GADGET GIZMO SPECIAL HOT STUFF 2015
The
Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held at the beginning of the year in Las Vegas,
sets the technology roadmap for the next 12 months. In this twopart series,
starting this week, Techtonic picks some of the hottest gear that was showcased
at the premier event...
EYE
CANDY
It's curvaceous and super thin at the same time.
Samsung's new SUHD 4K television (where the “S“
supposedly stands for superiorstunningstriking spectacular) uses proprietary
nanocrystal tech to render brighter (up to 2.5 times*) and more vibrant (64
times more colour*) visuals. In fact, the South Korean giant even collaborated
with Hollywood's 20th Century Fox to optimize videos for its new display .
But that's not all. This new curved, smart
screen runs on Tizen, an open-source platform that supports webbased apps for
television. In effect, (wherever available) viewers will be able to watch UHD
movies and shows from internet-based service providers, sports fans will be
able to view live games while simultaneously checking team and player stats on
the same screen, and the TV will even act as an alarm, syncing with mobile
devices to turn on and display the time, weather and the day's schedule on its
large screen. The idiot box is no longer an idiot, or a box, and if first looks
are anything to go by , we're quite impressed.* Samsung figures | 4K TV is
3840x2160px (8.29 MP), which is four times Full HD's 1920x1080px (2.07MP)
PRINTING
ON THE GO
If you carry your office in your smartphone, why
can't you carry your printer in your pocket? The ZUtA is a robot that lays line
after line of print as it glides over paper. This 350g, monochrome printer,
which supports the er, which supports the Android, iOS, OSX, and Windows OS,
connects to your mobile device or PC via Wi-Fi and allows for an hour of
printing up to 60 pages on a single charge of its battery. Not sure of how
effective this robo-tech will prove over the long run, but it sure makes for an
interesting conversation starter.
PERSONAL GAMING
Take a pair of
hi-fidelity headphones, add a 720p display, and connect this contraption to a
gamepad that packs in the latest Nvidia-based gam ing engine. What you get is
the Vuzix V-720 personal headset with which you can `experience' more than one
million Android games, apps, and movies. The V-720 also supports HDMI inputs,
so you can hook it up to your phone, tablet, game console, PC, and 3D Blu-ray
player. The visual illusion is equivalent to watching a 130-inch display from a
distance of 10 feet. Neat! Wonder why no one thought of such convergence
before.
MORE STORAGE AND MORE...
The Saygus V² is
simply too good to be true. It boasts of a Full HD, 5-inch Gorilla Glass 4
display and with its IPX7 rating, the V² is easily one of the most waterproof
handsets in production. But the features it packs in are even more impressive.
Consider: a 2.5GHz quadcore Snapdragon processor, 3GB RAM, 64GB onboard
storage, dual microSDXC slots that support up to 256GB expandable memory
(taking its total storage capacity to a whopping 320GB), 21MP and 13MP cameras
with optical image stabilization and auto focus, USB OTG, an IR blaster that
lets it function as a multipurpose remote control for your TVs and ACs, as well
as a biometric fingerprint side scanner. Whew! The V² comes with root access
letting users update and optimize the smartphone's operating system and it
also supports booting to an alternative mobile OS from a microSD card.
Besides, anything
on the screen of the V² can be projected to a TV monitor with a USB or HDMI
port using an HD Wi-Fi dongle from up to 40 feet away . If you have to covet
something, this is it.
IT'S IN THE EYES
The Eye Tribe
Tracker connects to your mobile device or PC via USB3.0.
Once setup, this
nifty gizmo tracks the tiny movements of the eye's pupils to let you control
your gadgets by mere sight. The average accuracy is around 0.5 degree of visual
angle, which means that the system is capable of determining the on-screen gaze
position roughly within the size of a fingertip (<10mm). When used along
with existing means of control like touch, tilt, and key press, the gizmo
enhances user experience. The Eye Tribe Tracker, which retails at under $100,
ships along with its own developer kit that lets programmers design
applications for smartphones, tablets and PCs.Imagine scrolling a web page as
you reach the bottom of your screen, or what such a device can do for gaming on
your tablet and more importantly, how it could help the disabled to use their
computers better! Savio.DSouza@timesgroup.com
BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING
The Netatmo
Welcome is a do-it-yourself camera system that lets you keep an eye on your
home when you're away . The device, which can be placed anywhere in your
residence, features facial recognition that identifies family members to update
you with notifications on your smartphone on who is home when you are not.
Alternatively, it
also alerts you when it sees an unknown face. The videos recorded by Welcome
are stored securely (256-bit AES encryption) on the camera's local SD card.
Setting up Welcome is simple too: Just link the camera to an internet
connection wirelessly or with a network cable and then configure it using its
Android or iOS app. Welcome boasts of a 5MP sensor, is capable of covering a
130° field of view, and is also equipped with night vision and a microphone to
record audio.
BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM
Professional
sports demands hi tech wizardry, and with the Smart Ball, Adidas has
delivered.This sphere is packed with sensors that detect speed, spin, flight
path and impact point. Kick data is transmitted wirelessly over Bluetooth to a
smartphone app in a highly visual way to help footballers improve their
accuracy during spot kicks and penalties.The Smart Ball comes with its own
induction charging stand, and a one-hour charge of its li-poly battery is good
for around 2,000 kicks. Now, even you can learn to drop it like Ronaldinho.
UNBRIDLED POWER
Qualcomm's new
Snap dragon 810 processor will support its WiPower technology that will allow
users to charge their smartphones and tablets wirelessly by simply placing them
on a WiPower charging mat. The technology uses radio frequencies to juice up
gadget batteries, and this means you can charge multiple devices at once by
placing them in any orientation on a charging surface. Bye-bye wires. In Hot
Stuff 2015 II , watch out for a self-aware vehicle, clothing that checks
wellness, headphones the doctor ordered and more...
TOI18JAN15
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