IllumiRoom takes video games beyond the TV

Welcome to the newsletter for Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine. These are the headlines for January the 14th, 2013. IllumiRoom takes video games beyond the TV The way we play video games is forever evolving. Nintendo brought motion control to the masses with the Wii, while the rise of smartphones and tablets has meant the number of casual games (and casual gamers) has grown exponentially over the past few years. What is next on the agenda? The signs all point towards a more immersive experience being the main aim and Microsoft Research is keen to lead the way with IllumiRoom. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile iPotty: Toilet training ... now with added iPad It's an unspoken truth of gadgets that some people use their smartphone or even tablet computer while in the bathroom. Now even toddlers who are yet to master the toilet can get in on the action with iPotty – a child's toilet training potty with a built-in iPad stand. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile LG's Laser TV system projects 100-inch HD video from less than two feet LG has demonstrated a new Laser TV at CES which uses an Ultra Short Throw (UST) projector to display an image on a 100-inch screen at a distance of less than two feet. Despite the close distance and large size, the system delivers a full 1080p image with a 10,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and LG hopes the set-up will eliminate some of the issues posed by typical home theater projectors that require a much larger space to function. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Top 10 robots of 2012 The U.S. military's drones – or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) – were probably the most talked about robots of 2012. Every other week it seemed there was some story or other that grabbed headlines around the world, giving them a rather nasty reputation. However, robotics technology is about much more than just killing machines and here are ten noteworthy examples from the past year that prove it. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Panasonic unveils massive 20-inch 4K tablet at CES Panasonic might be getting outshined a little at CES 2013 as competitors like LG and Samsung show off their unique takes on 4K-resolution TVs, but that doesn't mean it didn't find its own creative use for 4K technology. On the show floor, the company demoed a new 20-inch tablet that runs Windows 8 on a 4K resolution ISP-alpha display. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Sony debuts waterproof Walkman MP3 player built into earbuds Sony has plenty to show at this year's CES, from cameras to cell phones and more, but one item that stands out is the Walkman Sports MP3 Player. The new waterproof music player combines a pair of earbuds with an MP3 player in a single unit, with no external device required to play tunes. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Gigantic C SEED 201 outdoor LED TV descends into the ground when not in use For those who go in for outdoor television viewing with a big dash of ostentation, Porsche Design Studio of Zell am See, Austria offers the C SEED 201 LED television. This 201-inch (5.11 m) 16:9 LED behemoth isn't just enormous, it also rises out of the ground like something out of a Bond film and unfolds itself in less than 30 seconds. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile NASA releases GRAIL video NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has released a video transmitted by the GRAIL lunar orbiters during their final days. The dramatic footage was taken on December 14, 2012 as part of a final systems check before the twin spacecraft shut down their instruments in preparation for a controlled impact into a lunar mountain. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Panasonic unveils HX-A100 Wearable Camcorder It looks like the Looxcie could be in for some competition. Panasonic has used CES 2013 to unveil its HX-A100 Wearable Camcorder. Like the Looxcie, the little Panasonic camera can be worn on the head without a helmet (using its included Earhook), streaming HD video live on Ustream via Wi-Fi. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Prototype SCOTTeVEST TEC Jacket 2.0 packs serious technology Gadget-friendly clothing firm SCOTTeVEST showed off a new concept smart-coat at this year's CES. Looking like a standard windbreaker from the outside, the SCOTTeVEST TEC Jacket 2.0 actually contains serious technology in the form of adapters, accessories, and enough pockets to safely house the majority of mobile devices. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile DJI launches GPS-enabled PHANTOM consumer quadcopter Today, aerial platform manufacturer DJI announced its new consumer quadcopter, the PHANTOM. It has several features that set it apart from the popular AR Drone – which may or may not sell you on it. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Need to lose weight? Install a stomach pump There's good news and bad news in the fight against morbid obesity. The good news is that there is a new approach to surgical weight-loss which is far less invasive than conventional operations. The bad news is how it works. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Ultrathin, flexible PaperTab redefines tablet form and function Despite their portability and popularity, the slab of glass form factor of tablets has its downsides. Most notably for the less coordinated among us is the propensity for the display to crack or shatter when dropped. A team at Canada's Queen's University working in collaboration with Intel Labs and Plastic Logic is looking not only to redefine the tablet's form, but the way people use them with the development of a flexible touchscreen computer called the PaperTab. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Sony announces high-end Xperia Z smartphone In the smartphone wars, Apple and Samsung reign supreme. Companies like Motorola, LG, HTC, and Nokia are struggling to stay above water. Then you have Sony. Despite its history, many customers don't even know that the Japanese company makes smartphones. Sony is hoping to change that, with its most serious mobile device yet, the Xperia Z. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Fireflies bring us brighter LEDs Fireflies ... they've allowed us to image the bloodstream and they've inspired the creation of a light that could run on waste. Now, they've helped an international team of scientists get over 50 percent more light out of existing LED bulbs. The secret lies in the insects' scales. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Samsung and LG prove that the world of OLED TV is not necessarily flat I was lucky enough to sample firsthand the incredible viewing experience offered by big screen OLED TVs at the IFA 2012 booth of consumer electronics giants LG and Samsung last year. Both companies have new models scheduled for commercial availability in early 2013 and both, it would appear, are claiming a world first at CES in Las Vegas this week ... each claiming to be first to debut a curved OLED TV. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile World's first car-carrying electric ferry to see use in Norway Presently, the Norwegian villages of Lavik and Oppedal are linked by a ferry that burns about a million liters (264,172 US gallons) of diesel a year, emitting 570 tonnes (628 tons) of carbon dioxide and 15 tonnes (16.5 tons) of nitrogen oxides. That's about to change, however, as it's slated to be replaced by what is claimed to be the world's first all-electric car-carrying ferry. Developed by Siemens and Norwegian shipyard Fjellstrand, the vessel can recharge its batteries in just ten minutes. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile White House officially responds to "build a Death Star" petition The White House has officially responded to a petition calling on the US government to "begin a construction of a Death Star by 2016." Though the news for proponents of space fascism wasn't good, Paul Shawcross, Chief of the Science and Space Branch at the White House Office of Management and Budget, did respond in the spirit of the original petition… Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile UCSD's robot baby Diego-san appears on video for the first time A new android infant has been born thanks to the University of California San Diego's Machine Perception Lab. The lab received funding from the National Science Foundation to contract Kokoro Co. Ltd. and Hanson Robotics, two companies that specialize in building lifelike animatronics and androids, to build a replicant based on a one year old baby. The resulting robot, which has been a couple of years in development, has finally been completed – and you can watch it smile and make cute faces after the break. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Blade Dynamics to make first 100-meter wind turbine blades? The Energy Technologies Institute in the United Kingdom has announced that UK-based wind turbine blade manufacturer Blade Dynamics has been awarded a contract that will see the creation of the world's longest turbine blades, between 80 and 100 meters (262 and 328 feet) in length. Currently, the longest turbine blades are for offshore wind farms, maxing out at 75 meters (246 feet). Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Special promotion for Gizmag readers Certification Course: Learn How to Create Custom WordPress Sites from Scratch WordPress offers more flexibility for creating personal and professional sites than any other content management system on the market. Now, in this multi-part WordPress training course on Udemy (114 lectures, 9+ hrs of content), you'll learn everything you need to know to create a completely custom site from the ground up, from design, to installation and everyday management. No other WordPress tutorial series offers such an extensive guide to website creation! Gizmag readers can get this course for only $59 this week. (Normally - $99) Don't miss this awesome opportunity, click here to learn more. Read More You are receiving this email because you signed up for our daily newsletter at http://www.gizmag.com. If you would like to switch to our daily newsletter, click here If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter please click here to unsubscribe. COPYRIGHT GIZMAG (C) 2013