TECH TREND:
‘POWERBAG’ CHARGES ELECTRONICS

If you’re a smartphone user, you probably don’t have many complaints about your phone except for the fact that the battery doesn’t last too long. Something you might find useful is a new gadget called the Powerbag, a line of shoulder bags equipped with batteries. It’s great for long trips, or if you simply forgot to charge your phone the night before. It’s got a rechargeable battery connected to standard-size cords for iPod, BlackBerry and other gadget and goes for $140 USD.

Some critics have questioned its safety. Spokespeople of the company say there is nothing to worry. "Powerbag sources the highest quality cells and parts for the batteries. Our batteries are all rigorously and thoroughly tested, enduring the most abusive of treatment, still upholding Powerbag's high standard of safety."

Another thing to keep in mind: you actually have to CHARGE the bag too. The good news is, the Powerbag battery lasts a really long time. It could go over a week on one single charge. The best part is, it’s very slick looking and doesn’t look too geeky.

For more information or to get your own Powerbag visit www.MyPowerBag.com

NEW DIGITAL CAMERA:
SAMSUNG MULTIVIEW MV800

Samsung has introduced a very cool digital camera the MultiView MV800. It sells for $280 US. It comes with a three-inch-wide flip-out display. It also has a flip LCD touchscreen that comes out 180 degrees to perfectly frame a self-portrait shot. Adjusting the screen is smoother for low-angle shots on the ground. You don’t have to crouch down and it also does better high-angle shots above your line of sight. It has16.1 megapixels, 5X optical zoom, 26mm wide-angle lens, and HD video technology. It's really thin and sleek. It also does panoramic shots.  There are add-ons like Magic Frame, which has 12 templates that place faces in images.

NEW OFFICE DESK:
‘TREADDESK’

An office gadget that has been making headlines is the TreadDesk. Are you tired of sitting in a chair all day? The TreadDesk lets you stand up and walk while you work at your desk right in front of you. The TreadDesk has been designed to let you walk at a slow pace of only 1-2 mph. Most TreadDesk users can type, write and talk on the phone just as well as they can when sitting.

Experts say once you stand up and start moving, your brain operates at a much higher level as blood flow increases, making it easier to focus, increasing productivity, alertness and creativity.

HOT NEW GADGET:
‘RED POP’ FOR IPHONE

There is a new iPhone accessory that enhances the device’s camera capabilities. It’s called Red Pop, a tangible shutter button for the device. Large enough for even the clumsiest of hands, yet discreet enough to not draw attention to photographers who wish to remain unseen, the attachable accessory helps capturing photos in rapid succession, something that the iPhone camera can’t do in its current incarnation.

SMARTPHONE TREND:
3D SCREENS

The newest smartphone trend is 3D smartphones. Everything is 3D now. Sprint announced its new HTC EVO 3D ($200 US) smartphone, which comes with 3D technology. Not only can you create 3D videos with the dual 5MP cameras on the back of the phone, but you can also stream and watch 3D movies glasses-free. I'm wondering how often users would actually take advantage of the 3D screen. 

HOT NEW GADGET:
'PLAYBUTTON' MP3

The latest mini mp3 player that you will want to pick up is now on sale. It's called Playbutton and it’s about the size of a tiny iPod Shuffle. It’s a pin and you wear it proudly cause it looks good. Pins are now being turned into music devices. Unlike an iPod, each pin’s playlist is set and can’t be downloaded or altered, just like a vinyl record. On the back of the pins, just like album covers, you will see album art selected by the featured band. Right now there are eight albums available. Just put on your headphones and press the control the three buttons on the back.

HOT NEW GADGET:
PORN STICKS

If you have the suspicion that there may be porn hiding in a particular computer, by either your employees, spouse or kids, there is now a special USB key that will find out. It’s called the porn stick. It plugs straight into your computer, and scours for anything it deems as porn. This is done using different algorithms that look at things such as flesh tones, shapes, facial recognition, and more. At the moment, the stick detects just photos, not videos.

You can find it at www.parabensticks.com

Price tag: 100$ US.

NEW TECHNOLOGY:
MIND-CONTROLLED COMPUTERS

There is now technology developed that allows you to control computers with your thoughts.It was designed originally for epilepsy patients. The scientists attach a temporary surgical implant to the region of the brain that deals with speech. The patients think about certain words, and the computer is controlled with 90% accuracy! Amazing!The is a great discovery for patients who have lost their speech, and may one day be able to form words, through a machine, that simulates human speech.

HOT NEW GADGET:
LAPTOP CONTROLLED WITH EYES

There's a new laptop on its way that's taking laziness to a new level! You don't have to lift a finger - literally! You control the laptop with your eyes.  Lenovo has developed a laptop with eye-control technology. It can scroll through websites, documents, and even select items, just through the power of the user's eyesight. 

It was originally designed for quadriplegics, but gamblers found have quickly found another use for it.  Now those who struggle to count cards in their head can just send eye signals to a black jack counting device. It improves the player's edge to 49.5% chance of winning against the house. 

For now only a prototype is build and could be in consumer laptops in as little as two years. 

TECH TRENDS:
MACBOOK PRO

You might be thinking of buying a Macbook or  might already like the Macbook Pro because it has a long battery life, a terrific track pad and it’s easy to use! Now Apple is speeding up the Macbook Pro with a new line of computers! So how are they different? Is it worth investing?

Well, they have the fastest dual core processors on the market that are twice as fast as last year’s models. The much-hyped thunderbolt technology is included that will allow you to transfer full-length High-Definition movies in less than 30 seconds! If music is your thing, it can back-up one year’s worth of non-stop music in just ten minutes! For video chatting, the new Facetime camera allows you to connect with smart phones and iPods! The clean aluminum case is back, which is a plus.

The downside of the new models is it’s the same maximum screen resolution as last year and still no Blu-ray drive. Regardless, this is a fantastic product for first-time buyers! However, they’re not cheap. They start at 1200 dollars. If you have last year’s model it might be best to wait another year.

TECH TREND:
TV VIDEO CALLS

A modern day tech innovation to make life more fun: TV Video calling.

I’m not talking about Skype or iChat - these are video calls on your television, not your laptop. You could have friends and relatives looking back at you live from your TV screen.

It's the Logitech TV Cam and it allows you to make and receive high definition video calls. You could communicate with other users of the product, or those with a webcam and an account Logitech's messaging application.  

The camera attaches to the top of your TV set with an adjustable clip at the back. It has two digital, directional microphones to pick up audio around the room.  It has wide angled lens and a zoom. You could fit in the whole sofa, or just a head shot if you want. I love this one! I want one!

Price: cheap! $149.99 US

TECH NEWS:
TOSHIBA & LG 3D TV'S

In the TV arena Toshiba has made a huge splash with its enormous 3D TVs that don't require consumers to wear special glasses to watch. Glasses-free TVs were introduced at last year's Consumer Electronics Show on small screens, but Toshiba raised the bar this year and demoed the technology on 56-inch and 65-inch screens. There are only a few spots in front of the TV where the effect works, though. 

Toshiba's glasses-free TVs are expected to go on sale in North America in fiscal 2011. Meantime, LG, on the other hand boasted that it has the world's slimmest OLED TV at just 2.9 millimeters thick. It has a 31-inch screen with a full-HD 1920 by 1080 display. The picture quality is gorgeous!

APPLE TV VS. GOOGLE TV:
WHICH IS BETTER?

So you've heard about the new Apple TV and Google TV and you're wondering - which one should you get?

I say Google TV offers more.


Google TV will be built right in to new TVs from Sony available on separate set-top boxes from Logitech. Also, Google TV has more power than Apple TV. Apple TV is really just a store for iTunes in the middle of your living room.

Google’s sources either come for free through the Web, from a cable box, or third-party providers. 

Here in LA, I sat down with Ben Mendelson President of Interactive Television Alliance. It's a non-profit trade association made up of 130 companies that create interaction between viewers and television.

 In the same six month period there has been two announcements. One is the new Apple TV - which is a big improvement from the old Apple TV – and Google TV, which has just officially launched.  According to Mendelson both are big players, and he has no doubt they with both be here in some capacity but they are playing two different parts of the game.

The big thing that Apple TV has done is they took their product that was $299 US and made it $99 US, making it a lot more accessible. The problem with Apple TV is that invariably what they want you to do is to go to iTunes and pay $0.99 to rent a TV show or $3.99 for a movie. Mendelson doesn’t think this is the best idea because he doesn’t believe that that is how people watch TV.

Google TV on the other hand does everything Apple TV does but could also get you directly onto the Internet. More than that, it’s actually creating an operating system for the TV itself. Google TV wants to be in the TV itself and not just a box. There is a box – it’s $299, a little pricy. Over the next six months to a year there will be less expensive options and there will be more TV’s that have Google TV in it.

Apple recently redesigned the Apple TV to run on the same A4 processor powering the iPhone and iPad. Essentially, it’s a smartphone, without a screen, in a box.
 

Google TV will run on Intel’s Atom processor – the same chip powering virtually every netbook on the market. It has horsepower to pump up to full 1080p video. 

BUSINESS CARD TREND: SNAPDAT, POKEN, BEEZCARD


Get ready POKEN is here! With all of our methods of communication these days, any technology that simplified this part of our lives is bound to be all the craze.

Several iPhone apps such as Beezcard and SnapDat allow you to share contact details with others.

SnapDat gives you the exact look of a business card and allows you to send your information to another SnapDat device and stores your information in their address book instantly. It can be downloaded for free at the Apple App store or at snapdat.com. The drawback is, not everyone has an iPhone. A Swiss company responded to this and invented Poken..

What is Poken exactly?

Poken is a technology that utilizes a proprietary Near Field Communicaion (NFC) technology to allow the exchange of online social networking data between two keychain accessories. Each person involved in the exchange must have his or her own Poken. The primary information exchanged via the Poken is a 'social business card', a digital replacement for a physical business card. By touching two devices together, a unique ID is exchanged that links to contact information on the Poken website. Contact information acquired by use of the Poken can be uploaded to the Poken website using a built-in USB connector.

In addition to the contact information found on a typical business card, links to users' social networks can also be added. Examples include Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and 40+ other social networks. Users of the Poken website can use a 'social dashboard' to manage, and interact with their contacts. With today's information overload, the purpose of Poken is a tool to link all of the different ways someone can get in touch with you.

For more information visit www.poken.com

SPORTS TREND:
INDOOR GOLF


Now turning to sports and the INDOOR golf trend. There's now a trend seeing golf go from natural to man-made facilities to on-screen indoor facilities. Of course, it's better to play golf on a real outdoor golf course, but when it rains it's nice to find a golf simulator at the resort. Golf simulaters have been around for decades, mostly in northern cities that don't have the warm weather (like Canada) and have fewer outdoor courses.

aboutGolf is a 19-year old company that has become the world leader in indoor golf simulator technology by providing a new level of realism. aboutGolf produces PGA TOUR Simulators, 3Trak launch monitors, and Henry-Griffitts Custom Fitting. Historically, aboutGolf also produced Microsoft Golf, Greg Norman Ultimate Challenge Golf and World Tours, which is the world's most-widely-distributed golf simulation software.

The company has over 500 golf simulators installed around the USA and worldwide with another 300 to be installed in the next year or so. www.aboutgolf.com.

SAMSUNG: 3-D TV


SAMSUNG

The 3D HD TV from Samsung is here. They have been in South Korea since last month and Panasonic is due to launch next week. Samsung is offering 3D LED TVs, 3D LCD TVs and 3D Plasma TVs, a Blu-ray Player and a Home Theatre System. It's also announced a content partnership in late February with Dreamworks SKG to 3D-ify the studio's CGI-based films like Shrek, Monster and Aliens. Orders for its 3D TVs on Amazon were strong. It's expected the 3D industry will sell between 3.5 million and 4 million 3D TV units in the US this year.

The 3D playback on Samsung's demo-reel was accomplished. It offered unexpectedly wide viewing angles so you're not stuck to an optimised spot to get the 3D effect and pin-sharp image quality. Samsung achieves this with its own active shutter powered 3D glasses. The company's LED and LCD 3D TVs refresh at 240Hz so the glasses refresh at half the rate to synchronise the content. The right and left eye shutters alternately open and close, there by producing the 3D effect.

Samsung will only bundle one pair of its 3D glasses when its 3D TVs go on sale. If you're a cash rich early adopter, then lucky you and it won't be an issue. However, no matter how much money you're willing to spend on extra Samsung 3D glasses, you won't get them working with 3D technology from other manufacturers.

SONY

Sony is playing 3D catch-up with Samsung, LG and Panasonic. Sony will increase its TV shipments by 70 per cent and will deliver more than 25 million 3D TVs in the next fiscal year. Sony may be behind the rest of the big display manufacturers but it has a trick up its sleeve that none of its competition can claim. It will be one of the first, if not the only manufacturer to deliver an entire 3D gaming hardware and software service through its PlayStation gaming consoles. 3D gaming is set to be massive and Sony can publish and develop 3D games that can be played on Playstation 3s with a firmware upgrade. Sony's 3D games can be downloaded from its Playstation Network and viewed on its 3D TV's.

LG

LG has also launched 3D TV models, a 3D Blu-ray player and 3D compatibility with the Sky network. It's introducing the first passive 3D technology LCD TV with its LD920. This will be rolled out in pubs for football fans and the World Cup will be broadcast by Sky in 3D. LG is also launching the LX9900, its full LED 3D ready TV along with a 3D Blu-ray player to boot. Like Samsung, LG's 3D TV portfolio is using active shutter glasses to generate the 3D effect and full HD playback.

TECH TRENDS:
TOUCH SCREEN DASHBOARDS


This year, one of the most revolutionary new additions to your car is a touch-screen dashboard. Carmakers are beginning to replace analog dials and controls with touch-screen displays. They were used in nearly every electric or hybrid vehicle unveiled at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show , such as Volkswagon's E-Up! and Citroen's REVOLTe, whose touch-sensitive screens locate the nearest charging stations. Previous electric vehicles, such as Chrysler's 200C EV Concept and the Tesla Model S, show off huge swaths of touch-sensitive real estate (the 200C has no analog console controls), while other vehicles feature smaller touch-screen innovations. The decidedly nonelectric 2010 Range Rover comes with a 12-inch "dual view" display, which lets the driver check GPS directions while the passenger watches a DVD, both peering at the same display. The Range Rover also integrates more controls into its touch-screen interface than previous models, further proof that knobs, buttons and other "hard" controls are an endangered interface.

Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length which are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have subscribed to them (known as followers). Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow anybody to access them. Users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter website, Short Message Service (SMS) or external applications. The service is free to use over the Internet, but using SMS may incur phone service provider fees.

Since its creation in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Twitter has gained extensive notability and popularity worldwide. It is sometimes described as the "SMS of the Internet," in that the site provides the functionality — via its application programming interface (API)  — for other desktop and web-based applications to send and receive short text messages, often obscuring the Twitter service itself. Twitter was funded initially by Obvious, a creative environment in San Francisco, CA. The first prototype was built in two weeks in March 2006 and launched publicly in August of 2006. The service grew popular very quickly and it soon made sense for Twitter to move outside of Obvious. In May 2007, Twitter Incorporated was founded.

Four gateway numbers are available for SMS — short codes for the United States, Canada, India, and an Isle of Man-based number for international use. There is also a short code for Vodafone users from the United Kingdom. Several third parties allow users to post and receive updates via e-mail.

Estimates of the number of daily users vary, because the company does not release the number of active accounts. In November 2008, Jeremiah Owyang of Forrester Research estimated that Twitter had 4-5 million users. A February 2009 Compete.com blog entry ranked Twitter as the third most used social network (Facebook being the largest, followed by MySpace), which puts the number of unique monthly visitors at roughly 6 million and the number of monthly visits at 55 million, however only 40% of users are retained. In March 2009, a Nielsen.com blog ranked Twitter as the fastest-growing site in the Member Communities category for February 2009. Twitter had a growth of 1382%, Zimbio had a growth of 240%, followed by Facebook with a growth of 228%.

Isn't Twitter just too much information?

No, Twitter solves information overload by changing expectations traditionally associated with online communication. Updates from your friends and relatives float to your phone, IM, or web site and you are only expected to pay as much or as little attention to them as you see fit.

The result of using Twitter to stay connected with friends, relatives, and co-workers is that you have a sense of what folks are up to but you are not expected to respond to any updates unless you want to. This means you can step in and out of the flow of information as it suits you and it never queues up with increasing demand of your attention. Additionally, users are very much in control of whose updates they receive, when they receive them, and on what device. For example, Twitter provides settings for scheduling Twitter to automatically turn off at dinnertime and users can switch off Twitter updates at any point.

DRESSING ROOMS:
GO HIGH TECH


They've been popping up all over Hollywood so get ready for them in your city. These dressing rooms of the future have interactive mirrors, 3D scanners and holographic sales assistants. Bloomingdales, for example, was one of the first retailers to test a social retailing system and a Japanese department store chain, began experimenting with an "intelligent fitting room". 

It gives customers the opportunity to check available sizes and styles of the items they are trying from inside the fitting room. Prada began using the interactive mirrors in its Beverly Hills store last year. The better the retailer makes the trying on experience, the more likely the shopper will buy the item but  retailers have largely ignored dressing rooms. The Internet has revolutionized the way catalog shopping is conducted and shoppers are avoiding fitting rooms altogether. One solution might be installing a responsive mirror in retailer's dressing rooms. Currently when you bring five or six items into the dressing room and try to narrow down your selection. It becomes difficult to remember how you looked in each outfit. The responsive mirror eliminates that by allowing you to simultaneously see pictures of yorself in all the items you try on to help you decide which they want to purchase. Through inventory tagging, the dressing room registers the items shoppers take in to try on and produces video and images of the merchandise.  A touch screen gives shoppers the option to invite friends. Through their personal cellphone or key pad, they can then send an e-mail or text message to friends. By clicking on a url and logging on to a Web site, the friends can see the items being tried on and make comments. The site will also suggest other merchandise in the store. The shopper can then click on one of the recommendations, and make it appear in the mirror superimposed over his image, as though he were trying on the garment. Macy's and J.C. Penney are also exploring versions of the interactive dressing room. Retailers have started to add more realistic lighting that is closer to daylight and increase the size of the rooms to allow more movement and other people to join shoppers in the process and at the Gap and Banana Republic are revamping how shoppers receive service while in the dressing room by installing call buttons and delivery doors where sales assistants can bring items to shoppers.