NYC

There's no denying the ASUS Sabertooth P67 motherboard looks fantastic, and  The Tech Report  didn't spare praise for its military-grade components or five-year warranty in a recent review, but the publication also reports that the standout feature -- that component-cooling "Tactical Jacket" -- may hurt more than it helps. The plastic shroud has been re-dubbed "Thermal Armor" since our last run-in, but that doesn't change the result: ASUS doesn't ship the primo slab with a dedicated cooling fan, so component temperatures can actually go  up  ten degrees Celsius when wearing the shroud with a system under heavy load. Of course, cooling depends on a number of factors, but we were hoping the Sabertooth's unique coat would be a positive one. Back to the drawing board. The Tech Report

We're still not sure what's  stylistic  about Smart Card readers, fingerprint scanners and TPM modules, but you won't find them in many slates, so if you've been considering the  Fujitsu Q550  -- which has one of each -- today's your lucky day. The Oak Trail-powered Windows 7 tablet with a 10.1-inch, 1280 x 800 IPS screen is ready for US pre-orders today, with $729 bringing you the base model with a 30GB solid state drive and a two-cell rechargeable battery. $849 upgrades the slate to 62GB of storage and four cells worth of swappable Lithium-ion joy, while both sport front and rear cameras, HDMI out, a bootable USB 2.0 port, a full-size SD slot and dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi. Let's just hope the UI is a tad more optimized than last time.   Fujitsu

Feeling the need for a phone with a dedicated Facebook button? HTC's got  two  to offer you, and now Amazon's UK bureau is ready to take pre-orders for the new Salsa and ChaCha handsets for a June 26th delivery. The ChaCha's equipped with a portrait QWERTY keyboard and a 2.6-inch touchscreen, while the Salsa stretches out to 3.4 inches and eschews the physical keys. Both feature 600MHz Qualcomm MSM7227 processors and 512MB of RAM, which are used to run Android with Sense laid over the top. The unsubsidized prices are set at £250 ($409) for the ChaCha and £320 ($524) for the Salsa, though we're sure you'll be able to get them without any upfront payments if you're happy to sign your life away to a carrier for the next couple of years. dialtosave Amazon UK (ChaCha) ,  (Salsa)

Steering wheels: sure, they're fun  and  functional, but why do they have to be so  opaque ? It's like you can't see through them at all! Our friends at CTA Digital -- purveyors of such fine gaming peripherals as the Wii bowling ball and the Nintendo DS/DSi Puppet Pouch -- are thinking outside that particular box with the aptly named Transparent Steering Wheel. Looking like something pulled from the wreckage of Wonder Woman's invisible plane, the TSW is nothing more than a transparent (well, translucent if we're being nitpicky) piece of plastic shaped like a steering wheel, which promises more precise driving on the Kinect racetrack. The company's apparently still perfecting the clear-plastic technology, which will ship June 5th, setting you back $12.99. Joystiq Amazon

Nintendo 3DS users will soon have another way to extend their system's notoriously limited battery life, thanks to Hyperkin's new 3DS Powerplus. Slated for release this summer, the 2.2-ounce accessory slips on to the back of the console without obstructing the 3DS' cartridge port, SD card and game controls, while adding an extra 1800mAh to the device's standard 1300mAh battery. The Powerplus also features an enhanced grip, as well as an LED indicator that can give you an idea of how much gas you've got left in the tank. Hyperkin says its $19.99 appurtenance will more than double your 3DS' battery life, but, as welearned from Nyko, seeing is believing. Head past the break for an extra image of the Powerplus, along with a full PR. Joystiq NintendoFuse

This is exactly how we humans got out of the trees five million years ago. We spot a problem, like the iPhone 4's lack of 4G data, and we solve it. In fact, Korean Telecom's new Egg sleeve not only brings WiMAX to the iPhone 4 but also incorporates an extra battery to allow five hours of 4G surfing. It could make bipedalism slightly uncomfortable however, by bulking your pocket out with 2.4 ounces (68g) in added weight plus a third of an inch (8mm) in extra thickness. Primates outside of South Korea can't buy the ₩129,800 ($120) Egg right now, but problem-solving minds can always use 4G mobile hotspots instead -- like the Sprint Overdrive or Verizon's new LTE-based MiFi. That's why we're the jungle VIP. Akihabara News Korean Telecom [Korean]

Ever wondered how well playing  Call of Duty  at maximum volume mimics a real combat experience? Researchers at the Missouri University of Science and Technology must have asked a similar question, because they've built a 64-speaker surround-sound audio battlefield designed to train new troops. The system reproduces screaming fighter jets, rumbling tanks, and persistent gunfire -- all the better to acclimate recruits to the overwhelming, disorienting cacophony of warfare. Veterans say even with the four large 20-hertz subwoofers, it's nowhere near the real thing: combat volume is 25 percent louder than the average rock concert, at levels that can cause permanent hearing loss. Still, the creators say every bit of training helps; having near-combat experience is certainly better than none at all. So tell that to your neighbors next time they bang on your wall. [Image via  The Associated Press ] Associated Press