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Cool web templates
Demo is one of the few shows where you look at some of the products and say,"Wow, I can't wait to try that." Over the past 15 years the show has produced several "gotta-have" devices and software, and this year is no different. Here's a quick peek at what we'll yearn for during 2005:
Personal broadcasting production
When corporate communications officials want to broadcast a live message from the CEO to the company they usually have to hire a Webcasting company or full production company to produce such an event. Newtek says it wants to change that with its TriCaster box, which debuts at the Demo show.The TriCaster is a portable live production video switcher and Web streaming appliance. For $5,000, users will be able to produce a live event, including switching multiple cameras, graphics and pre-recorded material (known as B-roll footage),and stream the output to the Web in real time.
With comparable systems costing between $15,000 and $20,000 (and higher), Newtek says it hopes to create a new market for video communications for companies that couldn't previously afford it.The product is designed to appeal to non-video professionals who still have video needs.The system includes pre-built title screens, graphics and other professional broadcasting features. Officials from Newtek say the system is so easy to use that one person can take the place of a whole control studio.The company says it hopes to have systems shipping as soon as possible, and by April at the latest.
Browsing at the speed of thought
The Web browser has been around for more than 10 years, yet the process of browsing hasn't changed that much.Type in a search term or click a link, the browser goes and finds the information and presents it on another page. Repeat until you find the page or information that you're looking for.
Browster has a better idea - instead of clicking to move ahead, why not mouse over the link and be presented with a pop-up window that gives you a visual representation of the Web page? If you don't like the result, just move your mouse and it disappears. If you do like it, click on a non-link area of the window and the page moves into your original browser area. Browster is a plug-in for Internet Explorer (free download for end users) that does just that.
Browster uses an end user's CPU and bandwidth for a concept it calls "pre-fetching." When a Web page comes up, the Browster plug-in goes to work and gathers all the page information for all the links in advance. When the user moves the mouse over the link, the information appears instantly in the Browster window. Users can determine the length of time the mouse needs to stay over the link before the Browster window pops up to avoid windows popping up all over the place.
The system works with any link, not just search engine results. For example, with Web-based e-mail you can mouse over the subject line in the e-mail and see the contents of the e-mail (almost like a preview pane in Outlook).The Browster makers also talk about having the system recognize daily browsing patterns - for example, if you go to Yahoo every morning and click on certain news links, the system will eventually recognize these patterns and pre-fetch the "favorites" quicker than other links.
The perfect pair of pants
Some people enjoy shopping for clothes and trying on new outfits, but for the rest of us it's a pain just to find something that fits well (most jeans come with leg lengths far too long for me). The Intellifit system is appealing because it can conduct a full-body scan, figure out your clothes size, and offer recommendations on styles that would fit better.
Body-scanning technology isn't new, but many systems required people to either undress, or even put on a Lycra bodysuit to complete the laser scan. The Intellifit system is a walk-in booth with a scanner that revolves around a person in about 10 seconds.The company says it scans with low-power radio waves with about 1/350th the power of a cell phone to collect more than 200,000 data points. Most important, the scan occurs without the shopper having to undress or wear a bodysuit.
The system has been around for about 10 months, but it debuts this week at Demo with a "search engine" functionality that lets users type in the type of clothing they want to buy (swimsuit, jeans or tuxedo). After the scan the system offers a page of results that helps users find what they are looking for.The current system only offers sizing measurements and recommendations within the specific store where the Intellifit booth is located.
At the show, Intellifit offers attendees the chance to get a perfect pair of jeans from Levi's for stepping into the booth and getting a body scan. Maybe now I can get jeans with the perfect leg length.
Using networking to network
One big reason why people attend conferences is to network with colleagues. But meeting someone in a packed room usually involves walking around, introducing yourself and figuring out if he is worth talking with. Technology to the rescue!
Jambo Networks is launching client software that uses Wi-Fi to help make the introductions for you, and find people with similar interests. Jambo users fill out information about themselves on the Web site, which the client remembers. Through an algorithm process, Jambo then broadcasts a unique number through the Wi-Fi device (Windows 2000 or XP laptop, Pocket PC or smart phone, Macintosh in beta). When the client finds a person with a similar number (no actual profile data is broadcast), it alerts the user that someone with similar interests is nearby The user then can send a message to the other person and the two can meet.
Jambo is targeting three markets initially: conferences, universities (to help students with similar interests find each other, or alumni association gatherings) and Wi-Fi hot spots. Imagine an online dating service or other community Web site that can alert you when another member of the site is sitting in the same Starbucks as you.
The system works with computers that are in infrastructure mode (connected to an access point), or in ad hoc mode, so you don't have to be connected to the Internet to connect with other people within the same area.
Blogging to the masses
Bubbler might be the coolest name for a new product debating at Demo. Five Across' Bubbler (still a code name, though) is a client application that lets users create and update Weblog information in real time.Think of it as a combination of an instant-messaging client that updates a blog as soon as the person hits the Enter key The client application allows for instant text update, as well as uploads of photos, files, RSS feeds and even Wikis. The client offers a number of templates to let users get a blog up and running in no time.
Another cool feature is the ability to easily add other "authors" or group members to a person's blog just through an invite process that gives them the same client to download. It allows groups of people to contribute to the blog quicker and easier than with current blogging software. Furthermore, users can create private blogs (with passwords), so the result truly becomes more of a collaboration environment (with shared photos, files and text entries) than a blog.
Five Across plans on hosting the blogs for a minimal fee (about $5 per month for 250M bytes of space and about 1G byte of bandwidth for the basic service). The free beta program starts today with the launch at Demo.
Bringing touch to gaming
Novint plans to introduce the world to haptics, the science of applying tactile sensation to human interaction with computers.The technology has been around for nearly 10 years, but it was limited to high-end applications such as medical training. At Demo, the company plans to launch a mass-market device, the Novint Falcon, for less than $100 that brings haptics technology to the world of computer gaming.
The Falcon device is like a joystick, but provides three-dimensional feedback to the user, making games feel more realistic.The company developed a golf game and basketball game that make it feel like you're actually swinging a golf club or shooting a ball.The company says it hopes to attract game developers to the device, but it also says that online gaming applications will benefit (imagine being able to unsheathe a virtual sword in a game, or being able to look at and touch an object that you are buying on a shopping site). Novint says it's aiming for a first-quarter 2006 release of the device and a few games, with more games planned for later in 2006.
Making the TV the center of the universe
The founders of Mediabolic want to do for the TV what the Palm Pilot did for handheld devices. When the Palm launched at Demo, it provided a device and a platform for developers to their own "killer applications."
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