Dell Latitude S tablet available for pre-order, might just arrive before Christmas

Serving as further evidence that the stylus really is back, Dell's coy enterprise slate, the Latitude S is now available for pre-order with an estimated delivery date of November 29th and an $859 price tag. If your too impatient to wait for Windows 8, this one's sporting Microsoft's seventh generation, weighs a hefty 816g -- nearly twice as much as the BlackBerry PlayBook -- and contains a 1.5GHz Intel Atom Z670 processor.

LightSquared partners with PCTEL on antenna 'fix' for GPS interference issue

It's the problem that won't go away for LightSquared, and one that has prompted a number of different "fixes" and "solutions." The latest, as announced by the LTE wholesaler last month, is an actual hardware fix that overcomes the interference issue affecting high-precision GPS units -- the only problem being that all existing and future units will need to be upgraded with said fix. Now the company's back with yet more details, announcing that it's partnered with PCTEL to develop an antenna that lets users of high-precision GPS units easily retrofit their devices to make them "LightSquared-compatible." There's still no word on the cost for it, but LightSquared has also announced that Partron America has created a filtering component that costs $6.

Engadget Distro Issue 10: It's alive! And ready for download

They're creepy, they're kooky, they're your favorite Frankengadgets and they've invaded the latest issue of Engadget Distro. But fear not, this edition of our fine weekly isn't all about chopping and screwing the devices you love, we've got plenty of other real-life gadgets on hand as well. See that tiny silver sliver on the cover? That's ASUS' Zenbook UX31, perhaps the most viable candidate for the Ultrabook throne. It may not be as thin and light, but we're also bringing you a review of Dell's lightweight XPS 14z, an ergonomically sound laptop with a sizable asking price. On the mobile front, Myriam Joire says hello and goodbye to Nokia's N9 MeeGo phone and Zach Honig gets his hands on its brother from another operating system, the Lumia 800. Nokia's claiming its latest is the "first real Windows Phone," but Sharif Sakr's review of the HTC Titan might just prove otherwise. We'll also bring you a look into Tech News Today host Iyaz Akhtar's geeky upbringing, our latest installation of In Real Life and an exclusive comic from Ed Piskor. So what are you waiting for? Hop on that iPad or hit the PDF download link below, and soak up all that Distro goodness.

ITG xpPhone 2 to get some Windows 8 love, starts living large in January

Let's be honest: with the size of a brick and a relatively short battery life, it's no surprise that ITG's xpPhone hasn't quite dominated the smartphone market since its launch back in November. In fact, we haven't even seen one in the wild, and we certainly wouldn't have missed it if there ever was one on the street. That said, ITG hasn't given up, as the company's just announced its second-generation Windows-powered smartphone. The reason? Well, interestingly enough, ITG prefers Windows' greater range of compatible software compared to those of mobile OSes, namely Android and iOS. Let's just leave it at that for now.

Simply dubbed the xpPhone 2, this beast of a QWERTY slider packs a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 chip, along with 2GB RAM, up to 112GB of SSD storage, 4.3-inch display and compatibility with both Windows 7 and Windows 8 -- obviously the latter OS will depend on its final release date. Not only has battery life been bumped up to around 18 hours of call time or 46 days on standby, but the phone's also been slimmed down to 140mm x 73mm x 17.5mm, which is a huge improvement compared to its bulky predecessor. With the touch-friendly Windows 8 on board along with a non-underclocked CPU, we have a feeling that the xpPhone 2 will at least fare much better than Fujitsu's F-07C; as for the rest, we shall see when it comes out in January next year. And no, it probably won't run Crysis.

Update: Looks like we were misled by the company's other promotional photos and thus mistakenly thought the xpPhone 2 will have a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. This would explain the slimmer body then.

AUO's flexible e-paper to take on Stretch Armstrong in battle of the bendiest

There's nothing better than unplugging on a Sunday afternoon with a newspaper and a cup of Joe, which is exactly what AU Optronics hopes to facilitate with its 6-inch Rollable Organic TFT E-paper. We've heard rumblings about the foldable photovoltaic device before, but the company has finally delivered a working prototype that is completely solar powered and elastic enough to make even Gumby jealous. Made of organic TFTs, the SVGA e-paper has an amorphous silicon PV battery, which turns natural or indoor light into solar energy without requiring a power plug. The only downside? Unlike the dead tree variety, wrapping presents in this stuff is a no-go.

Xbox Companion app for WP7 shown off at Nokia World, leaks Vudu integration

Even if you're not planning on picking up one of Espoo's latest handsets, Microsoft is also on the scene at Nokia World 2011 giving live demos of the upcoming Xbox Companion remote app for Windows Phone 7. It allows for simple remote control of video playback on one's console, plus content browsing / search with Bing and other metadata display, as seen in two demo videos from the show floor embedded after the break. Also seen in both of the demo videos? An orange tile suspiciously labeled Vudu Movies, despite the lack of any official announcement that the (currently PS3 exclusive) Wal-mart owned service is coming to Xbox Live. A third demo shows off gaming integration with Kinectimals that lets animals jump back and forth from console to phone. Now that the Xbox 360 will integrate search and playback from more video services than ever after the fall update, we'll see if the remote app draws Xbox fans to Microsoft's phone platform.

Google gets ready to play traditional TV, preps original YouTube channels

From rumors to reality: YouTube is taking a crack at original programing. Sources close to the Wall Street Journal say that the streaming outfit is partnering with a broad mix of media firms, production companies, and savvy content creators to launch 100 channels, generating over 25 hours of original content each day. Most of these channels aren't slated to launch until next year, but when they do they are said to be backed by names like Ashton Kutcher, Tony Hawk, Jay-Z, and Madonna. YouTube is reportedly paying content partners over $100 million to jump-start this project, and hopes to create quality that can be sold to Advertisers. YouTube's blog confirmed that the first of these premium channels is set to launch next month, with subsequent channels coming in waves over the next year. Hit the source link below so see YouTube's official announcement and an early list of channels and content providers. We know you'll join us in giddy anticipation of Shaquille O'Neal's Comedy Shaq Network .

Olly: the web-connected robot that converts pings to odors

What if there were a way to add smells to the things you see every single day on the internet? To some, just the thought of that there scenario would induce nausea. To others -- primarily those who spend their days Googling various rose gardens around the globe -- it just might be the extra dimension to surfing that they've been waiting for. If you happen to find yourself tucked into that second camp, we'd like to introduce you to Olly, the web-connected robot that's capable of emitting smells based on inputs from the 'net. The critter was dreamed up by Tim Pryde and the folks surrounding the Don-8r (Foundry, if you're curious), and while there's currently no way to purchase one, instructions are forthcoming to produce your own with a 3D printer. In fact, it's recommended that users build a few, stack 'em up and connect different inputs (Twitter, Instagram, your mum's vegetarian cooking blog) to each one. It's the perfect cacophony... or the perfect disaster, depending on your browsing habits.

Jolicloud heads to the actual cloud, Joli OS gets open-sourced

Mum's been the word from the Jolicloud camp over the past few months -- summer vacation, we get it -- but the company has apparently been working quite diligently on what's next: the "new Jolicloud platform." According to a mildly vague blog post from the outfit, the next edition of the OS will introduce "the personal cloud," enabling users to access the information stored there from "your iPhone, your Android phone, your tablet, your computer and pretty much any connected device with its API." In related news, Joli OS has been open sourced and is now available to the community, and if you're interested in finding out more about the whole ordeal

Motorola Droid 4 exposed to our wandering eyes, comes with LTE in tow?

We were just a tad disappointed when the Motorola Droid 3 came out without Verizon's signature LTE logo on the back, but a mere three months later the QWERTY slider is back with a new model that should be packing 4G. The images above and below, procured by Droid-Life, show what looks to be a super-slim device with the same slight curves on the corner as the RAZR, and tapered back akin to the Droid Bionic. And, interestingly enough, it appears to be nearly complete, judging by the non-Mr. Blurrycam quality of the images and the tutorial stickers on the screen. Not only does the device appear to offer LTE, it also adds Webtop and should be compatible with the LapDock 100 and 500. Rounding out the tentative specs are a 4-inch display, spacious five-row keyboard (with number row included), 1080p HD video capture, front-facing camera and a non-removable battery. It also comes with Android 2.3.5 installed instead of Ice Cream Sandwich, something which we hope to see remedied soon after launch. Looks like we're finally close to having a high-end QWERTY option on Verizon's 4G lineup

HP to announce ARM-based servers next month, throw Intel a curveball

Sources close to Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal say that HP is primed to help ARM wrestle its way into the server game next month, citing unannounced plans that may challenge Intel's corner on the market. HP is said to be working with Calxeda, an outfit with dreams of outclassing today's servers by selling OEMs an ARM-based system on a chip that can be used to build high performance racks with low energy footprints. ARM, HP and Calxeda all declined to comment, although a spokesperson for Calxeda mentioned that it has a product release event scheduled for November 1st. Intel doesn't seem too concerned, and told the Wall Street Journal that ARM architecture still had a few hurdles to jump before it was ready for the server game. "We believe the best-performing platform will win." Spoken like a true sportsman, Intel. Game on.

Tablet PCs $35 Aakash Android tablet gets the hands-on treatment

While everyone was in a tizzy about Amazon's $199 Kindle Fire price point, the Indian government was busily working to help bring out the $35 Aakash Android tablet. The tablet was developed with similarly good intentions as OLPC's XO laptop before it -- an attempt to get low-cost computing devices into the hands of students. One of the tablets landed in the VentureBeat offices this week. The site spent some hands-on time with the Froyo slate, and mostly liked what it saw, noting that seeming compromises made for price and a speedy release date ultimately benefit the whole of the device. The tablet will start hitting India next month, at the $35 government-subsidized pricepoint (actual retail price is a still mega-cheap $60).