Ever wish you had a way to let other people hear that song (or killer guitar lick) rocking in your head while your fingers shred an invisible guitar? For 20 bucks, you can buy a solution. It probably won’t sound as awesome as it does in your head, but at least you get a way. Called the Air Guitar, this chopped-off guitar neck comes with built-in chord buttons and an infrared laser to create sounds with. Yup. It’s an air guitar with a laser. Can it be more awesome?

So here are the details: the Air Guitar features seven chord buttons on the fake fret board, while buttons that’ll let you shift between major, minor and 7th chords that you press with your thumb are lined up at the edge. The device also features a built-in speaker that’ll let you share the music (or noise, depending on how good you can get with this), and a 3.5mm output jack that you can use to plug speakers or a pair of earphones into.

The whole thing’s powered by a pair of AA batteries, and features two modes: a free play mode that’ll let you make your own music, and, a mode that’ll play ten preset songs (including rock classics such as Aerosmith’s Walk This Way and Depp Purple’s Smoke on the Water) if you have no idea what “chords” are.

We’re just looking at the previews and haven’t tried this one out yet – it could sound crappy for all we know, and the “for ages 8 years and up” label makes it sound like a cheap toy – but we’re willing to part with 20 bucks for an air guitar that comes with lasers.

Like the original, Etcher comes with two pop-out knobs for drawing and a function that allows you to shake it to erase. Unlike the original, you can save current sketches for future editing (and safety) so you don’t have to start all over whenever someone accidentally shakes your drawing away. The included app also lets you send your drawings via email, or post them to Facebook and Flickr, and comes with a time lapse function that’ll let you record and play back the sketch the way you etched it.

Since it’s also a working protective case, the two knobs can also be pushed back in for storage or when you just need a plain old tablet, and comes with holes for the home button, cameras, and the buttons/switches around the edges.

It’s certainly an interesting idea for people who miss their old toy. Unfortunately, this iPad accessory is needs funding before it actually gets produced. Etcher is currently listed as a project on Kickstarter, and needs to reach $75,000 before June 9. Pledges start at $60, which will get you an Etcher in red or blue colors. It’s a lot more to pay for compared to the $15 original, but the extra features – like the ability to save your drawings – makes it worthwhile.

Check out the Etcher’s page on Kickstarter for a preview video.

The difference with this new step? Potentially huge for consumers, mainly because we appreciate being able to choose. That means that if you didn’t like the Nexus phone that Samsung built, you might like what HTC or Motorola came out with.

Of course, the downside on this new deal is that you’re going to have to pay full price for an unlocked phone that’s unsubsidized by a carrier. Of course, that could be good too, especially if you don’t want to be tied down by another two-year contract if you don’t need one. And because the software updates don’t have to course through a carrier, the new Nexus phones will be getting the latest version of Android faster.

The report didn’t name which OEMs they’re currently working with, but current partnerships include Motorola, Samsung, Sony, HTC and Asus.

Specifically, the Optimus 4X HD will be out in Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Poland and Sweden in June, followed by other regions after that. The phone is highlighted by a 4.7-inch 720p IPS LCD screen, an 8-megapixel camera, 16GB of internal storage, and the mentioned Android 4.0 OS and quad-core Tegra 3 processor, along with 1GB of RAM.

No word on pricing yet, but we expect it to compete with Samsung’s Galaxy S III on that front as well. LG didn’t mention any plans for a US release yet, but the fact that ‘4X’ name depends on a quad-core chip that doesn’t support 4G LTE – at least not until an update due out in 2013 – makes it unlikely.

Like its predecessor, the BeoPlay A8 features a pair of 5-inch stereo speakers that pump out midrange/bass frequencies from 70-watt Class D amplifiers and two 3/4-inch, 35W tweeters for a wide range of sound. The design is what sets it apart though. Designed by David Lewis Designers, the modern minimalist look and flat front actually holds 1.3 liters of space for the speakers that feature no parallel surfaces to create standing waves. The design also allows it to stand on its own or hung on a wall for space.

To keep it sounding awesome no matter where you position the A8, it also features switchable sound mode settings that compensate for wall resonance. Three pre-sets are available out-of-the-box, letting you choose between wall, corner or freestanding positions by hitting a dedicated button.

Tunes and volume can be controlled using a connected iOS device, or by using the dedicated remote that it comes with.

The BeoPlay A8 costs $1,149 in white or black. But if you don’t mind getting the awesome sound (and design) without the AirPlay wireless support, the Apple Store is selling the original BeoSound 8 for $850.

If you’re looking for a cheap smartphone that offers Android 4.0 in a compact package that shares the One X’s design cues, HTC just unveiled one. The HTC Desire C is an entry-level smartphone way down the ladder compared to HTC’s One series, but shares the same styling. Fronted by a 3.5-inch capacitive touch screen with a 320 x 480 resolution, the phone also comes with Android 4.0 out-of-the-box (layered with HTC’s Sense 4.0 I) and Beats Audio processing.

The rest of the spec includes a  5-megapixel camera at the back and NFC connectivity. To keep the price down, the phone will only run on a 600MHz processor and pack in 4GB of memory. Yes, it’s a bit short on premium tech, but it still looks pretty good for the price. Available in red, silver and black colors, the HTC Desire C is expected to cost between $200 and $250 off-contract, and will include 25GB of free cloud storage from Dropbox.

No word on exact release dates yet, but it’s due out in Europe in June.

Lenovo has unveiled a refreshed version of the ThinkPad X1 ultraslim that they launched last year. Called the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, it packs a lot more than just a simple spec upgrade. It’s almost a complete redesign, highlighted by a lighter carbon frame to make it lighter than last year’s model despite this notebook’s larger screen. With a total weight of 3 pounds, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is also light enough for Lenovo to claim it as the world’s lightest 14-inch notebook. It’s also looks pretty sexy, measuring 18 millimeters thick at its thickest point.

The notebook will run on an Intel’s Ivy Bridge processor, but exactly which processor is still unknown. The rest of the spec looks pretty good though: the 14-inch screen features a 1600 x 900 resolution, while the bottom half rocks a backlit keyboard, wide trackpad, and an eraserhead pointer that’s typically found on IBM/Lenovo’s ThinkPads.

The edges feature USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports, a Mini DisplayPort connection, and an SD card slot. Extra features include a fingerprint scanner for security, a Rapid Charge function that fills an empty battery to 80 percent in 30 minutes, and an optional 3G modem for people who need to connect on-the-go.

Pricing wasn’t revealed, but the X1 Carbon is expected out within the next two months.

So here’s what you’re getting for $200: The Droid RAZR Maxx will pack a spec that’s pretty standard compared to its smartphone competition, rocking a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM, a 4.3-inch screen behind a Gorilla Glass panel, and an 8MP camera at the back. The design is pretty good, with a slim 9mm frame and a Kevlar fiber rear panel. The battery is what sets this phone apart though, coming with a 3,300mAh battery that’s listed to offer a 17.5-hour talk time, which should come in handy with the 4G LTE connection is supports.

It’s currently listed to ship with Android 2.3.5, but it’s expected to get an update to Android 4.0 sometime later this month.

Sounds good? If battery life is important to you, then here’s your phone. But if an extra-long battery isn’t what rocks your boat and you just want a good deal, then check out the Droid RAZR on Motorola: a slimmer 7.1mm  phone that ships with Android 4.0 for only $99.

Here’s something you can do while playing around with an iPhone 4S. Ask Siri what the ‘best smartphone ever’ is, and she’ll tell you that it’s not the phone in your hand. Interestingly, the virtual assistant built into the iPhone 4S will tell you that the best ever is the Nokia Lumia 900.

It’s the result of an interesting quirk though. (We really don’t expect Siri to know any better.) Since Siri sends your queries to Wolfram Alpha, a service that pulls data from other sources to get you answers, you get this result. The fact that the handful of people (a total of 4 people at the time, with ratings sourced from Best Buy) who bothered to rate it gave it a pretty high score explains Siri’s answer.

Ask Siri what the best tablet is, and you get a different result. She’ll tell you that “the Apple iPad is the best. And that’s just not my opinion.” Apparently, she still recognizes her creator. With all the hype this story has gotten over the weekend, maybe Apple ought to teach Siri how to recognize.

First up, the C-Pen (shown above). It’s basically a capacitive touchscreen stylus that looks way more comfortable to scribble with compared to the S-Pen that ships with the Galaxy Note. This one isn’t built to slot into the phone though, and should work with any capacitive screen.

The Flip Cover is an interesting take on a protective mobile case in that it’s designed not to add much bulk to the phone. The rear plate replaces the phone’s rear panel, adding a built-in cover that matches the phone’s design perfectly.

Samsung also has a couple of docks for the phone: a Wi-Fi Display Hub that sports wireless connectivity as well as an HDMI port for hooking it up to a larger screen. The other is a simple charging dock that can charge the phone as well as an extra battery under the (literal) hood.

Pricing for the accessories haven’t been revealed, but they should be available around the same time the Galaxy S III itself lands. The phone is due out in Europe by the end of May and June in North America.