eK-gadgets info

Sony is getting ready to release a brand new upgrade to their UX line of Ultra Mobile PCs. This new model, the UX490, will physically resemble the current line of UX models, but should sport a slew of new features and upgrades. The handheld computer will ship with a copy of Windows Vista Business, and sport a 1.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Solo processor. The UX490 will have a 48 GB solid state flash drive and should have two batteries shipped in the box. Sony is also bundling the unit with a Bluetooth GPS receiver at no extra cost. Could this be the mobile navigator we’ve all been looking for? Maybe, but it’s still a bit too large to be a handheld solution, and with AT&T EDGE, we’re a little disappointed. We so would have jumped on this if they had a UMTS/HSDPA model. That said, we’re certainly a fan of Sony’s slide out keyboard form factor, and we all can expect to pay $2,499 starting next week.

Japanese lensmaker Tokina announced two lenses Friday, an 11-16mm wide-angle zoom and a 35mm fixed-focal-length lens.Both models have relatively fast f/2.8 apertures useful for low-light conditions, and both are designed to mount on Canon and Nikon digital SLR cameras with smaller image sensors, according to announcements on Tokina’s Japanese Web site.

The AT-X 116 PRO DX 11-16mm F2.8 is scheduled to be available in February 2008 at a cost of 90,000 yen, or about $810. It weighs 560 grams.

The AT-X M35 PRO DX 35mm F2.8 can focus as close as 14cm, or about 5.5 inches, and, as you’d expect for a macro lens, can reproduce subjects with a 1:1 magnification ratio. The 340g model will cost 68,000 yen, or about $610, and is scheduled to be available in December.

Over at the Nokia headquarters in Finland, the Nokia 8800 Arte and Nokia 8800 Sapphire Arte were unveiled for the fashion-conscious. The new models bring in 3G capabilities to the stylish Nokia 8800 series. Featuring a 2.0 inch QVGA 240×320 pixels, organic-LED display, both the devices are equipped with a 3.2 megapixel camera offering 8x digital zoom. While there’s no support for external memory, they come with 1GB of storage.

For data sync, the Nokia 8800 Arte and Sapphire Arte also offer a microUSB connector. An anti-fingerprint coating on the metal and glass ensure that your device stays shiny throughout its life. Tap below the display to see an analogue clock (personally, I love analogue clocks - it’s faster to calculate time differences that way). On the 8800 Ante, there’s a unique turn-to-mute feature: to silence the handset when it is ringing, simply turn it over (screen-side down).

Sony Ericsson today announced the launch of the K660, an HSDPA (‘mobile broadband’) enabled phone with clever features like illuminated shortcut keys that only become active when surfing the Net, and desktop tickers that provide regular updates from your favourite websites; all designed to make Web browsing on the move as simple and convenient as at your computer.