This list is especially difficult because it requires 20/20 hindsight vision to see what gadgets will look like in the year 2020. Most of the time people try predicting future gadgets, they never end up coming close.

I mean, did anyone think that there would be something like the smartphone 10 years ago? Weren’t we supposed to have robots in our home and flying cars by now?

This is my attempt at trying to guess what gadgets will look like over the next decade, taking into account consumer trends, marketability, and current research and development on certain types of technology.

1. “Can Touch This” Screens

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=newgadgetsde&annotation_id=annotation_661696&feature=iv

One of the more promising technologies in this decade is the use of touch technology. We can expect to see touch compatible interfaces everywhere; our cars, TV’s, watches, cameras, (insert any device with a screen here). I am particularly looking out for touch watches. Tissot made their Touch Watch a while ago and the new iPod shuffle can be turned into a touch watch with the corresponding watch band. Soon, we should expect to see touch watches on the market capable of supporting apps, WiFi, the weather, you name it. This technology will also travel to tables and other types of surfaces. Microsoft has recently developed a touch table called “Surface” which gives the user a touch interface on a table top that they provide (think the desk in Tron meets the Minority Report computers in the look and interface, respectively). The use of this technology should allow us to drop our smartphones and storage devices directly on the table and then load pictures, video, music, various types of files effortlessly while simultaneously browsing YouTube and checking our email. Check out this video from ASUS who takes this technology to a whole other level.

2. 3D Gaming

Think Xbox’s Kinect meets the 3D viewing experience we are used to seeing in films like Avatar. Or better yet, imagine virtual reality helmets that give the viewer a 3D mapping experience, combined with the technology of Kinect’s motion sensors. Either way, there is promise for the future of gaming with both motion detection and 3D viewing. Just using the Kinect technology alone, we could start to see something like the interface in the film “Minority Report” and would allow a gamer to precisely motion control their entire gaming experience. Hopefully, the price of 3D HDTV’s will drop so much so that the gaming industry starts to integrate more of that technology into their games. Regardless of price for now, the future of gaming looks bright, but my only reservation is if these gaming companies allow for advertisements during online multiplayer play because that would really ruin it on some level for me.

3. Heads Up Display (HUD) Technology

This one has to be my overall favorite pieces of tech that will be market bound in the not too distant future and in a decade from now, will hopefully be found everywhere. With this technology, lasers can project images up on a special glass surface to create what only fighter pilots have been able to see; colored graphics displayed on a windshield with a display of information. GM has had this technology in development for their cars for some time and they propose to display images on the windshield in front of the driver that display speedometer, RPM’s, temperature, along with outlines of the road or even 3D mapping of the surrounding environment. More applications of this technology are around the corner and might be found on our glasses or sunglasses, motorcycle helmets, or even mirrors. I like the idea of a bathroom mirror that can display the outside temperature, display your emails, a to-do list, and present the daily news headlines because we all need something better to look at than ourselves in the mirror while brushing our teeth. Check the video for a demonstration.

4. E-Paper and Flexible OLED Screens

Imagine a decade from now, waking up in the morning and getting ready for work. You go to your door to pick up the newspaper and low and behold it displays images and texts moving like a marquee across the surface of the paper. Perhaps something that looks like one of those newspapers from Harry Potter, e-paper and flexible OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology can present a digital media source on what looks like a piece of film. The bendable, lightweight paper should be recyclable or at least capable of updating itself with new information. This is just an example with newspapers. Now imagine a world where all of the paper we use, all of the screens we watch, were made out of OLED technology. The applications are practically limitless. And why not save a tree or two along the way…

5. Interconnectivity and “The Cloud”

OK, so this is not necessarily a gadget, but this technology proposes interconnectivity between all of your gadgets, computers, and the like, to create a seamless experience with your own sharing network. This technology also isn’t particularly new, Microsoft has created “Windows Azure” for small businesses, but requires more work in the areas speed, security, and stability. Cloud computing can take it to the next level in this decade and allow everyone everywhere to have their own “Cloud”. In 2020, we should be able to experience instant downloads and uploads in media sharing, file sharing, and preferences between all of our computers, gadgets, cars, smartphones, and maybe even our homes. We would never again have to worry about backing up our precious data, programs, and setup because our cloud will always have everything ready to go in a flash of lightning without the rain.

6. Health-Monitoring Gadgets

This piece of tech is interesting. I predict that by the year 2020 there will be an influx of portable or even disposable health monitoring gadgets that track a person’s blood pressure, heart rate, calories burned, stress levels, glucose levels, etc. It seems that this tech will come in the form of a patch or a bracelet, but it could come in other forms as well when applied on or implanted in your skin to give the user real time information about their body’s activities. This will be especially useful for people with health-related issues, but also for people who like to exercise (ok, maybe not like, but at least participate) and want to monitor their results. Perhaps using “The Cloud” will allow the future device to upload the results to your smartphone and email you suggestions to improve your health.

7. Voice Recognition

As of now, voice recognition is close to hitting it big time. It can be utilized on smartphones, computers, and even IBM’s “Watson,” which has the sophisticated capabilities to recognize speech patterns, natural language, and then analyze the data. Ten years from now, we could walk into a room and give a command for whatever we want from music, temperature control, light control, to perhaps even appliance and device control. In 2020, we should experience instantaneous responses to human voice commands in all of our devices at home. This tech may not only improve the quality of life for the blind and handicapped, but would also be really cool in general. We should just be sure not to name the system HAL (where each letter after them in the alphabet spells out I.B.M).

8. Night Vision Technology

Currently, you can buy infrared vision technology on some types of BMW models (5 & 7 Series) and is certainly promising for the future. Using my 2020 crystal ball, I can see most cars having the ability to switch from day vision to night vision either through the windshield or through a camera that gives a visible feed to a screen on the dash. Windshield night vision (similar to HUD tech and also similar to using OLED tech) can turn the night’s windy road ahead into the visible spectrum for drivers so that everything seems “lit up”. With the camera, a driver would be able to check the screen for anyone up ahead on dark, dirt road. Drivers would clearly see all other vehicles, obstacles, and most importantly, the road when traveling at night. If this technology becomes widespread in the car industry over the next decade, I would bet that nighttime accidents would decrease significantly.

9. Personal Motorized Vehicles

I’ve never had a problem with Vespa’s, scooters, Go/Mo-Peds and the like, but they really have left me unsatisfied as far as wanting one for personal use. I see that having one of these types of personal, compact “vehicles” is extremely useful in a city setting and if you are like me and are too lazy to ride a bike everywhere, your only options seem to be the Vespa route. However, the future looks promising for personal motorized vehicles and will likely see a big push in the upcoming decade. Everything from improvements to the Segway-type vehicle, the introduction of the YikeBike, or even the emergence of electric bicycles, will all likely be more common by the decade’s end along with other types of future looking personalized motorized vehicles.

Personally, I like the idea of the electric bike because of the fact that you can power the electric motor of the bike through a charge and by pedaling your way through traffic and are environmentally friendly.

10. Bye-Bye Camera?

For this last one, I am going to go against the grain a little and talk about a gadget that we will all might be waving “bye-bye” to in the near future. Ever since the introduction of a camera on the iPhone and other smartphones, digital photography has become even more portable and available in our daily lives. The technology has even gone further to include special applications to enhance user experience with special effects and editing. These smartphone companies are continuously figuring out ways to fit more megapixels on their phone’s cameras and third party peripherals are creating attachments like this one. Once they create a DSLR attachment, the personal digital camera may go the way of the Dodo bird, never to be seen again. This scenario might appear over the next decade simply because lugging around a redundant gadget will be inconvenient since your smartphone can capture HD pictures/HD video and then upload the media directly to your photo-sharing/video-sharing source.

So that’s the list. If you notice, I haven’t let my imagination run rampant because a lot of these technologies are close enough to making an impact on our daily lives sometime soon. With any luck, Nostradamus, Captain Hindsight, and the Mayans would all be proud of my future speculations and this is the best I can hope for when trying to guess the future of gadgets.

The folks over at Joby were kind enough to send this Blair Witch style video-taker a nifty device. The Gorillapod Video can be placed anywhere with its ridiculously strong magnetic feet and positional legs that you can twist in any direction or attach to just about any fixture. Joby suggests that “video seasickness be gone” with either your point-and-shoot cameras with video capabilities or mini/pocket camcorders.

The Gorillapod Video has a compact 7-inch design which allows for easy toting and storing. The Omni-directional aluminum positioning video head allows you to direct the camera in any possible direction with a smooth 360-degree pan and 135-degree tilt. You can easily attach your camera to the Gorillapod Video by screwing in the plate to the camera and sliding it into the base. The quick release button allows you to quickly remove your camera making the Gorillapod beyond easy to use. You can even use it for still shots for when you need that 3rd pair of hands.

The Gorillapod Video definitely ranks as a favorite little gadget with its simple yet unique design and easy to use features. You may even find yourself taking more videos since they will actually be worthy of viewing at a later date.  For under $30 at the Joby website, you can’t beat it. You can also find them in many brick-and-mortar stores throughout the US by using the search feature on their website to find the one closest to you.

A Boynton Beach, Fla. woman busted four robbers who broke into her house after she saw them ransacking her home on a digital webcam security system that let her check in on her house from her work computer.

Talk about timing.

When Jeanne Thomas saw four men robbing her house, she called 911 and the cops got there before the thieves could get away with the loot.

In the interview with CBS, Thomas says she used refers to the camera as a “webcam” but Logitech was quick to point out that it was actually their WiLife Digital Video Security System.

The product, while not a traditional webcam per se, is a bunch of webcam-like cameras that you can view from the web.

Names aside, it was a good $250 investment for Thomas.

If there is something people have in common is having that person who loves to take pictures. Whether it is birthdays, weddings or these holiday events, that special photographer is ready to capture the Kodak moment. So what to give them now when a Nikon camera may not be part of the budgeted gifts? There are other fun alternatives. One of them created by PhotoFiddle.com.

In their website, customers can upload their favorite shot, or that of their indie-professional photographer, and turn it into a piece of art, literally.

“Photofiddle.com was created to allow everyone to be an artist. All of us have great photos taken during the holidays or on vacations and special occasions. Those photos sit in a shoe box collecting dust or on our computer hard drives,” said Ira Gross, “Photofiddle users get to create personalized artwork from any photo on canvas or art print.”

The finishing product is great for personalized decorating of your home or office and makes for a unique gift. With over 30 finishing styles to choose from and prices starting at $14.95 there is a gift option for everyone. After a test-drive it was fun to discover the company’s system is easy to use and see the end result before buying it, making sure that you will like what you receive.

That photo aficionado who loves to shoot and share those special moments in your family or social circle will get a kick out of seeing their art in a new way… framed and ready to hang.

For a limited time Blast gets you a 15 percent discount to Photofiddle.com. Just enter the code: Blast15 at checkout until December 31.

If you like the site and want to get more gifts enter for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate too. Email your contact information to Giveaways@BastMagazine.com to enter by January 1st!

Sony’s hot new 10.1-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-T300 digital camera is extremely compact and stylish, yet it has a massive screen and plenty of talent.

The camera features new iSCN mode, where the camera automatically detects conditions and adjusts the camera accordingly.

“In iSCN mode, the camera can automatically detect up to five scenes, and choose the best setting for the situation,” Sony said in a statement recently.

“We’re aiming to make cameras smarter,” said Phil Lubell, director of marketing for digital cameras at Sony Electronics. “The T300 camera shows goes beyond face detection to other functions that help customers capture their best photos automatically.”

The T300 also boasts a 16:9 3.5-inch touch screen LCD display, a Carl Zeiss 5x optical zoom lens; Super SteadyShot image stabilization and high sensitivity settings up to ISO 3200.

The DSC-T300 camera replaces the DSC-T200 model. It will be available in red, black and silver in March for about $400.

Pentax Imaging announced today two new digital SLR camera models hoping to make photogs and every college girl who takes a photography class drool.

The new Pentax K20D digital SLR camera will feature 14.6 megapixels, while the K200D will clock in at 10.2. features include dust-proof and weather-resistant bodies, an improved PRIME image processor, and shake reduction that works with any Pentax lens.

K20D Info:

• A newly developed CMOS image sensor to bring out the optimum performance of PENTAX interchangeable lenses. Featuring 14.6 effective megapixels and the latest noise-reduction technology, the sensor assures superb image quality.
• Custom Image functions that allow users to select between six preset options and further adjust image processing, including saturation, hue, contrast and sharpness. The K20D also offers an Expanded Dynamic Range function that allows users to gain more contrast and detail in bright settings.
• A Live View that allows users to see the full image area to confirm composition, focus status and lighting on the large 2.7 inch LCD monitor. A grid display may be engaged to help assure the perfect arrangement of an image and Auto Focus may be activated by simply pressing the AF button on the back of the camera. Further fine tuning of the image can be confirmed with the 4X or 8X zoom option.
• An improved Dust Reduction system that features the new Dust Alert function to pinpoint the exact location of dust particles for the photographer to remove.
• A weather and dust resistant body that allows photographers to keep shooting even in harsh conditions.
• A PC sync socket for more advanced photographers who use studio lighting.

Here’s a huge resolution pic of K20D

K200D:

• Auto Picture and Scene modes that offer shooting ease, while advanced modes, such as the Sv mode, allow photographers to grow with the camera.
• A weather and dust resistant body, unique in this class of cameras, that allows photographers to keep shooting even in harsh conditions.
• Custom Image functions that allow users to select between six preset options and further adjust image processing, including saturation, hue, contrast and sharpness. The K200D also offers an Expanded Dynamic Range function that allows users to gain more contrast and detail in bright settings.
• An improved Dust Reduction system that features the new Dust Alert function to pinpoint the exact location of dust particles for the photographer to remove.
• A PENTAX-developed Shake Reduction (SR) system for sharp, blur-free images even under difficult shooting conditions, such as macro and telephoto photography or low light settings without a flash.

These babies won’t be cheap. Pentax also announced five new camera lenses made especially for their digital SLR’s.

Pentax: All of these latest Pentax products will be displayed at the PMA 2008 Trade Show from January 31 to February 2 in Las Vegas. The PENTAX K20D (body only) digital SLR model will ship in April 2008 for US $1299.95, while the PENTAX K200D digital SLR will ship in March 2008 for US $799.95 (with new 18-55mm lens). The lens pricing and shipping dates are as follows:

• smc PENTAX DA* 200mm f/2.8 ED (IF) SDM will ship in March 2008 for $1099.95
• smc PENTAX DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM will ship in May 2008 for $1299.95
• smc PENTAX DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED will ship in May 2008 for $399.95
• smc PENTAX DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited will ship in April 2008 for $599.95
• smc PENTAX DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL II will ship as a kit lens with PENTAX K200D in March 2008 (value $199.95).

Unwired View is reporting photos and details of Nokia’s five megapixel N82 imaging phone.

An official announcement is expected from Nokia on Friday, but some good-looking details and photos have been leaked:

• Quad band GSM, UMTS and HSDPA connectivity
• 5 mpx camera with Carl Zeiss lens
• Autofocus, up to 20 x digital zoom. Real Xenon flash
• 30 fps VGA video capture
• Secondary CIF camera
• 2.4″QVGA 240—320, 16M colors screen
• Built-in GPS
• FM Radio
• TV-Out
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0
• 100 MB built-in memory
• Micro SD memory card slot
• Dimensions: 112 x 50.2 x 17.3 mm
• Weight: 120 g
• Talk time: GSM: 280min, WCDMA: 180min (Target)
• Standby time: GSM: 270hrs WCDMA: 250hrs (Target)

Attention MySpacers, your photographic savior has arrived.

With Fromm Works Inc.’s new Quik Pod, taking photos of yourself has never been easier. The Quik Pod is just seven and a half inches when retracted and extends to almost 19 inches long. It is advertised as an extendable hand-held tripod.

The purpose of this product is to allow you to photograph yourself without being accompanied by a common intruder known as a forearm.

Visit any of today’s MySpace profiles, and you’ll see not only hundreds of faces but almost just as many forearms running down the corners of photos. Why? Because the girl making silly faces at her camera doesn’t want another human being in the room while she tries to discover the perfect pose for her newest profile pic.

But who will take the photo? Back in the day, she would have reach out as far as possible and hold the camera in reverse, all while trying to get the right framing and more importantly, the right face. Enter the Quik Pod: the answer to many failed attempts at trying to hide your extended arm from view.

Although not strong enough to support larger cameras and camcorders, the "extendable hand-held tripod" can easily support smaller point-and-shoot cameras. A reflective piece called the "self-image mirror" allows you to frame both you and your buddy in the same photo without having to redo the shot several times using the guess-and-check method. It isn’t foolproof, mind you, but it’s certainly better than nothing.

Of course, the entire system is dependent on whether or not your camera has a timer. You’re going to need at least a couple seconds between pushing the shutter button and framing your shot while holding the camera nearly three feet away. There is an accessory for the Quik Pod called "adapter legs" which allow the Quick Pod to freely stand on its own miniature tripod.

Overall, the device does what it is advertised to do. However, how practical is the concept of carrying around a seven and a half inch extendable pole? Picture yourself walking around Rome with a Quik Pod hanging from your belt or taking up space in your purse, only to be used for the occasional task of taking a picture of yourself. Finally, the deal breaker for most will surely be the surprising price of such a simple device. Although an array of accessories are included, such as a carrying case and a belt clip, at the cost of $24.95, the Quik Pod seems to loose a little of its simplicity. For $29.95 you get the Quik Pod Pro version, which includes the "adapter legs" accessory, but if you purchase the legs separately, they cost $12.

Meanwhile, a regular tripod standing at five feet tall can purchased at around $20.

It’s a fun device, but the Quik Pod is less than practical and overpriced. Sure, my arm will still be in the pictures I take of myself, but at least it’s free.