The list of multimedia devices that perform diverse functions has grown in recent years. Initially this was equipment designed for a select sector of very demanding people. Now they have become common in the world of computers and consumer electroncs. Their biggest advantage is their convenience. You need no longer carry around a bunch of devices because now just one does the functions of several.

Digital cameras with something extra
Digital cameras with extra functions are the pioneers in this sector. One example is the USB Key019 digital camera unveiled recently by Philips. About the size of a lipstick, it allows you to take pictures conveniently and simply. But it can also record 25 minutes of video, play MP3 music and store data when connected to a PC, thanks to its USB connection.

The D-SNAP family of digital cameras from Panasonic also gives a good idea of how versatile cameras can be these days. Its trademark model so far is the SV-AS10, a camera slightly bigger than a credit card. Besides snapping photos with a resolution of 2 million pixels, it works as a digital video camera and MP3 player and recorder. It also features an integrated LCD 2.5'' colors screen, 5x digital zoom, headset, stereo, remote control and rechargeable battery.

Another of the most original models unveiled so far is the S30 from the korean manufacturer BenQ. It is an innovative, multi-function device that takes pictures, records video and sound, plays MP3 files and acts as a complete FM radio tuner. It has a resolution of 3.34 megapixels and boasts numerous features such as a 3x optical zoom and retractible 180� screen for taking shots of yourself.

To close out this section, we should mention the DigitalXtation 2000 from Energy Sistem, one of the most complete multi-function devices on the market: it takes pictures with a maximum resolution of 2.1 megapixels, records video with sound, plays MP3 music and stores data. It has a LCD 1.6" color screen, 128 Mb of internal memory and a slot for SD and MMC memory disks. 

Cell phones worth talking about
Cell phones have also jumped onto the bandwagon of integrating diverse functions beyond that of its original purpose, letting people speak to each other. One example is the SX1 handset from Siemens. It has the now the classic function of digital camera that most state of the art cell phones have these days. But it adds others that are less common, such as a digital video camera that allows you to record short videos in the MPEG4 format with a resolution of 176x144, an MP3 player and FM radio.

Another very complete model is the Sony Ericsson P900. It has all the features of the Siemens model, plus one that makes it stand out on the market: it can record moving images with sound and with no limit on size, so long as there is space on the card or internal memory. The videos take up approximately 1 Mb per minute or recording, so you can record more than two hours without stopping. To view it all on the handest itself, the image quality is more than acceptable.

For real connoisseurs
The latest multifunction device that will dazzle a lot of people is the PDP 2860 digital recorder and player by Thomson. It is only 13.5 cm wide but has features and functions that are truly amazing. The most innovative one is its ability to connect to a television set and record up to 80 hours of programming. It can be viewed on the LCD color screen of the player itself or on the TV set. It can also store up to 100,000 photographs in the JPEG format and is an MP3 player with room to store 600 hours of music. It has batteries that can be recharged for listening to 12 hours of music and four hours of video viewing. There is an adapter for connecting it to a car radio.  The secret of its versatility is in the 20 Gb hard disk, where you can store all kinds of documents.