Before the iPod, the iPaq was the “i-word” on many people’s lips. It started as a line of Pocket PCs by Compaq, and were known for their stylish design and multimedia capabilities thanks to Windows Media Player. Yet despite their small size, advanced touch screen, large software base and clever computing capabilities, the iPod instead is arguably the world’s most well known new technological gadget, even though digital cameras outsell iPods and mp3 players two-to-one and Pocket PCs have been around for much longer.

Earlier this week we got a chance to play with the Nintendo Wii at a special sneak preview for technology and gaming journalists. Far from being weird, it’s actually a welcome change to the way games are played - and won. Of course, with a name like Wii, it makes you want to use as many ‘w’ words as possible when writing, just for fun. And fun is what Wii is!

Epson has released the Stylus Pro 3800, an innovative and affordable desktop prographics printer. The Stylus Pro 3800 produces  BorderFree photos from 4×6 up to A2 in size with Epson’s UltraChrome K3 eight colour resin coated pigment ink set.

What’s the new world-first Lexus Hybrid all-wheel drive like? Well, just like driving a great luxury car with the smooth ride you’d expect. When you start the car, there’s no audible turning of the engine - it’s done with electric power! A fuller report with some photos this week. There’ll also be an update on Windows Vista, some new Epson products, a report on what it’s like to actually play with and use the Nintendo Wii (read it above!) along with photos with me and others in action on the latest motion-controlled games including driving, sports, fishing, Zelda and more.

Just in time for a big Christmas marketing push, Samsung is first past the post to launch a Blu-Ray player in the Australian market, the BD-P1000 – or at least, they will be, once the unit is in stores from mid-October.

Want to turn your desktop or laptop computer into a television that picks up both digital and analogue signals?

Pinnacle PCTV Hybrid Pro Stick, RRP $240

A quick update… on the weekend I took the plunge and bought a new 8Gb iPod Nano. The drawcard should be obvious by now… the recording feature! I’ve tested the recording with the Belkin TuneTalk Stereo and it works beautifully. I’ve yet to make more than just test recordings, but I look forward to recording some interviews soon and using them in the Fuzzy Logic podcast and elsewhere, where you’ll soon be able to hear the quality of the recordings yourself!

Has your computer started slowing down? Is it taking a long time to start up? Crashing more often? Or perhaps it’s suffering from an overload of spam and pop-up advertising?

Despite reports that the 2nd-generation iPod Nano can’t record audio, it turns out that indeed… it can with a microphone attachment designed for the 5G iPod Video.

On Thursday, 21 September, I had the honour of being the Keynote Speaker of the Telecentre Networks’s
“Innovation… more than a word - Conference 2006″.

Tesla Motors, clearly taking its name from renowned genius Nikola Tesla, have developed a fully electric sports car.

The PowerShot G7 is the newest addition to Canon’s  “G” series range of digital cameras, and according to the company delivers superior image quality with complete control through a superb intuitive interface.

Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI contains new features that enable photographers to adjust and correct their images with one-step fixes and enhancements.

I’ve now been running Windows Vista RC1 and the Office 2007 Beta 2 “Technical Refresh”, which is a like a service pack for Office 2007 even though it’s still in beta.

Bubblesnaps is a fun site that allows you to add thought or speech balloons to your photos, which you can then email to your friends, or post on your blog or social networking profile.

It’s possible to have fun with your computer without needing to spend cash on the latest games. There are many older games that have now been released for free download.

For months, images of Microsoft’s upcoming mp3/photo/video player with FM radio, the Zune (AKA the iPod-killer they hope it becomes), have been splashed across the web. Finally some official information has been released by Microsoft.