BumpTop acts like desktop of the future, now free to download

We saw BumpTop when it was a mere design concept last year, but now the 3D icon-slingin' desktop can find its way to your PC. Download it now — it's free, PC-only — and see for yourself how easy it is to stack up icons, search your files by simply typing, sling icons around and pin them on virtual walls, and organize them in logical stacks with a simple lasso and right-click.

While we don't spend that much time on the desktop, this might be a good way to organize things. It's even dual-monitor aware, letting you use this cute 3D room on one monitor and the normal interface on the other. For $29, you can upgrade to the Pro version with extra features, but we're digging the free version for now. Try it — it's easy to uninstall if you don't like it.

GE's 500GB holographic storage discs

You know how cheap storage is becoming — it breaks my heart when I remember how much I paid for my first 256MB USB drive. Now, a new storage medium is being unveiled by General Electric (granddaddy owner of DVICE.com) that could sell for about 10 cents a disc gigabyte, with a capacity equivalent to 100 DVDs.

GE has developed a micro-holographic disc that's the same size as present-day CD, DVD and Blu-ray discs. Instead of the two-dimensional surfaces used for Blu-ray's 50GB, holographic storage uses three dimensions to store digital data. These discs can store 500GB of data by using holographic light patterns to densely pack three-dimensional data.

While still in the developmental phase at this point, industry experts are hopeful that it could become the next form of low-cost storage for consumers. Best news out of this development is that new micro-holographic players will be backwards compatible to play CD, DVD and Blu-ray discs.