Manufacturer sets a target sales increase of 60 percent , pinning its hopes on the new Prada and Shine models LG Electronics has set an ambitious target of increasing cell phone shipments in the competitive European market by 60 percent this year, it said Monday.The South Korean cell phone maker shipped 8.7 million handsets in Europe in 2006 and is targeting shipments of 14 million units this year. Much of its hopes are riding on the popularity of its new Prada design handset and Shine phone, which makes its European debut on Monday at the 3GSM trade show in Barcelona, Spain.The Shine phone (KE970) was unveiled at CES in Las Vegas in January and is the successor to LG’s hit Chocolate handset (KG800), while the Prada handset was developed with the Italian fashion house and sports a large touch-screen display like Apple’s upcoming iPhone. At 3GSM, the company will also unveil several new phones, including the KU950, which combines WCDMA (wideband code division multiple access) 3G with DVBH (digital video broadcasting — handheld) digital television reception. The handset includes a program recording function, HSDPA (high-speed downlink packet access) data transmission at up to 1.8Mbps downstream and the ability to watch TV while talking on the phone.LG will also show its KU250 handset. The 3G candybar form-factor phone has been chosen by a consortium of 12 cellular carriers to be offered under a “3G For All” campaign that seeks to convert a public that is generally happy with 2G handsets to more advanced 3G models. The phone will be available through the 12 carriers in Europe and Asia beginning from April.The carriers are Cingular Wireless, Globe Telecom, Hutchison 3G U.K., KTF, MTN Group, Orange, Smart Communications, Telecom Italia, Telefónica Móviles, Telenor, T-Mobile International, and Vodafone Group. Technology Industry