Mary Lojkine
As the sweltering heat transformed London into the innermost circle of hell, LG showcased its Christmas line-up at a Midsummer Mistletoe event. CNET.co.uk rode across town on the fourth tube of the apocalypse to inspect the mobile phones, televisions and techy gadgets that might appear under your tree this year.
New televisions include the 32LB1D (available in September), a 32-inch HD-ready LCD with a new, understated design. Features include two HDMI ports and an 'Eye Intelligent' system that uses an ambient light sensor to tweak the brightness, contrast and sharpness automatically.
Cook along with Gordon Ramsay by installing the LG SXS Titanium TV Side-by-Side (available now). The 15-inch LCD television in the right-hand door is balanced by a drinks and ice dispenser on the left, so you'll be able to stand the heat and stay in the kitchen.
We first saw LG's Ring Monitors at CeBIT 2006. We still think they're pretty, although if all you want for Christmas is a monitor, you're not very ambitious. Buy one now and spend the next five months upgrading your wish list.
The wheel on the front of the new LG U400 slider phone isn't just for scratching, it can also be used to navigate the menus.
Fans of white chocolate get their own version of the LG Chocolate KG800. It has the same features as the original, but in a snow white casing.
When you slide open the White Chocolate phone, the silver and white keypad is revealed.
The most exciting phone on display was the LG Son80, the first Chocolate clamshell. It has the same flush front as the others, with glowing red touch-sensitive controls for music playback. There's also a slightly larger and fatter version that supports 3G.
Open the LG Son80 and you'll find the standard checkerboard keypad, plus a bright colour screen. LG wasn't saying when or even if it would be available in the UK, let alone promising to put one under our tree before Christmas. We can but hope...
LG is also moving into the MP3 market with three new players. This is the MFJM53, an 8GB hard-drive-based player with a colour OLED screen. It supports photo and video playback, has an FM radio and offers a Music Therapy feature that sends specially developed sound waves to your brain when you want to relax, concentrate, power up or sleep. It should be available mid August, via Currys.digital.
Visit reviews.cnet.co.uk for in-depth reviews of many more products
