March 2007

I’m starting with a very well received games console which few predicted would gain as much publicity as Microsoft’s X-Box or Sony’s PS3.  Nintendo’s WII (pronounced wee) is cheaper than its two rivals but has caught the eye due to its innovative approach to interactive gaming.  Its wireless remote translates user movements into on-screen actions such as wielding a sword in an adventure game or swinging a racquet in a tennis game - great fun! Third party companies are already producing alternative accessories such as sports equipment and vehicle steering wheels.  
 
Apple has finally announced details of its entry into the high-end smartphone market with the iPhone.  Since it won’t be launched for a few months, I’ll reserve comment, but the use of an OSX system core and innovative multi-touch screen interface mean that the Cupertino-based company continues to revolutionise the user experience of its products. 

Ultra-slim mobile phones are being regularly reviewed these days but now Casio has brought out an amazingly slim but positively reviewed digital camera, the EXILIM EX-S770. It boasts seven million pixels, 3x optical zoom, and a very bright 2.8inch widescreen LCD despite being just 17mm at its widest point.  It takes an SD card for storage and should be available for under £300. 

High definition televisions are hot sellers these days, some offering huge screens which are hard to imagine fitting in many living spaces.  TVs now have complex specifications which include resolution, viewing angle, pixel response times and connectivity options to name just a few parameters.  Unlike other types of devices featured in this column, few TVs yet have WiFi connections built in to stream video and photos from your PC wirelessly, something that the recently launched AppleTV box  enables.  Well, HP has pitched into the TV market with just that - WiFi built in - the SLC3760N with 720p resolution expected to sell for around £1000 when it reaches the UK this summer. 

Finally I have now had a play with the Nokia N93 phone - full of features and genuinely serious when it comes to taking video as well as still pictures with its 3.2MP camera, however it is quite a brick and the controls are not the easiest to grapple with.     

Note: While we make every reasonable effort to ensure accuracy, BT accepts no responsibility for any information contained in Jonathan's article, nor does BT endorse any product or service mentioned.