Looks like Asus is sniffing out the next big thing now that it's found heaps of success with its EeePC concept, and has decided that what the world really needs is a notebook that can function both as a mid-range computer and an Air Wick. The Asus F6 boasts a 13.3 inch screen, an integrated webcam, an Intel Core2 Duo processor, up to 4GB of DRAM support, up to 320GB of HD space and comes in four scents - Floral Blossom, Musky Black, Morning Dew and Aqua Ocean. Asus doesn't say how long the fragrance is supposed to last, or whether you can reapply it. But for a couple of days at least, when the patrons of your local coffee shop wrinkle up their noses and ask "What's that smell?" you can proudly say "Me." [Asus via Far East Gizmos]

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There's a slight issue for Asus Eee PC owners who want to use their older batteries with the Atom-based Eee PC 900A revealed earlier this month--they won't work. That's because the tiny laptop uses a different connector (4400mAh, cheap) than its predecessors the 701 and 900. There's some good news, however, as jkkmobile notes the 900A's 8GB SSD implements a single pci-e card, not a split one; and the SLF flash should give you speeds comparable to the 900/901 4GB SSD. [HKPug via jkkmobile]

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People looking for a powerhouse: look elsewhere - this is cheap and nasty, running Windows XP on a 1.6Ghz Atom processor, with 1GB of memory and an 80GB hard drive. It's got 802.11n built-in, along with 2 USB and a memory card reader (SD, SDHC, MMC, Memory Stick).

As you can see from the image above, it's available in a range of colours, although in Australia, we have the better option of only getting black units. Nobody likes individuality anyway.

It's not perfect, obviously - there's no optical drive - but if you have an old monitor lying around somewhere, you could use this as a backup PC for email or web browsing.

[Asus]

The shiny brown machine in the photo there is apparently the top-of-the-range Eee PC S101 that was shown in Asus' leaked presentation last month. It looks just a little bigger than the white 901 model next to it, and it will be about 2.2cm deep, have a 10.1-inch LED-lit LCD, and have an Intel Atom purring away inside. What makes it "ultimate" is presumably in part its SSD: it'll come with either a 32GB or 64GB solid-state drive, and that's why the two models will cost around US$699 and US$899 when available in October. And they may not carry the "Eee" label, or so the rumour goes. [PChome.tw]

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This is some video of Asus' swanky new GPS model that projects data onto your windshield, saving you from distracting yourself from the road by peering at a device screen. So will the R710 make you feel like you're flying a fighter aircraft with glitzy HUD graphics? No, not really, as it projects just some very basic info, like distance to next turn and which direction you're going in. But if it prevents accidents, and makes navigating across tricky junctions a little easier since you won't have to move your eyes from the road, seems like a great idea to me. [Navigadget]

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It shouldn't be a surprise, really, as Asus has already whored the Eee brand strength to computer peripherals and even a television, but in a recent presentation the company revealed a sort of USDA computer pyramid prescribing an Eee for every class of buyer. And whether or not the majority of these 23 models are cheap, tiny laptops (unlikely) or the pyramid represents the Eee branding hitting all Asus laptops (a bit more likely), the whole line is looking like a confusing mess to consumers who just heard about the Eee for the first time. [Engadget China via Engadget]

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Asus's EeePC 901 has already proved itself very hackable but Buffalo's newest product won't require much modding: 32GB or 64GB replacement SSD's. Not much more to say, apart from the obvious: more storage, more impact resilient, longer battery life. The best bit? The 32GB SHD-EP9M32G is a mere US$156, and the 64GB SHD-EP9M64G an equally neat US$316. Available in Japan at first, mid-September.

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Not content with muddying-up the waters of the Eee brand, Asustek is apparently keen to "push out software and hardware upgrades every month to fill gaps in the netbook market." Though that sounds like a bad idea, at least one benefit may come of it: according to Digitimes, one of the upcoming products will be a "whole day" battery for the Eee UMPCs. Digitimes also talks about an "internet storage" solution, and cooperation with European telecoms vendors. Interesting stuff, though since it seems slightly unsubstantiated, we'll wait 'til we hear something concrete to believe it. [Digitimes]

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Still not content with keeping the Eee name only on their successful (but ballooning) line of netbooks, this unofficial but legit-looking crew of peripherals joins the Eee Box, Eee TV, Eee Monitor and Eee Enema (spot the outlier!) in further desecrating the brand. Included is an external hard disk with a fold-out USB connector, an optical drive and a 3G data connection card--which put together make up for most netbooks' feature shortcomings. No release details but we'll keep an Eee Eye out, if we can make sense of the whole mess. [Eee PC News via Laptop]

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Today's New York Times has a trend piece on ULPCs/Netbooks/Nettops/Subnotebooks/Mini PCs/*Insert Buzzword Here* and analysts who fear their low prices will spell doom and gloom for the PC industry. They cite the already low profit margins for PC sales as an example of what could drive computer companies into the red. Naturally success stories like the Asus Eee, and the next wave of products like the CherryPal were name dropped as potential threats, but it hardly seems time to worry.

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