Samsung rolls out second generation WiMax devices in Korea

While Sprint teases us with their beleaguered WiMax offering, Samsung is already shipping product for KT's and SKT's year-old WiBro service in South Korea. In fact, they've already moved onto their second generation of devices available starting today. The list includes the SPH-9200 HSDPA, WiFi, and Mobile WiMax totin' butterfly XP device we've seen before. New, is that pair of SPH-H1300 and SWT-H200K USB Mobile WiMax modems and CDMA SPH-M8200 candybar running Windows Mobile 6 on EV-DO and Mobile WiMax data beneath that biggie touchscreen display. Now please Google, just cut to the chase and acquire Sprint so that we can get a taste of that high-speed mobile data on a homegrown frequency, too. Pretty please, with sugar?

Philips and Lite-on announce a $199 Blu-ray drive

All the action in the next-gen format war might be at the front lines of cut-rate players, but the battle rages on across the entire spectrum of devices -- which is why we've seen the poor $199 DH-401S BD-ROM drive from Philips and Lite-on touted as the answer to those $200 HD-A2s in a couple places. That's quite a stretch, obviously, but it's still much cheaper than any other BD-ROM drives we've seen. The read-only SATA drive pulls data off BD media at 4X, single layer DVDs at 12X, DVD-DL and DVD±RW at 8x, and CDs at 32X. Giving up write capabilites is obviously limiting, but for those of you building out HTPCs, this bad boy might be just the ticket.

Actiontec's zControl router extends networks to TVs, cellphones

We really, really wish we knew a bit more about Actiontec's ZCHAV1, but our interest has been officially piqued, regardless. Following in the footsteps of a few niche products already announced, this "router accessory" claims to extend home networks to televisions, cellphones and "other devices," and it will reportedly enable users to "control all network components from any display platform." Granted, this firm is no newcomer to cranking out multifaceted networking gizmos, but it looks like we'll be playing the ole wait-and-see game with the zControl.

SILVER SEAL Antibacterial Dishwasher Safe Mouse & Keyboard

If you have small kids or work in an office where several people share your mouse and keyboard you are probably aware that the mouse and keyboard of most computers are hotbeds for germs and viruses. Seal Shield has a new mouse and keyboard called the SILVER SEAL that have antibacterial properties and can be washed in the dishwasher.

This is the ideal mouse and keyboard for use in medical settings since the silver ion is embedded into the plastic so the antibacterial properties don’t wear off over time. When it comes time to clean the mouse and keyboard of dirt and debris, they are both completely submergible and dishwasher safe. The SILVER SEAL mouse and keyboard will begin shipping in November at an undisclosed price.

HP offers up HD DVD / Blu-ray drives on select Pavilion desktops

Just last month, we heard rumblings that HP may begin offering up two-faced optical drives in its desktops, and sure enough, a variety of select Pavilions are now being served up with HD DVD and / or Blu-ray compatibility. The d4995t, m9000t and m9000z all give users the option of purchasing a vanilla dual-layer DVD burner, an HD DVD / Blu-ray combo player (that also burns DVDs), or a drive that burns Blu-ray / DVD and reads HD DVD. Additionally, a number of lesser-spec'd rigs also provide users the option of picking up an HD combo drive of some sort, and you can even snap up ATI's TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner on the d4995t and m9000t (among others).

Dell gets official with webcam-packing SP2008WFP monitor

Not that it'll come as much of a surprise to anyone that followed ourWeek o' Dell Scoops , but the company has now finally gotten official with its 20-inch SP2008WFP monitor, which is particularly notable for inclusion of a built-in webcam. That cam is of the 2.0 megapixel variety, and also includes a built-in microphone to let you get in some videoconferencing with minimal clutter. Otherwise, you can expect some pretty solid specs across the board, including a 1680 x 1050 resolution, a 2,000:1 contrast ratio, a 2 ms response time, a 300cd/m2 brightness rating, and both VGA and DVI ports (with HDCP), not to mention four USB 2.0 ports. One thing we didn't know before was the price, which has now been revealed to be just $289. No complaints there.

Cheap keyboard boasts handwriting recognition

Initially, the thought of having a Keyboard a built-in writing pad seems pretty nifty, but when you realize that this particular one is understandably missing a numerical keypad (not to mention any signs of quality), your opinion may change. Nevertheless, this interesting hybrid device, labeled by A1Pro, reportedly touts the ability to recognize your handwriting and withstand the expletives that are sure to fly when fishing about for the incredibly tiny Backspace key. 'Course, that about rounds up its feature list, but hey, what else would you expect for a mere $25.48?

Razer cranks out Pro|Click Mobile Bluetooth mouse

Razer has certainly been on a tear of late, and the firm is keepin' the new gear flowing with the Pro|Click Mobile. Shipping worldwide today (to retailers, we presume), this diminutive critter touts an ambidextrous design, Bluetooth 2.0, an optical sensor, and four interesting titled colors including "naughty, nice, sugar, and spice (black, white, pink and red respectively)." Unfortunately, interested customers won't be able to get their hands around one until "mid-October" for $49.99