Lenovo’s IdeaPad U300S flaunts its trim frame at Computex


So-called Ultrabooks were all the rage at Computex 2011, and ASUS, LG and Compal weren't the only ones to stake a claim -- this Lenovo IdeaPad U300S is another contender in the ultra-thin, sub-$1,000 notebook game. Though we hear that Lenovo wasn't disclosing exact specs or availability at the show, the company's reportedly upgraded the slick IdeaPad U260 design with Sandy Bridge chips and a 13.3-inch screen, and put the already-trim unibody laptop on a diet to attain supermodel measurements. Here's hoping the engineers also improved that three-hour battery life too, eh?

[Thanks, Sam]

Lenovo's IdeaPad U300S flaunts its trim frame at Computex originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Jun 2011 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red HTC Inspire 4G now available exclusively at Radio Shack

We'd already had some indication that AT&T would soon let Radio Shack offer an exclusive red version of the HTC Inspire 4G, and that's now been made official (and available). As you can see above, you can snag the phone for $29.99 on a two-year AT&T contract (or $550 off-contract), which will buy you a 4.3-inch WVGA display, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, an 8 megapixel camera with an LED flash, and Android 2.2 with Sense -- there's still no word on a Gingerbread upgrade for this one. Of course, Radio Shack will also sell you a black one for the same price, but we're pretty sure the red one's faster.

[Thanks, James]

Red HTC Inspire 4G now available exclusively at Radio Shack originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Jun 2011 10:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Xoom hits 1.7GHz, teeters on the edge of oblivion

Just when we thought the Motorola Xoom had hit its stride at a blazing 1.504 billion operations cycles per second, the trusty Tiamat kernel has strapped on an veritable afterburner capable of 1.7GHz. What happens when your shaking hands flip that switch and give that Tegra 2 all the jet fuel it can take? Well, anecdotal cases from the XDA-developers forums suggest it'll probably just reboot anticlimactically. If you're lucky enough to have the magic silicon, however, you'll be treated to a benchmark-blitzing rig, reportedly capable of 70 MFLOPS in Linpack, 1480ms runs in SunSpider, and Quadrant scores approaching a smooth 5,000. See just how far that rainbow benchmark bar can stretch in a screencap after the break.

Update: There's a jolly discussion in comments about whether gigahertz can be directly translated to operations per second in the case of the Tegra 2 -- we'll err on the side of caution and say cycles per second instead.

Continue reading Motorola Xoom hits 1.7GHz, teeters on the edge of oblivion

Motorola Xoom hits 1.7GHz, teeters on the edge of oblivion originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Jun 2011 08:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dual-armed Teutonic robot plays pool, carefully learns to hustle foolish humans

Sure, we've created interactive pool tables and digitally assisted billiards, but isn't it time we completely outsourced our pool-playing to brutally efficient robots? The Germans obviously think so, using this year's International Conference on Robotics and Automation to debut a dual-armed poolbot able to make "easier" shots about 80 percent of the time. Those misses sound a bit like hustling to us, and unlike Willow Garage's friendly PR2 robot, the German version has a suitably intimidating, industrial look. It's also a bit of a cheat, using an overhead camera to plan its shots. For the full lowdown on this shark, check the video after the break.

Continue reading Dual-armed Teutonic robot plays pool, carefully learns to hustle foolish humans

Dual-armed Teutonic robot plays pool, carefully learns to hustle foolish humans originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Jun 2011 05:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Newest Kinect hack: a grocery cart that loyally follows disabled shoppers (video)


Microsoft's Kinect is the gift that keeps on giving for hackers, spawning everything from glasses-free teleconferencing to Tesla coil manipulation to uh, well, Android dance parties. But Luis de Matos's wi-Go project is one of the most socially conscious we've seen: it adds a laptop and (despite its name) a Kinect to a shopping cart, enabling the cart to follow a wheelchair user. Improving on the B.O.S.S. bot we saw a half-decade ago, the wi-Go could allow anyone -- including the disabled or elderly -- to shop independently, regardless of physical capability. De Matos doesn't offer many technical details, but see the video above for a before-and-after demonstration.

Newest Kinect hack: a grocery cart that loyally follows disabled shoppers (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Jun 2011 02:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: should I get a 7-, 8.9- or 10-inch tablet?

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Johan, who can't seem to determine which size is sizable enough. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"I'm in the market for a tablet, mostly for content consumption but also for checking emails and being somewhat productive when I feel like it. I've never owned one before, so I'm wondering what size is best. I could get a 7-inch, 8.9-inch or 10-inch tablet -- I'm more concerned with the size than the OS, frankly. I need it to be portable, yet still feel "bigger" than my Droid X. Any opinions from those that have used multiple sizes? Thanks!"

A great question. There's obviously pros and cons to each of those sizes, and your options are certainly constricted down at the 7-inch end. That said, the now-discounted Galaxy Tab and the still-growing BlackBerry PlayBook would fit the 7-inch bill, and the choices spread out significantly when creeping up to 10-inches. So, what say you?

Ask Engadget: should I get a 7-, 8.9- or 10-inch tablet? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Jun 2011 23:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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