New Presario 1900 series from Compaq Compaq has released three new A4-size notebook computers, the Presario 1905, 1906, and 1919. All models use the new Mobile Intel Celeron CPU, and operate at either 300MHz (1919) or 266MHz (1905/1906). Each is equipped with 64MB of memory and a 56Kbps modem, and HDD capacity is 6.4GB (1919) or 4.0GB (1905/1906). The detachable Compaq ÒwedgeÓ includes DVD-ROM/CD-ROM and FDD, and the body itself is only 31mm thick and the machines weigh 2.1kg (1905/1906) or 2.3kg (1919) without the wedge. Retail price: open. Presario Support Center, Compaq: 0120-099589 New digital camera from Casio Casio has released a new digital camera, the QV-5500SX. It employs a 1,310,000 pixel CCD and - with its 16MB of buffer memory - the time required until the camera is ready to take the next photo can be as short as 0.5 seconds, almost 1/18 of the time needed by other cameras. It allows continuous photography by pressing and holding the shutter, and has a cancel function for erasing unwanted photos. It has a built-in HAST TFT monitor and optical finder. Retail price is \63,000. Casio: 03-5334-4828 Portable modem for cell phones Omron has released a new modem, the ME96KTI, specially designed for cell phone use. It is one of the first modems that can be directly connected to a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface, so customers no longer have to use a PC card for data communication. The modem and the cable are formed together, making it portable (650mm in length) and light (50g in weight). It is a full duplex, 9600bps modem, and supports Windows 98. Retail price is \17,800. Omron: 045-411-7223 or 06-6282-2672 WebLight from Komatsu The desktop version of WebLight, a touch panel-type display, has been released from Komatsu. This is the successor model to the wall-mounted version of WebLight, which could be mounted on a wall or used with other hardware. WebLight allows Internet and intranet access by merely touching the screen. The new version is a standalone desktop screen, and can be connected to a LAN. It has a 32bit RISC CPU, and supports fast Ethernet (100Base-TX). WebLight desktop version retails for \348,000. Komatsu: 03-5711-1830 06-6397-9250   Mouse Phone by Alpha Omega Soft Mouse Phone - a mouse equipped with telephone functions - has been released from Alpha Omega Soft. This space-saving device provides a numeric keypad for dialing, a microphone, and a speaker, all inside the mouse itself. The cable is branched into two: one for the mouse connection (PS/2) and one for an telephone connection (modular jack), which can be connected to a computer's modem. There is a jack for an optional earphone/microphone on the right side of the mouse, and with this option, the mouse can be used while making a phone call. Mouse Phone retails for \7,980. Alpha Omega Soft: 03-5575-2201 Back to the table of contents