It’s official, Google has lost the rights to the Gmail name in Germany thanks to a similarly named paid email service. Daniel Giersch, founder of “G-mail…und die Post geht richtig ab“, has been at odds with Google since 2005 about the Gmail trademark. A court decision in mid-2007 ruled that Google would not be able to use the Gmail brand for its e-mail service there. Users in and travelling to Germany will have to copy and paste “mail.google.com” into their browsers to access their Gmail accounts. I’m just puzzled why they haven’t paid this guy a few million bucks to buy over his company yet. [The Local DE via HardwareZone]

When it comes to redundancy, I don’t see how much more you can get by putting a plastic chair on top of a bean bag. Bean bags are supposed to be for chilling, relaxing while plastic chairs usually mean serious work by giving you stability, putting one on top of the other is like putting a square peg in a round hole. Some say it solves the problem of falling over when leaning back (or as we call it here in Singapore, rocking) on your chair, but I’d stick to Homer/Edison’s six legged chair for that. I guess we’ll have to wait for a review to really judge. [OhGizmo]

Less than a week after Kohjinsha introduced their pair of Atom powered UMPCs, Panasonic introduces their new TOUGHBOOK based on Intel’s ultra-cheap and ultra-low powered processors. Not only does it run Vista noticeably faster than other Atom devices, it’s probably the toughest UMPCs around too, being shock-proof and water resistant and all. Don’t try bringing your prawn into the water when you shower though, it’s water-resistant, not water-proof. The CF-U1 will be available in Japan in October[AkihabaraNews]

Mobile Phone Operator Orange has teamed up with GotWind to produce a kinetic charger for mobile phones. Weighing only as much as a phone and having the size of a deck of cards, the device straps onto your arm and uses its magnets and weights to generate an electric current, which in turn charges your mobile phone. Needless to say, clever people will just grab the device and shake it like a polaroid peeeek-cha. [Reuters]

Before the EEE PC, the cheap UMPC domain was mainly ruled by Japanese manufacturer Kohjinsha. However, the sluggish GEODE/A110 processor and the lack of updates (until now) have made many of their fans jump ship to other options such as the Asus EEE PC and the HP Mini-Note. Kohjinsha looks to set the record straight by unveiling two new models powered by Z520 atom processors.

Their new flagship SX series comes with an 8.9″ LCD at 1280×768, 1GB of RAM, a 60GB HDD, DVD Writer, and an ExpressCard/34 slot.

Its smaller sibling, the SC series has a 7″ LCD at 1024×600, 1GB of RAM, a 60GB HDD and a GPS receiver. Both models come with 802.11b/g, two USB 2.0 ports and a 1-Seg Tuner, a 1.3 Megapixel Camera and a 3 in 1 card reader.

These two new models will surely attract a mixed bag of reviews. While I appreciate the ExpressCard/34 slot no the SX series, the lack of draft-N gives me second thoughts considering the Atom powered EEE PCs will be able to take advantage of the better speeds and range that draft-N can offer. One thing’s for sure, that 1-Seg tuner makes the already “FOR GRANDMOTHERS” design look even more el-cheapo. Chick attraction probability? I’d say about negative one. [Akihabara News]

Instead of chasing the 4K train, Mitsubishi has decided to add an extra dimensional feature to their latest line of TVs. Don’t start cutting your cellophane sheets yet though, gone are the days of red and blue 3D paper glasses. These babies make use of circularly polarized glasses – pretty much the same ones they hand out at your local IMAX theatre.

Mitsubishi also has Nvidia on board to enhance some DirectX games so you can expect to see that car REALLY flying towards you in Crysis (provided your card can run it with the 3d processing). The extra dimension is only available for inputs from PC sources though, so you will have to wait a bit longer to enjoy your Blu-Ray discs in 3D. [Crave]

The Canon Selphy line of printers have been refreshed with two new designs, the C760 and C770. Basically the same dye-sublimation technology at 300dpi is being used here, no surprise there, since print quality and durability is amazing even on the first generation models. Both models sport a 2.5″ LCD, a card reader for 21 kinds of memory cards, and optional bluetooth. The C770 adds IrDA and support for an optional battery pack.

Those designers over at Canon must have been high on cough syrup when they came out with the designs for these printers. The bucket design holds no practical or aesthetic value at all and the previous generation actually looks more like a printer than something your kid would bring to the beach. Well now you can look like a total douche when trick your children into carrying this for you on your next vacation, we’re pretty sure it’ll keep those muggers away too. [HardwareZone]

After heading Microsoft for 33 years, William Henry Gates III, probably the world’s humblest former-richest-man , will be retiring form the company he and friend Paul Allen co-founded on June 27th. His various duties will be inherited by three people, including current CEO Steve Ballmer.

Many analysts are already commenting on Microsoft’s poor form since Bill’s transitional retirement began two years ago. Vista’s been a flop, the Yahoo deal vaporized and by capitalizing on Vista’s weaknesses, the Mac gained popularity faster than before. His larger-than-life role as a founder may also be a huge gap to fill in. Bill oh Bill, Microsoft may miss you as a leader and visionary, but we’ll certainly miss you because there’s one less victim of pie and egg attacks to write about. [Yahoo! News]

If you’re a guy who’s constantly on the move like myself, you’d probably be interested in this ingenious yet simple gadget by ThinkGeek. The Connect-A-Desk gives you a surface for your laptop wherever you go, enabling you to walk and do some (hopefully productive) work at the same time. Just think of the possibilities, no more dreaming on the subway, no more looking away from the screen when walking home.And once the novelty wears off, the thought of you losing your dignity, your perfect posture and your laptop to snatch thieves (it has no Kensington Lock) may make you think thrice before actually putting this to frequent use. I can already smell the Class Action lawsuits. [ThinkGeek via The UberReview]

TakaraTomy, co-maker of The Transformers toys may have solved one big problem for most gadget lovers – The hole in the pocket. Deposit some money into it and you will be able to purchase weapons, armour and other items for your character. Theoretical maximum capacity is approximately 50,000 yen (around US$500). No news yet if other currencies will be supported.

Saving money when you’re constantly tempted with new gizmos is often easier said than done, but if this is what it takes to get you saving, then hey, A penny saved is still a penny earned. I’d have to admit, the Tamagotchi-like 2D graphics do not help and kind of adds insult to the injury, rubs salt into your wounds though. [Akihabara News]