asus

A combo USB storage mouse for pack rats

If you're working on those hoarding issues but still can't quite bear to go cold turkey without a USB storage key at all times, then maybe this is a compromise on the way to recovery.

Asus has created a mouse that doubles as a flash drive so you can maintain your pack-rat tendencies with no one being the wiser. The MS71 is a wireless mouse that has a detachable dongle that acts as a USB transmitter when it's not being used for the storage half of the equation, according to Everything USB.

As a mouse, it certainly … Read more

Asus goes bamboo crazy

Asus has thrown all caution to the wind and unveiled a host of bamboo concept products at the CeBIT 2008 expo in Germany. Among them are two bamboo laptops, a bamboo monitor, and a bamboo-coated PC called the Essentio 5110. Huh?

OK, we're not actually that surprised. Back in April 2007 we climbed up a tree to make a video of the bamboo-clad Asus' EcoBook laptop. And we might have to do it all again for bamboo versions of the Asus S6 and U6, which--back in the day--were best known for their use of leather. Whatever bamboo is left … Read more

Bigger Eee PC comes into focus

Asus isn't officially revealing its 9-inch Eee PC until a news conference reportedly scheduled for tomorrow, but Engadget has photo proof that a larger Eee PC does, in fact, exist. Engadget chatted up Asus at its booth at CeBit, and while Asus wouldn't allow the machine to be powered up, Engadget did learn that the 9-inch Eee PC should offer similar battery life (2.5 to 3 hours) to its 7-inch predecessor, a 12GB model will cost roughly $600, and it's slated for a mid-2008 release.

DailyTech has picked up the story and reports that it'll … Read more

A way to keep the CPU cool in style

Computer cooling technologies are serious business--and for good reason--but it still seemed a bit odd at first that one such device would be created as a limited edition. Yet that's the distinction Asus has bestowed upon its "Triton 79 AMAzing" cooler. (The uppercase is correct, by the way, in case anyone was wondering if our caps-lock key was stuck.)

Aimed at gamers and others fond of overclocking their systems, each one of these 3,200 coolers comes with "an ultra-exclusive identification card marked with a limited-edition serial number," according to Fareastgizmos. And here we … Read more

Sony leery of the Eee PC?

LAS VEGAS--As a computer, the Eee PC from Asus is intended to be the opposite of intimidating--it's made for children after all. But its potential as a market force is apparently giving chills to its larger industry peers.

Here at Sony's annual Open House event, the senior vice president of Sony's IT product division said the tiny $299 notebook could potentially shift the entire notebook industry.

"If (the Eee PC from) Asus starts to do well, we are all in trouble. That's just a race to the bottom," said Mike Abary.

He means that … Read more

Palm's Foleo a follower, not a leader

In the hardware world, the first-mover strategy only works if you get it right.

For example, let's consider Palm's Foleo. Introduced last May at the D: All Thing Digital conference, the Foleo was supposed to be a $499 lightweight "mobile companion" with a full-size keyboard. Sure, it looked like a 10-inch laptop, but it was woefully underpowered, and it was designed to only work with Palm's Treo smartphones at first: modifications would have to have been made to support other phones.

Faced with mounting criticism, Palm made the correct decision in September to postpone the Foleo project … Read more

Nvidia launches new fast midrange 3D chip

Nvidia launched its new GeForce 9600 GT 3D graphics chip this morning, aimed at mainstream PC gamers. For $175, the idea is that it will let you play any PC game on the market with reasonable image quality settings without requiring you to pay as much as you would for a standalone game console.

According to our review of the Asus EN9600 GT, which uses the chip, Nvidia has achieved its goal. The only game that gave it some trouble was Crysis, perhaps no surprise. What is surprising is that Nvidia's new chip beats ATI's next two closest … Read more

MacBook Air Alternatives

When Steve Jobs revealed the new MacBook Air, we were taken aback by its simplicity and elegance. But while the design is revolutionary, the Air appeals to a smaller, more specialized audience, thanks to a stripped-down set of connections and features. With just a single USB port and no expansion slots or optical drive, it's not for everyone, so we put the Air up against a selection of recent high-end ultraportable laptops for a little compare-and-contrast action.

This handy list should give you an idea of the pluses and minuses of each system (and prove that there's no … Read more

Fun with my new MacBook Air

I received my MacBook Air (MBA) yesterday and so far I am mostly in love. I'm not big on the whole Apple packaging thing so I will spare you the unboxing details. The MBA is shockingly thin-only slightly thicker than my Blackberry 8830

I have been sick as a dog since my east coast trip and staring at the computer for too long gives me this fantastic vertigo sensation...but nothing can stop me from posting about my new-found love for the MBA.

The Good:

It's the perfect size for a portable computer I mean this in terms … Read more