Cool Technologies

        

Soon, even George Jetson won’t have much on you. The future is here, and while you may not be able to afford it yet, you can start compiling your wish list. Here are the latest technologies to watch out for:

1) Flying Cars

How about skipping the morning gridlock by flying to work? Terrafugia Inc. is making this dream possible with its Transition® two-seat aircraft.  The Transition® can transform from a car to a plane in under 30 seconds, by lowering a pair of foldable wings. The Transition® can travel at highway speeds on the ground and fly 115mph for 450 miles in the sky.   Terrafugia plans to release the planes in 2011. The company estimates that the Transition® will cost a mere $194,000.

2) Family- Friendly Electric Vehicles

Tesla Motor’s Model S will let you drive your family all the way to Disneyland on a single charge. Okay, maybe you won’t get to Disneyland, but you will be able to travel 300 miles before recharging.  The Model S is a five-door hatchback car. It comfortably seats five adults and two-backwards facing seats can be made available in the car’s storage space, like an old station wagon. The Model S has some serious “trunk” space available; it can easily fit a surf board and a mountain bike. The car will take four hours to fully charge for about $5 of electricity. Tesla motors estimates that the car will cost about $49,000, after a $7,500 rebate from the government.

3) Smart Cars

The smart company is taking green cars to the next level. First, the entire manufacturing process of the car is as eco-friendly as possible. The factory is run on a natural gas fired thermal energy. Excess heat from one process is funneled into the next and no parts go to waste- they are recycled. Second, the final product, the smart car, is 95% recyclable.  Third, the product itself is a certified SmartWay vehicle. This means its smart fortwo car line exceeds EPA standards for air pollutant and green house gas emissions.

4) Lithium Ion Battery

Venture capitalist John Doer, of Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield, and Byers, recently dropped a hint about the future of lithium ion batteries in a speech given to the US Senate. He said that the battery project is still in “stealth mode,” but his firm’s new battery will allow electric cars to travel twice as far on a single charge and, shortly after, three times as far. This means an electric car could travel 100 miles on one charge.

5) Floating Bed

Impress your lady friends with a bed that actually floats.  Dutch architect Janjaap Ruijssenaar’s floating bed uses a magnetic field to keep the bed suspended about 16 inches above the floor, four cables tethered to the walls keep the bed from floating away. The bed can hold almost a ton of weight. But, it is going to set you back a cool $1.5 million. Worth it? Well, it looks cool.

6) Microsoft Surface

Microsoft is giving your tabletop the capabilities of your lab top with their new Microsoft Surface™ program. Forget a mouse and keyboard, the program lets you select information with “natural gestures.” You can literally grab information. Microsoft Surface™ uses cameras to detect your motion and to recognize objects placed on it. It also allows for a collaborative computing effort as people can gather around the “table” from all sides to work together. Right now Microsoft Surface™ is on display in select Sheraton hotels, AT&T retail locations and the ibar at the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

7) Anybots Telepresence Robot

Finally, a way to get out of your coworker’s lame Christmas party. Your robot can go for you.  Anybots Telepresence Robot allows you to be in two places at once.  The robot is controlled from your PC (currently compatible with Mac and Windows) and is able to talk, listen, and move at up to six miles an hour. The 5 foot, 30 pound robot is powered by rechargeable batteries that last up to six hours. Think the party will last that long?

8) Always Innovating Touch Book

The Touch Book is a sleek touch pad, netbook hybrid. The screen is removable so it can function as a touchscreen tablet or be folded into an “inverted V” shape for easy viewing. The screen is also magnetic so it can be mounted to a fridge - cool, right?  The Touch Book is lightweight and has 10 to 15 hours of battery life. ‘Always Innovating’ plans to release the Touch Book sometime this Spring, with an estimated starting price of $299.

9) APC Power Saving Essential SurgeArrest 7 Outlet

This product’s a mouthful, but it greatly reduces power usage while protecting your electronics from surges. The strip senses when your computer is hibernating and shuts off all your computer’s peripherals (speakers, keyboard, etc.) to save power.  APC’s circuit technology protects your computer from large surges, like lightning, and multiple surges to maintain your computer’s performance.  The SurgeArrest 7 includes a lifetime warranty, a right angle plug and a site wiring fault indicator for about $35.

10) Video Conferencing with your Favorite Sports Players

Imagine dissecting last night’s game with the players themselves. Or being able to tell Kobe Bryant, “great game last tonight.” Well, Cisco’s TelePresence system is turning every sports fan’s dream into a reality with their new video conferencing technology. Recent demonstrations with NBA players have proved successful in creating an “interactive ‘in-person’ forum” where fans and players can have some one-on-one time.