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The refinement of LED TV technology is a top priority for a number of television manufacturers, it has been reported.

According to HDTV, LED technology is nothing new but is reaching maturity and could provide "deep crisp blacks" that are currently only possible with plasma screen televisions.

LED TVs are a type of LCD TV, but the technology has moved away from traditional always-on single backlighting to using a multitude of individual backlighting arrays, according to the website.

HDTV said: "The advantage of this approach is that individual LED segments can be turned on or off for improved screen performance and ultimately better black levels."

The news provider claims that a number of manufacturers are working on RGB LED backlighting, which will offer full colour dimming as opposed to simple black and white dimming.

Meanwhile, according to cnet.com, Sony’s KDL-52XBR6 LCD TV provides the best quality blacks of any non-LED TV.

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Apple is set to unveil its latest laptops in less than a weeks time, it has been reported.

The new devices are expected to cost less than current models, according to Reuters, and a the very least Apple is expected to load is new portable computers with the latest chips but is expected to offer new designs as well.

An invitation to Apple’s Cupertino Californian headquarters said: "The spotlight turns to notebooks."

Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies in Campbell, California, told the news provider: "You won’t know that until the day of the event."

"Clearly they have become more price conscious as they have become more competitive," he added.

In related news, Apple dominated the T3 gadget awards, walking away with four accolades.

The company’s iPod Touch won the Gadget of the Year Award and the Best Music Gadget Award.

Apple also succeeded in the Gadget Candy and Commuter Gadget categories.

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The new Palm Pro is "flashier" than its predecessor but is straightforward and functional, according to one review.

Writing for the Guardian, Kate Bevan said the new phone will not set the world on fire but does what it says "on the tin" quietly and effectively.

The choice to use Windows Mobile 6.1 on the phone means it is easy to navigate and use, she writes.

Bundled with Microsoft Word, Excel, OneNote and PowerPoint, the phone also supports Google Maps, Internet Explorer and a couple of games.

The device also sports a touchscreen, a keyboard and a memory card slot that can be used to provide up to 32GB of solid state storage.

Ms Bevan said: "The camera is below average by today’s standards at just two-megapixels, but on the upside is quickly accessed via a button on the side of the device."

In related news, analysts believe Palm is in for a challenging time with competition from BlackBerry and the iPhone, reports Business Week.

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Samsung’s flagship compact digital camera, the NV100HD is a sleek addition to the company’s growing array of digital imaging solutions, according to one reviewer.

The 14.7-megapixel camera, which is the highest resolution in Samsung’s compact range, also has an innovative touch-sensitive user interface, according to ameinfo.com.

On top of this the new device uses the company’s Perfect Portrait technology, which includes a range of face detection functions, the website states.

BJ Kim, general manager of Samsung’s audio visual division, said: "Samsung Camera’s award-winning NV Digital Camera range has set the benchmark for quality and innovation."

"We are thrilled to take the range even further with the launch of the NV100 and NV9," he added.

The NV100HD has an all-metal finish and can capture high definition video at 720P.

Meanwhile, BBC’s iPlayer technology, which provides users with on-demand video content, is set to make its way onto Archos and Samsung mp3 players, according to the BBC.

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The latest laptop in Asus’s Eee PC range, the S101, does not adhere to the company’s low cost ethos but is comfortable and usable, according to one reviewer.

Asus’s S101, which is powered by Intel’s Atom N270 processor, comes with 1GB of RAM and a 16GB solid state drive, is a great machine and is ideal for the mobile user, according to techradar.com.

The computer is bundled with Microsoft’s Windows XP and the tech-review website said it was unsure whether the company would make the device available with a linux based operating system.

"Designed to be the ‘executive’ model of the range it has a look and feel more of the Asus U6 ultraportable laptop than other Eee PC Netbooks," techradar.com said.

Meanwhile, Asus has issued a warning about its Eee Box desktop PCs after it was discovered some models contained malware, reports vnunet.com.

According to the website, the virus dates back to 2006 and can be dealt with by a number of security packages.

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The company behind the world’s smallest GPS device hopes to bring "personal tracking" to the masses, it has been reported.

Using GPS, GSM and RF technology the miniature tracker, manufactured by Tariffman, is small enough to fit on a key ring or into the lining of a jacket.

Lee Walkey, managing director of Tariffman, said: "We want to bring personal tracking to the masses at an affordable price. But we also want the unit to have a high degree of comfort for the wearer and to be operated easily."

The device is aimed at lone workers, adventure sports enthusiasts and novice drivers, according to Mr Walkey.

He added it has various features including a panic button, or dead-mans handle, and movement alerts.

It is expected to retail for £199, including a year’s worth of GPS mapping.

Meanwhile, researchers at Virginia Tech and Cornell University in America have spent more than a year building a transmitter that can send fake GPS signals, reports wired.com.

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The most important secondary feature of a mobile phone is the handset’s built-in digital camera, it has been claimed by one industry expert.

Specialist at the Mobile-Phones.co.uk Thomas Newton said: "Camera functionality is incredibly important to sales of mobile phones."

Of those users polled by the company, some 300 (70 per cent) said the quality of a phone’s camera was a major selling point.

Mr Newton added: "Nokia have enjoyed huge success with the N95, which was one of the first smartphones to come with a five-megapixel camera."

Several manufacturers have released phones in recent months with high resolution digital cameras built-in, including Samsung with its M8800.

The eight megapixel phone has a 16x digital zoom facility and GPS tagging for pictures, as well as face recognition and smile detection.

Meanwhile, LG have entered the market with an eight megapixel camera phone which they claim is slimmer than Samsung’s offering.

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Fujifilm’s latest series of digital cameras has few rivals in terms of travel photography, according to one reviewer.

The S series "marks the next step up in digital photography", states Scoop, and the ultra zoom provides brilliant results for the professional or serious amateur alike.

Part of the new series, the new S8100fd sports an 18x optical zoom lens and a ten megapixel sensor.

The camera also comes with face detection technology and can capture 13.5 frames per second at three megapixels and 6.8 at five megapixels.

It has a 2.5-inch screen and a small viewfinder, 58MB of internal memory and SD and XD memory card slots.

Scoop said the camera is "ideal for capturing long distance photographs without sacrificing detail or composition".

Meanwhile, Fujifilm unveiled its latest digital camera sensor at the Photkina technology fair in Cologne, Germany, reports Tech On.

The new device can record sharper images by using just half of its effective pixels to store the image and reducing errors, the news site states.

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An mouse designed by experts in ergonomics costs a "not so healthy £93", according to one reviewer.

The HandshoeMouse, created by scientists at the universities of Rotterdam and Maastricht, was four years in the making, Gizmodo states.

Research teams from the two universities carefully studied muscular tension in the arms and hands of mouse users as well as closely monitoring control behaviour.

The resulting design is a wireless mouse that helps reduce the ‘unnecessarily strong muscular tension’ associated with constant mouse operation.

Prof Snijders, leader of the project, said: "It immediately became clear to us that this is an important part of repetitive strain injury (RSI) problems."

"For the tension in the fingers also directly affects the muscle groups in the neck and shoulders," he added.

According to rsi.org.uk, primary factors resulting in RSI include an ergonomically unsound work area, prolonged periods of work without a break and poor posture.

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FSP NB’s new universal laptop charger may be a valid alternative to a manufacturer’s own charging device, one reviewer has said.

PC Advisor states that tracking down a replacement charger from the manufacturer may be more difficult than opting for the universal device, which may also be more compact and lighter.

The device measures 154 x 74 millimetres and is 17 millimetres thick and weighs less than half a kilogram with all its accessories attached, the website states.

Supporting Acer, Asus, Dell, Hewlett Packard, Lenovo, Sony and Toshiba laptops, the device is not compatible with older Apple PowerBooks.

Commenting on the 60W output from the charger, PC Advisor said: "Larger or older desktop replacement laptops may require more power though, sometimes upwards of 80W, in which case this adaptor could have difficulty in fully charging a flat battery while the laptop is in use."

In related news, the laptop battery shortage is expected to last three months longer than expected, according to leading manufacturer Simplo Technology.

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