The speculation that Steve Jobs skipped the last Apple keynote may actually be due to the fact that it was so uninteresting that it wasn’t worthy of his dramatic presentation skills. In the end, the final Apple keynote at MacWorld was about as uninteresting as the next step products Phil Schiller was tasked to “schill.” From the next iLife `09 update to yet another $2700 17” MacBook, there really wasn’t anything introduced that made live blog comments go beyond “this is disappointing,” “boring,” and “what a let down.” No dual port mac mini, no iPhone Nano, no Cloud, not even the Beatles catalog on iTunes.

(Read the full post about ‘With final keynote, Apple’s era at MacWorld ends with a whimper …’…)

I know what you’re thinking: you already have a TV, why do you need to watch TV via your PC… right? But what about when you’re not at home, and don’t want to pay to download something, or wait a day until your favorite show arrives online? In that case, AverMedia’s AverTVHD Volar USB TV tuner for the bargain price of $25 shipped (from newegg.com) starts to seem like a very good idea indeed. If you’re confused by the concept, don’t worry: it’s simple enough. You just plug the tuner into a spare USB port and it allows you to watch TV on your computer - and Windows Media Player will even let you pause and rewind live TV. Make sure to use discount code EMCABAGDJ before January 12 to get that final price - and check out The Cheapskate blog for other great deals. (Read the full post about ‘Watch live TV on your PC for less than $25′…)

Just what do you think the next big thing will be in the world of webcam technology? Well, Minoru aims to introduce 3D with its aptly named Minoru 3D Webcam, offering stereoscopic effect videos and photos in 3D, and is compatible with a range of Instant Messaging programs including Windows Live Messenger, Skype and AOL Instant Messenger among others. Each purchase will come with five pairs of 3D glasses, but we’re not too sure just how long you would want to view the person you’re talking to in 3D anyways before you start getting all dizzy. Of course, the Minoru 3D webcam will do regular 2D as well, and the latter is probably something most people will stick to once the novelty of 3D wears off (and after spending plenty of money for paracetemol tablets). (Read the full post about ‘Minoru 3D Webcam’…)

Gillen Industries is proud to bring us its latest device - the Airline Passenger Restraint Device. This nifty little gizmo is meant to assist the airline industry when it comes to controlling unruly passengers. We’re not too sure whether the Hulk is able to remain shackled in these, but we suppose even a testosterone-laden WWE superstar will find it hard to squirm his way out of this. After all, the Airline Passenger Restraint Device is made from high-strength materials with an innovative design that allows airline employees to quickly and safely restrain individuals who pose a danger to themselves or other passengers during a flight. (Read the full post about ‘Airline Passenger Restraint Device’…)

Share USB peripheral devices between four computers with this gizmo by using a “hot key” from the keyboard to switch between computers. The USB 2.0 Manual Share 4 Port Switch is a great computer system adapter that allows up to four computers in the same home access to the same peripheral device such as a printer, scanner or mass storage hard drive. It can be used to create a network printer that is shared by everyone or even as a way to share multimedia such as music and videos. Simply connect a USB peripheral device of your choice to the input of the switch, then connect up to four PC computers to the output of the switch via USB. For long runs of USB cable from a computer to the switch, a USB balun is sold separately. (Read the full post about ‘USB Switch Enables Multiple Computers to Access and Share USB Devices’…)

UnitedKey’s OLED-enhanced keyboard is an Optimus Maximus wannabe, but it does something the latter cannot imagine: Leave you with a few extra dollar bills to pay the rent. The $260 keyboard has nine large moddable OLED keys on its left-hand side, and each tiny display has a pixel resolution of 64 x 64 and each emits only one color — yellow. That’s wack. Compared to the full-color orgasmia that the 133 tiny OLEDs the Maximus are able to provide, this accessory seems to pale like a stick. But some early owners of the keyboards are actually enjoying its ability to improve a user’s efficiency. Like the Maximus, the UnitedKey pad can be individually programmed to display different applications, and for this one, it’s set up to create ‘layer’ commands for computer processes. (Read the full post about ‘UnitedKeys’ OLED Keyboard is No Optimus Maximus’…)

G.Skill recently announced high performance Triple Channel DDR3 2000HMz memory, the Perfect Storm series. The new Triple Channel DDR3 2000HMz performance memory comes with enhanced CL 7-8-7 timings and is designed for the latest Intel Core i7 processors / Intel X58 Express Chipset. According to the firm, this combination affords unparalleled performance margins allowing for the very best overclocking and memory bandwidth. (Read the full post about ‘G.Skill announces Perfect Storm Triple Channel DDR3 2000HMz performance memory’…)

HP’s competitor to the macbook air isn’t lighter, thinner or more attractive than Apple’s subnotebook. But it’s significantly cheaper.

Dubbed the Pavilion DV2, HP’s 12.1-inch subnotebook weighs 3.8 pounds and measures 1.3 inches thick. It’s powered by a 1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo processor. Though pricing hasn’t been finalized, HP said the DV2 will cost around $500.

That’s a lot cheaper than the MacBook Air, which starts at $1,800. Granted, Apple’s subnotebook has the DV2 beat in every way. It’s powered by a dual-core (Core 2 Duo) 1.6GHz processor, and the screen is 13.3 inches. Plus, the notebook measures 0.76 inches at its thickest point and weighs 3 pounds.

(Read the full post about ‘HP’s Subnotebook Is Uglier, Fatter — But Cheaper Than Air’…)

Here you are another quite interesting ranking from BNC Japan, this time they focused their attention on TVs, and it seems that in 2008, our Japanese friends loved Small (32”) TVs and preferably from Sharp… If I cannot personally agree on the size of the TV, I, in the other hand quite agree with our Japanese friends when it comes to the Brand, and I am proud to own a Sharp AQUOS LCD TV. [Source] Tags: TV, MP3, technology, consumer electronics (Read the full post about ‘Small Sharp Aquos TVs are the Best Seller in Japan, TV Ranking 2008′…)

We recently compiled a list for you reporting the best liquor dispensers available on the market, including some beer dispenser robots besides the bar dispenser units. And another cool entry that we somehow missed earlier but deserves a mention in our list is this BaR2-D2. This radio-controlled robotic bar serves you chilled booze with a motorized beer elevator, motorized ice/mixer drawer and six-bottle shot dispenser. The sound and light effects make it even more interesting. “The concept for BaR2D2 was born when a friend showed up to an event with a radio-controlled cooler. We joked about taking the idea to the next level and in the Spring of 2008, construction began,” says the creator. (Read the full post about ‘BaR2-D2, a Mobile bar-bot complete with light effects’…)