With a 17.3-inch (1600x900) display, the 7lb system starts with a 2.1GHz Dual Core T4300, DVD burner, 320GB HDD, 4GB RAM, 512MB Radeon 4570 and a footprint that can support a slew of ports—two USBs, one USB/eSATA, HDMI, Display Port, VGA, and Firewire.

But you can scale the power all the way up to an i7.

The multitouch display (we're looking for confirmation on whether or not it's capacitive tech) supports the pre-installed Windows 7 along with Dell's own touch software.

The Studio 17 Touch is on sale now to ship this December. [Dell via Electronista]

The Price:

$130

The Verdict:

It's good! We had three issues with the first one: wireless interference, the inability to adjust the volume from the computer when using the USB wireless audio dongle, and the price. To start, it's $130, down from $150, and our volume changes on the MacBook Pro transferred directly over the air to volume changes in the player.

If you're talking sound quality, the Mint Studio is decent. This is more about the convenience of wireless speakers than having a really great sounding set of speakers. For $130, you get a not-too-shabby set that can also act as an iPod dock. It's definitely better than the speakers you have in your laptop, so that's already an upgrade.

Lastly, the wireless interference is reduced by hopping over two channels instead of just one, which should help to curb many problems unless you have a lot of wireless laptops using the same frequency. Also, 802.11n laptops and routers are pretty much de facto since we reviewed the previous Mint, so you shouldn't see any interference if you're using the 5GHz channel for your N traffic.

One bonus feature introduced in the Mint Studio is the ability to support three different units from one transmitting laptop. We tested this in our house, with the laptop source and USB transmitter on the first floor, and one unit on each of the three floors. It was able to reach all three floors with zero audible loss, which is pretty great, and within its household operating range (with walls and floors) of 100 feet.

And in case there was any confusion, it's not waterproof—we just enjoy planting it on a shelf outside the shower and streaming music while we bathe. It allows us to keep our laptops out of splash distance too.

It also still supports line-in and still acts like an iPod/iPhone dock, and works fine in those respects too. With the low price and improved featureset, I think the Mint Studio is a pretty good buy for people who want cheap multi-room audio that can also function as an iPod dock. [Mint]

Fixed interference issues and remote volume control from a computer

Cheap way to get wireless streaming music throughout your house

Sound quality isn't astounding

Supposedly Nunnmps is elevated on stilt-like construction in order to preserve the secrecy of the research it will house and it's hard to believe that anything of evil nature would occur in such a peaceful-looking place. But maybe that's the brilliance of the design. Frankly, I don't even want to know what'll go on in there, I just want to know how to pronounce it. [Dazeen]

[DeltaLab Studios]

The move is part of a broader Dell initiative that will soon offer more movie preloads and eventually a whole Dell iTunes-like digital download store. But we can't help but to think it's a little strange all the same.

Then again, I, for one, would pay big bucks for an Iron Man co-branded antivirus software package. How great would it be to watch Iron Man beat the crap out of malicious files? Pew pew! Kapowee!! [Dell]

Our review unit is an XPS M1330—Dell shipped us a fresh hard drive with Vista Ultimate and the latest Dell software. (The Dock will arrive on new Studio laptops, and eventually ship on some legacy systems, like the XPS M1330 and 1530.) Problem one is right when you boot it up. Windows started, and I thought they had accidentally given me a drive without the dock. The dock appeared a full minute after I started wondering WTF it was. Not a great start to the dock experience! A less savvy user might think the dock is just slow balls and turn it off. I did what I usually do when I get a notebook: Yank out the crapware, plus, in this case, the fingerprint reader and other Dell-specific software. Then reboot.

Dock comes up instantly. Yay. Okay, so while I don't find the default options useful, they were easy enough to swap out, move around, whatever. My desktop is spotless, the dock itself is beautiful. I'm happy—until I start using the computer. That's when I realize the dock's fatal flaw.

It's not a real "dock" but just a dumb, pretty shortcut bar. It can make your desktop tidy, but you still have to use the regular Windows taskbar to interact with applications and see what they're up to. When I minimize Firefox, it goes to the taskbar, and I can't pop the window back open from the dock. The AIM icon doesn't bounce when I have a new message. It just sits there, lifeless, looking high-res and pretty. And what I want, what I expect, what I'm subtly promised is something like OS X's dock. (Even if they won't let you stick it on the bottom.) If it was, and I could ditch the Windows taskbar, I would be in love with it. It would change the way a hefty chunk of the masses use their Vista computers, and maybe, just maybe, even keep them from making The Switch.

But it's not that. So instead of being in love with it, I'm just in like with it. [Dell]

Bundled with software and a cradle that doubles as a tripod mount, the device is Windows XP, Vista and Mac OSX friendly. Coming in two packages, the basic Elite costs $279, while advanced Studio, which also incorporates printer profiling, will set you back $599. Assimilation into the Matrix costs extra. – Kit Eaton [Impress]

Moog, the company so beloved of prog-rock (plink-plonk, strum, zzzzzzz) and funk (Wikki-wikki, shukka-shukka, Yowzah!) artists in the '70s—founder Bob Moog started building Theremins back in the '50s with his dad. As you do‐has brought out a new MoogerFooger, a studio gadget beloved by today's producers and musicians.

The MF/FM has an onboard analog radio tuner which locks into frequencies across the FM radio band, to which you can mix your own music to. Once you start twiddling the voltage-controlled oscillator, the madness begins and your mom will think that there is an alien lifeform jamming with her beloved son.

It costs $349 and is available from April 1. Given that the date is a Sunday, there is a possibility that ths could be an April Fool, but IMHO, the product is not weird enough for a company like Moog to come up with. Perhaps that is the problem, and I have been well and truly duped. – Ad Dugdale

Product Page [Moog Music]

This D-Flector Photography Studio in a Suitcase makes taking pro snaps easy and cheap without having to own your own studio. Just open it up, plop your item down on it, and shoot away. Now your photos will look professional, even when you clearly aren't. –Adam Frucci

Product Page [via Oh Gizmo!]

Apple is using the NAB show in Vegas next month to make an announcement, but don't get your knickers in too much of a twist about it, say our Bothan spies in the company. The Cupertino company is taking to the floor on Sunday April 15, and there is no new hardware on offer, just new versions of the Pro media software, focusing on the Final Cut Studio suite - which in itself is rather good news.

Steve Jobs' ninja teams usually take the first stall in the South Hall, but this year they are upgrading to a bigger booth. Our sources, however, stress not to expect any radical new hardware until the launch of Leopard... yet they remind us that, with Apple, you never know. Oh, and a direct quote: "The next quarter is really going to be packed with new stuff." So on second thoughts, do get your knickers in a twist. Now. – Ad Dugdale

Apple To Hold Special Event At NAB [MacWorld]