I'm a little disappointed with the releases in technology this Summer.

AMD, as we all know, is diving headfirst into 64-Bit computing and the Opteron processor is available although motherboard support is pretty non-existent. Especially for those of us who build our own machines. If anything the new processors will drastically reduce the Athlon XP line of processors which are already pretty darn low.

I've been browsing the latest offerings of computer cases from Lian-Li, CoolerMaster, etc. and am surprised at how few aesthetically pleasing new designs there are. With the exception of Alienware's new case (which some love and some, I'm sure, hate). I'm not sure if I enjoy the disturbing trend to deck your computer case out until the point where it's ugly. Functionally, I don't want 6inches of plastic door sticking out from the front. A lot of CoolerMaster's ATC cases manage to be stunning without having a bunch of "spider / xazer" crap glued onto them. But at CoolerMaster's pricing I'm amazed that anyone would buy their cases. If CoolerMaster managed to start bundling premium Power Supplies ala Antec then you might be able to justify the pricing.

One area that I am really pleased with at the moment is Digital Photography. Canon's 10D has brought digital SLR's into a more affordable range. While $1500 USD may not seem very affordable for some it's a far cry from the $3,000-10,000 USD range that most digital SLRs used to be priced at (some still are).

Telephone manufacturers are finally jumping on the 5.8GHz bandwagon. Many cordless phones now operate in the 2.4GHz range which most of you know interferes with Wireless networking. Some routers can specify the exact range, but if your phone is anything like mine it autoscans to find the best frequency. Everytime someone calls I can potentially be disconnecting myself from the network. I've been eyeing the Panasonic KX-TG5100M 5.8 GHz system since they've been dependable for me in the past. Uniden, AT&T, etc. also have comparable models that tend to be a lot cheaper. Fry's / Outpost has the Panasonic for $159.99 last I checked.