It’s been quite some time now since RIM’s mobile chat service got an update, but back in April we got a sneak peek of the next BBM build. Since then, millions upon millions have waited with bated breath for its release, and now they must wait no more: BBM 6 has finally been unleashed upon the world.

This new bit of code brings support for BBM-connected applications — so you can chat within apps and both view and download your friends’ favorite apps from lists on their BBM profiles. The new functionality means programs for real-time project collaboration are possible, as are new types of social gameplay. Then again, is there still any people left in the BBM camp?

SOURCE via RIM

Okay maybe these aren’t exactly the types of laser machine guns Dr. Evil would drool over, but the U.S. Navy has teamed up with BAE Systems and Boeing to develop advanced machine guns combining the high-precision technology of lasers with the lethal force of machine guns. Pictured above is BAE System’s Mk 38 Mod 2 Machine Gun, the weapon that is going to be equipped with solid state laser technology.

Since the current prototype that BAE and Boeing have developed only tops out at a disappointing laser blast of 10 kilowatts, the device is hardly considered militarily effective. Not even getting close to the required 100 kilowatt threshold to be considered viable, this means the U.S. Navy probably won’t be firing deadly laser blasts out to sea anytime soon.

Despite the laser’s short comings in potency, the modified Mk 38 is still a force to be reckoned with. Rather than a single concentrated laser, the weapon features both technologies that can work independently or together. This means the not-so-deadly laser can be used to identify and lock on to targets that will be bombarded with the unquestionably deadly 180 rounds per minute machine gun. Other than the $2.8 million contract awarded back in March, no additional information has been given about expected costs or production dates.

You might be a good driver. Perhaps you’ve had a few good runs at your local circuit, taken a lesson or two from Skip Barber or even tried your hand at some wheel-to-wheel racing during Sepang’s open track day. We’re going to go out on a short limb, however, and respectfully say that you aren’t as good of a driver as Andreas Gülden.

Mr. Gülden is the chief instructor at the Nürburgring Driving Academy, meaning he has complete access to the famed track as well as a fleet of Formula Super cars. At least one of those cars has a camera on it, and for that, we’re thankful.

You see, racing is not easy as it seemed. Go too fast into the corner, and you’ll understeer and bang the rubbers. Go too slow and you’ll lose time. What’s worse is if the car is running sleek tyres, you’ll need to drive at a certain high speed to keep the tyres hot enough to get sticky. And obviously when it’s raining, your tyres no longer get sticky, and your grip decreases a lot. That’s when you need balls of steels to drive.

Gülden took the keys to said camera-equipped car and set out on a lap of a soaking wet Nürburgring. The resulting footage is a master class in car control, a shining example of nerves of steel and the type of lap we can only dream of.

Here’s a little feature that Microsoft quietly sneaked into Mango — you can stream music straight from your SkyDrive account. With the latest WP7 update comes some nice integration with Redmond’s cloud storage service, but it’s not just for pulling up spreadsheets. You can navigate to any folder and, if you tap on a compatible sound file, it’ll start playing the tune in the music app. It’s not a full-fledged streaming and syncing service like Google Music or a tightly integrated ecosystem such as iTunes and iCloud, but it is a pretty neat trick. And, let’s be honest, no matter how cumbersome, sometimes those unofficial solutions are much more gratifying.

SOURCE via beingmanan

Twitter integration wasn’t part of the package for Windows Phone Mango in the original changelog. But now the feature has finally been rolled out in the latest developer build of the forthcoming mobile operating system, and WinRumors has taken it for a spin on video. Thrill at the simple setup process through Windows Live. Gasp at integration with the People and Me hubs. Stare in stunned silence at the threaded conversations.

SOURCE via WinRumor

MSI’s prepared yet another new beast for your next LAN party, and there’s a serious bit of dedicated gaming punch lying under this notebook’s brushed metal finish thanks to its 2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, an NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M card and the audio tag team of MSI Premium Sound and THX’s True Studio Pro. In addition to its 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 HD display, this “dream machine” sports a 720p camera, an HDMI out port and USB 3.0. The company’s also thrown in a GPU Boost feature, which frees up the internal graphics chip should you be running any graphics-intensive apps. Unfortunately, your zerg Swarm-slaying hands will have to wait for an official price and retail date, but when you do get a hold of it, make sure to keep that caffeinated brew far from the keyboard.

ASUS has gone and made its super svelte Eee PC X101 official with a dedicated product page live on its site. We’d already gotten our hands-on with the crimson-colored ultraportable, but now there’s a whole list of specs to flesh out this 920g wonder.

The MeeGo-running netbook’s rocking a 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 display, 1.33 GHz Intel Atom N435 (or N455) processor, 8GB SSD, Bluetooth, WiFi, SDHC card support and USB 2.0. Oh, and did we mention this 17.6 millimeter thin beauty comes in three shades of awesome? That’s right, when this $199 netbook finally hits retailers’ shelves you can also snag it in white and brown.

SOURCE via Asus