it's worse than you think, boys. The company's name is actually the katakana gairaigo for the english word "species", and indeed, the robot's name means "Future"-RT. No idea what the RT stands for, but it sure ain't going to be Really Tall.

Gulp, it's a bit too much, if you ask me.

Wait, Something seems a bit ood here. Why on earth would MS put two months between a product announcement and shipping date for a product that has been on the shelves for almost a year? That makes no sense unless there is a shortage of core systems, or the X-Box localization requires some sort of complex process. It really seems to me that this is something that they should have been able to announce and ship on the same day.

No, I don't think it's warm air recycled in or a part of the heat exchanger moved to an inside compartment. Actually, it looks like they are used air from the freezer and refrigerator compartments, in about a 1/3 mix, at least to feed the fan. Other than the stream of air it it says that it also uses convection which together will warm your frozen goodies from about -20 degC to -8 degC in 10~15 minutes. It must have a temperature sensor to tell it when it's done...maybe. Apparently, when the warming routine is over, and probably when it's not in use, the temperature is between 0 and 2 degC.

Anyway, the goal isn't to defrost your stuff fully, but to make it soft enough to cut, but still remain cold enough to refreze the unused part.

Strider, I was thinking the same darned thing. Yup, that'd be pretty cool, all I need is a car to go with it.

Rusty, you don't get behind your car much, do you. It's just the muffler tip, not the resonator. This won't make your car sound like an outboard engine? heh-heh.

If you're wondering if a customs agent has the authority to search your computer files, bags, clothes and/or misc body cavities under the flimsiest of pretexts...yup, he does. If you're wondering if those same agents can have you detained for an unspecified period of time...once again, yup.

Immigrations and Customs are a virtual no-man's land, where the laws that apply within the country do not necessarily extend. There is no axiomatic guarantee that what you can possess within the country can be brought in to it. Likewise, there is no axiomatic guarantee that the legal rights you have within the country extend to your time in customs and immigration.

I feel a bit embarrassed for the guy, but that's about as far as it goes. Basically, he was lucky not to have an extended vacation courtesy of the Canadian government.

Devin, compare the width to that of the laptop next to it. It's wider than an iPod, maybe only 5 mm or so, but it does look a lot thicker.

Sorry, mostly crossposted from Engadget's main site:

Personally, I can't see why so many people think an "iPhone" would be a regular cell phone. I don't see Apple making a phone just for the US market (that means no MNVO), and I can't see them marketing handsets direct to the consumer (ala. SonyEricsson). It seems more likely to me that Apple will announce a VoIP enabled smart device, maybe something like a media-centric analogue of the Nokia 7710 that will ship with a built-in VoIP client that runs over a WiFi connection. I could imagine that the service would be further Apple branded with direct tie-ins with hot-spot providers for telephony on the go. Give it a VoiP to POTS bridge, with a nominal fee, and you might just have a winner.

Keep in mind, that Apple and Softbank announced a "mobile lifestyles" collaboration this last April, after Softbank took over Vodafone's Japanese subsidiary. Softbank runs one of the major ISPs in Japan, and is rapidly building out their public WiFi network. They also have an IP-phone service that works well, and have expressed an interest of creating a deeper synergy between their phone and internet business units. Which might make them a roll-out partner.

This gives apple the entry into the mobile space with out having to rely on they type of big-corporate partner (read verizon) that is unlikely to "get" their products. It also allows Apple to take a nascent technology (mobile VoiP) and define it with that special Apple goodness, like they did with the iPod / iTunes/ iTunes Music Store.

Of course, that is just my personal take on it, and undoubtedly Apple would do a more clever job of it than I could imagine. Nevertheless, if Apple released a device with that type of mobile VoIP functinality, that also added in iTunes, a web browser, and email client (sort of a roaming iLife suite), I would seriously consider buying it.

Oh, about the photographer called out in the middle of the night during a rain storm to take pictures of a top secret product...maybe the Engadget folks (god love 'em) got a tip on a totally hot Apple product that they couldn't spill without jepordizing their source. They might just sit on the rumor (like with the XZune), and no one could blame them. But they might just feel compelled to say [i]something[/i] if the afore mentioned tip has been given a short shelf-life by virtue of the product's imminent release.

So...even if Apple launches a phone, why does everyone think it will be a regular cell phone. I don't see Apple making a phone just for the US market (that means no MNVO), and I can't see them marketing handsets direct to the consumer (ala. SonyEricsson). It seems more likely to me that Apple will announce a VoIP enabled smart device, maybe something like a media-centric analogue of the Nokia 7710 that will ship with a built-in VoIP client that runs over a WiFi connection. I could imagine that the service would be further Apple branded with direct tie-ins with hot-spot providers for telephony on the go. Give it a VoiP to POTS bridge, with a nominal fee, and you might just have a winning service.

Keep in mind, that Apple and Softbank announced a "mobile lifestyles" collaboration this last April, after Softbank took over Vodafone's Japanese subsidiary. Softbank runs one of the major ISPs in Japan, and is rapidly building out their public WiFi network. They also have an IP-phone service that works well, and have expressed an interest of creating a deeper synergy between their phone and internet business units. Which might make them a roll-out partner.

This gives apple the entry into the mobile space with out having to rely on they type of big-corporate partner (read verizon) that is unlikely to "get" their products. It also allows Apple to take a nascent technology (mobile VoiP) and define it with that special Apple goodness, like they did with the iPod / iTunes/ iTunes Music Store.

None of the other options for an "Apple" branded phone make as much sense.

Yeah, unlocking is good. Flashing the firmware with one of the numerous boxes is even better. But the Engadget folks shouldn't trick their readers. There is no easy solution for unlocking of the new series of Nokia handsets. The phones built on Nokia's BB5 platform (including the 6630, 6680, N-series, E-series) have virtually defied unlocking for the last two years, and will probably never be unlockable via an online algorithm.