Compiled by CIARA O'BRIEN
SAMSUNG PING
SLIDE-OUT keyboards are all the rage these days. While touchscreen displays are still very much in fashion, the full keyboard seems to be gaining in popularity, with Nokia, LG and Samsung offering models with qwerty keyboards.
Samsung’s latest such handset is the Ping, which also follows the trend of having integrated social-networking functions.
The Ping, available in green, pink and grey, has menu buttons that provide direct access to sites such as Bebo, Facebook, MySpace and Flickr.
The small qwerty keyboard, which slides out from behind the screen, makes it easier to update your status or post on friends’ walls.
A two-megapixel camera, while not the highest pixel count on offer in mobile phones, is more than enough for taking photographs on the go and adding them to your Flickr or social-network profile.
The handset is available on prepay for €99.
www.samsung.com
SONY READER POCKET EDITION
E-BOOKS HAVE come a long way in the past few years. With more publishers offering them and an increasing number of stores stocking electronic titles, the trend for digital readers is gathering pace.
Sony’s newest reader, the Pocket Edition, is a slightly more affordable version of its popular device at €199, with a five-inch electronic paper display. It is also more compact than other e-book readers; it can fit into a jacket pocket or handbag, and can be operated with one hand.
While the Pocket Edition may be physically smaller than other readers, this does not mean Sony has sacrificed on space. One of the cleverest things about digital readers is that they can store so many books on one compact device. The Pocket Edition stores about 350 standard e-books and a single battery charge lasts up to two weeks.
Sonys e-book Library software 3.0 is also now available for Macs.
www.sony.ie
SAMSUNG N130
SAMSUNG’S LATEST netbook, the N130, has skipped the trend towards heavier devices, weighing in at 1.26kg. The 10.1-inch netbook is powered by an Intel Atom processor and has 1GB of memory to keep you ticking over. The display is impressive, with a 16:9 aspect ratio, LED backlight and clear, sharp colours. High-definition audio completes the package. The six-cell battery gives a decent amount of power when you’re on the road – enough to get you to your next power point. One thing that can be overlooked with netbooks is the inclusion of enough USB ports; the N130 has three, which should cover most users’ needs.
Prices start at €359.
www.samsung.com
