T-Mobile Galaxy S II pre-orders begin today, should land in stores October 12th

T-Mo customers, don't get jealous of everyone pre-ordering an iPhone 4S, you've got your own super phone ready to hit retail channels -- the Galaxy S II. As promised, the 4.5-inch variant of Samsung's current flagship device hit T-Mobile's site today for pre-order and is expected to start popping up on retail shelves on Wednesday, October 12th. If you want to make sure you're one of the first on Big Magenta to leave your fingerprints on its sizable Super AMOLED Plus screen, head on over to the carrier's site now to put in your order. The privilege will set you back $230 with a two-year contract.

HIOD One is a Bluetooth communicator for gadget-hungry cyclists

Between your bell, safety lights and cycling computer there's probably not much room left on those handlebars for more stuff. But, if you're tired of having to speak up to converse with your riding partner, perhaps you'll clear a little real estate for the HIOD One. This Bluetooth communicator lets you talk to your fellow cyclists from up to 1,300 feet away and can be used to place phone calls and listen to music on your phone. The control panel mounts on your handlebars, but the "wireless" voice unit is a bulky box best worn on an armband or clipped to your chest. While the voice unit isn't hardwired to the controller, it does require you to plug in an earpiece and microphone to use it. Though the HIOD One has officially launched, there's no price yet as the company is still looking for retail partners to actually sell the device.

eFun announces $300 Nextbook Premium 8 Android tablet

The Nextbooks 1 through 7 may not have caused much of a ripple in the Android tablet market, but eFun is keeping at it, and has now rolled out its new Nextbook Premium 8 model. There's still no Honeycomb to be found on this one (just Android 2.3), but you do get a slightly larger 8-inch capacitive screen, as well as a Rockchip RK2918 processor, 4GB of storage, a microSD card slot, and a 2 megapixel front-facing camera -- plus Kobo's eBook Store app preloaded (though there's no mention of Android Market). Unfortunately, in a season when you can get a Kindle Fire or Lenovo IdeaPad A1 for $200, this one will set you back a comparatively hefty $300

Lenovo N5902 ditches the fingerprint magnet finish, adds backlit keys

Home theater PC enthusiasts, you've grumbled and Lenovo listened. The company took your feedback to heart when it prepped its latest multimedia remote with keyboard -- the N5902 -- for release. Gone is the glossy piano black finish that marred your sweet N5901 with unsightly fingerprints, as well as its trackball pointer. In their stead, Lenovo's outfitted this update in a matte exterior, adding an optical pointer with a "ridged" scroll bar located just below it. Perhaps the most notable addition to this refresh, however, is the ability to navigate and type from the now backlit keys. Fancy updating your couch control with this AA-powered peripheral? The head to the source below to fork over your hard-earned $52.

Nuance reportedly buying Swype for $100 million

It's only been about a year since Nuance traced Swype's finger gliding input method with QuickType, but it seems like the firm is ready for the real deal: Michael Arrington says it's nabbing the Seattle-based startup to the tune of $100 million. With competition heating up in the voice command space after Apple's Siri assisted iPhone upgrade, Nuance could be stocking up on more traditional input methods, or at the very least edging out the potential for more competition. There's no word just yet if Swype will replace or fade away in lieu of the firm's own traceable input brand, but we'll be sure to let you know if we hear something official.

HP launching an investigation into TouchPads shipped with Android, suspects foul play

After a few TouchPads found their way into the hands of consumers loaded with Android 2.2, the devs working to port Google's OS to HP's hardware reached out to the company to get a look at the source code. Well, the request was denied since, according to open-source program director Phil Robb, HP had nothing to do with Froyo finding its way onto the slate. In fact, the company is going so far as to launch an investigation into how the OS wound up on the tablet and into retail channels. In an email Robb said, "we presently believe that some person or persons unknown may have facilitated the delivery of these Android-based units strictly against the policy and authorization of HP." Of course, with TouchPad hardware discontinued we don't expect the company to waste too much time or resources tracking down the culprits.

ASUS Ultrabooks are actually Zenbooks?

ASUS has a big event next week in the Big Apple, where the super slim UX21 and UX31 will be revealed. Granted, the company said it'll be showing off "the real Ultrabook," on October 11th, but the eagle-eyed folks at Notebook Italia spied some evidence that the laptops in question will be called Zenbooks instead. Proof of the new moniker was found in the title of the information request form on the ASUS UX countdown site, but it was gone when we looked for ourselves. Guess we'll just have to wait and see whether the newest thin and light laptops are, indeed, PCs possessing inner peace.

Samsung and Google postpone Ice Cream Sandwich and Galaxy Nexus

Color us a disappointed shade of blue, but it appears that Samsung and Google have decided not to launch the Galaxy Nexus (or Nexus Prime, or whatever it's called) and Ice Cream Sandwich at their October 11th Unpacked event. The two companies sent out a joint announcement reading:

Samsung and Google decide to postpone the new product announcement at CTIA Fall. We agree that it is just not the right time to announce a new product. New date and venue will be shortly announced.

The press event on the 11th was expected to be not only the debut for the successor to the Nexus S, but our first good look at the next version of Android. For whatever reason the companies have decided to delay that launch. But, if Eric Schmidt is true to his word, we shouldn't have to wait too much longer... he did promise us that it would launch by November. We'll let you know as soon as we get a new date to expect "something big."

Zotac's ZBOX nano VD01 packs dual-core VIA CPU in a tiny, tiny box

Zotac isn't the biggest name in computers, but the company does do one thing particularly well -- cram capable HTPC components in itty-bitty boxes for a reasonable price. VD01 series ditches more well known solutions from Intel and AMD for chips from VIA, specifically the Nano X2 U4025 CPU with its Chrome9 media processor. Inside is room for a 2.5-inch HDD and a single DDR3 slot, but you can get those pre-populated with a 320GB disk and 2GB RAM by opting for the Plus model. Outside is your usual selection of USB 3.0, 2.0, eSATA, Ethernet and HDMI ports while inside are both Bluetooth 3.0 and 802.11n radios. There's even an IR receiver and bundled remote to make this truly living room friendly.

Pandigital Supernova available mid-October for $230, is an eReader in Android tablet disguise

Pandigital hasn't made much of an effort to swathe its Supernova tab in mystery. When the 8-inch LCD slate swept through the FCC earlier this summer, we were privy not only to images of the device and its internals, but also to the apps that'd be pre-loaded on purchase -- GetJar and Barnes & Noble's Nook app amongst others. So, what can you expect for $230 when it lands this month? Well, the company's forsaken Honeycomb for the soon-to-be outclassed Gingerbread OS, tossed in a single-core 1GHz A8 processor, 4GB of storage (expandable to 32GB via microSD slot), WiFi and Bluetooth. It's a cheap, me too Android tablet entry, for sure. And with the recent outing of a certain budget-priced, ecosystem-friendly tab, we might suggest you hold off for the higher-specced goods.

Top Stories Sony Reader WiFi review 11 hours ago Sprint's LTE plans detailed: phones, tablets and modems coming by 2012 BREAKING NEWS 16 hours ago Sprint converts its network to LTE, plans 'aggressive rollout' to be completed by 2013 BREAKING NEWS 17 hours ago Samsung and Google postpone Ice Cream Sandwich and Galaxy Nexus 19 hours ago Samsung Galaxy Nexus spotted in the wild? (video) 21 hours ago All News Reviews Reviews US Department of Homeland Security developing system to predict criminal intent By Donald Melanson posted Oct 8th 2011 at 2:31AM We're not exactly lacking in opportunities for Minority Report references these days, but sometimes they're just unavoidable. According to a new report from CNET based on documents ... Read the full post on alt.engadget.com 37 Leave A Comment 2 CLASH is an adorable, cloth-climbing roach-bot (video) By Terrence O'Brien posted Oct 8th 2011 at 12:22AM CLASH Generally the words "roach" and "adorable" don't get thrown together. But, one look at the video after the break and you'll understand. This six-legged successor to UC Berkeley's DASH scampers not just horizontally, but vertically -- so long as the material it's climbing is cloth. All motion is handled by the bot's front four legs, while the rear two provide stabilization. The CLASH is able to adhere to cloth because its feet have small claws that allow it to grip the fabric, while its appendages scurry about at up to 34 strides per second. Its top speed of 24 centimeters a second may not sound like much, but considering the pest-inspired design is only 10 centimeters long, it's actually quite a brisk pace. Trust us, you don't want to miss watching it in action after the break. READ MORE sourceIEEE Spectrum 22 Leave A Comment 4 web coverage UC Berkeley Starbucks brews up free, two-click WiFi in the UK By Lydia Leavitt posted Oct 7th 2011 at 10:17PM If your work environment consists of coworkers constantly yelling "venti half-caf red eye" across the "office," then you'll be pleased to know that Starbucks has made it faster and easier ... 34 Leave A Comment 4 Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu plan birthday Hangout on Google+ By Brian Heater posted Oct 7th 2011 at 8:03PM If you're not a Google+ user, odds are pretty good that your weekend plans don't involve spending time with the likes of the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The social network ... Read the full post on alt.engadget.com 104 Leave A Comment 18 Ice Cream Sandwich leak outs Music 4.0.1 for download, previews Google+ 2.0 By Zachary Lutz posted Oct 7th 2011 at 5:34PM A funny thing happened to the folks at Android Police, the same group responsible for leaking some of the first screenshots of Ice Cream Sandwich. They've since come across a few apps from Google's upcoming release -- purportedly straight from a Nexus Prime. The first is Google Music 4.0.1 -- a marked upgrade from the current 3.0.1 found in the Market today -- which sports refined tabs, a contextual dialog and new player controls. For reference, the latest version is shown on the right, which is most likely installed onto a Gingerbread device. Best yet, the APK is currently up for download (which you're able to grab for yourself from the source). There's also a sneak peek of the upcoming Google+ 2.0, which suggests Messenger (formerly Huddle) and Conversations will be renamed to... get this... Chords. Feel free to take a peek after the break, or check out the full gallery at the second source link below. READ MORE Android Community sourceAndroid Police (1), (2) 502 Leave A Comment 32 CEATEC Japan 2011 wrap-up By Zach Honig posted Oct 7th 2011 at 4:58PM Just 20 kilometers to the east of Tokyo at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, CEATEC is winding down, following a gadget-filled week where impressive prototypes appeared to outnumber consumer devices. Unlike IFA in Berlin, which is just as much for the public as it is for industry insiders, Japan's consumer electronics show gives manufacturers a chance to show off their prototypes and components to a smaller, mainly local audience. Many products announced here will never leave the country's shores, but can inspire future devices that will be marketed to a worldwide audience. Click through our gallery below for a broader look at the show, then jump past the break for a roundup of our CEATEC 2011 coverage. Arigatou gozaimashita! CEATEC 2011 wrap-up Richard Lai contributed to this report. READ MORE 91 Leave A Comment 6 Minecraft Pocket Edition rolls out to non-Xperia Play Android devices By Donald Melanson posted Oct 7th 2011 at 4:32PM Well, it was fun while it lasted, but Xperia Play users can no longer claim Minecraft Pocket Edition as their own. An updated version of the app has hit the Android Market today, bringing ... 153 Leave A Comment 17 Sony Reader WiFi review By Brian Heater posted Oct 7th 2011 at 4:00PM Review Sony's timing could have been better with the Reader WiFi PRS-T1. The device, which was unveiled back at IFA in late August, is set to launch within a fortnight. In the intervening time, Amazon, the clear leader in the space, unveiled two new readers -- the fourth-generation Kindle and the Kindle Touch. Sony's got a ways to go if it's going to become a dominant force in the e-reader market outside of its native Japan, alongside the Kindle and the Nook. The PRS-T1 certainly takes some steps in that direction, both in terms of pricing and features -- but is it enough to get consumers to stand up and take notice? Find out in our review after the break. Sony WiFi Reader review READ MORE 136 Leave A Comment 13 LG Optimus 3D app converter starts roll-out this month, why settle for only two dimensions? By Mat Smith posted Oct 7th 2011 at 3:34PM LG's 2D to 3D app converter will finally arrive on the Optimus 3D (AKA the Thrill 4G) this month. In order to play nice with it, apps and games need to be using OpenGL. The converter is ... Read the full post on mobile.engadget.com 60 Leave A Comment 5 CinemaNow strikes deal with Intel, adds new movies in 1080p HD

CinemaNow's movie library is about to get a bit larger and a good deal sharper, thanks to a new deal with Intel. Yesterday, the video on-demand service announced that it's now offering a slate of 1080p HD movies for the first time, available on PCs packing a second generation Intel Core CPU. According to the company, "several hundred" new releases and other popular films from 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. have already been added to its library, in addition to the 15,000 movies and TV shows already on file

Ice Cream Sandwich leak outs Music 4.0.1 for download, previews Google+ 2.0

A funny thing happened to the folks at Android Police, the same group responsible for leaking some of the first screenshots of Ice Cream Sandwich. They've since come across a few apps from Google's upcoming release -- purportedly straight from a Nexus Prime. The first is Google Music 4.0.1 -- a marked upgrade from the current 3.0.1 found in the Market today -- which sports refined tabs, a contextual dialog and new player controls. For reference, the latest version is shown on the right, which is most likely installed onto a Gingerbread device. Best yet, the APK is currently up for download (which you're able to grab for yourself from the source). There's also a sneak peek of the upcoming Google+ 2.0, which suggests Messenger (formerly Huddle) and Conversations will be renamed to... get this... Chords.