Case-Mate, the people who used to make zipper booklets for CDs, built the $80 Enlighten case that lights up the Kindle at night by way of an LED-illuminated acrylic overlay. So basically they pulled a Sony: Taking what's right about e-ink, and screwing it up. You don't put anything on e-ink, for the same reason you don't read paper through a film of plastic. We typically don't write up cases, but despite its unique gimmick (okay, because of it) this one looks exceptionally pass-worthy. [CNet]

It's bad enough when pompous over-the-hill watchmakers think they can get into the cellphone business, like Tag Heuer did when it introduced the luxury-for-luxury's-sake $6000 Merediist. It's worse when they team up with an extreme car company to release a still more ridiculously irrelevant phone, like Tag Heuer did when it called up its friend Lamborghini and cooked up the, yep, special edition Merediist Automobili Lamborghini. For $8000, you get the same crappy phone as before, but with the signature angry cow shield on the keypad, and a plaque in place of the crocodile skin. Yes they'll sell a handful to bald Italian billionaires over 60, but how many of those can there be? [Tag Heuer via Gadgetell]

I love when the age-old bicycle gets a redesign, and points go to Joey Ruiter for thinking through the needs of the urban bicyclist, trading speed for agility, and stripping the bike to its simplest parts. But I never thought bike seats could look any more uncomfortable than the borderline rectal probes out there now, until lo, I spotted this rectangular sucka. Joey, you're clearly talented, but I gotta ask, how can that seat be copacetic to the culo? [Core77 via The Awesomer]

As much as I want alternative energy ASAP, I am worried about wind farms. First, they're killing off flocks of birds or at least scaring them the hell away, and now they're making air traffic control jumpy too. Because of their flailing metal blades, radar waves get super screwy around them, and sometimes cause airplanes to disappear from radar. (Cue gulp of fear.) For this problem, a firm called Qinetiq built a seemingly decent solution, layering blades with sheets of radar-slurping glass-reinforced epoxy and plastic foam. It's nice, especially because you can pretty much replace the blade and leave everything else as is. But it's just coming out of the trial phase, and will take some time before it's ready for turbines that are now in place or being built. While we wait, let's talk about them birds... [MIT Tech Review via PopSci]

The light, 40g headset snaps in/out of what is essentially a combination flash drive/USB charger. Rather than just offering a charging cable or dock, this design allows you to carry all that stuff in one sleek pack that doesn't even use cords. (A bulky stick of gum comes to mind.) Then again, since the device is from luxury brand Tag Heuer, you'd better really, really hate cords...and really, really love gum...to ever justify buying it. [Le Journal du Geek via Newlaunches]

The phone isn't really, as one suit in the video notes, "A very nice... a very nice PIECE OF ART," but when the big innovation is bringing the stunning features of wristwatches to mobile phones (that's right, the Meridiist has a built-in clock!), you can't blame them for reaching a bit. The phone's selling points: made from the finest rubber (?) and alligator skin, creating a "sensual experience," and to top it off, it is "in some way the first pocket watch of the 21st century!" Never mind that it looks like the obese offspring of my first Nokia candybar from 1998 and an HTC Touch Diamond, conceived in a French executive's board room— it's expensive and so you must want one. [Thanks, Nebosja!]

As for the design, the cellphones are expected to be as as "contemporary," "technological" and "timeless" as their watches. Naturally, there is no word yet on any type of advertising campaign, but my guess is that somehow Tiger Woods will find a way to make even more money whoring it out to the masses. [TagHeuer and Electronista]

The Tag Heuer Monaco V4 is the ultimate time machine. And I don't mean that in a "it would let you open portals in the time-space continuum to discover a new dimension with an army of buxom ultra-vixens that will obey all your commands and conquer the galaxy for you" way (my idea of the ultimate time machine, anyway), but as in "it's one of the most amazing wonders of mechanical engineering in the world today".

The Monaco V4 changes completely the rules of watchmaking by, surprisingly, getting its inspiration from car engines. Like mechanical watches, engines use the same concepts: transmission, friction, torque and power. The Tag Heuer First applies them in a different way so first, instead of a rotating oscillating weight for automatic winding, it uses a 4.25-gram platinum ingot which acts as a sort of cylinder, in a linear movement. Then it changes the transmission of power from the traditional wheels to a drive-belt transmission: 13 belts with a gauge measure of 0.5 x 0.45mm, which is quite crazy and has never been done before. More amazing details and a pic of the front of the watch right after the jump.

The Monaco V4 also uses 2.2mm diameter bearings with 0.25mm balls rotating inside, rather than synthetic rubies to reduce friction, but the most impressive thing that our correspondent witnessed in Baselworld 2007 was the four barrels, as shown in the top pic. They act as energy generators with bridges made of transparent sapphire. According to TAG Heuer page,

"... four barrels aligned in a 2-by-2 series and linked by a differential with a V-shaped bridge. Each barrel gives a force of 375 grams for a total of 1.5 kilos. The barrels are mounted in a V (angles at 15° with respect to the dial) and two constant velocity joints, also borrowed from the automobile world, transmit their energy to the movement."

So, as you can see, no silicon was harmed in the creation of this watch, discounting the computers that were used to design and simulate its new principles during the 36 months of development after the concept was presented in 2004.

Unfortunately for watch and technology lovers, and fortunately for my credit card, there's not a single Monaco V4 available except the 20 beta versions they presented in Switzerland last week. – Jesús Díaz

Technical specs Transmission: 13 notched belts of 0.5 x 0.45 mm 39 ball races of 2.2 mm diameter and 0.5 thick

Energy:
4 barrels storing 375g of energy each: 1.5 kg total strength

Automatic winding system:
Linear oscillating weight: 4.25g platinum ingot.

Movement features:
18 000 vibrations per hour
Small second at 4'30

Watch features:
Stainless steel case
Beveled edge sapphire glass

Product Page [Tag Heuer - Thanks Fernando]

Take the Calibre 360, for example. This concept watch shows 1/10th, 10/100th, and 1/1000th of a second readouts on the same face. The amazing thing? This beast is entirely mechanical. It's only a concept right now, and not in full production, but that kind of precision is pretty hot.

Tag Heuer Monaco Calibre 360 LS Concept Watch at BaselWorld 2006 [WristDreams]

The SLR, shown here, is completely automatic and has an internal rotating chronograph. It comes in a limited run of 3,500 and definitely is a massive departure from the traditional Carrera design Tag has been famous for—shown after the jump.

The Carrera is a bit more staid and is essentially a retread of the first Tag chronographs used for years in racing events around the world. No prices, but we can't afford them.

Release [Tag Heuer]