Hasta La Gadget!

The touch screen is sharp
And the S9 is quite slim
But this ain’t no touch.

—Tim Gideon

For for the full-length, free-verse Cowon S9 review check out PCmag.com.

Looking for a reason to get excited by Device Stage, the new visual interface Microsoft’s adding to Windows 7? Look no further than the Sony Walkman NWZ-S738F, a horribly named but really clever gizmo–at least when attached to the right computer, that is. Take a close look at the screen shot above (or click it for the larger version) and you’ll see that the device description banner at the top of the window gives you a quick status update–I’ve got 5.45 free GB of space and my battery is fully charged. In my eyes, that’s a pretty important bit of data, and a very convenient spot to learn that. Now take a look at what happens when you simply mouse over the Walkman’s taskbar icon:

Hovering your mouse over the music player’s icon yields an image of the device, with three icons in the lower window frame. I’ve hovered my mouse over the right one, which yields information about the device’s storage capacity. The middle one is battery life, and the left icon sets up sync. I’ve tested the Canon MP980 and the Nokia N95 8GB, and neither has added this level of interactivity to simple mouse gestures. Neat!

Yet more funky functionality, after the jump.

Microsoft’s recently released earnings report outlined a company hard hit by the economic downturn. Soon after the the report came out, CEO Steve Ballmer announced that the company would be laying off some 5,000 employees. Among the most affected is the company’s Entertainment and Devices division, which manufactures the Zune.

Microsoft ended the week with a 10-Q filing, which outlined the device’s woes. “Zune platform revenue decreased $100 million or 54 percent, reflecting a decrease in device sales.”

But Microsoft insisted that it’s not abandoning the plucky little DAP. “Zune is committed and on track to deliver against our current product roadmap, and [we] are as focused as ever on providing great software and content-powered experiences to help bring our connected entertainment vision to life,” spokesman Adam Sohn told Paid Content.

However you might feel about the device itself, the Zune has always seemed like a pet project for the company–an attempt to stake its claim in the market share dominated by Apple. So if this downward trend continues, how will the company hold onto its beloved Zune? How about folding it into another healthier division; like, oh, say, Windows Mobile? Web speculation says “maaaaaybeeee.”

Swiss company Ewoo, a new maker of high-end audio equipment, has released a line of iPod-compatible products in conjunction with Cabasse, a French high-fidelity speaker manufacturer.

The HandMusic (above) is a dock and remote control for iPods. It lets you browse content from up to 500 feet away, sync iTunes through USB, or search alphabetically through your iTunes on the HandMusic. The HandMusic, however, does not actually play music–you have to hook it up to speakers or a docking station. The remote is simply a way to know what’s playing on your iPod while you’re sitting down, without having to get up to look at your iPod. The HandMusic is $199.99.

More products after the jump.

There are always a couple of off-beat hits every CES, and it doesn’t come much more off-beat than Ozaki’s line of iMini Pets, little animatronic stuff animals that sit on top of an iPod speaker dock. The pets grove and lip sync to the music from your iPod. The dock features an on/off sleep system, dual alarm, and a 27 x 59 mm LCD display.

On display at the show this week were the Jazz Panda, Rock Lion, Rap Frog, Classic Bear, and House Dog. Oh, and, uh, Barack Obama, too. Yep, the presiden-elect was on the showroom floor today, grooving alongside the pets. That’s change we can all groove to.

Check out a video of the pets–and Obama–dancing to “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” after the jump.