In Pictures: The Most Promising Tech Of 2010

This year at CES, Microsoft's Robbie Bach announced that Project Natal, the company's motion-sensing game peripheral, would hit retail shelves in time for Christmas. Consuming between 10% and 15% of the Xbox' processor power, Natal combines a basic understanding of human anatomy with terabytes of data documenting thousands of poses observed during testing. No word on price, but you can bet your bottom dollar this is going to be a top seller for Christmas 2010.

We've come a long way in technology. On the next few pages, we'll examine where we'll be heading in 2010. Read on!

There's no doubt about it: LED-based LCDs are going to replace aging cathode LCD panels.

When LCD displays first came out, they were herald as the wave of the future. By today's standards however, even traditional LCD displays seem thick and bulky by comparison. LED displays grant you better picture contrast, faster response time, more uniformed color, thinner products, and greater power savings.

OLED and AMOLED displays are promising, but they're still too expensive. LED displays are actually cheaper to make than traditional panels on the same scale, but still cost a premium. Expect prices on LED displays and TVs to be slashed heavily this year.

Thin is in, baby.

Microsoft made a huge deal about the Windows 7-based HP Slate PC. While the reaction to the product was lukewarm, it seems HP has another version of the Slate PC and this one runs Android. Android is already incredibly popular on a huge array of smart phones but tech fans are eager to see how it fares on bigger, slightly more powerful devices. The HP Slate PC running Android definitely looks like it could offer a promising demonstration of the Google OS.

The first iteration of Nvidia's Tegra chipset powers small electronic devices like the ZuneHD and it does a wonderful job. But the whole world is going nuts over tablets, not personal media players. To that end, Nvidia is pushing Tegra 2. Launched at CES earlier this month, the chipset incorporates a Cortex-A9 CPU plus a low-power GPU. The whole affair consumes 500 mW under load and Nvidia says it will offer the full Tegra development kit, which includes reference board, a small display, and Chromium OS to all comers at "an affordable price." Nvidia is targeting tablets with this chipset.

The Eee Keyboard has been a long time coming. In fact, it was this time last year that we saw it at CES and were promised a 2009 release. Since then, there have been a few let downs, but we were excited to see a nettop in keyboard form in February. The idea is that you hook it up to an external display via either VGA or HDMI. It has a 5" touch-screen display in place of the number pad and it packs Intel's Atom N270, 1 GB of RAM, a 16 GB SSD (with the option to upgrade to 32 GB), and a built-in battery that's said to last up to four hours on a charge.

We're keeping our eye on this bad boy because eReaders are really starting to shine and this is the sexiest one we've seen so far. Aside from boasting the highest resolution seen on an eReader to date (it boasts an 11.5" (1600x1200) display), the Skiff implements e-paper technology from LG Display, which utilizes a metal foil instead of the more traditional glass substrate. Simply put, this baby is beautiful and she's flexible. What more could you want?

The dawn of 3D viewing in your home is here and there was certainly a ton of 3D technology on display at CES to titillate our senses and prepare us for the months and years ahead. ESPN is launching a 3D channel in June, just in time for the World Cup, while countless companies are selling 3D televisions alongside regular 2D-only sets.

Of course, though, the adult entertainment industry is at the bleeding edge of it all. One company offers a 3D porn package deal that combines a $20/month subscription, a 60" 3D television, a compact computer server, and the glasses to make it all work. Yes sir, 2010 is the year the industry is set to go 3D crazy.

Intel plans to release an LG-manufactured smart phone in the second half of this year and we're going to go out on a limb and say this device will generate a helluva lot of excitement. Packing a 5" screen with 720p HD video playback, two cameras, and a Linux-based Moblin OS, the whole thing runs on Intel's Moorestown platform set to launch this year. We're intrigued.

The Nexus One itself might be a little bit of a disappointment when you consider it represents Google's entry into the cell phone market. It looks similar to every other HTC-built Android device, and once all the other Android phones are rocking 2.1, as far as we're concerned, it's just another face in the crowd. However—and this is a big however—Android phones are getting better and better, while the Nexu One is Google's first cell phone. The company has plans for more phones and we're hoping each is more exciting and innovative than the last. This will be Google's first year to shine when it comes to smart phones.

From the outside, it just looks like a curvy 11.6" notebook. The specs read like a regular notebook, too: It packs Intel's Core 2 Duo CPU, 4 GB of RAM, Windows 7, and a 128 GB solid-state drive. Shiny, red, and curved in all the right places, it's a good-looking notebook as it is, but there's more to this little guy than meets the eye. Because when you open the U1 Hybrid, you realize that the screen pops right out of the body and you've got yourself a tablet packing a Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, Linux, 512 MB of RAM, and 16 GB of flash memory.

With a $1,000 price tag, it's not exactly cheap but it's definitely a fair price for what you're getting. Shipping in June.

It might be slightly underwhelming in the marketing department (LePhone, really?) but the fact that Lenovo is releasing a smart phone says something about the way cell phones are changing. The year 2007 saw the release of the iPhone, and in the two years that followed, we saw more and more companies take the plunge and release smart phones.

Cell phones are becoming more powerful and we have long since passed the stage where the phone part of a mobile phone was the most important thing. The LePhone is similar to Lenovo's IdeaPad U1 Hybrid. It offers an external keyboard that clips onto the screen. The keyboard also contains a speaker and a spare battery.

Samsung Mobile Display's 14" notebook—sporting a prototype transparent OLED display—looked to be more of a nuisance than a benefit, especially when a nagging spouse could position his or her face behind the display and glare at you with brain-searing eyeballs. Still, the technology itself is cool and could lead way to a future where displays are totally invisible save for the rendered images, readouts, and other data. So far, there's no indication about when Samsung will finalize the display and release it to the masses.

Here's another prototype at CES 2010 that looked good enough to eat. Appearing as an oversized Nintendo DS, MSI's 10" dual touch-screen netbook (or UMPC) comes packed with an Intel Atom Z Series processor (Z530) and Windows 7 Home Premium. Despite its clam shell appearance, both screens act as one, allowing the user to drag an item from one display to the other. When the netbook screens are positioned horizontally, the "bottom" screen can be used as a virtual QWERTY keyboard. Devin also reports that there's a 7" version as well and that both may have around 2 GB of DDR2 memory.

Although it doesn't sport 3D capabilities, a high-contrast ratio, or dual touch screens, RCA's little Airnergy Charger should have earned an award for innovation. This device acquires a charge by pulling electricity from WiFi signals. RCA said that the speed of recharging depends on the location of the WiFi hotspot—the farther away, the longer it takes.

The current version takes a while to recharge a cell phone (90 minutes or more). Still, it's a step in the right direction in finding new ways to use energy.

eBook readers certainly hogged a chunk of the CES 2010 spotlight and Samsung's E6 and E101 eBook readers were no exception. These two devices enable users to write directly on the screen using a stylus pen, providing a means for annotations, sketching, quick writing, and more. The E101 offers a larger 10" screen compared to the smaller 6" E6 model, while both offer WiFi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth, and 2 GB of flash memory. However, the price tags are rather chunky—consumers not wanting to spend between $400 to $700 might want to look elsewhere.

Is it a new Pokemon or a new version of K-9 from the Doctor Who series? It's neither. In fact, despite its cuddly appearance, Celluon's evoMouse Pet is actually a device that replaces the standard mouse using two infra-red sensors that track the movement of fingers. Think of it as a motion-tracking device for the desk, allowing you to scroll up and down on-screen by pushing two fingers on the surface or swipe to the right to move the mouse cursor to the right.

There's also a Cube version as well, offering a laser keyboard that can handle up to 400 characters per minute. Coolness.

Samsung's C-9000 touch-screen remote is every couch potato's dream (outside a robotic maid that fetches pizza and alcohol). With a built-in touch screen, this remote enables the user to scroll through TV listings and execute simplified commands with an iPhone-like interface.

However, the coolest aspect of the remote is that it actually streams TV programming to the 3" screen, enabling the user to watch one show while the TV is on another station. Samsung said it's designed for the 9000 HDTV, while this hi-tech remote will be sold separately for other TVs.

Multi-touch displays allow for up to two-finger inputs. 3M trumps these limits with its new 22" M2256PW multi-touch display, allowing for up to 10 inputs (fingers) at one time using the company's Projected Capacitive Technology. Although the M2256PW will be natively supported by the new Windows 7 OS, 3M promises to deliver a driver that will allow the display to function on Windows XP, Vista, and the Linux OS.

Although MSI's "Jellow" is still in concept stages, this all-in-one looks rather tasty with its super-futuristic transparent casing. Even more, this compact rig sports 3D technology and HD graphics, however MSI didn't reveal the goodies packed under the hood. Still, the display itself—which will slide up to allow users to store the wireless keyboard within the compact rig when not in use—features a 23.6" WLED Backlight Full HD screen, a native 1920 x 1080 resolution, and a double frame rate (120 Hz). Additionally, the wireless mouse can be used as a remote control and an IP-phone for online chatting.

Yes, we want it.

Okay, so maybe we don't have an extra $10,000 in the piggy bank to blow on LG's 3D HD projector, but the idea of 1080p full HD 3D movies on the wall just sounds like a mind-blowing experience. Enter LG's CF3D projector, which sports only one lens and creates the 3D effect by using the company's dual-engine 3D processor and its TruMotion 120 Hz technology. LG plans to unleash this one-eyed beast sometime in March 2010.

Asus has returned to the Republic of Gamers brand with its new G73jh laptop. This beast drips with portable gaming goodness, sporting Intel's Core i7-720QM CPU and ATI's Radeon HD 5870 GPU. The 17.3" display provides a native 1920 x 1080 resolution, promising to bring not only an awesome gaming experience on the go, but HD video thanks to the Blu-ray/DVD combo drive. This new Asus laptop also offers up to 8 GB of DDR3 and up to 1 TB of HDD space, depending on your budget.

Want to upgrade your laptop to accept a USB 3.0 external drive? Seagate makes it a possibility with the BlackArmor PS110 USB 3.0 kit, packing a 500 GB 7,200 RPM 2.5" portable hard drive, power cable, and PC ExpressCard. Just plug the adapter into your ExpressCard slot and you're ready to go.

Could a mechanical rat beat up a gaming mouse? If you think so, then perhaps you'll want to employ the services of Mad Catz's upcoming line of Cyborg R.A.T. gaming mice. If you ever wished that your gaming mouse had more buttons and that they could all be fully configurable, then this is the mouse for you.

If you've ever owned a Sony electronics device, then you'll know that your device isn't fit for any mere SD card standard. Instead, you'll have to stay within the family and use Memory Stick Pro Duo to save your games, movies, music, and pictures. However, that may all change as Sony appears to finally be relenting by releasing its own brand of SD memory flash cards.

AMD was first to the market with its DirectX 11 desktop part and now it's also the first to bring the API to the mobile space with the introduction of the ATI Mobility Radeon 5000 series, which includes the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5800, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5700, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5600, and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5400.

For the time being, AMD has the monopoly on DirectX 11 parts for desktops and notebooks.

Panasonic has taken its biggest plasma HDTV ever and made it bigger and badder. The old 150" 4K plasma, which we'd all still happily welcome into our living rooms, is now officially old hat with the introduction of the 152" model. Besides being two inches bigger, this new one can do 3D, which is surely the wave of the future—or maybe just a really cool way to watch Avatar.

We've been talking about the new Intel Nehalem CPU architecture for a couple of years now, and at CES, the architecture made its way through the mainstream portions of the chip giant's lineup.

All the new Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 chips debuted at CES are a sneak peak at all CPUs that you'll find in new laptops throughout 2010, bringing Intel's new 32 nm manufacturing process and the integration of high-definition graphics capabilities inside the processor.

One of the coolest things to do on a laptop is to hook it up to an HDTV and sound system to watch a movie with big picture and big sound.

The hard part is getting them hooked up and then trying to operate the laptop while it's tethered to the TV. Intel believes it has the answer to that hassle with the Wireless Display or WiDi. All you need is one of the new Intel Westmere-based laptops and a compatible TV adapter box (which you can pick up from Best Buy) and you can wirelessly stream your video and audio output over an 802.11n connection. Slick.

Razer's been among the top of the gaming-peripheral food chain for PC gamers and now it's dipping itself into the console waters with the introduction of an Xbox 360 controller and headset. Although you'll be tethered to the console through a wire for "virtually lag-free gameplay," you will gain the added benefit of being able to adjust the tension on your control sticks to suit your sniping needs.

It's an 11" laptop from Alienware, and yes, it can play Crysis. Nuff said.

Porn star legend Ron Jeremy made the long trek from one Las Vegas convention to another to speak at a panel at CES. Guess what? He hates the Internet and believes that video games are worse for kids than watching porn.

Say what you will about the iPad and Apple, but we're willing to bet that Apple will shake up the industry with the iBook store as well as continuing to expand the reaches of its App Store.

Apple's already put a huge wrench into Amazon's Kindle operations. Major publishers are standing up against Amazon and it's fixed $9.99 ebook model, thanks in large part to Steve Jobs allowing publishers to price ebooks at whatever they want.

Those who complain about the iPad also need to take note that up until this point, no tablet computer has seen success. In fact, the majority of Tom's Hardware readers have never owned a tablet computer. Apple will be the first to change this on a large scale and is setting itself up as market-maker. Because of the hype and launch of the iPad, other manufacturers who have never made tablets are jumping on the bandwagon.