Google Earth redefines how we think about our planet, while the Razr phone proves that people are always captivated by allure. However, new products would be even more appealing if they were genuinely useful in everyday life.
Foldable Memory Card
SanDisk Ultra II SD Plus
To transfer photos to a computer after taking them, users typically need a USB cable. SanDisk (USA) has come up with a much better idea by allowing users to remove the memory card from the camera and plug it directly into a USB port.
The SanDisk Ultra II SD Plus looks like any other SD card, except it has a hinge that allows it to fold. When folded, the user will see a metal connector that can slide directly into a USB port on a Mac or PC. The computer recognizes the card as an external drive, allowing users to transfer photos in the same way they would with a USB cable.
VCR Voice Mail
Treo 700W. Image: Treonauts
Voice mail is a significant invention, but remembering the positions of the replay, skip, and delete buttons is far from enjoyable, especially when users are dealing with multiple voice mail systems. Palm has decided to equip its upcoming Treo 700W smartphone with buttons resembling those on a VCR for the touchscreen, allowing users to simply tap the Skip, Play, Delete buttons…
Front TV Connector
“Home entertainment theater” is something everyone has always anticipated, but a small detail often overlooked by advertisers is the network of cables connected at the back of the products, which can be quite annoying.
HP’s new TV system has addressed this issue simply: everything is plugged in at the front, and the connection panel clearly displays what the user is doing, with a small “door” cleverly hiding the entire cable system.
High-Resolution Recording Beyond Standard TV
Canon PowerShot S80. Image: CNet
Most digital cameras today can record video at a sufficient quality for viewing on a 640 x 480 TV screen at 30 frames per second. However, Canon’s PowerShot S80 records video at a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. This gives users the opportunity to watch videos in clarity on HDTV and allows them to extract a frame to save as a still image.
Rewatching TV Shows
iPod Video. Image: InformITV
Spending millions of dollars to create a program for just one airing is a waste. However, piracy issues surrounding TV shows on the Internet have left entertainment companies frustrated.
Apple has entered the fray with the iPod Video. ABC is the first media company to allow users to store 5 TV shows on the iPod for $2 per show without commercials. Users are beginning to enter an era of watching TV programs with copy protection software, available for download at reasonable prices.
Phones with External Design Buttons
LG VX8100. Image: CNet
Candy bar mobile phones have been equipped with hinges to transform into flip phones. Then flip phones added an external screen to allow users to identify incoming calls. The problem is that these products strip users of the choice to decline a call or send it to voice mail. If the phone is opened, they are forced to answer, and cannot press the “Ignore” button. If they disable the “open to answer” function, they lose the original purpose of designing a flip phone.
The best solution is to add external buttons to the device. When someone calls the LG VX8100, users can choose from several small buttons below the external screen, including Ignore (ring until voice mail picks up) or Dismiss (send the call directly to voice mail).
Free Domain Names
Domain names and email addresses with exclusive privileges, such as [email protected], are something everyone desires, but the costs are often prohibitively expensive and require a certain level of expertise.
Microsoft has allowed users to own a .com address of their choice. The online software package, currently in trial for small businesses, includes free domain names, websites, and email accounts. However, users will have to accept some minor ads on the site, and may pay a small fee if they wish to remove those ads.
Detachable Screens
Audiovox DVD Shuttle. Image: CNet
People often invest significantly in various LCD screens: one for laptops, one for digital cameras, one for Game Boy devices, not to mention portable DVD players and camcorders…
Audiovox (USA) has reduced this redundancy with the DVD Shuttle. This device uses a portable battery and can be attached to the headrest of the driver’s seat for the young audience sitting in the back. However, the product can also be used in various situations such as mounted on the ceiling of the car, in the middle of the vehicle, in each compartment, or connected to an AM-FM radio in the kitchen, used with speakers in the bedroom… The device and screen follow users everywhere, allowing them to avoid being confined to one place passively.
Automatic Photo Capture
Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z57. Image: Casio
When taking a family photo, users understand the “Ansel’s Law”: geometrically, the number of closed eyes increases with the number of people in the group. Therefore, the Casio camera automatically captures three consecutive shots in timer mode, significantly reducing the chances of closed eyes compared to a single shot.
High-Resolution Tape
JVC and Sony have developed the first handheld camcorders capable of recording high-resolution video in widescreen format. This would have been the perfect opportunity for them to introduce a new, expensive, proprietary format that is incompatible with any other camcorder, thus potentially boosting sales into the millions. However, they did not do that. Instead, these HDTV camcorders still record on any $4 MiniDV tape found in common camcorders.
Hai Nguyen
