There are a few things that most of geekdom has in common, one is an insatiable lust for all things gadget and the other is an undeniable need to own anything robotic even when the robots gizmos are meant for kids. The latter affliction is easier (and less embarrassing) to indulge in if you have kids, which thankfully I do.

Not too long ago I spent some “testing” time with the UGOBE Pleo robot dinosaur and it was cool but I thought it would be cooler if a robot actually looked like a robot. Disney agreed and has announced a new Pleo-esq robot based on the WALL-E movie hitting the silver screen this summer. The toy is called Ultimate WALL-E and it will go on sale this fall for $189.99.

If you’ve been eagerly watching your Windows Update on XP waiting for SP3 to show up your wait is over; it’s not coming, or at least not quite yet. At what seemed like a very last minute decision, Microsoft on Tuesday delayed the launch of Windows XP Service Pack 3 due to a compatibility glitch with Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System software. The release was scheduled to be available through Windows Update on Tuesday and has already been released to manufacturing and volume customers last week.

“In the last few days, we have uncovered a compatibility issue between Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS) and both Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1),” said the firm.“In order to make sure customers have the best possible experience, we have decided to delay releasing Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) to the web.”

I can understand wanting some tunes while riding your bike. But watching movies while you pedal away is probably not a great idea. The up side is, you’ll have something to do while the EMTs are trying to untangle your legs from your bike spokes.

Obviously, the iPhone Bike Mount is not going to improve your life. All it can really do is foreshadow your asphalt demise as your eyes are always drawn to your beautiful gadget. This particular form of assisted suicide will only cost you $14.99. And when you reach those pearly gates and they ask you what the last thing you saw was, you can tell them it was Desperate Housewives. It’s so pathetic that you might actually get a second chance. Maybe.

This shirt is cool as far as temperature goes, not cool as far as looks. Unless you’re into a sort of old mattress look. It’s a t-shirt with a water cooling system to keep you from overheating. It’s got an inlet and an outlet on the fifty feet of rubber hose that connect to a pump.

The water circulates and you get to sit in the summer heat without needing air conditioning. It was actually designed to be used by race car drivers. No word on price, but it’s probably pretty expensive. You could probably make your own and actually give it some style. Even the still-suits in Dune had more style then this shirt, plus you could drink your own fluids.

Airwaves is a compact concept car designed by Lei Liu. The idea is that this little thing is super easy to park, making your automotive adventure less stressful. The Airwaves design is also intended to be safe, comfortable and an all around fun ride for the driver and passengers. You might even be ready for a big boy concept car after you’ve mastered this tricycle type. The car has an LCD screen on back that displays information like weather reports, news, or a greeting from the driver.

With an LCD screen in the back, just how many people are they thinking fit in this tiny thing? The good news is that the Airwaves is electric and has zero emissions.

TG Sambo’s new PMP has a nice clean look and a 4.8-inch screen, the usual audio and video and it’s capable of browsing the internet via a WiFi b/g connection and watching T-DMB digital TV. Hidden underneath the menus is Windows CE 5.0, running on an Alchemy AU1250 700MHz processor. It also sports 16GB of flash memory and a DAB digital radio tuner.

The PMP can play Flash files, view photos, e-books and comics, and even includes the PowerDic dictionary. The Polaris browser will give you access to the web on the 800 x 480 WVGA touchscreen. The whole thing is only 15mm thick. The PMP has only been confirmed for a Korean launch, but we may just see it here in North America and in Europe before too long.

Computer ergonomics is a science that keeps getting better and the Switch Mouse concept another attempt to move it forward. The Switch Mouse sits snug in your palm, which lets your shoulder muscles do all the work, taking some strain from your hand muscles.

It also features an integrated pad to keep the heel of your palm comfortably in place while you are not using the mouse. A circular joypad is used for scrolling. So tapping your finger will allow you to scroll up and down and side to side. It can also be adjusted for length which gives you the perfect fit. It’s an interesting idea and may well prove useful.

Sharp has now announced a wireless option to its super-thin X-series LCD displays today. Sharp will incorporate Amimon WHDI (Wireless High Definition Interface) 1080p wireless tech into their thinnest flat panels. This means that you won’t have to connect any cables to your TV, aside from the power cord. All the connectors and tuning paraphernaila are in the set-top box you see in the pic. Wires will be officially out of a job, making your life easier, but making them sad like little emo children.

It’s hitting Japan first and will follow in the U.S. It works at distances of up to 100 feet and can even go through several walls. The only bad part is the cost. The wireless capability will add about $800 to an already-expensive $4,000+ 46-inch Sharp X-Series HDTV. But if you are already dishing out that kind of money, I don’t think it will be a problem.

Goldstriker knows a thing or two about making devices more beautiful, the iPhone is no exception and the Solar Star edition is their latest attempt. It features 24 carat gold plating on both the front bezel and Apple’s rear logo, while the rest of the case is the ultra luxurious Balloon White paint found on a Lamborghini Gallardo.

The white-and-gold color scheme is sex to the eye and looks nice to touch. It comes with updated firmware 1.1.4 and is unlocked for worldwide GSM use. You’ll get 16GB of flash memory inside. The $1,477 price tag is not for everyone. Some of us would rather save the money for a 3G iPhone, despite how beautiful this one looks.

Microsoft has revealed some interesting info. Since June 2007, multiple law enforcement agencies have been using a forensic device it has developed that can bypass security on a Windows-powered machine and extract data for use in criminal investigations.

It’s named COFEE, for Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor. The device is a USB thumb-drive armed with 150 “commands” that can do all sorts of things like decrypt passwords, display internet activity, and uncover all data stored on the computer. The most important aspect is that it can do all of this on-site, instead of having to remove the machine during a search or raid and send it to a lab.

One thing is always true about new devices. They get smaller. Samsung Korea has released the world’s smallest color laser printers, the CLP-315K and CLX-3175FNK. The CLP-315K is equipped with a NO-NOIS print engine that offers a resolution of 2,400 x 600 dpi, 32MB of internal memory, 16 pages per minute(black) and 4 pages per minute in color. This one is 20% smaller than the previous CLP-300 model.

The company also released the CLX-3175FNK laser printer with built-in scanner and fax. It’s 40% smaller than the previous CLX-3160 series. With this printer, you can easily scan documents to USB memory or print documents stored on USB sticks, camera phones and digital cameras without the PC. Until we see something still smaller, these hold the title for now.

Wigix is launching its online stock market platform for goods today, going up against the eBay auction model. The Wigix system is based on the bid/ask model used by NASDAQ and the other financial stock markets. Sellers offer any price for their items and buyers can pay the asking price or offer another one if they like. This new online trading model should help to eliminate problems like shilling and sniping.

Some features include: no listing fees, all trades happen immediately, sales data tracking so that users can get accurate market prices. Wigix also has some social networking and community features like blogging, friends lists, sharing, Facebook data access, and inventory tracking. Users can also become category experts and earn a share of their category sales, they can also become SKU owners: any user can add a new item which is not yet registered in the Wigix database, making them the “owner’ of this item’s SKU, they receive a share of all future sales of this specific item. Many people would say that it’s about time and that eBay should have done something like this years ago.

If you’ve ever lost your luggage, you’ll like this idea. Surprisingly, the tags don’t use GPS or any electronic tracking system. Instead they feature a unique barcode and serial number that gets registered on the Immobilise database with your contact info.

So, if your luggage does get lost, an agent can scan the barcode or punch in the serial number which will give them with your contact info. Then a text message is sent to your mobile phone letting you know that your bag has been located and what to do. Pretty good idea, which should help avoid some headaches. You won’t have to put your info on the bag itself. The tags cost about $24 each, which is a one-time fee.

The 4th Indiana Jones film will hit theaters in less than a month. Indiana Jones fans can now get themselves a toy version of Indy’s most famous accessory, next to the hat. The bull whip. Now you’ll be able to relive classic scenes from the movies. “Throw me the idol, I’ll throw you the whip.”

While I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to have kids going around whipping things like Devo, this is a toy that’s long overdue. We always wanted one. And yes, it’s as lame as you thought it would be. It’s not likely to hurt anyone by accident. The three foot soft whip features a plastic handle that not only plays authentic whip-cracking sound effects as you swing it, but also the well-known Indiana Jones theme music. A switch on the handle turns the sounds on and off, and it even features a carrying strap for attaching it to your belt. It will cost you $26.99

It’s a good idea to get the seniors in your life a phone that’s easy for them to use. Emporia’s Life Plus is the latest of elderly friendly phones that cater to those over 50 years old. It weighs 138 grams, with 250 hours of standby time, has a “super loud” handsfree speaker, oversized display and buttons, an integrated flash light, even a Hearing Aid compatible earpiece.

Another interesting feature is the single press ICE (‘In Case of Emergency’) number dial/emergency SMS. For those, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up moments. They just need to work on meeting a senior’s budget, because at £144.67, it’s a bit expensive.