In 10 years of technolust, we've found plenty of gear that gets our pulse racing. But we always want more. Here's our wish list for 2013.
Talk This Way
Apple redefined the desktop, laptop, and MP3 player. The next insanely great thing: an LCD arm cuff that includes a PDA, wireless Internet, a mini iPod, and, of course, a phone. The iPhone bracelet's motion sensor allows you to scroll through apps and files with the flick of a wrist; its clasp holds a digicam for use during video calls; and its wireless ear clip lets you listen and speak to callers. And everything can be done via voice recognition or touchscreen. Talk about the right call.
Smell Test
Whether counting calories or minding your lactose intake, you can never know too much about what you're eating. This handheld food scanner's neural network divines ingredients and quantities, giving an instant read on your favorite foods. Fido's artificial nose also sniffs out bacteria like E. coli and allergens such as peanuts or milk. Tell the scanner what you want to avoid and it barks a warning. Let's just hope it likes your cooking.
Quiet Riot
Earplugs promote a good night's sleep, but they can also drown out your wake-up call. These programmable noise cancelers weed out only the sounds you can afford to miss. A microprocessor neutralizes certain audio input - mating alley cats, your Osbourne-esque neighbors, a partner's snores - while sound recognition technology lets you teach the plugs what you really want to hear. Ah, silence is golden.
Fast Forward
Serious athletes demand data - and they shouldn't have to take their eyes off the prize. Simple solution: wraparound specs for runners and bikers, or goggles like these for swimmers, that track performance on an on-lens screen. A gyroscopic ankle strap logs speed, temperature (both body and external), strides or strokes, altitude, distance, heart rate, calories burned - then transmits the info to the eyewear's translucent light-emitting polymer display. Visualize world records.
Polar-Eyez
By 2013, shades have become retro cool, but contacts do a better job of blocking the sun. Using the same silver halide microcrystals that make polychromatic glasses work, these UV-filtering lenses change hue in bright light. Available in practically any color, they switch from, say, clear to deep gray during a magnificent sunrise.
Liquid Video
Surround sound was just the beginning. Flexible, superthin light-emitting-polymer displays have evolved to the point where your dream home theater is now a room within a television. The slim, pliable flat panel - a seamless wall covering that extends around you - pulls in whatever you want to watch via wireless satellite feed. Now that's a wrap.
