Think of this new UMPC as an electronic tool belt: Need a calculator or mobile phone or GPS device? Just pluck it off the shelf and take it away with you. The shelf in this case is the UMPC itself, the Nanobook from FIC. The super-lightweight computer has a 7-inch screen and other common UMPC features. Its uncommon hook, though, is the detachable module capability. Plop that extra mobile electronic device in the special slot, take it along, and it’ll be there when you need it, in a souped-up briefcase sort of way.

The Nanobook is just a prototype at the moment. The full version will be available for all of us near the end of the year, with an expected price tag of US$700.