Apple is set to launch its iPhone in June into a market that is positively awash in smartphones that also play music. There is, however, a difference between a phone with music playback capabilities and a phone designed with music in mind. Some phones, it seems, are decidedly more musically talented than others.

At Macworld in January, Steve Jobs set Apple's goals at a one percent market share for the iPhone's first year. Analyst Shebly Seyrafi, however, thinks that despite the incredible amount of hype the company is pumping into its latest gadget, it's still underestimating the iPhone's performance. Syrafi estimates Apple will overshoot its goal by about 7 million units.

The state of Washington and the Department of Homeland Security plan to jointly develop a driver's license that could be embedded with radio frequency identification technology. The pilot program, which complies with new federal cross-border travel requirements, will offer Washington drivers an optional alternative to a passport.

Brain wave recorders may come in the box of the next must-have electronic toy or game. Neurosky's technology, which bases a toy's operation on the user's concentration level, reportedly will debut this summer. Other neurotech companies are developing variations on the same theme -- and citing possible benefits to people with ADD or autism, as well as more exciting gameplay.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite hit the shelves over the weekend, offering buyers 120 GB of hard drive storage, HDTV outputs and other premium features. The new Xbox edition does not match its rival, the PlayStation 3, feature-for-feature, though its hard drive is twice the size of Sony's biggest offering. However, how many gamers today need that much storage on a console?

BostonNow, an 85,000-circulation free tabloid, has begun publishing material from bloggers alongside its news content. Although the action has proven to be a media magnet for the journal in the short term, its longer-term value has puzzled some observers, who wonder whether a business model that does not involve paying its content providers is sustainable.

Users who railed against the removal of information posted on the popular social networking site Digg may have won a round, as the company has given up on trying to control the angry mob. It's far from clear, though, who will emerge victorious when the dust settles. Digg may find itself in legal trouble that could force the entire operation to shut down.

MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and IBM have announced the recent completion of the first course in the United States structured around the capabilities of the Cell Broadband Engine (Cell/B.E.), the microprocessor that powers the new PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.

Taiwan Commate Computer Inc.(COMMELL) has introduced the 3.5" Embedded Fanless Miniboard LE-365. This single board consists of the VIA Eden 1GHz processor, drawing a max. power 5W with the VIA PadLock Security Engine and the CX700M is based on a highly sophisticated power efficient architecture that enables such rich integration into a compact package with a maximum power envelope of just 3.5 watts. The CX700M features the VIA UniChromePro II Integrated Graphics Processor (IGP).

A series of IDE Flash Disk Modules (FDM's), from Super Talent Technology, are on display this week at the Embedded Systems Conference. These FDM's are based on NAND Flash technology, which is an
ideal non-volatile storage medium for FDM's due to its compact size, high performance and reliability, and low cost. With an industry standard IDE interface, Super Talent's FDM's are compatible with virtually any motherboard. Models are offered with a 40-pin or 44-pin IDE connector, and with the connector oriented either vertically or horizontally. The horizontal IDE connector is designed for low-profile enclosures. These FDM's are available in a variety of capacities up to 8GigaBytes.