As expected, Gmail has a brand new toy for us to play with - Google Buzz. Google Buzz is a brand new way to start conversations about stuff that interests you, while sharing various updates such as photos and videos with your family and friends among others. Since Buzz is already incorporated into Gmail itself, there is nothing to do on your part to make sure everything runs fine. Bear in mind that at time of publishing, Google Buzz might not appear in your Gmail since Google is still in the process of rolling it out worldwide. Sharing information is also made painless and easy, since all responses will be sent by Buzz directly to your inbox in real-time. If you can't be in front of your computer all the time, fret not. Google Buzz is also available on selected cellphones/smartphones. Are you buzzing with excitement?

Belkin has modified its cooler pad design to include a new attachment called the Airflow Wing. This USB-powered cooler pad uses a fan and wave shaped design to enhance circulation and lets the hot air flow up and away from the laptop. It’s currently up for pre-order at Amazon for $24.99, which is a few dollars cheaper than the competitors (who are selling it for $30 or so). Despite the presence of the Airflow Wing, it seems that the cooler pad looks good, and should function rather nicely.

Google will be bringing you the Street View feature all the way from Whistler Mountain, which comprises of "a range of rugged mountains, trails of snow, fir trees and placid lakes below." Doesn't it just boggle the mind as to Google's ability to gather imagery at 7,000 feet above sea level? This was made possible thanks to a snowmobile decked out with cameras that are capable of capturing slope-level imagery of several runs on Whistler Blackcomb Mountains. Apart from that, you will be able to enjoy 3D models and Street View imagery of all the competition venues at the Winter Olympics, alongside new aerial imagery of the Vancouver-Whistler area. Those pretty images just pique one's interest to take a vacation there.

AMD has rolled out its latest ATI Radeon HD 5570 graphics card which is an energy efficient, low-profile DirectX 11 card that targets small form factor PCs. Despite its relatively small size, it still sports full DirectX 11 support, ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology and ATI Stream capabilities. Just as we ought not to judge a book by its cover, let us also not do the same by the size of a video card - in this case, the Radeon HD 5570 is capable of delivering full 1080p HD playback while handing the full Microsoft Windows 7 experience without missing a beat - now how about that! It will sell for under the $80 banner while boasting a maximum of 1GB of onboard GDDR3 RAM alongside a 650MHz core clock speed, sipping a mere 43W of juice under a full load. Any takers? [Press Release]

Netgear's latest MBRN3300 is the result of a collaboration with Ericsson, where the device is capable of using an internal 3G modem which includes HSPA+ at roughly 20Mbps, while sharing that link via either 802.11n Wi-Fi or through a quartet of 100Mbps Ethernet ports - it all depends on what your home network setup is like. Both Ericsson and Netgear is priming the MBRN3300 for households where regular cable, DSL or fiber isn't available, as well as those who rely on completely mobile local networks. Heck, you can juice it up with you wherever you go in a car, thanks to the optional car charger and a battery pack that does not need a traditional plug. No idea on its pricing since Netgear hopes to make the MBRN3300 available from various telco carriers.

Seagate has announced its Savvio 10K.4 hard drive which is touted to be the highest capacity and most reliable 2.5" enterprise-class drive in the world, hitting a maximum capacity of 600GB while boasting a 2 million hour MTBF (Mean Time Before Failure) solution. Targeting enterprise servers while enabling new levels of data density in external storage arrays, the Savvio 10K.4 has twice the capacity of its nearest rival. No idea on pricing though. [Press Release]

Elecom has a couple of new memory card readers available in Japan - the USB-style MR-A001BK as well as the cable-type MR-A002 series. The former is capable of handling up to 10 different types of memory cards, including the latest SDXC format which maxes out at a whopping 64GB, while the MR-A002 series plays around with 32 different types of media including SDXC, alongside the Memory Stick range from Sony sans an adapter. Design-wise, there is nothing much to shout about although we're pretty happy with them in terms of practicality. After all, isn't it better to be prepared than get caught with your pants down?

After the NVIDIA Optimus teaser was posted in early January, there was some speculation about what it was, but we now have first-hand information: NVIDIA Optimus is an architecture for multi-GPU computers (typically integrated + discrete) that allows the operating system to seamlessly switch between integrated and discrete graphics. The goal is to use the most appropriate graphics processor at any given time in order to minimize power consumption or maximize performance.

I’ve seen it in action, and I can tell you that it is leaps and bounds better than what is out there today. Typically, today’s computers require several steps in order to switch from one GPU to another. It’s not intuitive and most users don’t even bother doing it because it’s a hassle.

Handheld has rolled out its Algiz 7 rugged tablet that is able to take its fair share of knocks while getting on just fine without missing a beat. After all, it features plus IP65 and MIL-STD 810G ruggedness, running on Windows 7 Professional while featuring a 7" widescreen tablet display, with an Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor running within. The Algiz 7 also sports a 64GB SSD as well as 2GB of RAM, coupled with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS navigation, a 2-megapixel camera with LED flash and optional 3G cellular capability for you to remain connected on the go via high-speed GSM/UMTS/EVDO data transmission. Being Gobi 2000-ready, it has built-in antennas and works great outdoors thanks to its special MaxView screen technology. It has a hot-swappable 2,600mAh dual battery pack which allows you to change batteries on-the-fly without having to shut down. No idea on pricing though, which is a bummer.

The GuruPlug is an all-in-one server that is ready for pre-order if you lack the technical know how as well as wizardry to build one of these for yourself. This next generation SheevaPlug comes with new goodies including a couple of Gigabit Ethernet ports, a solitary eSATA connector, integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity (also found in the original) in addition to all that is available on the original SheevaPlug. It retails for $129 which is $30 more, and the fact that it sips a mere 5 watts of juice makes it all the more interesting.

Google isn't going to let the popularity of social networking just pass by them without doing anything about it - word has it that the Internet search giant is taking on Facebook and Twitter on their own turf, thanks to a new module in Gmail which can stream media and status updates of online friends. Hmm, this module more or less resembles a Gmail Labs feature that can be enabled or disabled at the account holder's discretion. Some might not say that this feature is worthy enough to be a rival since Google has already integrated Twitter updates in its search, but it could be a stab at Facebook considering Facebook is already mulling over plans to introduce their own email service.

The MotKey flash drive from Active Media Products was specially designed to resemble that of an actual key, allowing you to use it on your key ring, which means you can carry it with you virtually everywhere you go on another bunch of important keys like that of your home or car. Of course, the downside to this would be losing said set of keys, which means all your information stored there would be privy to other people's eyes when they stumble upon it. It is rather safe to assume that more people lose loose USB flash drives than keys, right? You can choose from 4GB or 8GB capacities with prices not surpassing the $25 mark.

The Core Grid Vigood U220 netbook is certainly not on most peoples' radars since this isn't from one of the major netbook manufacturers, but to be fair, it ought to be pretty well known in China considering this is a China-originated brand. Just like people being all alike under the skin, so are netbooks, with the Vigood U220 sporting an Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz processor, 1GB RAM, a 250GB hard drive, a 10.2" display, a 1.3-megapixel webcam, the usual array of USB 2.0 ports and Wi-Fi connectivity. What makes the Vigood U220 stand out from the rest would be its metal chassis for an added touch of class. It seems that this pretty little netbook is going for approximately $350 in that part of the world.

We looked at the MiniGuru keyboard concept last month, and we're pleased to announce that this idea has a higher chance of crossing into the realm of reality, with a targeted release date of Q4 this year. Hopefully it will make it out in time for Christmas, as we're pretty sure that there will be a fair share of curious people who are interested to know just how the MiniGuru ends up in real life use. It is meant to be ergonomic in nature, helping keep your fingers on the home row thanks to a trio of function layers. A built-in pointing stick does go some way in turning this into a self-sustaining computer peripheral for you to bring on your travels.