Technofile: You've probably heard of Skype, the software that allows you to make free calls over the internet to other Skype users. Now there's a new kid on the block.
Unlike Skype, Jajah doesn't require any software - you just register on Jajah.com and enter the normal phone numbers for you and the person you want to call. Then both phones ring and you are connected. Jajah is offering free local and international calls which are "activated" via its website for US users, and cheap (two cents) calls for Irish and other European users. The catch? The limit is 60 minutes a day.
•If you'd like to see future World Cup matches on high-definition TV, then check out the new 55-inch HD-ready plasma TV from Hitachi.
The 55PD9700 model incorporates a clutch of technologies to enhance picture quality, including an ALS (alternate lighting of surfaces) plasma panel and a processor which samples every pixel displayed. Coming with both a digital and analogue tuner and all the inputs you'll need, the 55PD9700 will cost about €5,000 when it comes out in August.
•Meanwhile, Hitachi has just announced a new range of audio-visual projectors that will sport bright orange cases if they are sold to schools and colleges.
This branding should help prevent the theft of unattended projectors, while a required security code would render a stolen projector useless.
•Game fans will be glad to hear that Sony has launched its first PlayStation 3 website, which affords a glimpse of some of the games due out. The console will be available from November 17th. See http://eu.playstation.com/ps3.
•Microsoft has announced details of a new wireless rechargeable backlit keyboard and mouse combination. The Ultimate Keyboard should be available later this year.
•Like the new LG "Chocolate" mobile phone? Well, LG has a new mobile that slides the keyboard out in two directions for video calls. The HSDPA-compatible (fast internet access) LG-SGH100 or LG-KH1000 has a 1.3 megapixel camera and up to two gigabytes of memory. There is no launch date here as yet, as it will be released in South Korea first.
If you can't wait, the new Samsung E900 slider phone with two megapixel camera and a black gloss finish should be in the shops any day now.
•Fed up with conventional headphones for your iPod? Help is at hand from Jabra - better known for bluetooth handsets for mobiles - which has come up with a dock connector-compatible adapter called the A125s. It joins the other wireless iPod solutions from D.Muse, icombi, and naviPlay.
The A125s, which will be released in August, should have 10 hours playback or 250 hours of standby time when it's released in August.
•Some mobile phones have the ability to display photographs and to play back video via a cable plugged into a television. Now a company based in Israel has come up with a novel alternative. Explay plans to make a "nano-projector engine" to plug into mobiles and project the images on to a wall or screen.
According to the firm, it will be the first projector to offer full colour images via a small matchbox-sized body. I can see it now - schoolyard walls everywhere shimmering with images of the latest Crazy Frog video. However, there is no word yet on price or release date, so don't hold your breath. See explay.co.il for more.
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