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Lenovo’s S10-2 was a minor update to the original S10 (to put things nicely), but that’s not to say it’s not worth a look for those in the market for a 10-inch netbook. Boasting a slightly thinner, more beautified frame, the S10-2 also includes a tweaked keyboard, optional 3G, an extra USB port and none of the quirks that plagued the first edition. The benchmarking fiends over at HotHardware managed to sneak one of these things into their labs for testing, and while they largely found the S10-2 to be about the same as every other N270 + GMA 950 netbook out there, the 5.5 hour battery life was definitely impressive. All told, the S10-2 was found to be solid from top to bottom, but the $350 price tag did feel a bit steep considering just how many alternatives are out there. Still, even with the positive vibes, it’s hard to recommend buying a WinXP netbook now with Windows 7 (and thus, no hardware limitations) just around the bend. Tap the read link if you’re jonesing for more.

Filed under: Laptops

Lenovo’s IdeaPad S10-2 reviewed: great battery life, but more of the same originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, it looks like Canadians no longer need to be envious of some of the speedy internet options available south of the border, as Rogers has just announced the roll-out of its own DOCSIS 3.0-based service that matches the likes of Comcast’s offering. As you might expect, however, coverage is limited to the Greater Toronto Area to begin with, although Rogers is promising that it’ll be rolled out to some other, yet to be specified areas in the “coming months.” What’s more, Rogers is also introducing a new 802.11n router alongside the service, and it’s even giving one away to the first fifty customers that sign up for the Ultimate service (priced at $150 per month). After those are gone (and some do indeed still seem to be available), the router will sell for $200.

[Via Electronista]

Filed under: Networking

Rogers rolls out 50Mbps DOCSIS 3.0 service, 802.11n router originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You remember TAT, right? Amongst other things The Astonishing Tribe has done some bang-up work with the user interface for the G1, unveiled a pretty impressive 3D eye-tracking concept, and now they’re hard at work developing something called Augmented ID, an augmented reality concept that uses facial recognition software to attach your visage to a profile. When someone views you through their handset’s camera, pre-selected info and social networking links appear to hover around you, letting your new found friend in on more than just your pretty smile. Of course, this is only a concept at the present moment, but when it does become real, make sure you remember to remove those links to JDate and the Cracked Magazine forums before that important corporate presentation. Trust us — you don’t want those worlds colliding. Hit up that read link for the latest from the Swedish design team, but not before you peep this stellar video after the break.

Read – TAT Showroom

Continue reading Video: TAT’s augmented reality concept unveiled

Filed under: Cellphones

Video: TAT’s augmented reality concept unveiled originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve all seen the potential havoc that an iPod can wreak — either through misuse or some general explosiveness — and it looks like we now might have yet another cautionary tale out of Sweden, where a Saab 9-3 recently met an unfortunate end. While the exact, official cause of the blaze hasn’t quite been pegged down, investigators seem to strongly suspect that an iPod left in the car is to blame. That’s apparently because the car itself showed no signs of negligence or other technical faults (or evidence that the fire was intentionally set), and because the fire started on the seats, where the iPod was seemingly left. What’s not clear, however, is if the iPod was simply tossed there and caught fire all by itself, or if was charging when things went horribly wrong — although we’re personally willing to simply buy Google Translate’s answer that “the music has become so hot that it melted the inside.”

[Thanks, Martin L.]

Filed under: Portable Audio, Transportation

iPod suspected of setting Saab ablaze originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You know, we like to keep the wheels turning here at Engadget (you’ll be seeing even more big turns in the near future), so we thought we’d take a break in the daily proceedings to direct your attention to a few items of interest. Firstly, while you’re probably aware of the Hubs (see the Palm Pre, HTC Hero, and iPhone 3GS iterations), you’ll be pleased to know that we’ve added a video landing page as well. The new hang-out spot is an easy place to casually check recent video we’ve done as well as featured picks, and we think it’s damned handsome too.

Additionally, you may have noticed we’ve been hitting a lot of feature and review content lately — if you want to read through some of the best, you can see some recent reviews here, some nice editorials / columns here, and a slew of gadget porn here.

Finally, if you didn’t already know, you can become of a fan of Engadget on Facebook, and you can follow the site (as well as editors) on Twitter. Here’s a handy list of names:

Team Engadget @engadget

• Joshua Topolsky @joshuatopolsky
• Thomas Ricker @trixxy
• Nilay Patel @reckless
• Paul Miller @futurepaul
• Ross Miller @ohnorosco
• Don Melanson @donmelanson
• Darren Murph @congmasta
• Laura June @laura_june
• Joseph L. Flatley @lennyflatley
• Tim Stevens @tim_stevens

Engadget Mobile @engadgetmobile

• Chris Ziegler @zpower
• Sean Cooper @sean_cooper

Engadget HD @engadgethd

• Richard Lawler @rjcc
• Ben Drawbaugh @bjdraw
• Steven Kim @stevekim

Filed under: Announcements

Engadget video hub, Engadget on Twitter / Facebook, other Engadgety goodness originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve just caught wind of a new app for the iPhone / iPod touch… should you be either a little hard of hearing or a little nosy. SoundAMP works a lot like those Sonic Earz you see on the infomercials — you run the app with your earbuds plugged in, and then sit back and enjoy listening to the sweet sounds of whatever’s going on around you — only louder. The app allows you to control volume and tone, and you can also replay the last 30 seconds of what you’ve been hearing — in case you missed something particularly juicy. Now, personally, we put in the earbuds and crank up the tunes to shut out the outside world, but if this is your kind of thing — it’s available in the iTunes store right now for $9.99. [Warning: read link takes you to the iTunes store]

[Via CNET]

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

SoundAMP hearing aid app for iPhone unleashed on our delicate ears originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here’s an interesting one. While one would assume that Intel would be quaking in its boots with the emergence of Chrome OS, Michael Chen — director of Intel’s embedded sales group and ultra mobility group in Asia-Pacific — recently proclaimed that the company isn’t worried at all. In fact, Intel seems pretty stoked that Google has introduced an operating system that will undoubtedly rival its own Moblin. To quote: “Our long-term goal is providing hardware for devices with different operating systems… more competition will drive up more innovations and that’s good for consumers.” Furthermore, we’re told that Intel is looking forward to providing chips for machines based on Chrome OS, and frankly, we reckon that Intel’s foothold in hardware and software makes it easier to brush this whole thing off. Must be nice, right?

Filed under: Handhelds

Intel doesn’t view Chrome OS as a threat to Moblin, just wants world peace originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hey, Apple — you know that inspiration you’ve been looking for in order to concoct a proper iPhone nano? We just found it. Over in some seedy warehouse in the depths of Shenzhen, the aptly titled iphone nano has emerged. As you could likely surmise, this completely improper knockoff gentle combines the best features from Apple’s iPhone and the iPod nano to create a singular, if not awkward device. Heck, there’s even a 5 megapixel camera, which easily trumps the 3.2 megapixel shooter on the iPhone 3GS. It’s all yours for just 90 bones, and you don’t even have to sign your cellular soul away to AT&T. Look out Apple, we get the feeling this thing’s going to be huge.

[Thanks, facelessloser]

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Keepin’ it real fake, part CCXXI: Apple’s iPhone and iPod nano hook up, combine originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peek always has been a company for the people, with its suits sitting down late last year to listen intently to input from users regarding hacks and tweaks. Now, the outfit’s looking for a bona fide Linux guru, someone who could get Linux running on the Peek’s ARM7 processor and look suave doing it. The kicker? Should you succeed (and impress), you could score a “mini-consulting gig” with the top brass at Peek, and your work could one day revolutionize the fabled email-only handheld. Seriously, there’s nothing but fear and debilitating hesitation stopping you, so once you’re over that, hit the read link and get to work.

[Via SlashGear]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Peek issues call for developers, yearns to build Linux-infused model originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aloha, friends! Are you finding your beach holiday experience is missing that certain bit of techno je ne sais quoi? Maybe it’s because your snorkeling exploits are going undocumented, in which case you may look to Liquid Image’s newly unveiled UDCM310. An evolutionary improvement on the previous model, the new goggles feature a 5 megapixel CMOS sensor, software-free USB connectivity and the ability to record 720 x 480 video at 30 fps to a microSD card. Sure, it’s not exactly overwhelming you with shooting options, but it also keeps your hands free for whatever underwater heroics you want to film.

[Via Akihabara News]

Filed under: Wearables

Liquid Image video camera goggles get upgraded specs, Japanese release originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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