It's not the iPhone 3G unlock yet, but at least those of you who held-off from updating your iPhone to the 2.0.1 firmware are about to get a taste of improved stability and snappy keyboarding while early updaters will once again gain access to their jailbroken apps. Or so says the DevTeam who claim that PwnageTool 2.0.2 is "undergoing final checks and will be packaged, signed and should be uploaded within the next few hours, so count on it being released sometime on Thursday." The update will be provided via a direct link (which we'll pass along) and over the PwnageTool's software updater. So block out some time in your calendars, there's plenty of newbie hackery to be done later on today.

We've already seen the S101 Ultimate Eee PC at the top of ASUS' Eee PC pyramid of implosion. ASUS' prez, Jerry Shen, told us earlier to expect the Atom-based netbooks to ship with a 32GB SSD, 10.2-inch, 16:9 aspect LED backlit display and battery life of about 4-5 hours. Today in Taiwan, he personally revealed the S101 prototype (pictured above next to the Eee PC 901), and it's brown (at least for now) and it's sporting the Eee logo as you'd expect. Interestingly, ASUS has apparently decided to ditch the Eee branding on the S101 when it goes production in mid-September to keep it distinct from the low-cost ultra-portable branding that the Eee PC name is (or at least was) synonymous with -- a move we wholeheartedly support. The S101 will measure in at a tapering 16 ~ 21-mm and weigh less than 1KG. Seems Jerry re-enacted the ol' MacBook Air (4 ~ 19.4-mm thick) trick and pulled the S101 from an envelop to demonstrate its thinness. Played carny tricks aside, the S101 features the same 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor and 945GME chipset found in current gen Eees with prices to range from $699 for the 32GB SSD model on up to $899 for a 40GB SSD (and possibly more). Interesting, to say the least.

Update: We're hearing that the $899 model actually carries a 64GB SSD -- could be if it's that $313 cheap-o from Buffalo.

[Via iTechNews]

Yippee, it's T700 day at Sony. First they launched the DSC-T700 digicam, now the T700 cellphone. The T700 candybar is mostly phone though with a smattering of camera just for kicks. We're talking quad-band GSM and UMTS/HSDPA 2100 with 4.5-hours of 3G talk and a 3.2 megapixel camera with cell-id geotagging and photo light. It measures just 10-mm thin with Bluetooth A2DP, stereo speakers, 2-inch TFT LCD, and 512MB of Memory Stick Micro (M2) storage tossed in the box. Available in "select markets" in Q4 for what's expected to be a middling price tag.

Turn away before it's too late, we beg you. Don't make the mistake we did by watching WowWee's Alive Lion Cub get splayed for the chuckling amusement of ol' Pig Eye Jackson. Should you choose to proceed, choose to hit that read link then be warned: you'll never eat bot-sausage again.

[Thanks, Robert O.]

Eww. Clearly, the jaded, nicotine-stained Engadget editor in his big-boy trousers is not the target for the latest incarnation of the iriver Mplayer. While the 1GB innards remain unchanged, iriver has slathered the ¥14,800 (about $137) MP3 player in a healthy crust of Swarovski and silk to invoke the little girl trapped inside us all. Clap clap, bounce bounce, curtsy... a few more samples after the break.

[Via AVING]

What kind of security does $7 buy you? You're looking at it: the Thanko USB combination lock. It apparently fits onto any USB drive and likely offers about as much security as a UFO Detector or Targus iPod Lock. Then again, maybe your personal data just isn't that interesting.

[Via Akihabara News]

So far, Lenovo's shotgun launch of its new ThinkPad T, SL, W, R, and X-series has been a lesson in retail clumsiness. It started yesterday with that 128GB SSD freebie and culminates (after several missteps in between) into a Canadian $200 for the 14.1-inch ThinkPad R400, uh, Eee PC killer. This is not just a simple typo mind you, the pricing issue is systemic as that baseline price increments as you adjust your options all the way to checkout. There's no guarantee that they'll honor your order of course, in fact they likely won't. But at the very least, they should be paying our readers for doing the quality control they seem incapable of handling themselves.

P.S. While we have your attention Lenovo, how about axing those contrived "Sale" prices. You're not fooling anyone.

[Thanks, Geoffrey A. and Rahul G.]

Look, we know it's pointless and likely in violation of even the most rudimentary safety codes enacted since the Middle Ages. But there's something about DIY hackery of that 500mA USB port that tugs at the little Erector Set cobbling kid in each of us. Just wire up an off-the-shelf pan with some insulated tungsten filament and you'll be cooking an egg in about 7 minutes -- you know, after an overnight pre-heat, presumably. Now prepare to have your noodle scrambled along with an egg in the video after the break.

[Thanks, Mira B.]

As some of you already know, updating your iPhone to firmware 2.0.1 means that you've lost access to all your jailbroken apps. That's pretty much expected and should be rectified by the DevTeam soon enough. What's notable from an unlocking perspective, however, is that Apple's 2.0.1 release also updates the iPhone 3G baseband. This puts iPhone 3G owners in a bit of a quandary: update now via iTunes in desperate hopes of the stability and improved keyboard response we've been seeing but do so at the risk of not being able to unlock your iPhone 3G in the future (if and when the DevTeam gets around to releasing it for firmware 2.0). A lot can happen in the course of a 2 year (or longer) carrier commitment. According to the DevTeam, you'll get all the benefits of Apple's 2.0.1 update (without the pesky new baseband) just as soon as they can kick out the updated PwnageTool (current version is 2.0.1) onto the Internets. Decisions, decisions.

Ready for this? Olympus and Panasonic just announced a new mirrorless format and lens mount based on the venerable Four Thirds standard. Dubbed Micro Four Thirds System, the enhanced standard uses the same 18 x 13.5-mm sensor but promises 50% slimmer cameras due to the removal of the mirror box. We're also looking at smaller lenses (while remaining compatible with existing Four Third lenses with an adapter) thanks in part to a new reduced lens mount which is now 6-mm smaller. With the mirror box gone, Micro Four Third cameras will lose the optical viewfinder so you'll have to frame up your subjects using a Live View LCD or an external viewfinder.

How big of a development is this? Huge. As Phil Askey, editor over at dpreview puts it, "This is without doubt the most exciting digital photography announcement this year. It's fair to say that this "extension / addition" to the Four Thirds standard is finally able to deliver on the original promise of that format; considerably smaller and lighter lenses and bodies."

Unfortunately, no products were announced so you've got plenty of time to debate the spec and pour over the illustrations we've dropped in after the break.

[Via 1001 Noisy Cameras]

Sitting up nice and pretty on Lenovo's US store front are none other than Lenovo's newest lineup of ThinkPad notebooks. The site breaks down if you try to custom configure and order anything at the moment but it's good to see the 12.1-inch X200, 12.1-inch X-series tablet, SL, R, T, and W-series of laptops readying themselves for take-out.

[Thanks, Salman and Spencer]

Read -- Full lineup
Read -- X200

Intel's partner in solid state crime, Micron, just announced an update to its RealSSD lineup of SSDs. Based on the typically slower (and cheaper) MLC NAND process technology, the new 2.5-inch (up to 256GB) laptop and 1.8-inch (32GB to 128GB) ultra-portable storage slabs offer a 3Gbps SATA interface and ridiculous 250MBps read and 100MBps write speeds -- yes, that's fast, damn fast when you consider the 70MBps write and 90MBps read speeds of Samsung's latest consumer oriented SSDs. They even best the listed read speeds of Samsung's top-ender. Unfortunately, no prices were given though it's said to be "balanced price to performance." Expect 'em to hit the market in Q4 under the Lexar brand, and maybe even Crucial, Seagate, and Intel for all we know.

Do you cheer for the underdog? Would you love to see VIA unseat Intel in the battle for the hearts and minds of netbook market share just because Intel's, well, Intel? Good, then you'll love this highly emotive video produced by VIA showing its meager 1.3GHz Nano processor kicking Intel's 1.6GHz Atom to the curb in a 1080p HD video test. We'd be more suspect of the results had we not already seen VIA clean Intel's house in the head-to-head benchmarks. Now pull up a seat ringside and get ready to sputter along with the Atom-based netbook -- video after the break.

[Via UMPC Portal]