Having made the dev kit for the Surface available to select partners in June (a tiny bit late), Microsoft has now officially let the software loose for all and sundry to explore, experiment, and hopefully innovate with. Whereas Surface Developer units have been required till now to successfully design and test an app, the SDK should allow thrifty designers to produce content for the massive multitouch coffee table without necessarily owning one themselves. For the sweetest (so far) example of what can be achieved with the Surface's capabilities, click this link right here.

[Thanks, Phillis]

Seriously, how awesome have the past few hours been? Engadget turns the design stakes up to 11, Google finally dishes the dirt on Chrome OS, and now you can even download the forthcoming software to have a fiddle with yourself. It's completely free, though you'll need VMWare running atop a Windows, Linux or OS X installation to make the magic happen. Naturally, we've been considerate enough to provide download links for everything you'll require at the source below, so get those fingers clicking. We've already successfully installed the browser-based OS and will soon be sharing our own hands-on thoughts, but if you beat us to it, spill your insight in the comments below. We do read 'em, you know.

Update: Join us after the break to see what we thought of our first run through the new OS.

Well, we just caught sight of it in all its dissected glory courtesy of the FCC last week, but it looks like the Archos 9 tablet / media player may not be quite so close to a release after all. According to UMPC Portal, Archos now says that the initial batch of pre-orders won't start shipping until "early December" -- well past the already-missed October 22nd launch date -- while the retail release has been pushed back all the way until sometime in the first quarter of 2010. Let's just hope the price doesn't keep going up in the meantime.

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 question is coming to us from John, who'd like to get his paws around a multifaceted portable media player that could serve as the main source of entertainment in his whip.

"I'm looking for a 5-inch touchscreen PMP or MID to effectively replace my car stereo. My ideal setup is to plug this PMP into a dock and run the audio through the aux-in of my car. I want something I can easily take out of the car -- preferably with WiFi and GPS. I already have an iPhone, but I want something with a larger screen. I've been looking at the Archos 5 with Android, but it seems like a risky option based on its lack of the Android App Market. Thanks!"

C'mon, throw this guy a bone here. He's clearly looking to revamp his entertainment experience in his car, and even if this really is some master plan to just "pick up more chicks," we aren't about to pass judgment. So, any suggestions here?

The Engadget Show is happening again, humans! Next Sunday, November 22nd, we'll be bringing that live magic back to the stage as we sit down with Drew Bamford (you can read a bit about him here), director of HTC's Innovation Center (the place where things like the Sense UI are born). We'll also be joined by Joystiq's Editor-in-chief Chris Grant for a special roundtable discussion focused on gaming. As a bonus, we've got giveaways for everyone in the audience, plus one of the lucky attendees will walk away with that Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 bundle we just got our hands on!

The show takes place at the Tishman Auditorium at Parsons The New School for Design. As you may already know, we film live in front of an audience once a month -- but if you can't make it, don't worry. We're bringing the video back home to Engadget (and as a free download here, in the iTunes Store, or the Zune Marketplace) for your viewing pleasure.

The beautiful venue (which you can see in a photo after the break) is located at 66 W. 12th Street between 5th and 6th Aves. Seating is limited and tickets will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis -- which means if you want to join us in the audience for the show, you'll have to arrive early and be prepared for a little wait.

Here are the facts you need to know about the show:

• The show is graciously sponsored by Nokia, and hosted by Parsons The New School for Design
  
• The total show length will be around an hour
• The amazing Glomag will be performing live along with visualist Dan Winckler!

Here is what you need to know if you want to be part of the audience:

• There is no admission fee -- tickets are completely free
• The event is all ages
• The venue seats just over 450 people
• Parsons students are welcomed, and we encourage them to come!
• Tickets will be available for pickup at the Tishman Auditorium at 2PM on the 22nd, and we're strongly encouraging people to get their tickets and not stand in line -- if you have a ticket, you'll have a seat!
• You'll need to hold onto your ticket stub to be eligible for the giveaways
• You cannot pick up tickets for other people -- if you want your friend to get a ticket, bring your friend!
• The show begins at 5PM, and doors will open at 4:30PM

If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget.com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget.com.

After baptizing the remaining HD DVD faithful, Warner has moved on to teaching new Blu-ray converts the five pillars of faith with a trade-up program. Send in your old DVDs (just the box art won't cut it this time around, better buy some blanks and get to ripping if you still enjoy Training Day on long car trips), $7.95 - $9.95 per movie plus $4.95 for s&h (orders over $25 ship for free) and expect HD versions back in 4 - 5 weeks. Is it worth it? Depends on how many of the 55 flicks on the approved list you own (included after the break) but for most you're probably better off keeping the ones you have and eyeing budget bins carefully, nabbing catalog flicks like Harold & Kumar for less than $15 without any mail-in shenanigans shouldn't be too hard for the truly thrifty.

We've seen digital copies of Blu-ray via separate DVDs before (e.g. Watchmen), and just recently Sony finally cut out of the middle disc and put the transferable video on the high-def disc itself. Joystiq recently showcased how it's done using a copy of Godzilla and a PlayStation 3. For this you'll need a PSN account and the 12-digit code included in the disc case. The standard definition video, here clocking in at 2GB, will copy to the hard drive (not a separate download, thankfully), and then if you want to the PSP. All in all, it's approximately a five-minute process. We can't help but agree, the early batch of supported films -- The Ugly Truth, Angels & Demons, and Godzilla from 1998 -- isn't exactly fine cinema dining, but surely this is just a sign of things to come. Want to see all the nitty-gritty details in action? Check out the video after the break.