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PMP Today: These days, everything is mobile and this includes watching your favorite TV shows and movies. Unfortunately, most gadgets don’t come protected from the elements–except, that is, for the new Sanyo LVT-WD40.

This shiny white PMP is completely waterproof, meaning if you want to watch videos in the shower or in the rain, you don’t have to worry about damaging it or receiving electrical shocks. Now why you would want to watch TV while in the shower or walking in the rain is an entirely different matter altogether.

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Absolute Gadget: Mio has launched a new satnav aimed at the novice or people wanting a second satnav. The new C230 is a compact device that comes complete with a new click and drive mount design. 

The C230 comes the very latest Tele Atlas maps of 22 Western countries. According to the manufacturer, the C230 provides optimum visibility and easy navigation with an anti-glare 3.5″ TFT touch screen. It also comes with MioMap v3 software for easy use, while providing advanced routing functionality. Route input is made speedy with seven digit postcode recognition or street name input.

“Our customers demand simple to use, affordable satellite navigation and with the C230 we are now able to offer increased mapping coverage of 22 countries while retaining an affordable price”, said Paul Notteboom, President of Mio Technology. “We are continually striving to offer our customers more features for their money”.

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Dallas News: Out shopping for a new high-definition television this holiday season?

As you’ve probably noticed while squeezing past other shoppers in your favorite electronics store, you’re not alone.

Nor should you feel bashful about admitting that you don’t really know what you’re looking for, because, odds are, all those other HDTV shoppers swarming around you have no clue, either.

According to Consumer Reports, almost 10 percent of American adults are planning to buy a flat-panel television this Christmas season, and 8 percent more said they’ll take the HD plunge once the holidays are over and clearance prices hit the stores.

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EE Times: The market for automotive networking nodes will grow at a pace of 14 percent annually, predicts market researcher Strategy Analytics. However, not all protocols will have a chance to get under the hood of future cars.Driven by the trend to comfort, entertainment and safety, the deployment of networks in cars will continue throughout the entire foreseeable future. The market expansion takes place in the conflicting fields of user demand, price pressure and the industry’s endeavor to keep complexity at bay.

The CAN bus, while quite an old technology, will be able to defend and even increase its market share, says Strategy Analytics. Proprietary protocols, an evanescent minority already now, will disappear by 2009 at latest, the study predicts. Similarly, the SAE J1850 interface definition will vanish.

On the winning side, Strategy Analytics sees LIN/J2602 and SBW (Safe-by-wire), a group of protocols used to connect airbag sensors and actuators. However, BMW’s venerable Byteflight protocol as probably the most prominent member of this group is already about to be phased out. Also FlexRay will continue its upward trend, beginning about 2010. The MOST bus used to connect multimedia devices is also expected to gain significantly market share.

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The Register: It’s official: Brits believe Apple’s iPhone is too expensive. Local pollster GfK NOP asked 500 people across the nation and found almost three-quarters of them say the handset’s too highly priced to buy.

Some 88 per cent of the sample said they had heard of the Jesus Phone. Alas for Apple, a mere two per cent said they would be asking Santa for one this Chrimbo. A further five per cent of respondents said they like the look of the thing but are quite keen on a number of other phones too.

Only a slightly higher percentage – eight per cent – expressed a dislike for the much-hyped handset.

The fact only 12 per cent of the sample said they had never heard of the iPhone suggests that Apple and O2′s marketing is creating awareness of the product. However, as The Register exclusively revealed yesterday, that’s not translating into sales and contract activations.

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Engadget: Word on the street is that Microsoft’s oft-ignored Vista component, SideShow, could be making its official way to your favorite Windows Mobile-flavored device before long. If you’ll recall, SideShow acts as a kind of mini-OS which is distributed to devices separate from a PC, such as remotes or external displays on laptops, and can be used to access information like contacts, maps, calendar appointments, and e-mail messages in a low-power, always-on state.

Apparently, in a new SDK beta which the SideShow team “showed” off recently, features like a UI designed for portrait QVGA displays, a universal driver that supports USB and Bluetooth communication, and new Bluetooth menu commands have led some folks to speculate that the system could be coming to mobile devices sometime soon. Of course, this all unconfirmed rumor at this point, so don’t feel compelled to believe it.

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Electronista: Apple may extend the multi-touch technology found in its iPhone and iPod touch to larger displays by implementing new inventions which allow users to use different parts of their hand as well as use different presses to trigger certain actions, according to three patent filings published today.

Comprising a patent for a sensor arrangement that addresses different parts of the hand as well as accompanying patents for conductors and sensors, the development relies on an array of improved capacitive sensors that can not only detect the proximity of hand contact but also determine which part of the hand is in use by the surface area. The system is also sensitive to pressure across multiple areas, Apple says.

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Camera Core: Yanko Design, a weblog dedicated to the best in modern design, is featuring an innovative cell phone design by Vincent Palicki.Industrial designer Palicki’s vision for a future Sony Ericsson handset is a slender, candy bar phone, complete will full size USB port.

The design would make it simple to transfer media – simply plug in any USB drive to transfer music, videos, pictures and documents between the phone and a PC or other USB device.

The concept design also includes a large screen, and standard Sony Ericsson keypad enhanced with stainless steel buttons.

Yanko Design introduces industrial design concepts in the fields of technology, interior design, architecture, exhibition and fashion.

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Absolute Gadget: Large latte? Would you like mobile phone calls with that? No, don’t dip your Nokia N95 into your cup. Instead, use the smartphone to make cheap mobile calls on the Truphone service at 260 UK hotspots.  As you might remember, Truphone can be used to make free and low-cost mobile phone calls over Wi-Fi and the internet.

Now 260 Surf and Sip hotspots in Cafe Nero coffee houses have opened themselves up to Truphone customers.

According to Chris Isaacs, Truphone’s business development director, there are more locations to follow.

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VNUnet: Orange customers in the UK are now able to take advantage of a further 7,500 UK Wi-Fi hotspots following a deal with The Cloud.

The mobile operator already offers Wi-Fi hotspots to its customers through existing partnerships with BT Openzone, France Telecom and WeRoam.

Following yesterday’s agreement with The Cloud, Orange business customers now have access to more than 10,000 hotspots across the UK through Orange Wi-Fi Access.

Customers are required to sign up to Orange’s Business Everywhere mobile data card service to gain access to the Wi-Fi networks.

Business Everywhere comprises a single data card that offers wireless connection to the internet through Wi-Fi, HSDPA, 3G, Edge, GPRS and 2G networks.

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CNet: The good: JVC KT-HDP1 is a compact and stylish device with a user-friendly HD Radio programming interface and numerous audio customization features. We particularly like its universal connectivity and its wide range of installation options.

The bad: The monochrome LCD screen is not the most visually compelling display we’ve seen, and the orientation of the volume buttons makes it cumbersome to adjust while driving along.

The bottom line: If you’re looking for a cost-effective means of bringing HD Radio into your car, the JVC KT-HDP1 is an attractive option.

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MacNN: Tunewear today unveiled three new additions to its Icewear line of iPod cases, introducing models for the iPod touch, Classic and Nano. The Icewear is made of high density ribbed silicone which provides a sticky tactile feel, and is designed to absorb shocks and bumps from accidental drops.

The case offers complete access to the iPod’s controls and ports, and features the company’s clear Tunefilm to protect the screen and scrollwheel. Tuneware says that the Icewear for the iPod touch and Nano are currently available from the company’s web site, with the Icewear for the iPod classic shipping during the first week of December.

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