Have you always dreamed of a giant, wall-hanging iPod seemingly warped and twisted like a big, crappy, old television? Well, Russian artists Aristarkh Chernyshev and Alexei Shulgin have, and now they're subjecting the world to it. Yes, say hello to the wowPOD, a fully functional iPod mutation which is absolutely worth whatever our business manager has been authorized to pay for it.

[Via TUAW]

There's no telling what sort of crazy behind-the-scenes negotiations had to take place in order for our good friend Boy Genius to get his hands on the very first retail T-Mobile-branded BlackBerry 8220 we've seen in the wild -- and let's be honest, the whole unboxing takes on a sexier tone when there's an element of intrigue to it, doesn't it? Mr. Genius flatly pans the thing for having a pair of awful screens and a prototype feel (despite the fact that he's got a final production unit), so odds are the Bold owners out there aren't going to be throwing fits of jealousy any time soon. To top it off, the contents of the box are about as exciting as flannel underwear (we guess it's cool that RIM saw fit to throw in a pair of headphones), so don't expect too much. At least it'll be available in a few colors, right?

At this point, you're probably wondering what section of the Storm's UI you haven't seen. Enter a few new sneak peeks, this time showcasing the purported BlackBerry Application Center. Granted, these shots are from the Vodafone edition, but we don't suspect the Verizon version will look much different. Reportedly, the Application Center will be available on v4.7 Storm devices, and carriers themselves will be responsible for hosting the data and sending updates; additionally, the download / installation will be handled by the browser in the first release, meaning that the software cannot restart the app or download intelligently. Give the read link a look for a few more tidbits / pictures.

Welcome to Incrudo country, gentlemen. Out here, we grow chest hair as bushy as the tumbleweed, and we like our phones built thick. We're not talkin' no ordinary thick, either, no sir -- give us 2 to 3mm of solid titanium casing here. We like our phones heavy, too; a half pound sounds about right. We didn't get these burly muscles wrasslin' cattle just to tote around a Samsung X820, if you know what we're saying. Make it look like a brick, because it's built like a brick. Just like us, because we're men. Incrudo men.

[Via Unwired View]

We've been holding off on running this until we got confirmation from Samsung on just what was going on, and now we have it; it's official, folks -- the Instinct's latest firmware update is all about the browser. To quote Sammy, "most of the traits of this upgrade focus on improving the Web browser experience," and the word on the street seems to be in line with that with faster page loading and generally fewer crashes being reported across the board. As best we can tell, it doesn't solve every last issue in the book, but it's awesome to see that Sprint and Samsung seem to be staying on top of this stuff. Have an Instinct? Sound off on comments with your update experiences.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

We know, the minuscule magnets adorned on this 4-port USB hub aren't technically strong enough to have any severe effect on your data, but seriously, why would you chance it? In what has to be one of the worst ideas in low-end technology to ever grace our eyes, the magnetic 4-port USB hub enables users to stick their hub on any nearby file cabinet, metal plate or refrigerator door, though we can't figure out why that's such an awesome benefit. If you can, however, feel feel to show off your carefree side by handing over $13.99.

Contrary to popular belief, the world as we know it didn't implode after the Large Hadron Collider was flipped on. Sure -- someone, somewhere is growing a ninth arm and trying desperately to land a cameo on Fringe, but the planet at large is still humming along just fine. Now, the world's most ginormous computing grid (the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid, or WLCG) has gone live, and the gurus behind it are celebrating the beginning of its momentous data challenge: to analyze and manage over 15 million gigabytes of data each year. The Grid combines the IT power of over 140 computer centers, 100,000 processors and the collaborative efforts of 33 countries. Unfortunately, there's no word on when the official WLCG-based Call of Duty 4 server will be green-lit for action, but we hear it's pretty high on the priorities list.

[Via China View]

The Toshiba E105 has been sneaking around the fringes for a few days now, but apparently it's not just announced -- it's available for purchase. That's right, the oddly familiar looking 14.1-incher can be had at Best Buy for the totally reasonable price of $1,199.99, packing a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo, a 1280 x 800 TruBrite LCD display, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, and an Intel 4500MHD integrated GPU. The Satellite also sports 802.11a/b/g/n, an HDMI out, Vista Home Premium, and that all-important fingerprint reader (just remember, this increases the odds of someone cutting off your finger). The laptop is available right now online, no word if it's on store shelves yet.

[Via LogicBUY]

There's nothing lightweight about Mitsubishi's latest beamer, as the burly FL6900U checks in with a man-sized 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, 4,000 ANSI lumens, an RS-232 control port, automated zoom / focus and digital keystone correction, and a built-in motion-sensitive anti-theft alarm. It also packs a man-sized price, but hopefully that corporate card can handle another $9,995 when this thing lands later in the month.

[Via AboutProjectors]

Listen up, KIRF fans. We've got a real unique one on our hands today, as this critter copies not one, but two entities in a single fell swoop. For starters, the company is named CNet Technology -- we'll let you do the math there -- and secondly, this thing looks just about exactly like Apple's own AirPort Express. Sure, there are a few extra LEDs on there to really ugly it up, but only someone in serious denial would ever say this thing didn't get its inspiration from Cupertino. Officially dubbed the CWR-635M, this portable router / WAP simply plugs into one's wall socket and provides a pair of Ethernet jacks and two USB ports locally for even more networking fun. There's no telling if this copycat will ever be released on US soil, but given that made it into the FCC's database, we reckon anything is possible.

WowWee goes out of its way to make one thing very clear about the Rovio: "this is not a toy." That being said, it doesn't make the patrolling sentry any less fantastic, as critics over at Robots-Dreams proclaimed that it was "intuitive and a pleasure to use from the moment you first open the box." From the painless setup process to the unparalleled mobility, reviewers sounded like they were grinning from ear-to-ear during the entire writeup process. It performed its robotic sentry duties with vigor and valor, and the review crew couldn't help but note that this bugger was "positioned to be the hottest robot for the upcoming holiday season, and for a long time to come." In other words, if you've been on the fence about dropping three bills on this thing, all your worries about it potentially sucking just got thrashed.

The Apple rumor mill has really cooked up a doozy this time. According to 9to5mac -- a site with a fairly good track record -- Apple's next big thing isn't just a laptop or an iPod... it's an entirely new manufacturing process. If you believe the site's sources, an as-yet-unannounced event on October 14th will herald in a new iteration of the MacBook dubbed the "Brick," but the big news won't actually be about the laptop. Apparently, Apple has created a brand-new process to sculpt casings for products out of aircraft-grade aluminum, using a system that carves the pieces out of a single block of metal using "3D lasers" and water-jet cutting. The new technique will supposedly allow for seamless components which require no bending or folding, won't use screws to join together, are ultra-light but also "super strong," and will enable the company to rapidly prototype and produce new designs. Of course, not a single word of this is confirmed or even acknowledged by Apple, though we have been hearing whispers of the "Brick" for a few weeks now. Ultimately, everyone should approach this news with extreme skepticism, but if these rumors get magically transmuted into reality, there's no telling what kind of new gear Apple might have up its sleeve.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

RIM's BlackBerry Storm 9500 / 9530, which is more affectionately known 'round these parts as the Thunder, is definitely within striking distance. Still, just because you don't have too much longer to wait doesn't mean you aren't anxious to get your hands on as many details as possible beforehand, right? The Boy Genius has managed to procure a few mundane stacks of PowerPoint slides that just so happen to contain some pretty scrumptious information on the touchscreen-based BlackBerry, and while there aren't any mind-melting surprises in there (like, confirmation that it can indeed read and reply correctly to each e-mail automatically), it's not the kind of data any real RIM fan would want to overlook. Go on and hit the read link, what exactly are you waiting for?

For obvious reasons, we don't get too excited about PMPs developed and produced entirely in China, but similar to Gemei's lot, Ainol looks to have a winner on its hands with the V3000. We've seen this display-dominated unit prancing around for awhile now, but we've just now learned how much the company plans on charging for it: 699 Chinese yuan, or around $102 before haggling. For that, you'll get 4GB of internal space, a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 resolution display, FM tuner, TV output and a rechargeable battery. Now, where to find one is the real challenge.

[Via PMPToday]

Another month, another ergonomic mouse. Somehow, against all odds, we've found ourselves believing that this one may actually make a difference. Who knows -- maybe it's the fact that Hippus' HandshoeMouse was developed at two medical universities in Holland and not in someone's basement. Or maybe it's because "extensive medical studies support the concept." At any rate, the critter -- which enables the user to "place the whole palm of their hand on the mouse without having to cling on to it" -- comes in a trio of sizes based on how humongous / diminutive your gripper is and can be purchased now in black or white for €120 ($166). For ultimate carpal tunnel shielding, we'd recommend use of it with the LapWorks Gamers Desk... but only if you're okay with being single forever.

[Via HotHardware]