Wii 2.0 and four other future tech updates
The 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) wrapped up last week, showcasing the cutting edge of emerging technology. Some products and softwares will never move out of the concept stage, but some will become apart of our daily routine. Here are five new or emerging products you can look forward to in a (utopian) future:
SpeechGear has combined translation, speech synthesis and voice recognition to create one killer application. Compadre, a collection of translation software offers a bevy of features that international travelers would kill for: instant translation of anything you see, hear or read into virtually any language. Have a near real-time Internet chat with a foreign language speaker and watch as your words are instantly translated back and forth on screen (works with both speech and text chatting). Use a PDA-type phrasebook for quick reference or translate Microsoft Office text files without even opening them.
On the surface, a Web camera that senses depth sounds useless and boring. But think about Nintendo’s Wii. Expect the Wii technology from 3DV Systems to be integrated in at least one of the next generation gaming consoles. Think deep-immersion in already-addictive games like World of Warcraft or controlling your Mii’s position in Wii tennis or bowling by moving around your living room. If the Wii was revolutionary when it was released, think how much more control this technology could give you.
More and more laptops are being built with Webcams, and programs like Skype have been making videoconferencing on the Web easier. Nevertheless, it remains a hassle. Creative Labs (the same geniuses behind Creative MP3 players, the only brand to truly come close to toppling the iPod) looks like it’s aiming to make the process simpler with its inPerson conference tool.
Resembling a sub-notebook computer, it’s like a computer stripped down to its Webcam, number pad and screen. It uses WiFi or Ethernet to connect and send your image and audio. Downside? Price. The device costs $699 and requires a $10 per month subscription. While those two points will likely put the nails in the inPerson’s coffin, this is the direction where communications is headed. Hopefully in a couple years mobile computers/PDAs like the iPhone will become more popular, and the cameras and cellphone networks will grow to support streaming video chat.
Several new technologies should become the norm for digital cameras in the next several years. The first technology will be introduced this year in Casio’s EX-F1 digital camera: high-frame per second shooting. The EX-F1 can take 66-megapixel photos in one second or 1,200 frames of VGA resolution video. Those specs are better than any affordable professional digital SLR or video camera. However, to do it and make it affordable (well, reasonable, expected retail price is $1,000) Casio had to rethink the way a camera’s internals are built.
On the subject of video recording, a technology that is almost old-hat in still digital cameras is now making its way into video cameras: face recognition. Sony is bringing facial detection technology to its HDR-UX20 camera this year to help ensure that budding videographers will always have faces in sharp focus. Other companies including Nikon, Kodak and Canon are introducing face detection that can detect multiple faces in a photo and even wait for a photo to be taken until everyone’s eyes are open… creepy, but useful.
FotoNation has introduced a technology called FaceTime, which will, unfortunately, aid everyone who creates boring vacation slideshows of their family that you’re forced to watch. The new software will allow a camera’s self timer to be set, but the timer won’t start until the photographer has moved from behind the camera and into the frame. Once again, creepy, but think of the time saved by knowing you got the group photo right the first time.
A.J. Chavar is a technology columnist for The Daily Orange. His columns appear Wednesdays. He has seen the sun, it opened up his eyes, and he saw the sun. E-mail him about it at ajchavar@syr.edu.
Published on January 22, 2008 at 12:00 pm
