Cowon joins the post-bamboo era

(Credit: Akihabara News)

Bamboo is so yesterday. While the eco-quotient of that reputedly sustainable material remains the subject of some debate, a few manufacturers are headed for other forested regions to make their wares with finishings of the wood-grass variety.

Fujitsu went with cedar in a laptop showcased earlier this month in Milan, and now Cowon is gracing the Korean market with a new version of its N3 all-in-one gadget in what appears to be burl walnut, as Akihabara News reports. Other than the sylvan exterior, this portable navigation device is pretty much the same as the original model with a 7-inch touch screen, GPS features, and audio and video functions. Our prediction: a future model for the dashboard.