There are several apps on the iPhone designed to accept credit card payments but, as far as I can tell, SquareUp has the best set of features. It doesn't require any contracts or monthly fees, and card payments can be accepted through a small device that plugs into the audio jack. Receipts can be sent via email or viewed online and text messages can be used to verify payments in real time.

There are even benefits to using the service for cardholders, much like the points you might accrue for making purchases. SquareUp lets business owners know that you are a repeat customer that may be entitled to a freebie—kind of like punch cards do now. They also donate one cent of each transaction to the charity of your choice.

SquareUP claims the service will roll out to everyone in 2010, which is good news for small businesses. No word yet on how much the swiping plug-in will cost, but you can bet that it will be a hell of a lot cheaper than the machines you currently have to contend with. [SquareUp via VentureBeat]

I can't say for sure that the Lingo's 27.5 x 60 x 19mm dimensions qualify it for a size record, but if you're convinced (and care), it'll be available through Japanese import firms in a month for around $50. [Tecnosite via Crunchgear]

The MR-SMC03 is so small that it kind of looks more like a USB hole stopper than a media reader. To use it, you slip your microSD card into the top part of the usb stick and then plug it into your computer. It's available in cherry pink, Azuria pink, black and white for roughly $13... from Japan only for now. [Elecom via Gizmodo Japan]

I was curious what it would be like. I mean, I had my reasons, but none of them were really great, to be honest.

Small TVs use less power, although not as much as you'd expect. For example, David Katzmaier, TV dude from CNet explained to me that in one example, comparing a 32-inch LCD by Samsung to its 52-inch equivalent, its power consumption jumps only 68% for 168% more real estate. Not bad.

Small TVs are cheaper. Average prices on Amazon for a set in the 22-29 inch range hover around 500 dollars; sets over 50 inches go for 5-10 times that much for about 4x the real estate. There's a lot of value in smaller sets. But in this economy, some analysts believe that small TV sets won't get any cheaper, while bigger sets will get a bit less expensive. So the relative value these days is somewhat diminished.

If I had a real reason to make the switch, it was social.

I always grew up with a TV as the overriding piece of furniture in my livingspace; the TV was and is the 800 pound gorilla, or elephant in the room, with all seating beholden to the screen. In a house arranged like this, it feels like the room belongs to the TV, standing over everything in its domain. A room like that looks like it belongs to an overgrown geek (true) and never feels like it belongs to an adult and I was starting to feel self conscious about it. A small TV would not dominate the room.

Still, using a 23-incher is quite a stretch down. My couch is about 8 feet back from the entertainment system, and excellent for slouching and watching. According to most sizing charts, the room I sit in should have a TV between 32 and 50 inches. I usually use a 52 or higher as I review sets.

Watching tiny TV was surprisingly good at first.

Standard definition TV looked perfect almost on every channel, because pixels were smaller. From 9 feet away, the 23-inch set made standard def look almost as good as HD on the 50+ inch sets. I could not differentiate between HD and SD at times, depending on the material. Wii also looked good, with its standard def output.

The same went for DVDs. Sorta. There is no doubt that the cinematic experience is diminished exponentially on a screen you have to squint to see finer detail on. This was less a resolution issue (res appeared great) than a size issue. I just didn't feel the impact of Batman base jumping off of Hong Kong skyscrapers in IMAX on a screen smaller than the monitor on some PCs, from across the room.

The opposite happened when I played Xbox 360. It is here where resolution is not used, as on blu-rays, to display finer gradients of hair and particles of rock or more detailed skin or exploding cars. Man made textures on a small TV are fine. But here's what you miss: The Xbox and most modern games make deliberate use of every pixel in two facets, which make it impossible to watch on a small screen, no matter if HD or not: perspective and interface. The fonts and menus and prompts and health gauges and reticules on most games are ridiculously detailed. And perspective was the defining drawback moment, especially when playing the zombie killing game Left for Dead: when you're sniping a zombie from 100 meters and the clouds roll over the moon, and the greys crush to black, can you see the zombie clearly enough as he runs towards you from the distance to make the shot your life depends on? On a small TV, like this, I pulled up a chair and sat 5 feet away, transforming the experience into a sort of PC gaming event. With split screen, we were all 3 feet away and very cozy, thank you.

Even with the eyesight of an eagle, there's only so much resolution the eye can take in from a distance, while looking at anything but a huge TV.

But rather than conclude that we all need bigger TVs, I'm going to say that PS3 and Xbox owners need them first. Second, movie buffs, but movie buffs might want to consider projectors. For most of us, just watching TVs and flicks, I can see how a smaller set would do well enough most of the time. Most of the time. For someone else.

Well, for what it is, at least. there have been smaller gimmick phones for quite some time, but none with a solid featureset like this. As a Walkman phone, it comes with 4GB of flash memory, a well-tested and usable media player interface, and when closed, illuminated touch controls on the bottom front bezel. A Japan-only handset for now, you can also expect mobile TV and integrated domestic music stores.

The only obvious problem with a phone like this is, well, using it. Derek Zoolander's halcyon tiny-phone-toting days came before we were all texting each other like crazy, an experience I can't imagine being too enjoyable on the Xmini. [Akihabara]

The projector reaches its small size in part by using proprietary optical parts, including a prism lens exclusively made for it. Nippon Signal also swapped a diode pumping solid state (DPSS) laser for a much tinier semiconductor laser to display greens, reduced the dimensions of the MEMS scanner and optimized the layout to fit within its lilliputian confines. As you can see, the image quality is passable—not even close to movie theater quality, but colors are bright and the resolution is good enough for, say, an impromptu Power Point presentation.

No word on when this will be available to the masses, but Nippon Signal says it plans on commercializing the prototype soon. [Tech On]

The tweezers were developed by a team from the University of Toronto, and use basic robotic concepts, but on a microscopic scale. What is so extraordinary about them, however, is that they can sense when they are getting close to things, such as surfaces or cells, and so avoid collisions. The tweezers are also aware of the strength of their grip. Manipulated by the software, they can get into position much faster than they could if they were controlled by a person.

The tweezers are just three millimeters long, and their tips just ten micrometers wide. Expect to see them being used in tissue engineering or for creating nano- and microscale devices. [NewScientist]

Buying continual replacements is quickly going to create a massively expenses bill, so we say, just stick with this alternative instead. Sure, it may not be miniature and cool, but at least it's big and ugly. If that isn't a selling point, having physical characteristics in common with your flash drive should have you sold. [Oh Gizmo!]

So far what we know about what's inside is that it's got a 1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E6320 with a 1066-MHz front side bus. It'll go for about $1019 in Taiwan, though no word on if, when and how much on our side of the ocean. Given the popularity of the Eee, Asus would be smart to capitalize on the brand name Eee's been building for it outside of geek circles and get that sucker over here. But for cheaper. [Electronista, The Inquirer]

10 x zoom lens
Real-V engine reduces picture noise.
Records in 1920 1080i and 1440 1080i resolution at 60fps in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format.
Recording modes of XQ, HQ, or SP
A100 has 12 hours' capacity of full HD video, 23 hours of standard
35 mm Fujinon lens with 45 mm diameter
3-inch LCD screen (320 x 240 res)
SDHC-compatible SD card slot
Audio recording at16bit/48kHz at 384 kbps bit rate
Measures 78.1 135.4 79.0 mm
A100F weighs 495 grams
A40F weights 485 grams
Battery life approx 75 mins
Lithium ion battery
Comes with AC adapter, remote control, USB cable, AV cable and D terminal cable.
[Impress]

Measuring 15.4 x 11.7 x 5 cm and weighing 750 grams, the DLP projector represents around 130 per cent of the NTSC color gamut. Optimized for 800 x 600 SVGA resolution at a standard 4:3 aspect ratio. It can project images ranging in size from 15 to 80 inches.

The HS101 can connect to computers, DVD players, cable or satellite boxes, as well as PDAs, digital cameras or phones with DMB/DVB-H capabilities. Costing 799 ($1091), it will be available in the US, although as yet there is no release date.

Berlin, Germany, August 30, 2007 —- LG Electronics (LG), a major player in the global flat panel display market, announced the worldwide launch of its first palm size projector, the
HS101. The DLP projector uses a highly efficient LED light source and is among the smallest
projectors available at a mere 15.4 x 11.7 x 5 cm and 750 grams. This pint-size projector
provides full size specs, delivering the best contrast ratio and color representation in its class.

"Industry experts told us it would be impossible to make such a small projector with a 2,000:1
contrast ratio and 100 ANSI lumen output. We've obviously proven them wrong with the
HS101," said Havis Heewon Kwon, head of LCD TV Division, LG Electronics.

The projector can also represent approximately 130 percent of the NTSC color gamut. This,
combined with the HS101's high output and contrast ratio, make this projector's images crisp,
clear and amazingly vivid. The projector is optimized for 800 x 600 SVGA resolution at a
standard 4:3 aspect ratio. It is capable of projecting images ranging in size from 15 to 80
inches, depending on the size of the room and the ambient light.

The environmentally friendly LED light source used in the HS101 is rated to last over 20,000
hours, far longer than traditional light sources that use bulbs. It also eliminates the need for
warm-up time, meaning that the RoHS compliant projector can be running at full power within
two seconds.

Connectivity is another of the HS101's strengths. It includes Digital Video, D-Sub and DVI
inputs allowing users to connect computers, DVD players, cable or satellite boxes and even
portable devices such as PDAs, digital cameras or phones with DMB/DVB-H capabilities. This
projector is ideal for both business and personal use.

"The HS101 is a remarkable combination of portability, versatility and reliability. It is small
enough to fit in the same bag as a laptop, can easily be connected to a wide variety of devices
and has an amazingly long lamp life," said Mr. Kwon. "I can see this not only in boardrooms
but also in classrooms, living rooms and many unexpected places. I recently took a tester
model to a family gathering so that everyone could share pictures from our digital cameras."

This sleek black projector with soft-touch keypad will be available across Europe as well as in
the United States, Central and South America, the Middle East and Africa, with a retail price
of 799 euros.

The gizmoito also has FM radio and a built-in speaker and will cost you $99.99 for the 1GB version and $139.99 for the 2GB. Accessories include stereo headphones, USB cable, CD driver and AC charger. Full specs are after the jump.

6.6 x 50 x 11 mm
1 or 2 GB internal flash memory + MiniSD card slot
Anti-scratch 320×240 LCD
RockChip Processor—allows playing back unconverted AVI videos at 25 fps
Built-in speaker
FM radio with 40 presets
Sound/voice recorder
Image viewer and e-book reader that work in parallel with music playback
Supported formats: mp1,mp2,mp3,wma,avi,jpg,bmp and txt

– Ad Dugdale

Product Page [First To You via Ubergizmo]

Pretec's new i-Disk flash drive is 25 per cent smaller than a quarter, and can store up to 1GB of data. A combination of USB flashdisk and RFID technology in a waterproof case, the i-Disk is made using a semiconductor MCP process, and measures 45.7 x 12.2 x 2.2mm. It will primarily be marketed for use in hospitals, airports and warehouses and production is expected to start in the next few months. Honestly, I don't see much use to a whole gigabyte in a RFID tag other than hiding secret space station plans inside short legged droids. If you have any ideas, please write them after the jump. – Ad Dugdale

CeBIT 2007: Pretec claims i-Disk RFID as smallest flash drive in world [DigiTimes]

Researchers Go Molecular in Design of a Denser Chip [NYT]

Walletex Wallet MP3 Player Actually Exists! [OhGizmo!]

Buffalo USB Micro-Pads [Akihabara]

While no release date nor price has been announced, NewQ expects to release an updated model that is compatible with 19-pin and 17-pin products soon enough. The Danes call it quality. – Nicholas Deleon

Portable cell phone charger and cell phone accessory [Aving.net via New Launches]

From the picture you can see exactly how super damn tiny this wireless microphone actually it. It is powered by a single AA battery and has a 250mW RF transmitter. What really makes this product a piece of super-damn-tiny-crap is the fact that it is one-time-use only. The microphone is permanently attached to the battery, which lasts for only 38 minutes. This retails for $499. Thanks for nothing, Lectrosonics.

Lectrosonics eXtra-Super-Damn-Tiny Mic [BIOS]

Product Page [Shimafuji]