The new multimedia mobile phones are starting to hit the Spanish market. Gadgets that seem to have come straight out of a science fiction film can now be seen in the hands of friends and acquaintances. And far from being a passing fashion, this latest generation of mobile phones will, sooner or later, become the industry standard. A recent report published by the consultancy firm Analysys suggests that within five years all mobiles will have colour screens, Java-based games, polyphonic melodies, digital cameras and MMS (Multimedia Message System), substituting the popular SMS. They will basically be equipped with all the latest multimedia functions.

The latest addition that has been incorporated into mobile phones is also the most logical: the colour screen. As already happened 20 years ago with black and white TVs, it will soon be impossible to find a mobile that does not have a colour screen. And the truth is that after having used a mobile with colour screen you are unlikely to want to ever go back to using a grey screen version.

Advantages of the new terminals
The benefits to users are clear: mobiles with colour screens make navigation substantially easier via drop-down menus, practical icons and colour drawings that substitute the traditional monochrome text lines. Also, surfing on the Internet via WAP and GPRS technology becomes far more comfortable, intuitive and similar to a personal computer, with far more attractive content.

The other big advantage of colour screen mobiles is the range of applications and services that would have been impossible to imagine on traditional cell phones. The first of these is the multimedia messaging system (MMS) that allows you to send and receive messages complete with colour photos and voice, sound and text. Apart from MMS there are several other functions that have made the most of this latest generation of phones. These include the ability to download screensavers, animated background or Java-based games. This programming language has adapted perfectly to mobile telephony and allows the user to download applications giving real-time weather, sporting, lottery and stock market information as well as horoscopes and city maps.� The rich mixture of graphics, sound and animation makes these applications a joy to use. What's more, they continue functioning even if the phone is not connected to the web or is out of coverage.

But what is without a doubt the star function of these new phones is the tiny digital camera included in the machine, giving you the opportunity to take photos in any place and at any time. You can then send them via MMS or download them on to a computer to send via email, manipulate them or simply store them. The quality is not too high as yet, but it is more than enough to serve as a pleasant reminder of a trip or a special moment. The possibilities offered by having a camera on hand 24/7 are limitless.

And although these latest advances are impressive, they will be overtaken by third generation UMTS technology when it appears half way through next year. With this technology it will be possible to surf at 2 Mbps (megabytes per second), allowing users to have videoconferences, download films and send photos at high speed. A whole new world waiting to be discovered just round the corner.

The latest technology
Panasonic SV-SD50 MP3 player
Panasonic has just launched its latest portable audio player, small and light enough to take anywhere. In fact, it is not much bigger than a credit card and weighs just 40 grams. The SV-SD50 is compatible with the SD card, a compact gadget that allows you to save, transfer, edit and manipulate files with greater ease. It has a battery life of 31 continuous hours, a small LCD screen to visualise information and an MP3/ACC adaptor, that allows you to reproduce MP3 files and encrypted formats such as ACC without loss of sound quality.

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