IOGEAR is introducing a KVM switch which is reportedly the first that enables a laptop to replace the traditional keyboard, mouse and monitor on a second computer. It is called the USB Laptop KVM Switch and it prices around $130.

The IOGEAR USB Laptop KVM Switch connects two computers via USB 2.0 ports, letting individuals manage both computers with the laptop. It comes with built-in file transfer utility software that lets consumers drag and drop files or create backup copies between machines. Also built-in is an integrated USB 2.0 port to access a compatible …

Samsung rolled out today a couple of new ultra mobile personal computers to expand its line of Q1U models. These new configurations are known as the Q1UP-V and Q1U-CMXP, and both are priced around $1,500.

Samsung had this to say of the Q1UP-V and Q1U-CMXP, which are both available now. “The Q1U-CMXP maximizes connectivity with integrated 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, 10/100 BaseTX, and an integrated HSDPA 3G cellular modem supporting the AT&T Broadband Connect network. With unsurpassed wired and wireless connection options, the Q1U-CMXP provides ubiquitous communications regardless of one’s location via the AT&T nationwide cellular network. In addition, the model boasts the same specifications as the industry standard Q1 Ultra XP model launched in May of 2007.

We’ve seen our share of strange mice. Some are cool, some are pretty lame. Microsoft’s arc mouse actually looks pretty slick and it folds up, making it stylish, wireless and collapsible. It’s pretty rare to see a mouse that stands out like this one. For $59.95 it comes in both red and black and will be available this holiday season. It’s all about fashion according to the press release. So why not buy yourself one for the upcoming holidays.

Panasonic is rolling out a new rugged UMPC which is the first to integrate Intel’s Atom low power processor. It is called the Panasonic Toughbook CF-U1 and you’ll find it pricing around $2,500.

The Panasonic Toughbook CF-U1 is, like other PCs of its type, designed to be used in the field under a variety of harsh conditions. It sports the aforementioned Intel Atom processor, Windows Vista, a 5.6-inch WSVGA sunlight viewable touchscreen and a 16GB solid state removable drive which can be upgraded to 32GB.

The Kohjinsha SX Series UMPC is pretty sweet looking, and packs a lot in a small form. It sports an 8.9 inch touch screen display at 1,280 x 768 resolution, Intel Atom Z520 1.33GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 60GB HDD, Super Multi-DVD drive, Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity.

Some other features include an ExpressCard/34 slot, card readers, two USB 2.0 ports and VGA out. The Kohjinsha SX Series will be available in Japan. You can get it in black or white for $1199.

Dan Middle bought Sony’s UX UMPC and found it to be severely lacking when it came to portable gaming. He did what any of us would have done, he took things into his own hands by hacking a cheap USB gamepad. The end result is a set of controls that make available all eight buttons with a single hand, while the other hand is free to aim with the UX’s mouse controls.

The gamepad has been attached to a CF dummy card, slotting into the UX’s CF port. He did some testing and found that it’s pretty decent to use. Vista even recognizes it as a gaming peripheral. I’m not sure if this spells trouble for the PSP and DS Lite, but it’s pretty cool. Video below.

Deluo, the company who last year brought us both the MouseGPS and the mobile Bluetooth GPS adapter, is dropping a new, extra-small GPS receiver on the market with the Deluo NavStick GPS. The NavStick is a small, light-weight USB dongle-type GPS receiver designed for use on the go with notebooks or UMPCs, avoiding the common cable associated with your receiver strewn around.

The 20 channel receiver is compatible with Windows and Mac and will work as a receiver through the SiRF starIII chipset with just about any GPS software. Deluo will optionally ship the device with Microsoft Streets & Trips or you can get it unbundled and use it with your own software.

3K Computers has announced a new laptop computer the company considers to fit in the UMPC mold. It is priced starting at around $400 and is known as the Longitude 400 Mini Notebook UMPC.

The 3K Longitude 400 weighs under two pounds and sports a seven-inch display. It runs off of a 400 MHz 32-bit single core mobile processor, 512 MB of DDR2 RAM and a 4GB solid state drive for file storage. The operating system is Linux based as well.

Are you content with simple multi-touch and built-in accelerometers? Microsoft Research thinks not. In fact they’re already working hard in the labs, toward integrating force-sensing technology. The kind of thing that will enable gestures and let you twist on-screen imagery without making UMPCs out of flexible material.

Those behind the idea feel that such tech would “turn an otherwise passive component that just holds the device together into an active input surface.” Auditory cues might even enable users to be alerted when they’ve applied enough pressure to cause a change. I just figure it’s a great way to play Rubik’s Cube in the future.

The alliance between Willcom and Sharp Electronics has produced the Willcom D4 UMPC. This UMPC has plenty of processing power with a Centrino Atom processor clocking 1.33Mhz. A whole 1GB of RAM is on the D4 with storage being in the form of a 40Gb hard disk drive. It sports a Windows Vista home premium operating system with a 5-inch touchscreen and a built in keyboard.

It’s also got WiFi, PHS support, a 2 megapixel camera and even bluetooth 2.0. Plus it’s pretty sleek looking in it’s ultra mobile form which measures 84×188×25.9mm and weighs only 470 grams.

Lenovo is releasing the sexy new Ideapad U8 with Intel’s newest Atom processor. The Ideapad U8 device features a 4.8-inch touchscreen display and bullseye, an optical mouse, EDGE or 3G data, “Live GPS,” hand written note taking, and support for MS Office applications.

It’s also got a 12-key numeric pad and don’t expect to see a Microsoft OS, it has the Linux system. The device was unveiled at Intel’s IDF in Shangha and apparently it won’t be available outside of Asia. Check out an awesome video below.

Designer Jean Hong has a slightly different vision for the Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC), and that vision is the Pix-L. The device functions as both an alarm clock and a browser for your bedside. If you want to view it on your nightstand, you can prop up the mini-screen or turn it around for a better angle from above, that way it’s ideal for viewing while you’re lying on your stomach.

Just let it wake you up in the morning, then detach the PC from its stand for portable computing. Even the color scheme shown here is super nice. I would be very surprised if this designer isn’t working for Microsoft very soon.

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.

Like many Sci-Fi novels shows and movies, Star Trek showed us futuristic gadgets that at the time were complete Science fiction, but soon came to be a reality. Here’s a list of such technology, in no particular order.

These might be new to you if you have always been far to enamored with the women of Star Trek to notice the tech and gadgets. I don’t blame you, from Yeoman Rand to Tasha Yar, to Beverly Crusher and beyond, there’s some hot babes gallivanting around in the final frontier. Before we get so easily sidetracked, back to the theme. Star Trek gadgets and tech. Some you can own, some are in the works and some are just strange.

Inventec just released images of two new UMPCs. The UMPC 7-A and the UMPC 5-D won iF Design Awards honors, and you can see why looking at the above picture. The curved design of the UMPC 7-A is not just for looks, though it does look pretty neat. It is supposed to improve the viewing angle and make the slider QWERTY keyboard more ergonomic than a flat design.

The UMPC 5-D is more typical and focuses on a modular design. It comes with a docking station and a set of appliances of some type. No info on Inventec MID/UMPC specs so far, but the folks over at Unwired View took a guess at some. They are thinking an Intel Menlow platform, 1.33 with 45-nm 800 MHz-1.33 GHz Silverthone CPU, Poulsbo US15 chipset, 1-2 GB of RAM and 30-60 GB HDD. They might be right.