Normally manufacturer designs notebooks with some unique class stuff to give smooth and silky looks to their products but now to offer some conventional looks the S-series notebook concept is designed via wood. This new concept that appears interesting to me, sports ultra-thin 4mm thick LCD screens, at 17″ wide, and runs Windows Vista whereas the back of the screen comes dished in black acrylic with a wood base and targets business users. Designed by Simon Enever this funky laptop designing with glossy looks will really make my office look cool and arresting, because I think that I am big wood-hugger. Via: Yankodesign

Mouse Computer Japan has just unveiled its plans to release their 17-inch gaming notebook pc ‘NEXTGEAR-NOTE M700 Series’ , with a resolution of 1920×1200. Powered by Intel Core 2 Duo processor and Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN the ‘NEXTGEAR-NOTE M700WXV1′ runs on Windows Vista Ultimate OS and supports Intel Core 2 Extreme processor X7800 CPU and 160GB SATA hard disk. It also comes loaded with 2GB DDR II RAM and NVIDIA GeForce 7950GTX graphics card. Weighing just 4-Kg, the machine would attract quite a few gamers who’re looking forward to a perfect replacement for their gaming desktops. Carrying a price tag of around 364,980 (JPY, VAT included) or $3077, it would certainly give some heat to its western counterparts, however, its quality is yet to be tested, but it seems a good bet especially with cutting edge features mentioned above. Via: Aving

For some, ‘sky is the limit’. Imagine a notebook that is less than 2 cm thick. Add 64 GB of SSD and you get an unimaginable product from Toshiba – the Dynabook SS RX1 . This one’s got it all – looks, performance, and reliability (I say this because it is Toshiba). This state-of-the-art notebook runs on a Core 2 Duo processor and boasts of 11 hrs of autonomy (Now that’s a treat). The 12.1 inch display is not something to cheer about, though. And, like every other device, you need to strike a balance and this one is no different. The versions that are listed on the website come equipped with a HDD and not SSD. Seems like we would have to wait a while! The price is neither going to disappoint you nor would you get ecstatic about it. The notebook costs 1.677€, for the1GB RAM version with a 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo and 120GB HDD, and around 2.000€ for the 2GB RAM and Office 2007 version. However, I would still maintain that this is a small price to pay for such a beauty! Via: akihabaranews

I would call this a convenient retrogression. There is hardly any doubt that Blu-ray and HD-DVD drives are still low on the priority lists of buyers. Perhaps, due to the limited knowledge they have about these drives. And, in such a scenario, Sony doesn’t want to take chances. It reflects in the latest release of its conventional CD/DVD burners – the S70 and the 840 series. The multi-format disc drives feature a distinct variety of slim, external drives and internal models that offer the best of both worlds. The DRX-S70U is slim and sleek and offers burn speeds as follows: – 8X DVD+/-R – 4X DVD+/-R DL – 8X DVD+RW – 6X DVD-RW – 24X CD-R/RW The 840 series – DRU-840A and DRX-840U offer the same burn speeds as shown below: – 20X DVD+/-R – 12X DVD+/-R DL – 12X DVD+RW – 6X DVD-RW – 48X CD-R – 32X CD-RW However, the difference between the two is that the former is internal while the latter is external. Additionally, the DRU-840A is an ATAPI (EIDE) drive. On the other hand, the DRX-840U can be connected via USB 2.0 (or USB 1.1, with slower write speeds) to offer the ultimate portability. The drives are incorporated with Nero 7 Express. With the variety, Sony looks to cater to the laptop market and the PC market at the same time. The drives will be available from September. The pricing of DRX-840U & DRX-S70U is $110 and $130 respectively, while the DRU-840A is currently on the stands for $70. Via: cnet

The character Darth Vader from the Star Wars Jedi episodes have influenced a lot of people and a lot of companies as well. He is the master of dark side of the Force. Well, now you can let your children explore the dark side of the Force while they try to learn something from the Darth Vader laptop. I know it sounds a little weird talking about this. But, if you want to blame anyone, you can blame it on Oregon Scientific – the company that released the Darth Vader laptop. This way your kid can pick up the learning path with the cool new laptop. The computer lets your kid choose 50 different games. Your child will develop typing ability, coordination, and musical abilities. Also, children using this laptop will have better reflexes. A headphone jack has already been provided for silent play. All you need to do is buy two AA batteries for your kids. Interestingly enough, the user can learn as a Jedi although, Vader still is the professor conducting the classes. The light sabre that extends with the push of a button sort of acts like a mouse. Irrespective of all these info, pricing information and release dates are nowhere to be found, not even on the Oregon scientific site. Well, if you trust the Darth Vader with kids, keep an eye out for more information on this. This can be your child’s next birthday gift. Image Credits: Freedesktopwallpapers, Gizmodo