Just in time for Ramadan, LG Electronics has launched its new mobile handset, the F7100 Qiblah phone. The new handset is the world’s first to feature an indicator setting which points to Makkah. The Qiblah indicator uses an in-built longitude and latitude orientation or city references that, when used in comparison to the magnetic north, indicates the direction of the Qiblah. The phone comes complete with a compass and prayer time alarm functions.

“No matter where the faithful are at the call to prayer, they will be able to easily identify the direction of Makkah with this phone. As a global and regional digital leader, LG is committed to setting the standards for state-of-the-art solutions and providing our customers with products of the highest quality that cater to local geographical and cultural demands. The compass mobile phone is part of such strategy to meet customer needs,” said Kenn Suh, executive vice president, Telecommunication and Handset Division, LG Electronics.

Other rich features in the handset include Java applications support, answering machine, GPRS, 40-tone polyphonic ringtones, MMS, EMS, a personal organizer with calendar, clock, alarm, world time, currency converter, calculator, phone book and games. The handset weighs just 89 grams and the Li-polymer battery has up to 3.5 hours talk time, and standby time of up to 200 hours.

With the innovative slide down keypad, users can enjoy two functions of display. The screen can be enlarged when the keypad is pulled down and has 65,000-color display of high-resolution pictures.

Commenting on the new handset, Simon Kim, senior manager, Telecommunication and IT Products, LG Saudi Arabia, said: “LG is a company with the motto of regionalization and localization. LG endeavors to create products that are the most beneficial for consumers. LG came up with the Qibla and Azan mobile phone after extensive research. Since its launch this handset has become increasingly popular with Muslims, especially those who travel frequently and face difficulty finding the Qibla direction. We congratulate all Muslims on the holy month of Ramadan and hope they find our new handset beneficial in their daily life.”

CompuSec Adds Version for Linux

CE-Infosys has released the latest version of its free PC Security Suite, CompuSec v4.17. Leveraging off version 4.16, this new release incorporates new features and improvements. DataCrypt, a module that is incorporated into CompuSec, can now be used as a standalone product.

CompuSec also comes now in a free version for Linux. With CompuSec for Linux, users are empowered with the ability to incorporate the similar security functionality and features that made CompuSec successful for the Microsoft Windows platform. A version for the Linux kernel 2.6 is under development and will be released soon.

Free CompuSec is a security suite that protects notebook and desktop PCs. It provides access control, hard disk encryption, VPN, file encryption and single sign on. CompuSec is designed for corporate use and also for individuals and has full functionality without any limitations. For more information and to download CompuSec, click to http://www.ce-infosys.com.sg/CeiNews_FreeCompuSec.asp.

Samsung Launches Multifunction Device

Samsung Electronics has launched the world’s first USB-enabled MFD (multifunction device), the SCX-4720F, capable of directly scanning to and printing from a USB memory stick. With the launch of the new Samsung MFD, a user can do without computers or monitors to store certain types of scanned images or print certain documents directly using a USB memory stick.

According to recent industry insights, there is a growing trend among consumers to use digital documents, with the USB memory stick becoming the preferred device due to its easy-to-use and portable features. The new MFD, SCX-4720F fits into this market environment well, making it easier for users to simply scan and store their documents or images to USB memory.

“The innovative printing solutions being developed by Samsung will definitely bring increased productivity at work,” said K.S. Vasudevan, senior manager, Digital Information Technology Division, Samsung Gulf Electronics. “Samsung’s ability to own the design, development and manufacturing processes has enabled the company to offer customer-oriented features and technologies. As a result, Samsung’s laser technology was acknowledged as the best worldwide last year and we have been positioned as a market leader in the laser printer market.”

The SCX-4720F series provides the fastest printing and scanning speed in its class, up to 20 pages per minute (ppm). In addition to a fax feature, it also includes a high-speed 33.6 Kbps modem, 1.5 sec quick scanning, 200 speed dial, 40 one touch dial and a 50 sheet ADF to send and receive extensive documents.