Technofile: A while back, Technofile picked Samsung as a good competitor to Nokia in Europe, writes Mike Butcher
Well, gradually they are making the grade and the latest rumour is that they may launch a nice slim smartphone in Europe. The SGH-i520 (pictured below) runs on the same Symbian platform as Nokia and is compatible with HSDPA, which in plain English means that you can use the internet and download e-mails a lot faster.
And I mean, a lot faster. The so-called "super 3G" smartphone is a slider handset and only just 1.8cm-thick. With the usual PDA functions, a 2.3in display, Bluetooth and a two megapixel camera, it packs quite a punch.
q Is this the world's fastest GPS system? The new Maxfield satellite navigation system uses Windows CE 5.0 and MAX-Navigator 5 software.
Pre-loaded maps of western Europe come on SD card and are displayed on a 3.5-inch colour touchscreen. It looks set to be launched in November, so look out for it then.
• Apple users will be interested to hear that there will soon be a plug compatible with the average airline seat.
Apple's patented Magsafe plug uses magnets instead of pins to hold itself in, thereby detaching without much pain, just as the airline steward walks past with the drinks trolley.
• Meanwhile, more good news for Macs, as MacBook Pros go Core 2 Duo, just in time for Christmas. Apple says these new Merom-based laptops will be 39 per cent faster, which should be fast enough to be noticeable.
The 15-inch version comes with a choice of a 2.16GHz or 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo processor, while the 17-inch Macbook Pro ships with the 2.33GHz processor. There is an increase in base disk capacity to 120GB, along with a faster 6x SuperDrive for the 15 inch Macbook, with the 17-incher getting a 160GB disk and 8x SuperDrive.
• Sony has launched the NV-U71T handheld GPS unit for those of you who get lost easily.
All the mod cons are squeezed into a 3.5-inch touch screened lightweight unit. It even has a so-called "Gesture Command" function, which means that finger swipes will suffice to operate it - although take that with a pinch of salt.
It has a large 2GB memory, but check Sony's site for news on when it launches in Europe.
• So you got stuck and forgot to bring the lap- top to that crucial client presentation? Luckily, you downloaded the Powerpoint to your phone and now, with the aid of Project-a-Phone's ICD-5000 unit, you can click on the overhead camera and project the text, documents, slideshows or movie clips from your mobile's screen on to a monitor or projection screen.
Actually, this is no throwaway gadget. The USB 2.0 camera is a whopping five megapixels, showing VGA-quality video at 30 frames a second. For more information, log on to www.projectaphone.com