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Verizon has officially released their first Windows Mobile 6.5 smart phone this week. The new Imagio from HTC is a touchscreen bar phone that is absolutely packed with features and style. The phone features a 3.6 inch WVGA vivid display and an antenna on the back that doubles as a kickstand. The device also sports a 528Mhz Qualcomm MSM7600 series processor with 256MB of ROM and 512MB of RAM. The camera steps up to a 5.0MP compared to the 3.2MP we saw on the Touch Pro2. Other features such as a 3.5mm headphone jack, microSDHC card slot, Opera and TouchFLO 3D user interface make the device a multimedia monster. Verizon has also introduced V Cast Mobile TV on this device. The service provides live TV programming from numerous cable channels (Bravo, CBS, Comedy Central, ESPN, MTV, NBC) and will cost $15 per month. The Imagio will set you back $200 on a new 2 year plan and is available exclusively only on Verizon.

Starting this October the Apple iPhone will finally make it’s way into South Korea. The Korea Communications Commission said yesterday it decided to allow Apple to provide its location-based services with iPhone users, without having to gain a government license. The country which in the past has only allowed domestic brands to enter the marketplace (Samsung, Pantech, LG) in order to boost technology/economy has finally opened their borders for the iPhone. Many industry leaders feel that the introduction of the iPhone will increase mobile data revenue due to online mobile use. The phone is also expected to open the doors for developers looking to build applications for the device as well. No news yet if carriers will be forced to disable certain features as it was for the Chinese release (no WiFi). To start off it looks like KT (Korean carrier) will be the first company to see the iPhone with both the 3G and 3Gs models starting in late October.

Microsoft today have officially released the newest member in the Zune family, the Zune HD. The new Zune HD features an OLED multi-touch screen with an Nvidia Tegra processor. Other features such as FM tuner with HD Radio, WiFi, and 720p HD video store and playback complete this pocket friendly device. The Zune HD also sports basic games and applications such as a calculator and MSN weather app. Additional games, apps, and content should be available later when the Microsoft “Marketplace” launches. The device should also see 3D games becoming available in early November. The Zune HD is available today at retailers for $219.99 for the black 16GB model, and $289.99 for the platinum 32GB model.

Apple has released yet again another update to the iPod family. With price drops across most devices coming a few days ago, the public knew that new iPod’s were rolling out soon. Apple has unveiled the new iPod’s yesterday at the Apple Rock and Roll event in San Fransisco. Now lets take a look at these new toys below:

iPod Shuffle 3rd Generation: The worlds smallest music player has been given a minor tuneup. To start Apple has moved the controls to the earphone cord to save space on the device. Apple has also added VoiceOver which allows the shuffle to speak song titles, artist, and playlist names. They have also unveiled new colors to the lineup as well as a full aluminum chassis model. (Despite the updates the shuffle will still remain a G3)

iPod Nano 5th Generation: The new Nano brings the coolest feature to the ipod family, a camera!  With a built in camera and 15 video effects the iPod crosses all boundaries in portable audio. The Nano also features a built in microphone, speaker, and fm radio. Apple has also thrown in a pedometer for the fit and trendy.

iPod Touch 3rd Generation: The Touch gets a big update in terms of speed and capacity. With increased capacity (64GB) and a decreased price, the Touch still remains the world best multimedia device.

iPod Classic 160gb: The iPod classic gets a big bump in hard drive size but not in price. The new classic features a fast 160gb hard drive with a $250 price tag.

Apple has also released a new firmware version (3.1) for the iPhone along with the new iTunes version 9. For more info on all the new Apple updates and on the Rock and Roll event click here.

Nikon has unveiled the worlds first digital camera with built in projector. The s1000pj features a 12.1mp camera with 5x zoom and an ISO range 0f 3200 to 6400. The camera sports a 28mm Nikkor wide angle lens with full macro capability. Now to the cool part…all the photos and videos taken by the camera can be projected on any flat surface up to 40 inches in size. This feature allows users to watch their videos and pics instantly right on the spot without the need for a pc/monitor. Other features such as Smile Timer, Blink Proof, Blink Warning, and Red Eye Redcution make this shooter the ultimate package. The camera also has the ability to retouch images on the fly with the Quick Retouch mode feature. The s1000pj will sell for $430, and is expected to ship early September. Check out the demo video below to see this unique gadget in action!

Samsung and Sprint have officially released their newest Earth friendly device, the Reclaim M560. The new Reclaim’s housing is made from 40% bio-plastic which is derived from corn product.  The packaging which is also eco friendly is made from 70% recycled materials. In Sprints effort to become more eco-conscious they have decided to donate $2 to the Nature Conservancy’s Adopt an Acre Program. Now lets get down to the specs: Samsung has kept this phone pretty basic but no too bland at the same time. Some of the main features include a full QWERTY keyboard, GPS, Social Media widgets, 2MP camera, and a microSD slot. The mobile also features a standard headphone jack with volume rocker to give a decent music experience as well. If you wish to get your hands on this eco friendly & stylish handset it is available today for $50 after a 2 year deal from Sprint.

Speculation concerning an Apple Tablet is mounting once again, this time, says Apple Insider, for real. According to Engadget:

Apple is purportedly finalizing its long-rumored tablet for an early 2010 launch (or maybe even a September 2009 launch). AppleInsider claims to have been tracking the device get bounced back to the drawing board repeatedly over the past few years, but says that Steve Jobs is finally happy with the product and there’s an internal go-ahead to get this thing ready for next year, barring any other setbacks. Purported specs include a 10-inch screen, 3G data and a custom ARM processor courtesy of its P.A. Semi purchase — after previously considering Intel’s Atom, as the story goes. Rumors elsewhere point to Verizon data instead of AT&T, but that might just be wishful thinking.

With this potentially game-changing device coming out in just a few months, Apple is showing no signs of slowing down. The age of the touch screen is well underway, so we decided to go through a brief (and by no means complete) run-down of what’s already been happening and what’s just on the horizon.

The Original iPhone

When the iPhone was first announced in 2007, the mobile world seemed to go nuts, with people recognizing the Apple’s latest innovation as a milestone in technological development. This blog post show’s the jump in Apple’s share price on that day: Paul Kedrosky. Well, we’ve come a long way since then, but the iPhone still remains king.

Microsoft Surface

Sure, you’ll have to take out a loan in order to afford the Microsoft Surface (it retails at $12,500), but can you really put a price on a touch screen table? I think not. The surface is basically the same as any other touch screen computer—aside from its large dimensions—with one notable exception: it can recognize and interact with the objects you place on it. For example, have the HTC Dash? Just place it on the table and let the data transferring begin. Pretty cool.

We don’t yet accept ‘tables’ as one of our supported categories (yet), but we’ll keep you posted. For now, here’s a video of the Surface in action: The Surface.

HP Touchsmart

HP did it first with the “The World’s First Multi-Touch Consumer Notebook,” the Touchsmart. This awesome computer brings a futuristic touch screen into your home. Some reviewers aren’t so impressed by its speed and overall performance, but imagine watching a movie on that screen—on airplane. Enough said.

2009 Blockbusters

We’ve already written a lot about the big three phones of Summer 2009 (Apple iPhone 3Gs, Palm Pre, Nokia N97), the Blackberry Storm of early 2009, and the T-Mobile myTouch 3G, but whatever your opinions on these new phones, it’s clear that touch screens are not going away anytime soon.

Samsung have officially released the first 12mp camera phone to hit the market. The new M8910 Pixon 12 is truly breaking the barrier between wireless communications and digital imaging. The Pixon 12 features an impressive 3.1″ AMOLED Touchscreen display with a resolution of 800 x 480. The M8910 runs the latest TouchWiz UI 2.0 version which is both faster and smoother than previous versions. Other features such as a Accelerometer, WiFi, GPS, and TV out make this phone a true multipurpose device. Now to the good stuff, the 12mp shooter. The camera features a 28mm lens with LED and Xenon dual flash (first of it’s kind). Some other bonus camera features on this device are: object tracking auto focus, automatic lens cover, geo-tagging, image stabilization, Smart Auto mode, face detection, Beauty Shot, Smile Shot and D1 video recording at 30 fps with auto focus and face detection. That is a just ton of features for any digital camera never mind a phone.

The “Handy” hits the UK today and will reach online retailers in the following weeks. Price is said to be around $699 for an unlocked unit. For those looking to upgrade or free up some pocket room you can pretty much trade in your old phone, GPS, and digital camera to Gazelle to make room for this all-in-one monster.

T-Mobile has released the latest addition to the BlackBerry Curve lineup with the new 8520. This new Curve parts way with the traditional trackball for a new optical trackpad. This new type of trackpad is said to perform smoother and is less likely to cause problems like trackballs have in the past. The 8520 features a fast 512MHz processor, 2.64-inch 320 x 240 TFT pixel display, EDGE and WiFi data connectivity, and Bluetooth headset and stereo headphone support. A 2.0 megapixel camera and a microSDHC card slot make this geared more towards the everyday consumer. The 8520 is also the first BlackBerry to feature dedicated media keys and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The 8520 is available now at T-Mobile for $130 after a 2 year contract. It has also made it’s way into Walmart for a limited time (once they sell out) for only $48.88 after contract.

Samsung have finally released the long awaited update to the popular Omnia phone. The new Omnia 2 has been completely redesigned and upgraded. The new handset ships with Windows Mobile 6.1, but can be easily upgraded to version 6.5. The device features a powerful 800MHz processor with a dedicated graphics accelerator for vivid gaming and web browsing. The device also sports an impressive 5mp camera while shooting video at 720×480 at 30 frames per second. The Omnia 2 features an internal hard drive of 8gb or 16gb, and can be expanded with a microSD card up to 32gb. Other features such as full touchscreen, GPS, and pocket office, make this a true competitor in the smartphone market. The Omnia 2 is also expected to be released in a CDMA variant on the Verizon network sometime in August.