GPS Advisor

LG Orange Phone

In the last year we've seen some pretty cool looking cell phones from LG Electronics. That trend looks set to continue in 2008 with the new Orange phone. The 13.3-millimeter thick slider handset has an aluminium case and can play MP3 audio files, make video calls, transfer data at high speeds, and display text files and electronic dictionary entries. The handset is compatible with WCDMA networks and will be offered in South Korea through KTF from this month for 352,000 won (US$375).

Cowon navigation system

Cowon's new N3 navigation is definitely something for the urban explorer. Dominating the front is a 7-inch widescreen LCD panel on which is displayed much more than just maps. The device comes with support for South Korea's terrestrial digital TV system and there's navigation-in-picture so you don't have to miss a minute of your favorite drama while navigating yourself around the city. Music and video playback is of course included and there's FM radio and a flash player in the gadget that hit South Korea on Jan. 2. It won't be available overseas.

R&D: Sony Transfer Jet

Sony is developing a wireless data transfer system for gadgets that is capable of sending pictures, video and data over a range of a few centimeters. Transfer Jet uses a 560M bps (bits per second) physical layer, which puts it faster on paper than USB 2.0 and IEEE1394 FireWire interfaces. Sony sees it built into digital still cameras, video cameras and other devices so they just have to be placed on readers for data exchange to take place. It was demonstrated at CES in Las Vegas, where a digital camera equipped with Transfer Jet sent about 45 images to a TV in a few seconds. The company hasn't set a date for its inclusion in products, but it's unlikely to appear this year, a Sony engineer said at CES.

R&D: Panasonic 150-inch PDP TV

Panasonic used CES to unveil a 150-inch PDP (Plasma Display Panel) display with double the horizontal and vertical resolution of current high-definition TVs. There's no word on when the set will be available and Panasonic hasn't offered a clue on pricing. The panel comes from a new production line in Japan that Panasonic will start commercially operating in the coming months. Two years ago Panasonic unveiled a 103-inch set and the company has already managed to sell about 3,000 of the screens despite a price tag of around US$60,000.