Microsoft Surface (Codename: Milan), is a multi-touch product from Microsoft which is developed as a software and hardware combination technology that allows a user, or multiple users, to manipulate digital content by the use of natural motions, hand gestures, or physical objects. It was announced on May 29, 2007 at D5 conference.  Initial customers will be in the hospitality businesses, such as restaurants, hotels, retail, public entertainment venues and the military for tactical overviews. The preliminary launch was on April 17, 2008, when Surface became available for customer use in AT&T stores. The Surface is also being used in the CBS series CSI: MIAMI, where the crime lab uses it for investigation purposes, the MSNBC coverage of the 2008 US presidential election, Disneyland’s future home exhibits, and various hotels and casinos.

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Android is a software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and key applications. This beta version of the Android SDK provides the tools and APIs necessary to begin developing applications on the Android platform using the Java programming language.

Features

• Application framework enabling reuse and replacement of components
• Dalvik virtual machine optimized for mobile devices
• Integrated browser based on the open source WebKit engine
• Optimized graphics powered by a custom 2D graphics library; 3D graphics based on the OpenGL ES 1.0 specification (hardware acceleration optional)
• SQLite for structured data storage
• Media support for common audio, video, and still image formats (MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG, GIF)
• GSM Telephony (hardware dependent)
• Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G, and WiFi (hardware dependent)
• Camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer (hardware dependent)
• Rich development environment including a device emulator, tools for debugging, memory and performance profiling, and a plugin for the Eclipse IDE

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Today Nokia announced that their Qt cross-platform User Interface (UI) and applications framework would be available under the Lesser General Public License (LGPL) version 2.1 license from the release of Qt 4.5 that is scheduled for March 2009.

In addition, Qt will now be available from a new source over at www.qtsoftware.com. This move to LGPL licensing will provide open source developers with more permissive licensing than GPL and also increase flexibility for the developers. The Qt source code repositories will be made publicly available and will encourage contributions not only from desktop but also embedded developer communities. These changes are meant to drive developers to evolve the Qt framework.

If you believe the little rumor birdies (or the guys over at IGN), it seems that Nintendo’s DSi will be dropping much sooner than anyone had anticipated.  On top of that, there’s also a rumored price for the DSi.

Nokia have announced a new bundle featuring one of their latest cellphones and a sports accessory.  The Nokia N79 Active set includes both the N79 handset and the Polar Bluetooth WearLink heart rate belt, which together with the new version of the Nokia Sports Tracker application allow you to monitor performance and map exercise then share those details online.

It looks as though two new Rhapsody-powered MP3 players are getting ready to rumble, and they won’t be satisfied until they win the world title for “most uncreative model names”.  Haier America has announced the Ibiza Mini and the Ibiza Touch.  Mini and Touch – now why do those sound familiar?

Use of previous iPod model names aside, both Ibiza devices have some pretty cool features – namely, Wi-Fi for web browsing, music downloading and internet radio streaming, amongst other things.  The Mini will have a smaller, 2.2-inch screen with a four-way directional pad for control, while the Touch will have a 2.8-inch touchscreen.  The Touch will also be equipped with Bluetooth.

A recent tip from a trusted source over at CrunchGear has just given some information on the newest Palm smartphone to be running the new Nova operating system. This new phone set to launch on Thursday is said to have a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard.