CONSUMERS are anxiously completing their wish lists for 2008 to cope with the ephemeral technological demands of the new millennium. But what edgy gizmos can consumers look forward to next year?
‘Apple’ for the eyes and ears
No techie wish list would be complete without the latest gadgets from Apple. After the phenomenal success of the Apple iPod, Apple’s latest offering, the iPhone combines a smartphone, camera, and mp3 player in one sleek touch-sensitive 3.5-inch, 160 pixel-per-inch display and 320×480 pixel color resolution cellular phone. It runs on the Mac OS X, successor to the primary operating system previously used by Apple, has full iTunes integration and can synchronize data from contacts, calendar, music, video, e-mail accounts, and photos with a desktop. It also boasts of a hard drive capacity of eight gigabytes (GB), eight hours talk time, 10.4 days standby time, a 2.0 megapixel camera, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) capabilities, and Bluetooth 2.0, a technology specification for short-range radio links between portable devices capable of three times faster transmission speed.
Aside from the newly released iPods, Apple also revamped its existing models. The new iPod nano can now play videos in its two-inch Quarter Video Graphics Array (QVGA) display, has pre-installed games of Sudoku and Vortex, and is now available in five colors—red, black, silver, green, and blue. The iPod shuffle now has a 100 per cent waterproof version thanks to the partnership between Apple and SwimMan, an inventor of waterproof audio players and headsets. This is a genuine second-generation iPod shuffle and is probably the most robust among the iPods because of its utility and versatility for all sports.
User-adaptive gizmos
For guitar lovers, the Gibson Guitar company pioneers the first high-tech self-tuning guitar developed by German engineer Chris Adams.
Instead of using the conventional magnetic pickups for electric guitars, the Gibson self-tuning guitar uses an automatic system of electronic pickups underneath the strings for a tuning process that creates an electric charge when force is applied on it. The electronic pickups are connected to the digital processor in the guitar’s body cavity that can isolate the frequency and sound of each string accurately.
As you play the self-tuning guitar, its automatic system compares the actual frequencies with the desired notes and sends instructions to tiny servo motors or error-sensing devices on the back of the guitar’s head to automatically self-tune the guitar.
Cinephiles would surely enjoy the features of the Teleglass T3-F one-eye video glasses and Teleglass T4-N, a science fiction inspired eyeglasses which have the capacity to play videos or movies anytime and anywhere you please. The Teleglass T4-N also plays videos with an innovation of a 45 grams sunglasses style look with headphones on its boundaries. It has a video input port that allows it to be connected to any DVD player, iPod, or video camera, and an image output of 640×480 pixels equivalent to a 45-inch screen located two meters away, and a running time of two to four hours of playback.
Home movies away from home
Last September, Sling media launched the Slingbox solo, a gadget that allows users to watch cable, satellite, or personal video recorder programs streamed from a TV source found in their homes to anywhere in the world using a computer with a broadband Internet connection.
It boasts of high definition (HD) compatibility, which enables users to connect to HD devices, gadgets that have increased visual resolution, such as HD TV, HD DVD, and HD video. TV-watching through laptops, iPods, cellular phones, and personal digital assistants are made possible through the Slingplayer, a software that works with the Slingbox’s hardware in transmitting the TV programs to the users’ gadgets.
Meanwhile, Vudu, Incorporated attempts to provide consumers with almost any movie imaginable with the release of the Vudu, a device used to distribute full-length movies to any television through high-speed broadband Internet.
Boasting a selection of 5,000 movies, the Vudu box offers movies ranging from the most popular to the most unfamiliar. It also supports HD movies, which enables users to watch movies in high-resolution. To watch movies in Vudu, users may use their credit cards to rent or buy available titles payable through an account in Vudu’s website.
New and improved
The ordinary Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive is brought to the next level with the creation of the Flash survivor, a storage device made of more durable materials.
Corsair’s Flash Survivor ensures that computer files are stored and secured, literally and figuratively thanks to an aircraft-grade aluminum cover that ensures its durability. A molded shock-dampening collar protects the flash drive from vibration or impact damage. Thanks to these materials, the Flash Survivor is heat-resistant, waterproof, and shockproof.
Meanwhile, video game playing turns wireless with the arrival of Wii, Nintendo’s follow-up to its Game Cube, released in December 2006.
Wii allows for an interactive game play through its remote controller and “nunchuk,” a joystick-style controller connected to the remote controller for additional game maneuver. Players connect to the game console through Bluetooth that allows them to control the game through physical gestures using the remote controller and nunchuk.
Wii also supports wireless connectivity with other Wii consoles or Nintendo DS Lite, a handheld game console. Like the DS Lite, Wii also allows users to access the Internet through its “Internet Channel”, a version of the Opera nine web browser, a software program used to access the World Wide Web, specifically for Wii.
Technology spurns inventions and innovations at a fast-paced rate sooner than expected. But for this holiday season, the latest gadgets that may become tomorrow’s has-beens may prove to be satisfying options for gift-giving both for loved ones and one’s self.
