once.

One of the things in life that really need to be simplified is our desktops. Many of us have all sorts of accessories to our PC like memory card readers and iPods, and the Simplifi is designed to take up a lot less real estate on the desk.

The Simplifi is clad in anodized aluminum, and attaches to the computer via USB. Fortunately, no software is required, and my computer recognized it right away.

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Instead of coming out with tons of fancy new models to add to their iHome collection, iHome is just adding a new finish for their old players.  This one to make their various iPod docks appeal to a much younger crowd.  Also a much younger very female bunch.  The ones that still love those tiny plastic Barbie shoes and find Ken’s bright white smile to be absolutely dreamy.  Thankfully they come in a range of sizes and prices to appeal to any parent’s budget.

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