In-car computer makes problems with parallel parking a thing of the past

Technofile:Ever fancied having a Windows PC in your car dashboard? Many home enthusiasts have tried before but now, courtesy of PC firm SNT, an on-dashboard car PC can be yours virtually out of the box. Unveiled at consumer electronics festival Cebit in Hannover, the IOPS (pictured) runs Windows XP, has a seven-inch main touchscreen interface, and will afford internet access with HSDPA, writes Mike Butcher.

Because it will connect with Bluetooth devices, it can send a video signal from a camera in the rear bumper, enabling perfect parallel parking and Batmobile-style driving. Who ever thought you'd be able to surf the web while hurtling down the motorway? Although, to be fair, the first person to try will probably also be the last.

Also heading to Cebit this year is the first ever mobile phone charger that can interface with over 80 per cent of mobiles sold in Europe, and which is handy for the multi-mobile household.

Designed by 80-year old industrial design legend Luigi Colani, the Anyfix plugs into any outlet and will extend the correct connector to the phone via a little button.

Intel is jumping on the flash memory bandwagon, announcing the oddly-named Z-U130 sold-state hard drives in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and 8GB varieties. With read and write speeds of 28MB per second and 20MB per second, respectively and a standard USB 2.0/1.1 interface. Intel is looking at installing them in laptops, desktops, any kind of handheld system and even video game consoles.

The advantages are that the drives, having no moving parts, will start up very quickly compared with normal spinning hard drives, and reduce power consumption. It will take a while longer before we see every new PC with solid state memory.

For a start, they tend to be more expensive because the technology in this area is still so new.

But the advantages are quickly buzzing through the tech industry's myriad grapevines.

Japanese electronics giant Panasonic is appearing at Cebit this year with a whole series of new cameras and camcorders. The new Lumix DMC-FX30, for example, is yet another camera vying for the title of world's slimmest digital camera, with a 28 mm wide-angle lens.

Equipped with a 7.2 megapixel CCD sensor, 27 MB of onboard memory, OIS image stabiliser and the Venus Engine III image processor, the camera claims to offer safeguards against blurred images. I find a steady hand and a quick shutter speed also helps.

Usefully, this slim model is also compatible with the new generation of SD cards (SDHC), which pack more memory in for more snaps. Panasonic is also launching new camcorder models HDC-SD1 and HDC-DX1, which support the new AVCHD standard. The high-resolution images are saved directly onto 8 cm DVDs. But beware of locking yourself into a format you may not appreciate further down the line.

Computer maker ECS is showcasing four new series of notebooks in Hannover at Cebit.

The S, L, H and G series focus on mobile and fashion-conscious users, sporting a variety of LCD screen sizes, Intel Core 2 Duo technology, Vista support and features such as Bluetooth and a built-in 1.3 megapixel camera. The H Series is the company's new UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC) series with a touchscreen seven-inch display and stylus input, four-in-one card reader and a 1.3 megapixel camera.