Asus has announced the availability of the new U2 notebook series. The Taiwanese company has updated its popular U1 notebook configuration to match today's computing needs, while preserving the notebook's elegant and rich looks. The new U2 notebook combines a portable profile with a powerful Core Duo processor, a deadly combination to send the notebook into the spotlight at the upcoming CES in Las Vegas.

The U2 notebook features a hand-polished stainless steel frame, detailed with copper etches and premium leather. It was meant to be love at first sight, but it's under the hood that makes all the difference. The notebook is not only elegant, but powerful at the same time. The 11.1-inch widescreen display uses LEDs for backlighting and can deliver a 1,366 by 768-pixel resolution. The special panel is half the width of any traditional LCD panel, but it is 66 percent lighter.

The U2 notebook sports an Intel Core Duo ULV U7500 processor, wireless connectivity thanks to the Intel WiFi Link 4965AGN or Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection card, an an 80 to 120 GB hard drive (or an optional 32GB solid-state drive), as well as up to 4 GB of RAM. The notebook is powered by Windows Vista in any desired distribution, be it Home Basic or Ultimate.

In terms of interconnectivity, the U2 notebook features three USB 2.0 ports, VGA and micro-DVI outputs, and an onboard Ethernet RJ45 interconnect. The notebook comes with an integrated webcam that drops right into the notebook's LCD panel.

The webcam can also act like a security device and gives the notebook owner access to the system after a complete face scan. The webcam is controlled by Asustek's SmartLogon software. Additionally, each laptop can be customized with other biometric security devices, such as fingerprint readers. These devices read only the living layers of skin, so that common skin conditions won't interfere with the scanner.

Asustek has rigged the device with an embedded TPM hardware security device, that guards the device against hacking attacks, including sniffing encryption keys or passwords.