Within the last year or two, it's become clear to those of us who spend way too much time hanging around tech conventions that gesture recognition is trying hard to be the Next Big Thing in computer interaction. Beyond Kinect, you've got both Leap and Edge3 trying to gesturize our gadgets, and now Microsoft has developed a wearable system that bypasses gadgets entirely.

Microsoft's been scooping up patents lately, but my personal favorite is the one that allows you to beat the hell out of your phone to make it shut up. Because that's exactly what its newest idea is.

Atari and Microsoft have announced a relaunch of eight video game classics for the Web and tablets. Asteroids, Pong, Missile Command and more are getting a makeover from existing Flash versions to HTML 5 to showcase the latest Web and tablet technologies. No need to search for quarters though, they are available free in the Atari Arcade.

Microsoft's next major Windows 8 will drop on October 26. Anybody who upgrades between then and January 31, 2013 can get Windows 8 Pro for $40. What about everybody sitting on the fence biting their fingernails until February 1? Surprise! Windows 8 is going to be as expensive as ever.