Creative Labs recently unveiled their upcoming TravelSound i50, a portable speaker system made specifically and exclusively for the diminutive iPod shuffle. Aside from the USB port and carabiner clip, what I find most interesting about the unit is its size. It makes the shuffle about four times bigger than it really is, which negates one of the main advantages of the clip-like little player.

The i50’s built-in battery is good for 15 hours of audio playback and will be available next month in Japan for about $70

Those crazy Japanese! A group at the University of Tokyo have taught a Kawada Industries HRP-2 to dance a Japanese folk dance, the Aizu-Bandaisan. It’s a little creepy, I admit, but then again it would be better to have Overlords who appreciate a good dance, than not.

All of you sci-fi fans certainly see the similarity between this Japanese support robot, the Enryu T-53, and the exosuit that Ripley used to do away with the queen alien in Aliens. Or am I the only one geeky enough for that? In any case, this is a rather impressive piece of hardware, although unfortunately pressed into service following an earthquake in Niigata, Japan.

Hitachi is showing off its upcoming world’s first Blu-ray Disc camcorder. planned for an August 30 launch in Japan.

The two 5.3 megapixel CMOS models, the DZ-BD70 and DZ-BD7H hybrid which packs both an 8-cm BD writer and 30GB disk…

… have a system which captures, records and stores 1920×1080 full high-definition video throughout the whole process with its newly developed full high-definition lens, with effective 2.07 mega pixels for video and 4.32 mega pixels for still photo, the newly developed full high definition signal processor "Picture Master Full HD," and the world’s first 8cm BD drive, which can record 1920×1080 full high definition video on a 8cm BD which has 5 times more capacity than a 8cm DVD.

Priced high at $1,347 and $1,600 respectively, but all "firsts" are, so wait a while for them to become more affordable.

Would you spend $32,000 for a wooden car? Where do these people get these dumb ideas?

A Japanese furniture maker has come up with this Wooden Supercar which only goes about 50 mph for a top speed.

I suppose there are enough folks out there with more money than brains.