Colour laser printers

GIZMO GALLERY

Samsung has just launched its new series of CLP 500 printers. These colour laser printers are available in three options, the entry level CLP500, the network-enabled CLP 550 N and the wireless CLP 550 W.

The features across the range include NO-NOIS technology which cuts out noise for increased reliability and minimal disruption, a standard duplex printing mode, three trays, a built-in LCD status monitor, quick toner change design and optional 802.11b and ethernet connections.

Apparently it is possible to simply plug a network adaptor and memory expansion cards into the back of the entry-level model to upgrade to a network-enabled machine with more than the default 64 Mb.

Prince of Persia

The granddaddy of computer first-person shooter games is back in its latest avatar. Prince of Persia was first released circa 1989 to run on black and white AT, XTs and Commodores.

It had a seductive combination of action, puzzle, problem solving and path finding that made for hours of fun. I still remember fighting the lightning-fast eunuch on level 9 and then committing deliberate suicide as the only way forward on the second-last level.

The "PoP: Sands of Time" is 3D and offers great entertainment with usual stunning animation and graphics. The story incorporates a magic dagger that rewinds the action if the prince gets killed.

The background music is a jarring mix of hard rock and Khaled and it's important "� the solution to at least one high-level puzzle depends on a good ear. Naturally there's a love interest as well.

Kiss tech

The Kiss DP-500 DVD player from the Danish company (www.kiss-technology.com) is specifically designed for anyone with a Home Theatre PC and a broadband connection. It can play DVD, VCD, SVCD, DivX (all formats), XviD, mp3, mp4, and more formats.

You can also burn images and playback. It can even stream video/audio across a network. The DP-500 has a built in network card for this purpose though you'll need basic networking skills and a DHCP-enabled router.

There is a wide range of options for connecting to a TV or home cinema setup. It also has a 10/100Mbit ethernet port.