We have covered the one or the other Hello Kitty gadget in the past, but it’s been a while since the last notebook featuring the popular cartoon cat. But now Japan’s Mouse Computer is selling the so-called LuvBook S, [JP], an 11.6-inch laptop with Hello Kitty all over it. It has been co-developed with Hello Kitty maker Sanrio and luxury goods maker Swarovski.

Swarovski designed the body of the laptop (the Hello Kitty face and heart you see below is made of about 1,100 Swarovski stones):

These are the three different wall papers buyers can expect:

Screensaver and box:

Spec-wise, the LuvBook S features an 11.6-inch LCD with 1,366×768, an Intel Core i3-2330M CPU (2.20GHz), a 500GB HDD, 4GB memory, Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0+HS, a 1.3MP web cam, a USB 3.0 slot, two USB 2.0 slots, an SD card interface, and an HDMI port. The LuvBook S runs on Windows 7 Home Premium (64bit/SP1).

Mouse Computer has already started selling the device in Japan (price: US$900). Visit specialized sites like the Japan Trend Shop or Flutterscape if you really want to get one shipped outside Japan.

When it comes to gift-giving, there are a few presents that siimply go above and beyond. Getting a first car on your sixteenth birthday (if you’re so lucky) is one of those moments, and some young couples are even lucky enough to get a house as a wedding present. But after a house and a car, a brand new laptop is probably the best gift you can get. We’ve compiled a list of notebooks ranging in price from $839 to starting points of $1,999, so there should be something here for everyone.

Without any further ado, here are some of our recommendations if you’re looking to get your loved one a new notebook.

Acer’s Aspire S3 Ultrabook

I’m actually typing this post on an S3 as we speak, and I must say it’s a pleasant, comfortable little notebook. The first thing you should know is that this is one of, if not the first computers to fall in line with each of Intel’s ultrabook requirements (like being under .83 inches thick, having at least a 5-hour battery life, employment of Intel’s rapid start technology, and a sub-$1000 price tag), meaning you’d be getting your loved one the first in an entirely new category of Windows-powered laptops.

The S3 Ultrabook is powered by a Core i5 processor, packs 4BG of on-board memory, and combines a spinning hard drive with an SSD for speed performance and greater memory. It’s super thin, at just .51-inches thick and weighs just 2.94 pounds, which you’ll surely notice the first time you pick this little guy up. The 13.3-inch screen isn’t amazing by any account, but with a 1366×768 resolution at 450-nits it gets the job done.

You can pick up the Acer S3 Ultrabook for the low price of $839.99.

Apple MacBook Air (Thunderbolt):

If the S3 ever had a competitor, it would be the new MacBook Air. In fact, the MacBook Air is seemingly the inspiration for the entire sub-category, so if you’re in a Mac state of mind (or are ready to convert), look no further. With its unibody aluminum construction, waist line of .11 inches at its thinnest point (.68 inches at its thickest), and new LED backlit island-style keyboard, the MacBook Air simply can’t be beat in terms of design.

Plus, you’ll have between 64GB and 256GB of flash storage (2GB and 4GB internal) depending on the model with either a 1.6GHz or 1.7GHz dual-core Core i5 processor. The Air comes in both 11.6- and 13.3-inch models, with the 11-inch model forfeiting an SD card slot and both models sporting USB 2.0 and Thunderbolt ports.

Configurations start at $999 and go all the way up to $1599.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1

This 13-inch laptop looks and feels about as corporate as you can get. It’s basically a wedge-shaped black box measuring just .65 inches thick at its thinnest point, with sharp corners and a soft-touch finish. It also happens to be the most rugged of the laptops we’re recommending, so if your loved one is prone to spills or clumsiness in any form, this may be your winner. With a water-shedding LED backlit keyboard and Corning Gorilla glass on the display, it’d be a task to destroy this thing. I’ve seen it attempted, first hand.

As far as the guts are concerned, the ThinkPad X1 can be configured with Intel’s Core i3, i5, and i7 processors, and has the same 1366×768 resolution as the S3′s display. Again, like the S3, Lenovo traded out a matte display for a highly reflective, and thus less viewable, one. Still, Dolby speakers produce more than enough volume for even the hardiest of partiers, while Intel’s integrated 3000 HD graphics helped keep things crisp in the entertainment department.

All in all, this is a great option for the laptop gifter starting at $1,349.

Sony Vaio Z

It is here that we venture into pricey territory, but not without extra luxury and performance. The Sony Vaio Z combines a super slim design with powerful graphics and processing in the form of a 2.7GHz Core i7 processor, Intel HD 3000 Graphics, and an AMD Radeon 6630M GPU built in to the included docking station. Oh right, there’s a non-optional Kindle-sized docking station (as in, included in that high price) which features that AMD Radeon GPU and a Blu-ray drive, as well as some extra ports.

The 13-inch Vaio Z has way more processing power, but looks and feels like a competitor to the MacBook Air measuring just .7 inches thick. Of course, you get a little extra heft when you add the optional battery slice, which nearly doubles its five and a half hour battery life. It has an impressive 1920×1080 pixel resolution, along with a 1,600×900 resolution option.

Unfortunately, these high-end specs come at a high-end price, with models starting at $1999.

Dell Alienware M18X Gaming Laptop

Whenever I look at this beast, which is taking up the majority of my desk space at the moment, I can’t help but feel like some sort of all-powerful, futuristic planet conquerer. The M18X is huge, for one thing, but just sexy as hell with a highly customizable back-lit keyboard, back-lit front grills and a Space Black matte anondized aluminum chassis. The display is a solid 18.4-inch 1920×1080 WLED display that I’ve simply replaced my TV with for the time being. Yep, it’s that good.

On the inside things get no less impressive, with Intel Core i7 quad-core processors ranging between 2.2GHz and an overclocked 4.0GHz, between 4GB and 32GB of on-board memory, and the choice between a 1.5GB Nvidia GeForce 560M GPU, dual 1.5GB NVidia GeForce SLI-enabled 560M GPUs, and dual 2GB Nvidia GeForce SLI-enabled 580M GPUs. There are also dual AMD Radeon graphics card options.

That said, things can get painfully expensive with the lowest configuration going for $1999 up to a dual AMD Radeon HD 6990M graphics card, 4GHz Core i7 dual-core processor-powered model for $4,560. A truly generous gift to say the least, but one that will surely go over well in the brownie points department.

Check out the rest of our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide here.

The current MacBook Pro design is probably going to be around until next year, but a minor update might be on its way in the coming weeks, according to a few factors that have telegraphed this kind of thing historically. Stock is low on many models, and more importantly, a few new items have appeared in Apple inventory listings.

The K90IA, K91A, and K92A SKUs almost certainly represent a minor update to the existing K9*s that are the current MBPs. A total redesign would have a lot more fanfare, so this is probably a spec bump. All the same, hold off on purchasing if you can, since you’ll be getting more for your money shortly.

While there’s no information on what the new models will have, it’ll probably be a set of slightly better processors, a new GPU, Bluetooth 4.0, and possibly a new board to tie it all together. Nothing on the outside, and certainly no USB 3.0.

Price? No idea, but if they’re adding features it’s unlikely it’ll drop. Price drops often happen as a consolation prize when there are no real updates to a line.

The promise of the ultra-cheap ultrabook hasn’t quite been fulfilled yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a few sexy machines before the new ones hit. Acer’s Aspire S3 dropped yesterday, and we’ll have a review up soon, but the new Asus Zenbooks, rumored and pictured earlier but only actually announced today, are the ones I’ve been waiting for.

You’ve got two basic models: the 11.6-inch UX21 and the 13-inch UX31. But there’s more, much more.

Both laptops have 4GB of RAM, a Bang and Olufsun audio system, USB 2 and 3, micro HDMI and mini VGA out. The UX21, at $999, comes with a Core i5-2467M mobile processor that can be upgraded to an i7 for $200. Its 11.6″ screen is the usual 1366×768. You’re stuck with 128GB of space, alas.

The UX31 looks like the one to get, though: for just one more benjamin (that is to say, for $1099 total) you get a a much better 1600×900 13.1″ screen, a superior i5 processor (2557M), an SD card reader, and a more capacious battery. It too can be upgraded: you can snag a 256GB drive for $250 extra, and then get an i7 for another $100 on top of that.

As we heard, it’s thin and light: it’s 0.11″ at the front and 0.67″ at the rear. The case is aluminum, and there’s a nice brushed design on the lid. The UX21 weighs 2.43lb, and the UX31 is slightly heavier at 2.86lb. How the build quality stacks up against its biggest rivals (the S3 and of course the MacBook Air) will have to be decided after some hands-on time.

Update: Their battery life comparison page is pretty funny:

The Qosmio F755 3D laptop is now available for those who wish to live in the 2D world but – and only occasionally – may also want to view things in 3D. The laptop uses a “15.6-inch diagonal full HD TruBrite® display with Active Lens” to display both 2D and 3D images (sample shown here may not represent actual display, your results may vary, consult a doctor before playing 3D games, 3D gaming could cause headaches, nausea, a feeling that 3D is BS, the croup, accidental ingestion of your wedding ring, dance, Gary Oldman’s Disease, vestigial tail growth).

The laptop runs a Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce 540M and allows for HD video and Blu-Ray playback.

The laptop will start at $1,700 when it is available mid-August. Click through for the full press release.

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Toshiba Ditches the Glasses with Announcement of World’s First Glasses-Free 3D Laptop

Qosmio F755 3D Ushers in New Way of Experiencing 3D Entertainment; First Laptop to Simultaneously Display 2D and Glasses-Free 3D Content on a Single Screen

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Toshiba’s Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced U.S. pricing and availability for the Qosmio® F755 3D laptop, the world’s first laptop capable of displaying glasses-free 3D and 2D content at the same time on one screen1. Beginning in mid-August, 3D entertainment enthusiasts will have the opportunity to “ditch the glasses” and enjoy the latest in 3D content while enjoying all the amenities of a premium, high-performance laptop.

“The Qosmio F755 3D laptop is not just a breakthrough in mobile entertainment, but a great example of Toshiba’s ongoing commitment to turning technology innovation into real, usable products”
“The Qosmio F755 3D laptop is not just a breakthrough in mobile entertainment, but a great example of Toshiba’s ongoing commitment to turning technology innovation into real, usable products,” said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. “We are excited to bring this cutting-edge technology to consumers, as there’s really nothing like it. The unique capabilities of the laptop’s 3D display make enjoying 3D content both convenient and hassle-free. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before.”

A Breakthrough in Consumer 3D Technology

To achieve a 3D viewpoint without the aid of special glasses, the new Qosmio F755 3D laptop uses the latest in auto-stereoscopic display technology. Equipped with a brilliant 15.6-inch diagonal full HD TruBrite® display with Active Lens technology, the double parallax image display is able to project two sets of images at the same time, splitting them between the left and right eyes to create the 3D effect. Toshiba’s intuitive Face Tracking technology then taps into the laptop’s built-in webcam to further perfect the projection of the image by reacting to the motion and position of the viewer, delivering a broad viewing zone from which to view 3D content. The end result for consumers is the ability to view and enjoy real 3D – no glasses needed.

2D or 3D? The Choice Is Yours

The Qosmio F755 3D laptop offers up two displays in one, giving users the freedom to view content in either 2D or 3D – or both at the same time. As the only laptop of its kind to offer a simultaneous viewing of 2D and 3D content on a single screen, it provides users with the option to watch 3D content in a full-screen or condense it to a smaller window, preserving the 2D desktop to browse the Web or do other tasks. The included Toshiba Blu-ray Player2 adds to the laptop’s flexibility by delivering easy “one-click” 2D-to-3D content conversion3 for DVDs and videos, giving users the opportunity to enjoy the latest Blu-ray™ 3D movies or experience their existing 2D movie library in a whole new way.

Robust Performance for Demanding HD Entertainment

In addition to its 3D capabilities, the Qosmio F755 3D is equipped with the latest in processor technology and premium components. Powered by the visibly smart Intel® Core™ i7 processor4, NVIDIA® GeForce® 540M graphics processor5, as well as fast RAM and a spacious 750GB hard drive6, the Qosmio F755 3D laptop is built to deliver robust multimedia performance. Built-in harman/kardon® speakers, a suite of sound enhancement technologies from Dolby® and Waves Audio deliver booming cinematic sound to movies, music and games. An integrated Blu-ray Disc™ rewriteable drive offers record and play capabilities, while an HDMI® port supports output of video (up to 1080p) to a 3D-ready TV or display. An elegant Fusion 3D Finish in Brilliant Red delivers standout styling.

When Intel launched its Ultrabook initiative, we were excited: a full-on PC notebook the size of a MacBook Air? Promises of Adamos and Series 9s danced before our eyes, sexy but overpriced. Could this new spec be the one that makes our Air-toting friends jealous?

Unfortunately, few ultrabooks have surfaced, and those that have aren’t really competing pricewise. And just today we hear that Apple is hogging all the aluminum, so people are going to make their notebooks out of fiberglass. Fiberglass!

Don’t fret: Intel is on the case, and everything will be all right.

Intel understands that ODMs absolutely have to get prices under a thousand bucks if they want to compete. Digitimes reports that they’re calling a meeting next week in order to discuss a few new standard bills of material totalling a very reasonable $500-700, and if they’re smart, using components that manufacturers can actually get their hands on.

There haven’t been any teardowns part-by-part cost breakdowns of the latest MacBook Airs, but the previous generation was estimated to have a BOM of somewhat above $700, and as the updates have been fairly minor (new processor, Thunderbolt), that’s probably still a good estimate.

Intel is aiming at 18mm notebooks and 21mm-thick (for 11-13″ and 14-17″ screens respectively) designs with room to upgrade to their latest processors when the time comes. No optical drive, either, which is arguably more of a jump for Windows users than Mac Users. Both would, depending on options, fall at most at ~700, which with a 25% margin and room for assembly and shipping, puts you nicely at a thousand bucks. And that’s at the high end.

When we’ll actually see these designs is a mystery; I’d guess the first ones to make it to Best Buy shelves will be Ivy Bridge models in early 2012. Hopefully we’ll hear more from the companies themselves by then.

The rush towards lightweight, thin laptops — the “ultrabook” spec being promoted by Intel — has resulted in a major uptick in demand for thin metal chassis. Unfortunately, much of the aluminum milling capacity is being taken up by Apple, which is relying more than ever on the material for its laptop lines. Big players like Acer and HP can’t make do with the remainder capacity of the mills, and plastic is too thick to use for these designs. What to do?

Well, according to Digitimes, they’re going for fiberglass. Yes, that fiberglass.

To be honest, my memories of fiberglass aren’t such that I would expect it on a high-end notebook. That said, the cheap corrugated panels that formed the roof of my uncle’s cabin probably aren’t quite the same material being considered for this application. The laptop makers plan to combine the latest fiberglass fabrication techniques with a plastic shell to produce something as tough and lightweight as magnesium-aluminum, but significantly cheaper. $20 could be taken right off the top, cost savings that could snowball into several times that number on the final price tag.

The real question is how will it feel? We’ll find out later this year when these fiberglass ultrabooks hit the streets.

You could be forgiven (and are) for skipping over the LTE news of the last six months: the roll-out of the new 4G standard has been spotty and few consumers actually have any idea what it means, or whether they have it. But Verizon’s next big investment is starting to show up in more than small-run hot spots and high-end smartphones.

Today was a big day for LTE — the vanguard of really consumer-oriented devices is hitting, and while it’ll be some time before your free-with-contract phone or bargain-bin netbook is tapping into the fourth G, the news is still significant.

Tablets with built-in 3G have been a sort of consumer visibility pilot program for widespread deployment of non-phone devices on mobile networks. Sure, 3G cards and built-in wireless have been options for laptops for a long time, but I’d say that the Kindle, iPad, and Chromebooks have pushed that idea farther in two years than it’s gone in the previous ten. It’s no longer an obscure option but a plain subset of devices. We’ll be seeing lots more, but I think some interplay between smartphone and other-device plans will be necessary before people at large see the light.

In the meantime, Verizon is pushing LTE as hard as it can to differentiate it from the competition. Today saw the introduction of an LTE-enhanced HP dm1 laptop. This ultraportable (lighter than laptops, better than netbooks, the fruit of a big HP push a couple years back) doesn’t have particularly impressive specs, but it’s the first to have built-in LTE. With a 1.6GHz AMD E-series processor, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB HDD, and an 11.6″ display, it’s about standard for its class. You can pick one up July 28 for $600 from Verizon, no contract required, and then pay monthly for LTE access: $50 for 5GB or $80 for 10GB. Not the most enticing plan, I must say, but Verizon has to maintain an elite air until it goes totally downmarket.

Next, a pair of tablets. An LTE-capable Verizon variant of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 was announced today (artist’s rendition, top), which will ship Thursday for $530 (16GB) or $630 (32GB) — that’s with a two-year agreement at a minimum of $30 a month, which gets you a whopping 2GB of data.

2GB at the advertised 12Mbps speeds equals… about 22 minutes of use. Per month. Very generous! It’s worth noting that these initial speeds will increase, since right now they can’t even match those (advertised, anyway) of T-Mobile’s pseudo-4G networks.

The Xoom, too, finally has an estimated date for its long, long overdue conversion to 4G. We were told it would happen three months after shipping. We were told we’d have a functional MicroSD slot, too. Speaking for myself, if I bought a Xoom I’d have returned it by now. But for those less disposed towards such drastic actions, September is the time (according to a memo sent to Droid-Life) when you’ll have the opportunity to back up all your data and ship your tablet to Motorola for a chip swap.

Meanwhile, Verizon continues its nation-wide roll-out of LTE networks. As of a few days ago they are live in 102 markets, and they spent over a billion more dollars in 1H11 than they did in the same period last year, due (according to CFO Fran Shammo) to LTE installation costs. This effort and expenditure should put them in around 175 markets by the end of 2011, which puts them well ahead of AT&T, which is only just now beginning its LTE push, and T-Mobile, which rather than lay down 4G networks, has attempted to redefine its HSPA+ networks (by most accounts a bridge technology like EDGE) as 4G. Their news section is choked with individual region announcements.

Right now we’re still at the early-adopter phase, but the great wheels of Verizon are creaking into motion finally, and over the next year (they hope) LTE will change from foreign acronym to household tech jargon — that is to say like 4G, megapixels, and so on, used but not fully grokked. Meanwhile, consumers should be wary of signing up for ridiculous data plans that will almost certainly be revised a few months from now during the holiday push.

A few years ago I met a stockbroker who was telling me that someone should make a laptop with two screens so he could trade while on vacation. While I was slightly disturbed by his dedication to capitalism, I’m proud to say that his dream has been fulfilled.

We first talked about the gScreen Spacebook a few years ago and now the Alaskan company is actually going to start shipping their massive, two-inch-thick laptop to the masses. The screens are each 17 inches and the laptop is fairly standard with optical drive, three USB ports, and GeForce GTS 250M GPU. It starts at $2,400 for an Intel Core i5-560M although there’s some kind of 50% off pre-order price right now, bringing it down to $1,200.

If you need a dual screen like the aforementioned stockbroker, this may be your easiest choice. However, I’d recommend hiring a Sherpa to carry this around for you because this thing looks like a monster.

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via ThisIsMyNext

So for $1199, you lose the i5 and get an i3, lose 2 gigs of RAM for 2 total, lose 64GB of SSD for 64GB total, but other than that it’s more or less the same machine. I mean, those are significant changes, but you still get the sexy form factor, and all the same ports and such. The battery is a bit smaller, too, but you’ll probably end up with equal or better uptime due to the smaller screen and less intense CPU.

Check out the two Series 9s here. But I’d hold off until Apple makes its big MacBook Air announcement — you never know.

P.S. I notice that the big one is X3A and the small one is X1A. Where’s the X2A?

Richard Nagy, creator of the Datamancer steampunk laptop, is offering his creations for pre-order for $5,500 and they will include cutting edge components and actually working accouterment including spinning gears and a real brass key that will lock the case against blaggards and thieves.

It’s PC only right now but Nagy explains:

For the sake of standardization and in consideration for the extremely proprietary nature of Mac’s hardware and software, I will probably only make a PC hardware version at first, but if you have your heart set on Mac, there are many simple ways to install the Mac OS on a PC laptop with almost no noticeable differences in function.

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Intel is using the yearly Computex Taipei exhibition in Taiwan as a platform to pitch a new category of laptops. Dubbed Ultrabooks, these devices are supposed to have three distinct features: they are thinner (less than 20mm/0.8 inches) and lighter than most existing laptops, and they should be priced below $1,000 in order to become mainstream.

Intel VP Sean Maloney says Ultrabooks have “tablet-like features” and boast “best-in-class performance, improved responsiveness and security in thin, elegant form factors”.

This all sounds a lot like the iPad and the MacBook Air, if you ask me.

But Intel doesn’t want to lose time: after rolling out a first wave of Ultrabooks with Sandy Bridge processors on board, the plan is to sell models with next-generation “Ivy Bridge” processors starting in the first half of next year. Intel is also speaking of an Ivy Bridge successor codenamed “Haswell” to be used in Ultrabooks from 2013 onward, claiming Haswell “will reduce microprocessor power to half of today’s design point”.

By the end of 2012, Maloney expects a whopping 40% of all consumer laptops worldwide to comply with the Ultrabook specification. The first Ultrabook, the Asus UX21 (pictured above), is currently slated for release this winter.

I present to you Acer’s latest salvo against the coming of the post-PC era – the Acer Aspire One Happy 2. These things have a 10.1-inch display and run an Atom N570 processor with an Intel 3150 GPU and come in delicious candy colors (Banana Cream, Blueberry Shake, Papaya Milk, and Strawberry Yogurt) with mice to match. The will cost 299 euro in Europe and probably $300 when they hit here.

While I wanted to say something mean and silly about these “Happy” laptops, there’s something in the charming pastels and slim styling that makes me muse on the girls of yesteryear, golden-haired and lush, their laughter ringing out over a Polish courtyard while I sat, alone and lonely, playing a knock-off Russian Game and Watch and reading Catcher In The Rye while my parents drank in the yard. These colors are the colors of lost childhood summers.

via NotebookItalia

Sean got some snaps of the guy and his browsing habits and asked that some of his Twitter followers visit the bar to wait for the police. When the police refused to come because Powers had not filed a report the Twooters took the matter into their own hands. Again, to be clear, the man who bought it probably just paid the thief for the laptop in what we can only assume is good faith.

In the end, one of Sean’s Twootfriends, Nick Reese went and grabbed it, resulting in smiles all around. No charges were filed because the Internet doled out the vigilante justice – Internet style. Read the whole wild Twitter-story here and seriously, thieves, don’t steal laptops anymore.

Where does this sort of stuff put us now? Sean got his laptop back and the “new owner” gave it up without a fight. We’re at a point where it’s easy to find lost electronics online and we have enough friends (read “a mob”) to go and get the stuff for us. The problem I expect to see is when the folks who stole the items aren’t right in the head and the first person gets hurt after a struggle. It’s a dangerous – but satisfying – game.

Also, please install Prey on your laptop. It works, it’s great, and it’s free.

The new 14″ P430 and 15.6″ P530 models focus on being thin and sexy, though I have to say they only half succeed. The body portion of those laptops is looking a bit chunky, though you can’t fault the design from other angles — partly because they’ve cribbed the face design directly from Apple. I know, pretty much everybody does in the laptop world these days, but still.

That bezel really is something, though. They say it’s 40% narrower, essentially letting them put a 14-inch screen on a case designed for a 13.3-inch one. Doesn’t sound like a lot, I know, but in practice, these little usability tweaks make a lot of difference.

These thin guys are more “real” laptops than, say, the MacBook Air, though: they’ve got Core i7s inside, a nice GT520M graphics card, and presumably room for a full-sized hard drive in there. The P430 will be launching everywhere in the world except for the US in May, and the P530 in June.

That was quick: on Tuesday, Fujitsu unveiled the world’s smallest and thinnest palm vein sensor used for authentication purposes (which is sized at just 29mm on a side and 11.2mm high). And now the company announced [JP] the LIFEBOOK E741/C, a notebook that will come with said sensor on board (as an option).

Spec-wise, buyers can expect:

• 15.6-inch LCD screen with 1,366×768 resolution
• Core i7-2620M (2.70GHz) CPU
• Intel QM67 Express
• 1GB RAM
• 160GB HDD
• Windows 7 Professional (32bit)

In Japan, Fujitsu plans to roll out the LIFEBOOK E741/C in the middle of next month (price: $2,930/with the sensor).

It took them a while, but PC makers are finally building notebooks with integrated pico projectors: that’s the main bullet point the LIFEBOOK S761/C that Fujitsu announced [JP] for the Japanese market has to offer. The projector replaces the space an optical drive would occupy in the notebook.

The device features a 13.3-inch LCD with 1,366×768 resolution, an Intel Core i5-2520M CPU (2.50GHz), 1GB RAM, a 160GB HDD, and Windows 7 Professional(32bit) as the OS. Fujitsu says the projector produces images in 800×600 resolution.

The company plans to start selling the notebook in Japan next month ($2,690). A version with a 12.1-inch screen and almost identical specs (but 1,280×800 resolution) will cost $3,120 (LIFEBOOK P771/C, see above).

Via Akihabara News

Their new Tecra and Portege laptops feature a new “ultraportable” design with some rugged build features that will keep your powered up and working through multiple flights (the smallest laptop has a 10 hour battery life) and they are attractive enough to warrant a second look.

The laptops have been redesigned from the ground up to be lighter, stronger, and cooler looking and, although you probably won’t want to buy one for yourself, you wouldn’t kick it out of your laptop bag if the IT team dropped it on your desk one day.

Laptop Magazine has their 5 Best Sub-$500 Notebooks post out right now, including the HP Pavilion dm1z. Laptop Mag is known for pretty good laptop reviews and their post is short and straight to the point. Sort of like this one.

A new technology that we’ve been hearing about for a few year finally is getting unveiled today at CeBIT in Germany. Tobii Technology has partnered up with Lenovo to create a laptop with integrated eye tracking control. It is said that it will add to the functionality of a keyboard and mouse, rather than killing them.

The technology will track user’s eye movements in efforts to make suggestions based on where the user looks. For example, when looking at the bottom of the screen, the task bar could appear; also, if it notices that you stumble around a word, it may bring up a definition. These are just a few of the potential capabilities.

Finally, the technologies can be used in gaming where the characters can interact with eye movements — imagine first person shooters now. Right, now we aren’t too sure how well the technology works, but as soon as we get a glimpse of what they show at CeBIT, we will let you know.