Technology fashion show to add glitz to GITEX

August 25, 2008 – 11:28 am

Several state-of-the-arts gadgets and gizmos, many of which are yet to be launched, will be put on show during Dubai’s forthcoming mega consumer electronic event. The GITEX Technology Week, which is also to be accompanied with glamorous Tech-Walk Fashion Show, will provide a preview of brand new consumer technology products. According to organizers, the most recognised brand names in consumer technology like HP, Panasonic, Samsung, Sanyo and Sharp will be displaying their new products at the ‘Gizmo Showcase’. Some of the latest technology on show will include designer mobile phones, MP3 players, HD cameras, and one of the biggest LCD screens in the world, they said.

“The best technology is not just built around an impressive specification any more. How the product is designed and looks is critical to get a younger generation enthused with the latest advancements. “Our tech-savvy audience will be eagerly anticipating the exciting line-up of cutting-edge consumer gadgets and product releases on display,” said Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai world Trade Centre. The Middle East is one of the fastest growing consumer electronic markets, with the total ICT spend in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) expected to rise by 50 per cent to $45 Billion by 2010, according to studies by IDC and IMF. The week-long exhibition is scheduled to be held here from 19-23 October this year.

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High-tech gadgets on the way

August 6, 2008 – 9:49 am

 George Spaulding

As more and more high-tech advances make their way into today’s automobiles, more and more owners complain about the complicated devices and diversions. Some luxury models have as many as 80 knobs and switches to improve the safety and comfort of drivers and passengers. Never fear, friends, high-tech inventions are not complete. The best are yet to come. Here’s a rundown of future product features for your pleasure, as compiled from various auto publications, including Automotive News:

–Sign recognition: Siemens VDO and other suppliers are working on systems that will read speed limit and wrong-way signs. The systems will reach the market in 2009 or 2010.

–Cameras instead of mirrors: Video cameras mounted inside a small housing could replace sideview mirrors. The images could be displayed on the edges of the rearview mirror, on the instrument panel or on a heads-up display on the windshield. It will reach the market by 2010.

–Chatty cars: Cars that can talk can warn each other of danger ahead. Developers want to create a network on wheels that would monitor signals from brakes, steering and other systems so a skidding or stopping car can send signals to nearby vehicles. It will reach the market after 2010.

–Face the camera: A camera monitors the driver’s facial features. If the driver looks away from the road while the car is moving and the system detects something ahead, it will warn the driver and prepare the car’s safety systems for a crash. It already is on the market on the Lexus LS 460.

–Bumper bags: To make sport utility vehicles less deadly when they hit a lower-riding car, suppliers are working on so-called bumper bags. A car hit in testing by a sport utility bumper equipped with an airbag had reduced intrusion, which means fewer injuries. It will reach the market after 2010.

–Biometric technology: Computer technology that recognizes a person based on unique biological identifiers such as fingerprints, facial features or retinal patterns. It can prevent unauthorized use. The technology will reach the market after 2010.

–Vision warnings: New systems now being developed use video camera technology to monitor the road while the vehicle is moving. The system then alerts the driver when the vehicle accidently veers out of the driving lane. No date has been given for introduction to the public.

–Watching from above: Nissan has introduced a system that offers the driver a bird’s-eye view of the vehicle and its surroundings. The feature made its debut in Japan and will be available here later this year.

–Wake-up call: Drivers who doze behind the wheel of a Toyota soon could get a rude awakening. An innovation constantly monitors for signs of sleep in the driver’s eyes and issues a prompt warning if the eyelids get too droopy. The system soon will be offered in some models for Japan. The technology follows a similar system by Nissan in which an onboard robot monitors the driver for signs of fatigue, inebriation or road rage.

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Gadgets to help you take your life on the road

July 15, 2008 – 10:10 am

 LOWELL CONN, Canwest News Service

Jabra breaks monotony:

In this weekly column generally littered with stereo and navigation systems, I thank the heavens for the occasional Bluetooth headset that comes along and breaks up the monotony. Jabra’s new BT4010 is a worthwhile departure, receiving and transmitting cellular phone calls wirelessly while providing up to six hours of talk time and/or 150 hours of standby time.

It boasts s-ECO technology, which means little to me except for the fact that it provides clearer sound and gets Bluetooth 2.0 transmissions up and running within seconds. The big selling point on this device, though, is its LCD “smart” display, which provides immediate information about battery power, Bluetooth connectivity and call status

While this feature is a considerable upgrade over devices that contain no such feedback — thus providing an easier experience when troubleshooting — the LCD display might be an extravagance on a device that will spend most of its time in your ear.  US$60; visit www.jabra.com.

Deskinacar is not a vacation spot:

While Deskinacar may sound like an exotic destination in Southeast Asia, it is, in fact, a lightweight polycarbonate, durable portable folding desk designed to facilitate working in the car. The accompanying product image does not do justice in portraying its versatility. Yes, it will provide a straight, hard surface on which to store gadgets and equipment, but Deskinacar also offers a comfortable writing space by opening up to various angles.

While it need not be said, I do not condone the usage of this product while operating a motor vehicle. However, I do understand its appeal for quick usage, while stopped at a red light, to jot down a note, sign a cheque or write out a last-minute anniversary card. I’d be remiss if I did not credit the manufacturer, Officeinacar Inc., for managing to create products and company names that are uniquely literal and exotic in one fell swoop.   $50; visit www.deskinacar.com.

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Top Gadgets in the Last 25 Years

July 2, 2008 – 10:17 am

Entertainment Weekly recently came out with The Top 25 gadgets and innovations with the biggest effect on pop culture since 1983. Surprisingly enough, the cell phone did not make the list. I don’t agree with Satellite radio or Stadium Multiplex seating being in there. Here is the top 10.

1. The DVD player

2. Napster

3. TiVo

4. iPod

5. YouTube

6. Realistic CG characters

7. Digital video cameras

8. Flat panel TVs

9. Satellite radio stations

10. Stadium multiplex seating

What will the future technology bring? Stay tuned to this site to see.

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With gadgets, early adopters now wary adopters

June 21, 2008 – 9:17 pm

by Kelly Jane Torrance

Washington Times

Do you pride yourself on being an early adopter of new technology? Perhaps you were envied as the first on your block to have the stylish Apple iPhone last year - only to find that those who waited a mere two months got theirs for $200 less. Maybe you bought an HD DVD player last year, wanting to show off the high-definition picture and sound - only to find that the format war that looked to have no end in sight was soon decided in favor of Blu-ray Disc.

Or are you an early-but-not-too-early adopter? You might have waited a few months to get that lower-priced iPhone - only to discover just this month that a new iPhone will be released in July that costs another $200 less and has important new features, including a global-positioning system and access to the faster 3G data network.

You might have thought you were smart by waiting for the high-def DVD format war to end before purchasing a Blu-ray player - but you’ll see new players hitting the market this summer with new interactive BD Live technology that your player doesn’t support. Early adopters have always paid a premium for being the first to sample new technology, but that premium seems to be a lot higher these days.

“I think the new ‘norm’ for technology is change,” says Kit Eaton, a contributing editor of the gadget blog Gizmodo.com. “We’re used to technology advancing quickly, so we know that when we buy something, it’s not going to be the ‘cutting edge’ gadget it was when we bought it for very long.”

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