20 Gadgets That Make Your Smartphone Even Smarter

By Alvaris Falcon. Filed in Web 2.0

It’s called smartphone, but is it really smart? After all, most people use the smartphone to browse social networks, listen to music, play games, make memes and upload photos to Instagram. Not much advanced intelligence needed to run those things. However the smartphone is essentially a small computer. You can do pretty amazing things with it including launch it into space as a nanosatellite.

(Image Source: ICEdot)

But that is for dedicated use. In cases where you want to keep using your smartphone for your online activities, you can also set your smartphone to do other things like locate your missing car, lock and unlock your homes, watch your health and contact your relatives if you get into an accident, etc. Check out a few other ways you can make your smartphone smarter, and your life easier. You’ll probably look at your smartphones differently now.

Viper SmartStart

Make the Mercedes-Benz owner envy you, with Viper SmartStart, a device that allows you to perform regular tasks your remote key can do, for instance lock the door, honk the car and release the trunk, all with your smartphone. On top of that, with Viper SmartStart you can even check your vehicle status to ensure it’s safe, and ready to rock and roll. [$149-$399]

Hone

Keys have a special ability to disappear right when you are looking for it. Hone is a Bluetooth device for iPhone and iPod that helps you find your key. The setup is easy – just tie the device to your key and press the Find button on your iPhone. The device will light up and emit a sound to indicate its position. That’s it, smart and elegant. [$49.00]

Lockitron

The Lockitron not only lets you unlock the door with just a touch on the smartphone, but also notifies you when someone is knocking at the door. With the right customization, you can even set your door to unlock whenever you get near the door – no more fumbling around with your house keys especially when your hands are full. [$179.00]

Square Register

Square Register is a revolution that’s disrupting the current old, static transaction system. It takes the advantage of the smartphone’s mobility to let you accept any credit card payment anytime, anywhere. The buyer signs on the smartphone to authorize payment and avoid potential fraud, and the information is encrypted before any processing initialize.

Geode

Geode can convert all your physical credit cards, loyalty cards, and membership cards into digital information. To use the cards, you can transfer the card information to the provided Geode card temporarily. Flick to activate the card, say a credit card, then swipe it through the terminal as normal.

You can also store all the barcodes from your loyalty cards and display it at the back of the Geode to allow for scans. 

Tōd

Use these smart beacons, called Tōd, to track the location of your child, a beloved pet or even your car. Get notifications via email or text when they make an unscheduled departure from the compound or if they wander off too far from you. 

Pico Genie A100

Heavy projectors are so last-century. I’m going for the Pico Genie A100, a speaker-enabled projector as mini as the iPhone! The outcome is a 60″ viewing area with sound-boosting effect, not to mention that you could carry the Pico Genie 100 around during presentations. But honestly, I think it fits better as a gaming device! 

Botiful

Just plug in your smartphone to Botiful, the robot, and you can move it anywhere and communicate with any human using the minimalistic Skype interface. What’s even more fun here is that you can also explore everywhere that your big human body cannot reach with this feet-sized robot. It makes me feel like a god that’s omnipresent, only I’m a little bit mini! [$199.00]

Scanbox

You can use your smartphone to help you scan codes such as QR Codes but even better, you can get a simple, portable Scanbox to stabilize your camera to perform bulk scanning tasks! The Scanbox comes with LEDs that light up from the bottom, providing prominent light sources for the best scanning quality possible. 

NODE Chroma

You can call NODE Chroma a real-life Photoshop color picker, as it really is. Place the Chroma on the colored object, and the color will be saved into your smartphone or personal computer with the standard formats of RGB, HEX, CMYK and LAB for your future reference and even comparison.

Sensordrone

Sensordrone is a sensor computer that harvests vital information around your environment, such as air quality, gas leaks, temperature, humidity etc – practically anything that can be sensed! Great for people with jobs that require technical measurements while on the go. 

Crash Sensor

Your life will be safer with the ICEdot’s Crash Sensor. All you need to do is mount the device on your helmet before you take off to any of your extreme sports or cross-country races. The device will notify your emergency contacts and send GPS coordinates to initiate rescue attempts should an accident occurs.

Misfit Shine

Misfit Shine helps you track your physical activities on-the-go. Upon equipping it on your body, Shine will track your physical activities and inform you at the end of the day that if your body movements are well enough to keep you fit and shiny. 

Health Appliances

While Withings Blood Pressure Monitor helps you monitor your blood pressure intelligently, Medisana ThermoDock checks if your body temperature is beyond dangerous parameters. Your data is stored within the VitaDock app for future reference. Smart health management for smartphone holder! 

Deeper

I have never imagined that my smartphone can detect fish underwater, but Deeper makes the impossible possible. The magic is made possible by the Friday Lab’s sonar that can detect movement of fish within a 50m radius, and reflects its ‘catch’ on your smartphone’s screen. The best app for tech-savvy fishermen. 

Smart Radiation Detector

The nuclear meltdown happened in Japan has raised awareness about the absorption of radioactive materials into the food and water. The Smart Radiation Detector can detect and confirm radiation levels to help you avoid contaminated resources. Medical professionals and rescue team operators could use this when working in nuclear-related disasters. 

SkyLight

The SkyLight could connect your smartphone camera to a supported microscope, and let you capture microscope photographs with the option to switch the focal planes with a touch of your finger. 

Smart Baby Monitor

After the installation, the Smart Baby Monitor will start sending live streaming audio and video through secure connection. The monitor gets even more awesome with the WithBaby app that let new parents check on their baby via wireless connection. The monitor can even detect your baby’s activities as well as the room’s humidity and temperature. 

Wise-Pet

Built to protect your phone, the Wise-Pet doubles as a tech pet, promising 5 different pets possessing 5 different personalities. The app is also built with some educational features, like the video feature that broadcasts fun lessons, or the recording feature that saves up your voiced bedtime stories, and let the Wise-Pet reads out for you! 

IPhly

Tired of losing the remote controls for the TV, air conditioner, garage door opener or even your toy car/plane? Store up all your controls in iPhly. With the iPhone/iPod Touch combined, you can steer the R/C car, or swipe it up to throttle up the R/C airplanes, or run your devices all with your smartphone. 

10 Early Technologies That Shaped Our Digital World Today

By Michael Poh. Filed in Web 2.0

Have you ever reminisced about the technology you used as a child or teenager? It’s amazing how excited we were back then with electronics like the Nintendo game console or a mobile phone the size of a toolbox. While we may make a fuss over receiving a delayed email or having a dropped call, the technologies we enjoy today would not come to be without these pioneers and the breakthroughs they delivered.

Today we will take a trip back to our childhood days and have a look at the technologies that used to fascinate us (and still do today, for different reasons).

Each of the technology has since been substituted with better gadgets or systems, but the significance they contributed to their field of use may never be replaced.

1. Portable Music – Walkman, Discman

The Walkman and Discman were essentially the predecessor to modern day iPods. The Walkman lasted less than 35 years.

Walkman

The Walkman TPS-L2 was the first portable audio cassette player that the world had ever seen. Sony had sold 220 million units worldwide since its introduction in the 1979. Back then, Sony had predicted a sales rate of 5000 units per month, but instead, a whopping 50,000 units were sold within the first two months.

That was perhaps not surprising given that it was the first time people could listen to music on-the-go. We were no longer confined to listening to music on the radio at home or in the car; the walkman allowed us to bring our favorite music on the bus or train, or when out for a jog. It was such a popular device in the 1980s that the term ‘Walkman‘ was officially included in the dictionary in 1986.

Discman

It got some competition from the Discman, as CDs gained popularity in the early 80s. In 1984, the D-50 portable Compact Disc (CD) player of the Sony Discman was introduced. It had superior sound quality and the ability to skip tracks, giving users the choice to opt for higher quality audio formats. By 1999, Sony had shipped more than 10 million units worldwide.

The shift from physical audio storage to mp3 players began in 1997 with MPMan by SaeHan Information Systems, giving music lovers ease of access to music and larger storage space. The Walkman
was recently discontinued in January 2013 and it’s only a matter of time before CD players find their current decline a permanent destination.

2. Video Home System (VHS) Technology

VHS was a household item for about 35 years. Users back then knew how horrible it was to ‘programme a VCR’.

Have you heard of the videotape format war? What initially began as a joint collaboration between JVC, Sony Corporation and Matsushita Electric (aka Panasonic) to create a home video standard for the Japanese consumer eventually fell apart – JVC eventually developed VHS (1973) and Sony developed Betamax (1975).

In 1980, the total number of videocassette recorder (VCR) units sold for VHS and Betamax formats were level at 10 million units each. But a mere 8 years later, VHS had the lead with over 200 million units; Betamax remained stagnant at 25 million units since 1984. VHS became the agent that brought movies from the theatres to the living room.

The decline of VHS technology came about when it gave way to optical disc formats such as the VCDs (1993) and DVDs (1996). While many manufacturers still produce combination (DVD+VHS) units, the VHS standalone unit was discontinued in Oct 2008.

Nevertheless, even though the last major Hollywood motion picture released in VHS was in 2005 (A History of Violence), blank tapes are still sold in many places as VHS VCRs are still owned by many households today.

3. LaserDisc (LD) Technology

LD technology was the basis for the development of CD and DVD. The laser disc lasted only 23 years.

First marketed in 1978 and produced by MCA, it was first known as DiscoVision; the first LD player was produced by Phillips. LD technology produced higher-quality video and audio compared to VHS but was significantly costlier as well. Each laser disc was 30 cm in diameter. In comparison, today’s DVD are 12 cm across; the MiniDVD a mere 8 cm across.

Back when the popularity of laser discs reached a slight peak in the 1990s, laser disc titles were often rented instead of purchased as it cost around USD100 to own a piece. It’s no surprise that laser discs only lasted until 2001, ending with the last title ‘The Cell’. Pioneer ceased production of the LD players in 2009, leaving behind a public craving for more refined audio and video quality for movie titles releases.

4. Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

Although released in Japan in 1983, the U.S. would only see the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985. Considered the best-selling console of its time, a total of over 60 million NES units were sold globally at the end of its run in 1995.

Famicom

The 8-bit video game console was an immediate hit when first released. In the Asian market, the console was marketed under the name ‘Family Computer’ or ‘Famicom’, except in South Korea, where it was known as ‘Hyundai Comboy’. By the end of 1984, Nintendo had sold over 2.5 million units of Famicom in the Japanese market.

NES had developed video game hits such as Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988), which had grossed overUS$500 million after selling more than 7 million copies in America and 4 million copies in Japan, earning itself the title of most successful standalone home video game in history.

More Games

In the 1990s, the next generation 16-bit video game consoles such as the Sega Genesis and Nintendo’s very own Super Nintendo Entertainment System were at its wake. They inevitably took over NES’s position, but not without being influenced by the new standards it had set for video game consoles – their then new 4-way directional control pad are still on most video game consoles today.

NES had also revived interest in video games for both adults and children after the video game crash of the early 1980s and even turned video games into a multi-billion dollar industry in only five years.

5. IBM PC & Compatibles

The IBM Personal Computer came into the world in 1981, and in many ways was the first true ‘PC’setting the standard for many future PCs that follow. The line of true IBM PCs were discontinued in 1987.

Its influence back then was so widespread that its release resulted in the development of IBM Compatibles by other computer companies. These clones duplicated the key features of the original IBM PC and incorporated MS-DOS (a separate version of the PC-DOS which was the OS for IBM computers).

Many of these clones suffered from software and hardware compatibility issues. One notably successful clone was the Compaq Portable, which was not only 100% IBM PC compatible, but also affords the portability (the size of a sewing machine) which IBM did not provide.

6. Dial-Up Internet Access / Modem

While we may joke about how long ago dial-up feels like, it was only first introduced to the public in 1989 by The World. 

It was the best of times (yay, we’re connected); it was the worst of times (for the love of bacon,load!). Who could’ve forgotten how we mischievously termed World Wide Web (WWW) as the World Wide Wait because of its slow and insufferable loading times!

Need For Speed

Over the past decade, we watched as dial-up Internet access, made possible by 28.8k or 56k modems, get replaced by broadband access. Today, South Korea boasts the highest average peak connection at 48.8 Mbps, while the average peak speed in Hong Kong is 54.1 Mbps. And Google Fiber plans to push the limit some more, to up to 1000 Mbps.

While they bring faster and more stable connections to our homes and office, dial-up is slowly on the way out. Dial-up usage in the U.S. has dropped from about 40% in 2001 to only 6% in 2010.

7. Floppy Disk Drive & Diskettes

Frustrated because your 4GB pen drive is full? Well, back when floppy diskettes were a thing, we made do with less than 3MB per diskette (with an M, not a G). Nowadays, you rarely see a floppy disk drive in a new PC anymore.

Before USB flash drives, memory cards, portable hard disk drives and CD/DVD storage, we used to store computer documents in portable floppy diskettes. The first floppy diskettes were commercially available in 1971 and were 8 inches in diameter. It became smaller over the years, decreasing from 5.25 inches (Shugart Associates, 1976) to 3.5 inches (IBM, 1982).

Before It Became The Save Icon

As the floppy diskettes became more compact, storage capacity increased from 80KB to 2.88MB. Even with such limited capacity, it did not stop the floppy diskettes from being the main means to transfer data into a computer – in fact, in 1997, there were 5 billion 3.5" floppy diskettes in use. As a result, many personal computers eventually came packaged with floppy disk drives.

Increasing software sizes demanded for larger storage capacity, giving rise toIomega zip drives (1994), recordable CDs (CD-R) (1988) and rewritable CDs (CD-RW) (1997), all of which can carry hundreds of MB in storage. They have yet gone into extinction in some places (like Japan and India), the floppy diskette is still heavily used in the millions, but Sony has officially stopped production of floppy diskettes in 2009.

8. Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Screens & Monitors

If you’ve seen actors on TV watching a large box-sized thing with a screen, that’s the CRT monitor. Used both as a computer screen and a TV screen, CRT monitors were big for a good century before giving way to LCD monitors in the year 2000.

CRT technology goes as far back as 1897, when the first cathode-ray tube was built. After the technology was used for television sets in the 1930s, we came to use it as part of the personal computer in the 80′s. Previously known as video display terminals, CRT monitors displayed only between 4 to 16 colors in the early 80′s.

The Better Alternative

LCD monitors only came in hard in the late 90′s, bringing rise to laptops, and later on, standalone LCD monitors which showed displays with higher (and multiple) resolutions, minus the bulkiness, flicker and energy consumption. LCD flat panel technology has also produced much larger screens that remain thin and mountable on walls, pushing display sizes to 40 inches and beyond.

Sticking Around

India has only slightly more LCD TV shipments (10 million) than that of CRT TV shipments (9.3 million) last year. Worldwide, the numbers stand at 84.2% LCD TV versus 9.9% of CRT TV. Also expect yourself to see CRT monitors sticking around in scientific settings where response speed is crucial, such as for the study of the brain’s visual processing (e.g. psychophysics).

9. Film-Based Cartridge Cameras – Kodak Instamatic Series

Before camera phones and digital point-and-shoots, many photographers used film-based cartridge cameras. The last Instamatic model sold was the X-15F in 1988, and the 126 and 110 film formats were discontinued in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

The Instamatic camera series featured the first cameras to afford automatic film loading, advancing and rewinding of the film. The most well-known cartridge film formats used were 126 for the bulkier and older camera (more than 50 million were sold in 1963-1970), and 110 for the lightweight and compact Pocket series (25 million sold in its first 3 years).

One might say that Kodak’s innovation of the cartridge film format and the popularity of its Instamatics brought point-and-shoots cameras to the limelight. And the digital onslaught came in and wipe them clean. Kodak discontinued most of its film production in the mid-90s all the way until the last Kodachrome roll ever to be produced in 2009. 

10. Dot Matrix Printers

The earliest computer printing was that of dot matrix printing or impact matrix printing which first emerged in 1970. In the mid-1990′s, it gave way to inkjet printers.

The world’s first dot matrix printer that had speeds of 30 characters per second (c/s). Before the 1990s, these dot matrix printers were the most frequently used printers for home computers, despite the availability of laser printing and inkjet printers.

From Type To Print

The printers function similarly to that of typewriters. The printing mechanism involves impact caused by hitting an ink-soaked cloth ribbon against the paper with a print head. However, the dot matrix allowed the printer to churn out more than just fixed lettering, it could produce various fonts and graphics as well.

After necessary patents expired, and the printing industry got hold of the inkjet technology, dot matrix printers faced competition from inkjet printers due to its quieter and faster printing operations. The printer was also easier to operate and troubleshoot. Nevertheless, we still see much of dot matrix printers in use as point-of-sales devices, cash registers and ATM machines among others.

The proliferation of dot matrix printers resulted in the marriage of home printers with personal computers, giving users immediate printing facilities from the comforts of home and the office.

5 Epic Ways We Misuse Mobile Technology

By Singyin Lee. Filed in Web 2.0

While we wait for the insanity to hit the Web, here are 5 ways we are currently misusing mobile technology.

1. Watching Explicit Materials In Parliament

McCain was caught playing Poker on his iPhone during the Syria hearing and the Internet went nuts (for maybe two minutes) but when we hear about politicians watching explicit materials in parliament meetings, no one bats an eyelash. In case this is news to you let me just add that it happens in more places than you think.

Huffing ton Post revealed that more than 300,000 attempts were made to access adult sites at work in the House of Commons (by staff and Members of Parliament). Elsewhere, three ministers in Indiare signed after they were caught on a news broadcast sharing a clip during a parliament session.

An Indonesian MP also resigned after he was caught by a news reporter, watching you-know-what on his tablet during a parliamentary debate. The photograph made the headlines, particularly because he had earlier helped pass a controversial law which could put couples kissing in public (among other lighter-than-his offences) into prison for a heavy 15-year sentence.

(Image Source: telegraph.co.uk)

2. People Don’t Attend Concerts, IPads Do

I came across this beauty the other day. In the shot below, there’s supposed to be a recital or a concert… I can’t tell because all the iPads are in the way. Overzealous parents were trying to get a video of their children, who were performing right in front of them.

Because of this, all the parents at the back can see are the back of other people’s heads and outstretched iPads, the kids have to make do with the back of smartphones and iPads instead of the proud faces of their parents.

(Image Source: medium)

3. In-App Purchases On The IPad

The kryptonite to a child’s time with the iPad are in-app purchases. The iPad is a great learning tool for children, but we’re more attracted to games instead. Five-year-old Danny is no different; what is, is his love for Zombies vs Ninjas which overwhelmed his parents with the £1700 bill he racked up playing the game.

(Image Source: Mirror News)

Even with the multiple emails iTunes sent Danny’s parents, informing them of the purchases Danny made, they only took notice when the credit card company called to informed them that 19transactions of £69.99 were made to the card for power-ups and weapons in the game. Guess who is in trouble?

The good news is Apple has given them a refund, and they learn the importance of disabling in-app purchases when leaving the iPad to their kids. But this situation happens more often than we realize. Here’s another case in the UK with a £4000 bill by an 8 year old, and a couple in Singapore, where one kid spent $4300 on Candy Crush Saga alone.

One wonders what happens in the background between the developers and Apple when refunds of that magnitude happens.

4. Undated Social News

While Facebook is a powerful tool that could reunite families, reconnect the adopted with their biological parent(s), help you find stolen cars and gadgets, and even missing children or pets. The social site itself allows you to easily share and spread the news, but it is up to us to keep tabs on developing updates.

(Image Source: digitaljournal)

5. The Selfies – A Collection

Here’s another interesting study which I wished I had included in my an earlier post about the effects social networks have on you – selfies are bad for social media. More precisely, constantly sharing photographs of yourself will make you less relatable to your peers. However, psychologically, they are important because it is a form of self-exploration.

Plus it is the top reason bathroom mirrors worldwide are becoming a site for imprompt photoshoots.

(Image Source: Heavy)

10 Upcoming Technology That May Change The World

10 Upcoming Technology That May Change The World 

By Alvaris Falcon. Filed in Inspiration

We have seen great leaps in digital technology in past the past five years. Smartphones, cloud computing, multi-touch tablets, these are all innovations that revolutionized the way we live and work. However, believe it or not, we are just getting started. Technology will get even better. In the future, we could live like how people in science fiction movies did.

(Image Source: YouTube)

Today’s post is about 10 upcoming, real-life products that is set to revolutionize the world as we know it. Get ready to control the desktop and slice Ninja fruits with your eyes. Get ready to print your own creative physical product. Get ready to dive into the virtual world, and interact with them. Come unfold the future with us.

1. Google Glass

Augmented Reality has already gotten into our life in the forms of simulated experiment and education app, but Google is taking it several steps higher with Google Glass. Theoretically, with Google Glass, you are able to view social media feeds, text, Google Maps, as well as navigate with GPS and take photos. You will also get the latest updates while you are on the ground.

(Image Source: YouTube)

2. Form 1

Just as the term suggests, 3D printing is the technology that could forge your digital design into a solid real-life product. It’s nothing new for the advanced mechanical industry, but a personal 3D printer is definitely a revolutionary idea.

Everybody can create their own physical product based on their custom design, and no approval needed from any giant manufacturer! Even the James Bond’s Aston Martin which was crashed in the movie was a 3D printed product!

(Image Source: Kickstarter)

3. Oculus Rift

Virtual Reality gaming is here in the form of Oculus Rift. This history-defining 3D headset lets you mentally feel that you are actually inside a video game. In the Rift’s virtual world, you could turn your head around with ultra-low latency to view the world in high resolution display.

There are premium products in the market that can do the same, but Rift wants you to enjoy the experience at only $300, and the package even comes as a development kit. This is the beginning of the revolution for next-generation gaming.

(Image Source: Kickstarter)

4. Leap Motion

Multi-touch desktop is a (miserably) failed product due to the fact that hands could get very tired with prolonged use, but Leap Motion wants to challenge this dark area again with a more advanced idea. It lets you control the desktop with fingers, but without touching the screen.

(Image Source: Leap Motion)

It’s not your typical motion sensor, as Leap Motion allows you to scroll the web page, zoom in the map and photos, sign documentss and even play a first person shooter game with only hand and finger movements. The smooth reaction is the most crucial key point here. More importantly, you can own this future with just $70, a price of a premium PS3 game title!

5. Eye Tribe

Eye tracking has been actively discussed by technology enthusiasts throughout these years, but it’s really challenging to implement. But Eye Tribe actually did this. They successfully created the technology to allow you to control your tablet, play flight simulator, and even slice fruits in Fruit Ninja only with your eye movements.

(Image Source: Eye Tribe)

It’s basically taking the common eye-tracking technology and combining it with a front-facing camera plus some serious computer-vision algorithm, and voila, fruit slicing done with the eyes! A live demo was done in LeWeb this year and we may actually be able to see it in in action in mobile devices in 2013.

6. SmartThings

The current problem that most devices have is that they function as a standalone being, and it require effort for tech competitors to actually partner with each other and build products that can truly connect with each other. SmartThings is here to make your every device, digital or non-digital, connect together and benefit you.

(Image Source: Kickstarter)

With SmartThings you can get your smoke alarms, humidity, pressure and vibration sensors to detect changes in your house and alert you through your smartphone! Imagine the possibilities with this.

7. Firefox OS

iOS and Android are great, but they each have their own rules and policies that certainly inhibit the creative efforts of developers. Mozilla has since decided to build a new mobile operating system from scratch, one that will focus on true openness, freedom and user choice. It’s Firefox OS.

Firefox OS is built on Gonk, Gecko and Gaia software layers – for the rest of us, it means it is built on open source, and it carries web technologies such as HTML5 and CSS3.

(Image Source: Mozilla)

Developers can create and debut web apps without the blockade of requirements set by app stores, and users could even customize the OS based on their needs. Currently the OS has made its debut on Android-compatible phones, and the impression so far, is great.

8. Project Fiona

Meet the first generation of the gaming tablet. Razer’s Project Fiona is a serious gaming tablet built for hardcore gaming. Once it’s out, it will be the frontier for the future tablets, as tech companies might want to build their own tablets, dedicated towards gaming, but for now Fiona is the only possible one that will debut in 2013.

(Image Source: Razer™)

This beast features next generation Intel® Core i7 processor geared to render all your favorite PC games, all at the palm of your hands. Crowned as the best gaming accessories manufacturer, Razer clearly knows how to build user experience straight into the tablet, and that means 3-axis gyro, magnetometer, accelerometer and full-screen user interface supporting multi-touch. My body and soul are ready.

9. Parallella

Parallella is going to change the way that computers are made, and Adapteva offers you chance to join in on this revolution. Simply put, it’s a supercomputer for everyone. Basically, an energy-efficient computer built for processing complex software simultaneously and effectively. Real-time object tracking, holographic heads-up display, speech recognition will become even stronger and smarter with Parallella.

(Image Source: YouTube)

The project has been successfully funded so far, with an estimated delivery date of February 2013. For a mini supercomputer, the price seems really promising since it’s magically $99! It’s not recommended for the non-programmer and non-Linux user, but the kit is loaded with development software to create your personal projects.

10. Google Driverless Car

I could still remember the day I watch the iRobot as a teen, and being skeptical about my brother’s statement that one day, the driverless car will become reality. And it’s now a reality, made possible by… a search engine company, Google.

While the data source is still a secret recipe, the Google driverless car is powered by artificial intelligence that utilizes the input from the video cameras inside the car, a sensor on the vehicle’s top, and some radar and position sensors attached to different positions of the car. Sounds like a lot of effort to mimic the human intelligence in a car, but so far the system has successfully driven 1609 kilometres without human commands!

(Image Source: Wikipedia)

Source: Hongkiat