Creative have taken the wraps off a new MP3 player, based on the Creative Zen Stone, aimed specifically at younger children interested in availing themselves of a DAP – namely the Creative Zen Moo, which comes with a design based on a somewhat cartoon-style cow’s head (apparently to celebrate the Chinese year of the cow).

Despite its (quite deliberately) childish aesthetics, the Creative Zen Moo DAP boasts the same specifications as Creative’s Zen DAP – 2GB integrated storage capacity, integrated FM tuner, a purported endurance of up to 20 hours playback based on a full charge - and also comes with a mini, built-in OLED display.

At the time of writing we are unable to ascertain either the Creative Zen Moo MP3 Player’s pricing or specific date of release.

Mitsubishi have rolled out two new models in its 500 series of projectors, the Mitsubishi WD500-ST and the WD510U – both of which are aimed specifically at the business and educational markets, use the Texas Instruments DDP 2230 DMD chip with DLP technology and offer 1280×800 resolutions paired with 16:10 aspect ratios.

In terms of distinguishing features, the WD510U and WD500-ST projectors offer contrast ratios of 2000:1 and 2500:1 respectively – the latter being intended for use as ‘short-throw’ projector - whist both offer a lamp life of a purported 4000 hours.

Connectivity-wise, both the WD510U and WD500-ST - both of which come with a built-in speaker rated at 2W - come with VGA, DVI-D (with HDCP support), PC audio and 3.5mm stereo jack, RCA for audio, video and S-video connections and an integrated Ethernet connection.

The WD510U and WD500-ST retail for around $1500 and $1700 respectively.

Kingston have added a new model to their DataTraveler 150 USB flash drive series offering a doubling of capacity from the previous largest capacity model in the DataTraveler 150 line-up in the form of the 64GB Kingston DataTraveler 150 USB flash memory drive.

The 64GB DataTraveler 150, which could be seen as an alternative to a portable HDD (depending on your requirements) will set you back around $177, however, Vista users should not that the 64GB Kingston DataTraveler 150 does not offer Vista ReadyBoost compatibility.

Nextar has announced it’s latest, budget priced MP3 player, the Nextar MA588 (alternatively known as the ‘Peanut’), which, apart from its ‘uniquely designed peanut-shape’ boasts 1GB or 2GB of integrated storage capacity, comes in a range of five ‘cool’ colors (black, pink, red, blue and silver) and supports SRS WOW sound processing technology.

As far as features are concerned, the Nextar MA588 ‘Peanut’ DAP, which measures in at a mere 2.7” x 1.3” x 0.7”, is, as exactly as one would expect for a budget MP3 player, in being a wholly rudimentary device offering ‘a high-speed USB 2.0 interface, auto power off, a power-off timer, and easy-to-understand graphic menus’ (it’s telling that USB connectivity in a DAP is listed as a feature).

The Nextar MA588 ‘Peanut’ MP3 Player will set you back around $20 and $30 for the 1GB and 2GB MA588 models respectively.

Acer has released two new Full HD LCD TFT monitors in Japan – the 21.5” Acer H223HQbmid and the 24” Acer H243Hbmid – which offer 1920×1080 maximum resolutions paired with 4ms response times, 300cd/m2 brightness and viewing angles of 160 degrees vertical/170 degrees horizontal.

Both the H223HQbmid and the H243Hbmid LCD TFT monitors offer D-Sub 15-pin as wells as 3xHDMI inputs and integrated stereo speakers, with the primary distinguishing factor between the H223HQbmid and the H243Hbmid (apart from screen size) being contrast ratios of 20,000:1 and 40,000:1 respectively.

Acer’s new LCD TFT monitors will retail in Japan for the equivalent of $317 (H223HQbmid) and $422 (H243Hbmid).

If you’re looking for a new monitor but are somewhat restricted in terms of budget, this new widescreen from AOC, the AOC F19 monitor, is undoubtedly worth consideration as, for budget price point, the F19’s specifications are far from disappointing.

The AOC F19 widescreen monitor offers a 16:9 aspect ratio 18.5” TFT display, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, supports resolutions up to 1366×768 and offers a response time of a not in the least disappointing 5ms. Additional features of note include DVI-D and HDCP inputs and a not uninspiring design with glossy piano black finish.

The AOC F19 LCD TFT monitor will set you back just shy of a mere $160.

Okoro has begun shipping its new OMS-LX100 CableCARD Digital Entertainment/Home Theater PC which comes with integrated ATI Digital CableCARD tuner (or Dual NTSC/ATSC/QAM tuners), and is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo E2200 2.2GHz CPU paired with an Nvidia GeForce 9300 graphics chipset, a 500GB low power SATA HDD, 2GB DDR2 RAM, and which supports 7.1 channel high definition sound.

Running the Vista Premium OS, the Okoro OMS-LX100 offers VGA/DVI/HDMI outputs (as well as DisplayPort video output) and TV coaxial/S-Video inputs and comes with dual layer DVD Burner as well as a wireless keyboard and retails for $1725.

Epson have announced a new, high-end model set to join its Dreamio series of projectors. The Epson Dreamio EH-TW4000 projector offer Full 1080p HD resolution, uses Epson’s new D7/C2FINE LCD panel for hardly-visible pixel grids, comes with DeepBlack technology resulting in contrast levels of 75,000:1, offers 1,600 brightness and comes with two HDMI 1.3a ports.

Additional highlights include an automatic iris, allowing the Epson Dreamio EH-TW4000 projector to switch between standard and high-speed modes as 2.1x optical zoom and 4-way lens shift control.

The Epson Dreamio EH-TW4000 Full 1080p HD Projector is due to begin shipping from 28 November in Japan for the equivalent of $3700 though, at the time of writing, there’s no confirmation from Epson whether the Dreamio EH-TW4000 will ever see a release outside of Japan.

Lenovo’s latest secure portable hard disk, known as the Lenovo ThinkPad USB Portable Secure Hard Drive, offers an interesting take on enhanced data security in coming complete with an integrated, shell mounted keypad allowing users to lock and unlock the drive using PIN codes.

But an integrated keypad is by no means the full extent of the degree of data security on offer as the Lenovo ThinkPad USB Portable Secure Hard Drive uses 128-bit advanced encryption which, incidentally, is utilised by the drive in real time (meaning that the drive encrypts and decrypts data on the fly increasing read/write access times).

The Lenovo ThinkPad USB Portable Secure Hard Drive comes in 160GB and 320GB versions which will set you back around $180 and $220 respectively.

Iomega have added to their eGo range of portable hard disks with their new eGo Helium which, in being formatted with Apple’s HFS+ file system, is designed foe use by Mac users (and specifically for Apple MacBook Air users).

The Iomega eGo Helium comes with a 2.5” based drive sporting 320GB capacity and is billed by Iomega as being ‘a perfect match for the style and incremental storage needs of Apple’s revolutionary MacBook Air notebook’ thanks to its tapered anodized aluminum shell which comes in at a mere 0.63” in thickness and weighs just 7 ounces.

Additional highlights concerning the eGo Helium include Iomega’s DropGuard, billed as protecting the drive of up to 51”, the fact that its USB powered (negating the need for a separate power supply) and is available for around $150.

If you’re looking for an iPod and/or iPhone dock that will happily function not only as an iPod/iPhone docking station but also as an AM/FM radio and alarm clock that’s capable of waking you to either a buzzer, the radio or by playing tracks from your iPod and/or iPhone then this new Cygnett GrooveNeo iPod/iPhone Speaker Alarm Clock Radio fits the bill rather nicely.

Boasting a shiny black exterior and prominent digital time display, the Cygnett GrooveNeo offers dual (stereo) speakers with enhanced bass, touch sensitive controls, a remote and sells for just $30.

If modern ‘in your face’ watches are your bag and you have a particular propensity for multi-colored LED displays, Tokyoflash’s new LED watch, the Tokyoflash Fire, could be of interest with its stainless steel grill and animated LED light array which serves to tell the time in a typical Tokyoflash style – meaning you’ll need a degree in code breaking in order to tell its even lunchtime.

Featuring yellow LEDs to indicate the hour, red LEDs to indicate groups of ten minutes and green LEDs to convey single minutes in groups of 1 to 9 (got that?) its nice to know that wearing the Tokyoflash Fire by the time you’ve actually worked out its lunchtime your worked colleagues will already have returned suitably stuffed. But, hey, at least you have a multi colored wrist watch (hardly solace, I know).

The Tokyoflash Fire LED wrist watch, which is aimed specifically at those who wouldn’t know the term ‘understated’ were it to whack them on the head with a baseball bat several time over, is set to retail for ¥12900 which comes in at around around $132.

Tokyoflash [via]

This interesting, highly compact device just released by Western Digital, known as the WDAVN00BN WD TV HD Media Player, is billed as sporting the capability to turn any USB drive (or any USB based external HDD) into a media player courtesy of ‘dock-and-play convenience’ allowing for media streaming and playback in up to 1080p HD via HDTV sets.

Measuring in at a mere 1.6”x4.9”x3.9”, the somewhat intriguing WDAVN00BN WD TV HD Media Player comes with both HDMI and composite outputs and two USB ports – allowing simultaneous access - and retails at just short of $130 complete with a bundled My Passport external HDD stand, remote, composite A/V cable, AC adapter and media converter software.

As far as iPod docks and USB compatible speaker systems go, the Samson StudioDock 4i offers a simple yet refined elegance in composing merely of dual ‘high-frequency’ speakers one of which comes with integrated iPod dock allowing you to dock either your iPod or iPhone (whilst in Airplane mode) whilst also offering USB connectivity allowing you to hook up a host of audio equipment, including your PC.

The speakers feature 25mm silk dome high-frequency drivers and 4″ magnetically shielded inverted cone copolymer woofers offering 40w of output though, interestingly, information concerning frequency response is notable by its absence (which, considering these speakers are billed as ‘high-frequency’, seems somewhat incredulous).

On a more positive note, however, these Samson StudioDock 4i speakers do come with further connectivity options, on and above the integrated iPod dock and USB connection, such as a mini 3.5mm jack as well as a built-in headphone port but there’s no mention of a remote so controlling your iPod will be restricted to being a particularly hands-on affair.

Pioneer have just released their XMp3 Portable Radio which brings together the ability to play MP3 digital audio files (as well as WMA files) as well as listen to XM radio broadcasts and what it, according to Pioneer, the lightest such device currently available.

Coming complete with a integrated buffer memory capable of recording up to 30 minutes of XM broadcasts across up to 5 separate XM channels – allowing you to pause, rewind and re-listen to live XM radio transmissions, the Pioneer XMp3 Portable Radio can further record up to a purported 100 hours utilising an SDmicro memory card for storage with the aforementioned memory cards also being used to store MP3 and WMA audio files.

Grantwood Technology have released their new Tuneband Armband with is aimed specifically at those who like to work out whilst listening to their iPod and who happen to have availed themselves of a new 4th generation iPod Nano.

Comprising of a black, elasticised armband onto which is attached the silicone skin which houses your 4G Nano whilst offering protection and full access to the click wheel (further protection if offered courtesy of an included cut-and-peel film designed to overlay the Nano’s screen), Grantwood Technology’s Tuneband Armband comes in a range of suitably bright colors and have just been made available for $14 a pop.

Philips have taken the wraps off a new revision of their GoGear SA2825 DAP – which is seen as competing directly against the likes of Creativc’s Zen Stone Plus – which sports a 1.5” color 128×64 resolution OLED screen and is known as the

Apart from its color OLED display, the new GoGear SA2940 comes with the same specifications as its younger sibling in measuring in at a highly pocketable 41×41x15mm, and offering 4GB of integrated memory, MP3/WAV/WMA support, a built-in FM tuner, EQ and offering USB 2.0 connectivity.

Philips have not officially announced either the GoGear SA2940’s pricing or any specific dates of availability at the time of writing.

The new Aliph Jawbone 2 models come in Babbling Blue and Rambling Rosé (it’s good to see Aliph also warmly embracing the equally popular recent trend for flamboyant color naming conventions) and have just become available at Best Buy Mobile who, incidentally, lay claim to offering both the Babbling Blue and Rambling Rosé Aliph Jawbone 2’s on an exclusive basis.

Apart from the new, pastel colors, these new Jawbone 2 headsets remain unchanged specification-wise from the standard, reference Jawbone 2 model in coming with the following primary features:

• Compatible with most Bluetooth-enabled cell phones
• Supports Bluetooth 1.0, 1.1 and 2.0 for simple, hands-free calling.
• Noise Shield technology
• Integrated noise- cancelling microphone utilizes military-grade technology to provide you with clear conversations.
• Two ear bud and 3 ear clip sizes
• Designed for maximum comfort during long phone calls.
• Offers up to 4 hours of talk time with up to 8 days of standby time

The Babbling Blue and Rambling Rosé Aliph Jawbone 2 models retail for $140.

Mvix USA have unveiled their latest NAS (Network Attached Storage) media server, the WDN-2000 MvixBOX, which covers all bases by offering full Bit Torrent and RSS clients paired with Windows file sharing, telnet, secure SMTP whilst also serving as an FTP and an Apache web server (complete with PHP, MySQL and SQLife already installed).

Undoubtedly an extremely comprehensive digital home entertainment solution, the MvixBOX, which also offers RapidBox functionality and can serve as an iTunes music server, comes with two 1.5” SATA HDD bays capable of offering up to 2GB of storage capacity – though the drives will need to be purchased separately.

The Mvix WDN-2000 MvixBOX NAS Media Server will set you back around $290 as at the time of writing.

If you happen to own a MacBook but hanker for a tablet PC, you’ll no doubt be extremely interested in checking out Axiotron’s Modservice which, for a fee, will professionally mod your MacBook (not including the new aluminium MacBooks) into what’s termed as a ModBook.

“Customers have been requesting a program like our Modservice,” said Andreas E. Haas, Axiotron’s CEO. “There is something intrinsically appealing about the idea of taking your computer and turning it into a new and exciting product like the Modbook.”

Axiotron’s Modservice will set you back a somewhat hefty $1299 with interested parties being invited to book what Axiotron terms as a ‘transformation’ via their website at which juncture you’ll be contacted by your nearest Axiotron  authorized modder.