These Hardbox external drive cases should come in pretty handy. For one thing, we all know that having books around makes you seem smarter. Plus, if some thieves happen to break into your house, they just might be stupid enough to think it’s a real book. Nobody wants to steal those.

The enclosure supports 3.5 inch SATA I or II drives and connects to your PC via USB. There’s no fan, instead it uses the fake page detailing on the edges as a heat sink, keeping it extremely quiet. The power supply is built-in so the AC cord doesn’t need a large transformer, but that does add to the enclosure’s size. It has a physical write protection switch on the back, and a ‘Backup’ button for manually starting a backup of your data. At $300, you better hope a burglar isn’t into classic literature.

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.

Antec has launched a new PC enclosure which looks to blend style with a solid cooling system and lots of internal space. It is known as the the Twelve Hundred and you’ll find it pricing at around $210.

The Antec Twelve Hundred, according to Antec, is composed of a top 200mm TriCool fan, two rear 120mm TriCool fans and three front 120mm fans. All come with three-speed control. You also get for additional cooling optional graphics card 120mm fan mounts, a water cooling platform, perforated front panel and cable management for better airflow.

Universal Remote Control has apparently put out new details and pricing about an upcoming wireless keypad-style remote. It is called the KP-900 and you’ll find it pricing around $500.

The KP-900 is attached to a wall bracket so you can easily find it. It is powered by four AAA batteries, according to Universal Remote Control, and functions in both the IR and RF control arenas. The LCD is backlit as well.

Averatec is making available some new “semi-rugged” notebook computers for folks who need something a little more durable as they compute on-the-go. The Averatec Voya 4473 and 6494 have a starting price of around $1,300.

The Voya 4473 is a 14.1″ standard notebook, while the larger Voya 6494 has 15.4″ widescreen display. Both have drop and vibration resistance in addition to a spill resistant keyboard and touchpad. They sport magnesium alloy outer cases, corner bumpers, and an anti-shock mounted hard drive specifically to help with the related issues.

Ricoh today unveiled for the United Kingdom market a new water and dust resistant digital camera which is also shock resistant. It is called the G600 and there’s no word on U.S. pricing or availability as of yet.

The Ricoh G600 10-megapixel outdoor focused model with a 5x optical wide-angle zoom lens (equivalent to 28-140 mm for a 35 mm camera). It is reportedly able to withstand falls up to 1.5 meters and will easily let you take photos in the rain. The backside includes a 2.7-inch display with ambient light sensor.

Speck earlier this month unveiled a couple of new cases for the Apple MacBook Air and the 20-inch iMac. These new SeeThru Hard Shells are priced both at around $50.

The Speck SeeThru Hard Shell for the MacBook Air is a two-piece snap design made of plastic. It offers access to all ports, the keyboard and other external items. The case is a clear design and is reportedly shatter proof as well. It comes in multiple colors, including clear, smoke, red, bronze and pink.

Motorola unveiled this week a new mobile television which also offers navigation and other features. It is called the Mobile TV DH02 and there was no specific pricing or availability information announced as of yet.

The Motorola Mobile TV DH02 is designed to be what Motorola calls “an all-in-one personal entertainment and navigation device.” To that end it sports a touchscreen interface “with intuitive click, drag and scroll icon-based menus.” It is capable of being a live DVB-H television with PVR abilities or a GPS device with map views, points of interest and voice-activated directions.

iLugger is a brand name associated with LTA Projects and a retailer of carrying cases. This particular group of folks unveiled today the BookLugger, a stylish carrying bag for MacBook owners.

The BookLugger comes in two different sizes: one for a 13-inch MacBook and another for a 15-inch MacBook Pro. iLugger says one is also in the works for the 17-inch MackBook Pro. All are made of a ballistic nylon, making them reportedly quite durable and sturdy.

Loyola University Medical Center will be one of the first hospitals in the US to use a Virtual Reality (VR) game to help aid burn patients in their recovery. The idea is that it will distract patients from their pain as they enter into a virtual ‘polar landscape of gently falling snowflakes, snowmen, penguins, igloos and icy rivers.’

According to the game’s developers the game will cause the mind to ‘block your view of the real world’ while helping you escape from your pain. I guess only time will tell just how well it works and with how many burn patients. While I think that the mind can be distracted, it remains to be seen if you can block out that kind of pain just be tricking the other senses. Then again, in burn cases, any distraction from the pain is a welcome thing and has to help in their recovery.

Check out this steampunk clarinet mod, which foregoes music and adopts violence as it’s new tune. There isn’t alot of info about it, but I like to imagine that some band geek got picked on a bit too much and went all Travis Bickle while creating it. You talking to me? You must be talking to me…

Looks like it doesn’t actually fire, but is more of an art piece. I also envision a post-apocalyptic future where a trio of musicians wander the wasteland. When trouble comes, they make as if to play some music. But when they open their instrument cases…All hell breaks loose. We love the clarinet gun.

These days everyone is going green. It’s not just for peace loving hippies anymore. That’s why Asus has their eye on a greener line of products. The idea is to make computers and notebooks out of environmentally friendly materials like bamboo. It makes sense, and not just from a Panda luring standpoint. Bamboo is not only environmentally friendly, but also very tough.

Asus products that will be made with bamboo include notebooks, LCDs and Mini PCs. They claim that they’ve figured out a special manufacturing process to make it even more durable. While the idea will not singlehandedly save Mother Earth, it will help a tad, while giving everything a nice retro look. My one concern is that when they harvest all the bamboo, the Pandas will be coming for our laptops.

Casio is showing off this week a new 8.1-megapixel digital camera as part of its EXILIM line. It is called the Casio EXILIM Zoom EX-Z9 and will price around $160.

The Casio EXILIM Zoom EX-Z9, which is available this month, offers up a compact design with an included 2.6-inch LCD display screen. The camera has a number of features to entice purchasers, including over 20 shot modes, anti-shake technology and face detection.

There are a lot of people out there rocking the Treo, even though newer and cooler devices like the iPhone are available. If you are fond of your Treo and want to keep it pristine as the day you unwrapped it, OtterBox has your back.

OtterBox has a pair of cases designed for different Treo models, the 1920 fits the Palm Treo 650 and 750 and the 1921 fits the Treo 680, 750, and 755p devices. The cases are designed to keep your beloved phone safe from rain, dust, dirt and hopefully 3-year olds– the bane of all smartphone’s existence.

Pelican is back with another tough carrying case to protect your expensive Mac investment. This time around it is called the Pelican iMCruzer and it is designed to guard 20- and 24-inch iMacs.

The Pelican iMCruzer offers up a custom foam interior housed in a case measuring 7.38 inches in length and width, and 16 inches high. It offers a retractable handle and wheels to make transportation easier as well as two fold-down side handles.