This week on Gearlog Radio we discuss Apple's recall of 1.8 million batteries, and we speculate about what vendor might be next. Then we dig into Apple's $100 million payout to Creative for patent rights to elements used in the iPod interface. Digital camera lead analyst Terry Sullivan has the scoop on a host of digital camera launches, including the hot new Canon Rebel XTi. Plus, Jen Deleo road tests Nokia's free, public WiFi service in New York City parks.

On this week's show:

• Apple Pays Off Creative--Big Time
• More Bad Batteries: Apple Recalls 1.8 Million Laptop Batteries
• Canon Unleashes A New Rebel and Powershots
• Road Trip: Nokia Launches Free NYC Wi-Fi
• Boost Your Ego with the Egokast

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Hosts: Dan Costa, Jen DeLeo

Panelists: Cisco Cheng, Mike Kobrin, Carol Mangis, Terry Sullivan
Audio Engineer: Scott Bernstein

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Apple played a bit of a PR game today, announcing some bad news (recalling 1.8 million batteries) with some good news: the company has settled all of its patent suits with Creative.  The Creative suit has been a dark cloud looming Apple's lucrative iPod business for almost a year now.  Creative was awarded a patent on how you navigate music on a digital audio player.  I never thought the suit would amount to much, but I was $100 million wrong. Evidently, Creative now owns the ability to sort by artist and navigate a hierarchical menu structure. If you are a DAP vendor, expect Creative to come knocking for patent fees soon.

The weird thing is that as part of the deal Creative will become a Made for iPod-approved accessory vendor. So now Creative will be making...what, iPod speakers? What exactly does that mean for the Zen?

Embarrassed by wire clutter? Want to freak out your next dinner guests? Then do so with Amina Technology Ltd's In-Wall Loudspeakers. Utilizing NXT SurfaceSound technology, the In-Wall speakers provide excellent surround sound while remaining completely concealed inside your walls to avoid unnecessary clutter of your electronic equipment.

For the first time in the U.S., the loudspeakers will be introduced at CEDIA Expo 2006 starting September 13, 2006 in Denver, CO.

The heart of the Amina Plaster In-Wall speaker lies within "its acoustic engine, which can include from one to four (depending on power levels) rare earth, magnet-based, high power vibrational excitation drivers. This allows the Model AIW5 in-wall speaker to handle 80 watts of continuous power, generating 105 db of sound with plaster applied."

Amina In-Wall loudspeakers are said to be specifically designed to fit within standard 16-inch centers of wood or metal stud-work. However, special sizes can also be requested.

There are three models you can choose from:

• Model AIW1: 20 watts, 8 ohms, 82db lm/1w sensitivity
• Model AIW3: 40 watts, 4 ohms, 84db 1m/1w sensitivity
• Model AIW5: 80 watts, 8 ohms, 87db 1m/1w sensitivity

Pricing and further information is available from www.amina.co.uk.

Thanks to PCMag Executive Producer and PCMag Radio Co-Host, Robyn Peterson for the tip!

Today Logitech is announcing two new cordless mice: The MX Revolution for desktop PCs and the VX Revolution for laptops (the VX is shown at left, and the MX at right). These are great mice for lazy types who like having as much functionality at their fingertips as possible. I've been using both for a couple weeks. The mice (with polytetrafluoroethylene feet) move a lot more smoothly than any other laser mice I've used: You feel like you're barely gliding over your work surface. 

The mice each have back and forward buttons for your browser; a zoom slider; an "instant search" button (you can highlight a word, then click the button, and the results pop up in your selected search engine); and a scroll wheel that that lets you move side to side as well as up and down. Most "revolutionary," though, is the MicroGear Precision Scroll Wheel's free-spin mode, very handy for dealing with long documents. With one flick of my finger, the mouse easily scrolled to the end of a 50-plus-page word document in no time. You can flip between free spin mode and the slower click mode with a switch underneath the mice.

The MX can intelligently sense when you need to scroll quickly or go page by page, and will change modes accordingly; you can also change modes manually. The VX is small and compact, with a storage slot inside to carry the USB receiver. The VX requires a single AA battery, while the MX is powered by rechargeable Li-ion batteries.

The included SetPoint 3.0 software lets you customize your mouse options. Once it's installed, a icon in the system tray brings up the settings window, where you can tweak the mouse to how you work and even customize specific setting for different programs. 

If there's anything I'd complain about, it's that both mice were too sensitive. It's easy to overshoot a page when you scroll, or to double-click quick search by accident. Other than that, the Revolution mice are terrific. Both will be available to purchase on August 25; the VX lists for $79.99, and the MX for $99.99.

Thanks to our intern, Errol Pierre-Louis, for this post!

My family always asks me for advice on what gadgets they should buy. (After they ask my Uncle Richard, that is. He can always spot a deal.) Last week, my sister Michelle asked me what the best tools were for staying organized. She is heading back to school and wants to keep track of her class work, and I suspect, her classmates as well. My advice was direct, if somewhat arbitrary:

   Treo or Blackberry? Treo. 

   Windows or Palm? Palm.

I thought the Treo 700p was a pretty logical choice. But no. She bought a Palm TX.

That's right: She got an old-fashion PDA--meaning it doesn't make phone calls. Sure, it has Wi-Fi, but that is a far cry from the ubiquitous coverage of the cellular networks. Still, the simplicity of the device, and the fact she already owns a cell phone and likes it, made the TX appealing to her.

Personally, I just don't get it. The conventional PDA is in its death throes. Just look at Gartner's numbers on sales for the first quarter of this year. HP iPaq sales were down 29.9 percent, Dell Axim sales were down 34 percent, and Palm's own PDA sales were down 25.2 percent. And yet the average PDA price hovers around $300. If you sign up for a service plan, that's the same price as a Treo 700p (after rebates). I don't see why anyone would carry two devices when you can carry one.

Why can't Michelle see my logic? It isn't because I'm smarter than she is. As she loves to point out, often in large family gatherings, she blew away my S.A.T. scores. No, I think it's because she is a woman. More specifically, because she has a purse.

Although I do carry a messenger bag to work, most of the time I have to fit my essential gear (wallet, keys, and phone) into my pants pockets. I really can't carry anything else. (Don't get me started on the whole cell-phone-on-the-belt thing; that's another column.) But Michelle, and I think most other women, can easily throw multiple devices in their bags. Plus, Michelle actually wanted the ability to separate her work life from her social life. I know, it sounds weird to me, too.

Nonetheless, the answer to quarter after quarter of slumping PDA sales is clear: Market them to women. More colors, more accessories, and maybe brand-name designs. Where is the Oprah Edition of the Palm TX? Turns out, in 2004, Palm's own research showed that 50 percent of its Zire customers were women. I bet that number is even higher now. The sales guys will kill me for this, but today, the ideal PDA user isn't a PC Magazine reader: She is a Real Simple subscriber.

First Dell pulls back 4.1 million laptop batteries, and now Apple is recalling 1.8 million laptop batteries too. And like Dell's, the affected Apple batteries were made by Sony. (Does Sony not use its own batteries in its own laptops?)

Affected models are the 12-inch iBook G4, the 12-inch PowerBook G4, and the 15-inch PowerBook G4. If you think you have a recalled battery in your laptop, first, stop using it. And then visit Apple's recall site or call the company at (800) 275-2273 to request a replacement battery. Apple said there were "no major injuries" resulting from the recalled batteries, but better safe than sorry.

What a sad fiasco for both companies.

Which other companies use Sony batteries? Just a couple small ones, like Lenovo and HP. Interestingly, these same companies are going to get together in San Jose in a few weeks to talk about a battery manufacturing standards. A good idea, if a little late.

Ask ten "Family Guy" fans who their favorite character is, and nine of them are bound to name Stewie. How can you not love a toddler so hell-bent on world domination? Well, now you can have your very own adorable megalomaniac, the new USB Stewie.

Plug him into a USB port, download the included software, and Stewie responds to your keystrokes with sounds and gestures. Some of the sound clips you'll hear are, "Silence!" and "Stop mocking me!" I hope they also included my personal favorite Stewie quote, "Victory is mine!" He will blink his evil baby eyes, wave his arm menacingly, and shoot his death ray at you—while looking cute and cuddly on your desktop.

USB Stewie is compatible only with Windows and sells for $28 from Urban Outfitters.

Thanks to Errol Pierre-Louis for this post!

Mac users, I know sometimes you feel left in the dust when software or hardware doesn't work in your favor. Griffin Technology feels your pain.

Yesterday marked the launch of FireWave: a 5.1 surround sound system just for Mac computers.

"FireWave gets its power through the FireWire connection, so there are no separate cables, batteries, or power supplies to tote. FireWave's extra FireWire port lets you daisy-chain other FireWire devices, so it won't hog your FireWire port."

With FireWave, you can enjoy Dolby Digital encoded DVDs or use Dolby Prol Logic II for listening to audio. Plus, it supports multi-channel playback from cross-platform OpenAL games, for those who are die-hard World of Warcraft or Unreal Tournament players.

The Griffin FireWave sells for $99.99 at www.griffintechnology.com. Works with Mac OS X 10.3/10.4.

Parents will always worry about their children when they're not in sight. But here's a way to allay just a bit of that concern. The Archetype Driver I.Q. is a unique vehicle-tracking device, designed specifically for parents of teenage drivers. The Driver I.Q. combines GPS, cellular phone, and Internet technologies to allow parentage to monitor their teens' driving habits.

The Driver I.Q. consist of a small tracking device, about the size of a deck of cards, which can be installed in any vehicle. The unit contains a GPS receiver and a cellular modem. It relays the vehicle's position and other status information to a central server. Subscribers can access vehicle data online and view current and historical locations, movements, and statuses on a digital map display.

The system can also be set to provide real-time alerts when a car exceeds a predetermined speed, enters an off-limits area, or exits an area such as a city or school grounds. The data is saved, so a parent can review when and where the car traveled. The Driver I.Q. will also send an alert to the parent if the device is removed from the vehicle.

Subscribers receive a certificate of installation with their Driver I.Q. system that can be forwarded to insurance providers for up to 35 percent in discounts on the teenage driver's insurance rate. You can buy one through driving schools, insurance carriers, wireless dealers, and other outlets.

Yes, it's a guilty pleasure, but we sometimes get gift bags with tchotchkes like logo'ed polo shirts we can't wear around the office, or useful items like pocket USB flash drives. That's nothing compared to what the stars get at awards shows and industry events. They get really neat things like the first black RAZRs at last year's Oscars, or iPods, or Hawaiian vacations. 

ezGear was showing off its ezVision Video iWear (reviewed on Gearlog) personal screen goggles to the stars in LA in town for this weekend's Emmy awards.  The iWear is a goggle system that hooks up to 5G 'video' iPods, and acts as a 50" virtual screen. Just don't try to walk down the street while wearing these; you'll probably bump into things.

I must give props to perennial D-Lister Kathy Griffin and B-lister (maybe C?) Paula Abdul for allowing shots that show their eyes, as opposed to the usual Geordi LaForge impersonations that we see here. 

More Emmy tech news as it happens.

Tell me if this makes anyone else nervous: Some time this year, South Korea's Hubo Robot (shown sometimes with an Albert Einstein head) will drive a Segway Scooter (A.K.A. Human Transporter).

Don't get me wrong: I love bipedal robots like the Hubo, which was developed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, and I am a grudging fan of Dean Kamen's two-wheeled Segway. But letting a robot drive something that, thanks to its self-balancing capabilities, is also a robot, and that can got up to 12.5 MPH seems, well, stupid and dangerous.

Robot inventor Professor Oh Jun-ho told the Korean Times that Hubo needs only a software upgrade to drive the Segway effectively. Uh, okay.

So now Hubo has the fine motor control to steer the Segway (no word on whether he'll be driving a first-gen model or one of the new ones that steer like a bike).  How will Hubo know that Segways cannot navigate stairs? How will it not run over people's feet or small children who may be below Hubo's now elevated line of sight?

At right is a mockup photo from the Korean Times. It shows Hubo not even holding onto the Segway's handles. I know Einstein never learned to tie his shoelaces, but I'd bet he'd know enough to hold on!

Thanks to robotophile Lance Ulanoff for this post!

Erstwhile Gearlog Radio hosts Robyn and Sascha have left the farm team for the big leagues: They're now hosting PCMag Radio, available here. Along with PC Magazine's Lance Ulanoff, Robyn says, they'll "talk, argue, and joke about the latest happenings in tech. We'll draw on all the experts here at PC Magazine, and routinely pull them onto the show to discuss their latest product review or breaking news story. We'll bring you the news behind the headlines, and the scoop behind the reviews -- and, we'll have fun doing it, too."

Gearlog Radio's new hosts, Dan Costa and Jen DeLeo, are feverishly working on a new format; don't miss their debut podcast!

A new device from Smarthome, the Drive Alert Master, offers an alternative to caffeine, loud music, and rumble strips to keep to keep drivers from falling asleep at the wheel. Attach the Drive Alert Master to your ear, and at the first sign of driver drowsiness, it jolts you back to wakefulness.

The device works with motion detectors, which are adjustable from 15 to 30 degrees. When you start nodding, the device sets off a loud beep, which doesn't stop until your head is back in an upright position. The Drive Alert Master has extra padding to make it more comfortable during those endless road trips. It sells for for $14.99, with a 1.5 volt battery included.