Many computer makers and experts believe that the future of computing will be touch screen devices. Some even feel that the mouse is the bottleneck for input to our current PCs. Several PC makers, including HP and other major PC firms, are already offering touch screen computers.

Tangent announced its new all-in-one touch screen computer called the Evergreen 17. The system uses a 17-inch touch screen with a resolution of 1280 x 1024. The computer uses a VIA Eden 1GHz fan-less processor, but can be optioned with a VIA C7 at 1.5GHz using a low-noise fan. Storage can be up to 160GB with a traditional HDD.

With all of the latest tech news we give you day in and day out, sometimes it’s nice to take a look into the past and honor the devices that paved the way for todays gadgets. This analog computer is known as the AKAT-1 and it can solve complex differential equations in real time and without digital logic.

But it’s a victim of time passing by, and now resides in the Museum of Technology, in Warsaw, Poland. You’ll notice it sports a very warm and stunning retro look. It has character. I mean it obviously belongs in a Trek ship, with Spock feeding it data. And yet by many it has been forgotten. We here at the Brick would love to have it in the offices, but our intern would just mess it up. Here’s to you AKAT-1.

It’s a real pain getting up from your computer and walking to the kitchen to get your favorite snack, toast. You would think that cylon toaster you bought would motivate you. If only you had a way to make toast with your computer.

Wait a minute. You’ve got that spare drive bay that you’ve never used. Meet the CrazyPC 5.25 Bay Toaster, a toaster that fits in a standard 5.25-inch drive bay, and even includes software for adjusting the heat and time. Just insert the bread like a doughy CD and wait. Hot fresh toast is served. I’m not sure how it handles the crumbs. If you’ve ever cleaned out your toaster you know that crumbs will collect on the bottom. Only $29.99.

Deep Home. Sounds kinda sinister doesn’t it? Sounds like a subterranean bunker. The specifications are pretty similar to what you can find from most PC manufacturers. It’s the external design that makes it stand out in an interesting way. The Deep Home Computer is ideal for most homes, since it hides the LCD display when not in use, so you can take it with you as you move between rooms, very easily.

It remains a concept at the moment so don’t expect it to see it on store shelves anytime soon. It’s just another dream designers are dreaming and you’ve wandered into that dream. Just breath regularly. Soon you’ll wake up and go read the ‘Brick for real. Deep regular breaths. That’s it. The ‘Brick. The ‘Brick.

Legos aren’t just for play you know. They can also be used to construct and even fix important real life things that you can use. Like this Lego PC case for example. Looking like some shiny black monolith, it’s made entirely out of black Lego bricks. Look how nice and shiny that is. He didn’t just randomly put Lego bricks together either. He used MLCAD to specifically design the PC before building.

The PC is a Mini-ITX form factor that allows for a low power PC inside, which runs a 1.5GHz VIA C7 processor and has a 250GB Seagate hard drive. It’s even got dual gigabite ports on the JetWay motherboard. Very nice. Check out the below video to see how he did it. Yet another real life situation solved by Legos. Have you played with Legos today?

Why anyone would want to put a computer inside of a toaster is beyond me.(As if I never thought about it). And the creator didn’t just stuff a computer into some modern plastic toaster, instead he went the full distance and jammed it in a vintage chrome toaster. And not a 2 slice job, but 4 slice.

The only downside is that one wants it to still make toast, maybe with the computer’s excess heat, but alas it has no toasting abilities. It does have a 3600 MHz processor, 2.5 inch hard drive, DVD-rom drive, and a router inside. It’s what the PC may have looked like in the 1950’s…If toast never existed.

The concept behind all-in-one PCs is interesting to me. You cram everything a PC needs inside the LCD case and save space on the floor and make things more attractive overall. The downside of an all-in-one design is that they tend to offer less performance than can be had on traditional computers and they tend to cost more than similar standard computers.

Today Averatec announced its first all-in-one computer and it is simply called the Averatec All-In-One. The computer has a 22-inch display and inside the display case is crammed 2GB of RAM, a 320GB HDD, built-in HDTV tuner and more. The computer is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo E4600 CPU and uses a discrete NVIDIA GeForce 8400 for graphics.

If you figure PCs should look like a bizarre abstract UFO, or maybe resemble a Sit and Spin type toy with a CD tray sticking out, you are not alone. Designer Won-Seok Lee apparently agrees.

The B-membrane computer concept does away with monitors entirely, instead opting for a built-in projector that will beam the display onto any surface. The membrane keyboard shows up whenever it’s needed as well as a built-in optical drive. It will probably be some time before we see something like this become a reality. It’s just not that easy to make a PC of the future look like the inside of a washing machine.

Some German scientists with a love of bad horror movies and some time on their hands, have come up with the nerdiest brain-computer interface yet. It’s from the Technical University of Braunschweig.

No placing electrodes on your head with this one. This one is all about wearing a large metal helmet full of sensors, that can detect your brain activity through your hair. They claim that the system is good enough to control an RC car and they’re hoping to use it in wheelchairs and prosthetics. Check out a video below.

iHome, announced the iH69 and iH70 speaker systems for Mac and the PC. Now, you can dock, charge, play and sync your iPod directly to the computer via the actual speakers, which is nice for convenience and because it eliminates some wires extra wires. The all in one speaker solution will also save you space.

The speakers are compatible with all docking iPod models, and are designed with high-fidelity Reson8™ speaker chambers for premium power output, sports a computer port, sync switch, volume controls and a headphone jack for private listening. Both models are currently available for pre-order on iHomeaudio.com and will be available soon nationwide for $99.99 and $129.99.

Are you as weirded out as I am? I’m not sure if it’s the strange tomato color or the fact that two nunchuks appear to be mating. They were seen recently at a trade show in Taipei. We think they must be connected through a wireless usb transmitter and it would make sense if they were compatible with the company’s new desktop.

It would not only be good for most types of games, but could obviously be used as a wireless mouse as well. I’m guessing there must be a few extra buttons we aren’t seeing judging by the 10 and 11 buttons. Word on the street is that the price will be $70 whenever it comes out into the open. Check out a video below to see these in action.

We have all kinds of other smart devices so why not a smart chair? Most computer chairs are anything but friendly. Maybe that’s because they lack brains. This concept Smartchair Biofeedback Computer Chair is not just futuristic looking, it also features lots of embedded sensors, an adjustable seating pad for your backside, plus a backpad and headrest that adjusts to your movement.

By adjusting to you, you get the maximum comfort possible. Normally it’s just the opposite, you having to conform to the chair. This new approach means less backaches and better health in general. It doesn’t end there as the chair also has a touchscreen unit that lets you make adjustments yourself. You know, if you’re a control freak or just don’t trust technology. Kinda looks like a chair Captain Kirk would be right at home in.

The Enlighten PC from Suissa Computers has a bit of an odd design. It looks more like a great bit of art deco furniture or a retro speaker. We first told you about it here. It’s a custom wood, metal and glass case that has separated components that helps to boost cooling. It’s not just a crap computer inside either. You get a choice of Intel Quad core CPU or AMD X2 6400+ processors, with 4GB of RAM and 1TB of storage standard. You get a DVD burner and a choice of NVIDIA 8800GTX or ATI Radeon HD2900XT video cards.

Interestingly, the system is designed so that you don’t need many fans. It’s all about the engineering and where they placed the components, with the aluminum and air venting keeping it all cool. It’s a limited edition of only ten machines, so if you want one you better hurry up. No word on pricing. All I know is it looks damn cool and damn retro. That makes me want it.

The XYZ Computer Desk has an awesome sleek design and gives the Sync some competition. It’s beautiful and at the same time easily upgradeable. The best part of course, is that you have the full computer right there, but it’s taking up no extra room.

All of the components and cables are inside the desk. Whenever you need to upgrade, just open the lid. The CDRW/DVD, USB and Hot Keys are on the side. It’s just a concept at the moment, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see it go into production. It certainly makes life easier and saves space. Plus, it’s just plain pleasant to look at.

Cubans have been able to get underground and illegal PCs for a while, but the Cuban government only recently lifted the official ban on them. The first publicly-available machines just went on sale Friday. The QTECH PCs are state-approved are only available at a single store. The crowds had a chance to gawk at some not too cutting edge tech. The towers cost $780 and feature Celeron processors, 512MB of RAM, Windows XP, and come with a CRT display.

And even should they buy one, most Cubans won’t be allowed to have Internet access. Silly Cubans, the net is only for certain “trusted officials” and state journalists. The good news is that with computers now legally available, some expect black market prices on more up-to-date gear down the road.