Bachmeier went to great lengths to supersize the iPhone 4 both proportionally and in terms of functionality. For example, the iTableous has a 5.7-megapixel HD camera right where the front-facing camera on a real iPhone 4 would be. The speakers are also situated at the lower end of the case, again in the same spot as a real iPhone 4′s speakers. The iPhone’s sleep button also serves as the iTableous’ power switch. Other notable parts include the Home button, which hides a 30-pin connector to connect a real iPhone (and other iOS devices) and the micro-SIM cover, which you can open to take a peek at the guts of the PC inside.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Speaking of the guts, the iTableous is powered by a 2 GHz Zotac Ionitx with 4GB RAM and 500GB HDD. Connections include a line-in port, one USB 2.0 port (just like an Apple computer!), a SuperDrive, two HDMI ports and a DVB-T antenna cable. The iTableous makes up for its lack of multi-touch capabilities by its elegant swinging function (aided by an accelerometer,) which lets Benjamin use it in a more traditional viewing set up.

Check out Benjamin’s website for more pictures and info. I wonder if he can use something like the Duo to add touch functionality to the iTableous.

[via InsanelyMac Forum]

The Play Ball PC comes with three spherical pods, one which contains the main computer, and the other two which house matching speakers. The main pod’s computer runs on the Intel Atom chipset, has a built-in 64GB SSD storage device and 2GB RAM. In addition to built-in 802.11n networking, it also connects wirelessly to the battery-powered speakers. According to it’s manufacturer, the whole thing will be completely wireless, so I’m wondering if the computer itself will have a rechargeable battery too. It probably does, since both the computer and speakers snap into that white monolithic docking station.

The computer also features a 6-axis gyroscopic sensor, which lets you use the computer itself in place of a mouse, and allows you to interact with the media playback interfaces without a keyboard. Of course, they call this thing an HTPC, but any real home theater guru would never live with just a pair of wireless 15-watt speakers for their sound system.  While it probably won’t win any awards for sound output, it certainly will be a cool conversation piece sitting in your living room.

There’s no word on when you’ll be able to get your hands on one of these oddities. As a matter of fact, I can’t find it up on Moneaul’s website yet. That said, I know it’s at least been turned into a prototype, because I took the photos above myself during CES last week.

Personally I’m fine with the exterior not being modified, but I’m sure some of you would rather have a flashier or more modern case. But it’s the inside that counts, and on that aspect I think this mod delivers. It’s based on a Zotac IONITX-A-U motherboard, and is equipped with a Dual Core 1.6Ghz Intel Atom N330, an NVIDIA GeForce9400M on NVIDIA ION chipset and 2GB of DDR2 RAM. In comparison, the original NES had a 1.66 MHz CPU and 2KB of RAM, a thousand times less powerful than this HTPC.

The HTPC has an Ethernet port and supports 802.11n Wi-Fi. It doesn’t have a hard drive or SSD, but it more than makes up for it with its plethora of ports: six USB 2.0 ports, one Optical and one Coaxial Digital Audio Out (S/PDIF), one eSATA II port, HDMI/DVI/VGA connectors, and Line Out, Line In, Mic In analog audio connectors.

It also comes with a 4GB flash drive installed with Ubuntu 9.10 and XBMC, so you can use it right away if you want, or you can run another OS of your choice. The best part? You can still play NES games on it, although you’ll have to use an emulator. You can order this mod from melanarchy on Etsy for $475 (USD).

Since this is the first post in the series, I thought I’d take a minute to walk you through the TouchSmart 600′s hardware. The particular configuration I had my hands on was the 600-1055. The system features a beautiful 23-inch widescreen display, powered by NextWindow’s optical multitouch technology. Since the display uses an infrared touch technology, it can only handle two points of input, but that’s enough for manipulating simple media interfaces and handling gestures like flicks, pinch and zoom with aplomb. The system also has a high quality sound system built in, and the audio is certainly as good as anything you’d find built into a good television these days. It’s no substitute for a full surround rig, but it’s fine for a small room. And of course, there is an SPDIF optical output if you really do want to hook the TouchSmart to a proper surround system.

Under the hood, there’s a serviceable Core 2 Duo P7450, running a 2.13GHz, and the system has 4GB of RAM and a speedy 7200RPM 750GB SATA hard drive, perfect for recording television programs and handling other media utility work – right in the sweet spot for this machine. The system ships with Windows 7 Home Premium, 64-bit edition, so they didn’t skimp on the OS, either.

My first objective with the TouchSmart was to see how well it would work as a TV/DVR. The timing for this couldn’t have been better, as my brand new 58-inch Samsung plasma died and we had no TV in our living room for the last month (eeegads!) So while I wouldn’t normally recommend using a 23-inch display as your primary television, it worked for us in a pinch. The TouchSmart’s display size is definitely better suited to a bedroom, or maybe an office or den. It’s just a little large for most kitchens, but they do offer a 20-inch model as well.

So, back to the TV/DVR thing. There are a few ways to slice and dice this on the TouchSmart, and that’s part of the beauty of this thing. You can watch live television using the computer’s built in Digital ATSC tuner, and using either the included TouchSmart software or Windows Media Center, you can view live programs, and record them for later playback. I personally preferred the Windows Media software for this, as it works with the bundled remote control, and was a bit zippier than the TouchSmart interface. That said, the TouchSmart version does work well if you plan on primarily the touch screen for input, so maybe it would be good in a small room where you will be right by the screen all the time.

I recorded several programs in both the foreground and background, and didn’t run into any problems with playback quality, even for 720p and 1080i HD broadcasts. Oddly enough, I did run into some stutter on HD content in the TouchSmart app during live TV though, but it’s possible some sort of background task (maybe anti-virus or system updates) was hogging resources. This only occurred once or twice in my experience. The recording worked fine, even in the background while other tasks were going on, although since there’s only a single tuner, you won’t be able to record two programs at the same time like you can with some DVRs. However, I couldn’t figure out a way to pause or scrub that program while the program was recording using the TouchSmart software. It works fine with a live program that you’re not currently recording, though, so go figure.

That all said, I felt that the program guide interface for the Windows Media side of the house was much easier to read from a distance and found more APG program data than the TouchSmart version managed to muster. That said, the system includes both interfaces, so its your choice. Here’s the TouchSmart running Windows Media Center Live TV for comparison:

In addition to over-the-air television, the TouchSmart software includes apps for Netflix and Hulu, both of which performed admirably, and featured touch-enhanced interfaces with bigger buttons, and nice scrub bars for jumping through content. I’ll be covering the DVD/Blu-Ray and streaming video capabilities in more detail in my next post.

But what if you’ve got a satellite or fiber-optic receiver? With most desktop PCs, you’d be out of luck. There’s an S-Video input and an IR blaster output if you want to use a set-top tuner with Windows Media Center. And while you can’t use the built-in media or touchscreen software to watch from one of these devices in high-def, the TouchSmart has a handy HDMI input on the side, which lets you flip out of computer mode, and use it just like a regular HDTV.

I tried it with both my DirecTV HD DVR and my Sony PlayStation 3, and it worked great with both. My only issue with this input is that there’s no decent cable management for it, whereas all the other ports on the computer are neatly tucked behind a cover, this cable ends up sticking out of the side of the display. That said, It’s a minor complaint. More computers need to include this feature. There’s also a component RCA and stereo audio input there too, but I’m not really looking forward to watching crappy old video signals on a beautiful 1920 x 1080 LCD, are you? On the other hand, God of War III looks mighty nice.

Overall, I’d say the TouchSmart 600 is a fine performer for watching and recording television programs, and there are numerous choices for how you get your digital content into the system. I wouldn’t say it’s an ideal living room system because of the relatively small screen size, for a bedroom or office, it’s perfect. And while the TouchSmart software itself may not be as refined as Windows Media Center for TV viewing, the hardware is quite capable, and it’s your choice which interface to use.

Over the next few days, I’ll be talking about my experiences with movies and streamed content, as well as music and audio on the system. Be sure to swing by again for more details. And if you’re really attentive, you’ve got a chance to win a TouchSmart 600 for yourself.

The keypad measures a mere 6 x 2.3 x 0.5 in and weighs only 103 g. The keyboard itself isn’t wireless, but it comes with a complementary 2.4 Ghz wireless dongle. It also comes with a plain old USB to mini-USB cable, for when the built-in rechargeable lithium battery runs out of juice.

You can get the Rii Mini Wireless Keyboard at Brando for $92 (USD). Perfect for work and play, and it has the world’s first touchpad to boot! What’s not to like?

We’ve already told you about the Ripple Look PC before, but now it looks like their latest version is going to be more powerful than ever, and it continues to be one of the smallest PCs we’ve seen.

That’s not all. The new Ripple Look comes with a cool new case, using some LEDs and some great design. As with the other models in the Look family, it comes with VESA mounts enabling you to fix it to the back of your screens or to a wall.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

This HTPC is designed to be used for games and high-resolution video. It comes equipped with Intel’s latest dual core processor, a high capacity HD, and the GMAX4500 integrated graphic chipset from Intel. It will support DirectX 10 AP, HD video, and comes with a bunch of different ports.

[via DVice]

The Alienware HD Media Server (HDMS) comes in a dramatic brushed aluminum, rack-mountable enclosure, and provides a powerful HTPC under the hood. Powered by a smokin’ fast Intel Core 2 Quad core processor, the HDMS provides plenty of storage using a hot-swappable RAID 5 array with up to 4-terabytes of disk.

In addition to a standard slot-loading DVD/CD writer, there’s a dual-layer Blu-Ray/DVD±R/W/CD-RW burner available as an option. The HDMS comes with a complete set of tools for managing your media files and offers high-definition DVR capabilities for recording and playing back content at up to 1080p resolution.

There are a plethora of audio and video outputs including Component video, VGA, DVI/HDMI, digital audio and 7.1 surround pre-amp connections. The beast has two built-in CableCard compatible tuners, and can support a set of external tuners for recording up to four simultaneous video streams. Network connectivity is achieved using a pair of Gigabit Ethernet LAN connections, or via an optional 802.11N high-speed wireless connection.

The system is available only from custom installers at this point, so be prepared to drop some serious dough if you want one.

[via SlashGear]

The top-of-the-line Shuttle D’VO SG33G5M Deluxe features 1080p high-definition video output via an HDMI output. 7.1-channel surround sound includes Dolby Digital Live! and DTS Connect capabilities. The system has a full home theater-centric front panel display which includes just about everything you’re used to seeing on a home-theater-in-a-box receiver.

In addition to its multimedia prowess, its got built in 802.11b+g as well as Bluetooth wireless connectivity. You can even view photos and media stored on your mobile devices via wireless sync. External interfaces include USB 2.0, Firewire 400 Gigabit Ethernet and eSATA connectors. It’s even got a fingerprint reader built into the front if you want to keep prying eyes off of your media content.

The system’s Intel G33 Express chipset is designed to handle CPUs as powerful as a Core 2 Quad, with bus speeds up to 1333MHz. The D’VO series is sold in a bare-bones configuration for around $459 USD, so you’ll need to add your own CPU, memory, operating system, hard drive and disc reader (Shuttle plans on offering a Blu-Ray/HD-DVD combo drive as an option).

FLeX home theater PCs feature zippy Intel Core 2 Duo mobile processors and are packed in slick mini case that’s reminiscent of a black Mac Mini. The case design is a glossy “piano black” finish over aluminum, with a crystal front panel. The FLeX 4.2 (shown below) feature a unique case design that can be “folded” into different configurations.

The top of the line FLeX 4.2 features a 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo T7600 CPU, 750GB of SATA II storage, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, and dual 400W RMS Bang & Olufsen ICEPower audio amplifiers. Fully decked out, this system can run around $4500 USD, but if you don’t need the amplifiers and can get away with a little less speed and storage, you should be able to pick up a basic system (the FLeX 0 or 0L model) for around $2150 USD. Systems can be configured online to your specific needs.

All FLeX models feature a slot-load Dual Layer DVD burner and a wide variety of connections including 10/100/1000 Ethernet, Firewire, USB, DVI, VGA, Component, S-Video, Composite, 7.1 analog audio, and optical digital audio. Options are available for digital, analog and DVB-S satellite tuners.

[via Engadget]

Their Windows Vista SideShow Media Center Remote sure looks purty. It’s got a 2.5-inch color LCD with running Vista’s new SideShow remote user interface. The remote will feature both IR and Class 1 Bluetooth connectivity (capable of working from up to 100-meters away). Like all good universal remotes these days, it features both hard keys – providing quick access to things like volume and track control, as well as soft keys – which can be customized.

SideShow technology also lets you run Vista “gadgets,” such as checking your e-mail, news, weather and RSS feeds. The remote isn’t cheap, at $199, and will require that you have a PC running Windows Vista, but if you’ve just gotta have the coolest toys on the block, you might want one of these. (More details on the remote should be available here after January 8, 2007)

[via Engadget]

The VidaBox STEALTH is a well-appointed HTPC that’s just 3.6″ tall in a slick black anodized case that feels more like a piece of high-end audio gear than a computer. The system features a slot-loading DVD

The real killer here is that this is more than simply an HTPC. The DHS A is a complete home entertainment system, featuring 1000 watts of on-board amplification as well as high definition video via HDMI outputs. The system is powered by an AMD Athlon 64×2 dual-core processor, and features the D2Audio Digital Audio Engine (DAE-1) digital amplification for superior audio quality.

Starting at $1,000 with a 160GB hard drive, an optional upgrade will let you expand to up to 1.5 Terabytes of storage. The DHS A is expected to hit the streets by early 2007.

[via SCI FI Tech]