Researchers from Carnegie Mellon and Microsoft Research have taken touchscreens to the next level. They’ve developed the prototype for a revolutionary new tecchnology that allows users to turn their hands and arms into touchscreens. The Skinput system uses a tiny projector in an armband to display interactive images on the user’s skin. The armband also houses sensors that detect taps on the skin. See the system in action in this YouTube video and read more about it on ZDNet.

Popular Science magazine just made its 137-year archive available online, with no charge for browsing. PopSci.com, the official website for Popular Science, has partnered with Google to provide the full contents of each issue, including the original advertisements. The archive is a mind-blowing resource, showing how people in the past thought about the future. It’s fascinating to see which scientific predictions came true and which remained just dreams.

The Google interface to the archive includes a search box to let you search by topic. You can also see a hyperlinked Table of Contents for each issue and jump to articles that way. The archive can be accessed via an iPhone. Prepare to lose yourself for several hours browsing through the interesting articles and stunning retro illustrations.

If you’d like to do your part to help the environment, consider investing in one of these eco-friendly Wikkerink Wallets. These unique wallets are made from recycled bicycle inner tubes combined with felt and fabric. The inner tubes are washed and treated until they’re as soft as velvet before being made into wallets. At $32, this wallet is a steal – especially since its durability will make it useful for a long, long time. Find out more at the Wikkerink Wallets website.

Feel like you’re going nowhere on the same old treadmill? The NordicTrack x7i Interactive Incline Trainer lets you take your workout all over the world. The x7i has the capability to download maps over Wi-Fi. Once you’ve downloaded a map and chosen a trial, the trainer shows the map on a small screen and the treadmill track raises and lowers to simulate the topography. Picture yourself running along San Francisco’s Golden Gate Trail, or maybe you’d like to design your own workout my specifying a route on Google Maps.

When you’ve finished your run, the x7i uploads your stats to the iFit website, where you can analyze your data and plan your next workout. The NordicTrack x7i Interactive Incline Trainer is on sale for $1999 at NordicTrack.com.

After months of secrecy and speculation, Apple has finally officially announced its latest gadget – the iPad tablet. Steve Jobs himself unveiled the 10” touch screen device today at an invitation-only event in San Francisco. The iPad is expected to be a player in the e-book market which is currently dominated by Amazon’s Kindle. At the same time, it will serve as a larger version of the iPod Touch and be able to run the hundreds of thousands of apps in the iTunes App Store. Amazon seems to have anticipated this by putting out a call for developers to create applications for the Kindle.

The iPad also has a built-in iPod and can play iTunes music and video content. At $499, it might just give the Kindle a run for its money. You can see Jobs and the iPad in this YouTube video of today’s presentation. For a different take on the subject, see this blog post from The Onion.

The Motorola MOTOROKR s305 headphones work with iPods, iPhones or any Bluetooth device. With this headset, you can wirelessly stream music and make hands-free calls at the same time. Two high-quality 30mm speakers deliver a rich audio experience. A small microphone on the right speaker picks up your voice for phone calls. If you’re listening to music when a call comes in, it will automatically pause when you take the call.

The MOTOROKR features a sleek, futuristic design and behind-the-head band. These headphones provide up to 6.5 hours of talk or music. A USB charging port is located on the side of the headset. Find out more on the Motorola website.

Millions of people move their home or business each year. The key to smooth relocation is organization, and now there’s a free Web application to help with the organization side of moving. MoveIdiot is a service application that helps to manage the details of a move from a central online website. MoveIdiot users can create moving checklists used templates, compile a moving budget, manage to-do lists and even track boxes.

During the packing process, the contents of boxes can be itemized and shipping labels printed. Shipping company information can be logged and then the progress of shipments can be monitored in realtime on a map. For more information about the MoveIdiot application, visit their website.

One of the most interesting new gadgets to make its debut at the 2010 Consumers Electronics Show (CES) was Klipsch LightSpeaker System. Winner of a 2010 CES Innovations Award, the lightspeaker consists of a dimmable LED bulb that is integrated with a wireless, full range speaker. The LED bulb is rated for 40,000 hours of use, which could equate to at least 15 years. The LightSpeaker can be used in a recessed light fixture and controlled by a transmitter. Once the LightSpeaker has been installed, you can connect an iPod or any music device and enjoy ambient light and music.

You can find out more about installation and use of the LightSpeaker system in this YouTube video. The system is not on sale yet but is on back order in anticipation of its release. The cost for the system, which consists of two light/speaker components, a transmitter and a remote control, is $599.  Find out more at the Klipsch LightSpeaker website.

Christmas has come and gone, and many people got exactly the tech gadget that they wanted. However, many of those who eagerly unwrapped that netbooks, smart phone or HDTV on Christmas morning found themselves by evening unable to get their new toy up and running. Luckily, there are some online resources that provide support for getting those gadgets working.

Last October, Apple introduced a new line of iMac computers that included a new mouse device, The Magic Mouse. The unique design of this Bluetooth wireless mouse includes a touch-sensitive surface (called Multi-Touch by Apple). Instead of using mouse buttons and a wheel, users perform selection and scrolling with a swiping gesture. Users of the iPhone and iPod Touch will be familiar with the swiping interface. With The Magic Mouse, Apple has introduced one of the biggest innovations in mouse design to come along in quite some time.

See a video of The Magic Mouse in action on the Apple website.