Next-generation super-phones won’t just be slimmer versions of today’s devices; they will be entirely different machines. Chipmakers are reinventing every processor that powers your portable. From PS3-quality videogames to built-in cameras that can fill in for your current point-and-shoot, a chip for it is in the works. And thanks to shrinking transistors, the new phones won’t be any larger or more power-hungry than today’s ultrathin models. Below, we've pulled together the technologies being released in the next year and a half to build the smartest smartphone possible.
Who better to design technology for the pool then Speedo? Most underwater MP3 options consist of cases for an iPod, an awkward, uncomfortable, clunky device for enthusiasts wanting to spend hours in the pool. The Aquabeat, launched this summer ($150), is one the first MP3 players truly designed for underwater use. It even floats.
Have higher gas prices turned your lawn into a jungle? Allay those fuel fears by switching to a push reel mower. Harkening back to those halcyon days of 1950, the reel mower relies on a rotating cylinder of 5 to 7 blades for silently snipping your grass into manicured perfection. All of this beauty is not achieved without some sweat, though. Your sweat.
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Science is reinventing play, from extreme sports to gamification to ridiculous roller coasters to the playgrounds of tomorrow, and this issue is chock full of fun. Also, on a less fun note: Did global warming destroy my hometown?