GADGET GYAN

RIM's long-awaited touchscreen iPhone rival, Blackberry Storm, is finally here. BlackBerry Storm 9530' most striking feature is its nifty SurePress touchscreen, which combines the flexibility of software-based input with the tactile response of physical buttons. With Strom, RIM enters the now crowded touchscreen smartphone market. In the past few months, all mobile manufacturers seem to have got into an uphill battle for touchscreen supremacy, with all of them launching one or more touchscreen model. In India, the Canadian company launched its BlackBerry Bold last month, which packs a host of multimedia capabilities including a 2 megapixel camera with video recording and an advanced media player.

Hewlett Packard has introduced the company's first laptop computer with multi-touch technology, promising users the same fingertip navigation built into previous HP desktops and popularised by Apple's iPhone. The new notebook, called the TouchSmart tx2, will have three modes: PC, display and tablet, with a digital pen to sketch or take notes directly on the screen. Here's a look into the first touchscreen laptop from the world's largest computer maker.

The bar-shaped Nokia N79 has a bit more modest feature list but has better (or so it seems to us) looks and a more compact boy. It still supports all the four GSM bands but the 3G works only on the 900 and 2100 MHz bands. The display on the N79 is a 2.4" QVGA TFT unit, capable of showing up to 16M colors. Wi-Fi, GPS and a 5 megapixel camera are some of its other more important features.

Car market leader Maruti Suzuki India Limited unveiled the much-awaited, World Strategic Model, A-star.Powered by the new, state-of-the-art, light weight, 998cc K10B petrol engine, A-star is the best in class fuel-efficient car with a mileage of 19.59 kilometers per litre, as tested by ARAI, Pune, country's premier automotive research agency.Built on a brand new platform, the A-star is an excellent city car with best in class turning radius, power, flat torque (minimum gearshifts) and performance.A-star is truly a green car with no compromise. The newest model meets the European ELV norms, which implies that 85 per cent of the car is recyclable. In addition, it is free from hazardous materials like Lead, Cadmium, Mercury and Chromium.

The phone has a 2.6-inch OLED screen and comes pre-loaded with 15 N-Gage games and a voucher for one full game licence. The phone's dedicated gaming keys light up when the device is in gaming mode. In addition to the games, the phone packs a host of multimedia features.

The new LED Cinema Display features a stunning 24-inch LED-backlit widescreen display with built-in iSight video camera, mic, and speakers in an elegant, thin aluminum and glass enclosure. Available in November for $899, the LED Cinema Display includes an integrated MagSafe charger, three USB 2.0 ports and a new Mini DisplayPort.An LED display that turns your notebook into a desktop and has a built-in iSight camera, microphone, and speaker system is one must-have MacBook accessory.

Samsung Mobile has launched its mobile entertainer, 8 megapixel camera phone, Samsung Innov8, designed for mobile photography and multimedia experience in the Indian market.Samsung innov8 is made for tech-savvy users who wants to enjoy the best possible multimedia entertainment with their mobile phone. With the 8-megapixel camera, pre-embedded 3D games, high speed data connections and much more other features will help users gain the true benefits of mobile entertainment.