Volvo says that its nifty web-connected rear-entertainment system includes Windows XP, Wi-Fi access and a 500GB hard drive. That means you can surf the web, download applications and even just enjoy video — all from a digital touchscreen in the backseat.

We’re guessing this might lead to less backseat driving and fewer pitstops. Or, you just might become the favorite in your carpool crew.

However, the fun doesn’t stop once you hit the driveway. The RSEi-500 allows users to connect the car to a home computer, allowing video, audio and other content to be transferred pretty easily. That way, you can stock up for the next day’s drive.

Volvo was just at the Chicago Auto Show, showing off the RSEi-500 inside a 2010 Volvo XC70. The RSEi-500 is scheduled to launch in various Volvo models this June.

[Photo via Motortrend]

Sadly, HBOGo.com actually isn’t offering Entourage, but there are 600 hours of HBO’s other finest, including Band of Brothers, Big Love, True Blood, and even “oldies” like The Sopranos and Sex and the City. It also offers a lot of theatrical titles. At last peek, I saw Watchmen, Frost/Nixon, Tropic Thunder, and A Knight’s Tale were just a few of the many selections.

Here comes the bad news: You need to be an HBO subscriber to get the goods. Even worse, you need to be a subscriber with FiOS TV or Comcast. That means if you’re shelling out for HBO and have satellite, FiOS and Comcast subs are laughing at you. Maybe not; they could be too busy watching The Wire. Apparently, other providers will be added at some point, so keep checking the site for updates.

Also, HBO isn’t messing around with the tagline, “Its HBO. On Your Computer.” Users will need either a PC and Mac to get the good stuff. There’s currently no word on smartphone capabilities, which pretty much means it has none. Without the option of putting a tiny Bill Maher in your pocket, we’re not sure where you’d use the three subaccounts each household can have. For the kids at school? Watch the Heidi Fleiss doc at work? Whatever you decide, each account can be tweaked with personalized Watchlists, parental controls, and viewing options.

According to the cable net, HBO Go has four times the content of in-demand. To sign up or see what you’re missing out on, check out the HBO Go site.

According to Bloomberg, the company is already planning to build its own tablet computer. “We will respond,” said J.K. Shin, president of Samsung’s mobile-communication division in the interview on February 14.

It should be pretty easy for them to do that, too. Samsung actually builds the processor that powers Apple’s iPad. If all goes well, the manufacturer should be able to clean up from both sides, as supplier and competitor. Analysts Needham & Co. are predicting that the iPad will sell about 2 million units this year, with another 6 million shipping out in 2011.

In the meantime, Samsung is getting serious about its position in other areas of the mobile market. They’ve been out and about, showing off the new 1GHz-processor handset, also known as the Wave (pictured). Aside from positioning Samsung as a major smartphone player, this product will also debut the company’s own Bada operating system. “This is the biggest challenge we’re facing this year,” Shin said.

Well, that and the whole tablet launch thing. Samsung has no details on those plans. However, iPad prices will start at $499, with Wi-Fi models shipping next month.

The embedded operating platform runs on Linux with an integrated UPnP server and USB access for direct access from computer to peripheral and back again. Ripserver is available in two different storage sizes — both 500GB and 1TB — and is compatible with any media player or device that can network share. Reserve yours now for £599 – £699 directly from the manufacturer’s website.

Sentry Group and Maxtor made the announcement today at the Consumer Electronics Show in New York, previewing six new Data and Document Security products that specifically protect digital assets. King among the group was the introduction of the FIRE-SAFE/Waterproof Hard Drive, containing the Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini hard drive with a full suite of software protection tools and new software that allows for nearly instantaneous restoration of an entire computer system including applications and personal settings. But it’s not just a low-hassle recovery drive, oh no — the drive is set in a protected enclosure that promises to protect data from fire AND water, ETL verified for fire protection for 30 minutes up to 1550 degrees and fully-submersible waterproof for up to 24 hours (on the 25th hour, the barnacles start doing their dirty work I guess).

The new FIRE-SAFE/Waterproof Hard Drive is available in 80 and 160 GB models for $259.99 and $319.99 directly from the SentrySafe website.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on one of these Intellinet home kits and I must say that it really does an outstanding job. I happen to have an older house that I would rather not be ripping apart to run my own cat5 lines and I just can’t stand the unreliability and slower speed of regular wireless connecting so the Homeplug is a perfect solution. The best part of this product was that it is so easy to use and set up that I can say with confidence that absolutely anyone could do it

The Ethernet Bridge Kit came with everything I needed including two bridges, plugs, and Ethernet cables to connect to my router and any other workstation of my choice. I had my network up and running within 5 minutes of un-boxing with its exceptional plug and play capabilities and the performance was better than I expected. My testing station was a full 3 rooms and 50 feet away from my router and I had no noticeable loss in speed from a standard Ethernet connection and 4X better speeds than my wireless connection. At 17 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up I could not detect the slightest difference in my connection speeds.

I can’t stress enough just how pleased I was with this device and how amazed I was that it ran so perfectly in a big old house with lots of big old wiring. If you want to extend the range of your network without all the fancy wiring you can get your hands on one of these 200Mbps starter kits for just under $250 or if you don’t need that kind of speed, $129 for the 85 Mbps version and be confident that it is money well spent.

Jeff Hawkins, founder of Palm Computing, just can’t catch a break these days. First the Treo gets generally slammed by the public for failing to be as sexy and modern as its competitors in the handheld device arena, and then he releases “the most exciting project [he's] ever worked on” the same day Microsoft goes media-nuclear with The Surface. Still, this may not just be poor PR and production — the kids might be on to something by failing to do virtual backflips over the new Palm Foleo.

First, let’s be clear: this IS NOT a laptop. Sure, it’s masquerading as a slim little lappy, but don’t get confused — the Foleo is merely a companion device to the Treo. Maybe merely is a little harsh; it does run a Linux-based OS with a 10-inch display (because who isn’t sick of staring at tiny screens) and full-sized keyboard that lets you sync up with your Treo to view/send emails and edit documents. Representatives are quick to point out that the Foleo is light (2.5 lbs), boasts 5 hours of battery life, comes with a Wi-Fi connection, and is expected to also work with BlackBerry devices and the new iPhone. Unfortunately, when you strip away the oohs and aahs of a simple design and easy plug-and-play functionality, what’ve you got?

For $500, and without some really revolutionary advances, it’s tough to get too excited over this smartphone extension. Sorry, Jeff.

Sony’s latest Vaio offers something no other manufacture has done yet – a 2.5-inch 160GB disk and a 1.8-inch 32GB SSD together.

This laptop is perfect and goes against the argument that “Flash memory isn’t enough in laptops to store out data.” The VAIO TZ completely wipes out this statement as you can have your OS installed on the Flash drive, and all other important data on the larger disk.

Also added to the notebook is a newly designed keyboard that has been carried over from earlier Sony’s and similar to the one found on Apple’s consumer based MacBook line.

This laptop looks promising, it will start to hit shelves May 26th.

And no, it’s not mirrors or “meers” or whatever that little girl in the TI commercial with the elephant in the field seemed so excited about. LG.Philips LCD is making use of electronic ink from E-Ink Corp. and a substrate that arranges Thin-Film Transistors on metal foil, making the final display ridiculously thin (300 micrometers), pliable and able to return to its original shape. Double bonus: the display is extremely energy efficient since it only uses energy when the displayed image is changed.

No word yet on when or how you’ll see these screens on product shelves, but I like the idea of a display that’s got some flexibility to it. Just think, no more limp-noodle laptop monitor hinges because you’re having to constantly crank it back and forth to get the right angle — or even cooler, being able to roll it up and tuck it in your back pocket.