In what could become a growing trend among colleges, the University of Virginia will no longer run any campus computer labs. The University came to the decision based in part on only four freshmen out of 3,117 enrolled in 2007 showing up without a PC of their own, most of which were laptops, according to data from the school's Information Technology & Communication department.

That wasn't the case just a short decade ago, when 74 percent of incoming freshman owned a PC, only 16 percent of which were laptops. With 99.9 percent of today's incoming freshman owning a PC, the University of Virginia feels it's the right time to shut down its labs, even though usage remains high. School vice president James Hilton said it costs about $300,000 per year to run the campus computer labs, although the amount it will save will depend on what it costs to provide alternative access to community printers, specialized software, and othe services.

Have school computer labs become obsolete? Hit the jump and post your thoughts.

In an interview with TechRadar, Asus CEO Jerry Shen said his company plans to commercially launch its current fold/unfold notebook concept around September or October of this year, with mass production to begin in the second half of 2009.

"In 2007 when Apple launched the MacBook Air, it created a lot of media attention," Shen said during the interview. "So this year Asus plans to launch the Fold/Unfold, not following with tradition, to create a similar momentum."

Collaboratively developed by groups of designers from France, Italy, and Korea, the folding notebook concept folds in a way that adjusts the keyboard when the screen is lifted, taking it from a resting flat position to a raised, angled position. In addition to offering space saving ergonomics, the raised keyboard could potentially lead to better airflow for the internal components.

Shen made mention of Apple's MacBook Air more than once during the interview, and it's clear the folding notebook will look to compete with it as a more affordable and economical PC version.

According to Shen, the new notebook will be priced somewhere between $1,000 and $1,500.

Boston Power says the battery cells in its Enviro-branded notebook batteries can "deliver sustainable performance for three years -- three times longer than most other notebook computer batteries," a claim HP notebook owners can start putting to the test. That's because Boston Power has partnered with the OEM to offer its batteries as accessories for 18 existing HP notebook models.

"HP delivers customers innovative products that respect our planet," said Jonathan Kaye, director of consumer notebooks marketing at HP. "The Enviro Series program gives PC users longer lasting batteries that improve their computing experience while reducing the number of batteries that need to be recycled. That's a win for everyone."

HP feels confident enough in Boston Power's Sonata technology that it's offering an unprecedented three year warranty on the batteries, something that hasn't been done by any other notebook manufacturer we're aware of.

The new batteries are available now from www.hpshopping.com for $150, and will later be added as a point-of-sale option when buying an HP notebook.

Compatible models include the HP Pavilion dv4, dv5, and DV6, HP HDX 16, HP G50, G60, G61, G70, and G71, and Compaq Presario CQ40, CQ45, CQ50, CQ60, CQ61, CQ71, and CQ71.