Vacuum cleaner talks back Korean firm LG Electronics has launched a vacuum cleaner that talks to its owner when the power mode is manually altered, when the machine is turned on and when the bag needs changing. Unfortunately the vocabulary is limited to these three functions, but with the company already producing an internet fridge and mobile phone-controlled air conditioners, it is surely only a matter of time before household appliances are able to talk back ad nauseum to lonely housewives. The top of the range VCC402CTU and VCC402HTU Cyking cleaners also feature LG's Dynaclean suction system, which senses the dust level on surfaces and adjusts suction power automatically. The two models are on sale for about $2,800. Karaoke ring tones Mobile phone companies in South Korea continue to be the world's most innovative when it comes to finding ways to persuade subscribers to part with their cash. KT's mobile subsidiary KTF has launched a new karaoke ring tone service that lets users sing along to their own ring tone, or even play their crooning back to others. KTF partnered with karaoke machine and content provider TJ Media for the service, dubbed 'Magic Ziller Joy'. Users can also convert their songs into MP3 format. Shoot 'em up France-based mobile phone content developer Realeyes3D has created a shoot-'em-up game that integrates real objects viewed through the camera phone lens into arcade-style entertainment. Bored office workers can shoot at virtual planes, wasps or geese flying around the room, with new supplies called in whenever the camera points in a different direction. CamBlaster! is designed to be embedded into handsets or downloaded from premium content and application services providers. Skype goes mobile Norwegian start-up IPdrum has developed an application that lets mobile phone subscribers make free long distance calls over the internet via Skype. Users can call their own computer from any standard mobile and set up a Skype call, the company said, and incoming Skype calls can also be received on the handset. The system works by connecting a second mobile phone to the PC with a USB cable. IPdrum's software uses that mobile phone as a link between the Skype application on the computer and the handset carried by the user.
