... you get a pitch from a PR agency proudly proclaiming the following:

"Did you know that becoming a recreational DJ is America’s latest and greatest hobby? Consumers young & old are embracing the newest trend by attending scratch academies, purchasing mixers, turntables and headphones."

OK, I know this is just a PR pitch for DJ-related electronic equipment like USB turntables and mixers, but I gotta be honest -- I've never had the desire to become a DJ, either professionally or recreationally. And the "scratch academy" to me sounds like a college for my cat, Scratch (who would approve, of course, of such an institution).

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Two stories that we're sure to be tracking on this week's Twisted Pair podcast, courtesy of Yahoo! News.

1) Scientists say that fat around the hips and bottom can ward off diabetes.

2) Study says conservatives are happier than liberals.

So it's a pretty good week if you fit into both of these categories.

So, a few weeks ago I finally found some free time to create an account on Twitter, and I've been using that a whole lot more than this blog, but the 140-character limit certainly has its limits for writing about other stuff, like new gadgets, etc. So we'll keep this blog going, but for quick hits and thoughts (including where I am and what I'm doing), those will be on the Twitter feed. Feel free to follow the "shawkeith" username, as "keithshaw" has been taken by someone else (my evil doppleganger, no doubt). Right now you can tell because my icon is a Red Wings logo (which will change after the Stanley Cup, no doubt). I'm also testing to see if the headline / URL from this post will show up on Twitter.

The launch of Dash Navigation's DashExpress GPS device has led some to predict an onslaught of devices with the ability to connect via cellular or Wi-Fi to provide two-way connectivity for these devices, which allow for real-time traffic data updates, as well as live local search and faster map updates.

A new ABI Research study is predicting that 34% of all personal navigation devices (PND) will ship with on-board connectivity by 2013. According to ABI Research analyst Dominique Bonte, huge price drops will create the need of new recurring revenue streams for device makers. "In order to be successful, connected PND vendors will have to design seamless solutions and compelling services," Bonte says.

Two-way connectivity will create experiences such as finding cheap gas prices, parking space availability, speed trap locations, satellite imagery and online map updates. Location-based social networking applications ("Find the friends closest to my location") will also see growth as two-way communications on these devices emerge.

The inclusion of two-way connectivity also allows the PND to upload information to the cloud for the benefit of others. Dash uses its network connectivity to act as passive probes that collect real-time traffic flow data, and then redistribute the information to other users. ABI Research says that PNDs could also be used to allow for user-generated content such as map corrections, points-of-interest recommendations, as well as for "live location" updates on social networking sites. Not only will you be able to tell the world what you're doing at any given moment, you can tell people exactly where you are.

3Dconnexion, a division of Logitech, today launched the latest version of its 3D mouse product line. The SpaceNavigator for Notebooks is designed for 3D professionals and includes the same experience as the original SpaceNavigator, at about half the weight. The notebook will be available in early May at the Logitech Web site for $129.

The notebook version includes the same features as the original device (easier movement and control within 3D workspaces), but now includes a new cap design, the company says. The device comes with a travel case for transport, and supports systems with Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Macintosh OS 10.4.6 or later, and Linux (Redhat Enterprise Linux WS3, SuSE 9.0 or later). The mouse is supported by more than 120 3D applications, including Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended and Acrobat 3d, Autodesk Inventor, AutoCAD, 3ds Max and Maya, Blender, CATIA, Google Earth and SketchUp, Microsoft Virtual Earth, NX, Pro/Engineeer, SolidWorks and other CAD, DCC, AEC and GIS applications (a full list of applications supported is available here.

Seriously, this increase in capacity has to slow down at some point. Buffalo Technology today launched its dual drive LinkStation Mini (LS-WS1.0TGL/R1), which puts a full terabyte of data into a device that you can carry in your hand. The $699 device is expected in May through Buffalo's distributors, online resellers and Web site. A 500GB version of the LinkStation Mini will also be made available soon, the company says.

The dual drive configuration supports RAID 1 data redundancy (as well as RAID 0), and an included DLNA server by TwonkyVision will allow users to stream media files through any DLNA-supported media player. The device will include Buffalo's Web Access feature, which lets users access stored on the device anywhere in the world via a browser. A remote power feature can power up the device remotely through included Navigator software. An extra USB port lets users add an additional external hard drive, or a USB printer that can be shared through an integrated print server.

But at 1.1 pounds and only 1.57 by 3.22 by 5.31 inches, it's probably just easier to carry the device around with you wherever you go.

I'm heading back to the East Coast after a fun week at CTIA Wireless, and while the blog postings were few and far between, it's mainly because we were spending a bulk of the time producing videos and recording some podcasts from the show. Still, check out some of the other areas of the site for awesome CTIA show coverage, including:
* My Cool Tools print column, which highlights my three favorite products from the show.
* All of our videos (more coming soon, so check back all weekend!)
* The Twisted Pair podcast (new on Friday).
* News coverage galore from ace reporter Brad Reed and the fine folks at the IDG News Service.

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It's not just cell phones that are falling under the "touchscreen mania" brought about by the Apple iPhone. Now digital photo frames are getting into the touch-screen game. Pandigital today launched its PanTouch line of frames, which include a touch-operation interface that lets users access digital images, video clips and MP3 music by using their fingers instead of a remote control (the company includes one in case you don't want to use your fingers, or to control the frame from a distance).

In case you're worried about fingerprints all over that nice frame, don't fret – the touch operation is on the matting area of the frame, which "resists fingerprints in the viewable area, so the frame always looks great," Pandigital says.

The new line of frames include support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, although this involves inserting a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth USB dongle into the frame and then transferring images this way. The frames support Google's Picasa Web Albums site, allowing them to synchronize online photos with the frame (again, through the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth dongle). The new models include a 7-inch model (128MB of internal memory, $119.99), an 8-inch version (512MB of internal memory, $169.99) and a 10.4-inch model (512MB of internal memory, $249.99). Each of the new models include a 6-in-1 memory card reader, and have standard and mini-USB 2.0 ports for direct connection to a PC or digital camera.

The company says the PanTouch line of frames will be available next month at U.S. retailers.

Global Positioning System (GPS) devices are great for getting directions to where you're going, and a few of them now provide traffic report updates that help you steer clear of traffic jams and other obstacles on your trip. But if you don't have a GPS device, you're generally relegated to listening to the radio or calling in to a traffic report service.

Traffic.com (a NAVTEQ brand) hopes to change this with a new application for Java phones that provides access to real-time traffic information for cities across the U.S. The Traffic.com2GO application includes JamFactor reports (traffic congestion measurements), a MyTraffic feature that personalizes users' routes saved at Traffic.com, live audio reports (JamCast) for hands-free updates, and access to route request history with its RecentRoads list.

The application is available for users with Java-enabled phones, and the company recommends that users have unlimited data plans on their cell phones so that carriers don't end up charging for extra data usage.

It's another trip for me, this time I'm jetting off to Las Vegas for the annual CTIA Wireless show, which focuses a lot on the cellular phone industry. I'm expecting to see a lot of new mobile devices, gadgets, accessories and other wireless goodies at the show.

One new service I'm testing on this trip is the iPassConnect Mobility service, which was announced this morning from iPass. The company, which has focused its services on enterprise customers for a long time, is now adding a service aimed aimed at consumers and SMBs to allow them to connect at different wireless hot spots, wired Ethernet locations (including hotels) and even dial-up access for where high-speed Internet access doesn't exist. The service I'm using also comes with a 3G laptop card (an EV-DO service), which lets me connect in locations where Wi-Fi doesn't exist. Yes, there are still places where this is the situation.

The biggest benefit of this service is for mobile workers and road warriors who end up paying for single-day access at airports, hotels and other locations, and those prices eventually add up rather quickly. Instead of accessing multiple accounts, the iPassConnect service aggregates those into a single account, allowing for almost ubiquitous access through one login account. The service boasts access to more than 95,000 Wi-Fi hot spots worldwide, including access at more than 500 airports, 20,000 hotels and more than 70,000 retail locations (including Starbucks and McDonald's restaurants).

The service includes access to a mobile user portal, which includes wireless hot spot locators and tools for handhelds, which allow the devices to access hot spot information without needing to boot up a notebook.

Service plans begin at $29.95 per month (for Wi-Fi access to North America), with 3G network access (North America only) and worldwide hot spot access costing a bit more.

I've had a few early bumps with the service – I couldn't connect with a T-Mobile hot spot at the Providence, R.I., airport, but this could be because I'm at the last terminal gate and the signal from this location is pretty weak. But at least the EV-DO card is working quite nicely, allowing me to have access to the Internet in order to check e-mail and write this blog post.

If you've been aching for a new notebook with a Blu-Ray drive now that the high-definition DVD format war is over, Dell is offering a Dell Inspiron 1525 with optional Blu-ray disc playback starting at $879.

The notebook also features a 15.4-inch widescreen display with 720p resolution, and an HDMI port for connecting to high-def displays or HDTVs. The disc drive is backwards compatible, playing traditional DVDs and CDs in addition to Blu-Ray discs. The notebook also includes Dell's MediaDirect feature, which lets users access media files without booting up the system. Color choices on the notebook include designs Chill, Blossom, Commotion, Sunshine Yellow, Midnight Blue and Ruby Red.

The Panasonic division that makes its Toughbook notebooks today announced upgrades to its Toughbook 19 line of rugged, convertible tablets. The new Toughbook 19F now includes the Intel Core 2 Duo processor and expanded memory capabilities, just like the Toughbook 30F clamshell version. The 5.1-pound tablet also includes an optional integrated digital camera (2 megapixels), for use in "inspection and incident documentation" applications, Panasonic says. The notebook has an estimated street price of $3,199, through Toughbook resellers or the company's Web site. The version with the integrated camera will be available in May for a street price of $3,699, the company says.

Rugged features on the notebooks, which Panasonic says meet military specifications, include hard drive heaters, shock-mounting, sealed keyboards and magnesium alloy cases. The new tablet includes an anti-glare and anti-reflective sunlight display (10.4-inches with 1,024 by 768 pixels) as well.

Connectivity features on the notebook include 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and "mobile broadband-ready" wireless WAN (which means you get to pick which carrier the notebook connects to). The tablet also includes a backlit keyboard and built-in GPS for navigation or tracking applications. Other features include an 80GB hard disk drive, 1GB of SDRAM standard (upgradeable to 4GB), and an optional external USB combo drive.

Research firm MultiMedia Intelligence says the worldwide unit shipments of music phones (cell phones with the capability to play digital audio files and with an expandable memory slot) outnumbered the shipments of personal media players (like the iPod) by almost 300 million units. But I don't think that Apple is quaking in its boots over this announcement. Just because a feature is available on a cell phone doesn't mean the feature is going to be used.

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If there's any doubt about the continuing blending of workplace and personal mobile devices, witness today's news about the BlackBerry 8820 smart phone from Research In Motion (RIM) and T-Mobile.

The device, with its built-in GPS and support for T-Mobile's HotSpot@Home service for Wi-Fi calling, merges a bunch of "corporate" features (such as corporate e-mail support) with more "personal" ones (media player, stereo Bluetooth, etc.). The super-thin BlackBerry 8820 costs $350 (after $150 rebate), and is available online at T-Mobile's Web site.

By adding the HotSpot@Home add-on plan, customers can make unlimited, nationwide phone calls over any Wi-Fi network (802.11a/b/g) at home, across Wi-Fi accessible corporate networks, or any T-Mobile HotSpot location across the country. The device's built-in GPS also includes location-based applications, such as BlackBerry Maps, as well as the TeleNav GPS Navigator service. International roaming is supported through the quad-band radio, and the myFaves service from T-Mobile is also included on the device.

Other features include support for the BlackBerry Internet Service (up to 10 e-mail accounts, including Yahoo and Gmail), BlackBerry Enterprise Server support (connecting Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise accounts), instant messaging application support (including AOL, Yahoo, Windows Live Messenger, Google Talk and ICQ), an HTML Web browser, and 320-by-240 pixel color display. The device also includes a media player with stereo Bluetooth support, microSD / SDHC expansion slot, and phone features that include voice-activated dialing and noise-cancellation technology to reduce background noise.

Mio Technology today launched a set of four new GPS navigation devices with the hope of getting mainstream users into the world of GPS gadgetry. The new devices (the Moov 200, 210, 300 and 310) include new interfaces and design from the recently acquired Navman, and emphasize "straightforward navigation," the company says.

The Moov 300 ($229.95) and 310 ($249.95) devices include a 4.3-inch widescreen, with text-to-speech features that call out street names when making turns, the company says. The redesigned user interface includes more than 3.5 million points of interest, including the standard restaurants, hotels and gas stations. The 310 device also includes a one-year paid subscription to the Traffic Messaging Channel (TMC), which offers real-time updates on accidents, detours and construction. The TMC is powered through ClearChannel's network of radio affiliates, and updates are automatically displayed on the Moov 310, with suggestions for ways around the incidents.

The Moov 200 ($179.95) and 210 ($199.95) devices include a 3.5-inch square display with anti-glare screen coating for easier viewing in daylight. Text-to-speech voice guidance is included, as well as the 3.5 million points of interest. The Moov 210 includes the one-year subscription to the TMC.

All four of the devices include SiRFInstantFixII GPS receivers, which the company says deliver faster GPS signal locks than other devices. In fact, Mio claims the system can find and lock a GPS signal in as few as five seconds during "typical device start-ups", almost 30 seconds faster than other devices. The devices, which will be available at Radio Shack, Circuit City and other retailers on April 1, also have pre-loaded maps of all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico.

Even if your company doesn't have a problem with you watching the NCAA men's basketball games live at work over the next few weeks, you should still click the 'Boss Button' to get a chuckle.

The 'Boss Button,' of course, lets users who are slacking off watching the games to quickly switch to a fake spreadsheet to make it look like they're working. However, look closer and you'll see that the people who made the application took some time to create some creative content.

Click here to see what I'm talking about.

PR and marketing departments, take note. The new 1:11 USB Copy Tower SA from Aleratec offers a way to duplicate the same information to multiple USB flash drives, and no PC or other equipment is required. The $1,575 device will copy, compare or erase up to 11 flash drives simultaneous, with a backlit LCD screen for an interface. The company says it can make 11 exact copies of a 256MB flash drive in under 2.5 minutes.

The device includes a progress monitor and lights that indicate the status of each USB drive attached to the unit. The system supports asynchronous USB duplication (after you load a source drive, each target channel can be independently loaded with drives to be copies), as well as synchronous duplication (up to 11 copies made at the same time). A bit-by-bit Compare function confirms that successful copies of the USB drives are made.

If you've ever had to sit at a computer and copy information onto a USB drive over and over and over again, this device may make for a simpler process.

T-Mobile says the quad-band (GSM 850, 900, 1800 and 1900) Nokia 3555 is now available for U.S. customers, and includes features such as Stereo Bluetooth, a digital music player with microSD media card storage (up to 4GB), an FM radio and integrated VGA digital camera / camcorder. The phone is available for $49.99 (after instant $100 rebate and service agreements) at the T-Mobile Web site.

The device also includes a speaker phone, and e-mail and instant messaging client, along with support for T-Mobile's MyFaves feature. The 3.32-ounce phone includes a 1.8-inch internal display (128 by 160 pixels) and 1-inch external black and white display, and 30MB of internal storage.

More details are available at T-Mobile's Web site.

WowWee Robotics has dropped the price of its Alive Elvis robot from $349 down to $99 through the company's Online Store(www.wowweestore.com) while supplies last.

The lifelike singing and talking bust of Elvis includes infrared vision sensors, nine motors for head and facial movements and even has four levers dedicated to Elvis' signature upper lip sneer.

To see the robot in action, check out this Cool Tools video we did last year with the King...

I'm excited to announce that all posts in the Cool Tools Happy Blog have now been converted to MP3 format through the Odiogo service. Click on the "Listen Now" button on each post to open up a mini-audio player, which will then utilize Odigo's text-to-speech functionality to create an audio stream of the words in the posting. If you're tired of reading my ramblings and just want to have an audio voice read them to you, this can be a perfect way to accomplish this.

In addition, feeds are created through the service to allow you to listen to the posts through a favorite audio player, such as iTunes, Juice, or any other application that accepts RSS feeds. The service also lets you download each post as its own individual MP3 file.

The feeds still have that robotic feel to it, and the service sometimes has problems with acronym pronunciation, but it does a pretty good job otherwise. In addition, the posting of newer feeds does take some time, so the "latest" posts sometimes don't have the Odiogo feed when you click on the "Listen Now" button.

More details about the service available at the Odiogo Web site (http://www.odiogo.com). The company is offering bloggers the ability to create audio feeds of their blogs, as well as some potential ad revenue sharing opportunities.