The Raspberry Pi is a single-board computer that was developed as an inexpensive computer science teaching aid. The Raspberry Pi Foundation calls its computer “an ARM GNU/Linux box for $25.” It was developed by a group of researcher from Cambridge University’s Computer Lab who became concerned about the decline in students who has tinkered with computers and programming as hobbyists.

This month, the Foundation two computers: the $25 Model A and the $35 Model B. Both can be plugged into a keyboard and TV to create a bare-bones programmable desktop computer.

You can see find out more about this pocket-size computer on the Raspberry Pi Foundation website and check out a video of the Raspberry Pi playing Quake 3 on YouTube.

If you love the idea of a home theater with all the bells and whistles but hate all the wires needed to connect your TV with a cable box, Blu-ray player and game console, then a wireless HDMI kit could be the answer. These kits, which consist of a box that your attach to the back of your TV and a box that you plug into your components, allow you to hide your components and wirelessly transmit video and audio to your TV. Most of these kits have a range of about 30 feet.

Read more about wireless HDMI boxes on Techlicious.

Clear is a new to-do list app that has quickly become one of the most downloaded paid apps at the Apple App Store.  The thing that sets this app apart from others of its kind gesture-base interface.  Mark an item completed with a simple swipe, pull down to create new list items and tap and hold to change the order of list items.  Also unique is the way to-do lists are presented.  Tasks are colored different hues from red to gold to indicate their priority.   

Clear isn’t the fanciest to-do list app, but it’s definitely the best looking.  Find out more about Clear at RealMacSoftware.com.

Microsoft has announced the new logo for Windows 8, which is composed of a white cross on a blue background.  Microsoft’s goal was to return to the window concept. Many thought the current four color logo resembled a flag, not to mention that its use of primary colors made it similar to the Chrome logo.  However, there are already comments on the Web about the new logo resembling the Nordic cross flag or a Scottish flag (which used the same colors with an X shape rather than a cross). 

Read more about the new Windows 8 logo design on ReadWriteWeb.

The SpareOne is a power-efficient mobile phone that’s the perfect travel companion. Powered by a single AA battery, the SmartOne offers up to 10 hours of talk time and has a 15-year shelf life when stored unused. You can stash it in your car or vacation home for emergency calls. The SpareOne is also compatible with phone networks all over the world, so it’s ideal for travel (you can leave your phone charger at home).  Rather than dealing the roaming charges on your regular phone, just load the SmartOne with minutes when you arrive in a new country.

The SpareOne is also a good phone for kids or seniors who may not need a full-feature cell phone. Find out more about the SpareOne travel phone on the official SpareOne Phone website. You can also read reviews of other travel-friendly gadgets on Fodors.

The team at GRASP (General Robotic, Automation, Sensing  & Perception) at the University of Pennsylvania have created an array of nano quadrotors (like a helicopter but with 4 rotors) that can autonomously move in groups, pass through doors, avoid obstacles and form complex formations in 3D space.  Each robot copter is equipped with sensors that allow it to maintain balance and accurately position itself while executing even the most complex maneuvers.

The YouTube video showing the swarm in action has gone viral, garnering more than 3 million views in less than a week.  After you watch the video, you can find out more about the GRASP team’s work on the GRASP Laboratory website.

USA Today’s Technology Live blog reports that TV makers LG and Vizio will announce their versions of Google TV at this month’s CES 2012 in Las Vegas.  Up until now, Sony has been the only manufacturer to adopt Google TV.  Samsung will unveil its own model later this year.

With Google TV, viewers can surf the Internet using Google’s Chrome browser, access content from Netflix, Pandora and other websites, browse photos, play games and more.  Learn more on the official Google TV website.  You can also see Google TV in action in this YouTube video.

At CES 2012, Lenovo introduced a versatile new laptop called the IdeaPad Yoga.  The name of this new laptop must refer to its flexibility — a patented dual-hinged screen flips 360 degrees to turn the Yoga into a tablet or to create a self-standing screen to watch video and films.  When you flip it into a tablet, the Windows 8 OS automatically switches to the Metro UI. 

The Yoga features a 13.1 inch screen with a resolution of 1600×900.  According to Lenovo, the Yoga is the thinnest and lightest convertible ultrabook, weighing in at a mere 3.1 pounds. 

Read more about the Lenovo Yoga at Wired’s Gadget Lab blog.

Popular Science magazine has released its list of the Top Innovations of 2011.  Topping the list is the Lytro Light-Field camera, which allows photographers to focus pictures after they’re taken. The Wacom Inkling doodle digitizer also made the list (we wrote about the Wacom Bamboo Stylus in a recent post). 

One of the gadgets on the list that caught our eye is the Kycero Echo, an Android phone that mimics a tablet with a second 3.5-inch touchscreen that can be snapped into place alongside the primary screen.  This creates a total screen resolution of 960 x 800, just slightly less than a 7-inch tablet.  The pair of screens share one image by default.  App creators are also expected to code games and other apps that display different coordinated images on the two screens.

Find out more about the Kycero Echo and the other Top Innovations of 2011 on the Popsci website.

According to the Chicago Tribune, American consumers are returning electronic gadgets in record numbers – even when the gadgets aren’t defective.  These returns generate huge costs for manufacturers and retailers.  Eventually those costs, which added up to $16.7 billion in 2011 alone, are added to the price of products. 

Sales data from the Consumer Electronics Association indicates that almost 70% of returns are categorized as “no problem found,” while 27% of returns are attributed to buyer’s remorse.  When consumers return products that are not defective, chances are good that they were unable to set up or learn how to use them. 

Gadgets that were included in the survey included computers, mobile phones, HDTVs, digital video cameras, gaming consoles and software.  The situation seems to indicate that consumers need more support and training and that gadgets need simpler designs.