ASUS is not waiting around for the world to rise from its somnolent Christmas state before diving into the wonders of 2014. Oh no. Already the technology giant is posting out pictures and invites to the tech media and teasing them with the Incredible concept for CES 2014.

The invitation whispers, teasingly, that the ASUS press conference, scheduled for 06 January 2014 in Las Vegas, will reveal their very latest in innovations and design. They are talking of the search for Incredible and how their reveal has been designed for every aspect of the modern digital lifestyle.

This press event is scheduled the day before CES 2014 kicks into high gear on January 07 2014 and it seems that ASUS is keen to ensure that they have all those journalists ready and waiting at their front door. It’s going to be really interesting to see what ASUS has in store for us next year, especially if they are holding their press conference before the great, big show even opens its door.

Will this herald the arrival of another Transformer, possibly one that can open doors and activate the coffee machine? Or will this see us uncover an entirely new device that nobody has conceived of and now suddenly really needs? Certainly the Padfone (now in mini format) was one such device to fit into the latter mould and was met with critical concern. Today it is an extremely popular part of the ASUS product line-up and one that has set new paths into consumer technology.

What is sure, is that ASUS has repeatedly surprised with their solutions and it is unlikely that this trend will stop anytime soon. See you closer to CES!

It’s funny, the moment you tack the word ‘mini’ onto the end of a device name it shifts from being useful and geeky to awesome and funky. The ASUS Padfone Mini is no exception and the way it looks means it has the potential to give the market more than a little bit of a shake. You can see the full video below, but here are some of the highlights.

The ASUS Padfone Mini is compact and portable with the smartphone slipping neatly into the rear of the device that is now a mere 7inch tablet. The tablet dock plays host to the stunning 4.3inch phone which slots perfectly into the back and allows a single data usage plan across both gadgets. As with their innovative Transformer range, the charging capabilities are cleverly built into the dock and the phone so you can keep the battery going as, well, you go.

The specs include a quad-core 1.4GHZ Snapdragon 400 central processing unit with 1GB of RAM and a microUSB slot that can add on to the already included 16GB of built-in storage space. There is an eight megapixel camera with ASUS PixelMaster technology for superb image quality and the ability to cope with poor light situations.

The operating system lurking behind the scenes is Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and you are pretty much guaranteed that it will be regularly updated as ASUS have always managed to be among the first to keep their OS up to date.

The large form factor of the ASUS Padfone was originally an issue for many as they felt it too bulky for the average user. It’s popularity took many by surprise and this latest incarnation looks set to impress as it is small enough to slip neatly into a back pocket or handbag without mess or fuss.

The ASUS Padfone Mini is a neat, portable and very sexy device that may well see a huge sales run over Christmas.

When it comes to beautiful pieces of kit, ASUS tends to be something of a gem. They really do understand what the gamer wants and why they want it to at least look as good as its performance. Their latest graphics card – the ASUS Radeon R9 290X DirectCU II – comes with two cooling fans, four nickel-plated heat pipes and  bunch of teaser images.

The card has ASUS GPU Tweak with instant tuning tools to optimise performance, but if you are an ASUS card user, then you already know that. You get support, obviously, for DirectX 11,2 and the new Mantle application programming interface from AMD. Basically, this card is capable of taking on quite a lot of gaming whack and making it beautiful.

Want some more specifications?

There is PCI Express 3.0, OpenGL 4.3, 4096MB DDR5 memory, 1000Mhz core speed, 2816 stream processors, 5000MHz memory clock, DVI-/DVI-D output, HDMI output and a free full game in the box of the ASUS Radeon R9 290X-G-4GD5 DirectCU II. Now, how is that for a Christmas present this year?

The ASUS Radeon R9 290X-4GD5 DirectCU II graphics card has a slightly different specification set that has the same PCI Express, same OpenGL and GDDR5 memory and core speed, but there is no sign of the free game. So yeah, I’d get the first one personally.

You get AMD TrueAudio technology and a dedicated digital signal processor built into the GPU along with unbelievable potential to customise this card to suit your needs.

The Orion for consoles headset designed and devised by ASUS has slipped into a market that sorely needs that little something extra when gaming on the old block and squares. Yes, I think that consoles could do a bit more towards pretty, just like the PC. Moving on…

This is a cross-platform gaming headset that is compatible with the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Mac computers as well as the PC. It cuts out environmental noise with its aptly named Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC) technology down to a level of 90% of external noise disturbances for clear-in game voice responses and listening. It makes a big difference to the experience.

The amplifier is integrated into the headphone to deliver a punchy bass as well as crisp high notes, making the gaming experience one to really appreciate. You will also find true to life game audio detail thanks to the 50mm neodymium magnet drives and total comfort within the folds of the gorgeous 100mm over-ear cushions.

When you game for a long time your headset really has to be comfy, and the Orion for Consoles is designed to be just that. The huge side pads go a long way towards cushioning your jugs while also helping to cut out residual external noise. The headphones work straight from the box, no drivers are necessary, and the controller offers complete handling over ENC noise detection, game audio volume, headphone AMP and input selection. The noise isolation is effective to 30dB which is impressive, and awesome for those tricky fights.

The Orion for Console gaming headset also comes with a retractable microphone with inline volume controls. It’s a beauty and may just be what that special gamer would like to see slipped under their Christmas tree this month…

Choosing a new laptop is no easy task. There are so many different brands, styles, designs and feature sets that most people tend to feel a bit overwhelmed and just take the first thing they find in the price point that suits. Fortunately, there are sites like PC Mag that offer readers superb insight into the various models on offer, why they are so good, what makes them stand out, and what they are best designed for, and the ASUS VivoBook has snuck into this definitive list.

In their Top Ten Best Laptops roundup earlier this month, PC Mag listed the ASUS VivoBook V551LB-DB71T as one of the best in brand as a desktop replacement. It comes with the Intel Core i7 processor, 1.8GHZ processor speed, 8GB RAM, weighs in at 5.3 pounds and has a 15.6 inch screen size. Really not shabby when you consider what you are getting at this price point.

The ASUS VivoBook has a touchscreen, ideal for working with Windows 8.1 effectively, and an Nvidia GeForce GT 740M graphics card for optimum screen quality while working with multimedia. You can click through here to read the complete review of the ASUS VivoBook V551LB-DB71T and to find out more about its features and capabilities.

ASUS has launched their Christmas competition for 2013 and it is a doozy. You can win a new ASUS Transformer Pad every week and all you need to do is send someone an e-card using their website. The competition is running from 08 November 2013 to 03 January 2014, so you still have plenty of time to get entering.

The new ASUS Transformer Pad is powered by an Nvidia Tegra 4 processor with a quad-core ARM Cortex-A15 CPU with super levels of performance and battery life. It can handle gaming and other multimedia without a care in the processing world and it has a superb viewing angle of 178 degrees on the 2560x1600 IPS panel.

Images are crisp and beautiful as you enjoy them on the screen and the new ASUS Transformer comes with the ubiquitous keyboard dock that adds on an extra battery life to the device taking it up to a total of 17 hours of battery life per day, if you are working off a full charge. That is pretty impressive, all things considered.

To stand a chance of winning one of these devices you need to scroll on down to the bottom of the page and fill in your details on the postcard form below. Then you need only check in once a week to see if you are the lucky human who has won!

You can see the rankings of the winners at the very bottom of the page with the draws for December taking place on 06, 13, 20 and 27 December 2013. Good luck!

ASUS has a knack for, every now and then, creating a simply awesome advert that taps into the vibe of the device they are advertising perfectly. The latest ASUS Fonepad advert does just that, and if you are not giggling or grinning by the end of the first minute I will eat my Mini-ITX motherboard…

The advert shows off all the cool capabilities of the ASUS Fonepad, a device that has cleverly blended the smartphone and the tablet to create an effortlessly chic solution for the modern user. The interface is crisp and clear with plenty of features, making it an ideal choice for staying connected with friends, family and colleagues.

The device blends the best of both worlds and you can find out more about every little feature of all the different models on this link to the official page here.

So what does all this have to do with Mahjong? Well, you’ll have to watch through to time 1;07 to find out, but I can assure you that it is most definitely worth it…

The video shows off how easy it is to collaborate, share, shoot and call using the ASUS Fonepad and it is the perfect size for you to enjoy interacting with the device as a tablet as much as to take calls. I particularly enjoyed the scene with the bomb technician, and the one with the domino geeks. Pure genius.

ASUS has always worked towards creating cards and solutions that meet the needs of the gamer head on and they are not missing a trick with the upcoming release of the Poseidon card. These images have been shown on the web to all who are keen to drool over their potential and reveal a card that has two fans for cooling demands and plenty of cool features to make it a special purchase for the gamer.

The Poseidon is likely to be more for the high-end gaming market, for those who really want control over what their various bits of kit can, or cannot, do. In addition to superior cooling features built into the design of the card, there is a pulsating red light and plenty of power.

This new DirectCU H20 card has a hybrird cooler with an integrated water block and a hefty heatsink that is connected to the main block with heatpipes. In addition it has the ASUS DIGI+ VRM with 10-phase design and 10k black capacitors as well as the GPU Tweak feature that gives the user more control over GPU clock and voltage.

It will be officially launching just in time for Christmas so pop this watery gem onto your Christmas list and wait to see what appears under your tree in 24 days time…

Tom’s Hardware has recently done a roundup of Mini-ITX motherboards to help you, the lovely PC builder and lover, create the perfect piece of kit. They took on a range of these form factor boards to determine who had the best mini-ITX based motherboard with the best value and feature set.

The feature goes into substantial detail about the boards on offer and why they selected them to be a part of this test. They examine features such as memory and feature set alongside cost. The ASUS Z871-Deluxe received the Tom’s Hardware Elite award as it had a superior feature set alongside the cost promise

The ASUS Z871-Deluxe was crowned best in category for 2013 and, with a brand like Tom’s Hardware behind this decision, should be on your shopping list if you happen to be planning on building a new rig in this form factor in 2014…

You can find out more about this board and everything it has to offer the mini-ITX world on the official ASUS site.

The range of Windows 8-powered laptops has grown dramatically since the latest operating system from Microsoft was launched over a year ago. Today you can find a pretty impressive reservoir of devices that are designed to work as efficiently as possible with the OS. One of these happens to be the very light, powerful and robust ASUS X102BA that is a win for the user who travels a lot, but needs that extra power and the ability to cope with higher processing demands.

The AMD Temash processor is safely ensconced within the 10.1 inch frame and offers the right levels of power for high demand while still keeping performance speedy. The battery life is also an impressive five hours, well, up to five hours, and the entire device weighs in at 1.1kgs.

Sound is delivered by the SonicMaster audio system which was designed to remove the traditional tinny horror of speakers traditionally associated with laptops by ensuring high quality sound  with rich bass and undertones. It does make a difference when you are watching movies or presentations or listening to music as you travel.

Other features boasted by the ASUS X102BA include Instant On, a 10.1 inch screen at 1366x768 resolution, touchscreen capability with a 320GB hard drive and 2GB of RAM. Graphics are supplied by the HD Radeon 8180G graphics card and it is all ensconced in a case that glows a radiant white or a moody black, or even a flashy blue or pink.

If you really don’t know what to buy that little business person in your life and have nothing stored under the Christmas tree yet, then here you go, a Christmas laptop just for you. It’s ultra-portable and ultra-powerful and some other things with the word “ultra” in the title.