No pricing has yet been confirmed for the 13.3 inch device, and Asus are also yet to confirm when the device will be officially launched.

While vital information on pricing and release dates was left out of Asus’ unveiling, they did furnish us with key specifications for the device.

Along with the Intel i5-2410 Sandy Bridge chip – which clocks in at an impressive 2.3 GHz – the U30S will also feature Nvidia 520M graphics chips, 8GB of DDR3 memory, a 500GB 7200 rpm hard-drive and three USB 2.0 slots.

Connectivity wise, the device sports WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, a VGA slot and a HDMI lot. An 8-cell 84Wh battery keeps everything running under the slick charcoal aluminium hood.

The compact body is certainly nice looking, although the thick bezel is made from glossy plastic that could be prone to scratching.

It will be interesting to see what sort of price tag Asus slap on the U30S when they finally roll it out, as restraint in this department could see the netbook do well. More news on when we can expect to see the U30S make an appearance on our shelves will follow when we receive it.

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The technology – similar to that of Microsoft’s Kinect for the Xbox – is the first of its kind for use with PC devices and represents Asus’ forward thinking outlook on development.

Unlike the Kinect which, being developed for a games console, is designed solely with gaming applications in mind, Asus believe that Wavi Xtion will usher in a whole host of other applications such as remote and hands free PC usage.

Asus demonstrated this by showing how a user would browse through content, photos and music playback using just motion control.  Those in attendance were generally impressed with the interface, although some teething problems did appear in the technology, and hand movements did not always register with a cursor movement.

Ironically, a demo of a Wipeout-style racing game was far more impressive as the Wavi Xtion motion sensor proved a truly intuitive game-playing tool.

Asus announced at the event that they plan to have Wavi Xtion ready for a Q2 release, an ambitious timeframe given that the user interface still requires a tune-up. However, it is a schedule they may have to stick to, as Asus also announced that game developers have produced an impressive array of compatible titles to be released along side the periphery device.

Asus better get their skates on and smooth over any rough edges in time for launch.

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A few days ago we brought you the news that Asus were lining up a “secret weapon” to counter the release of Apple’s iPad 2.

Rumour has it that this secret weapon will be Asus’ first 3D tablet.

Asustek chairman Jonny Shih played his cards close to his chest when speaking of his company’s plans for the coming year, and remained guarded about the “secret weapon”. The only thing he let slip was that more information will be revealed closer to the launch time.

However, some of Shih’s comments have aroused the attention of internet speculators who have been wracking their brains in an attempt to second guess the chairman.

For example, Shih was very careful to highlight the Nvidia Tegra 2 processor powering the tablets revealed at CES, leading many to believe that a Tegra 2.5 chip might feature in the new device. The Tegra 2.5 supports 3D graphics.

Shih went on to talk about his belief that 3D glasses will fall away this year stating that “[3D] may be possible on smaller tablets without wearing glasses”. This could be a hint that this is something Asustek have been working on.

It is not yet known whether the “secret weapon” will precede the launch of iPad 2 or whether Asus will drop the device in the wake of Apple’s big release. In the meantime, rumours continue to grow as to what form this “secret weapon” will take.

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Tablets running the MeeGo operating system will launch in the second quarter of 2011, according to sources close to Intel .

The company have made no noises regarding which products will be running the OS, only hinting that MeeGo tablets will appear in Q2.

Both Acer and Asus have previously expressed their interest in MeeGo and are expected to be named amongst the manufacturers of MeeGo tablets when the announcement is finally made.

The MeeGo operating system was born from a merger between Intel’s Moblin and Meamo, a Finnish mobile phone manufacturer and subsidiary of Nokia. The OS was then developed as a joint venture between Nokia and Intel for use with next-gen tablets, smartphones and netbooks.

Intel are also planning to launch their own app store to coincide with the release of MeeGo tablets, a necessary move if MeeGo is to compete with RIM and Apple.

MeeGo is Linux based and designed to run on Intel’s Atom platform. Intel are pinning their hopes on MeeGo as they attempt to make up lost ground on competitors, ARM, who now dominate the tablet market thanks to support from market-leaders, Apple.

Apple’s iOs is about to face a stiff challenge from Google’s Android operating system when Honeycomb launches in the next quarter; by time MeeGo hits its developers will be hoping to blow the market wide open.

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• Acer to release 3D monitor

Acer have announced that they will be launching a 3D monitor – the Acer GN245HQ – in early February.

The device will have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 on a 24 inch backlit LED screen, it will support NVIDIA’s 3D vision whilst also featuring an infrared emitter compatible with 3D active shutter glasses.

This built in IR emitter frees up a precious USB slot for other use, as well as eliminating the need for yet another peripheral device.

It is this emitter that sets it apart from the other 3D monitors already on the market – such as the Asus G236HVG236HE and the Samsung SyncMaster devices – which are not equipped with this capability.

Other specifications for the GN245HQ monitor include a panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, full HD display and a 10000000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. The monitor also boasts an impressive response time of 2ms.

Dual DVI and HDMI 1.4a inputs will also feature on the classy looking, sharp angled device which comes in a piano-black finish, complete with an X-shaped stand.

As yet there is not confirmed price for the item but it is expected to retail at around £350 on its release next month.

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The Sirocco design will adorn the latest models of Asus’ Eee PC series; the1015PW netbook. Available colour schemes will include gold, pink and purple.

The theme of the series echoes the rippling surface of body of water; it appears the “making waves” tagline was very much “pun intended”.

The new models will feature a 10.1 inch, 1,024 x 768 resolution display, an Atom N550 dual-core processor and a 250GB hard drive, with 320GB as an option. A six cell battery with more than ten hours of continual usage battery life is also included as standard.

Other standard features include Bluetooth 3.0, 0.3 megapixel webcam, three USB 2.0 ports and an SD card reader.

The devices will weigh 2.8 pounds and will run Windows 7. Information surrounding prices for each model, and a release date, are yet to be announced.

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Asus’ Eee PC VX6 – a netbook inspired by the famous sports car brand – is now on sale in the UK.

The co-branded device packs a dual core Intel Atom D525 processor and an Nvidia Ion 2 graphics card, all neatly packaged inside a Lamborghini shell.

Apparently a homage to the Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster, the VX6 “epitomises the magnificence and power of the automotive star” according to its manufacturer. This may be a reference to the speedy connectivity features installed on the device, including the superfast USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 3.0.

Other features include a 12.1 inch backlit screen with 1366 x 768 pixel display, 1.3 megapixel webcam, HD video playback, and Bang & Olufsen speakers with SRS Premium surround sound.

In addition to this, the Atom D535 processor’s hyper-threading technology boosts the efficiency of the CPU’s performance, increasing battery life to six hours of constant usage. The VX6 also comes with 4GB DDR3 RAM.

The VX6 is available in black or white with both versions featuring Lamborghini’s trademark “charging bull” logo on the lid. The £499 price tag makes this purchasing the VX6 easily the cheapest way of owning a brand new Lamborghini.

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A press release from Asus predicted that the company will be shifting 14 million units of Notebooks next year, as well as experiencing five percent rise in motherboard sales, in line with the growing PC market.

Asus also risks treading on the toes of the big boys by securing a chunk of the booming Tablet market for itself, setting its sights specifically on taking a hefty portion of Apple’s market share.

But, as Asus prepare to take a sizeable helping of Apple pie, they should remember that the coming year might not be all plain sailing.

Their press release optimistically predicted that the company will shift six-million Netbooks in 2011, matching their total for this year, experts aren’t so sure that this will be the case.

Market analysers, CCS Insight have hinted that products like Google’s Chrome OS may become a weight around their manufacturer’s necks as they are too focused on an ailing Netbook market that looks set to dip further in the 2011.

The Tablet predators are circling, although Asustek’s aspirations in the Tablet market imply that they themselves are fully aware of this.

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