UPDATE: I have just been notified that Philips does not intend on controlling TV ad viewing. Philips issued a press release on the 19th (though it wasn't posted on the company site till after i wrote this), saying: "Philips never had the intention to force viewers to watch ads against their will and does not use this technology in any current Philips products, nor do we have any plans to do so."

Thanks to reader Grimya, here is a link to the Philip's pending patent.

When I read about Royal Philips Electronics seeking a patent that will prevent consumers from changing the channel when a commercial comes on, I felt immediately disgusted. It's bad enough that we're bombarded with advertisements on the subway, elevator, train, movie theater, and soon on your video ipod; now this? PCMag.com's Executive Producer Robyn Peterson said it best: "This technology will be holding us captive in our own homes!!!"

He's right. Why should we be forced to watch commercials? Isn't it our American right (I'm going too far, I know, but let me rant) to make our own decisions? If we don't want to look at an ad, we can skip it while looking at a Web page, or we flip to the next page of a magazine.

I didn't really think it was a good idea when TiVo announced their commercial-skipping capabilities; I just felt that it was going to open a new can of worms. And sure enough, look at what has surfaced!

According to Yahoo! News, the feature would be "implemented on a program-by-program basis. Devices that could carry the technology would be a television or a set-top-box." Wonderful. So, if I ever do decide to buy a DVR or just want a new TV, I'll have to deal with broadcasters freezing the channel on me. (That's if the broadcasters agree to comply with the technology, and I hope they slam the door right in Philips' face.)

At least Philips is admitting that consumers wouldn't tolerate this feature: "Philips acknowledged, however, that the anti-channel changing technology might not sit well with consumers and suggested in its patent filing that consumers be allowed to avoid the feature if they paid broadcasters a fee." Oh Philips, you're too kind...more money for us fools to dish out. Thanks, thanks a lot.

[New Launches via Yahoo! News]

IT'S OFFICIAL! The HERO mimobot that I wrote about a couple of weeks ago has arrived and is shipping right now. The HERO ranges in price from $49-$149, and comes in 256MB to 2GB capacities. As we all know, they go quick, so hurry and place your orders!

Mimoco sure are busy bots folks, because the mimobots keep on a-coming. Just announced as part two of the Flying Cat X Series is the Corrupted_Data mimobot, designed by Jon Burgerman. It features the music of UK-based Penfold Plum. Mimoco gives a colorful description of the latest bot:

"Corrupted_Data is a dancing mêlée of all your important ones and zeros, turned to mush by an unexpected surge of electricity. Important financial documents have morphed into showery black clouds, your mp3's have curled at the edges and gone crispy and all your favourite photos have gone from jpegs to jumping king-bird-fish heads."

Pre-order Corrupted_Data mimobot ($49-$149; 256MB-2GB).

It's not often that you see big discounts on Macs, especially the very popular new Intel-based models. So one route to saving money is buying refurbished units. Techbargains is reporting that the Apple outlet store has deals on refurbed iMacs and MacBook Pros. A 1.83 GHz iMac is $1,099, $200 off the price of a new model, and the 2.16 GHz MacBook Pro is $2,399, $400 off. All units come with one-year warranties. As they sell out, Apple pulls them down from the site.

If the urge strikes you, download BootCamp, buy a copy of Windows XP and turn your new Mac into a screaming PC.

It's nice to know that companies care enough about saving our Earth. Think about it: how many people do you know (including yourself) that have old computers, cell phones, PDAs, etc. collecting dirt in their basements or attics, with no way to recycle them?

In conjunction with Earth Day (April 22nd), several companies are partaking in recycling programs. Cingular Wireless is asking consumers to donate old cell phones, phone equipment, and batteries at four Cingular Wireless locations this weekend only, April 21, 22 and 23 during business hours:

• Seattle - Northgate Mall
• Spokane - Spokane Valley Mall
• Tri-Cities - Richland, Winco Plaza
• Oregon City - 1900 McLoughlin Blvd.

As an incentive, (as if we need one), anyone donating old equipment will receive 15% off of any one Cingular accessory item at the time of the donation. Here's more info on Cingular's involvement with recycling.

On May 1st, Circuit City and the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) are letting you drop off your used rechargeable batteries (from cell phones, laptops, PDAs, and digital cameras) and old cell phones in RBRC collection boxes located in all Circuit City stores nationwide. To find a store near you, click here. And here's more info on Circuit City's recycling program.

Apple is offering free computer recycling with the purchase of a new Macintosh system beginning in June. If you buy a new Mac at the Apple Store or retail stores, then you'll receive free shipping and friendly disposal of your old computer. How cool is that? (I just wish they'd get rid of old Macs for us period, instead of having to buy one). However, since 2001, Apple has been recycling old Macs, so I have to give them credit for that one. PCMag.com reports on Apple's improved recycling program here.

Do you know of any electronics-recycling programs going on? Let us know by commenting. And Happy Earth Day!

No matter how good your digital camera is, it doesn't do you any good if you left it at home. That's why I'm a big fan of ultracompact cameras, either as a second camera or even as your primary one. And the quality of these cameras just keep getting better and better. I went digging around and found some very good deals on these little picture makers:

• Staples has been having a Digital Camera Event and has the tiny 6 megapixel Casio Exilim EX-S600 in orange for $297 and the silver model for $307. And with almost all the cameras in the sale, they're throwing in an Epson CX3810 all-in-one printer. SlickDeals has a link to a printable $20 off $100 in-store coupon that you may be able to use. The EX-S600 is an update to the five megapixel Casio EX-S500 that I carry with me wherever I go. Casio has done a terrific job with its user interface and the cameras are just as adept at taking videos as they are with still picture.
  
• Amazon has the 5 megapixel Kodak EasyShare V550 for only $229 including the funky-looking Photo Frame Dock 2. Terry Sullivan gave this camera four stars out of five recently.
  
• I've mentioned in the past that when the planets are in alignment, Dell has some of the best deals on digital cameras. Today is such a day. By combining a 20% off coupon with a $35 off coupon, SlickDeals has managed to get the price on the Canon PowerShot SD550, a PC Magazine Editors' Choice, down to $284. I couldn't get the coupon to work, but even without, the $319 after 20% off is the best price on a new SD550 that I've seen. Any better prices that I found were on a refurbed unit.

One day cell phone cameras may obviate ultracompacts, but that day is not today.

Frustrated by the tiny fine print and the huge multisyllabic words on your medicine bottle? Well, so are as many as 90 million adults in America.

That's why Wizzard Software created Rex-The Talking Bottle, a prescription bottle that records and plays back medication information and instructions. The info is recorded into the bottle's base. Just push a button, and you'll hear the message. The bottle, originally designed for elderly and visually impaired people, is disposable and eco-safe.

You can buy a Rex kit, which includes three bottles and a recording device, for $55, and refills of three more bottles are $18. You, or someone you know, can record the info directly into the bottle using a special bottle recorder microphone. Or, go to a participating pharmacy, and the pharmacist's computer will convert the label's text info into a recorded message on your bottle. It'll cost you about 5 extra bucks.

Wizzard Software already partners with pharmacies throughout the country to provide the products but will soon begin working with a local medical equipment supplier in San Diego County. Wizzard is also working on software that will monitor how many times per day the bottle is opened; if there's a discrepancy with the prescription, then Rex will warn you.

And did I mention that Rex is bilingual? Partipating pharmacies have software that can record in nine different languages.

Now all you need is a gadget to remind you when to take your medicines.

Among the hundreds of cars and dozens of new cars exhibited at the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) at the Javits Center, these are the eleven best. I just couldn't stop at ten.

My criteria included excellent new technology, likely impact on the marketplace, and newness (world or North American introductions). In some cases, I picked a car just because it's a car I'd love to drive. Who wouldn't give up a few miles per gallon to be seen in a really hot ride? There's probably enough petroleum somewhere underground that our kids will be able to figure out a solution.

SLIDESHOW (11)

Slideshow | All Shots

I would have loved to have been at this year's Kitchen/Bath Industry Show, especially since household appliances are becoming more "tech-hip". Among the many companies showcasing their products is LG Electronics, with its next generation LG TV Refrigerator line. LG already sells refrigerators with TVs in them, but now you can receive personalized weather reports in real time, dubbed WeatherPlus. The WeatherPlus display features other important information, such as a calendar with an alarm, 100 pre-loaded recipes, and a personal digital photo album.

The other side of the fridge sports a 15-inch standard definition, cable-ready LCD TV with DVD connection and FM radio.

The features don't end there. The LG TV Refrigerator also includes: the IcePlus system, which can make ice faster; OptiFresh crispier, which keeps produce fresher longer; and the BioShield anti-bacterial gasket that prevents mold and mildew from forming on the door seal.

The LG TV Refrigerator, model LSC27990TT, will be available in the second quarter of 2006 in a titanium finish at a retail price ranging from $3,499 to $3,699.

For more information, read this PR Newswire Press Release.

[Note: This isn't the actual image of the LSC27990TT; it's a previous LG model, which you can purchase at Best Buy.]

Yes, Virginia, there are other flash-based MP3 players out there (like the Cowon Audio U3, pictured at right). Some are even cheaper and/or have more features than Apple offerings, though I have to admit, there's plenty to love about the iPod family. So how do you pick the right one for you or for the person you're buying for?

Mike Kobrin, PC MAgazine's lead analyst for audio, put together a guide to what to look for, with the instructive name of "How to Buy a Flash-Based MP3 Player." He addresses issues like sound quality, ease of use, compatibility with your PC or Mac, and so on. If you're thinking of buying a new player, this is an invaluable read.

We got an advance look at an interesting new laptop-bag concept from OGIO. Thanks to PC Magazine reviews editor Laarni Almendrala Ragaza, a petite female, and senior editor Sean Carroll, a strapping male, for field testing and reportage!

Laarni: The idea seemed logical to OGIO: Take the innovative Shling strap from its line of golf bags and put it on a messenger-style laptop bag. But what is probably a great carrying solution on the greens doesn't translate all that well to a day-to-day bag.

The Shling laptop bag weighs a little over 5 and a half pounds, empty; with my laptop and other neccessities, it was a bit over 14 pounds. Inside are a padded laptop pocket, 2 sleeves for papers, and some smaller pockets; outside are two bottle compartments.

The most notable feature of the bag, of course, is the strap: a hard piece of plastic with padding where strap meets shoulder. The way the strap would distribute a large, unwieldy golf bag's weight makes sense to me. In a laptop bag, not so much. I beaned myself several times before I mastered the technique of swinging the bag onto my shoulders. When I tried it on the train, I nearly knocked a fellow passenger unconscious.

The strap is designed to distribute the bag's weight evenly and let you stand upright easily. But I found myself tilting forward anyway. And it wasn't comfortable on my shoulders, though I tried adjusting the strap to fit my 5'1" frame. I felt like a yoked ox. (As a woman, I felt a tad self-conscious about the way the left side of the Shling pointed directly at my cleavage.)

Sean: I was painfully conscious of how ridiculous I looked in this harness. I felt the same sort of fashion shame I imagine you'd suffer if you had to wear a posture brace in high school. Finally, even though I lack Laarni's curves, I found that the left side of the yoke dug into my chest in such way that it felt as uncomfortable on me as it looked on her.

Gearlog's take: The Shling bag and its patented strap has potential, particularly if OGIO finds a way to make the strap more comfortable. And if the company bundles instructions on how to take it on and off without hurting oneself or others in the process.

OGIO expects the Shling to be available in or around October, for an estimated $199; check later this year on the company's site for details.

The Cheap Geek wants to get work done during his long commute, so he asked me to find the cheapest way to get online with his laptop. I found a shocker: unlimited high-speed laptop EV-DO with Sprint for a mere $40/month. That's $20/month cheaper than the advertised prices on Sprint and Verizon.

The trick is that you need to get your EV-DO on a phone, and "tether" the phone to your PC with a USB cable. You also need a voice plan. Sprint is selling the Samsung MM-A920 EV-DO capable phone (at left) for a mere $99.99 right now; it comes with a USB cable. That's a great deal. Ask Sprint for "unlimited phone-as-modem" for $40/month; the promotion will last at least until July. Even existing subscribers are eligible.

If you don't want a Sprint voice plan, you can do something very, very weird and buy the phone to use exclusively as a modem, for $49.99/month. That's still a $10/month savings over the price for an EV-DO PC Card plan.

In my experience, I've found that tethered EV-DO phones don't get speeds quite as high as PC Cards. You're more likely to roll along in the 400-700 kbps/sec range rather than rock the 800 kbps-1 mbps I see on some PC cards (and ExpressCards!) But that's certainly still broadband, Sprint's network has good national coverage, and $40/month is a very compelling price.