This took longer than expected: On October 22, Tokyo-based media and interactive content provider VAP [JP] will release Japan’s first “gravure idol” Blu-ray.

Gravure idols are basically just Japanese models who pose in bikinis, kimonos or cosplay clothing for magazines and newspapers, but also for photo books, TV shows and DVDs. This means people pay up to $50 for a disc (or more) and get to see their dream girls walking around the beach, talking about their favorite type of men etc. (no posing nude and no sex scenes involved).

The first girl to be featured in full Blu-ray glory (16:9, 1080i) is Yukie Kawamura, a 22-year old Hokkaido native who will show us the beauty of Hawaii. I am a big fan. If you are interested but don’t live in Nippon, I am sure Amazon Japan or CD Japan will soon let you preorder the Blu-ray.

Be warned though: Its MSRP is $55 and it’s only 40 minutes long. At least there are no language barriers and the Blu-ray regional code is the same (in Japan and North America at least).

I’ve collected the cream of the crop so far and embedded them deep into the page for those of you who don’t want to click through endless “producer interviews” and ads to get to the creamy gameplay center. Click on through for trailers and teasers for Resident Evil 5, Need for Speed: Undercover, Tom Clancy’s Endwar, Silent Hill:Homecoming, Dark Void, Star Wars: Force Unleashed, and maybe some more later.

AppleInsider is reporting that the Nike+ screens we saw yesterday on a French iPhone site are tres faux and not the “work of Apple nor the athletic shoe maker” according to Nike+ sources. One telltale clue: the app had a connection to the music player which is not available to any application or program call in the SDK.

The expected Sony PSP-3000 was just announced over in Germany. Nothing ground breaking, but a few minor, abet decent, changes. First up is newer, brighter screen that is better equipped to handle glare. There is microphone right next to the first “P” on the bottom. Also on the bottom row, right next to the volume controls, is the new PS button. (nice) Sony has also included for your VOiP talking pleasure, Skype.

Word from the Sony Games Convention is that Europe can expect the PSP-3000 on October 15, while US fanboys can pick it up on the 14th. Pricing works out like it normally does — European gamers get the fraternity paddle — with the PSP-300 going for €199 across the pond and $199 here. Sorry brothers.

Mitsubishi Electric yesterday unveiled a prototype LCD TV [JP], which is just 40mm thick. The company said it’s “REAL” TV is full HD but didn’t reveal any details regarding screen size, price and technical features.

Mitsubishi separated the display from the tuner and integrated wireless transmission units into both devices, which are able to transmit uncompressed full HD video signals over a distance of up to 30 meters. A Blu-ray recorder similar in size and design to the tuner was also showcased.

Mitsubishi plans to mass produce this kind of TV/Blu-ray recorder sets as early as this fall and says they hope to be able to find a niche for its product amid growing demand for flat-screen TVs in Japan. The minimum size of the new TV will be 40 inches.

As of now, it’s unknown whether it will be sold outside Japan as well.

Oh, the W350. You’re so beautiful when you’re closed. Pop open that flip-down cover over the number pad, however, and everyone starts to wonder how they made such a slim phone in 1989.

Two-faced aesthetics aside, AT&T launched the W350 this morning alongside the LG Invision. For zero dollars after a $50 dollar rebate and a 2-year agreement, the W350 packs quad-band GSM, a 1.3 megapixel shooter, and M2 Memory Stick support. It comes in “Ice Blue”, “Electric Black”, or .. “White”. White doesn’t get an exciting name? Did SE fire the naming guy after the best thing he could come up with for black was “Electric”?

Check out a shot of the W350 in its nostalgia-inducing, keypad-exposed form over at MobileCrunch >>

O.K. Take your hands and pretend like your using this new keypad coming from Sony. We can’t figure out if it’s going to be comfy or a just plain awkward. It look like you need to move your hands off the nubs to use it. Sony has always been on par with ergonmical controls, so we are going to trust ‘em on this one till we can fondle it ourselves.

As far as the control goes, most think it’s going to attach via the top mounted mini-USB port and even have a ‘touchpad mode.” Supposedly, when said mode is activated, the key area turns into a touchpad somehow. Pricing and availability hasn’t been announced just yet. We’ll let ya know as soon as here hear something more. 

Another pic after the jump.

There was a time that a salesman actually needed to have enough skill, or knowledge, to sell a product — not both though. Circuit City got away from salesman way back in 2003, and now they are further enhancing their minions with some tablet PCs. EDGE, which creatively stands for Enhanced Digital Guide Experience, was created with customer in mind, but to be used by the associates on Windows XP-powered tablets.

Let’s dive into the press release.

Boosts store associate confidence, credibility and versatility. With Circuit City’s vast product line, sales associates sometimes shrank from guest encounters because they were not always confident of the answer. EDGE gives them what they need to sell or discuss any product in the store as well as any product on circuitcity.com because the mobile tool integrates online content for a seamless multichannel experience.

So according to Microsoft, not only will these tablet PCs help the associates, but now, just maybe, customers can actually get waited on because the associates won’t be afraid of ‘em.

Allows for more satisfying guest experiences with every visit. Guests receive a more consistent experience when they interact with EDGE, which helps to improve the overall perception that the city is a unique and differentiated place to shop for consumer electronics.

Are customers going to use EDGE while the associate stands there, holding the tablet? 

Complements the new-hiring strategy in the city store format. The city has been able to expand its hiring pool and can now seek friendly associates with strong team-building and communication skills rather than searching exclusively for highly technical associates.

Chicks? Is Circuit City going to start hiring women sales associates? (O.K. stop yelling. Yes, we know women are technical too, but have you ever been in a Circuit City? It’s like an Alaskan LAN party on the sales floor.)

Influences future growth of the company. The city store format incorporates a number of new elements influenced by EDGE, including a more innovative store layout and easy-to-use technology to help guests make smarter buying decisions.

More technology, less sales people. Sounds like a good plan Circuit City.

We kid, we kid. Still, with all this new roaming platform, will anyone be able to find the checkouts easier?

With the Android-powered HTC Dream launching on their network sometime in the next few months, T-Mobile’s feelin’ the heat to get their 3G network as prepped as possible. Just a few weeks ago, a poster taped to someone’s wall told us that 3G would hit October 1st.

While we had looked forward to hosting a big nationwide T-Mobile 3G countdown on September 30th, CellPhone Signal is reporting that T-Mobile is going about it the practical boring way and rolling it out gradually. It’s too bad. We’d planned on passing out martinis and miniature beer-soaked sausages at our countdown party, and now no one gets any. T-Mobile owes you hors d’oeuvres.

Roll-out dates and cities after the jump

Read more at MobileCrunch >>

I guess my mystery device isn’t supported, but I’ll try it out anyway.