While there unfortunately still isn’t any word on when it might be available, those curious about the long-in-development Segway Centaur may want to head over to MotorcycleUSA, which has put together a fairly in-depth look at the four-wheeled vehicle for those that haven’t been following its every move. Of course, it’s still to early to tell if it’ll have the profound effect on our lives that the original Segway has had, but they seem confident that the vehicle will at least provide some “unadulterated fun” — if it’s ever actually released, that is. They do see a few potential problems with it, however, including the not-insignificant possibility for the rider to be thrown off during sharp turns due to the vehicle’s high center of gravity. On the plus side, that could at least make Segway polo a bit more interesting.

[Via AutoblogGreen]
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UMPCs have been branching out from the original (and oft frowned upon) design for some time now, as manufacturers look for tweaks that may hook customers that were previously turned off by the idea. Data Evolution’s Cathena CX managed to mix a swiveling LCD into the small frame of a UMPC, and should also catch quite a few eyes with the “aggressive pricing.” Internally, the unit features a 500MHz AMD Geode LX800 processor, 512MB of RAM, your choice of a 40GB, 80GB, or 100GB hard drive, a seven-inch WVGA touchscreen, 802.11b/g, and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR. Moreover, you’ll find the usual QWERTY keyboard, touchpad, five-way joystick, audio in / out jacks, Ethernet, a pair of USB 2.0 connectors, VGA output, a four-in-one flash card reader, and a Li-ion battery that purportedly lasts up to five hours without needing a boost. The 2.2-pound machine comes standard with Windows XP, and best of all, can be snapped up for a reasonable $799 if you’re cool with the basics.

[Via LinuxDevices]
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From techeblog:
This annoying Flying Clock won’t turn off until you return the propeller-driven key to its base. Video demonstration after the break.

The propeller flies the key high into the air and off into some dusty corner. You have to force your sleep addled brain into wakefulness, move your stiff legs and retrieve the key before the alarm goes off. By the time you’ve done so, you’re awake enough at least to go make a pot of coffee

From techeblog: 
If you’re looking for another way to annoy co-workers, then check out this nifty palm-sized R/C helicopter. See it in action after the break.

These mini copters can take off from your hand and circle your desk as your co-workers gape in amazement. Full control allows you to hover and turn left or right as your copter moves slowly forward

Mitsubishi has just unveiled its production Evolution X, set for launch next year in North America. More pictures after the break.

features include a new lightweight version of the venerable 2.0L turbo mill with MIVEC3 valve control plus an aluminum cylinder block. Drive is sent to all four wheels via a new six-speed automated manual transmission that offers faster gear changes and improved fuel-economy over the previous generation’s conventional manual box

[via MotorAuthority]
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Perhaps its the extra lovin’ Philips has given to stylings here, but somehow that extendable screen arm doesn’t seem like as much of a gimmick this time around. The new X200 ultraportable sports a 1.73GHz Core Duo U2500 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 100GB HDD, DVD combo drive, 1.3 megapixel webcam and Windows Vista. The 12.1-inches of widescreen LCD probably aren’t enough to get in the way of regular tray table use — a favorite example of extenda-arm proponents — but at least you won’t have to do as much hunkering in front of this laptop when it’s on your desk, thanks to the extra inches of vertical. The laptop looks to be shipping now in the UK for £850, about $1,700 US.

[Via PClaunches]
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The Panasonic laptop division is in high gear this week, first recalling some 6,000 batteries in Japan, and now revving its ultraportable line with dual-core 64-bit capable 1.06MHz U7500 Core 2 Duos across the board. The $2,109 W5a features a 12-inch screen, a gig of RAM, an 80GB HD, and that snazzy top-loading DVD writer, while the $1,898 T5a drops the optical drive in favor of longer battery life (13 hours vs. 10 for the W5a). If that’s sounding good to you but for some reason you also need to drop your laptop up to 30 inches into a puddle, Panny’s got you covered with the 2.1-pound R6a, a $1,772 10.4-inch machine with a 7.5 hour battery. All three machines are expected to drop in Japan on May 18th.

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