The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.It's tough to keep track of the iPhone's slow global release, so one Apple fan assembled all the data into one easy to read map. If the country is red, then they either have the iPhone or will be getting it this summer. (Note: Switzerland, Spain and Poland are still just rumored, not official).

It's like one of those pandemic maps from the movies. You see the military general plotting two little red dots. Then four. Then eight. And then, all of the sudden, the dots have covered the general's body, spewing puss across the room in all directions. [Apple 2.0]

A group of electrical engineering students at West Virginia University has built the most insane beer pong table ever. It's got lights all around that react to the music playing as well as a pair of built-in swirling ball washers. It's incredible. They're taking orders for them now if you want one of your own, but be warned: this first one cost them $1,000 and 400 hours of work to complete, so it won't be cheap. Hit the jump for a video of it in action, and be sure to skip to 2:30 unless you think still photos of electrical engineering majors and circuit boards are suddenly cool when set to Linkin Park.

[Geekologie]

Despite their slick metal gleam, São Paulo designer Fernando Akasaka tends to look to nature when he's dreaming up his contemporary furniture pieces for his line FA Designs. "My inspiration comes from the everyday life...the past, present and sometimes imagining what may be seen in the future," he says. It explains the techy feel of his lamps, stools, side tables and decorative objects, which also come in versions of Brazilian natural wood.

Though he taps modern technology to help realize the designs, Akasaka is adamant about maintaining the classic art of handicraft. The pieces are fluid and smooth, lending a Zen-like sensibility, something a machine couldn't duplicate.

Customers come to FA Designs for the metal objects made from highly polished or chrome-plated stainless steel, brass or aluminum. A collection of fiberglass and carbon fiber pieces will follow soon and Akasaka's already started a preliminary launch of some unusual jewelry, plus a limited-edition line that builds on the concept of the metal pieces.

Contact Firma Casa in São Paulo or Via Manzoni in Rio de Janeiro to order FA Designs.

The Touch Diamond, HTC's 2008 flagship phone, just hit the FCC. This means that it's well on its way to one of the four carriers, most likely either AT&T or Sprint first, judging from the way the original HTC Touch played out. As Addy said in the hands-on, it's the most iPhoney of Windows Mobile phones yet, and feels much like a tiny iPhone for people who have small hands. [FCC]

Toshiba recently announced they're planning to use Sony PS3 technology in its upcoming TVs and Notebooks. The OC Register's Gadgetress got her hands on the Toshiba's Qosimo notebook (shown above), which will use the SpursEngine chip, jointly developed between Toshiba and Sony around the Cell. The processor will handle much of the video and multimedia processing, taking the load off the main CPU.

According to Toshiba, HD processing that once took an hour now only takes 10 minutes. And though the SpursEngine chip can handle graphics processing for games, no PC games are currently optimized for the chip, rendering it useless. But game development built around the processor is in the works. Tentatively, the Qosimo will also feature gesture based controls via webcam, but will lack the usual Blu-ray drive, 1080p resolution and TV tuner. But it will only run for $1700, shaving about $1300 off the price.

As for the TV, it will make use of Sony's Cell microprocessor for realtime HD upscaling, recording of multiple channels, and "displaying video as if it is being viewed through opera glasses" (whatever that means). The notebook is planned for a 2008 release while the TV will hit stores in Fall 2009. [Electronista and Gadgetress]

There's plenty of room left to build in the world's major cities; we just have to be MacGyver about it. Because when one group of architects looked at an alley, they saw the perfect lot for a five-story building that's less then eight feet wide.

Built on a steel frame, this home office took only a few weeks to construct. It's particularly eco-friendly (as it can piggyback off heat from adjacent buildings otherwise lost to the alley's air), and while each level is absurdly small, the floor to ceiling windows do wonders to cut through the jail syndrome (evoking more of a caged hamster vibe). Really though, it all makes sense...other than the bathtub on the roof.

For more images from the project, hit the link. Next up: sewers. [Archinect via Treehugger] [Images by Luc Roymans]

Yesterday on Capitol Hill, two Democratic representatives introduced a House bill that would require broadband ISPs to "interconnect with the facilities of other network providers on a reasonable and nondiscriminatory basis." It also requires them to treat all content, applications and services as the same, with "equal opportunity to reach consumers," says an IDG story in the New York Times. Any ISPs who start messing around with packets could be subject to antitrust enforcement. Republicans weren't so happy with the bill.

The Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act is sponsored by Michigan Democratic Representative John Conyers (who happens to be chairman of the House Judiciary Committee) along with Silicon Valley Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren. Conyers' premise:

"The Internet was designed without centralized control, without gatekeepers for content and services. If we allow companies with monopoly or duopoly power to control how the Internet operates, network providers could have the power to choose what content is available."

The opponents specifically argue that new competition in broadband networks is what keeps ISPs honest in their dealings with consumers. Michigan Republican Representative Fred Upton is quoted as saying, "Our hands-off policy is working." From what we've seen there, Fred, you are either all wrong, mostly wrong or at least partially wrong. [IDG in NY Times via Slashdot]

Here's how you take money from Microsoft's pockets and put it into your own. First, you need to want to buy Microsoft Office Ultimate. Second, you need a .edu email address. It doesn't matter that you graduated in 1994 and the last time you stepped foot in a classroom was 1993, all you need is an .edu address. That'll cut down the atrocious $680 price tag to a more manageable $60. You have until May 16, a week from now. After that you'll have to go back to BitTorrenting it like you always do. [The Ultimate Steal via NYT via Lifehacker]

The good people at Men's Vogue were kind enough to pass word along to us of one of their newest features, which they've just launched on their site. It's called "Design Inspirations" and they talked to famous design folk, from Michael Beirut to Yves Behar to Bentley's head of interior design, Robin Page, and asked them to name five things that inspire them. It's not one of those types of pieces that are going to give you a tremendous rush of insight about anything, but it's certainly kind of fun to read the random things they picked. And without much explanation beyond just their choices, it sort of becomes something of a game, trying to figure out just why they picked what they did, like #3 from designer Marcel Wanders:

Johannes Vermeer's "Girl with the Pearl Earring"

This 17th century work by Johannes Vermeer is often referred to as the "Mona Lisa of the North," a classic work which has inspired both a novel and a film.

Um...and?

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media

A laptop microphone can be pretty handy, but not all computers have them built in. Narae Inter's Recorder Mini is a tiny microphone that will fit in any standard mini jack microphone port and pick up sounds within a 30-foot radius. Released only in Korea at the moment, we're not certain about the price, but the magic of the internet could surely make the product part of your mobile arsenal. Like your USB hub. And your gun. [AVING via TechFresh]

AT&T has flip-flopped yet again on the issue of iPhone customers getting free access to AT&T hotspots. While yesterday the iPhone plans page clearly stated that access to the hotspots was included with all plans, that statement is now gone again. Hey, AT&T: why don't you make up your minds and be clear about this? This is ridiculous. [AT&T via I4U]

Move over iBuddy and Availbot, the masters of robo-companionship toys have arrived on scene. This is a WowWee Chatterbot, a USB-powered desktop companion that reacts with some motion and a bit of chattering to "trigger" words typed into emails, IM, calendar entries and the like. It's not as smart as Robosapien, of course: basically it just spouts out jokes and bits of commentary. Because we all like hellish dogs with eerie eyes responding to our typing, don't we? The video reveals the toy in action.

If the doggy version is a touch too scary for you there's also an Angel and Devil, and a Fairy Godfather version, and I'm hoping they're somewhat friendlier. The little guys were apparently shown at CES earlier this year, but we've only just caught sight of them now, in this Slashgear review. It does look like their sensitivity is a bit off, since they seem to miss some trigger words, but that's the sort of thing that may be addressed in a software update at a later date.

At least these animated toys have another function besides annoying you as you type: they have a speaker and battery-powered action so you can plug in an MP3 player and use them standalone. They're PC and Mac compatible, and are available for $49.99. [Chatterbots Online via Slashgear]

A new biometric face scanner from the Japanese company Sagawa Advance has taken the technology to the next level, able to differentiate between identical twins with no problems at all. It does this by using an infrared scanner to analyze a whopping 40,000 data points on your face.

This is a good thing, because Sagawa Advance's scanner is used as access to high-security areas such as power plants and medical factories where they've got to make sure that it's really the plant supervisor entering and not his evil twin bent on the destruction of the human race. That's always the worst. [Digital World Tokyo]