The Windows Home Server Team Blog reports that ASUS will soon be releasing their first Windows Home Server product – the TS Mini Home Server. Powered by a 1.66GHz Intel Atom processor, the TS Mini will come in two flavors – a 500GB system with one empty hard drive bay for $349 and a 1 terabyte system with one empty hard drive bay for$529.

Key unique features of the TS MIni (outside of what you’d get from Windows Home Server) include:

• One year of free 500GB online storage. Backup and synchronize data from  home server to ASUS Web Storage for redundant security
• ASUS exclusive Xtor Manager allows you to directly backup, synchronize, and manage files and folders between external USB and eSATA storage devices and the TS Mini.
• 6 USB ports and 2 eSATA ports
• ASWM Management provides real-time system health monitoring including fans, temperature, disks, drives, network, memory, and processors
• Energy Star 5.0 certified

Specs include:

• Intel Atom N280 processor clocked at 1.66GHz
• 1 memory slot for up to 2GB of memory – comes with 1 GB
• 2 hard drive bays
• Gigabit Ethernet
• Measures 245 x 96 x 204mm and weighs 2.7Kg
• 90W power supply

The TS Mini is available for pre-order now at Amazon.com and at Newegg.com.

[Check it out via Windows Home Server Team Blog, PC Magazine]

Technorati Tags: ASUS TS Mini, Windows Home Server

According to BusinessWeek, ASUS’s latest Eee PC netbook will utilize the power-efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. The system will also feature a 10 inch display, universal 3G radio, support for 720p video playback, built-in GPS, and Wi-Fi connectivity. Currently being demoed at Computex, the new Eee PC model is expected later this year.

Acer also announced plans this week to release a new Aspire One netbook running the Android OS. While there was no mention of specs, the company did mention that the new Aspire One would be ready by Q3 of this year. In addition, this won’t be the only Acer netbook model running Android. The company announced that the majority of Acer netbook models would offer Android as an option over Microsoft Windows – giving users a choice in pre-installed OS’s.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: ASUS, Eee PC, Acer, Acer Aspire One, Android netbook

If you’re in the market for a svelte netbook, you’ll want to check out the new ASUS Eee PC Seashell (model 1008HA) netbook. Introduced back at CES 2009, the Seashell netbook is now available for folks here in the U.S.  This system is really a thing of beauty thanks to its “seashell-inspired design”. Physical features include a smooth opalescent glossy exterior sprinkled with light reflective specs, a profile of 1 inch thickness, and a weight of a mere 1.1kg. On the inside, you can expect fairly standard netbook components – here are the specs:

• 10 inch LED backlit WSVGA display with Color-Shine
• Windows XP Home or Linux
• Intel Atom N280 processor
• 1GB RAM
• 160GB 2.5 inch SATA II 5400 RPM HDD
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• 6 hour Li-polymer battery
• 1.3 megapixel battery
• HD audio
• stereo  speakers
• Digital array microphone
• Mini VGA connector
• 2 USB 2.0 ports
• Ethernet port
• Headphone and microphone in
• Card reader for MMC/SD/SDHC

The Eee PC Seashell is available in White, Black, Blue, Pink, Sapphire Blue, and Ruby Red.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1008HA

According to the press release:

“DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC uses advanced post-processing technology to deliver an incredible surround effect from just two speakers or headphones. The post-processing contains significant psycho-acoustic information that alters human perception, making one believe that sounds are actually occurring outside the boundaries of the two-speaker system or headphones. Developed with a key understanding of acoustics and years of knowledge in dealing with the properties of sound, DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC creates a three-dimensional wall of sound that exceeds the limitations of just two speakers for an optimal surround sound experience. DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC also supplements the weakened stereo image and ambience of digitally compressed audio, while keeping the monaural components (such as solo vocals) unchanged.”

Two of the latest ASUS mobos featuring DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC include the ASUS P5Q PRO Turbo:

and the ASUS M4A79T Deluxe:

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: DTS, Inc., ASUSTeK Computer, DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC, Motherboards, Surround Sound

Missed this one from early last week. Those of you waiting on the new Eee Top ET1602 should be happy to hear that ASUS is now shipping the All-In-One PC here in North America. For a starting price of $599, the ET1602 features items such as a 15.6 inch touch-screen display, an Intel Atom processor, integrated webcam, array microphone, Wi-Fi, 1GB of RAM, 160GB HDD, built-in speakers, and a built-in handle. We first saw the ET1602 at CES 2009 and we were certainly impressed with what we saw. While the All-In-One comes with Windows XP, it’ll certainly be interesting to see what the system will be like running something like Windows 7 which has a much better touch-oriented UI.

AND, if you’re looking for an external DVD drive for the ET1602, ASUS has announced a matching-design SDRW-08D1S-U Diamond slim USB DVD drive. No word on pricing.

[Check it out]

Read this in Chinese Simplified or French

Technorati Tags: ASUS Eee Top ET1602, All-in-one PC

Interested in the new ASUS Eee Top 1602 all-in-one PC system announced back at CES 2009? You’ll want to check out PC Magazine’s review of the system here on their website. The Eee Top 1602 (which we checked out at CES) comes with a 15.6 inch widescreen touch-screen display, Windows XP, an Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM, integrated Intel graphics, Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi, built-in stereo speakers, a memory card reader, and various ports. Interestingly, PC Magazine published a price for the 1602 – $599 for the system which isn’t too bad considering all that you get (though a beefier processor would have been nice). Here’s what they thought of the Eee Top:

“The ASUS Eee Top 1602 is the first truly integrated all-in-one nettop. The Eee Top may create a new category—think of it as the new Internet terminal that replaces your desktop (which is what WebTV or Audrey tried to do).”

Is a nettop in your future?

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: ASUS, Eee Top 1602, PC Magazine Review

In addition to the newly announced nüvifone M20, Garmin-Asus provided additional details to their previously announced nüvifone G60 handset. Unlike the M20 which is a Windows Mobile 6.1 OS based handset, the G60 runs a Linux OS and is “designed for the active on-the-go user who wants an easy-to-use device” to answer simple questions such as “where am I?”, “where am I going?”, or “how do I get home?”

Here’s the rundown of features and specs for the nüvifone G60:

• Quad-band GSM / GPRS / Edge 850/900/1800/1900
• 850/1900/2100 HSDPA 3.6 Mbps
• Linux OS
• Three primary icons on the display – Call, Search, and View Map
• Secondary icons appear on the side of the home screen and can be customized by user preferences
• Built-in accelerometer
• Location Based Services support with location information added to apps such as email, SMS, photo sharing, social networking etc
• Operates like a Garmin nüvi device with preloaded maps of North America or Eastern and Western Europe and millions of POI
• Connected Services support
• Ciao! social networking app
• Supports POP3 and IMAP4 email such as Yahoo, Hotmail, and Gmail.
• Soft keyboard
• 3.0 megapixel camera with auto-focus – automatically geotags images
• Allows individuals to place calls and identify their exact GPS location while making phone calls
• 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi
• 3.55 inch 65K color support, anti-glare resistive touch-screen with 272 x 480 resolution
• 4GB on board memory, 128MB RAM
• microSD slot with SDHC support
• MP3 playback support
• Document viewing support for Word, Excel, Powerpoint, PDF, and JPG
• Measures 112 x 58.1 x 14.6 mm and weighs 137 grams

Still no word on pricing or an exact availability date other than the first half of this year.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Garmin-Asus nüvifone G60, Linux Smartphone, Garmin device

Nearly two weeks after formally announcing their new alliance, Garmin-Asus have announced their latest smartphone product offering – the new nüvifone M20 – “an all-in-one, mobile web-browser, and premium navigation system with a Windows Mobile operating system.” The company will unveil the new M20 at the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

The nüvifone M20 is a dual-band 3.5G/tri-band GSM Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone with Wi-Fi connectivity, web browser, push email support, document viewing capabilities, multimedia support, Bluetooth wireless, and Garmin satellite navigation.

Other features and specs include the following:

• Full QWERTY soft keyboard
• HSDPA wireless support
• 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi
• Location Based Services with navigation functions linked to frequently used applications such as calendar, contacts, email, Internet apps, etc
• Comes pre-loaded with maps and points of interest (POI) for North America, Eastern and Western Europe, and other regions
• Provides turn by turn voice prompted directions and automatically recalculates if a turn is missed
• Connected Services support – suite of online apps and data from Garmin-Asus which adds “location intelligence” to navigation, phone, and browser functions. Expandable list of apps includes content like real-time traffic, white pages, weather, flight status, local events, and movie times
• Support for Ciao! – a social networking service that keeps users up to date with their friends whereabouts and status
• 2.8 inch TFT VGA (640 x 480) touch lens display with 65K colors
• Built-in microphone and speakers
• Built-in 4GB/8GB My Storage
• ActiveSync for Outlook, Microsoft Office, and multimedia synchronization
• 3.0 megapixel camera with automatic geotagging capabilities
• Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
• Supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, WAV, and AMR-NB
• Video playback support for MPEG4/H.264/H.263/WMV @ 30fps VGA
• Video recording in MPEG4/H.263 @ 15fps QVGA; Streaming Audio/Video
• Opera browser
• Qualcomm 7200A 528MHz processor
• 920 mAh Lithium replaceable battery
• 3 hour talk time with 3G enabled; 2.8 hours with 2G enabled
• Built-in accelerometer
• Measures 95.3 x 52.5 x 12.8 mm
• Weighs 99 grams with the battery

The Garmin-Asus M20 will be available during the first half of this year.Stay tuned for an exact availability date and pricing.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Garmin-Asus nüvifone M20 smartphone, Windows Mobile Smartphones

Ever wish you could have Garmin navigation technology included with your mobile handset? Well soon you’ll be able to! Garmin and ASUS formally announced a strategic alliance today to build a line of “location-centric” mobile phones. The upcoming line, known as the Garmin-ASUS nüvifone series, will be rolling out this year headlined by the G60 model which will be announced at the upcoming Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona.

The two companies have actually been working together for over a year with their first model being that new G60 model. It was originally known as the nüvifone handset but has since been rebranded as the Garmin-ASUS nüvifone G60. Newer nüvifone products will also continue the vision of the original G60 and offer Location-based Services capabilities such as turn by turn, voice prompted navigation typically found on high-end Garmin portable navigation devices, and pre-loaded maps with millions of points of interest.

Features of the nüvifone G60 handset include:

• Quad-band voice
• Tri-band data
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g with WPA encryption
• Desktop web experience with full HTML browser
• Location based apps including real-time traffic information, gas prices, flight times, weather, etc
• Geo-tagged SMS, email, and photo sharing
• Ciao! Location-based Social Networking platform
• Large display with portrait and landscape view of each screen
• Virtual QWERTY keyboard with touch-screen
• Garmin navigation experience with voice prompted turn by turn directions that speaks street names
• Optimized for pedestrian or automobile use with included car mount
• One-step navigation from contacts, email, and local search results
• “Where am I?” safety feature displays your current address and nearest police, hospital, and fuel services in one click
• Pedestrian mode for in-hand navigation

Garmin-ASUS nüvifone models will be on display at the Garmin-ASUS booth at the MWC in Barcelona.. Wish I was going!

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Garmin-ASUS, nüvifone G60, nüvifone phones

One new market that ASUS appears to be diversifying into is in the area of wireless HDMI. This makes complete sense when you consider ASUS is also in the wireless networking market with several products including the RT-N17 wireless N storage router and the WL-330gE portable wireless 4 in 1 access point.

Now what we have above is the new BR-HD3 Wireless HDMI kit. The kit contains both the transmitter and receiver, supports up to 1080i video and stereo linear PCM audio. It has one HDMI 1.3a input on the transmitter and one HDMI 1.3a output on the receiver. Too bad the units lack 1080p support (as well as multi-channel audio support)

Technorati Tags: ASUS BR-HD3 Wireless HDMI kit, CES 2009

Remember that ASUS AiGuru SV1 Eee Videophone announced last month? Well I got a chance to see it up close and personal and wow.. it’s large. (yeah for some reason I thought it was going to be smaller.. ) In any case, the videophone does feature an 800 x 480 resolution 7 inch display so I can forgive the large form factor.. though I wish it didn’t look like a toy from afar.

Now features of the SV1 include:

• The world’s first large screen videophone for Skype without needing a PC
• Intuitive, icon driven user interface
• 802.11 b/g
• Cable free rechargeable battery
• Built-in 0.3 megapixel webcam, microphone, and speaker
• 10/100 Ethernet
• Measures 202 x 123 x 253 mm
• 20 min talk time on battery
• 30 min standby time
• 2 hour charging time

Technorati Tags: ASUS AiGuru SV1 Eee Videophone, Skype, CES 2009

Looking to watch a little digital TV on your Eee PC netbook? Check out ASUS’s new USB digital TV accessory – the MYC-U3100Mini. Features include:

• USB 2.0 interface
• ATSC/QAM digital tuner
• Watch and record digital TV programs on your PC or Netbook
• ASUS Pop-Up TV technology
• ASUS GadgetTV Technology – Vista sidebar TV
• Eee PC certified
• Support for Windows Vista, XP

Technorati Tags: ASUS, MYC-U3100Mini, CES 2009

For ASUS, the Intel Atom processor has proven to be a versatile processor for a wide variety of devices. We’ve seen the company introduce netbook systems and all-in-one PC systems based on the Atom processor. Now the company is venturing into the network appliance/network attached storage market with the introduction of the D200. The system is basically designed to be a home server appliance – allowing you to store and serve up files as well as acting as a wireless router. The complete specs include:

• Intel Atom N270 processor
• 2GB of RAM
• 512MB of ROM,
• Total of 2 TB of disk space (spanning two disks) supporting RAID 0,1, JBOD
• Built-in 3.5 inch LCD touch screen
• 802.11m MIMO AP router
• Slot DVD-RW drive
• 6 channel HD audio
• WAN/LAN/Power Recovery/HDD status LED indicator lights
• Gigabit Ethernet
• 4 USB ports, 1 DVI port
• Measures 275 x 98 x 206mm
• Noise output of 28 dB courtesy of a smart fan

Expect the D200 to be available for around $600 dollars – though it’s not clear how much storage space you’ll get for that price.

Technorati Tags: ASUS, D200, NAS, CES 2009

Continuing our CES 2009 coverage tonight, our focus shifts to ASUS which had a fairly large booth in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. While ASUS certainly carries products in a wide array of categories, it owes much of its success in 2008 to the Eee PC line of netbook PCs. Over at NetbookTech, we covered their latest announcements on the netbook front which basically boiled down to new tablet-style netbook systems – the 8.9 inch Eee PC T91 and 10 inch Eee PC T101.  You’ll also find a digital stills of their Eee PC product line here (and boy there are a lot of models now).

On the desktop front, ASUS introduced their first touch-enabled all-in-one PC – the Eee Top ET1602 – at CES 2009.  The system features an Intel Atom processor, a 15.6 inch touch-screen display, a built-in hard drive, and of course, Windows XP Home Edition.

The full specs include:

• 15.6 inch 16:9 widescreen touch-screen display
• Windows XP Home OS
• Intel Atom N270 processor
• Intel 945GSE + ICH7 chipset
• 1GB RAM
• 160GB SATAII 5400 RPM HDD
• Integrated graphics
• Gigabit Ethernet
• 802.11 n
• 4 watt stereo speakers
• SRS Premium Sound System
• HD audio chip
• 2 x USB 2.0 ports
• card reader
• 3 audio ports for 5.1 channel sound

Here are pictures of the ET1602. From the top (with the keyboard tucked away behind the panel):

A close-up of the customized ASUS user interface:

It certainly appears this will be the year of the inexpensive all-in-one PC. Sure would love to install Windows 7 on these machines!

Technorati Tags: ASUS Eee Top ET1602, CES 2009

Heavy Skype users will love this one. ASUS has released the first videophone fully integrated with Skype called the AiGuru SV1. Yes – we’re talking about a standalone videophone without the need of a computer system. Simply connect the SV1 to your network either via a wired Ethernet connection or via Wi-Fi connectivity. As with other Skype client apps/devices, you can make free Skype to Skype phone calls or low cost calls to landline and mobile phones.

Features of the AiGuru SV1 include:

• Icon driven user interface
• Built-in 7 inch screen, microphone, webcam, and speakerphone
• Rechargeable battery makes the device portable
• Connect wirelessly or via a network cable
• Skype Certified

The ASUS AiGuru SV1 is currently available at Skype’s store for $299.95.

[Check it out via NewLaunches]

Technorati Tags: ASUS AiGuru SV1, Skype Videophone

The Chinese version of Engadget is reporting that ASUS has officially the new all-in-one PC – the Eee Top – in Taiwan. Going for around 18,900 Taiwanese dollars (or around $580 U.S. dollars), the Eee Top is a touch-screen PC featuring an “Easy Mode” UI running on top of Windows XP. Not surprisingly, if you launch a non ASUS application, you’ll quickly leave the user interface and be presented with the standard Windows XP UI – which isn’t quite finger friendly. What would be interesting is to take this system and install Windows 7 on it!

Make sure to check out both Engadget and Engadget Chinese for lots of pictures and coverage of the Eee Top. The announcement today was for the Eee Top 1602. This system features the following specs:

• 15.6 inch 16:9 widescreen panel
• Windows XP Home
• Single touch touchscreen display
• 1GB DDR2 memory
• 160GB SATA 5400 RPM HDD
• Wi-Fi 802.11n support
• Integrated 1.3 megapixel webcam with microphone
• 26 dB of noise
• Splendid Video Intelligence Technology
• SRS technology
• Integrated graphics
• Gigabit Ethernet
• 4watt x 2 speakers + SRS Premium Sound System
• 2 USB 2.0 ports, card reader

There’s also an Eee Top ET1603 which has yet to be rolled out. The specs for the ET1603 include the following:

• 15.6 inch 16:9 widescreen panel
• Windows XP Home
• Single-touch display
• 1GB RAM
• Intel Atom N270 processor
• Intel 945GSE chipset
• 160GB SATAII 5400 RPM HDD
• Wi-Fi 802.11n support
• Integrated 1.3 megapixel webcam with microphone
• 26 dB of noise
• 16:9 display
• Splendid Video Intelligence Technology
• Discrete ATI Mobility Radeon HD450 graphics
• Gigabit Ethernet
• 4watt x 2 speakers + SRS premium surround sound
• 2 USB, card reader

[Check it out via Ian Dixon’s blog]

Technorati Tags: ASUS Eee Top, Taiwan, all-in-one touchscreen PC

ASUS keeps releasing new notebook systems – this time it’s the 14.1 inch N80V notebook which joins an already extensive N series which was introduced just a month ago. The N80V features:

• Intel Core 2 Duo processor
• 4GB of RAM
• 320GB HDD
• NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS GPU
• Express Gate fast boot system
• Fingerprint reader
• eSATA support
• Blu-ray drive and DVD burner
• Facial recognition technology
• Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless support
• 1.3 megapixel webcam
• Windows Vista OS

No word on pricing as of yet.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: ASUS N80V notebook

At first glance, the new ASUS VENTO TA-F computer case looks like any other DIY case. It supports an ATX or micro-ATX motherboard, has plenty of room for drives (4 internal 5.25 inch drives, 1 internal 3.5 inch floppy drive, and 4 internal 3.5 inch hard drives), has loads of easily accessible expansion ports, and room for seven PCI slots. However, collapse the sides of the case together, and you’ll soon realize the VENTO TA-F is a case designed for portability. Yup, that’s right – the sides of the case fold inwards, collapsing the case to a flat square thereby bringing the overall dimensions from 190 x 426 x 469mm to 434 x 87 x 434 mm.

The VENTO TA-F is a tool-less chassis design which means drives, and expansion cards can be placed into the case without the need of screws or tools. The case also supports a pair of front and rear 12 cm large fans to maximize airflow inside the case. The VENTO TA-F consists of the black TA-F11 and the silver TA-F21.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: ASUS, VENTO TA-F, computer case

• 14.1 inch WXGA and WXGA+ display
• Spill proof keyboard protects against spills of up to 50 cc of liquid
• Built-in LED lighting for keyboard
• Built-in HDMI interface
• Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T9400/T5850/P8600/P7350 processors
• Mobile Intel GM45 Express Chipset
• Intel Wi-Fi Link 5100
• Windows Vista OS
• Up to 4GB of memory
• SATA HDD
• DVD Super Multi Drive
• Built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Measures 34.1 x 24.5 x 2.98~3.7 cm and weighs 2.46 kg

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: ASUS B80A, notebook

ASUS is now taking pre-orders (via Amazon) for their new limited edition ASUS U6 Bamboo Notebook. Yup that’s right – this notebook features artisan-grade Moso bamboo on the top panel cover and on the palm rest. Specs on the limited edition system (model U6V-B1) include the following:

• Intel Core 2 Duo Processor Model T9400 – running at 2.53 GHz
• 320GB 5400 RPM SATA HDD
• NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS graphics with 256 MB RAM
• 12.1 inch WXGA LED backlight wide panel for lower power consumption
• Fingerprint reader
• Bluetooth
• eSATA port
• HDMI port
• 0.3 megapixel webcam
• ASUS SmartLogon support grants access via facial scans
• Measures 15.2 x 9.6 x 1.2 inches

The ASUS U6V-B1 bamboo notebook is available for preorder now at Amazon.com for $1999.00.

[Check it out via ASUS]

Technorati Tags: ASUS U6 Bamboo notebook, Moso bamboo, U6V-B1