After a few years of teasing and smoke blowing , the HomePlug Powerline Alliance has finally released the skinny on major enhancements we can expect to see integrated into the HomePlug AV2 powerline networking specification that’s scheduled for finalization in Q1 of 2011. Chief among them is MIMO (Multiple-Inputs Multiple-Outputs), which will expand home coverage by increasing the throughput speeds, and transmission ranges, without additional signal power or requiring more spectrum — but you knew already that didn’t you, MacGyver

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HomePlug Powerline Alliance reveals features of new HomePlug AV2 spec

One of the few highlights of the refreshed 27-inch iMac is the new SSD option for its second drive bay. This sure is good news for performance addicts carrying some spare cash, but with the 256GB SSD addition costing from $750, some may prefer the DIY route to save a few pennies for that gold iPad . Sadly, it won’t be as straight forward as sliding in a new drive — e-tailer OWC noticed in its teardown that you’ll be needing a mounting bracket and a couple of cables that are only supplied with Apple’s own SSD

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iMac’s latest 27-inch iteration requires special parts for your own SSD in second drive bay

If you’ve got a hankering for some battery-sipping Core i3 ULV processors and live south of a certain 38th parallel line, you’ll probably want to take a close look at one of Samsung’s new designs. We hear on good authority that Sammy’s refreshed its X Series laptops with the 1.2GHz Core i3-330M processor, including the 11.6-inch X180 (with the same 3GB of DDR3 memory, 320GB hard drive and most everything else included in the X170 that came before) and the 14-inch X430, which leapfrogs its predecessor the X420 with dedicated GeForce 310M graphics. Both actually report less battery life than their forbears, as the new laptops are rated closer to eight than nine hours, but in the X430 it’s a small sum to pay to avoid integrated Intel video

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Samsung refreshes X Series laptop lineup with Core i3 ULV chips

If you’re an iPhone user, the only privacy notice you’ll see from an app regards your current location — as much a warning about the associated battery hit from the GPS pinging as anything. If you’re an Android user, however, things are different, with a tap-through dialog showing you exactly what each app will access on your phone. But, do you read them?

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Lookout’s App Genome Project warns about sketchy apps you may have already downloaded

Earlier this summer, Sony closed another fiscal year of being in the red , but it’s starting the 2010/11 ledger with its quill dipped firmly in the black inkwell. For the quarter ending June 30, the Japanese megacorp clocked up

Site ChipChick nailed it when noting the similarity between this 8GB steampunk USB drive and Rosie the Robot of Jetsons yore. The drive’s creator, however, says it was inspired by a “narrow bridge” sign seen on a old country road

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A steampunk USB drive that could clean H. G. Wells’ house

A wordy headline, to be sure, but a pleasing one nonetheless. We came across HTC’s Chinese web portal listing the Desire as coming with Android 2.2 (with Sense!) and simply had to ping the official source for confirmation. It turns out the info up there is no mistake: all HTC Android handsets shipping to China — which includes the Wildfire and Tianyi — will do so with Froyo preloaded, cutting down on your upgrade angst at least until the Gingerbread man comes a’knocking

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HTC will ship all Android phones in China with Froyo on board, fuels fire for immediate update closer to home

So, we’ve two main issues here. One, who in their right mind would pay $219.99 for a device that still requires a dedicated stereo in order to play back the internet radio streams that Grace Digital’s Tuner Wireless Radio & Media Player delivers? And secondly, who would want to put up with Grace Digital’s thoroughly lackluster UI

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Grace Digital’s Tuner Wireless Radio & Media Player adds internet radio to existing stereos

You might’ve heard about a new Kindle model or two this evening, and good news if they tickled your fancy — they’re now on Amazon and available for pre-order. Both the WiFi-only and WiFi / 3G models are shipping August 27th, the former in graphite and the latter in graphite and white options. Search your pocketbook, if you know it to be coveted.

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New Kindles now available for pre-order

Sony talked up its cylindrical no-glasses 3D 360-degree prototype display last fall , and now it’s showing off the tech, dubbed RayModeler 3D, on US soil at SIGGRAPH 2010 through tomorrow. A major bonus of that showcase is an English language video — embedded after the break, plus a hands on including a game of Pong Breakout from Core77 and our videos from the Japanese exhibition — showing how it all works, including the eight-camera rig and turntable that capture objects in 45-degree separations before they are interpolated to create a continuous 360-degree motion image. Sony claims this is the first of its type capable of high quality images, full color and interactive live motion — check it out and imagine keeping a tiny 3D pet or floating, disembodied head on your bedside table, where it can respond and react to your every gesture.

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Sony’s 360-degree RayModeler 3D display brings its glasses-free act to LA, plays Breakout (video)