ASUSTeK Computer Inc. (ASUS), a leading provider of high-performance notebook computers, today introduced a whole new way to mobile computing with the revolutionary W5Fe series. The compact 12" wide notebook with cutting-edge SideShow, external auxiliary display on the LCD cover, offers high mobility with quick and easy data access convenience. Known for its strong engineering strength, ASUS once again takes the lead into the new Vista era.

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies is today announcing availability of a new 1.8-inch hard drive with up to 80 gigabytes (GB) of storage capacity and an unmatched combination of features geared to the needs of consumer handheld devices. The Travelstar C3K80 is Hitachi's second-generation perpendicular magnetic recording hard drive, which is based on the industry-leading reliability established first on Hitachi's 2.5-inch Travelstar 5K160.

Asustek Computer will showcase its XG Station, an audio-visual workstation for notebooks at the upcoming 2007 International CES in Las Vegas, according to the company. The XG Station, equipped with discrete graphics chips, Dolby output and USB 2.0, give users better graphics and audio-visual effects when connected to their notebooks, the company said. During CES, Asustek will also display its 12-inch W5Fe, a Vista SideShow-supporting notebook, and the G1 and G2 gaming notebooks, both equipped with discrete graphics chips.

Although you could already get online whilst travelling using EVDO or UMTS cards, Autonet Mobile has become the first ISP solely intended for vehicles. For $50 a month, the company will allow you to connect to the internet on 95% of roads in the United States. However, before you do that you will have to pay $399 for their in-car wireless networking unit, which possibly uses Verizon's EVDO networking. So far no information on the speed or any monthly allowance is available, but Autonet Mobile will have to do its best to establish a strong foothold before other ISPs start offering a similar service if it wants to be successful.

Samsung Electronics has developed a docking station containing a 1200-watt-hour fuel cell, which is capable of powering a laptop for an enormous length of time. Designed for Samsung's Q35 ultra portable notebook, this dock can potentially power the machine for eight hours a day, five days a week for one month. The company is now working on a miniature version to provide 15 hours of power. This dock should hit the shops towards the end of 2007.

Intel plans to announce its Core 2 Solo single-core processors in Q3 2007. Instead of normal edition, the upcoming Core 2 Solo has ULV (Ultra Low-Voltage) edition only. The new Core 2 Solo ULV includes two models: U2200 (1.2 GHz/1MB L2/533MHz) and U2100 (1.06 GHz/1MB L2/533MHz). They are set to replace the U1500 and U1400 processors. These two models have only 5W power consumption and support for Intel VT, EIST, XD Bit and Intel EM64T. All Core 2 Solo ULV CPUs will be released in Socket M interface instead of Socket P for Santa Rosa.

MicroWorks introduces $7000 notebookAlthough their claim that it is the "first dual core, SLI capable notebook" is untrue, this notebook still packs a good punch. The top spec version will feature a Dual Core AMD Turion X2, 20.1" screen, 4GB DDR2 RAM, 600GB of storage, a Blue-ray burner, dual 7950GTXs and extra options like a TV tuner. Being the most powerful notebook commercially available at this time, the Vega could find its use for gamers and designers who are often on the move. But it will take a large chunk out of your wallet -costing you $7,175 if you want the all-singing-all-dancing version. So far, no information about its weight has emerged but you can expect it to be reasonably heavy.

The Intel Core 2 Duo T7600G is one of those "Non-roadmap" parts, meaning it was not planned to be released to the public. Dell has decided to change that, and for an extra $275 USD, you can get a Dell XPS M1710 with that processor. The thing that makes the T7600G so valuable: an unlocked CPU multiplier in a mobile processor. What Dell calls "extraordinary system control to tune and enhance performance" is really the ability to change the CPU multiplier in a computer offered by an OEM system provider. However, $275 is an awfully high price to ask for a CPU with an unlocked multiplier.

L Computers International announced new limited edition Hollywood Pro X8 laptop equipped with two quad-core CPUs. The company said its new Hollywood Pro X8 laptop will feature two Intel Xeon 5300-series microprocessors with four processing cores and 8MB L2 cache in total, up to 8GB of PC2-5300(DDR2 667MHz) memory, up to 160GB hard disk drive, NVIDIA Quadro FX 2500M 512MB graphics accelerator and a 17" liquid crystal display with 1920x1200 resolution. The company also noted that the new notebook will feature various HD-DVD and Blu-Ray swappable devices. L Computers has not showcased photos or prototypes of the new Hollywood Pro X8 laptop, yet, it demonstrated some conceptual art, and also did not announce when it plans to ship the device and at what price points.

Fujitsu announced that it will begin shipping monstrous 250 GB and 300 GB notebook hard drives in the first quarter of 2007. Fujitsu promises the new 2.5" flagship drive will offer about three times the capacity of any mainstream notebook today, almost twice of the space of Seagate's high-end 160 GB drive and 50% more than the currently largest notebook hard drives (200 GB). The company claims that this second generation PMR drive uses less power(1.6 watt) than any other PMR notebook drive available today, because it spins at 4200 rpm. The "MHX2300BT" also features Native Command Queuing and both SATA 2.5 and ATA-8 interfaces.

ASUSTeK Computer Inc. (ASUS), today announced the V2 notebook series that answers the need for a true mobile wireless solution anywhere. The notebook is ideal for business travelers on the go without adding extra pounds while keeping the sleek professional outlook. With personalized security feature, docking station connectivity as well as the latest 3G module, users can enjoy a dynamic high-speed computing experience in style.

Here's an example of what notebooks could be like in the future. Dialogue is releasing its Flybook VM on the 20th of this month - but it isn't your standard laptop. The Flybook features an extendable screen stand allowing it to be raised up away from the main body of the computer, giving it an appearance that could be expected from an iMac, meaning it offers a superior screen position over normal notebooks.

Teac released today the DV-W28SLC and DW-28EC series of Super-Multi DVD burners for notebooks, featuring Labelflash and Lightscribe disc labeling technologies. The DV-W28SLC series supports 8x writing for DVD+R/-R, 6x for DVD-RW, 8x for DVD+RW, 4x for DVD+R/-R DL, 5x for DVD-RAM and 24x for CD-R/RW. All the maximum writing speeds are achieved with the Z-CLV technology. Reading speeds include 8x CAV for DVD-ROM SL, 6x for DVD-ROM DL, 5x for DVD-RAM and 24x for CD-R/RW. The drive is equipped with a slot-in disc loading mechanism, and has a 2MB of cache buffer. Compared to the DV-W28SLC series, the Teac DV-W28EC series of ATAPI drives feature the same specifications but come in versions that support Lighscribe and Labelflash disc labeling technologies. In addition, the DV-W28EC series come with a typical disc tray.