4 Cutting-Edge Gaming Technologies With Incredible Promise

As he delivered the 2012 DICE conference keynote, Skyrim creator Todd Howard said he sees games "as the ultimate combination of art and technology." It's true. No other art form more tightly ties technology to its innovations and storytelling techniques.
With a new generation of video game consoles upon us, a booming world of innovation in tablet and mobile games, and PC gaming more robust than it's ever been, the future of the technology and game art is nothing short of exhilarating.

So what technologies are developers experimenting with today that give us a glimpse of future gaming innovation?
Some of these examples are audacious, so much so we can't be sure they'll ever actually go anywhere. Others are surefire hits for the next decade of gaming.

1. Oculus Rift

Image: Oculus VRSince the 1980s, science fiction authors and geeks have dreamed of a future in which we all play games with virtual reality headsets.
Oculus Rift seeks to make that dream a reality, as many before have tried to do. It was funded on Kickstarter, and went on to impress tech pundits and reviewers as the best effort yet.
It's easy to write off — "No one ever wants to look goofy, wearing a giant VR headset while he games in the living room." But here's some food for thought: Doom creator and actual rocket scientist John Carmack just left the game software company he founded more than 20 years ago to serve full-time as Oculus VR's chief technical officer.

2. Xbox One Kinect

Image: Mashable, Christina AscaniThe Xbox One's Kinect voice command navigation sure feels like the future.
Even the Kinect's Xbox 360 predecessor was impressive, particularly the full-body motion controls made possible by its 3D camera. We haven't seen much in the way of motion controls on the Xbox One yet, but the new Kinect is even more powerful than the last.
Sony’s console offers many of the same features with the PlayStation Camera, but it’s not as powerful as the Xbox One’s improved model.
The Xbox One's entire user interface is built around voice commands, and they feel amazing. It's too bad they only work about 80% of the time. That precludes any hardcore gaming applications, but you feel this should be the future of user interfaces — and it might just be.

3. Digital Distribution

It's already happened on PC and mobile: You download games; you don't buy them at the store anymore. Yet consoles still lag behind. Why?
There are socioeconomic factors at play, but it's as much a culture gap. Console gamers have spent years collecting discs and special edition artwork or toys with their games. And don't forget the established culture of game lending among friends.
When Microsoft announced the Xbox One would require an online connection to facilitate digital games, live updates and cloud computing, console gamers backlashed vigorously.
PC gamers already went through this turbulent transition when Valve Software's Steam platform launched in 2004. At first they resisted the change, but the benefits and convenience of digital distribution for both consumer and publisher became too obvious to ignore, when the right infrastructure was finally in place. The same switch is inevitable on consoles; it just might take awhile.
It reminds us of a wise William Gibson quote: "The future is already here; it's just not evenly distributed."

4. Gaming in the Cloud

Image: Nirak, FlickrThe sky, as it were, is the limit with this technology. Nothing offers more longterm promise for the future of gaming than cloud computing. It's not 100% about the graphics; that will still be accomplished best on a local machine in the immediate future. Rather, it's about connecting players with each other, with the developers and with the dynamic game world they're inhabiting.
Imagine a game world in which players leave hints for you at every turn, as in 2011's Dark Souls. Or picture fellow gamers dropping in and out of your game seamlessly, blending in with the crowd of non-player characters on the simulated streets of Chicago, as in next year's Watch Dogs.
With cloud technology, game developers could push live updates and events into your game world in seamless real time. They could even carry the load of some non-urgent, non-visual calculations, allowing your Xbox One or PlayStation 4 to dedicate more brainpower to making things prettier.
There are other uses, too. Sony acquired Gaikai, a service that streamed entire games like interactive YouTube videos, in 2012 for $380 million. We later learned Sony plans to use Gaikai's technology to offer old games from past PlayStation platforms on the PS4 by streaming them, handling all the graphics on Sony's servers.
As long as consumers adopt faster and faster broadband Internet connections in the coming years, this tech shows a lot of promise.

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9 Products Powered by Unusual Means

1. iBamboo Speaker

Who needs powerful, electric speakers when you’ve got bamboo? These speakers are simply giant chunks of bamboo that amplify sound. And forget bragging about vinyl -- the best part about this product is telling your friends you listen to Yeezus on bamboo.

2. Bedol Water Clock

If you’ve ever pulled the plug on a screaming alarm clock, only to show up to work an hour late, you aren't alone. Bedol has you covered: It only requires water to run. Fill it up every 8 to 12 weeks, and you’re good to go.

3. Citizen Eco-Drive

An oldie but goodie, the Citizen Eco-Drive watch doesn’t require a battery or anything close to it. It runs completely on any type of light. Cheapest power source ever.

4. Wind 'N Go Portable Lantern/Radio

Ever find yourself lost in a remote jungle, only to realize that you forgot to pack batteries for your lantern or radio? Probably not, but you'd want the Wind ‘N Go line with you if such a situation happened to you. This product only requires you to turn a crank in exchange for a bounty of light and radio power.

5. BioLite Campstove

We’ve long used fire for warming ourselves and even for fueling large ships. But charging our cellphones with fire is uncharted territory. Using only your campfire, this stove can cook while charging your iPhone. This is definitely camping for the 21st century.

6. Traveling Tap

Forget gasoline-powered buses -- this one requires the footwork of six to 10 people, who pedal (much like a bicycle) to keep it moving. It contains a keg of beer as a bonus (the driver and bartender, of course, do not drink). Though the one pictured is in Minneapolis, many cities have similar offerings.

7. J3K Ionic Toothbrush

While anyone and everyone might have battery-powered toothbrushes, most of us are used to using our hands. This brush, though, utilizes the power of light to generate electrons, which, when combined with water, create a chemical reaction that brushes your teeth without toothpaste. No batteries? No toothpaste? No problem.

8. NoPoPo Battery

These hydro-electric batteries from Aqua Power Japan run on liquid, powering your devices with iced tea, Everclear or even your own urine.

9. TOTO’s Toilet Bike Neo

This one might be a could-have-been product, as it no longer appears on TOTO’S official website. But a list like this would be remiss if we didn’t remember the motorized tricycle that ran on feces in 2011. It trekked across Japan, so even if you can't run out and purchase one right now, it’s good for all inventors to keep in mind that this type of technology exists.

BONUS: The Alaskan Brewing Company’s Steam Boiler

What better product to fuel the creation of beer than old beer? That’s what the Alaskan Brewing Company thought, when it decided to use its wet or "spent" grain to create — you guessed it — more beer. This may just prove the hypothesis that beer is the greatest liquid on Earth.

The battery freed us from the power cord's limitations, just as gasoline freed us from the restrictiveness of our own two feet. But in the intervening years, we’ve learned how to derive energy from a number of more natural substances, including water, glass, wood and even our hands.

The gallery above includes a number of devices that can either propel us into the future or the past of energy derivation. Nevertheless, none of these products use traditional batteries or cords to power up.

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5 Health Tech Trends to Watch in 2014

2013 was a big year for consumer health technology. According to mobile tech consultancy Research2Guidance, there are now close to 100,000 mobile health apps in 62 app stores, with the top 10 apps generating over 4 million free downloads every day.
This year also saw increased adoption of wearable tech, such as the Nike+ FuelBand and Fitbit — a market that is expected to grow to 100 million units by the end of 2014.
So if 2013 was the year of wearables and health apps, what’s on tap for next year? Here are five exciting health tech trends to keep an eye on for the new year.

1. Data in the Doctor’s Office

According to Pew Research, 21% of Americans already use some form of technology to track their health data, and as the market for wearable devices and health apps grows, so too will the mountain of data about our behaviors and vitals. Next year, we may see more of this data incorporated into our day-to-day medical care.
“The next phase of quantified self will combine physiological data with medical knowledge, transitioning us from self-awareness around a few data points (like the number of steps we've taken) to real potential for the prevention of diseases like diabetes,” says Heather Bowerman, McKinsey consultant in healthcare and technology and former White House Science and Technology policy advisor. “That's the game-changer: pairing physician expertise with pragmatic actions to take in nutrition and exercise, plus tracking our data using popular apps.”
But where there’s data, there are also security concerns –- especially when it comes to sensitive health information, says Paul Martini, CEO of iboss Network Security.
“The rise of wearable health technology in 2014 will incite patient concerns, government regulation and workflow adjustments within healthcare institutes to ensure that patient data remains secure,” Martini predicts. Watch for an increased focus on data security as data moves from apps to the exam room.
One technology that’s already addressing this issue is TrueVault, which provides HIPAA-compliant storage for all the protected health information (PHI) that comes from apps.
“Once consumer-originated data is shared with a doctor, it becomes PHI, and the app handling the PHI needs to be HIPAA compliant,” says Trey Swann, founder and COO of TrueVault. “We’re enabling the most important part of the feedback loop to happen: the doctor's analysis, diagnosis or treatment based on the consumer-originated data.”

2. Smart Clothes

Image: OMsignalIf a wristband or clip-on tracker isn’t part of your look, there’s hope for you in 2014, because a new wave of wearable smart garments will be hitting the stores next year. In fact, market research company Markets and Markets expects sales of smart clothes and fabrics to reach $2.03 billion by 2018.
One company to watch in this space is OMsignal, which is developing the world's first bio-sensing apparel to track daily health and wellness. Embedded sensors in the apparel monitor your heart rate, breathing and activity while the OMsignal app displays your data in real-time on your mobile phone.
According to OMSignal co-founder and CEO Stephane Marceau, “When you think about it, clothing is the original wearable. We're going to see technology integrated directly into our clothing — first through sensors, but eventually it will be weaved into the fibers.”
Stacey Burr, VP of Wearable Sports Electronics at Adidas, also sees much of the innovation that started in the sports and fitness sector being translated into broader consumer markets in 2014.
“Technology innovations used by professional sports teams, like the miCoach Elite smart sensor shirt used by every team across Major League Soccer, will be the same technology in 2014 to help fitness and wellness participants get healthy,” Burr says.

3. Augmented Nutrition

Image: AIROOf course, if you want to fit into the latest smart fashion, you might need to keep better tabs on what you’re eating. We’ve already seen popular apps such as Fooducate make things easy by letting you scan the barcodes on packaged foods to gather nutrition data. In 2014, we’ll see new technologies that take even more of the guesswork out of counting calories.
For example, the AIRO wristband — launching in the fall of 2014 — will be able to track automatically both the calories you consume and the quality of your meals. With a built-in spectrometer, AIRO uses different wavelengths of light to detect nutrients released into the bloodstream as they are broken down during and after your meals.
But it’s not just about calories — what about tracking for pesticides, GMOs and allergens?
TellSpec is developing a handheld device that can scan and analyze the chemical composition of any food, so you know the real ingredients before you buy or eat it. Worried there might be gluten in a dish? Soon you’ll be able to run the TellSpec device over your plate and get an instant reading on your smart phone.

4. Virtual House Calls

Image: Google Helpouts HealthIf all that tracking, counting and scanning still feels like a lot of work, don’t despair: This next trend is all about bringing the doctor to you.
“It’s ironic that patients are called patients," says Ron Gutman, founder and CEO of HealthTap, an online service that gets you free answers to any health question from a doctor. "When someone is feeling emotional or is in physical pain, they are anything but patient." HealthTap’s new app, Talk To Docs, lets you get medical questions answered on your mobile device.
Virtual house calls also just got a big boost with the recent launch of Google Helpouts, a new marketplace for getting personalized help over live video chat. Although it’s still early days for the new service, you can already browse the Google Helpouts Health marketplace for medical advice, mental health issues, nutrition counseling, weight loss and more. You can even get wellness advice for your pets.
Also watch for a slew of new devices that enable virtual care. For example, Scanadu’s ScanaFlo device — which is expected to launch in 2014 — can turn your smartphone into a urine analysis reader that will test for pregnancy, glucose levels, protein counts and more.

5. Health Rewards

Image: LifeVestIf looking and feeling good isn’t enough of a payoff, how about getting paid for getting healthy?
Towers Watson and the National Business Group on Health recently reported that more than two-thirds of companies offer financial incentives to encourage participation in company wellness activities — up from just over half in 2010. In 2014, we’ll see more use of technology to track and reward people for these types of healthy habits.
For example, one service that’s currently in beta is LifeVest, an online health incentive program that companies can use to reward employees for improving their health. Users can also ask their family and friends to sponsor them within the system to earn even more rewards.
As getting paid to hit the gym becomes more commonplace, we may also see greater adoption of consumer apps such as GymPact. GymPact lets you check in via GPS at the gym, count your running, biking or walking with RunKeeper, or track your exercises by wearing or holding your phone while working out. The system fines you a small amount for missing workouts, and rewards you for hitting your goals.

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