Google Launched Specs

The Google Glasses, which have a five megapixel camera and voice-activated controls, have started to be shipped.
The first devices will go to developers and “Glass Explorers”. Google held a competition earlier this year inviting potential users to come up with ways to use the device, while developers have been eager to be among the first to try out the technology.
Developers working on apps for Google’s smart glasses have been told they will not be allowed to place advertising within the device’s display. The newly-published terms and conditions for developers working on Glass also prohibit companies charging for apps.
According to several sources, those in the Glass Explorer Program are now receiving email notifications about device shipments, while Google also posted the technical specifications of the device for the first time.

Woman Wearing Google Glasses

The bone conduction transducer allows the wearer to hear audio without the need for in-ear headphones – sound waves are instead delivered through the user’s cheekbones and into the inner ear.

The company promises a battery lasting for “one full day of typical use”.
Its display is the equivalent, the company says, of looking at a 25in (63cm) high-definition screen from eight feet away. The device is able to record video at a resolution of 720p.
It has 16GB on-board storage, and connects with other mobile devices via Bluetooth and wi-fi.

The Telepathy One headset developed by a Japanese company has functions similar to Google’s Glass device

Also keeping an eye on the excitement generated by Google will be Japanese firm Telepathy Inc. Their device, the Telepathy One, has been touted as a possible competitor to Google Glass. Chinese search giant Baidu has also confirmed it is working on a Glass-like project – but details are so far scant.

Google Glass Tech Specs:

Fit
•Adjustable nosepads and durable frame fits any face.
•Extra nosepads in two sizes.
Display
High resolution display is the equivalent of a 25 inch high definition screen from eight feet away.
Camera
•Photos – 5 MP
•Videos – 720p
Audio
•Bone Conduction Transducer
Connectivity
•Wifi – 802.11b/g
•Bluetooth
Storage
•12 GB of usable memory, synced with Google cloud storage. 16 GB Flash total.
Battery
One full day of typical use. Some features, like Hangouts and video recording, are more battery intensive.
Charger
•Included Micro USB cable and charger.
While there are thousands of Micro USB chargers out there, Glass is designed and tested with the included charger in mind. Use it and preserve long and prosperous Glass use.
Compatibility
•Any Bluetooth-capable phone.
•The MyGlass companion app requires Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher. MyGlass enables GPS and SMS messaging.

3V electronic stun gun circuit

stun gun schematc

This circuit above is a cheap version stun gun circuit that is powered by two AA baterry. The output of this electronic project is about 350V dc.
The heart of the circuit is the oscillator that is composed of Windings and transistor.

Part List:
Transistor - Tip41 or similar
Resistor - 100-ohms 1W
Capacitor-100nF
C-1.2uF 1000V or any cap with 1000V rating
D-1N4007 diode or similar

Primary and Feedback winding

TIP41 pins

Primary winding P is composed of 16 turns of #24 AWG wire, feedback F is composed of 8 turns of #24 AWG wire, and secondary winding S is composed of 270 turns of #30 AWG magnetic wire. P1 is connected to the collector of transistor, F2 to the 100-ohms resistor at transistor base. F1 and P2 to the battery. The output of Sec winding is rectified by Diode Bridge. The output capacitor is an electrolytic type that is rated 400V above. Capacitance of the output capacitor depends on what available on hand, but always keep in mind that the higher the value the better. this simple electronic project is dangerous when accidentally touched, thus avoid holding the output and discharge the capacitor before and after using.

One of the uses of this circuit is the camera flasher circuit.

All Types of Sensor Based Project Ideas for Final Year Engineering Students

Sensors are backbone of plant automation and robotics. Interfacing their output to the firmware is one of the important areas in industrial applications. Understanding their parameters is of great importance in designing a control system. Sensors such as temperature, gas, humidity, IR, ultrasonic laser, PIR etc are widely used in the industries. Developing projects involving such sensors give a clear idea in understanding their use & limitations. Data acquisition, SCADA, fuzzy logic control are few advanced level projects those usually adopt embedded systems and requires software domain knowledge particularly the “C” language.

Details about few sensor based projects

1. Contactless Liquid Level Controller:

A water level controlling mechanism is developed which senses the water level in the tank without any contact with the tank and accordingly controls the pump to fill water into the tank. Here ultrasonic sensors are used to sense the water level in the tank.

The ultrasonic sensor senses the liquid level in the water tank and feeds this information to the microcontroller. Based on the input from the sensor, the microcontroller accordingly controls the switching of the relay switch, which is a combination of a transistor and a MOSFET in this case. The relay is accordingly controlled to switch on the load in case the water level is less or switch off the load incase the water level is more.

2. Using TV remote as a cordless mouse for computer:

This system uses a TV remote as a cordless mouse to perform operations on a computer. The TV remote works on the principle of IR communication and the commands are send to the computer through a control unit.

Here the commands are sent from a TV remote in form of modulated IR rays. These rays are received by the IR receiver and converted to electrical signals which are given to the microcontroller. The microcontroller converts these signals to binary commands and sends these commands in serial form to the computer through a level shifter IC.

3. Remote Jamming Device:

Here a device is developed which produces IR rays which can block the rays from the TV remote. The frequency of the IR light is same as the frequency of IR light by the TV remote. This can be placed at the TV receiver such that the rays received by the remote are superimposed by the IR rays emitted by this device.

Here a timer powered by a battery is used to produce pulses at frequency equal to the remote output signal frequency and at more than 50% duty cycle, to drive the transistor, which is turn provides power to the IR diode and accordingly the IR diode emits IR rays at that frequency.

4. Speed Checker to detect rash driving on vehicles:

Rash driving is one of major reasons for road accidents. Most of the road accidents can be prevented if the rash driving is controlled. This is achieved by monitoring the speed of the vehicles and accordingly generates a warning when the speed of the vehicle increases. Here a speed checker system is designed where time taken by the vehicle to travel from spot on the highway to another is measured and the speed of the vehicle is accordingly calculated.

Here two IR sensors are used at two different locations. Two timers are used which receives input from the two sensors. Output from both the timers drive a NAND gate which in turn drives another timer to trigger a buzzer in case of the speed going more than the set limit. A decade counter shows the time count of the output pulses or counts the clock pulses, i.e. the time taken to move from IR sensor position to another. A speed limit is set and the distance between the two spots are fixed. Incase the timing count is less than the set time limit, the speed is known to be exceeded and correspondingly a buzzer starts ringing to give the indication.

5. Distance measurement by ultrasonic sensor:

Ultrasonic sensor can be used to measure distance of any object from a certain position. The sensor emits ultrasonic waves which are reflected back by the object. The time taken by the waves to travel back and forth is calculated and multiplied with velocity of sound to get the distance measurement.

6. Optimum Energy Management System:

This system is used as a way to manage the consumption of energy in an optimal way. It defines an easy way to save energy by controlling the switching of loads in a room only on the basis of the number of persons entering the room. The project uses IR sensors to sense the persons entering and leaving the room and accordingly the control unit controls the switching of the load.

7. Bidirectional Rotation of Induction Motor with Remote Control Device:

The exhaust fans used at homes are used only to expel out hot air from the room. These fans are operated using split phase induction motors which consist of a main winding which gets the mains supply directly and an auxiliary winding which gets the main supply through a capacitor. By interchanging the supply between the two windings, the windings can be interchanged and the direction of the motor can be changed. This project uses this principle to achieve the bidirectional rotation of the motor. The commands for the desired direction are given by a TV remote and accordingly the motor is rotated in desired direction.

8. Street lights that glows on detecting vehicle movement:

The major advantage of using LEDs as street lamps are their intensity can be controlled by controlling the power supply to the LEDs. By sensing the arrival of vehicles, the LED street lights can be made to be switched on only at the time when the vehicle passes through it. This helps to save a relevant amount of energy. This project develops a way to achieve this by using an array of LEDs to represent the street lights and pair of IR sensors is used to sense the number of vehicles on the way.

9. Density Based Traffic signal system using PIC microcontroller:

This system defines another way to optimize the use of energy and also to overcome the problem of traffic jams. By sensing the number of vehicles on each side of a junction, the time for which red light of the traffic signal glows can be controlled accordingly. This project achieves this by using LEDs as the traffic lights for each side of the junction and using IR sensors for each side to sense the number of vehicles.

GSM Based Home Security System Project

Introduction to GSM Based Home Security System Project:

When we talk about the security the one thing come in mind that whether our home is secure or not. It is must to secure our home first then look at other things. Our home has always important documents, money and other precious things, that need to be protected from the intruders or thieves.  We also need to protect the home from fire and gas leak as they can also destroy our home.  We can use security device at our home that will warn us from any harm by alarm or sending SMS to cell. We can use 8051 micro controller or 89s52.

They are low power chips. They are high performance chips with 8 bit and they is flash memory for storing data.This flash memory allows them reprogram when required. Flash are made up of monolithic chips as they are highly flexible and loss cost. They consist of 32 I/O lines, timers, pointers, oscillators, and clocks etc.
For this microprocessor we use the software called Kiel u- version. This provides tools for the development of the software of the 8051. With the help of this we can generate embedded applications. They use the protocol command named as AT command. They receive the message comes from the phone, then decode the SMS, authenticate the number. Then use their ports to control the specific appliances and after the operation send the feedback to the users for the confirmation.AT command sets are used for the GSM service to connect the device with the mobile phones.

Functions:
  They have internal RAM and ROM.  Input output ports for programming, timers and counters, 8 bit status words. They contain two 16 bit timers with 4 banks of registers. The RAM used has the memory of 128 bytes. 80 bits are assigned for the general purpose of data memory.

Hobby Electronics Circuits and Projects

For all electronic hobbyists out there, CircuitsToday is listing some of our own hobby electronic circuits for you. Most of these circuits have been tested by us. You can bring in your own modifications to the circuit. For beginners, these electronic hobby projects may be a little difficult. You can feel free to comment below and ask whatever you want to know. We will help you with whatever information we can provide. Click on the link of each heading given in the list below, to go to the main content. Do not forget to check out the comments as well, to get a better idea of the electronic hobby circuits.

1.       Dark Detector Circuit

This hobby circuit is used to produce an alarm as soon as the light inside a room goes off. The main components used are a basic 555 timer IC and Light Dependent Resistor (LDR), and an output buzzer alarm. The output of the sensor is given to the NE 555 IC. When there is proper light inside a room, the resistance of the sensor will be very low. As soon as the light goes off, the resistance begins to increase. This in turn triggers the IC which is connected to the alarm, and thus produces an output sound. This type of hobby projects can be easily modified to switch other electrical components by using a relay and a transistor to be connected to the output of the 555 timer instead of the buzzer alarm.

2.       Musical Car Reverse Horn Circuit

This interesting circuit is used to make a musical horn as soon as you put your car in reverse gear. This type of hobby electronics projects works with the help of two integrated circuits. One is a simple 7805 voltage regulator IC that is used to minimize the car battery voltage to 5 volts. A further drop to 3.6 Volts is needed and this is given by two diodes. This voltage is given to the second IC, called the UM66. This IC is known to be a music generator. When the car is put in reverse gear, the switch becomes on and the circuit gets connected to the car battery. This causes the UM 66 to produce a music tone. This tone can be further amplified by connecting a transistor driver from the output of the IC to the loudspeaker. The hobby circuit diagram can be seen in the main post given above.

3.       Dancing Light

The hobby circuit diagram of the circuit is given in the original post. This circuit uses an astable multivibrator using a 555 timer IC. The clock pulses from the timer are given to an IC called CD4017. The output of the IC becomes high alternatively. Thus, the LED’s also turn on alternatively, giving it a dancing feel. You can customize the speed of the LED glow by changing the frequency of the clock pulses generated by the timer IC.

4.      Jet Engine Sound Generator

Hobby circuits such as these can be made with the help of the sound generator IC HT2844P. The IC is designed to produce four different sounds of a jet engine like the missile sound, machine gun sound, high speed sound and low speed sound. Each sound is assigned its respective IC number. You just have to connect the associated pins to the ground by using the respective push button switches. You can also connect an LED to the circuit as an indicator to show that the sound has been activated. The hobby schematics can be obtained from the original post given in the link above.

5.       Whistle to Beep Circuit

The circuit consists of a CMOS Hex inverter IC which helps in producing a small beeping sound, whenever you make a whistle. The beeping sound will last for about 3 seconds. There are altogether 6 inverters in the IC. One of them is connected to an audio amplifier that amplifies the signal packed by the microphone. Another inverter of the IC is connected as a Band Pass Filter (BPF) with a center frequency of about 2 kilohertz. The circuit also contains an astable multivibrator and a monostable multivibrator apart from the buzzer output. Check out the hobby circuit diagram show in the link above.

6.       Puff to OFF LED Circuit

A condenser mic is used as a sensor to sense a puff made by the user and thus make an LED switched OFF. Two transistors are connected as a latching pair, which drives the LED to glow. The LED remains ON as long as the puff is given to the mic. The mic converts the sound pressure into an electrical signal and is amplified by a transistor. The output of the transistor drives the LED to the OFF state. A switch must also be given to turn the LED back t its glowing position.

7.       Touch Switch Circuit Diagram Using NE 555 IC

The circuit consists of a small touch plate controller using the 555 timer IC. Hobbyists can easily design this circuit for various applications like doorbells, buzzers, toys, and so on. The circuit mainly consists of a relay that operated for a preset time and then turns off immediately as soon as anything touches the touch plate. A transistor is also used to drive the relay, which can be used to drive loads like bell, lights or motor.

8.       Automobile Turn Signal Circuit

Electronics enthusiasts may find this circuit very interesting. The main objective of the circuit is to provide sequential signal light in automobiles. Two main IC’s are used in this circuit – a TS 555 CN CMOS timer IC and a CD4017 decade counter IC. The CMOS IC is connected as an astable multivibrator so as to trigger the other one. When the CD4017 IC is triggered, the output will go high and low in sequence and the speed of the sequencing will be proportional to the triggering frequency. Four transistors are also provided to drive the corresponding Light Emitting Diodes (LED). Check out the comments on the post as well to know more about the modifications that can be brought to the circuit.

9.       Parking Sensor Circuit

This circuit can be practised on your car for sensing the distance between the rear bumper of the car and any obstacle behind the car. The distance can be understood from the combination of the LEDs used in the circuit.  The 555 timer is used as an astable multivibrator in the circuit. This timer drives the infrared diode that is connected in the circuit to emit infrared pulses. The operating frequency of the transmitter is around 120 Hertz. Take a look at the circuit diagram to know more about it. A detailed explanation is also given in the post above.

10.     Electronic Toss Circuit

A timer IC is used as an astable multivibrator here at a frequency of 10 hertz, along with a 74LS76 dual JK flip flop. The main objective of the circuit is to toss head or tail. The output of the timer is inverted using a transistor. The component details and the explanation is given in the post above.

If The God of Technology Made A Wish-List for New Year..

This is what it would look like. These innovations not just demonstrate brilliance in science and technology but also a social spin and street-smart attitude

Innovations of a year are worth watching not because they speak of the year gone by, but because they indicate what is in store in the coming year. That is what we had in mind when we chose this set of marvellous innovations from year 2012, which range from motion-activated screwdrivers and 3D printers to social hearing-aids and self-regulating tyres. These innovations demonstrate not just brain power but also street-smart attitude—and they promise to fulfil long harboured desires of not just high-end consumers and techies but common people as well.
World’s first motion-activated screwdriver
Black & Decker has used simple electronics to create a niche product. The 4V Max Gyro is a rechargeable motion-sensing screwdriver that can be controlled by your wrist movement. The device senses the movement of your wrists and uses that as a clue to adjust direction and speed of drilling. You need to rotate your wrist just one quarter turn to the right for forward, or left for reverse.

Inside: Its Invense ISZ-650 Z-axis integrated micro-electromechanical-system (MEMS) gyroscope designed for high performance, robustness and high shock resistance. MEMS technology makes it small enough for a compact screwdriver. Light-emitting diode (LED) lights are used to illuminate the workspace; plus an effective lithium-ion battery ensures that the device remains charged for as long as one-and-a-half year.
A factory in your garage
The MakerBot Replicator 2 is a compact desktop device that lets you print 3D objects. It works using Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) technology. Basically, it melts plastic and squeezes it through an extruder to build an object layer-by-layer. Replicator 2 uses polylactide filament—a super-strong renewable plastic that can be used to make even movable parts and complex assemblies. The device allows print dimensions of 28.5×15.3×15.5 cm3, with a  path-breaking 100-micron resolution ensuring smooth  surfaces and fine features.

Inside: It uses modified version of Mighty Board—  MakerBot’s original 3D printer control technology—that can control up to five stepper motors with BotStep stepper controllers, two extruders (with heater cartridges, safety thermostats, thermocouples and fans), Replicator interface board and heated build platform, apart from connecting up to six end-stops. The extruder is nearly identical to the original Replicator extruder with minor tweaks to optimise manufacturing of injection moulded parts. Other features include 3-point levelling system and 32 per cent lower power consumption.

While the original Replicator design was completely open, there is a lot of furore about the company moving to a closed model now. However, the founder claims that the core technology comprising the extruder and the control board are still open. Original component information is available at http://www.makerbot.com/blog/tag/mightyboard
Translating sign language into speech
Not everybody can understand sign language – this is a practical difficulty that hearing and speech impaired people face everyday. Four students from Ukraine have developed a simple and inexpensive solution called Enable Talk comprising special gloves and a mobile application, which can detect signs made by the user wearing the gloves, and convert these into text or speech on the phone. Working on the user feedback, they are now enhancing the system to also track arm movement in addition to just fingered signs.

Inside: Eleven flex sensors and eight touch sensors embedded in the glove convert movement into proportionate electrical resistance. The glove also includes 3D digital linear acceleration sensor, magnetic sensor, accelerometer and gyroscope. An Atmel XMEGA A3 microcontroller processes analogue signals from sensors and transmits the resulting data to a mobile using Class 2 Bluetooth module (BlueCore4-Exteanl chipset from Cambridge Silicon Radio). The glove is powered by a 750mAh lithium-polymer accumulator, which can be charged through USB or built-in solar battery.

Easy and intelligent LED bulbs
You can control these light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs with your mobile phone – and no, we are not talking of complex building-wide lighting solutions. iLumi is a simple LED-based bulb that can be screwed into any common socket. It is available in small, large, white and full-spectrum models, which are supposedly super energy-efficient, last up to 20 years, and can be controlled with a simple mobile application. You can schedule the light, alter its brightness of hue, motion-activate it, and do much more. Founders Corey Egan and Swapnil Bora are waiting to finalise the design and manufacture the bulbs, which have already won numerous awards.

Inside: iLumi’s HyperLux technology allows it to be programmed to display millions of colours and makes it one of the brightest bulbs around. The bulb, which is compatible with normal sockets and power supply, includes Bluetooth, 16-bit, 256kB flash processor, additional 4-megabit flash memory, real-time lighting control for up to 100 iLumi bulbs, and clock with battery back-up. The control application is simple and intuitive, and can be downloaded and run on Android and iOS devices. The company plans to include a software developer kit (SDK), to come up with innovative ways for programming and controlling the bulb.
Tyres that pump themselves up
An under-inflated tyre can reduce mileage, increase wear-and-tear and even burst. However, during long journeys, when tyres are likely to wear out quickly, drivers are in no mood to monitor their tyre pressure. As a brilliant alternative, Goodyear has come up with a self-regulating tyre that inflates itself on-the-go. The electronics and mechanical components are built into the tyre itself, and the technology is currently being used on 100-psi, re-treaded commercial usage tyres.

Inside: Goodyear’s Air Maintenance Technology focuses on an internal regulator comprising pressure sensors and miniature pump, completely fitted inside the tyre itself. The power for regulator functioning is drawn from the movement of the tyres. Working is simple: A sensor on the interior detects when the pressure goes low. Immediately a valve mounted on the sidewall opens up. As the tyre rotates, the vehicle’s weight compresses a tube built into the tyre’s circumference to inject air into the tyre. Once the pressure reaches the programmed psi value, the system shuts the valve and the tyre runs as usual.
A social hearing-aid that imitates functional hearing
People using hearing-aids are often embarrassed by the lack of clarity in crowded places. Two researchers at the University of Toronto have floated a start-up called Cogni-Wave to achieve what they call ‘social hearing.’ Cogni-Wave is developing a hearing-aid that uses rotating microphones to filter environmental sounds, so that the person using the hearing-aid hears exactly like someone with functional hearing—one voice at a time.

“We have a prototype that utilises Bluetooth and radio frequency (RF) wireless microphones or headphones. We have had good results but we are still adjusting parameters and the system to optimise performance. We are implementing our algorithm onto hardware, that is, chips and circuits, to speed up the processing and better incorporate it into various forms of hearing enhancement devices,” says Brian Wang, co-founder, Cogni-Wave. These hearing-aids will hopefully hit the markets by the end of 2013.

Inside: Michael Shen, co-founder, Cogni-Wave, says, “We will use digital signal processor (DSP) chips for the core signal processing of our device; the specifics of the chips would match our algorithm parameters to achieve desired results. Directional microphone and miniaturised speakers are necessary for our design, along with the circuitry components needed to amplify or filter the received and outgoing signals.”
A camera that takes ‘living’ pictures
Lytro is the first consumer camera that captures the entire light field – that is, the rays of light travelling in every direction through a scene. Earlier, this used to be done in labs with hundreds of cameras and a supercomputer to collate the images. The scientists who made Lytro have combined all that technology into one small handy camera! This means you can take ‘living’ pictures that you can interactively refocus later, any number of times. There is a special format and software bundle that let you do a lot of things with your living pictures, and also share them with others.

Inside: Lytro’s 8X optical-zoom, f/2 lens captures significantly more light than most cameras. A micro-lens array joined to a digital image sensor records the colour, intensity and direction of the 11 million or so light rays entering the camera. Their light field engine does the work of a super-computer, by processing all the light ray information and creating images that can be refocused anywhere, anytime. Since the engine travels with every file, others can also refocus shared images. The camera comes in a lightweight anodised aluminium structure with a touch screen.
A bouncy tool for police encounters
When scouting out suspects, police and military personnel always fear the unknown—how many criminals are inside a room, whether they have any dangerous weapons with them and so on. Similarly, firefighters would like to know how intense a fire is, how many people are stuck in the accident, etc. Bounce Imaging, a throwable electronic device, aims to help in such situations by capturing images and other information using cameras and sensors, and relaying it to a mobile device.

Inside: Still in the design stage, Bounce Imaging is likely to include six wide-angle cameras (that can together give a 360-degree view), each capable of taking two snaps per second and surrounded by infrared LED flash, a protective casing that allows the device to bounce without any breakage of components, a battery, a variety of sensors such as oxygen, smoke, temperature and radiation sensors, and an accelerometer and gyroscope to orient images. The captured data is sent wirelessly to an Android-based mobile device, where an application helps analyse the information. Developers are still working on some solution (perhaps a tether or motion capabilities) to retrieve the device after it has done its job.
A robot you can ‘teach’ to pack bread
Rodney Brooks has designed a unique robot that is easy to use, comparatively cheap and suitable for even small manufacturing outfits. Baxter can perform repetitive tasks like bread packing, working safely next to people. It exhibits ‘common sense’ and is capable of sensing and adapting to its task and environment. For example, let us say Baxter is assembling a small machine and it loses a part. It will visually scan the desk, pick up the piece and start working again—just like we do. The best part is that it involves no programming or costly integration. It is possible to train the robot by physically moving its limbs and demonstrating how it should work. You can easily update its capabilities through software updates, or create your own capabilities with an easy software development kit.

Inside: Seven degrees of freedom, 8-12 pick-and-place operations per minute, 1m/s arm speed, five built-in cameras, interchangeable end-effectors, force sensing, springs and force control at each joint for free movement and bump detection, behaviour-based intelligence, vision-guided movement, human detection using front camera and 360-degree sonar, navigator and face-like display for human-machine interface (HMI), casters for movement, locking feet for stability. Full specifications and parts list available at www.rethinkrobotics.com
Car of the future
Visteon recently showed off e-Bee—a concept car created using a Nissan Leaf. It has all the automotive electronics you want to see in your car in the future – and if Visteon’s estimate is right, your car might look pretty much like this by 2020. It has everything from entertainment and mobility solutions to safety and comfort.

Inside: Boxes and boxes of electronics, including personalised HMI, touchscreen instrument panels that give information on vehicle controls and social media connections, a head-down projected main display in front of the driver, a rear view with 360-degree visibility and augmented reality features, tech-agnostic wireless charging, Open Source infotainment platform, near-field communications for personal link between the user and vehicle, climate control system, cloud connectivity and car-to-car communications for improved information about collisions, hazardous roads, curve speed warnings, traffic flow and more. Most of the technology is based on an open platform.

A mouse that fits any palm
BMW Design Works and Thermaltake have together launched the Thermaltake Tt eSports Level 10 M gaming mouse, which can apparently be adjusted to fit to any palm size. It also includes several ergonomic features including a palm-cooling design.

Inside: The mouse features a hollowed-out design that allows height and angle adjustment of the mouse body by simple turning of a screen on the top side of the mouse. A perforated palm surface, advanced materials and unique shape manage to maintain a passive airflow that removes sweat from the palms. The mouse works using a laser sensor with a sensitivity of 8200 dpi, 128kB memory, LED lighting and USB connectivity. It comes bundled with the requisite software.

Cubical display for an immersive experience
Samsung’s NL22B is a cube-shaped device that contains a transparent 56cm (22-inch) front-panel display with a computer built into the chassis. It allows images and animations to interact with the products showcased inside the cube. Apart from creating an immersive shopping experience, it could also be used in fields like education and healthcare. It might, for example, be used in a store to allow users to interactively find out more about products and try out various combinations, before making a purchase.

Inside: 60Hz transparent LED display, protective glass, speakers, security lock and cables, USB input and Ethernet connectivity. Built-in AMD A4-3310M dual-core processor allows users to easily control the display, without the need for external PC. Embedded MagicInfo Premium software enables images or videos to be played from a USB source, or deployed and managed from anywhere in the world using a network.
A wristband that tracks your life
Larklife wristbands (one for day and the other for night) track your activity, diet and sleep; analyse the information holistically; and provide personalised recommendations to improve your lifestyle. Larklife provides context-aware advice – for example, if you did not get enough sleep in the night, it will suggest you a protein-rich breakfast to ensure enough energy.

Inside: An intelligent triaxial accelerometer helps pick up even micro-movements of the user’s body, while dietary information needs to be fed into the system. Bluetooth Smart helps synchronise this information with an iOS application on your mobile device. A continuous machine learning algorithm analyses the user’s activity and learns about his energy patterns. The techniques are apparently based on the science of circadian rhythms, or how individuals’ energy levels peak and dip. Lithium-polymer battery provides up to 48-hour working. Other components include micro-USB connector, vibration motor, clock and snazzy LED lights to grab your attention.

Bandai strengthens its bond with kids
Bandai created magic with Tamagotchi as early as 1996. Its new TechPet robot dog promises to be all the more phenomenal. It starts with a simple, free iTunes application, which lets kids take care of a digital pet. You can feed it, monitor its health, give it medicines, play with it, and do much more. However, the real kick lies in the robot model or toy, whatever you want to call it. Dock your iPhone or iPod Touch as the face of the pet, and it is ready to wag its tail and play with you. The robot toy is capable of walking front and back, turning 360-degree and dancing.

Inside: This application-based toy works with an iPhone or iPod touch docked to the robot dog through a 3.5mm jack. iPhone’s Facetime camera allows voice and gesture control. Bluetooth lets the robot interact and play with other TechPets. The robot dog is powered by three AA-size batteries.

Making electricity safe and smart
Canadian company 2D2C, which makes electrical safety equipment, has launched the SafePlug energy manager kit that adds intelligence to normal power sockets. The outlets provide child safety and surge protection, monitor power consumption of devices connected to them, automatically switch off devices not in use, and also enable remote control of the outlet. Overall, the system promises 30 per cent savings in electricity bills.

Inside: The kit comprises SafePlug energy manager outlets, a server, an application that can run on most mobile devices and Web browsers, and SafePlug Upgrade tags. The server and outlets communicate wirelessly using Zigbee Pro—a low-power networking technology that enables the devices to connect to each other and ultimately form a mesh network. The server can, in turn, connect to the device that runs the application using Ethernet or Wi-Fi. Outlets contain patented overload, shock and power fault circuit interrupter technologies. SafePlug Upgrade tags communicate appliance power and current rating to outlets. There are around 13 tags available, and for an appliance to receive power from an outlet, it must be updated by adding the tag that best matches its power or current rating.

Google’s shot at wearable computing
Google Glass is a computer-integrated pair of glasses that realises augmented reality. That is, it supplements what you see with relevant information. If you are walking down a street, it could pop up information on the buildings there, notify you of a traffic diversion or suggest a restaurant – somewhat like today’s location-aware phones can. It is likely to be launched around 2014, but has already gained a lot of attention.

Inside: Glass is likely to include a heads-up display; standalone processor; on-board memory and battery; projection technique such as the Lumus optical engine module; a 3.2MP camera and 1080p video recording; touch pad, microphone and speakers for input-output; sensors like gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer (e-compass) for context-sensitivity and gesture-enabled interaction; GPS functionality; and 3G/4G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. It is proposed to run on Android. Although the early prototype uses an opaque screen, the actual might use a transparent liquid-crystal display or active-matrix organic light-emitting diode display.
NASA’s best Martian bet
NASA’s Curiosity is the largest rover sent to Mars. The car-sized rover apparently contains much more scientific instrumentation than other rovers sent to the Red Planet. According to NASA’s Mars Lab, the rover has everything that a living thing needs to breathe, live and work.

Inside: The rover’s body is a structure that protects the stuff inside. Computers are its brain, and temperature is controlled through internal heaters, a layer of insulation and more. The rover’s neck and head serve as a mast for the cameras to give the rover a humanscale view; the cameras and instruments are its eyes and senses. It has robotic arms and hands to collect material samples for study, wheels and legs for mobility, batteries for energy, and ultra-high frequency antennae to communicate! One of the two computers inside the rover works all the time, while the other serves as backup. Both use radiation-hardened BAE RAD750 microchips operating at up to 200 MHz. Each computer is equipped with 2GB flash memory, 256MB random-access memory and 256kB erasable programmable read-only memory. While this configuration seems much lower than today’s computers, these chips are used because they are radiation hardened, through a very high-tech and costly process to stand the rigours of a strange planet.