The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicks off in Las Vegas next week, and the rumour-mill is awash with whispers of what to expect. The latest: a 7in Android tablet from Asus.

The company might have a Christmas hangover from its spat with Hasbro over use of the name 'Transformer', but word has it that the Taiwanese outfit is more concerned with the potential launch of a new seven-incher, Notebook Italia reports.

While further information is a little hazy - as is the leaked image - the mystery fondleslab is rumoured to be either a smaller version of the company's 10.1in Eee Pad Transformer Prime, or a revamped Eee Memo Pad - a 7in slate which failed to surface following its announcement at last year's CES.

The fresh fondleslab is said to feature a 7in capacitive display with a resolution of 1280 x 800, plus a 1.2GHz processor and 16 to 64GB of Flash storage. Asus is also said to be readying a 3D version. ®