A RAFT of modern electronic products have entered Myanmar’s marketplace in the last decade, sweeping many older traditions away in front of them.The most important of these devices have been ones defined as ‘labour saving’ like washing machines and electronic cookers but the most well known and loved electronic product is the colour television.

THE unstoppable march of the digital age has transformed the humble camera from a tricky tool used by professionals into a user-friendly device anyone can take premium photos with.

“Most buyers still purchase desktop computers but laptop sales have been increasing in the last year. When we compare the 2005-2006 financial year with 2006-2007, laptop sales have more than doubled,” said Daw May Phyu Thwe, director of Lucky Bird Computer Company.

You can buy an entire printer for the price of three or four ink refills. For people who print a lot of photos at home, it feels like punishment for being a fan. For people who might be tempted to custom- print their own, it is a real barrier to even starting.

REDMOND, Washington: A pair of grey kittens napped in a cage at Microsoft TechFest, oblivious to their roles in protecting internet surfers from being duped by bogus websites. On a nearby table, a dozen pictures of dogs or cats were on a computer screen along with a challenge to distinguish one from the other.

I’ve given up email. Well, almost. At the weekend I set up one of those auto-reply messages, informing my correspondents that I would no longer be checking my emails, and that instead they might like to call or write, as we used to in the olden days.

THE market for Global System for Mobile (GSM) telephones is flourishing, with figures released by Myanma Post and Telecom-munications showing the number of users jumped by 60 percent since the middle of last year.

IF earrings are an adornment for women to decorate their ears, then Bluetooth phone headsets have become the same thing for men. At least, that is what a spokesperson for Great Mobile Phone Handsets and Accessories sales and service said.

“With more programs available on the television channels, Myanmar’s viewers now have more options than before. So the impact of increased competition from satellite providers has had little effect on most people,” said a spokesperson from Myanmar Marketing Research & Development Company (MMRD).

The daily developments in IT are astounding and computers – once viewed by many as simple word processors – have become critical. Computers are the central nervous systems for most large businesses and the technicians who keep the vital ‘network’ alive are specialists in their workplaces.

IN this 21st century the world has become a global village, thanks to modernisation of the telecommunications sector. One obvious manifestation of this global network is the abundance of television channels offered by satellite television operators the world over.

“Some of my friends are studying in foreign countries. Chat rooms and email is the only easy way I can keep in contact with them. So, every day I go to an internet café to check my email and talk with them,” he said.

“PS2 is the best value entertainment console on the market and the best value in home entertainment too. It is sleeker, smaller and stylish, and the price is affordable,” said Ko Sein Linn from the New Place DVD game centre on Seikkanthar Street.

MP3 players boast an array of functions, including audio recording, FM radio and data storage and some of the newer versions can also play alternative audio format wave files – like those from Windows Media player. Prices for the players usually range from K30,000 to K50,000 and they come in a range of shapes, colours and sizes.

SALES of electrical appliances have risen steadily since Myanmar adopted a market oriented economy in 1989 and the products have become one of the country’s main imports, show figures released by the Ministry of Commerce.

“Our office cannot do anything important – especially when it comes to communicating with businesses in foreign countries – with older electronic devices,” said U Thiha Soe, a marketing executive with the Asian World Company in Yangon.

SMALLER, faster and more capable – that is the trend of today’s electronic gadgets. Why buy just a mobile phone, when there are phones available which combine the abilities of a camera, walkman, alarm clock and even a small computer as well?

Almost 12,000 e-books were downloaded last year, with sales worth K3 million. The best-selling e-book was about health and relationships; it was called “Male and Female Relationship” and was written by Dr Aung Khin Sint.

Myanmar’s software industry enjoyed a small time of prosperity in the years leading up to the banking crisis in 2002. In that ‘boom’ time the international delivery service company DHL and several up and coming banks were ordered a number of tailormade programs.