We just caught sight of three new Asus laptops, but it looks like that’s not all the company has up its sleeve, with its ultra-portable U1E model now also making its first appearance. This one boasts an even smaller form factor than the company’s just-announced 12.1-inch, 3.3 pound U6S laptop, in this case shrinking things down to an 11.1-inch WXGA display and a mere 2.2 pound carrying weight (albeit with only a 3 cell battery). Otherwise, you’ll get an Intel Core Duo ULV7500 processor, up to 2GB of RAM, a 100GB hard drive, and built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, with an external DVD burner thrown in for good measure. A nine cell battery is also available for those that actually want to get some work done, with it apparently promising upwards of six hours of running time. Look for this one to be available next month, in Italy at least, for €1,999 (or $2,844).

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Evidently, loosing the DSM-750 Extender for Windows Media Center just wasn’t enough for D-Link, as the firm seemingly felt the need to give loyal (and to-be) owners of the DSM-520 Wireless HD Media Player a nice bonus. Starting today, buyers of the aforementioned digital media adapter will have access to “more than 200 online channels,” as the unit can now take advantage of active-TV technology. The service reportedly “allows easy access to internet video and entertainment sites with a remote control,” and it also uses a “content aggregator developed by MediaMall Technologies.” Some notable channels include Comedy Central, CinemaNow, Google Video, Movielink, ROOtv Music Videos, Akimbo, MTV, Musicmatch, Napster, VH1, ESPN and FOX Sports, and there’s also international content out there for those willing to branch out. The expanded DSM-520 should be shipping momentarily for $249.99, and existing owners can snag the update gratis on October 4th.

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Nice huh? That’s the latest Walkman from Sony. However, unless you live in Japan, you can forget about using it to watch your mobile digital TV. This little pup packs a 1Seg tuner, not DMB, DVB-H, or Flo. Measuring just 86.8 × 48 × 12.3-mm, the NW-A910 series player holds up to 16GB of flash memory and a 2.4-inch, 320 x 240 pixel display. The included EPG even allows you to schedule up to 10 programs for recording up to one month in advance for up to 100 hours of MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 formatted television inside the device. As this is Japan, it still supports ATRAC in addition to non-DRMed WMA and AAC, MP3, and linear PCM audio playback with SonicStage doing the sync work back to your PC. Rounding things out are an FM tuner, direct encoding from your CD/MD player, clear audio noise canceling headphones, and a battery capable of juicing up to 6 hours of television or 36 hours of audio. The premium NW-A919/BI (pictured) will sell in November for Â¥47,800 while a 4GB NW-A916 should pop for about Â¥30,000 ($259).

Gallery: Sony’s Walkman NW-A910 series slakes that media jones

    

[Via Impress]
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Microsoft is now announcing yet another partner in its refreshed Extenders for Windows Media Center effort. Beginning in “early 2008,” owners of HP’s current 42- and 47-inch MediaSmart LCD HDTVs will be able to utilize all of the features of the Media Center Extender platform sans any additional hardware. According to Microsoft, users will simply download a software update for their set, after which they’ll be able to kick back and enjoy a little Windows Media Center Internet TV while basking in the glory that is added functionality.

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Earlier this month, HP loosed details on its iPAQ 900 series of PDA phones, and for those itching to get a closer look at this handheld, AVing has the goods. As expected, this sucka looks a tad large when compared to one’s palm, but we’re sure it’ll still warm the hearts of some. Without further ado, head on past the break for a few more snapshots.

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Panasonic is getting funky-fresh on everyone today with word of a new lineup of Toughbooks making their way out to store shelves. The company is launching four different models of the hard-as-nails laptops (W7, T7, R7, Y7), all of which are based on Intel’s Santa Rosa chipset. The new over-performers are said to be able to withstand a 76-centimeter drop (about desk height) while switched on and continue working, versus the previous model’s 30-centimeter rating (which applied only when turned off). The Toughbooks also have an “irrigation system” for the keyboard which can route water away from important bits to a “drain” at the base of the computer.
[Via Impress]

• W7: 12.1-inch XGA display, Core 2 Duo 1.06GHz U7500 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 80GB hard drive, 802.11a/b/g, Â¥250,000 ($2,169), available November 16th
• T7 (pictured): 12.1-inch XGA display, Core 2 Duo 1.06GHz U7500 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 80GB hard drive, 802.11a/b/g, Â¥220,000 ($1,909), available October 19th
• R7: 10.4-inch XGA display, Core 2 Duo 1.06GHz U7500 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 80GB hard drive, 802.11a/b/g, Â¥205,000 ($1,779), available October 19th
• R7 Premium Edition: 10.4-inch XGA display, Core 2 Duo 1.2GHz U7600 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 80GB hard drive, 802.11a/b/g, 205,000, available October 26th
• Y7: 14.1-inch SXGA+ display, Core 2 Duo 1.6GHz L7500, 1GB of RAM, 80GB hard drive, 802.11a/b/g, Â¥270,000 ($2,343), available October 19th

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It’s been nearly a year to the day since Toshiba unleashed a slew of VARDIA updates — the RD-A600 notwithstanding — but recently the firm got official with four new combo recorders. Starting things off is the October-bound RD-W301 (Â¥90,000; $785), which is the only newcomer to record to HDD, DVD and VHS, and it also includes a 300GB drive, HDMI / S-Video / composite outputs and a hybrid TV tuner. The RD-E301 (Â¥80,000; $698), which is also slated to ship next month, shuns the VHS crowd but maintains the other features already mentioned. As for the RD-S301 (Â¥90,000; $785), it keeps the 300GB hard drive but doubles the amount of built-in hybrid tuners and tosses in an Ethernet jack for good measure. The flagship RD-S601 ups the ante even more with a DV input, i.LINK connectivity and a 600GB HDD, and should be available for Â¥120,000 ($1,047) when it lands alongside the S301 in November.

[Via Impress]
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