Without Intel supporting the standard, motherboard manufacturers and gadget makers alike would probably hold off on using USB 3.0, since it would require a relatively expensive third-party controller (as it does now). An Intel rep said he hadn't heard of such a delay, but with Intel focused on its next-gen Nehalem chips (and given the company's neglect of wireless USB), it's not impossible. We'll keep you updated if we get confirmation either way. [EE Times via Tech Report]

After learning that the aircraft was experiencing a technical problem that would require an eight hour delay, the as yet unidentified passenger came forward claiming to be an aircraft engineer that was qualified to work on the Boeing 757-200. After following strict procedures to confirm his credentials, the man was allowed to work on the plane. In the end, the Thomas Cook flight arrived at its destination only 35 minutes late. Needless to say, I'll bet you can think of a personal situation where a dude like this would have come in really handy. [BBC via Slashdot]

The bill (a rewrite of the Obama-supported Sen. Jay Rockefeller plan) doesn't look to provide more funding for DTV vouchers—it's more a slam on the brakes maneuver to buy everyone some time. The most important point about the bill, however, is that it leaves broadcasters the "option" to still make the DTV switch on February 17th.

On one hand, that's the only fair plan that the government could leave broadcasters after forcing them to make major internal technological revisions. On the other, viewers who weren't prepped for February 17th could still lose some (or even all) channels in spite of the formal delay. [WSJ and Getty Images Photo]

A Swedish blogger met up with Gizmondo founder Carl Freer to discuss the future of the scandal-ridden handheld maker. Freer admitted that the worldwide economic implosion forced most of his investors to drop out, and he's had to totally redesign the product. He plans to launch the new Gizmondo as an OEMed pocket PC, a bit like an HTC smartphone with gaming guts. It'll be focusing on downloadable games and other content, like Apple's App Store, and will come in two versions: Windows CE and Android. Since it'll be based on a smartphone design, it will also be a phone, but it won't come cheap.

By now we all know to take everything anybody associated with Gizmondo says with a giant mountain of salt. It's anybody's guess as to whether this new Gizmondo will ever go into production. But this is one enormously entertaining company, so I hope they stick around at least until the next scandal. [The Nordic Link via Engadget]

The logical conclusion is that there was a problem with the .82 firmware, and it was so severe that every Storm had to be downgraded before release, hence the delays. It sounds a little far-fetched, but after peeling off the sticker reading .65, BGR found another sticker underneath reading .82. In other words, these phones were originally loaded with the newer firmware, but something went wrong.

As far as shipment goes, here's the rule:

- Bought before noon on Nov. 21: will ship Nov. 25.
- Bought after noon on Nov. 21: will ship Dec. 5.
- Bought on Nov. 22 (today) or later: will not ship until after Dec. 15.

If you haven't bought your Storm yet, you better cross your fingers extra hard because it's not looking likely that it'll make it to you before a certain major religious holiday. [BGR]

Considering Sony Ericsson Blog are as reliable as a really reliable source, and that they have pointed us in the direction of an official webpage backing their claim, this looks to be solid. If true, the wow factor of the Xperia X1 just may fade a little; who knows what we may see by 2009? We'll bring you any updates as we receive them, but a delay would surely suck big time for those awaiting the Windows Mobile 6.1 running, dual touch and QWERTY sliding, sexy beast that is the Xperia X1. [Sony Ericsson via Sony Ericsson Blog]

Partners who need Microsoft's help to build custom apps to fit Harrah's, Sheraton and T-Mobile needs for gambling, sleeping and phone choosing. Beyond the delay, Microsoft also has some interesting plans to expand from just the retail and hospitality industry to government, education and enterprise businesses to eventually, as Gates predicts, be on "every table," "every whiteboard," "every mirror" within 5 to 10 years. [News.com]

"[The Palm Centro] team is now totally focused on delivering our next generation platform, which we expect to have available by the end of the next calendar year."

Wrapping up Apple TV is taking a few weeks longer than we projected

Either way, I really miss the days when an Apple product was in the store the day of the announcement- Brian Lam
AppleTV Late [Reuters]