Acer is to embed 3G mobile-phone technology into its future notebook PC products, kicking off with a pair of Centrino Duo-based machines, the company said this week.

The TravelMate 4260 and Aspire 5650 will both incorporate UMTS 3G and tri-band GSM/GPRS 2.5G radios to allow their users to connect to the internet across cellular networks without the need to connect the computer to a mobile phone.

Acer said the 3G radio would be updated to support higher-speed downloads using HSDPA (High Speed Data Packet Access) technology when it is offered by the mobile phone networks.

The notebooks are based on Intel's Core Duo processors, 945PM chipsets and ProWireless 3945ABG Wi-Fi adaptors. Acer didn't provide further specification details, or indicate when the machines will ship, or how much it will charge for them. ®

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