The kit includes the pen with extra ink cartridges, receiver, all necessary batteries and a sleek case to put it all in. Also included on the receiver is Inkling Sketch Manager Application, software that allows you to organize your sketches and their associated layers before exporting them into your image editing software. Which is nice, because the receiver can store hundreds of sketches before needing to upload them to you computer. Available sometime next month, the Inkling will run you $199.00. Well worth it for the artist who works in the digital media but can’t give up the good ‘ol pen-and-paper sketch.

Google rolled out Gmail Offline today, available in the Chrome Web Store. The app uses HTML 5 technology to allow users to browse, read, and organize their Gmail accounts, even without an internet connection. The app incorporates seamlessly with Gmail, adding a online/offline toggle button in the browser. Offline apps for Google Calendar and Google Docs will be rolling out over the course of the next week. It’s nice to know that in a world that feels like we’re always “wired-in”, and even though technology is bounding in that direction, that we’re not dead in the water when we find ourselves without an internet connection.

Additions to the new version include the expansion of AWS Explorer to include Amazon S3, Amazon SNS, and Amazon SQS in addition to the previously supported SimpleDB and Amazon EC2. Other additions include support for multiple AWS accounts and the ability to remotely debug applications in a Beanstalk environment. This new version should make the toolkit useful to a wider range of developers with this adding flexibility.

Apparently, this deal was primarily about acquiring patents. It’s likely that Google is attempting to fire back at Microsoft and Apple’s recent patent purchases. Although this means stronger ties between hardware and software at Google, they have stated they will continue to offer Android as an open platform.

This acquisition will not change our commitment to run Android as an open platform. Motorola will remain a licensee of Android and Android will remain open. We will run Motorola as a separate business. Many hardware partners have contributed to Android’s success and we look forward to continuing to work with all of them to deliver outstanding user experiences. –Google CEO Larry Page

The potential coming out of this deal also extends beyond the mobile market. The obvious implication is in home television, where Motorola’s set-top box technology may be able to give a boost to the Android-based Google TV.

Now, thanks to a successful fundraising campaign, SETI has managed to raise $200K to help re-start observation at the Allen Telescope Array. SETI is planning on having the array running by mid-September. It’s exciting news for SETI supporters, but there’s no telling exactly how long the array will be able to stay operational once it is back up. The Allen Telescope Array costs approximately $1.5 million annually, and while SETI will no doubt continue to accept contributions, it’s questionable how long they can stay operational this time around.

While I have some doubts behind the strategy of listening for radio signals as a way of finding intelligent life, I think that SETI’s work is a bold testament to the curiosity of our race and a great example of looking forward, and always trying to reach higher. It’s nice to see that there’s enough individuals who feel the same way and were able to rally together to give this project a second chance.