UPDATED 6/16 with links to commentaries.

At a press conference earlier today, Bill Gates announced he'll be stepping down from the Microsoft Chief Software Architect role in 2008. Whatever you may think of Gates, there's no question he has had a huge impact on computing and modern culture; now he can really settle down and enjoy his multibillions.

PC Magazine's columnists have a lot to say on Gates' departure. Read their commentaries:

John Dvorak: What Does It Mean?
Michael Miller: Gates Moves Out
Lance Ulanoff: This is Good News!
Loyd Case: So Long, Bill

And here's a roundup and summary of all the ZD coverage: Bill Gates' Exit: What You Need to Know.

It may a bit hard to fathom, but journalists who write about gift ideas for the December holiday (whichever you happen to celebrate!) are already on the case. It seems like companies start having their holiday line shows earlier every year... but luckily, they're fun to attend. You usually get food and a sample or two of the upcoming flood of present-worthy products to try out.

Earlier this week, Jen, Molly, and I visited Hasbro to see what kinds of tech toys the company will be offering this fall. We saw a slew of cool stuff, though much of it isn't finalized yet. (Full disclosure: Jen and I went girly for a minute, and had to tear ourselves away from My Little Pony.) Here's a sampling.

Last year Hasbro had the i-Dog Interactive Music Companion, an iPod accessory that moves to music and flashes multicolors; joining it is the i-Cat (left), which will do those things too. But it's a cat. So when you pet it, it purrs, meows, and makes "scratch sounds." (OK, I like puns as well as anyone, but ew!) The i-Cat will sell for the same price as its canine counterpart, $29.99.

Right is the ZoomBox Entertainment Projector; it has a built-in DVD player and can project the movie onto a screen or wall. The "tweens" to whom this is marketed will also be able to connect it up with most game consoles and beam the action wherever they want to. The picture isn't terribly crisp, but this does some cool stuff for $299. (Plays CDs, too.) And it's around the size of a boombox, with a handle; easy to carry around.

We all liked the Nerf Showtime Hoops "hiphop interactive basketball gaming system." It has built in speakers; you can hook up your music player and listen to your tunes while you slam those dunks. And emcee "Duke Tango" recorded some suitable color commentary to liven up the game. It has a spotlight in the base that will pinpoint where to shoot for the three-pointers. And an LCD scoreboard keeps track of your shots automatically. This will go for $249.99; it definitely needs to stay indoors!

In a word: pretty damn good. (OK, three words) Samsung kicks off the release of its BD-P1000 player tonight at the Samsung Experience in New York City. They player won't go on sale until June 25th, but I got an early look at it two days ago in the same spot. Jim Sanduski, Senior VP of marketing for Samsung A/V group walked me through the player's options and showed off the its high-def performance on a sweet 61-inch DLP TV. My first impression is it looked better than the output on the HD-A1, but it isn't an apples-to-apple comparison. The BD-P1000 supports 1080p, the HD-A1 doesn't. We should be getting a BD-P1000 in next week for testing so we can do some more through analysis. 

Sanduski says there will be 10 Blu-ray titles for sale at launch. Even now, Samsung doesn't have a ton of titles to show off, but Sanduski played me parts of Underworld: Evolution, Hitch and Memento (the stubble on Guy Pearce's face is epic.) He promised 200 titles by the end of the year and made the interesting claim that eighty-four percent of all the movies that came out last year were from studios that have announced support for Blu-ray. To be sure, some of those studios will release both Blu-ray and HD-DVD, but seems like Blu-ray has an advantage here.

My biggest problem with the player is the price: $1K! That is twice the price of the HD-A1!  My bet is this will change when Sony (August) and Pioneer (September) come into the market. As Sanduski puts it:

"There are nine manufacturers building Blu-ray devices. There is only one company building HD-DVD drives: Toshiba."

 

In these days of downloading television shows to your iPod, watching streaming video on your laptop, and DVR-ing your favorite shows while you're away from home, the Nielsen television ratings aren't as accurate as they could be. But Nielsen Media Research is right on top of it with their announcement yesterday that they will begin to take into account in their rating system all the new ways we watch television.

The Anytime Anywhere Media Measurement (A2/M2) initiative will include traditional in-home viewing, online streaming video, "Out-of-Home" viewing, video viewed on portable media devices, new research for measuring a viewer's active engagement, and electronic measurements (targeted for 2011).

Beginning this year, Nielsen Media Research and NetRatings, which together provide the Nielsen/Netratings Internet media and market research service, will being devising a system for tracking and reporting online audio and video consumption. This summer, the companies will combine viewing results from their television and Internet panels to offer "fused" data to the public and to advertisers.

No, it's not the reverse of Boot Camp.  Microsoft's peripherals division sent me the Wireless Laser Desktop for Mac, and so far it's not too bad.  It's a lot bigger than the Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse combo, but it's wireless.  Yeah, Apple has a Bluetooth wireless keyboard and mouse, but that mouse is only single button, and i've gotten used to having a scroll wheel and a 'back' button from various Logitech mice.  I also hate the laggy nature of the Apple wireless mouse. 

The Microsoft combo goes for between $78 and $99 (street), and is worth it.  Though it took me a few hours to get used to the 'ergonomic' curvature of the keyboard, the mouse feels fine in the hand and is well weighted.  The laser tracking is accurate, and the extra function buttons come in handy.  I turned off the magnification feature, since I found it annoying having to get used to it.  Anyone who's used to multimedia keyboards from Microsoft or Logitech will welcome the additional function buttons, especially the playback buttons that are pre-set to controlling iTunes. 

If we had a 'gearlog approved' logo, I'd give it one, but regardless, the Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop for Mac is a boon for my aching fingers.

UPDATED 6/16: The iCarta sells for a list price of $99.99, although the company is offering an introductory special of $79 plus shipping from now until the end of July. You can purchase the iCarta from major retailers, directly through Atech, or through OldFashionedValues.com.

Everybody's been talking about the Atech iCarta: the Stereo Dock for the iPod with a Toilet Tissue Holder. What's funny is why it's popping up now, when several blogs spotted it back in January. Maybe it's just because many folks didn't know about it until now. Or perhaps us geeks just can't stop thinking about this toilet toy. Or maybe it's because Father's Day is this weekend, and we all know that dear old dad would love to listen to his tunes while on the john.

Whichever the case may be, here's a lowdown of the iCarta:

It features 4 moisture-free speakers (2 tweeters, 2 woofers) that can play any CD player, iPod (with a dock connector) or other MP3 player. It also charges your iPod. An AC adapter is included. Gee, there's nothing like wiping your butt to the sounds of Staind.

But if you're not one for listening to tunes while on the loo, simply fold in the toilet tissue holder's arms to play the iCarta anywhere in the house.

And why should your toilet paper be so white and plain? Be Cornholio and add TP to your bunghole with the Sudoku Toilet Roll from BimBamBanana.com. One roll (approximately 240 sheets per roll) sells for $15.

[Sorry, just had to reference Beavis and Butthead here. It was just way too easy!] 

Thanks to PC Magazine's Lance Ulanoff for this story!

WowWee's robots are innovative, entertaining, and now, apparently, really pissed off. I spent the weekend with the company's latest creation, the $120 Roboreptile, and for the most part came away impressed and—to be honest—a little frightened. I mean, this little guy is always moving and hungry, almost always agitated, and leaves little room for casual interaction.

I should post video of me trying to put his plastic, calm-down cowl over his head. It's supposed to cover his sensors and transition the robot into a calmer, more manageable state. But, oh boy, it was hard to get it on and keep it on.

It's enough to shake my blind adoration of robots. I think I need to start reading How to Survive a Robot Uprising."

Tune into this week's Gearlog Radio show (available on Friday) to hear Lance talk about the angry bot.

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Summer Gadgets Countdown #6: Weather-Resistant Indoor/Outdoor Wireless Speaker

If your music collection is entirely on your MP3 player, then you don't want to leave the player near the pool, only to get wet. This water-resistant wireless outdoor speaker is an excellent alternative to listening to music, while keeping your player inside the house and safe.

Design: Made by Brookstone, this wireless speaker is 9.2" x 8.4" x 16.8" and can play at a frequency level of 50Hz to 20kHz.

Features: The transmitter broadcasts within a 150-foot range and can transmit through walls, floors, and ceilings. Speaker has a five-inch woofer and one-inch tweeter. Volume and bass control on speaker. Blue lights on speaker for night swimming. Requires 8 D batteries (not included) or you can use the included power adapter.
 

How It Works: Attach the transmitter to your stereo system or portable MP3 player. TUne in to channel 1, 2, or 3 on the transmitter. Press Power on the speaker and turn the channel to the same channel as on the transmitter. Adjust the volume and bass to your liking.

Price: The Weather-Resistant Indoor/Outdoor Wireless Speaker sells for $150 on Brookstone.com.

Lovin' Factor (1-10): 7

Tune into this week's Gearlog Radio show (available on Friday), to hear Jenn's pick for gadget of the week!