We all know that any netbook’s, or any laptop for that matter, success depends heavily on how many hours of usage the can provide us. The Eee PC netbook series for one have been time and again trying to upgrade their battery power to provide as much usage time as possible. Last we heard, some Eee PC’s have around 4-5 hours of good usage with the 6-cell batteries.

But the standard battery that Asus supplies their EeePC are not are only options. In fact that’s the beauty of the Eee PC netbooks - they give us the freedom to modify as much hardware as possible with our units. For Eee PC  users, an 8-cell battery is currently available at eBay. This 8-cell battery can provide 8 solid hours of use and it costs $88 plus shipping cost of around $14.99 at eBay.

The said 8-cell battery was said to be compatible with the following Eee PC models:

• Asus EeePC 901 Series
• EeePC 901 12G
• EeePC 901 20G
• EeePC 901-W001
• EeePC 901-BK002X
• EeePC 901-W001
• EeePC 901-W003X
• EeePC 901-BK002XAsus EeePC 1000 Series
• EeePC 1000
• EeePC 1000-BK003
• Asus EeePC 1000H Series
• EeePC 1000H
• EeePC 1000H 20GB
• EeePC 1000H 80GB

But of course as this is a third-party Eee PC accessory, care and caution must be observed when dealing with these kind of products.

Via [Liliputing]

We all know that despite the fact that the newer models of the Eee PCs have already improved on their battery power with the use of the 6-cell battery, still 5-6 hours max of battery would not be enough for some heavy users. So Asustek is determined to improve on the Eee PCs battery life some more by introducing some new features that will give the Eee PCs “whole day” battery life and internet storage.

Likewise Asus is also looking into introducing both software and hard upgrades on a monthly basis to fill the gaps in the netbook market. This is in anticipation of the growing demand for the Eee PCs especially in the Western European countries.

Asustek will also continue working with Pegatron Technology and is said to be most satisfied with the company being the Eee PCs OEM.

No further information were provided though as reported by Digitimes regarding the new features that Asus is planning to introduce in the coming days. But we expect to hear more from these later on.

As if the barrage of Eee PC models were not enough, Asus may soon be launching another set of products made specifically for its Eee PC product line. Although these are nothing but rumors yet in lieu of an official announcement from Asus, they are definitely worth a second look nonetheless.

So, we might be looking at future accessories of the Eee PC products which include the following: a hard drive, optical drive and a 3G card.

If the expanding storage capacities of the new Eee PC models are not enough for your needs, this new Eee Hard Drive may suit your needs. It looks like your typical Western Digital My Passport products. It might come in package with low storage capacity Eee PCs.

The next product which is an optical drive seems rather unnecessary unless of course if Asus got some other plans for it.  The last product - the 3G card may seem to be the most useful ones especially since it’s a much sought after feature for an ultraportable PC such as the Eee PC. This would make the Eee PCs more and more like mobile phone devices now.

Via [Eee PC News]

Belkin’s got several new laptop cases and retractable USB mice which would surely fit out Eee PCs. Unfortunately though, the laptop cases could only fit the Eee PC 701. So, if you still have your Eee PC 701 and have no plans of selling them, you might as well get your beloved netbook, a spanking new case from Belkin.

The laptop cases are available in four rich, jewel tones: jetset red, plum berry, techno blue, and black. One of the laptop cases in quilted design made of polyester material while the others are made of neoprene materials. Price starts from $12.99 - $24.99.

Our travel mice on the other hand are USB rectractable models which are small enough to match the size of the Eee PCs, be it the 701, 900 or 1000 series. The travel mice feature an ON and OFF switch to save on power when not in used. Price ranges from $14.99 to $199.99

If the built-in speaker of your Eee PC is not enough to get into the groove and you want probably something louder, the new Asus SP-BT23 bluetooth speaker might actually work for you. This speaker was also launched during the Computex, although it didn’t receive to much hype.

The Asus SP-BT23 embodies the Eee PC’s dictum Easy to Carry, Easy to Share plus Excellent Audio Quality. It measure only 170(W) x 123.5(H) x 54(D) mm and weighs only 400g. So, you can pretty much carry it around together with your Eee PC.

And since it is Bluetooth compatible, you can connect most Bluetooth enabled devices aside from the Eee PC 901 and the Eee PC 1000 series.

Here are the specifications of the Asus “EeeSpeakers”

• Bluetooth V1.2 Class2
• Advanced Audio Distributed Profile (A2DP)
• AC: 100 ~ 240V (50~60Hz); DC: 5V, 1200mA; or 4xAA batteries
• Max Power Output- 4W (2Wx2)
• RMS Power Output (T.H.D.=10%) -1.6±0.3W
• S/N Ratio-70dB
• Driver Units-1″, 4Ω 2W
• Frequency Response-150Hz ~ 20KHz
• Average Sound Pressure Level-77dB
• Resonant Frequency-Fo=280Hz
• Product Dimensions=170(W) x120(H) x 54(D)mm
• Weights-400g

In a move to appease angry UK customers who purchased the Eee PC 900 with the 4400 mAh battery, Asustek UK is offering them to have their batteries replaced by a better 5800 model. For awhile, this may seem a good deal but like any other deals, this one doesn’t come without a bargain. To have their batteries replaced, UK buyers need to pay around $19 and they would have to return their old batteries.

Fair deal? Well, some UK buyers probably don’t think so, as some are questioning the need to return the old batteries instead of keeping them. Asustek UK even said that if users want to keep the 4400 batteries, they might as well pay for the full price of the 5800 battery. Hmm, what a way to treat customers eh?

Relatedyly, Asustek is also releasing a new firmware update for the Eee PC 900 that promises to extend its battery life to another 30 mins.

Via [PC Pro]

Trusted Reviews has confirmed that UK consumers are getting the low-performing 4800mAh in their Eee PC 900, instead of the better 5200mAH which US consumers got from their Eec PC units. TR also reported that an Asustek spokeswoman said that:

“Asus offers different solutions in different markets. In EU countries, we use 4400mAh [with the] Eee 900. However, we give a two-year warranty within the country you bought the Eee 900.”

Sounds like a fair deal, right? Wait, actually it is not. TR and its readers (via comments) said that by UK standards all eletronic products and accessories shall come with the 2-year warranty period. So, Asustek should not use it as a defense against consumers asking why they will be getting a different product accesory as some other countries.

Actually, when I spoke to an Asustek representative during the launch of the Eee PC 900 in Manila, he said that they are also releasing the Eee PC 900 with the 4400mAH battery.

This would definitely annoy UK consumers. Hopefully, Asustek could come up with a better reason other than what was said by the spokeswoman asked by TR.

Would UK consumers drive too much force to make Asustek replace the 4400mAH battery as what they did with Hong Kong buyers? That we will have to see as more UK consumers get disappointed with what battery they will get with their Eee PC 900.

Following reports of an exploding Eee PC units in China due to the use of third-party batteries, Asustek has warned Eee PC users that explosions such as this will not be covered by the Eee PC’s international warranty. Digitimes reports that some Chinese manufacturers have started making batteries for the Eee PCs which offer longer hours of usage reaching up to 5.5 hours and has longer capacities of up to 10,400mAh. These batteries were being sold for around $71-86 in China.

The price would have been alright if not for some which overheated during charging which later on exploded and destroyed even the Eee PC units. Asustek refused to pay for the damage and reasoned out that it is not covered by the Eee PC’s warranty. The Chinese vendor also refuted the reports saying that their batteries are being used by many and the news was just part of a propaganda to hurt their sales.

But still, it is advisable to use official accesories to our Eee PC, and for other electronic devices for that matter, for  safety and reliability purposes, right?

Via

Here’s a perfect companion to our Eee PC, be it the 7-inch or the 9-inch model, the Asus MyCinema-U3100Mini USB Digital Receiver.  It’s from Asus, so it is definitely compatible with the Eee PC. The Asus My Cinema-U3100Mini is USB TV Tuner that can provide high-quality DVBT TV signal reception without draining too much of your Eee PC’s battery when in used.

By simply plugging the USB TV Tuner into our Eee PC’s USB slot, it will instantly display TV channels without the need to manually launched any programs. It doesn’t need an external power adapter as well and it is highly compatible with the Windows XP platform, as well as Vista Home Premium, Vista Home Basic and Vista Ultimate. But of course it’s not that important since most of the Eee PC runs in Linux and XP anyways.

My Cinema-U3100Mini can receive and record MPEG2 and H.264 TV programs and it utilizes LEDs and ASUS’ TSSI technology that provides quick TV signal strength recognition, so we can easily find the best spot to watch our favorite TV programs.

Of course, what good is an Eee PC accessory if it’s not as portable as the Eee PC? Luckily, this USB TV Tuner sports a compact and trendy design that you wouldn’t mind bringing it along anywhere you go.

Now, here’s the best part is you can use the My Cinema-U3100Mini to watch your favorite DVDs and VCDs, your MP3 collection and edit and burn TV programs and videos onto DVDs or VCDs. It also boasts of nifty PVR functions including TV viewing, Timeshift and programmable TV recording.

Finally, the USB TV Tuner also supports widescreen display (16:9).

The My Cinema-U3100Mini USB Digital Receiver is now available in Taiwan. No word yet on an international release, although we are hoping that Asustek will release this worldwide. As this is a must have accessories for our Eee PC.

via [Far East Gizmos]

Asustek is currently assessing whether it would give 1st day buyers of the Eee PC 900 in Hong Kong a free battery upgrade after these buyers complained that they got the wrong battery model as published prior to the release of the Eee PC.

If you will remember it, during earlier press releases and write-ups, the Eee PC’s battery is supposed to be the 4-cell, 5800mAh. But Hong Kong buyers found a 4-cell, 4400mAh battery model in their Eee PC 900 instead.

Asustek explained that the battery used during pre-product launch was provided to the media incorrectly. The 4400mAh battery is the standard for all Eee PC models.

Asustek will announce later if it will upgrade the batteries of those who bought the Eee PC 900 during the first day of its release.

via Digitimes