Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs demonstrated a new version of iTunes that adds a Podcast directory and one-click subscription. Speaking at the D: All Things Digital conference, Jobs showed off the new version of iTunes, which will include a searchable directory of Podcasts. Apple plans to make it easy to find and subscribe to Podcasts via iTunes–it will take just a single click to subscribe to a Podcast once it has been located. One of the more recent Internet fads, Podcasts combine the subscription capabilities of RSS with digital audio files to automate the process of downloading digital audio files from the Internet to desktop computers and digital audio players.

Stealth Ideas, a manufacturer of computer peripherals designed to protect consumer privacy, have released the StealthSurfer II, a thumb-sized flash storage drive that includes on-board integration with Anonymous Surfing, an identity protection program from Anonymizer. Tiny enough to carry on a keychain, and bundled with its own high-speed browser, the USB 2.0 flash drive plugs into the USB port of a computer and allows users to surf the Web with total privacy. The device begins shipping in May and will be available in memory configurations of 128-megabytes to one-gigabyte at pricing starting at $99.

Fun Little Movies, the company behind the acclaimed comedy shorts made specifically for mobile entertainment, is launching its newest outlet with SmartVideo Technologies. Fun Little Movies joins a robust lineup of entertainment, news, sports, weather, children’s and family channels that have put SmartVideo at the forefront of the mobile television revolution. Titles that will be available on SmartVideo’s FLM channel include “Spacey Movie”, the classic Sci-Fi parody; “Love Bytes”, a comedy about 21st century dating that’s so cool, it can actually get you a date; and the “Mini Bikers”, where little guys on little motorcycles fight crime…a little at a time.

A small British technology company claimed to be on the verge of unlocking the vast potential of fuel cells as a commercially viable source of green energy. Cambridge-based CMR Fuel Cells said it had made a breakthrough with a new design of fuel cell that is a tenth of the size of existing models and small enough to replace conventional batteries in laptop computers.

A hacker on a park bench could log onto dozens of U.S. government computer networks thanks to slipshod security standards at many agencies, according to a congressional report released on Tuesday. The report by the Government Accountability Office found that few government agencies can ensure that their wireless networks are protected from unauthorized access. Government agencies shouldn’t set up high-speed wireless broadband networks, known as “Wi-Fi,” until they have figured out a way to secure them.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. on Thursday introduced a credit card that does not have to be swiped and allows consumers to wave their card past a sensor to make payments, a function already common at many U.S. gas stations. A top issuer of credit cards in the United States, JPMorgan Chase said its new credit card, called “blink,” will be marketed this summer and can be used in movie theaters, convenience stores, specialty shops and drug stores.

Tablet PC maker Motion Computing is maintaining its maniacal focus on vertical markets. Motion Computing Inc., which this week rolled out its latest tablet, the 3.1-pound LE1600 tablet, continues to focus on health care, field force automation, government and education, versus targeting consumers or meeting-hopping corporate workers. Although anyone can purchase an LE1600 slate-style tablets via its Web site, Motion has sought out relationships with software developers and resellers so as to target health care and other verticals, where specialized applications running on its hardware can replace the pen and paper and thus increase its sales.

David Coursey’s column “E-Book Publishing Is Foundering for Good Reason” draws a heartfelt disagreement from Jim Louderback. Coursey’s view of e-books–why they failed, and what makes a good one–is skewed by his own personal biases.

BoxWave has added Armor Cases for the HP iPAQ hx2100 series and several others, including the hx2400 and hx2700. The Armor Case is a sleek, silver, form-fitting aluminum protective cover, lined with soft foam to cushion your device and to keep it safe from knocks and bumps. With complete protection, the Armor Case also allows easy access to your headphone jack, memory slot, microphone, speaker, and charging/synchronization port of your iPAQ handheld.

miniMusic has unveiled their new Krikit Audio Engine (or Krikit Synth), a software synthesizer that can generate rich audio on most Palm OS handheld computers without any additional hardware. First to incorporate the new audio engine is miniMusic’s NotePad music notation software, allowing many different instruments to be used together to play back songs. Also announced is the new SoundPad application to design new instruments for the Krikit Synth that can be used in NotePad and future Krikit powered software. SoundPad will be released on May 24th, but a free preview can be downloaded now from the miniMusic Web site.