If we start with the communication sector, first gadget we will think of is, of course, the popular iPhone 3G, Apple’s latest release, which is the world’s first and onlymulti-touchscreen cell phone available for customers worldwide. This innovative technology introduced by Microsoft’s Surface table, allows you to control applications on your phone using your fingers for typing on the on-screen keyboard, glide through albums, scroll through pictures, and zoom web pages, all by touching the multi-touch display layer placed on a capacitive panel in charge with detecting your pressing via electrical fields. Your touch is then sent to the LCD screen under this layer, processed by special software, and interpreted as flicks, taps and pinches.
The on-screen keyboard is different than what you are used with. It adapts its keys and layout for different applications and 21 languages, according to the current mode.
Another technology used in the
iPhone, as well as in other high-end handsets on the market, include the accelerometer sensor based on silicon springs that measure the silicon mass position using electrical current, which enables the phone to rotate its image automatically when turned sideways.
The Ambient Light Sensor detects changes in the light conditions and adjusts the display brightness automatically, while the Proximity Sensor feels when something larger than your fingers gets close, turning off the display to save power and to avoid accidental touches on the screen.
In the healthcare industry, Philips continues to be one of the major developers of latest gadgets in technology and medical solutions.
Starting this spring, nurses and physicians have access to a new portable high-end tablet called CliniScape, which keeps them up to date with each patient’s health condition, by providing real-time information about blood containers, medication and others, as well as enabling wireless connectivity with heartbeat or blood-pressure sensors, telephone headsets and dictation microphones.
More than that, using the 2MP digital camera built into the tablet, nurses can take pictures of the patients’ wounds.
CliniScape from Philips can be used as a mobile point of care device to access other medical applications including IntelliVue Clinical Information Portfolio and iSite PACS medical image and information management system.
To perform all these tasks, CliniScape tablet has a small form factor weighting just 1.8Kg, and features a 10-inch touchscreen display with pen input, smart swappable battery, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or Windows Vista operating system, an Intel Core Solo 1.2GHz processor, 60GB HDD storage, 1GB DDR2 RAM memory,barcode reader, RFID reader, Bluetooth, one USB port, docking station, and drop/spill resistance.
Latest gadgets in technology from the education sector include 3 impressive devices, one of which is already famous - the XO laptop computer brought by the OLPC non-profit organization. The innovation here involves several elements working together to enable mobile learning for children anytime, in any place. It is characterized by flexibility, ultra-low-cost, power-efficiency, responsiveness and durability, while functioning as a wireless router that connects children, teachers and families remotely, to each other or to the World Wide Web.
XO laptops have 7.5-inch self-refreshing displays of 200DPI, with a resolution of 1200 x 900 pixels and 2 available modes: transmissive full-color and reflective high-resolution black/white for increased sunlight readability. It is an ultra-low-power consumer reaching 0.2W, and can be powered manually even by small hands.
Going further we get to the Teachermate Handheld Computer, a $50-small system coming to Latin American schools. It is the cheapest computer on the market designed like a gaming device, so that all kids to enjoy learning on it using math applications and basic literacy.
It runs with an ARM9 32-bit processor at 200MHz and integrates 500MB NAND FlashRAM memory, SD card slot, speaker, headphone jack, and a 16-bit LCD display. From a full charge, 5-years old children can operate it up to 3.5 hours. Teachers in a classroom can charge all Teachermates and synchronize scores using the Synch and Store Case, as well as update devices simultaneously.
TI Graphing Calculators from Texas Instruments are optimized for complex math-related calculations, sporting large 3.5-inch displays, mouse-like controls, and featuring spreadsheet capabilities and acceptance during SAT, ACT and AP tests. Preparation help comes from The Princeton Review and 25 minutes of free online homework help provided by Tutor.com. They measure 1.13 x 3.94 x 7.81 inches at 0.64 pounds, and power from 4 AAA batteries.
You can store in them up to 20MB of data transferred from a PC via the USB cable.
At the mobility chapter we have the MacBook Air, another Apple innovative product, which became the world’s thinnest laptop. We don’t have spectacular technologies here but just an amazing design idea used to create a portable computer covered in anodized aluminum, weighting 3 pounds at 0.16 x 0.76 inches. It has a 13.3-inch widescreen LED backlight display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, multi-touch trackpad, and a full-size keyboard with backlight for low light environments. The ambient light sensor detects changes in light and adjusts brightness automatically.
In this case, Apple managed to produce the thinnest laptop in the world, without sacrifying power and standard computer capabilities.
Now let’s check to see what might be the most innovative fitness gadget. If you got the chance to read our article about the best MP3 player portable, you know I’ll mention the BODiBEAT - world’s first portable MP3 player, capable to match the songs it plays with your workout pace. It was created by Yamaha as a fitness companion using a heart rate monitor clipping to the ear, and based on a technology detecting impact during running, walking, and dancing, it plays the right songs with beats per minute that match your steps per minute. In order to do this, it categorizes the songs uploaded by you from the PC, according to the number of beats per minute.
Another important aspect is that, from a full charge, BODiBEAT operates for up to 12 hours, time during which you can set times, distances and calorie number, so the device to alert you when targets have been reached.
We announced that the world’s first brain controlled gaming headset is available in February, when we read about it on the official website and learned about its cool features. These cool features convinced us to include the EPOC gaming headset in this article covering the latest gadgets in technology, for the fact that it allows you to control games based on thoughts and emotions.
The company that created it is Emotiv, focused on bringing solutions built with brain computer interface technologies.
Their EPOC uses your electrical signals from around the brain, processes them, and translates these into “magical powers” and object manipulation. The headset understands immersion, meditation, excitement, frustration, tension, laugh, smile, crossed eye, wink, anger, shock, horizontal eye movement, grimace, pull, push, drop, lift, rotate, and the even the power of making things disappear in video games.
While wearing it, you can control your web camera and mouse cursor movement on the desktop. Imagine how exciting would be to use it while driving those evil GTA 4 Cars!
Before knowing more about Pleo toy gadget you need to know a few about what he represents. Camarasourus sauropod lived in North America during the Late Jurassic Period 150 million years ago and he measured about 18 meters in length, after reaching the adult age.
Pleo is such a dinosaur but just one week old. He was designed by Caleb Chung and manufactured at Ugobe by a team of robotics specialists, animators, technologists, scientists, biologists, and programmers. It integrates sensors and motors that enable him to learn and adapt to different environments.
Based on the artificial intelligence technology, he develops his own personality, feeling playful, scared, surprised, sad, awareness, hungry, and responding to your voice and touch as well. He is even ticklish.
Technologies and hardware components of Pleo include a camera for light and object detection, 2 microphones, binatural hearing, beat detection, touch sensors, surface detection, force-feedback sensors, orientation tilt sensor, infrared sensor in the mouth for object detection, infrared communication with other Pleo robots, miniUSB port for online downloads, and a 32-bit Atmel ARM 7 microprocessor.
Firmware updates for Pleo dinosaurs come via SD cards or USB transfers.
Now let me surprise you with some movie-like images from a real project of an upcoming gadget. This time, the innovation debuted at SID Display Week 2008 in the form of eyeglasses created by Microsivion using the UltraMiniature PicoP Display Engine.
How could you benefit from it? –By attending a conference remotely and adding your part of speech, walk through crowds while checking emails on the glasses, see where your friends are at specific moments by detecting them on the map, receive turn-by-turn directions, and even read virtual recipes while cooking.
Latest gadgets in technology from the design sector are many, but one of the most innovative and unique is PlanterSpeakers Hi Fi speakers? model created by Madison Fielding, an award-winning custom audio products manufacturer.
Terra Cotta Mini Planter is a speaker designed for both indoors and outdoors, fitting any décor with its support for growing natural flowers.
They are waterproof and made of durable materials, equipped with the 360-degree surround sound capability. Components include 6-inch coaxial Marine Speaker, 80Hz to 15KHz +/-3Db frequency response, high bass filter, 25W/RMS power handling, 20 to 50W/RMS recommended amplifier power, 90Db 1 W sensitivity, 8 Ohms impedance, and dimensions of 20 inches in height and 14 inches in width, at 15 lbs.
After knowing about these latest gadgets in technology, which cover only top aspects of this theme, it’s easy to give yourself the right answer to the question Why is technology important today?
