Dick Tracy Watch Had Nothing On This One!
Doors open Thursday at the world's largest technology trade show.
The four-day Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas features more than 2,700 exhibitors with some of the coolest and most cutting-edge stuff around. Many of the items are so new, they're not even on the market yet.
CNET-TV Senior Editor Natali Del Conte is there, as is CBS News Science and Technology Correspondent Daniel Sieberg.
On The Early Show Thursday, they spotlighted several gadgets that grabbed their attention.
Among them -- one that has real-life meeting fiction.
The following descriptions were supplied directly, or prepared with information provided by the manufacturers:
LG Watch Phone ("Dick Tracy" phone!)
Source: http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2009/01/lg-watch-phone.html
James Bond and Dick Tracy fans are likely to queue up for this soon. The new watch phone from LG is one of the coolest gadgets at the CES 2009 show.
At a press event there, LG USA President Michael Ahn showed a working demo of the device. It's a surprisingly slim watch that has a touchscreen phone, 3G and Bluetooth capabilities. It also has a camera that can take photos and small videos.
Worn on the wrist, the phone looks like any ordinary watch displaying the time but when a call comes in, the screen changes. Just raise your hand a little closer to your mouth, press a button and you can talk into the watch through the speakerphone capability.
The watch phone is expected to go into production mid-year though the company didn't offer any details on pricing.
Samsung HD Camera
Source: Samsung
The HMX-H106, Samsung's new flagship full-HD digital camcorder, is the world's first to feature an internal 64GB Solid State Drive (SSD). Samsung's renowned SSD technology offers a substantial advantage over the use of Hard Disk Drives (HDD) in a digital camcorder, providing consumers with higher performing and more durable internal memory. In comparison to HDD, Samsung's SSD technology is more lightweight and compact, operates silently with very low heat emission, and features no moving parts, which significantly reduces overall power consumption and enhances reliability. No moving parts also make SSD technology more durable and resistant to shock and vibrations, which pose a considerable threat to the performance of HDD based digital camcorders.
Flexible O-L-E-D prototype
Source: http://i.gizmodo.com/5124466/wrist+worn-flexible-oled-out-in-the-wild
The Universal Display Corporation (UDC) have themselves a wrist-worn, flexible OLED prototype that they built with support from the US Department of Defense.
The 4-inch screen looks a bit too unwieldy for practical use in the field, but the UDC believes that this technology will find a home with our military forces some time in the not to distant future (and in our cellphones and other devices beyond that). In the meantime, they plan to bring a working model to CES, so at least a few lucky attendees will get a taste of our OLED future.
3D Webcam
The Minoru 3D Webcam is a single piece with two cameras spaced roughly the same distance apart as human eyes, for the stereoscopic effect. The camera can use SKYPE, AIM and other messenger systems. It can even record to YouTube. But remember, you need 3d glasses to see them.
VAIO P Series Lifestyle PC
Currently available for pre-orders online at www.sony.com/pr/pseries and at select major retailers around the country starting next month. Chic compact design measuring about the length of a business envelope and weighing 1.4 pounds. Integrated wireless WAN, LAN, and Bluetooth technologies, making it easy and efficient to connect wirelessly. Built-in GPS technology for navigating even the most unfamiliar places - no internet connection required. High-resolution 8-in ultra wide LCD, for viewing entire webpages in one screen -- no horizontal scrolling necessary. Available in five fashion-forward colors including garnet red, emerald green, onyx black, crystal white and classic black.
CANON HD VIXIA HF S10
VIXIA HF S10 Dual Flash Memory Camcorder. Has the ability to shoot full HD video and also can be used as a camera with 8 megapixels. 32GB of internal storage and has extended recording capabilities with the use of an SDHC memory card. Canon Genuine Face Detection Technology which can track up to nine faces and ensure they are in focus. Incorporates Canon's DIGIC DV III which ensures superb image quality.
LOGITECH HARMONY 1100 ADVANCED UNIVERSAL REMOTE
Featuring a 3-point-5 inch, full-color touch screen and RF wireless technology, the Harmony 1100 makes it easy to control the show, even when your devices are out of sight. To give you even more control than what was possible with older versions, the soft buttons can be personalized to allow you to set up your remote the way you want it. You choose the commands you want to see on the touch screen page. You choose the images and icons you want to use for each command.
MINDFLEX Game
Have you ever dreamed of moving an object with the power of your mind? Mindflex, the new mental acuity game from Mattel, makes that dream a reality! A lightweight headset containing sensors for the forehead and earlobes measures your brainwave activity. When you focus your concentration, a small foam ball will rise on a gentle stream of air. Relax your thoughts and the ball will descend. By using a combination of physical and mental coordination, you must then guide the ball through a customizable obstacle course - the various obstacles can be repositioned into many different configurations. Mindflex combines advanced technology with the power of thought to create an interactive experience unlike any other - a game where players compete in the ultimate mental marathon!