Have you been waiting for a new MacBook Air? If so you may be in for a treat this fall as it appears that Apple is readying a MacBook Pro refresh for later this year. DigiTimes reports that Apple is preparing a new MacBook Air with an 11.6″ screen and a new Intel Core i series ULV or Ultra-Low Voltage processor.

“Kuo, citing discussions with upstream component makers, noted that the 11.6-inch MacBook Air will feature an even slimmer and lighter design than the previous-generation models and the technologies used for the design and concept are expected to be broadly used in the company’s other product lines to boost their competitiveness.” – DigiTimes

If this rumor is true it would be a change from the current 13.3″ Macbook Air which is powered by an older Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Given the increase in notebooks and netbooks arriving on the market in the 11.6″ range this could be a an actual product, but unless Gizmodo finds one in a bar, we likely won’t know more until Apple makes a formal announcement.

Given the length of time, 402 days, since the last MacBook Air update it makes sense that a new MacBook Air could arrive later this year using new technology.

The rumor was also accompanied by more details on the rumored iPod Touch update that may come later this year; stating that the iPod Touch will have a 3 MP camera and use Apple’s latest A4 processor.

Also making the rounds in the Apple rumor category is the  rumor that Apple will release a smaller iPad with an OLED screen, though there is reason to doubt a smaller OLED iPad anytime soon.

Via NetBookNews.de (German)

11.6″ MacBook Air Coming in 2010 and Other Apple Rumors is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

For the most part notebooks have the same form. They are rectangular with a flat bottom and a flat top; sure they taper a bit here and there but they are decidedly flat. That’s something that Arc Computer is looking to change with the curved notebook concept they recently showed off.

The curved notebook concept takes the entire notebook and adds a curve, much like if you heated up your notebook and bent it on the edge of your desk. The curved body makes use of a curved OLED display that is  supposedly easier on your eyes and provides an IMAX-like screen experience.

The keyboard might attract ergonomic addicted typers who will likely be familiar with the curved split keyboard style that is found on most Microsoft Comfort Curve keyboards. In the middle of the split keyboard rests a multi-touch trackpad.

Currently the Curved notebook, called Nalu, is only a concept and the demo shown below is a non functioning unit.

Typing on the Nalu’s ergonomic curved keyboard:

Via Liliputing and NetbookNews

Curved Notebook Concept Adds Ergonomic Keyboard and IMAX-like Screen(Video) is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

AT CES Samsung showed off some cool transparent, as in see through, technology including a 14″ transparent display notebook and a transparent display MP3 Player. The mp3 player seemed like an easy reality but a 14″ transparent screen seemed a little more like science fiction than real life; but, according to Brad Linder at Liliputing, the Samsung transparent display notebook might ship this year.

Image via Engadget

I have to agree with Brad that the transparent display is cool, but would work better in other applications, he mentions GPS displayed on a windshield or movies shown on windows as one use but I have a better idea.

Like the Samsung transparent Mp3 player allows you to control the device without blocking your view of the small screen a transparent touchscreen would be a cool, and useful, addition to a slate device like the iPad. If the backside had touch technology you could access on screen controls without the need to block your view of the screen and thus your game.

Here’s a hands on of the Samsung OLED transparent notebook from Brad Linder at CES 2010:

Samsung’s Transparent Display Notebook May Ship in 2010 is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

If you thought a two screen laptop was impressive then the Intel prototype laptop with 4 screens code named Tangent Bay is poised to blow you away. Instead of sliding, folding or otherwise adding to the width of your laptop the prototype integrates 3 OLED Touch Screens above the keyboard which can be used to control the computer and display media.

The Crave blog lives up to its name making me crave this concept laptop already. In the demo given by Intel the extra displays can be seen shuffling through music and editing a playlist on the screens. An additional video shows the lower screens used to control on screen video and flip it between screens.  Crave also noted that you can, “also contract, zoom, scroll, and pan content from one screen to another.”

Visit Crave for additional images and videos

Unlike the other multi display laptops that are out or coming soon, and are aimed at professionals who need two screens, this concept appears to have a more widespread appeal; letting users do more with their media. This focus on media and the ease of sharing items between screens could prove to make this concept a much sought after model.

The left-most OLED screen looks like it contains shortcuts to often used programs and other handy links. The implementation reminds me of the Optimus Keyboard which is cool but also expensive and more limited than a notebook with 3 touch screens.

So what do you think? Are the 3 extra screens useful or is it just another gimmick?

Update: Here’s a video of the Intel prototype that Xavier shot at Demo from IDF 2009:

Intel Demos 4 Screen Laptop Prototype is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.