Star Trek

Mothers Of Invention





If you've ever asked the question "what will they think of next", there's at least one place on Earth that has the answer - the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The annual gizmo and gadget preview of what's coming ended on Sunday, and while it was filled with the usual computer goodies, big screen TVs and MP3 players, there were a few other items that caught the eyes of geeks everywhere.

Among them:



A specially designed video game chair. You sit in the furniture which adjusts a tight grip to all body types and feels like a race car driver's seat. It comes with surround sound, a subwoofer and a cupholder. And it's designed to make you feel like you're in the action as you play your favourite virtual reality escape. It will sell for about $400 U.S. and could be 'sitting' in stores by August.
Now that you've got your video game chair, how about a special Star Trek-like visor to wear while you're lounging in it? The Z800 3D Visor by eMagin Corp. (top left) uses LEDs to flood your senses with 2.8 million pixels - what the manufacturers call the equivalent of a 105-inch TV screen viewed from 12 feet away with a 360 degree view. It puts you into your game, but the magnificent vista won't come without a price - it's expected to sell for about $900 U.S.
A videophone called the Ojo, created by Motorola, uses a broadband Internet connection to take stunning video footage with no loss of picture quality. It will also allow users to make unlimited domestic and international calls over the web for about 15 bucks a month U.S. If you're not calling someone equally equipped with an Ojo of their own, it will still work as a traditional cell. But they won't be able to see the smiling faces of those on the other end of the line.
The world's smallest microdrive from Hitachi is only 1 inch long, weighs about half an ounce, and is 20 times smaller than anything on the market now, yet holds double the data - about 8-10 gigabytes. It hits the market in the latter half of 2005, but will only be available as part of a cell phone or MP3 player.
Tired of the drudgery of having to take your frozen food out of the freezer, defrost it in the microwave and then put it in the oven? An "intelligent oven" takes care of that. It's capable of refrigerating, defrosting, baking, boiling and broiling your favourite dish all in the same device - and you don't even have to be there to make dinner. It can take orders for all its functions over the Internet.
It's a TV screen that's likely bigger than the walls in your home. Samsung demonstrated a set that's more than eight feet tall, and would barely fit into most homes. But most of us couldn't afford the 102-inch plasma screen. And you'll probably never be able to actually buy one. "It's a technology statement," confirms spokesperson Tara O'Donnell. "The message is that Samsung has the ability beyond any other company to produce plasma panels of this size."

Which just goes to prove that what they think of next may not always be what they'll be selling next. But if the consumer interest - and the cash - is there, you can be sure someone will try.






January 10, 2005