Mighty Gadget Blog: The latest technology news & reviews in the UK

On first looks the Arena looks like a smaller, slightly fatter iPhone. The screen takes up most of the phone with three buttons at the bottom of the screen and a small camera at the top. On the back of the phone, the camera lens is very small as to is the flash. The brushed metal finish is attractive  but the plastic back seems to get dirty quick. Being a touchscreen phone thats very iPhone looking, this is obviously LG’s attempt to draw in those customers that Apple has attracted. However a smartphone this is not but this doesn’t stop it being a good all round phone.

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LG has released the BD390 which is the world’s first DivX HD 1080p certified player. It was debuted at CES this year and features an 802.11n Wi-Fi module and support for DivX streaming from a DLNA server. Priced at $399.95, the LG BD390 also features BD-Live support, a 7.1-channel audio output, a 1GB of built-in memory, and a USB 2.0 socket.

Electricpig found some official images and info about the LG Viewty II via the German LG blog. Apparently it will be renamed the Viewty Smart and will have an 8 megapixel camera and LG’s newest S-Class touchscreen interface, complete with a re-worked camera interface.

The Viewty Smart is also slim, at just 12.4 mm thick and weighs a respectable 90g. As well as shooting 8 megapixel still snaps, it’ll record video at 720×480 resolution.

More images after the jump

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In a crowded market the LG W53 series monitors are trying to offer something a little different. The new line of monitors promise to "reduce eyestrain during extended use".

This claim is made possible by automatic brightness control that optimises the picture settings and the brightness of the screen based on the light in the room and the content being viewed. By lowering the intensity of the backlight, this feature also reduces the W53's power consumption, making it a more energy efficient option. To further avoid eyestrain, it also includes a timer that reminds users to take a break from their work at predetermined intervals.

Screen sizes for the W53 series range from 18.5" to 27" and all monitors larger than 21.5" offer a 1920 x 1080 full HD resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio, ideal for watching HD movies and games. The monitors also boast a Digital Fine Contrast (DFC) ratio of up to 50,000:1 and a response time of as quick as 2ms.

The monitors should be available from May 2009. No word on pricing yet.

Android Authority picked up on an article from the Spanish Engadget that LG have informed them that they are going to release 3 Android handsets this year with the first in June.

It is not exactly clear where Engadget got this date from though I guess it would make sense as would give them 6 months to span out the release of 3 Android Handsets.

LG are planning on releasing a hell of a lot of handsets this year, and they have officially announced their flagship mobile phone for 2009, the LG ARENA (LG-KM900).

The new LG Arena will feature a new 3D user interface which is planned to be revealed at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week. The new 3D interface is supposed to be a more fun and engaging gateway to delivering an amazing multimedia experience.

The phone features WiFi, A-GPS, HSDPA, a 5.0megapixel camera, DIVX and Dolby technologies. Unfortunately there are no other spec’s released yet until the press conference at Mobile World Congress on February 16th at 2.00pm (CET).

More info at the LG Blog

With the rife competition in the HDTV market it is good to see companies like LG trying to come up with innovative ideas to help improve market share.

Shortly after announcing a blu-ray player with the ability to play YouTube videos and receive on demand content they have announced a new TV that will have access to the Internet.

Specifically this will be used to access to services such as NetFlix, but could include any other number of on-demand sites and hopefully, YouTube and free access to browse and stream as you see fit.

There's no release date confirmed for the new screens, dubbed 'Broadband HDTVs', but they are expected to command a premium of around £200 over conventional models.

LG seem to be ignoring any crisis in the economy and planning on releasing 125 new individual handsets globally in 2009.

LG are planning on releasing 25 phones in the UK alone.

This means they will be releasing more than 2 phones per week globally and nearly 1 phone every 2 weeks just in the UK! Crazy!

Still, I am sure it will mean they will be releasing a phone that has to appeal to every possible market and hopefully improving their market share.