ASUS today launched the world´s first VGA and multimedia docking station – the ASUS ROG (Republic of Gamer) XG Station. With extremely detailed and impeccable design, the XG Station has attained the honorific of being conferred with the red dot design award honourable mention 2008.

The XG Station is also bundled with the EN8600GT/HTDP/256M graphics card, and equipped with an Express Card interface – seamlessly integrating notebook computing with powerful PC graphical power. It also incorporates 4 USB 2.0 ports and Dolby Technology – doubling as a USB hub that delivers true AV enjoyment.

Bigbeam Korea has released the Ken I mp3 player. The player retails for under $100 in Korea. The gadget boasts a 3-inch wide LCD display and supports MP3, FLAC and APE. Other features included photo/image viewer and voice recorder. The 4GB model is priced at 79,000 Korean Won while the 8GB model retails for 99,000 Korean Won

Maxian is releasing a PMP with a built-in dictionary and storage of 60GB. The E900 also features a WinCE 5.0 operating system, a 4.3″ WVGA display, support for AVI, MPG, WMV, ASF, DAT, VOB, MP4(M4V), TS, MKV, OGG, MPEG-1/2, DivX, XviD, H.264, and AC3 and DTS video formats, support for MP2, MP3, MP4, WAV, WMA, OGG, ACE, AAC, FLAC, APE, MKA, TTA audio formats, can record directly in ASF format, has USB connectivity and a SD/MMC memory card slot.

No word on pricing or availability as the moment

Sony today annpunced the Madden NFL 09 PSP Entertainment Pack. The special-run version of the handheld console gives the PSP a metallic blue tint and ships the system with enough to get the user started on the game: in addition to the new Madden sequel, the Sony bundle comes with a 1GB Memory Stick to save games and an UMD video disc of the NFL’s In One Play. A coupon also comes in the box good for a download of the game Beats that can be sideloaded to the PSP from a host PC.

The Madden pack will ship on August 12th in sync with the stand-alone game launch and will be priced at $199; Sony estimates that the games and memory themselves would boost the price of a normal system to $260. Sony hasn’t said how long it expects the bundle to last but notes that it’s a limited edition that will eventually run dry.

The D5 Dicple will translate back and forth between Korean and English, as well as Korean to Japanese and Chinese. It also features a 3-inch, 480×272 resolution screen. Typing in text is accomplished via a 52-key QWERTY keyboard. Other talents of the D5 e-dictionaries include the ability to play back MPEG-4 SP and AVI videos, or MP3, WMA and OGG audio files. Photo and text viewers are also part of the package. A built-in FM radio and recording capabilities for both it and voice are more audio functions. While a speaker is evidently integrated, it’s not clear whether or not the dictionary function will read words out loud to help with their pronunciation.

The D5 is offered with two flash memory capacities; 2GB and 4GB, with dictionary data taking up 640MB in either model. iRiver includes earphones, a carrying pouch and USB 2.0 cable with each D5.

The device is available on iRiver’s site now in either black and white, and sells for $300 for the 2GB version and $350 for the 4GB D5.

The good: Streams Netflix Watch Now titles to your TV; affordable $100 price tag; unlimited viewing with no additional charge beyond standard ($8.95 or higher) monthly Netflix fee; PC-free movie watching; simple setup; includes built-in wired and 802.11g Wi-Fi networking; works with all TVs; upgradeable firmware allows for new features, interface improvements, and bug fixes.

The bad: While growing, the number of Watch Now titles currently available for streaming is still pretty paltry, especially when it comes to popular recent releases; video quality doesn’t come close to DVD or HD; far too many titles don’t appear in their original wide-screen version; no surround sound; can’t manipulate queue via TV screen; yet another box under the TV.

The bottom line: While it’s still a work in progress–and currently lean on quality content–the Netflix Player’s simple operation, overall convenience, and cheap price makes it a compelling option for Netflix subscribers looking for instant gratification.