Gotta love the folks at Korg!
http://www.korg.com/microSAMPLERA proudly "ugly" little sampler that promises to do the combined job of an Akai MPC, a looper, sequencer, Kaoss effects pad and a mini keyboard. Even runs on batteries! It's causing a bit of stir, so stay tuned for reviews. About $499 in shops looks like a steal if you're into picking up sounds and being able use them instantly.
Now officially on my Christmas list of "non-essential" toys.
Cheers,
Andy