Gadgets

CEATEC 2007

CEATEC in Japan was bursting with techno gadgets: full-fledged products with price tags and simply way-out science experiments

October 8, 2007

Japanese love their comic books (Manga). And now they watch them on their cell phones.Sean Captain

Sony's prototype of a 27-inch OLED caught our attention much more than the 11-inch tyke they are selling.Sean Captain

You've seen LED video screen outdoors at concerts, football games, and in Times Square. Mitsubishi showed off the first model for indoor use. (Think lobbies and shopping malls, not living rooms.)Sean Captain

Dolby's new high dynamic range LCD TV prototype (with technology they bought from Canadian firm BrightSide) uses a grid of individually modulated LEDs for a backlight. At right is the pattern produced just by the LEDs. At left, the high-contrast image in the final picture. (Sorry that this photo is a bit murky. You really have to see it live.)Sean Captain

For the umpteenth year, Toshiba showed off fuel cells that might someday power our gadgets. The difference this time was that they have gotten the device small enough to fit into the back of a slim cellphone. This model would power the phone for ten hours on one squirt of methanol--if it ever comes to market.Sean Captain

NTT DoCoMo's Wellness Phone concept combines sensors that monitor your heart rate, count burned calories, calculate body fat and analyze your breath for signs of illness. TMI, or a brilliant way to keep track of your fitness?Sean Captain

Citizen was showing off flexible LCD panel prototypes. This one could serve as a bracelet with engravings that change as the identity of you true love does.Sean Captain

Nissan had by far the biggest presence of any carmaker at CEATEC. It showed off a number of safety, navigation, and fuel-saving technology demonstrations. In this example, specially equipped cellphones radio their location to a central server that sends a warning to your car's navigation system if you are about to hit a pedestrian. Sound far-fetched? Japanese telecom giant NTT is a partner in the project, which Nissan plans to start building in 2010.Sean Captain

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