nSignia announced the release of their new HP hx4700 leather cases, available in book and flip-style. Following in the style of their previous models these cases use innovative features such as the push-through application buttons and an interchangeable, removable belt clip.

In what could be described as one small step for a robot, but a giant leap for robot-kind, a trio of humanoid machines were introduced Thursday, each with the ability to walk in a human-like manner. The breakthroughs could change the way humanoid robots are built, and they open doors to new types of robotic prostheses.

Dead pixels are the result of flaws in the glass sheets that go into displays. Inevitable glitches in the manufacturing process mean that some pixels don’t illuminate properly–or at all. Display manufacturers can avoid most defects by scrapping bad sections of a glass sheet, but a few bad pixels usually crop up in other areas. Manufacturers of TV sets, notebook computers, desktop PC displays and other devices equipped with LCD screens vary widely in their policies on rectifying them.

In a new twist on the concept of the power suit, solar energy start-up Konarka has linked up with a Swiss scientific institute to develop a woven fabric that can harvest energy from the sun. The overall goal of the project is to develop, in about a year, a functional textile constructed out of fibers with photovoltaic, or solar-energy, properties. Ultimately, the fabric could be used to create tents with interior lights or pants and backpacks that could charge cell phones.

Eastman Kodak and Lexar Media announced the further expansion of the KODAK flash memory card line to include popular formats for mobile devices including mobile camera phones and PDAs. KODAK miniSD cards and KODAK Reduced Size MMC cards will be available from Lexar in March, while KODAK MMCmobile cards will be available this summer.

SMC Networks announced the availability of the newest in its Barricade family of easy-to use networking products for the home and small office, the EZ Connect g Wireless Broadband Router. This new broadband router offers 802.11g 54 Mbps wireless connectivity, four 10/100 ports for wired connections and a 5th 10/100 port for cable or DSL connection. SMC’s EZ Connect g Wireless Cable/DSL Broadband Router is compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g wireless standards, so can connect existing and newer equipment at home or in the office. It combines an 802.11g/b Wireless Access Point, a 4-port 10/100 Mbps dual-speed switch with Automatic MDI-MDIX ports, Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall security, network management, parental controls and Virtual Private Network (VPN) pass-through support.

Infinity Softworks announced healthcare support for its popular powerOne line of calculation software. powerOne Medical is the latest in on-demand, cross-platform calculation software from the company. This software is available as a stand-alone calculator or as an add-on pack for powerOne Finance, powerOne Graph and powerOne Personal+. powerOne Medical v1 is immediately available for purchase through electronic download or CD from Infinity Softworks’ Web site.

T-Mobile and Research In Motion (RIM) announced an expanded offering of BlackBerry products in the United Kingdom with the launch of the BlackBerry 7100t and BlackBerry 7290 from T-Mobile. The new BlackBerry models give customers the opportunity to work seamlessly while out of the office and on the move, across the globe. The BlackBerry 7100t and BlackBerry 7290 are optimized for simple and intuitive mobile access and suit the needs of both enterprise customers and individual users.

Among a crowded field of Internet phone providers, Skype has turned heads with its unique blend of technology, grassroots marketing and rapid adoption. Sixty-five million people have downloaded the free software in the 18 months since Skype launched its product. In recent weeks, there’s been a spike in complaints about the company’s first commercial service–SkypeOut–that lets customers cheaply make calls off the Internet to ordinary phone lines. Aside from having to wait days for accounts to be credited–as dozens of customers have complained–many SkypeOut users say their conversations are disrupted by a two-second delay between someone speaking and being able to hear what was said.

As many as 22 million American adults, or about 11 percent of the U.S. population, own iPods or other MP3 players, a new study has found. The study, carried out by the nonprofit Pew Internet & American Life Project through phone interviews of more than 2,200 people, showed that those who are younger, wealthier and use the Internet are more likely to own such gadgets.