I was looking at the rumor that Palm will release Q4 Cingular-only EDGE-enabled Treos this fall, and came across a forum post claiming that Cingular salesbots are noting that the release has been pulled. However, now I can’t find it and there are numerous posts on a multiplicity of sources claiming a European release date of September 12 followed by an October release in the US.

So I turned to solving the problem of direct keyboard access to the Mini, our current media center box. Ideally, I want a compact bluetooth keyboard with an integrated pointing device. Compact(!) bluetooth keyboards abound, but none that I noted included a pointing device (although the ever-forward-thinking FrogPadders are apparently thinking about it).

However, two integrated multi-port USB-slash-bluetooth hubs are available, in theory. Unfortunately the $19.99 DTech hub appears to be safely ensconced in containers at sea, whilst the considerably more attractive (in a borg-y way) MSI hub, retailing at $89 but street-cheaper looks to be in stock here and there.

Alas, this still fails to solve my preferred mouselesscouchpotatohoodness (how does that work in the German?). Additionally, I note in fora reaction about the USB-slash-bluetooth hubs, there’s clearly a market for a Bluetooth USB hub, wherein one might pair the widget and hang one’s devices (est qu’il-y-a’n accent? Je n’sais pas) USB off the CPU sans wiring to the boîte.

Net result: Thrift and desire, one. Profligacy and entitlement, zero.