Following up (as usual) their rugged Galaxy Xcover, Samsung announced Galaxy XCover 2 (no rewards for guessing that name), with better capacity to withstand 'life's ordeals'. xD
With a sand proof case, making it better suited for outdoor excursions, a water proof case upto 1 meter, with a 5 MP underwater workable camera , a lock on the battery case to prevent it from crashing out in case the phone goes with gravity's flow , and a what is claimed to be 20% more accurate GPS location system, the Xcover 2 surely does look a bit 'Bourne' style. Though unlike the Jeremy Renner in Bourne: Legacy, this one is a bit low on the IQ side , sporting pretty mid range specs - 1GHz Dual Core processor, 1 GB RAM, 4 GB internal memory expandable to 32 GB, a rear 5 MP camera with LED flash, and a front VGA camera.
Set for February launch, it is expected to make an appearance in the Mobile World Congress.
Phablets are the new smart-lets, with Galaxy Note series breaking all prejudices , followed by a horde of phablet announcements at CES 2013. The largest of 'em was the Huawei Ascend Mate at 6.1 inches , and we are already hearing about a 6.3 inched Galaxy Note III , but thats specualation only, while we have a actual leak for a monster dwarfing all of them - the Sony Togari , at 6.44 inches , with full HD display. Though that's all we know about it, and the fact that it may be not an actual launch is also probable, as Sony has not made any confirmation. Probably we'll see it in the Mobile World Congress at feb end! :D So keep on with us to know the latest as it happens!
Breaking the usual launch cycle, Apple launched Ipad mini and 4th gen IPad last October, and are gearing for the next installment in the series this October.
According to iLounge (with a history of accurate IPad leaks) , the IPad 5 will be launched this October, shedding some of its weight and width in terms of bezel, keeping the screen same sized, but decreasing the device's size as a whole (At last , some difference to give bragging rights about at first sight!). Moreover, it will have the new IGZO display, that means thinner and more power efficient device - so one may expect better battery life. On the other hand, the I Pad mini will be the same designed, except having a retina display.
Also, some rumours about IPhone 5S were around, regarding the usual internal upgrades to a faster processor, along with a 13MP sony made camera sensor, and a larger rear flash . Also , the budget IPhone with a plastic body, for chinese markets is rumoured, though official confirmations can only be at the hands of Tim Cook.
In the series of news for the much awaited Project Glass, to estimate the features that may be there in the final product, we have another possible addition - bone conduction audio, according to the patent filed by Mountain View. Though its not sure, but the device sketches look much like Project Glass. Bone conduction audio makes hearing possible by transmitting waves directly to the ear bones in the inner ear, without using any headphones and all. This means no hearing loss, and no extra clunky attachment to the device itself! Though the patent says about use of only one transducer, which means that only notification sounds will be possible and no media if it is the same in the final thing, but that is hoped to not be the case of course.
Keep connected with our blog, follow us and share us for latest news about Project Glass and other tech as well!
Processor and microchip giant Intel is taking its motto 'Intel inside' quite seriously, to the effect that it is currently researching and developing a microchip that is placed inside the body, and detects accurately more than 50 diseases. In collaboration with Stanford University School of Medicine, Intel's Biosystem's group, headed by Dr. Madhu Verma, is developing a microchip, the types used in computers, which analyzes various disease related proteins and peptide chains present in the blood, to diagnose diseases.
The chip is embedded inside the arm, and in contact with blood, it analyzes the peptides , with its surface itself covered with around 9000 peptides, and the data is then fed into a computer, along with gauging the related possible symptoms. These peptides were embedded on the silicon chip the same way as normal chips are done with, using photo-lithography technique.
Before joining hands with Intel, Stanford researchers were trying glass to stick peptides on and do the detection process, after which Intel came in. Earlier skeptical on its success, it soon turned out much better than the earlier one, with silicon having advantage over glass being relatively non sticky towards other peptides, as well as providing way to embed peptides more closely, and thus save more space. Use of microchips always gives a chance of improvement in the detection system.“If we couple these Intel arrays with an electronic detection method,
for example, we could have real-time sensing over a period of minutes,”
said Dr.P.J. Ultz, Associate Professor at Stanford.
In the research program, it was tested on the disease Lupus , which is a highly variant auto immune disorder. Leaving the technicality aside, with the help of the chip using various amino acid sequence combinations, they found out the sequence that antibodies look for, as well as the modifications to find out specific binding sites.
This will make way for better targeted drugs, by manipulating and seeing results accurately at the amino acid where required. Researchers are now looking to use this to design better influenza vaccines with better immune response.
Research is being done so as to embedded an Integrated Circuit inside the chip, so as to make it function as a mini computer itself, and conclude while present inside. Also it is being tried to make it connect to a smartphone or any other computing device wirelessly. Although clinical trials will take another 2 years to complete, but its success could pave way to better and early diagnosis, even in the field, ensuring better chance of treatment for patients.
It's just a start currently, and far from the clinical trials stage itself, a scientist at Australia's Queensland Institute of Medical Research has created a protein , modifying one from the HIV virus, that inhibits the replication of the virus itself!. The original HIV 1 Tac protein has been transformed into what is called ' Nullbasic', by Dr David Harrich led team , which successfully inhibited the virus in lab. That would mean no indefinite antiretroviral drug regime fr HIV +ve patient, saving them from suffering from AIDS. Animal trials are scheduled for later this year.
“This is like fighting fire with fire,” Associate Professor Harrich said.
“If this research continues down its strong path, and bear in mind there
are a many hurdles to clear, we’re looking at a cure for AIDS.”
A paper of this research was published in the journal Human Gene Therapy, and can be accessed online for free
The much awaited augmented reality glasses, Project Glass, by Google, which is set to be launched for public in 2014, is seeing another major addition to its already impressive spec kitty, with Google filing for a patent for a laser projected keyboard which can be tapped at by fingers . The patent entitled "Methods and Systems for a Virtual Input Device" includes the fact that unlike as shown in the pic above, this virtual keyboard could be used on any surface, with a camera and projector doing all the work.
Also worth noting is the fact that the patent also includes the projection of various kinds of keyboards, including a QWERTY and a numeric one. Though it is not for sure to be included in the final AR spec, knowing Google's tendency to experiment a lot. But a lot can be hoped from this, and the final Project Glass as a whole!
Galaxy smartphone series took the world by a storm, unlike their tablet counterparts. But Samsung wants to change it, with a IPad mini counterpart in the Note series, focusing on the budget tab market.
According to SamMobile, Samsung will reveal the Galaxy Note 8.0 at the Mobile World Congress next month. Rumored to have a 8 inch 1280 x 800 resolution display (better than the 7 inch 1024 x 768 resolution IPad mini display). No word on the processor, but it's said to have a 2 GB RAM, 5 MP rear camera, 1.3 MP front camera,16 GB or 32 GB internal memory variants, expandable with microSD cards, and will come in 3G and WiFi only options. And the Note nomenclature suggests the stylus input availability in the tab as well.
There is no word on pricing either, but seeing the mid level specs, and the fact that Samsung has been pricing its tablets comparable to IPad, so one can expect it to be around or less than the US$330 price tag of the IPad mini.
Panasonic did make some noise with their massive 20 inch 4K tablet, and continued on it to extend their Toughbook line, with the new Windows 8.
A pretty impressive spec view, with Windows 8 Pro, 3rd generation intel Core i5 3437U vPro processor, 128-256 GB SSD, 4-8 gigs of RAM, and a 10.1 inch touchscreen, along with USB 3.0, WiFi, faster Bluetooth 4.0 and option to add cellular data make it a pretty alluring tablet, not forgetting the super durability, characteristic of the Toughbook series . It is priced at a pretty sharp high level, at US$2,900.
A cheaper (relatively) version, powered by Android will also be available, at a price tag of US$1,300. It will run on Android ICS, powered by a TI OMAP4460 1.5 GHz dual core processor, 1 GB RAM, 16 GB internal memory, expendable with microSD cards. Yeah it is pretty expensive, with not so justifiable specs, but after all, durability has its price.
Both the versions pass the MIL-STD-810G test for 4 foot drops, fluid ingress and temperature. FYI, this is the same test used by the US dept of defense, with Panasonic hoping to cover at least 50% of the toughpad market, though price to spec ratio does make things look a bit difficult for this new Toughbook.
Not a successful venture by various brands, a touch panel containing fridge is still being pursued by Samsung, known to have broken some odd jobs like this one with the Galaxy Note series, launching the T9000 four door 32 cubic feet (906 Litres) refrigerator.
Sporting a Triple Cooling system to control humidity in the fresh foods compartment, increasing shelf life of fruits and veggies, with help of 2 compressors, 3 evaporators and an array of sensors, along with an optional 10 inch touchscreen panel which can be connected through WiFi, runs on Android, and comes with many preinstalled apps like Epicurious, weather, AP news, and a read only twitter client, apart from Google calender and Evernote. Though don't let Android make you dream big, because the apps list is only this long, with no option for user installable apps from Play store or something, which is a big disappointment.
Focusing on the giant itself, its a pretty spacious fridge, with 19.4 cubic feet (539 litre) french door compartment on top, 6.1 cubic feet compartment on lower right and another one as a freezer on left .
Expected to be available by late spring, at a humbling price of US$3,999 without touchscreen. The touchscreen model's price is yet to be announced.
Sure, you love to play on your computer, tablet, or smartphone, and it seems that technology permeates everything we modern humans do each day, from grocery shopping to getting directions. But did you know that technology is also making its way into your clothing? Here are some high-tech articles of clothing that are making news in the world of technology, and which will certainly spur conversation, whether you are at work, at a family gathering, or at a party.
Your Own Personal Trainer
Jennifer Darmour came up with a very innovative concept: a workout tank top that tells you when you are performing a workout move incorrectly. For example, if you are doing your crunches without properly sucking in your abs, the tank top, which has sensors installed throughout, will give you a slight electrical shock or buzz in order to notify you that you are not performing the exercise properly. When you adjust, it buzzes three times to let you know you are on the right track again. The tank top has sensors all around it, and it is best used for Pilates exercises. It is like having your own personal Pilates trainer in your home with you.
Let Your Shoes Guide You image from Dominicwilcox official
Dominic Wilcox has designed a shoe like no other. His stylish shoe will guide you home, no matter how lost you are, thanks to the GPS device that is hidden within the heel of the left shoe. Click your heels three times, much like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and the GPS navigation system will be activated to guide you on your way. With these shoes, you need not worry about carrying along your smartphone with GPS app or your GPS device.
Get Extra Oxygen During a Workout
If you find that you get out of breath easily during your workouts, there is a solution for you that acts much like a scuba diving oxygen tank. Oxyfit Mobile Oxygen Supply is a very lightweight backpack that you can wear during any activity, from cycling to running. When you feel yourself getting too tired from lack of oxygen, it can boost your oxygen intake by up to 30%. The increased oxygen level in your blood will help you power through your workout, assisting every part of your body, from your brain to your organs, allowing you to work out for longer periods of time, lose more weight, burn more fat, and build more muscle.
No Need for Doing the Laundry? image from Phys.org
Spray-on Liquid Glass is a new way to coat your clothing and keep them permanently clean. Though it may sound like an impossible concept, keeping your clothes clean without washing them is possible. The transparent, non-toxic spray is composed mainly of silicon dioxide, with either water or ethanol added. Spray it onto your clothing to keep them resistant to everything from bacterial infections to dirt and water. If you hate doing laundry, this may be a great way to get more life out of your clothes before throwing them into the washer.
Removing radioactive waste from water, especially in cases of nuclear disasters such as that in Fukushima, has been a cause of concern for long now, due to the multifold harmful effects that it has. But the wonder molecule, Graphene, again promises to be the savior, as researched by scientists from Houston's Rice University and Lomonosov Moscow State University, which causes radionuclides (that is the ions) to clump , which can be filtered off, making the water clean.
Presently , betonite and activated carbon are used to clean contaminated water, but graphene flakes are much more effective, due to their larger surface area. In a test, the one atom thick flakes were added to uranium and plutonium containing water, along with calcium and sodium (which actually hamper the cleaning process). Graphene was still able to condense out the toxins, irrespective of pH of water. (left vial containing graphene flakes in solution, right vial with clumping having occurred)
“Where you have huge pools of radioactive material, like at Fukushima,
you add graphene oxide and get back a solid material from what were just
ions in a solution,” said Rice chemist James Tour, heading the reasearch, along with moscow's Stepan Kalmikov. “Then you can skim it off and burn it.
Graphene oxide burns very rapidly and leaves a cake of radioactive
material you can then reuse.”"Graphene oxide’s large surface area defines its capacity to adsorb
toxins, Kalmykov said. “So the high retention properties are not
surprising to us,” he said. “What is astonishing is the very fast
kinetics of sorption, which is key."
This research could surely prove to be a boon for people of areas living near nuclear plants, and disaster struck areas as well, with graphene providing a cheap, biodegradable solution to the polluted water problem
The second largest firm in Chinese smartphone market - Lenovo (yes that's right, beating apple by a big margin) is set to start the party with its ultra impressive K900 smartphone. Final specs aren't announced as yet, but it is revealed that the Android smartphone has a 5.5 inch Full HD IPS display, with a resolution of over 40 ppi, like the Droid DNA, Huawei D2, and Xperia Z , strengthened by Corning Gorilla Glass 2, and powered by the yet-to-be-released next-gen Intel Atom (Clover trail+) 2GHz processor, and a 2 GB RAM.
The smartphone has a pretty premium finish and thickness, with a polycarbonate body, and a thickness of 6.9mm (the same as that of the ZTE Grand S Full HD Android smartphone, with a 5 inch display, snapdragon S4 Pro 1.7 GHz quad core processor , 2 GB RAM and a 13 MP shooter) making the IPhone 5 look a bit plump.
The K900 has a dual flash 13 MP camera, with a Sony Exmor BSI sensor and apperture, low light friendly F1.8 focal length lens. There is a lower resolutin front camera witha 88 degree wide angle lens.
It is set to launch in China this April. You can watch this official video by Lenovo for this stunning smartphone.
Apart from that, 5 other smartphones were announced as well
- S890 with a 5 inch 960x540 resolution display, 8 MP camera
-S720, a 4.5 inch 960x540 IPS display, with MTK dual core processor, 2000 mAh battery, 8 MP camera and dual SIM capability -Dual SIM P770, with a large 3500 mAh battery - 1.2 GHz dual core processor powered A800, with 4.5 inch display and 2000 mAh battery
- A690 , 4 inch 800x600 display and dual sim capability Source : Gizmag
Seagate Technology unveiled two wireless storage devices at CES 2013 - the Seagate Wireless Plus , a 1TB wireless external hard drive with inbuilt WiFi capabilities; and the Seagate Central, a centralized storage for all devices in a home network.
Seagate Wireless Plus
The winner of CES 2013 Best of Innovations Award, the Seagate wireless plus , with its 8 hour battery life, a 1 TB storage capacity, and the ability to create its own WiFi network and support upto 8 devices, do justify the award.
It can be controlled by the Seagate Media app for iOS, Android and Kindle Fire HD devices, comes with removable USB 3.0 adapter, and can stream content to HDTV's with Apple's Airplay, DLNA or an app for samsung smart TV's.
Price : $199.99 (At amazon and BestBuy)
Seagate Central
Another CES 2013 Innovations awardee, as the name suggests, it is meant to act as a central storage for all devices in a household, a much needed accessory with increased number of devices in each home. It's the first device to use a Smart TV app to access files via a television. It can , like the Backup plus series, can directly backup files directly from Facebook. It has three size variants - 2 TB for $189.99, a 3TB for $219.99 and a 4TB option for $259.99, and is set to go on sale from March.
To give some technical info, auditory cells are located in cochlea in the inner ear, and translate auditory wave disturbances into nerve signals , sending them to the brain to be interpreted. And they are pretty fragile, and their destruction due to loud noise, or maybe some toxins, cancer, is irreparable, causing the most common form of hearing loss- the sensorineural hearing loss, untill now, with researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School have found a drug which has the ability to stimulate the regeneration of these hair cells, from stem cells.
The drug inhibits a protein called "Notch", which stimulates the stem cells to form new hair cells, causing partial hearing recovery, as done in mice. The researchers are excited to have made it possible for the first time in adults, paving way for better treatment for permanent deafness in the future
Their article has been published in Neuron . Watch the video for more information.
Remember GameBoy???? The first ever gaming console, which took the world by storm in 1989, when it was released. Well, that's a long time, a VERY long time in gadgets world, for the technology to have been become totally alien-advanced now for it. So comparing a few amazing handheld gaming consoles at CES 2013, even 2012 seems old... ;) NVidia Project Shield
Project shield, a major attraction at CES this year, and well deserving one, featuring a fabulous hardware, the best as yet, and allowing Android games to be played from Google Play store, as well as ability to stream games from a PC connected to a LAN with Stream feature! a 5 inch multi touch screen, best CPU and GPU from NVidia, and a folding factor, with a classical-style look, really makes it a dream gadget for gamers this year.And seeing the prebooking for trying out this device, the interest is HUGE for sure!
Razer Edge
Razer Edge gaming tablet, previously known as Project Fiona, was showcased at CES last year, and had gamers awed at its amazing potential. Powered by Windows 8 , it really turns to be a portable PC in the tablet form factor.The handle controls, which were the first to catch attention, have been improved upon, and now are detachable, making it a Tablet cum Gaming console
Archos GamePad
August was when we heard about the gaming tablet from Archos, and it was CES when the Archos GamePad was seen flaunting its full prowess.Running on Android, it looks like a PS Vita, rather than a tablet, but tablet it is! The sample at CES had Pro Evolution Soccer, Dead Trigger and Trials, in it, which worked " fairly well, with control mapping needing a bit of improvement" according to Gizmag
NVidia has the edge, but still the game is on now, and its time which will decide the winner
The much awaited Dual Play 3D technology for smart TV's by LG was showcased at CES 2013. This allows 2 players to play the same game at same time, with individually seeing the complete screen for their own gameplay. Not a new tech, but this is the first time it has been incorporated into a smart TV.
The game LG demoed is called Mini Motor racing , originally an iOS and Android game, customized for the Dual Play mode for the LG series.It's a top down action racing game , in which each player sees his own screen, with LG's patented FPR (Film-type Patterned Retarder) passive 3D tech.So no screen division in multiplayer mode.
The game is played using the LG Magic remote, which comes with the television. The remote has motion controls, making the gameplay feel like using a Wiimote.LG expects the game to be available for download by the 1st quarter of this year.
The Chinese company Hisense knocked at CES doors with its premium Ultra LED XT900 television series, with sizes of 65, 84, 110 inches , with a brilliant resolution of 3840x2160 pixels , along with 120 Hz panels allowing for active shutter 3D picture. Local dimming technology also provides greater dynamic contrast ratio.
Built in Wifi and a detachable USB camera for Smart TV functions like Skype , along with facial recognition and gesture control are some more features in it. Though not the most brightest of TV's at CES (with 4K panels taking all the limelight), it still is an impressive series. No pricing or launch dates have been announced.
Specs of the XT900 series are:-
UHD (3840x2160) native resolution
U-LED technologies
120 Hz
Wifi enabled
Smart TV with Google TV
65, 84,110 inch size variants
3D
Precise local dimming
Mega Dynamic Contrast ration (10,000,000:1)
Multi Screen Play
Detachable camera
Voice control
Set to compete with Google's Project Glass, Vuzix showcased their M100 smart glasses at CES 2013. Described as "hands free smartphone display and communication system" looks much like a bluetooth earpiece, apart from the arm extension supporting the tiny screen. It comes with built in WiFi, Bluetooth, HD video recording capability, compass, accelerometer, and a 16:9 WQVGA screen , running on Android. It also has GPS and head tracking capacity to track user's movements.
Unlike any apprehensions, the screen looks pretty much normal , comparable to looking at a smartphone from 14 inches distance. Though it could take some time to get used to it, with it covering one eye, making it difficult to coordinate the 2 different views from both the eyes, so much for augmented reality!
Planned to release with Android OS this summer, it could get IOS boost, if the app is approved by Apple. As far as the pricing goes, it will be "under $500" according to the firm itself.
The Australian manufacturing firm Kogan launched Agora , sporting a 5 inch display , with average resolution of 800x480, 1 GHz Dual Core processor, 512 MB RAM, dual sim support, a 5MP and a front shooter , running Android ICS, 4GB internal memory, expandable with microSD card.
Now as you may say, the specs arent all that impressive. They are, as the title suggests, mid range. Lets tell the price then. "Low price" is quite an understatement, as this one costs $149 ... that is ridiculously low now!! The price to feature ratio is quite impressive, in terms of comparison with similarly priced devices.
Kogan is set to be shipped in mid-February. You can find out more details at the official site below
Hydrogen, one of the best bets for future fuels, has long faced the downside due to the high costs for its production, either by using platinum as catalyst, or from fossil fuels, which has always 'fueled' the research to find a cheaper way to get these tiny gaseous molecules. But now, University of Cambridge researchers have found a cheap volunteer for this - the humble cobalt!
It was found that Cobalt catalyzes production of hydrogen in pH neutral water at room temperature, in the presence of oxygen. Dr Erwin Reisner said , "Until now, no inexpensive molecular catalyst was known to evolve H2
efficiently in water and under aerobic conditions. However, such
conditions are essential for use in developing green hydrogen as a
future energy source under industrially relevant conditions."
The research was funded by EPSRC, the Christian Doppler Research
Association and the OMV Group. Their research was published today, 23
August, online in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition. At the same time, researchers are working on solar water splitting technology, to split water into hydrogen and oxygen using sunlight, with some optimistic results.
Though there is a slight problem with Cobalt - its relative instability, which is a major hurdle in this process. Though even if this is countered, don't expect to see hydrogen powered supercars soon, as there is yet to be found a credible storage technology for the gas, as a fuel. Though graphene and sodium borohydride- Nickel combination are some good options researched as of yet. So optimistic we are, for a more 'energetic' future.
At CES 2012
show, the show was dominated by Windows 8 Ultrabooks, 3D OLED TVs,
Android tablets, 4G LTE and quad-core processors. A year on, things have
changed. Here's our pick of the best gadgets and tech of CES 2013.
1. Nvidia's Project Shield
Like a gamepad glued to a tablet, but in a good wayCES occasionally surprises you and Nvidia's planned entry into mobile gaming with Project Shield
has certainly raised a few (thousand) eyebrows. At first glance, it
looks suspiciously like a PC gamepad glued to a 5-inch smartphone. But
that's exactly what makes it so exciting.
This device runs the
Android OS and so it can access any game on the Google Play store.
Better still, it can stream games from any PC equipped with Nvidia's
GeForce GTX 650 or from a laptop packing a GTX 660M GPU. The multi-touch
display boasts an HD resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, while inside
beats the 72-core heart of a new Tegra 4 SoC, which is six times
speedier than the excellent Tegra 3.
2. Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
Qualcomm's new processor has biteAnd
while we're talking mobile processors, Nvidia's Tegra 4 isn't the only
new chip on the block. Samsung pointed us at its forthcoming 8-core Exynos 5 Octa, featuring the ARM A-15; while Intel introduced Bay Trail, its next-generation, 22nm quad-core Atom tablet platform. Not to be outdone, Qualcomm unveiled its 4K-capable Snapdragon 800
chips, which feature a quartet of Krait 400 cores and an improved
Adreno 330 GPU. Thinking about buying a new phone or a tablet? We'd wait
a while if we were you.
3. Sony Xperia Z
With the Xperia Z, Sony have a serious smartphone challengerWhile
most mobile manufacturers save their big smartphone launches for Mobile
World Congress in February, Alcatel outed the 6.45mm-thick One Touch Idol Ultra, ZTE unveiled the Grand S and Huawei debuted its first Windows handset, the Ascend W1. All good phones. But not a patch on the waterproof Sony Xperia Z, which features a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm APQ8064 processor, a 5-inch 1080 x 1920 pixel Reality Display and a 13MP camera.
4. Samsung Youm
It's your new flexible friend (credit: Engadget)When
Apple launched the iPhone in 2007, its icon-based OS and 3.5-inch
touchscreen revolutionised the smartphone. Five years on, we're still
waiting for the next big leap forward in mobile design. Perhaps the Samsung Youm
will enable the phones of 2014-2015 to make another leap. This OLED
display uses thin plastic instead of glass, making the screen pliable,
bendable and almost unbreakable.
5. Panasonic 56-inch 4K OLED TV
It's big and it's beautiful, a bit like whaleIf
last year's CES was all about 3D OLED, then CES 2013 is a showcase for a
new televisual fad - 4K, aka Ultra HD. Both Sony and Panasonic plugged
in beautiful 56-inch prototypes, each laying claim to the title of "world's largest 4K OLED TV".
If we had to choose a winner, we'd opt for Panasonic's stunning 3840 x
2160 pixel set. It's barely a half-inch thick, created with a special 3D
printing technology that might finally enable the mass production of
OLED TVs for sale, not just demo purposes.
6. Valve Steam Box
Steam box has the potential to upend console gamingJust
as Nvidia hopes to disrupt portable gaming with Project Shield, Valve
has ambitious plans to grab a fat slice of the console pie with a Steam
Box. The Piston
concept from Xi3 shows just what Valve has in mind - a small, quiet,
Linux-based system that plugs into your high-def telly and plays PC
titles via the Steam network. It's important to point out that this
dinky Piston box isn't Valve's official hardware. That's still in the
works.
7. FitBit Flex
The FitBit Flex will watch you even when you're asleepWearable
fitness technology isn't a new concept - you can already buy activity
trackers such as the Jawbone Up and the Nike FuelBand. The FitBit Flex
is the latest addition, a colourful wristband that monitors how many
steps you've taken, the distance you've travelled, calories burned and
your quality of sleep. Expect to see a surge in health and fitness gadgets this year, including smart watches and sensor/phone app systems.
8. Pebble Smartwatch
A kickstarter come goodVapourware? Far from it. Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky used CES to announce that the Pebble Smartwatch will be shipping to Kickstarter backers on January 23.
9. Oculus Rift
Bring the game right to your face...Remember virtual reality? Strap the chunky Oculus Rift
to your face and you can get up close and personal with two 640 x 800
LCDs, which combine into a high-def 1280 x 800 pixel display. It looks a
lot like Nintendo's ill-fated Virtual Boy and brings back hazy memories
of the 1990s, when VR gaming was an oddity, ultimately abandoned
because of poor graphics, expensive hardware and joy-destroying lag. The
Oculus Rift spearheads the rebirth of an old and enticing technology.
And it seems to work...
10. Panasonic 4K tablet
Not for the likes of us, but pretty as anythingBucking the trend for compact 7-inch tablets like the Nexus 7 and iPad mini, Panasonic's prototype Windows 8 tablet
boasts a 20-inch, 4K Ultra HD display with 10-point multi-touch. The
good news? Thanks to a specification that includes a 1.8GHz Intel i5
3427U vPro processor, 4GB of RAM and Nvidia GeForce graphics,
performance is zippier than many Windows tablets. The bad news? It
weighs 2.5Kg, has a two-hour battery life and probably won't be aimed at
consumers like us. Still, we can dream.
So what can we take away from this year's show?
4K is the new 3D
Better phones will be launched at Mobile World Congress
New mobile processors will lead to super-smartphones
You'll soon be wearing (or using) a digital health gadget
Virtual reality is back, baby
Portable gaming is poised for a revolution
Valve's Steam Box will challenge next-gen consoles
