I don’t think we need to pay too close attention to this lawsuit, since it’s so plainly without merit, but I do like to document it when these absurd patent lawsuits are filed. Some say it’s better to just ignore these jokers, but I think the “point and laugh” approach is worth it as well. H-W Technologies, on the strength of a patent that’s essentially for a smartphone, has filed suit against pretty much every major phone manufacturer, including Apple, RIM, HTC, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Nokia, Kyocera, and Sony Ericsson. They also include a number of online stores that sell these infringing phones… and Hotels.com. Why Hotels.com? Because they, along with Expedia and a few other companies, have “products that have systems and/or methods for allowing a multi-convergence device utilizing a domain specific application to complete a merchant transaction without the need to generate a voice call.” I don’t think the absurdity of this patent can be

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EA Sports is working on a follow-up to last year’s reboot of NBA Jam , but this one’s going download-only. NBA Jam: On Fire Edition is set to take the court in October for both PS3 and Xbox Live (no Wii release announced) and will arrive via PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade, respectively. It’s worth noting that last year’s game was a full $50 retail release, but a stripped-down version was originally planned as a downloadable title free to those who purchased new copies of the ill-fated NBA Elite 11 . On Fire Edition will benefit from new opponent AI (adapted from the Fight Night titles), revamped visuals and a host of new online features including an online co-op “Road Trip” campaign mode and roster updates. The new AI is promising competition that “learns your tendencies and throws them back in your face.” Y’know, kind of like having the…

PSN users and League of Legends players have demonstrated the power of really easy participation in charity initiatives. From March 19 through March 31, the PSN charity drive , which allowed users to donate to the Red Cross directly from their PSN wallets (and get a special theme as thanks) raised

A Twitter-enabled kitty door it is not, but this RFID-equipped soda machine is by far one of the most practical DIY projects we’ve seen in sometime. A Canadian tinkerer picked up this pop pusher a few years back, and has been using it to sling drinks in his building ever since. Unfortunately, finding the right change to feed the machine proved an issue for his neighbors, so he did what any logical hacker would do, and built in a contactless payment system . Using an Arduino, an Ethernet shield, an LCD screen, and an RFID reader, he created a system that allows customers to swipe a card and easily add funds from an online account. Best of all, every time you press that little blue button you get a Mario Bros. sample . Big ups, PopCARD. Video after the break.

So Nikon just put out its new T3i for consumers looking for both great stills and cinematic video. But a problem DSLRs face with video is the poor sound quality — they generally have weak little pinhole mics that suck wind and sound worse than cell phones. You can get a third-party mic, but it looks like Nikon wants to keep it all in the family, so they’re putting out a DSLR microphone of their own: the ME-1.” It’s designed to filter out autofocus noise and wind, and it’s totally powered by the camera. It attaches to the hot shoe, so you won’t be able to put an external monitor or LED rig there, but eh, not that big of a deal. Camera-mounted lighting is a pain anyway. It’ll cost you $180, which if you ask me is a bit much. You can get some pretty decent gear for under that if you spend a little time trolling the forums and specialty review sites. I’d wait until the ME-1 gets thoroughly tested before trusting it with

Shooting great pictures on film may be little more than a fuzzy memory these days, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t lots of people with awesome film camera systems gathering dust on the shelf. This cartridge aims to make your hip vintage camera gear useful again, by letting you shoot digital images.

Minimalists looking for a task manager should take a closer look at TaskPaper for OS X , which is now on sale at US$4.99, a $25 discount off its normal $29.99. The app recently launched in the Mac App Store, and Hog Bay Software dropped the price for a limited time to celebrate TaskPaper’s debut. This $5 pricing will be available until Friday, April 8. Developed by the same company that released WriteRoom, TaskPaper is a text editor-based task manager that mimics a handwritten list. If you are inspired to add an item to your growing to-do list, you only have to launch the app, type in your thoughts and hit return to add it to your list. We have covered TaskPaper since version 1.0 and have been pleased with its simplicity and ease of use . If you have any interest in the application, grab it now before its price goes back up on Friday.

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Vizio has certainly achieved the sweet spot between pricing and quality where their consumer electronics devices in the US are concerned, especially their range of TVs. Well, the company’s most recent 32″ and 42″ models of the E3D series HDTVs have been seen listed for pre-order over at Amazon for $499 and $699 as predicted. If you have a fetish for model numbers, then you will be well pleased to know they’re called in a rather unpronounceable E3D320VX and E3D420VX, with shipping set to commence anywhere from three to five weeks. Of coourse, the new 3D TVs will be accompanied by a dual-sided QWERTY remote control if you must know what are some of the more outstanding “peripherals” you’d get right out of the box. Best to get those 3D glasses ready beforehand, too, while stocking up on your 3D movie collection. Vizio E3D series of HDTVs arrive on Amazon , By Ubergizmo . Top Stories : iPad 2 Review , Atrix Review ,