Join Anybot Telepresence Robot
The Anybot telepresence robot is a videophone with a bit of a difference. The screen and phone are incorporated into a 2 wheeled human sized robot.
Like a Segwat the Anybot uses the same sort of technology to always remain upright even when bending (I’m guessing this is so it can look down on your minions even when you’re away from the office).
It has a top speed of 6 MPH, a built in laser pointer (maybe a gun in later versions), 2 cameras and full duplex audio. It’s a cool idea but somewhat big brotherish IMO.
More info over at AnyBots.
Mindflex – A game of mind control
Mattel are due to launch Mindflex, a mind control game. The game consists of a sponge ball that you levitate by concentrating (and pulling a seated straining face). The ball floats by means of a fan and you can control the height by the power of your strain.
Twisting a dial moves the ball around the customizable circular course, then use your mind to move it up and down to navigate through the various obstacles.
It’s cool in a simple different kind of way though I’m not sure if it has any longevity and you do look a bit of a dork having to wear a head band and crocodile clips on your ears (I don’t think anybody took a picture when I had a play).
Mindflex is due to market the Fall of 2009 and will retail for ~$80.
HP’s new line of attractive ergonomic mice
When I hear about a mouse that actually features color, I usually cringe a little. In my mind I’m picturing the usual pink all decked out with rhinestones. It seems like no one wants to take the time to offer a mouse that features an attractive design for those that want a mouse in a color besides the boring black or the overly girly pink. There have been a couple that have created interesting mice, but when they do have an elegant design it typically means they’re overpriced. Thankfully HP featured a line of mice at CES that is not only attractive, but affordable.
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Meade ETX-LS brings the night sky a little closer
Meade are a well known name in consumer telescopes, recognised for using computer technology to make telescopes easier to use.
That technology reaches a peak in the new ETX-LS, which combines GPS and optical sensing technology to optimally align itself in 3 minutes, anywhere on the planet.
Once you’re looking at an object in the sky the telescope will work out what you’re looking at and if it knows about it, give you information through the built in speaker. It will even present related video on a connected TV.
For the uninitiated, here’s why auto alignment is cool: we are sitting on a ball of rock moving through space and spinning at 1000MPH. If you try to use a telescope to look at the sky you’ll find that it very quickly moves (remember we’re spinning) and you have to readjust the telescope to keep the sky still.
Motorised telescopes can do this adjustment automatically but they need to be told where they are on the earth so that they can work out which direction to move in.
So the ETX-LS can work out where it is automatically using GPS, fine tune itself by recognising the sky, find anything you want to look at automatically, keep track of it for as long as it’s over the horizon and also (if it’s a well known object) tell you something about it. Pretty neat!
KVAR Energy Controller, claims to save you up to 25%
I’ve just seen an interesting demonstration by Greg Taylor, the inventor of the KVAR energy saving unit AKA KEC. The KEC unit is claimed to reduce your electricity bill by up to 25%. It works by magic optimizing the wattage and voltage curves making the delivered electricity more efficient.
The savings only work with inductive electric motors, which are one of the major power consumers in many homes (washing machines, air conditioning units, driers, etc).
The domestic unit retails for $399 and can be fitted by a qualified electrician, return on investment is rapid (12 months) and along with the saved energy costs it also increases the life of the motors and appliances.
The demonstration did look impressive and if it really does what it says then the technology will save people a fair amount of money but it did seem a bit too good to be true.
Further information can be found on kvarnrg.com.
SealShield keyboard – fit for Howard Hughes?
SealShield have (so they tell me) been producing products for the healthcare / hospital industry for years but they’re making a new foray into the consumer space with a range of washable, anti-bacterial computer and AV products.
To start with we have the Silver Surf wireless keyboard with integrated touchpad. The keyboard is completely spill proof and can even be used totally submerged. When you think about the hostile environment living room PCs are exposed to (beer, popcorn, kids…) this could be a handy HTPC controller.
They also have a laser mouse that uses a touch sensitive strip instead of a traditional scroll wheel (less components to gunk up) and finally a universal home theatre remote control.
There are variations on the keyboard and mouse (with/without cord or touchpad) and all the products are dishwasher safe- you don’t even need to remove the batteries!
CES: Ballmer keynote speaks of Microsoft’s future … and it’s still Windows
Steve Ballmer began his first keynote with a brief look back of the 15 previous during the Gates’ era. He then paid tribute to Gates work in Africa. Then, looking ahead, Ballmer acknowledged that in the short term, the economy is going through what he considers to be merely a speed bump on the road to technological advancement. Tech marches on and it’s drumbeat is convergence. Ballmer said that Microsoft is committing a considerable amount of treasure to research and development to what he considers are three main areas: 1) the Convergence of the PC, phone, and TV; 2) How we compute through new interfaces that will augment the traditional keyboard – being voice and gesture recognition; and 3) moving our lives from the hard drive to the cloud. The future will meld these three and we’ll be even more connected online and we’ll be all the richer for it.
To that end, Windows will become the hub, the lynchpin to what Ballmer refers to as everyone’s “personal solar system.” And it will transform that system from a PC OS to connected environment. To that end, Windows 7 has become streamlined with faster boot times, less alerts, and a modular design which will bring more features as they mature and become available. It’s quite the departure from the “all up” variants which became larger and slower and more security prone. But Windows 7 changes all that with the basic , stable and secure OS that Microsoft can build upon. And everyone can play with it now as Microsoft will release the beta version beginning Friday. Then, users who need options, like email, video editing, and instant messaging, can download Windows Live! Essentials and begin their connection to the cloud. Part of the Windows 7 advantage is that home networking has become easier and more connected with other PCs, Media Players, and even game consoles. There’s even what Microsoft promises to be – seamless integration to phones using an improved Windows Mobile.
Lastly, Microsoft announces two near Halo games coming this year and the new Xbox experience which will have custom avatars, “primetime custom programming,” and Netflix movie downloads. But the most fun could be “KODU,” an application that will let users, and especially kids, make their own social video games! Then there’s a new tablet PC turned into a collaborative digital text book for students, Microsoft Surface, of course with flexible 3D color display and interactivity.
I dunno. By comparison to the Schiller MacWorld keynote we see what we always see between these two platforms. Both competing, but on different roads as they face a future without their founding fathers (although Jobs is still in the Apple captain’s chair for the moment).
The short term may be a bit rocky, but the road to Redmond looks pretty smooth.
Hat Tip – CoverItLive! Photo Credit – The Gray Old Lady
NetGear’s Internet TV Player
I don’t know who the speaker was at NetGear’s CES Press Conference this morning, but he was very excited about his company’s new Internet TV Player.
The Internet TV Player is exactly what the name implies, a way of enjoying Internet videos on your television. This type of technology isn’t really new, but when the speaker withdrew the device from his jacket pocket, that got the crowd’s attention. Apparently, not many PC to TV devices are this small. The remote control that you see in this photo on the left is exactly to scale.
Big things come in small packages on this device as it allows the user to browse through popular Internet sites like YouTube or any other site with video content. No computer is required as the user can scroll through a menu screen right on his or her television.
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