Sony's 17-inch VAIO AR with Blu-ray meets Penryn

Check it Blu-ray on-the-go fans. Sony just gave the Penryn bump to their VAIO AR series of media laptops. Sweet, powerful, 2.5GHz of cool running, long lasting, Core 2 Duo T9300 processing and 512MB of NVIDIA GeForce Go 8600M GT graphics now at the heart of this 17-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 resolution lappie. Your $3,300 pre-order should be greeted by a Jan 29th ship date if you're lucky.

Dell's XPS M1330 with Ubuntu pre-load in Germany, only

by Thomas Ricker, posted Jan 24th 2008 at 7:56AM

Whoa Dell, what's this? An exclusive, XPS M1330 in Germany sporting an Ubuntu 7.10 pre-load with full DVD and webcam support? Where's the Stateside love, yo?

Update: Dell tells us it's also available in the UK, France, and Spain. Headed to the US in "a week or so."

[Thanks, Roland K. and Andrew M.]

Asus rolls out Eee PC in Japan, Windows XP standard

It's taken a while, but it looks like folks in Japan can now finally get their hands on Asus's diminutive and eminently-hackable Eee PC, although not exactly the same models we have 'round these parts. Dubbed the Eee PC 4G-X, the Japan-centric laptop is apparently identical to the regular 4G model, with the notable exception that it now comes pre-loaded with Windows XP Home Edition as standard instead of the usual Linux OS. That, of course, takes up a hefty chunk of the 4GB of internal storage, so Asus has thoughtfully 4GB SDHC card with the laptop as well. Look for it to be available in your choice of black or white for ¥50,000 (or about $468), with free access to NTT's WiFine hotspot network thrown in for good measure.

Confirmed: MacBook Air SuperDrive does NOT work with other machines

One obvious and debated question on a lot of potential buyers' minds: okay, I'm dropping nearly two large on this here machine, but will the external optical drive even work with one of my other laptops and/or desktops? The answer: no. Regular USB simply doesn't support the power draw an optical drive needs, which was evidenced as plugged the SuperDrive into a stock MacBook Pro and it came up bupkis. It wouldn't even let us insert a disk without forcing it down the drive's maw. Of course, it worked just fine on the Air. Seriously though, how many machines do you have that need an external optical drive, anyway?

Dell and Microsoft get official with (PRODUCT) RED gear

We knew Dell and Microsoft would be giving some of their gear the Bono treatment this week, but the two companies and the AIDS-in-Africa relief project unveiled their partnership in style today at Davos. Just like we'd heard, the XPS m1530, m1330, and XPS One machines are all going crimson, as well as the 948 AIO printer. Microsoft's kicking in a special (PRODUCT) RED-themed edition of Vista Ultimate to keep things special on the OS tip, and obviously you'll feel better about things with donations of $50 - $80 of each machine's purchase price going to RED, and $5 on the printer (hey, those margins are low enough as it is). All the new stuff should be available by the end of the week in the States, and by January 31 in 30 additional countries -- or right now for your viewing pleasure in the gallery.

Adding insult to injury: USB 3G modems won't fit in the MacBook Air

Ouch, we just tested and confirmed that one of the smallest (and thus likeliest to fit) USB EV-DO modems around, the Sprint / Novatel U727, won't even come close to fitting in the cramped, foldaway USB port on the MacBook Air. Most flash drives will probably be okay, but it looks like 3G users might need powered USB hubs or a USB extension cable to get online where WiFi isn't available (read: most places). Of course, your mileage may vary -- we recommend testing your modem of choice on a live machine in an Apple store before dropping any coin.

Don't hold your breath for OLED key alternative: United Keys guy has a history

It all looks innocent and feasible on the surface, but behind the scenes we have no idea how realistic this gaming keyboard from United Keys is ever going to get. Sure, word of a manufacturing deal with FoxConn is good news, but it turns out a key employee has a bit of a history with false product launches. The man is Valdi Ivancic, of Medison fame -- that $150 laptop that never was.