Paramount says they plan to stuff movies into the new Seagate FreeAgent Go 500GB hard drive for easy transport. Just don’t expect to get every Paramount movie ever made — or even all of your favorites. Instead, the device will come preloaded with options for 21 specific movies, as well as a free offer to get the recent Star Trek reboot.

Now the bad news: Star Trek will be a freebie, but you’ll have to pay for a license key to unlock the rest. Once they hook you with the magical powers and special effects of Star Trek, you can choose from other titles including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, GI Joe, Ghost, Jackass 2.5, and The Italian Job, among others. Pay between $9.99 to $14.99 per title, and each purchased movie will be licensed for use multiple devices.

This is one of the more interesting studio moves I’ve seen lately. So many seem wrapped up with trying new and interesting ways to get content to consumers. I like it. Seagate says that the device could technically hold up to 200 movies, which makes it an interesting option.

The FreeAgent 500GB is available now for $99.99 on the Seagate website. It’s available elsewhere too, just not with the movie option. It should hit shelves fairly soon, so keep your eyes peeled for the specially marked packages.

Think that a smaller scanner can’t give you what you want? Well this one comes with a robust set of features. It has the ability to scan to standard images as well as a variety of other formats. It can scan directly to a PDF, which is perfect for sending business documents. It can also scan directly into Microsoft Excel , which allows you to input data into your spreadsheet on the fly. No stress and no mess.

If you are worried about the speed of this mini-scanner then you will be pleased to know that this baby can take on up to 8 double-sided color pages per minute. Admittedly, this does not make it the fastest model on the market, but it does provide a fair rate for most users and probably even a few small offices.

Speaking of your office, if your office is a cross platform one you may find a lot of problems with buying devices, but this will save you some trouble since it is cross platform compatible. So both Windows and Mac based PC users will be able to use it without any stress or fuss. Something that makes both end users and system admins happy. Not to mention anyone who has to setup this device at home.

The machine can be powered either by the AC power cord or by a USB cord, which is good news if you are on the go with a laptop. Just be aware that this model may give you some sticker shock as it will set you back $295 to get your hands on one.

The HP w2338h full HD monitor truly is one of those things that you don’t know how much you need until you actually have it. From the casual everyday computer user to the full time online worker like myself this sleek and stylish monitor really makes everyday online use a joy and much more productive.

I apologize for not getting this message to you sooner but, there is still time left if you want to pick up one of these at amazon.com. The cheapest price I could find around, with one day shipping for $225 and I couldn’t think of a better gift. If you would rather see it for yourself, my local BestBuy still has a few in stock and if you get the chance, you will not be disappointed. The picture is clear, the HDMI input cuts down on the wires cluttered behind your desk, and the ability to watch widescreen movies right through netflix at your desk is worth the price alone.

For those of you who like the geeky details take a look at the specs below and for those of you who just want to know in layman’s terms like me… this monitor is awesome and the price is so affordable that I was instantly sold. Its not often that someone as picky as me is blown away by a product but for the price, this is hands down the best purchase I made for myself all year long.

• 16:9 aspect ratio for optimal viewing of movies, photos, on-line games
• Brightview technology for reduced glare, sharp images
• Resolution: 1920 x 1080p
• Dynamic contrast ratio: 3000:1
• Response time: 5 ms
• Integrated speakers; 2W per channel
• VGA and HDMI inputs

I think my favorite part is the fan. Are people really getting *that* hot while working at their computers? Couldn’t they just layer or turn down the heat? Maybe a cool glass of water could do the trick? Clearly, I don’t get the appeal of the USB personal fan, but it seems to be a pretty standard USB gadget.

Seriously though, this is an extremely sleek and very multi-functional hub that’s sure to impress Apple lovers (for whom everything must be white) and design aficionados. It kind of reminds me of the camera-ball device from 12 Monkeys, or something built by the Kaminoans (the really tall aliens responsible for building the clone army in Star Wars). It retails for$89.99 on the LaCie site.

The orb-hub was designed exclusively for LaCie by Paris-based Ora-Ïto, the same designer behind the company’s golden hard drives and lego-brick drives.

Did I mention it comes with all the super-awesome communicator sound effects? The only downside to this is that I work from home, meaning no one will be able to see how truly awesome I am every time  I take a Skype call. I think a trip to the neighborhood wifi coffee shop will be in order.

The phone’s not released yet, but it’s due out in April through Dream Cheeky, a site known for its bizarre USB-powered gadgets.

Of course, fuzzy green feelings aside, there are definitely some other products on the short list that could have a far further-reaching impact than a coffee-powered printer.

Like a power socket that offers 5V, 16V and standard 120V to cut down on the need for power transformers and the use of disposable batteries in our electronics. Or Blink, an affordable attachment that uses a photo-sensitive cell to turn off lights when they’re not needed.

I was also intrigued by Eco-Neighbuzz, an internal telecom system that lets residents of a housing development or building exchange messages quickly. What kind of messages? Well, ones about needing to borrow a tool, giving away something, wanting to share a ride, etc. At first I was blown away by this one, but then I remembered that I’ve been a member of my neighborhood email listserv for years and it serves the same purpose, but without the need for a dedicated communications device in every home.

You can’t buy the coffee-ink printer yet, but we’ll keep you posted on the status.

Definitely not your standard-issue black plastic, this hard drive is designed by Ito Morabito of Ora-Ito. You may remember him as the Parisian designer who created a series of Lego-block-shaped hard drives for LaCie back in 2005. Well, he’s back with another LaCie drive and this time it’s a 500GB, Hi-Speed, USB 2.0 beast that looks like a gold brick (click here for more specs).

The drive sells for $189 and it’s surprisingly functional for what seems like a novelty product. You’re only getting 500GB of storage, which for $200 isn’t the best. But, the drive is driver-free, plug-and-play and fanless. That means it’s quiet and easy to use. It also comes with a two-year warranty from LaCie, one of the better drive manufacturers.

The best part? LaCie describes it on their website as “500GB of capacity under a glitter wave.” Something definitely got lost in the translation there, but we’re loving it anyway. Of course, I chickened out in the end and opted for a more “practical” (read: boring) 1TB Western Digital My Book.

The lightweight aluminum FreeLoader unfolds to reveal two solar panels and comes with a USB charging cable, plus eleven standard adapters for your major cell phone, digital camera, PDA, GPS, and MP3 gadgets — and if the standard set doesn’t fit your device, there are extra accessories available to fill out your set (like an iPod adapter — now you can take long roadtrips and not worry about running out of tunes after 8 hours). Available for $49.95 from firebox.com, the FreeLoader is a great add to your power arsenal without breaking the bank.

Easy fix: Bicygnals, detachable magnetic lights that fix to your handlebar and under your saddle that’ll tell everyone in traffic just where you’re headed. The signal switches are located right beside your handlebar shifters, so doing the right thing is as easy as pushing a button. Each set (front and back LED displays) require 4 AA batteries, with an option to use the front headlight and rear red indication in full beam or flashing mode. And when you’re not on the road, the kit comes with a compact carrying case so you can throw it in your bag and not worry about leaving the lights on your bike. All in all, this genius set is a must-have for any city or night riders, and is ready to order now for £39.95.

But whatever, let’s pretend that 2008 is the year of renewed optimism and faith — yes, dear advertiser, we will eat up every promise you throw at us and swallow with a smile because it’s 2008 and we really want to believe! So Logitech, here’s your shot, make us proud: hot off the PR wires, take in the Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote. It’s black, it doesn’t have a zillion buttons, it’s got its own full color touch screen, it’s ergonomic… it’s… it’s even ever expanding. With the self proclaimed “World’s Largest A/V Control Database”, the remote is ready to support more than 225,000 devices from more than 5,000 brands, with new items being added to the list every day. Could this really be the end of multi-remote woes? For $249.99, here’s to hoping.