It’s a strange place to be looking for information about the upcoming iPad, but the word that’s emerged is actually pretty compelling in its own right. See, the iBooks 2 app that got released yesterday also reportedly came with a new bookmark icon labeled simply “iPadx2″.

And this by itself might not mean so much, until you consider that the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S have been getting icons with “x2″ labels for some time now, which was done to reflect their own need for extra-detailed graphics for use with the phones’ Retina Displays. Thus, a small bit of logic was applied, and more than a few now wonder if the iPad won’t get the Retina Display, and thus have a use for those x2-labeled icons.

Reports say that Apple, not surprisingly, pulled the icons in rapid fashion, and a new set of icons was released to cover Apple’s possible slip-up, but that wasn’t done nearly quickly enough to prevent the new icons from being not only caught, but also image-recorded, as the spotted pic from MacRumors shows above.

It’s entirely possible that this was a labeling mistake or the like, which would explain why the icons were pulled, but whether or not it will follow up into an iPad with a Retina Display will remain to be seen.

But what do you guys think here? Figure that the next iPad will have a Retina Display after all? Or do you think that this was an innocent labeling mistake by Apple? No matter what you think about this one, head on down to the comments section and tell us what you think!

The e2352Phz monitor is a 23 inch monitor that shows in 1920 x 1080 resolution, and offers up FPR 3D technology to eliminate flickering and reduce eye strain and dizziness so often caused by 3D video (and this has happened to me more than once–I still remember sitting through My Soul To Take in 3D and I had to shut my eyes every twenty minutes or so just to recover). Even better, it can show fully 16.7 million different colors, has a 5 ms response time and a dynamic contrast ratio of 20,000,000 : 1 and even packs in an onboard speaker, though just what wattage the speaker is isn’t mentioned. It even comes with two pairs of polarized glasses for easy 3D viewing (one pair is even a clip-on pair for eyeglass wearers) without the need for batteries as you’d find with active shutter lenses.

This by itself might well make it a monitor worth considering, but it actually gets better from here. The ACO e2352, you see, also includes an HDMI output jack, which means you’ll not only be able to let it work with your PC of choice, but also you’ll be able to use it with your Xbox 360 or PS3 gaming console, as well as your Blu-ray player of choice, meaning that you’re not just going to be limited to your PC with this one. And if you want a complete home theater option in a very, very small space on a budget but with 3D capability, this is going to be a great place to start looking.

You’ll be able to pick this one up right now from Best Buy and Tiger Direct just to name a couple, and you’ll be shelling out $299 for this kind of versatility. It looks like a good quality monitor, and its use with all those devices makes it a fine backup television as well, I’d say, though the price is a bit on the steep side.

So what do you guys think here? Anyone interested in AOC’s new monitor? Or can you do better elsewhere? No matter what you think, head on down to the comments section below and tell us what’s on your mind!

Ideum’s calling it the best one they’ve ever made, and from here I see no reason to doubt their word on that one. The MT-65 Presenter is, as the name implies, a 65 inch touch screen display that’s wall mountable, and supports fully 32 touch points at the same time. It’s also offering up a full 3D, full HD display with a 9,000,000 : 1 contrast ratio, a 178 degree viewing angle to make sure you can see it from just about any point in a room with equal clarity.

And while the features were pretty good, the specs are even better, offering up a hyperthreaded, quad-core Intel Core i7 processor running at fully 2.2 GHz, backed up by an Nvidia GeForce GTX460 GPU, eight gigs of RAM, and a 256 gig solid state drive. The whole thing is mounted in a frame comprised of aircraft-grade aluminum and cold-rolled steel, making it almost impervious to your garden variety vandal. It’s even got a built-in HD webcam and microphone for use as a video conferencing tool.

Needless to say, you’re not going to get an impressive tech package like this for cheap. But the part that will get you is that, while the MT-55 was set to sell at around $18,000, the MT-65 is set to sell at $17,450, which is something of a discount from the previous model. I suppose when you don’t have to build it into a table first the prices can, accordingly come down a notch.

So what do you guys think here? Anyone interested in shelling out the price of a new car for an impressive touch screen driven, wall mounted computer? Or do you think this one’s going to be pretty much limited to corporate and educational facility use only? No matter what you think, the comments section is waiting for you to fill us in below!

The AOC e2343 monitor, by way of recap, offers up a 23 inch display showing at a full 1080p resolution with a 60 Hz refresh rate, a 16 : 9 aspect ratio, 250 nits of brightness, a pair of ten watt speakers, and a built-in universal dock for your iPhone and iPod Touch that will allow you to use the onboard speakers to play music, or use both speakers and screen alike to let your device serve as a media player.

A pretty nice set of features indeed, especially for those who are already using their iOS gear as a media player but wishing they could get that video up and running on a somewhat larger screen. But things only get better when I tell you these will start selling this March, and you’ll be able to get one for $279.99. That’s a bit on the pricey side for a 23 inch display, but considering the built-in speakers and the seamless operation with iOS gear, well, that ups the value pretty nicely on this one for those who favor the iOS gear.

But what do you guys think about the AOC e2343, now that you have an idea on the cost? Think it’s going to prove a little too expensive for your typical user? Or do you think that’s a fine price for at 23 inch 1080p monitor that gives you added functionality when your iPod Touch or iPhone is involved? No matter what you think about this one, we always like hearing from you, and the comments section below is just the place to tell us what’s on your mind!

The AOC e2251Fwu is a 22 inch LED monitor that offers up full 1080p resolution, a 20,000,000 : 1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio, a 5 ms response time and 200 nits of brightness, all in a package that measures just 10.6 millimeters deep. It’s said to burn 50 percent less energy than CCFL monitors, which isn’t a surprise given the LED backlighting, and also boasts a removable stand that will let it serve as a presentation display, or even as an impressively large digital photo frame. And, being as it’s USB, it will work with either Windows or Mac systems, and cover operating systems even going back several years, a definite plus for the Windows users out there who still favor Windows XP.

You’ll be able to see these operate for yourself out at the CES event, and starting in February, you’ll be able to buy them yourself for a relatively slim $199 from a variety of national retailers.

The AOC e2251Fwu looks like it will be pretty sharp when you’re finally in a position to get your hands on one, and they’ll be extra portable, so for those of you out there with laptops whose displays aren’t their best, you might have a solution to your problem right here. It’s never really a bad idea to have spares for your monitor on hand, especially if you use your PC a lot like a lot of people I know.

But what do you guys think? Figure that the AOC e2251Fwu is going to have all the punch you’ll need? Or do you think you can do better with a non-USB monitor that may take up a bit more room and weigh more, but give you a better display? No matter what you think about this one, the comments section is waiting for you below, so head on down and tell us what you think!

Apple’s supply chain is making mention of IGZO–otherwise known as Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide–displays as part of future iPad releases. Using the IGZO display technology is said to not only give the device on which it’s used a display resolution that’s on par with full HD. This would also keep the device slim, a distinction that adding the Retina Display wouldn’t really offer, at least not on a comparative level.

This actually isn’t the first time we’ve heard about iPads getting IGZO displays introduced; we’d actually heard about this back in November, and the word then was that Sharp was looking to get in on some of that action. Of course, we’d also heard that iPads weren’t going to be the only ones in the iOS range getting in on IGZO, but also iPhones would be stepping in. I can’t imagine that iPods, and possibly even the MacBook range, wouldn’t want to get in on this as well. However, considering we’ve heard about Retina Displays currently being manufactured for the iPad line, it may be tough to reconcile the two. Of course, if we have multiple iPads as some have projected…well….

Actually using an IGZO is helpful for a lot of reasons, including offering higher resolutions than normal (though not quite as high as some), but also doing so at lower manufacturing costs (which may result in lower retail costs), and also offering better battery life as they require less power to operate.

The question of just which display, of course, will ultimately prevail will remain to be seen, but there are certainly advantages to each, giving those who are already looking forward to the next iPad just a little more reason to do so. But what do you guys think? Would you rather see an IGZO display or a Retina Display on your next iPad? Whatever side you fall in on, head on down to the comments section below and tell us what you think!

Strange name for a monitor, I know–sounds like a tank or something from bad anime–but this one is pretty impressive in its own right. It’s a 27 inch monitor offering a bezel that’s merely one millimeter thick around three of the four edges, with a wider fourth one near the base showing the LG logo. It’s said to be 25 percent more energy efficient than current monitors boasting IPS panels, which is by itself pretty exciting, and even better, it can also play back content in 3D.

Word is that the DM92 won’t be the only thing at the big show, though, as they’ll also be bringing out the slightly smaller DM82 (a 23 inch version complete with a pair of seven watt speakers) as well as the DM52 (which will be in 23 and 27 inch varieties) and the D43, which is set to pack in an option to convert 2D into 3D, so the relative dearth of 3D content out there likely won’t be a problem.

Naturally, there’s no word about full specs or pricing on these yet, but the current word suggests that you’ll be able to get an eyeful of these in stores near you this February, so you won’t have too much longer to wait if you’re in the market for a new monitor with a whole lot of extra punch.

I’m pretty impressed with this array myself, and look forward to hearing more about this one when, hopefully, it hits the CES show pretty soon. But what do you guys think about this set of new monitors? Look like the kind of thing you’d be happy to have attached to your PC? Or have you left the desktop behind by now so new monitors really don’t interest you in the least? No matter what you think, we always like hearing from you, so head on down to the comments section and tell us what you think!

While on the surface, the e2343Fi monitor might seem relatively mundane–a 23 inch screen of unknown but likely 1080p resolution that includes a pair of SRS Premium Sound speakers–it’s the base of the monitor where all the action truly is. See, the base of the monitor includes a standard iOS dock connector, which means you’ll be able to plug your iPhone or iPod Touch (you would be able to plug your iPad into it too, but it wouldn’t fit) into it.

And not only will you be able to plug in there, you’ll also be able to play content from either device on the monitor itself. So if your iPod is full of music, you can route it through those SRS Premium Sound speakers, and if you’re running Netflix on your iPhone, you can send the resulting video feed through the monitor.

The good news is that AOC will be showing these off at the 2012 CES show, which you probably expected, along with a 23 inch 3D display, as well as a portable model with USB connectivity, possibly a version of the e1649fwu we heard about previously. The bad news, however, is that we have no idea as yet on pricing and availability, but that will likely be a part of the proceedings out at CES when they show these off.

Personally, this one might be a bit too much of a gimmick for most people, but I can certainly see where those who use their iOS gear a lot would welcome such a device, so it might work out all right. But what do you guys think about this one? Figure that more people would find this useful than those that wouldn’t? Or do you figure that price is going to be the make-or-break figure on this one? No matter what you think about the AOC e2343Fi monitor, the comments section below is just the place to tell us all about it!

Of course, these being early models, they’re not going to exactly have all the functions you’d hope for, but essentially, both companies have been, independently, testing and building devices that would communicate with smartphones, serving as a sort of wrist-mounted wireless display. Apple’s version, reportedly, is described as being like a “curved glass iPod” that you wear on your wrist that, in turn, uses Siri (and for all of you who were wondering if Siri was ever going to get off the iPhone 4S and onto anything else, it looks like you may have your answer) to take your questions or commands back to your smartphone handset, which is kept out of the way.

Meanwhile, Google is said to be recruiting experts from Nokia–and interestingly, Apple–who work in miniaturization. Couple this on to their recent Motorola acquisition and it suggests that Google doesn’t want to be left behind in any kind of race to develop such hardware, a smart move given the ongoing battles that iOS and Android are waging worldwide.

You might well recognize this kind of move from the various iPod watches out there (not to mention Motorola’s ACTV), but this is a pretty substantial improvement as you’d get full smartphone functionality included. Perhaps even better, something like this could tie into a head-mounted display with augmented reality, which would make it useful for the big stuff like directions, too.

No word on when either version will make it to shelves, of course, as this is still very early stage development stuff right here, but still, I can see it being very useful and very valuable. But what do you guys think here? Figure something like this would make your day? Or would it be a waste of wrist space? No matter what you think, the comments section is waiting to hear from you below!

The reports emerge from Apple’s supply chain, and focus on a recent round of bids going out to compete for some new Apple business, specifically, display panels that can show in 2880 x 1800 resolution, or, Retina Display resolution. That’s actually double what’s currently going out on the MacBook Pro’s 15 inch model (1440 x 900), and will actually be something of an unusual model even within Apple’s releases. Most of the Apple line is looking to stick to a range of 1280 x 800 to 1680 x 1050, reportedly, so a Retina Display class of resolution is going to make this a pretty impressive piece of hardware indeed.

And for those wondering, there’s no specific word on how screen size would affect the resolution, as the MacBook Pro comes in 13, 15 and 17 inch flavors, but the stated resolution of 2880 x 1800 seems specific to the 15 inch version, thus 17 inch displays may well reach 3840 x 2400, according to some reports.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about portable hardware getting some serious augmentation as far as display goes–earlier reports suggested that the next iPad would have some substantial augmentations as far as display went, and considering the sheer number of Ultrabook models that will get shown off at the 2012 CES show alone, it makes perfect sense that Apple would want to preserve–and possibly expand–their lead by keeping the current crop of MacBooks on top with appropriate augmentations across the board.

So what do you guys think about this one? Think we’ll be seeing some impressive new resolutions of Apple display coming our way soon? Or will these reports end up much like the iPhone 5 reports from last year? No matter what you think, we love hearing from you, and the comments section below is just the place to fill us in!

The ePawn Arena is, essentially, a Microsoft Surface-style device that allows you to plug in a variety of devices–they list smartphones, tablets and computers, which is a broad array indeed–into it and allow objects in the real world to interact with the images displayed by the multimedia component. Basically, this allows you to put actual game pieces on a virtual game board generated by your device of choice and displayed on the ePawn Arena.

The ePawn Arena can manage a variety of effects, as you’ll see in the included video below, allowing for issues from line of sight to special effects to be handled right on the tabletop surface. It’s portable, and will probably fit nicely in most anyone’s laptop case of choice as it’s only a 26 inch screen. They’re looking to make these available for sale in the second half of 2012, and word is the pricing on these will come in at $400.

It’s a niche product, no mistake there, but at the same time it might well find sufficient appeal to make a go out of it, especially for the gamers who want a touch of retro–and a touch of the social–in their gaming. It’s not hard to see folks using these around the table out at a Starbucks or the like. But what do you guys think of this one? Figure it’s going to make gaming a whole different class of experience? Or do you think there won’t be enough interest to make this one really viable? No matter what you think, we’re always glad to hear from you, so hit the comments section below and tell us what you think!

Strange name, I know, but the e1649fwu is a 16 inch flatscreen monitor that plus into a USB port. Powered by DisplayLink, the AOC e1649fwu monitor will offer up resolution topping out at 1366 x 768, and do so at a 60 Hz refresh rate. Sounds pretty good, until you consider that the whole thing uses just eight watts of power, so if you’re running on a laptop battery, you’ll likely find that this one makes an excellent replacement. It even offers up a built-in stand allowing it to display in both horizontal and vertical setups, letting you switch between portrait and landscape almost on the fly.

It’s actually available right now from a variety of retailers, including Tiger Direct and Best Buy, and sells for about what you’d expect to pay for a monitor, $139. A bit small, granted, but still, we’re talking about a monitor that can fit in a laptop bag. Now if your laptop’s display breaks or otherwise burns out, you can take this, and possibly a bit of duct tape (or possibly not to preference, whichever) and pretty much make it as though nothing ever happened, with the important distinction that you’ll lose a USB port, and considering USB hubs are dirt cheap, you may well never notice with a bit of planning. And having a second monitor running, well, that’s usually a lot of fun in its own right.

So what do you guys think here? Think $139 is too much to ask for a second monitor, or an emergency spare that can go anywhere you do? Or do you think that this is a pretty smart buy for those who use laptops on a regular basis? No matter what you think, we want to hear from you, so hit the comments section and tell us what you think!

The DX2500 is a 25 inch monitor that offers up 3D capability that actually managed to land it TUV Rhienland certification, as it requires no glasses. It’s also offering up head and eye tracking capability via webcam, which augments the 3D capability by letting the image be adjusted to the viewer’s perspective on the screen. And if you’re a bit concerned about the overall dearth of 3D material out there–which, let’s face it, there’s just not much of it out there–there’s no need for concern as the DX2500 offers up a 2D to 3D conversion option. Just how well it works, naturally, remains to be seen, but kudos for the effort to add more capability, I say.

And if you’re impressed by the specs, you’ll likely be blown away by the price tag, as this is only available in South Korea right now for a whopping 1.29 million won, which converts to right around $1147 US, but will likely change by the end of the day. But if that doesn’t scare you off, then further happy news awaits you as this one’s looking to get a launch on a global scale early in 2012.

Computer monitors are still a pretty large part of the computing landscape, though they’re getting somewhat smaller with the passage of time. Still though, the LG DX2500 is looking to put on a good show, and by all current reports, I’d say it’s doing at least a passable job. But what do you guys think about this one? Think the computer monitor in general is going the way of the dodo? Or is there still room on your computer desk for a high-quality monitor with plenty of useful capabilities? No matter what you think, we’re always glad to hear from you, so head on down to the comments section below and let’s talk computer monitors!

You wouldn’t think that a monitor and a projector could ever really be similar, much like a Porsche and a hay wagon are similar in that they both have four wheels, but surprisingly, the HR274H and the H9500BD share a feature in common, namely, both are 3D capable devices.

The HR274H monitor offers up a 27 inch display showing at 1920 x 1080, which is basically full HD. It offers up a chip-based technology that will allow you to convert your 2D content into 3D content without the need for intervening software. Better yet, it uses passive polarized glasses, which means the fact that only one pair is included with the display won’t be much of a problem, as you’ll be able to get extras as needed readily and without big expense.

Meanwhile, the H9500BD projector offers up DLP technology, as well as a 120 Hz refresh rate along with 3D software that can perform the 2D to 3D conversion. And it will even put up as big as a 300 inch image (Frank’s 2000 Inch TV, here we come!) at 2000 ANSI lumens of brightness, and will support both 16:9 and 4:3 resolutions.

Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Even the prices aren’t terrible: the HR274H monitor will sell at $599, and the H9500BD projector will sell for $1999.99, which is a bit pricey, but for a 3D projector putting out that size of image, that sounds fairly good indeed.

And what do you guys think here? Figure the price tags aren’t too terrible for full-on 3D hardware like this? Or do you figure that not even 3D is worth that kind of money? No matter what you think, we want to hear about it down in the comments section below!

Expectations from the folks at DisplaySearch said that shipment forecast data expects the typical pixels-per-inch count on displays going out in 2012 will go to 191 in early 2012. Considering that the end of 2011 is seeing an average pixels-per-inch count of 147, according to the reports, that’s a pretty pronounced jump indeed.

Leading the charge on that big spike is going to be two-fold: one, the expected iPad 3, set to offer a big 9.7 inch display at a 2048 x 1536 resolution, and two, a bit of a surprise, the Acer Iconia A700, which is set to offer up a ten inch display showing at 1920 x 1200 resolution.

And this is set to kick off a revolution as the rest of the companies in the tablet market space rush to minimize the competitive advantages presented by the superior resolution tablets, to the point where, by spring, the average pixels-per-inch measure is set to go to 203, and by summer, the average should reach 212. By way of comparison, desktop and laptop displays were expected to hold steady at 93 pixels per inch, while televisions are looking to actually drop somewhat thanks to increased sizes lowering densities a bit down to 55 pixels per inch by summer.

This is no doubt a great development for everyone out there looking to get in on the tablet market, as better product will be steadily emerging within a matter of months, likely making it a good idea to hold off on a purchase until later on, but what do you guys think here? Can you wait that long to pick up your new tablet? Or are you disregarding the pixel density measures as being largely impossible for you to tell with the naked eye anyway? No matter what you think here, we welcome your opinion down in the comments section!

Sony and Hitachi are getting the four inch displays together for an iOS device, say the reports, and though there aren’t very many specifics out there about said displays as yet, the early word figures they’re going to be part of the next iPhone, as there’s nothing in the pipe about a radically altered iPod Touch as yet, and a four inch iPad would likely be a problem. The thought that these may be iPad displays, meanwhile, is further undercut by reports that suggest that Sony and Hitachi are working on something else, that is, radically different display panels for the next iPad. Some of the reports are discussing the possibility that the iPad 3 may pack in a Retina Display, which would give Apple a pretty substantial edge in the marketplace. You know, even more substantial than the one it already enjoys by dint of being Apple.

It’s interesting to see the numbers of suppliers that Apple’s said to be working with is growing, and right now, the big loser in this one looks to be Samsung, who is not only on the receiving end of a whole lot of Apple lawsuits, but also looks like its place in Apple’s supply chain may possibly be very much at risk. Of course, Apple may have learned from previous incarnations of their devices, and the attendant shortages that followed their launches, and is just trying to be as prepared as possible, but it’s worth considering that Apple may be looking to completely remove Samsung from the chain altogether.

But still…new displays for an iPhone? At least one new iPad coming in the short term? Lots of great things to come out of Apple, it would seem, so there will be plenty to keep an eye out for. But what do you guys think here? Which new Apple device are you most looking forward to? Planning to pick any of them up when they do hit? Or do you think Apple will back out of the new device release rush they’ve been on and pace them out a bit more? No matter what you think, the comments section is waiting for you below!

Not so long ago, recently found snippets of code in iOS 5 suggested that future iOS powered devices may end up with support for Retina Display panels. And while this was an interesting development in its own right, it’s followed promptly by reports that production of the panels themselves is already in progress out at the manufacturer level. Current projections from the reports suggest that finished devices could be ready by the end of the year, with shippable units ready in January and volumes to increase in February and March, which makes a very important suggestion that Apple may be looking to release something sometime near the middle of next year, which is approximately when the iPad 2 made its debut.

Of course, we’ve already heard stories previously about different types of iPad–one a small revamping and the other a completely new product–so just which one might get shown off first is as yet unclear. And the reports further go on to say that there’s currently “no reason” Apple couldn’t put together a smaller iPad–keeping in line with the reports of same we’d heard earlier–if there was demand for such a product. And further, Apple should have, at last report, no trouble keeping up with production targets as they’re now set to go through fully three suppliers: Sharp, LG, and surprisingly, Samsung.

It’s worth noting that we hear a lot about the Apple line of products, and most of it comes by way of analysts and supply chain sources, so any of this is subject to change at any time. But still, we all could reasonably figure that a new iPad would be coming out fairly soon, so this news serves to cement that mostly given point.

So what do you guys think about this? Will we see the Retina Display panels on iPads sooner than we may have expected? Will they be part of a different line of tablets to hit later on? Or will something change in mid-stream to lose our access to the Retina Display? No matter what you think, we want to hear from you, so head on down to the comments section and tell us what you think!

Yes, you’re looking at a shot of the ExoPC ExoDesk, an entire computer built into a piece of furniture. A teaser video recently got released from the ExoPC folks showing this sucker off, and the end result is really a sight to behold. The desktop itself measures 40 inches across, which is about the size of a small dining room table. It’s got a monitor implanted in the far end away from the keyboard, and the keyboard itself is located in the midst of a touch field that operates much like Microsoft Surface, in which you’ll be able to manipulate items on the touch field to affect actions in the computer itself.

ExoPC plans, at last report, to issue some more details about this little wonder out at the CES 2012 show, but just ahead of that, we do know just two things: it’s set to go on sale sometime in 2012, and will do so for $1200, which is a pretty good price indeed assuming the specs aren’t better suited to tablets than to a full desktop PC.

You can check out the video below, and see how this works for yourself, but I can tell you this going in, it looks like a pretty impressive piece of hardware. It’s very much a science fiction sort of item, and it’s good to see it make the leap toward science fact. Though even at a relatively low price of $1200, the hardware will have to be reasonably robust to get even early adopters in the door.

But what do you guys think about this one? Will it matter what the specs look like on this as people rush to take advantage of an exciting new form factor augmented by any kind of computing experience? Or will the recent bad economic times have people keeping hands on their wallets until ExoPC can put some punch in its new design? No matter what you think about this, we want to hear from you, so head on down to the comments section and tell us what you think about the ExoDesk!

Can you imagine an iPad with a 7.35 inch display? How about a four inch iPhone display, complete with Retina Display resolution? Even if you’re having a hard time picturing such a thing, Apple may not be having a problem with it, at least according to reports. The current word suggests that Apple and LG have entered into talks in which LG would develop a series of new displays for Apple devices of unusual size, which are coming out in the wake of a variety of new Android devices in the works.

Indeed, Apple’s looking at a whole lot of competition in the field, with Ice Cream Sandwich set to show, as well as plenty of others that will likely get their debut at the rapidly approaching CES show.

Though as is always the case with Apple rumors, the standard Apple Rumor Salt Lick needs to be applied here as there’s no word on just when any of these devices will actually make it into the field. Still, a variety of form factors really couldn’t hurt Apple here; as we saw with the HP TouchPad debacle and even the Kindle Fire itself, people are sensitive to price these days, and a cheaper (and necessarily smaller) Apple tablet couldn’t hurt to fit into that protocol. Plus, there’s no reason a slightly larger iPhone couldn’t be in the works; I’ve heard more than a few people express lament at the iPhone’s relatively small touch screens, which make touch controls a little tougher to use for those with larger fingers.

Still though, skepticism is clearly in order here as a possibility only. But what do you guys think? Do you like the thought of a bigger iPhone? Would you buy a smaller iPad if it were more in line with other tablet prices? No matter what you think about this, we want to hear from you, and the best place to get a hold of us is right in the comments section below!

The Viewsonic V3D231 is a 23 inch monitor that offers up 3D glasses. It also offers up a 1001 : 1 contrast ratio (though the dynamic ratio gets that up to 20,000,000 : 1), 1080p in 2D, a two ms response time, software for 2D to 3D conversion, a pair of two watt SRS Premium speakers built in, 3D capable HDMI, VGA, and DVI-D connections.

Not bad in its own right–nothing particularly great, but hardly anything bad–but where this gets interesting is that it takes a page out of the television playbook, as I mentioned above. See, the V3D 231 uses polarized 3D glasses, much like the kind you might use with your television, or at the movies, rather than the usual set of active shutter glasses that are significantly more expensive. As a result, the monitor can be offered at a lower price than you might expect.

You’ll get the monitor, a set of polarized glasses, and in a move that has me very happy indeed, a set of clip-on polarized lenses for those of us who wear prescription lenses. And you’ll get all this together for either 279 Euros (if you’re buying it in Europe) or $300 US if you’re buying this stateside.

Sounds like a pretty good deal if you’re looking for some entry-level 3D to see if you want to go all the way up to the big deal and get that big 3D television for your living room or home theater. $300 isn’t exactly cheap, but considering what the full-sized models cost, to dip a toe in the 3D waters, as it were, this is going to be a good start.

So what do you guys think here? Figure the Viewsonic V3D231 can find a place in your home or office? Or do you think that’s way too much to drop on a 23 inch monitor? Either way, we want to know what you think, so hit the comments section and fill us in!

And what the video showed off was a wide variety of products that either currently exist or are under study out at Microsoft, so this won’t be one of those situations where we give you where and how much at the end. But considering what we’ve already heard, it makes this particular bit especially newsworthy. See, there’s plenty of impressive future tech going on in the Productivity Future Vision video. There’s a whole lot of augmented reality going on in here, including a set of glasses you carry around to see what amounts to a whole new layer of reality (anyone else feeling their They Live yet?) and tiny transparent tablets that allowed you to buy tickets to a benefit concert by pointing your tiny tablet at a poster advertising same.

It’s that last that got my attention, as we’d seen Microsoft actually engaged in something similar. It was a combination of a blank device that had its interface added in later, and that was something we’d already seen being worked up. Now, while I didn’t see anything in the video that suggested the shoulder-mounted gear Microsoft was originally looking at, it was pretty safe to say that something like that could have been involved, just extrapolated to the point where it wasn’t seen.

There are a variety of impressive ideas in this video, which we’ve got below for reference, but just how many of these devices, and their attendant concepts, will actually make it to market obviously remains to be seen. Microsoft’s envisioning a clear paradigm shift in the way we use and manage information, but will a stagnating global economy be able to support that kind of radical rethinking?

What do you guys think here? A vision of our all too likely future? Or a pie in the sky show from Microsoft? Either way, we want to hear what you think, so head on down to the comments section and fill us in!

The LG IPS5 is so named because it uses an IPS panel in its construction to offer up a better picture. How much better, you wonder? Well, the color temperatures come in at around 6500K, whilst the contrast ratio is around 5 million to one. You’ll be able to get these in your choice of 21.5 inch or 23 inch, and all will display in 1920 x 1080 resolution. Also you’ll get the Dual Package feature which makes adding a second display much simpler than normal to give you that two-monitor supervillain-lair effect. Here’s the best part: many suggest calibrating a new monitor when you get it, but the IPS5 series goes one step farther by calibrating the monitor before it even goes in the box. They’ll even include a report about how your particular monitor was tuned.

LG actually goes so far as to believe, reportedly, that the colors presented on an IPS5 will be identical to their counterparts in real life.

You’ll be able to get these starting pretty soon now, but if you’re willing to wait until November for the IPS5P, you’ll get everything that the IPS5 offers, but also a posing stand with adjustable height.

No word yet on prices for either model, sadly, but they’re looking pretty nice, especially if you’re in the market for a new computer monitor and you want something that will really make your games and video and the like pop. Be interesting to see what the final prices on them are when they start hitting stores in the coming weeks.

But what do you guys think? Think that the LG IPS5 (or its counterpart the IPS5P) look like some quality pieces of hardware? Or do you have a different breed of monitor you prefer? Frankly, it’d take the complete death of my current Samsung to get me back shopping for a new one. Whatever you think, we want to hear from you, so hit the comments section and tell us what you think!

The current reports say that the firmware update in question was posted to the Apple Discussion Forums, instead of on the Support Downloads page. This is something of a departure from the norm at last report, as normally, firmware fixes don’t hit the forum first but go to the Support Downloads page. Why the deviation hit in the first place is somewhat unclear, but it’s a strange one to say the least.

Anyway, the thing that matters, especially for those of you with flickering Cinema Display units, is that you’ll now be able to get a fix for those times when your picture starts taking on a life of its own. The download is just under a meg, so most any internet connection should be able to tackle it without incident. But there are some caveats here: one, you’ll need to have your 24 inch LED Cinema Display connected to a Mac with Thunderbolt to fix the problem (and as the reports suggest it’s only those models connected to Thunderbolt that are really having the problems to begin with). Also note that if you’re using a Mini DisplayPort extender cable, the firmware update may not actually fix the problem. Also, you’ll want to disconnect your USB and FireWire devices and use only your Apple keyboard and mouse to handle the update, as there are some (not necessarily all, from the reports) devices that might interfere with the update.

Undoubtedly this will be a fix that Apple users will welcome, so if you happen to be one of them, we’d love to hear from you. Are you having troubles with your Thunderbolt Cinema Display? Did the firmware fix do the job for you? Head on down to the comments section and fill us in on your progress!

What Sony’s got in mind is just a lenticular sheet, a piece of plastic that can slide right over a laptop screen and produce, entirely without 3D glasses, a 3D style effect. The original, not surprisingly, will be made available for VAIO S laptops to begin with, and will likely expand outward from there. What’s more, the sheet will also include head-tracking software that will use the laptop’s built-in webcam to adjust the 3D image according to where your head’s actually located when the image comes up.

Incredibly simple stuff–it may well eventually lead to 3D on most every laptop–but not necessarily cheap. The first ones will emerge next month, and will be selling for 129 euros or $180 US (by current exchange rates, of course) when it actually lands in stores starting just in time for Halloween horror movie season to begin in earnest.

The question, of course, from here is how well will this concept adapt to other laptops? If Sony’s got a way to turn any laptop into a 3D laptop with the addition of a bit of plastic and some webcam software, they could probably make a mint. Plus, they’d pretty much kill off the 3D laptop market by letting people turn most any laptop into a 3D laptop by the addition of a simple bit of plastic. Personally, I call this a great and game changing idea, assuming it can work on any laptop besides the VAIO S, and from the look of it, there’s pretty much nothing separating this one from working on most any device out there. And then, would this work on televisions? Or possibly tablets, or smartphones?

So what do you guys think? Is $180 too high a price to pay to turn your laptop into a 3D laptop? Do you like the thought of being able to convert a laptop to 3D at a moment’s notice then shut down the 3D when it gets too much like eyestrain? No matter what you think, we want to hear from you, so hit the comments section and fill us in!

The first thing that you’ll notice about the LG E2391VR is just how little of it you actually notice. See, this is one of those “world’s thinnest monitor” monitors, with the critical core difference that this one might actually qualify. See, the E2391VR is a meager 7.2 mm thick. And this number may not mean much on the surface, until you bring in a nice reference number like 9.3 mm. And that still doesn’t mean much until I tell you that’s how thick the iPhone 4 is. This thing is thinner than a cell phone.

And that by itself would be sufficient awesome for some people, but then LG goes and gives us the spec rundown. It’s got 1080p video capability, HDMI port, a headphone out jack, a 2 ms response time and a 10 million to one contrast ratio. It’s got a hanger-type hinge to let you adjust it as you need, but the LG E2391VR has what might be for some a significant downside; all of its ports are contained in the base of the unit. That’s not a problem for everyone, of course, but some may find it an issue.

There’s no word on price or release dates just yet on this one, sadly, but it’s still looking like a pretty solid piece of hardware indeed. So what do you guys think now that you’ve got a better look at the LG E2391VR monitor? Think it’s one you’d like to see sitting next to your desktop? Or can you find better monitors from the stuff that’s out there already? Either way, hit the comments section below and tell us what you think about LG’s new monitor!

These days, $25 can hardly buy you a decent lunch or a half tank of gas. But it can buy a full-fledged computer if Raspberry Pi had its way. The foundation is developing a PC that might just help change the developing world. Costing $25, the device is meant to plug into existing hardware like a USB keyboard and mouse, and a display unit. Recent changes in the design have taken away the USB thumbdrive-like form factor, but added new features that will make the Raspberry Pi computer even more ideal for low-income markets.

The current design will let users plug the computer into a TV through an analog connection, which means users won’t have to purchase a monitor with an HDMI or DVI input (which will defeat the purpose of buying a cheap computer in the first place). Coming in a credit card-like form factor, the device will ship with 128 of RAM, a 700 MHz ARM CPU and SD and USB slots. A $35 version is also in the works, and this will ship with a built-in network adapter.

The Raspberry Pi will ship with Linux, although the developers are still working out which distribution and what kind of desktop environment to use, given the limited specs. At a talk with educational programmers recently, Raspberry Pi Foundation director Eben Upton has said the group is confident it will be able to meet its target of launching its product by November. At this $25 price point, he says his foundation is targeting the textbook market, hoping that kids of all ages would start getting interested in computers and computer programming.

Will you shell out $25 for a cheap computer that you can plug into your TV? Or would you rather buy lunch?

The LG E91 is an ultra-slim monitor (you can actually see it pictured above) which tops out at a meager 7.2 mm thick. It uses a hanger-style stand which allows the whole thing to be precisely adjusted for appropriate viewing angles. It’s set to offer up a 23 inch display showing at 1920 x 1080 resolution with a contrast ratio of fully 10 million to one.

The LG D237IPS, meanwhile (pictured directly above), will bring in LG’s Film Pattern Retarder 3D display capability, giving you glassesless 3D along with an IPS panel. It’s been certified Flicker-Free, which will make the whole experience a lot easier on your head and stomach, plus it offers up the same 23 inch size at 1920 x 1080 resolution as the E91, but it will do so at a color depth of 16.7 million colors and a five million to one contrast ratio.

There aren’t any definite pricing details announced with these, sadly, nor any release dates, so when you’ll be able to get your hands on one of these sweet new LG monitors is as yet quite unclear. However, you can probably figure they’ll make their way out fairly soon, as they’re hitting a major trade show directly and of course, holiday shopping seasons are approaching with impressive speed. True story: I actually spotted Christmas trees in one store a few days back.

So what do you guys think of these two new monitors? Want to see more of how they work? Think you’ll throw over your current model for a slice of impressive 3D or an aesthetically impressive hanger monitor? Either way, we want to  know what you think about these, so head on down to the comments section and let us know what you think about the pair!

These LCD screens are fitted with built-in photovoltaic polarizers responsible for harvesting energy. Typical LCDs have polarized sheets that control how much of the backlight goes through, thereby creating images on the screen. In this technology, the polarized sheets are made of organic photovoltaics. Yang Yang from UCLA says:

I believe this is a game-changer invention to improve the efficiency of LCD displays. In addition, these polarizers can also be used as regular solar cells to harvest indoor or outdoor light. So next time you are on the beach, you could charge your iPhone via sunlight.

The typical polarizer is inefficient, and wastes much of the energy absorbed. The photovoltaics polarizer will take that absorbed energy, and transform it back into energy the device can reuse. The researchers say they hope to work with electronic manufacturers in the future so this LCD technology could be integrated into various devices.

Image source: RBerteig @ flickr under Creative Commons license

The answer is all of them. That’s right, a recent announcement out of Apple pegged all three–LG, Samsung, and Sharp–as being the new suppliers of iPad 3 displays.  LG will be the lead supplier, with Sharp taking the secondary slot ahead of Samsung, and showing a distinct possibility to move ahead if it can keep the numbers of quality panels up and running throughout the process.

It’s a surprise to see Samsung in the running at all, considering the sheer number of problems Apple and Samsung have been having lately. But considering that there were earlier reports that said LG and Samsung were working together on putting together a new and better iPad display (the QXGA display), chances are Apple was loath to take them out of the loop entirely. Still though, with LG and Sharp also in and swinging, Samsung will need to keep up its delivery schedules to maintain their position.

This also bodes well for iPad buyers in general, who likely still remember the shortages they faced when trying to lay hands on an iPad 2. A steady supply of displays will likely improve the odds that more will be available at any given time thus preventing stores from having to turn away disappointed customers.

So what do you guys think here? Like Apple’s multi-vendor strategy? Or do you think that too many cooks might well spoil the iPad 3 broth somehow? We always like hearing from you, so hit the comments section and tell us what you think!

The HP Compaq 8200 Elite is geared toward the business user, and boasts all in one capability, meaning that the computer is built into the monitor itself. In terms of specs, it’s set to pack a range of possible processors from a Intel Pentium G620 running at 2.60 GHz all the way to an Intel Core i7-2600s at 2.80 GHz, a variety of Windows 7 versions, up to eight gigs of RAM, your choice of hard drives ranging from 250 gig all the way to one terabyte, or a solid state drive between 80 and 160 gig, DVD writer or Blu-ray combo drive, integrated Intel HD graphics, a 23 inch widescreen display showing at 1920 x 1080 resolution, a six in one card reader, six USB ports, and more besides.

Pricing on the new HP Compaq 8200 Elite starts at $999, which is quite a bit more than you might expect given the specs, and you can be sure that it goes up from there depending on just how you want the internals laid out.

This looks like a disaster, not to put too fine a point on it. Sure, the specs are pretty good, especially once you get up into those higher registers, but the baseline that will go for $999 looks woefully underpowered especially when compared against what you can get with a separate monitor.

But what do you guys think here? Is the all in one form factor a premium that justifies higher price? Are we getting a look at some of the moves that cost HP so much in terms of its previous products? Or am I overreacting, because if the Touchpad is any indication, HP might well end up selling this for $300 next month anyway? Either way, we want to hear from you, so hit the comments section and tell us what you think!

And Apple’s reasons for staying out of OLED are pretty numerous; larger screen OLED displays have a greater tendency towards burn-in and have a comparatively limited life span over their various cousins. Also color balance issues abound and, oddly enough, the color blue seems to cause more than a few problems with OLED.

So the consensus seems to be at this stage that, when Apple does come out with a new television, it will likely be an LCD display, as well the rest of the Apple lineup. However, the reports further go on to say that, once the OLED product line matures–in about three to four years as mentioned previously–the Apple line will switch over to the new technology.

It’s actually kind of interesting to see constant innovator Apple talk about product lines in terms of “proven technology” and “matured product lines”, because most of Apple’s market strategy for the last five years or so has been “innovate like crazy”. But still, it’s a move that’s almost certainly for the best. After all, the Retina Display is still doing a fine job of things in the smaller lineup, and indeed, the LED television is really only getting started while the LCD is only just coming into its own. CRT televisions were widely available even only five years ago, after all, so a bit of a wait likely won’t cross anyone’s eyes too intensely.

So what do you guys think here? Think Apple’s waiting too long to get in OLED displays for its hardware? Or can you stand the wait, knowing you’ve already got a nice display for your Apple hardware and you don’t particularly need a new one just yet? Either way, we love hearing from you, so hit the comments section and tell us what you think!

If you ordered a Thunderbolt display back on the launch date, you probably remember that the original projected shipping date wasn’t set until sometime in September, with ranges coming in from the 14th to the 26th. Well, that’s been dialed back a bit, with shipments now looking to launch in two to four weeks. Some places are even reporting that they’ll be taking delivery by August 26th, which is just over a week away.

Of course, these aren’t terribly compressed; two weeks from today is September 1st, and four weeks lands on September 15th, but for the third party vendors that are looking to get them in in just a week, well, that’s going to be pretty soon. There’s no word, however, on exactly why the delivery dates have been changed; it likely has something to do with issues in the supply chain. But it’s still undoubtedly a welcome development for all those folks who ordered their Thunderbolt displays and figured they weren’t going to be showing up before they started planning their Halloween costumes.

So if you haven’t already ordered one of these, you’ll be able to place your order right now, assuming you’ve got $999 sitting around (at least, that’s the price at Apple, but shipping is free). I have seen them sell slightly cheaper elsewhere, but when you factor in shipping Apple might be your best deal here. Check around, though, you might get lucky.

So what do you guys think of the Thunderbolt displays? Looking to get one in for your own Mac? Or do you think that spending what you might spend on a full-sized television is way too much to spend for any computer monitor, even one as impressive as Apple’s? No matter what you think, the comments section waits for you below, so head on down and tell us what you think of these!

The Dell S2330MX is a surprisingly slim 23 inch display showing in 1920 x 1080 resolution that offers LED backlighting, a two ms response time, a DVI to HDMI adapter so that even if you don’t have an HDMI port, you can still get HDMI quality out of it by connecting it to a larger display, and while they’re not filling us in on just how thin it is, the pictures to emerge around it suggest that it’s actually thinner than the power cables required to run it. And, speaking of power for those of you who keep an eye on that sort of thing, this one is also said to be much less hard on the electricity than previous models.

But this is the part where things get a little strange. While the word is out that you can get one of these, and you can actually start ordering them tomorrow, they haven’t quite bothered to mention just how much one of them will cost. While it’s pretty safe to say this will likely be under $300, as most monitors are (and if they get much higher than that you might as well just buy a full on television with a PC input), we don’t know just what the price will be. And a day before release, that’s a strange detail to leave out.

Still though, it sounds like a pretty nice monitor coming our way from the folks out at Dell, so here’s hoping they can bring us a good quality piece. But what do you guys think here? Think that Dell’s got a winner on their hands? Or will this be badly overpriced for a monitor? No matter what you think about it, we always like hearing from you, so hit the comments section and give us the rundown.

The Light Blue Optics pico projector isn’t much on the surface, putting up just a 10.1 inch image that’s in WXGA resolution. But what’s interesting about this is that the projection it puts up is touch sensitive. Yes, that’s right–you may be putting up a small image in less than awesome resolution, but you’ll be able to turn most any flat surface into a touch screen. It also boasts wi-fi and Bluetooth connectivity, a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a small mono speaker.

It’s probably enough to make you wonder just what kind of use a projector that only shows a 10.1 inch image can possibly have, but I can think of one right off the top of the bat. The most bulky part of any laptop is the keyboard, which is where they put the optical drives, processor, RAM chips and assorted whatnot that goes into a standard laptop. Now think of a laptop that’s about the size of a bulky tablet, has a kickstand on the back, and a projector mount that projects your keyboard onto the table top in front of you. You’ve now created a laptop that has effectively the same capability as any normal, but is now the size of a bulky tablet. And, of course, it projects your keyboard down in front of you, so no worries about gunk between the keys, keys rubbing off (seriously, by the time I get done with a keyboard sometimes, the “s” e” and “c” keys are mostly obliterated), or any keys jamming.

I don’t know about you, but I’d love to see a laptop with a projected keyboard. There’s no word yet on when this one’s coming out, or how much it will cost when it does, but I’m rather eager to see it work out. How about you guys? Think the Light Blue Optics pico projector could do some interesting things for your computer use? Or is it just another in a long string of comparatively useless gadgets? Either way, the comments section is waiting below, so head on down and tell us what you think!

Lenovo’s LS2221 is a 22 inch monitor (actually, 21.5 inch), that offers up both VGA and DVI connections to accommodate both older and newer PCs, as well as capacitive touch buttons, Energy Star rating, a 10 million : 1 dynamic contrast ratio and a three year warranty. The LS2421p, meanwhile, brings quite a bit more to the table, including a little extra screen real estate at 23.6 inches, VGA and HDMI outputs, and a four port USB hub for plugging in your various devices.

And the desktop PC, the Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 71, has dropped what they call “legacy ports” in a bid to unclutter the desktop itself. Meanwhile, they’ll give you access to an optional wireless mouse and keyboard combination, as well as an Intel Core i7 quad-core processor, up to eight gigs of RAM, up to a terabyte in hard drive space, Radeon Caicos graphics with as much as another gig of memory, DVD player / burner, gigabit Ethernet and six USB ports, though you’ll have some room to customize based on your needs and budget picture, at last report.

You’re probably pretty interested from here, especially if you do a lot of business IT, but the prices probably won’t scare you off. The Lenovo LS2221 will kick off at $229, while the LS2421p will take that up a notch to $299.99. You’ll be able to land one of these by the end of the month, at last report. Meanwhile, you’ll have to wait until October for the ThinkCentre Edge 71, but you can pick one up at $369, with prices going up from there depending on what you want.

Sounds at least passably good from here, but what do you guys think? Think Lenovo’s new product line can find a place in your home, home office, or regular office? Head on down to the comments section and tell us what you think about the new Lenovo monitors and desktop!

Basically, what the SnapX does is give you the necessary cables to plug in two Mac devices equipped with DisplayPorts, and then plug the SnapX into the Cinema Display. From there, you flip a switch left or right to determine which item you want connected to the Cinema Display. And for those of you saying “that’s basically just a port switcher, right?”, you’re right, but there are some bonuses here with the SnapX that bear mentioning. For instance, the SnapX also offers up a USB pass through slot in case you’re an iSight camera user–and it’ll even give you a little clip to secure it to the base of your Cinema Display to boot.

And if you’re interested in laying hands on one of these yourself, the SnapX is now up for pre-order, and they’ll send one your way this September once you’ve shelled out the $70 required to pick one up.

I’m really more of a PC user, and I admit that I’ve got two computers sharing one monitor. But my monitor has VGA, DVI and HDMI ports, so it’s really not that hard to let the old computer use the VGA port, let the new computer use the DVI port, and simply switch between inputs on the monitor itself. That would seem to be the better approach, I’d think.

So I’ll leave it open to you guys–do you think a $70 SnapX is the way to go here? Or would you just rather just pick a Mac and use it on that one monitor, and save your cash for something better? Either way, we love hearing from you, so head on down to the comments section and tell us what you think about this!

Nothing much separates these monitors except pricing and screen size, so I can tell you that the lot show at 1920 x 1080 resolution and offer up contrast ratios of 1000 : 1, as well as HDMI and DVI inputs and two millisecond response times. They have an anti-glare coating on the monitor screens themselves and are reportedly a quarter the thickness of normal LCD monitors, which is a strange but impressive-sounding feat, if nothing else. The lot of them are also both Energy Star rated and Epeat certified, so you’ll be doing your bit for energy conservation and keeping your power bills their lowest.

As for the differentiation, like I said, it’s screen size and price. The LP2151, for example, is the 22 inch version, and you’ll be able to get that one at $216. The LP2361 is the 24 inch model, which retails at $258. And lastly, you’ll be able to get the 27 inch LP2701 for a surprisingly inexpensive $330.

Admittedly, there’s nothing terribly impressive about these, even if a 27 inch LCD monitor with all the green features at $330 is actually a pretty fair deal. But still, if you’re in the market for monitor and you want to shave your power bills down a bit, well, you’re in a pretty good position to do that with one of these.

But what do you think, folks? Are you looking at these and thinking they’re a pretty good deal, especially once you factor in the long-term value of the energy savings? Or do you think that’s way too much to pay to get in, especially for something as relatively disposable as a computer monitor? Either way, we always like hearing from you, so head on down to the comments section, which is waiting for you to talk monitors!

The ViewSonic V3D245 is a 24 inch 1080p LED monitor that offers up an onboard Nvidia 3D Vision wireless emitter along with a pair of standard 3D Vision glasses. Exciting enough by itself, but you’ll also get a 120 Hz refresh rate (which some entire televisions don’t even offer up), an HDMI socket (to get the most out of that 1080p monitor), two millisecond response time, and for those of you concerned about long-term viability, the ViewSonic V3D245 offers up a full three year warranty, which is pretty good by most any standard.

Naturally, Nvidia hastens to remind us that they’ve got a nice stable of 3D video sources ready to go out at their Vision Live website (which makes a lot of sense considering that they’re the ones hawking 3D platforms in the first place, so why not have a demonstration-ready source of content?), which in turn offers up a pretty hefty supply of 3D video items: around 550 at last count.

The ViewSonic V3D245 itself, meanwhile, is set to emerge some time in the next couple weeks–mid to late August was the last time frame discussed–and when it does hit it will be selling at a hefty $499.

Considering that many LED televisions offer PC inputs of some kind (even HDMI ports) and are often much larger for within striking distance of the same price, it may not be an easy sell for ViewSonic to find people willing to drop the same price as a 40 inch television in some places for a 3D LED monitor.

So what do you guys think of this one? Want to get a big new LED monitor with 3D capability in the form of the ViewSonic V3D245? Or would you rather spend about the same amount of cash and hook your computer up to a television instead? Either way, the comments section awaits, so head on down and tell us what you think!

It’s a new line of haptic feedback technology, featuring touch screens that not only know when they’re being touched, but can respond accordingly. We’re all familiar with the phones that vibrate when they’re touched, but thanks to this new technology, the touch screens will be able to deliver vibrational feedback to the section of the screen that’s being touched.

What’s different about this version is the direction of vibration. Current touch screen vibration is lateral along the plane of the screen itself. The new version allows for vertical vibration, which will allow the screen to vibrate in and out. Thus, when you actually touch the screen under this new version, it will change the amount of surface area underneath your fingertip, making you believe you’re touching something with a totally different texture from coated glass.

There’s no word as yet when this new technology will make it onto marketable devices, but when it does, it will put a whole new dimension into your touch screen contact. Considering that people already widely use touch screen devices–from a variety of cell phones and tablets and beyond–it likely won’t bring people into the touch screen fold who aren’t already there, but it might help with individual devices getting that little extra marketing edge.

But what about you guys? Would you pick one device over another if it came with the new kind of haptic feedback? Or does this strike you as the kind of technology that’s really not good for much more than bragging rights? Either way, we want to hear from you, so head on down to the comments section and let us know what you think!

We first heard stirrings about this last April, but now we’ve got an extra note of support. If you’ve got Lion’s Xcode program, you can check this out for yourself by, reportedly, going into the Developer Directory and checking out the Quartz Debug Application. There, you’ll find a way to select HiDPI, or “High Dots Per Inch” mode. This in turn gives you the ability to select monitor resolutions that are about half of what your current monitor can actually put out.

Right now, admittedly, that doesn’t  mean much. It sounds downright counter-intuitive on the surface. But some suggest this means a lot more than you might think. In fact, what some are suggesting is that this opens the path clear for Retina Display by allowing existing displays to double their resolution to make sure all the display elements (the icons and suchlike) scale upward without incident.

Naturally, Retina Displays for Mac are still some time off. We’re still working on getting an iPad model to show with one of these in tow, after all. But it’s good to see that getting one hooked in with the Mac is already a possibility, once the monitors themselves get situated. Undoubtedly there are plenty of Mac users out there already looking forward to the opportunity to hook a Retina Display up to their full-on Mac (or in the case of the MacBook, to have one already hooked on) and get all that great high-resolution display capability out of it.

And this is the part, of course, where I make my suppositions into reality by opening up the floor. Mac users out there, are you champing at the bit to get a Retina Display hooked into your Mac or MacBook? Or are you just fine with your current display? Either way, we want to hear from you, so point yourself in the direction of the comments below and fill us in!