The Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas has unveiled for public use six 30-inch touch screen Microsoft Surface tables, along with special applications built by Rio parent company Harrah’s that facilitating FLIRTING AND ORDERING DRINKS. The “Flirt” application lets you identify another Surface user in the bar and chat, excange pictures and numbers with them. A “Mixologists” program lets you choose from a large list of drinks, and order them.

Original post by Mike

Sega Toys says they plan to ship in Japan a new $175 “female” robot September 26 that can WALK, SING, DANCE AND KISS LIKE A GIRL. The robot, called EMA (for Eternal Maiden Actualization– I guess it’s a Japanese thing…) has sensors. When you pucker up and get near it, the EMA will give you a kiss. (props to CrunchGear)

Original post by Mike

South Korean researchers unveiled this week a penguin robot called Pomi (for Penguin Robot for Multimodal Interaction) that can “EMIT SMELLS” based on how it “feels” (Why is this good?) The robot, which is designed to imitate human emotions, has a fake heart beat that changes tempo based on its emotional state. It can also interact with users via voice-recognition, and sensors that allow it to see and recognize humans. Pomi ships next month.

Original post by Mike

The “iPhone Killer” cell phones — including the Garmin’s Nuviphone; Samsung’s Instinct and Omnia; HTC’s Touch Diamond; BlackBerry Thunder; and others — have touch screen technology and other features are usually advanced and sophisticated. Nearly all of them, for example, have features superior to the iPhone, such as higher-quality cameras. All the major “iPhone Killer” makers do make some really great hardware. That’s why it’s interesting to note that some of the iPhone’s best and most unique features aren’t even all that hard to copy. Here’s a list of the 7 easy-to-copy features that most iPHONE KILLERS MISSED:

Original post by Mike

A clinic in Spain has reportedly been treating 12- and 13-year-olds for CELL PHONE ADDICTION for three months. Like drug addicts, the kids were “failing at school and deceiving relatives in an attempt to obtain more money for phone cards.”

Original post by Mike

The problem isn’t that somebody out there is looking for innovative ways to leverage your cell phone to sell you something. The problem is that EVERYBODY IS DOING IT. The result will turn your cell phone into an annoying, interrupting, commercial idiot box that combines all the worst qualities of TV, telemarketing and spam.

Original post by Mike

TIME Magazine printed this week a piece called, “Confessions of a Wi-Fi Thief,” in which author Lev Grossman admits to using available open Wi-Fi connections from his apartment. Grossman writes that “stealing” Wi-Fi might be illegal (statutes vary according to where you live) but “definitely unethical.” He also mentions a recent survey that found a slim majority — 53% — have “stolen” Wi-Fi. I disagree with Grossman. I don’t think it’s unethical to “steal” Wi-Fi — or even possible without deliberate hacking. And it shouldn’t be illegal to simply use an open, unprotected wireless network. There are TWO REASONS WHY “STEALING” WI-FI ISN’T REALLY STEALING.

Original post by Mike

The Boy Genius Report posted today a rave HANDS-ON REVIEW of Microsoft Surface, the MPG (Multitouch, Physics and Gestures) computer currently sold for marketing purposes. Why does this matter? Because as I’ve said ad nauseum, this is the future of all PCs.

Original post by Mike