Corinne Iozzio

Yes: this is, in fact, the largest video-game peripheral you've ever seen. The VirtuSphere is a new interface that captures movements in 360 degrees, and translates them into a video game. The gang over at Joystiq first caught wind of the human hamster ball in '06, but got to see it in the flesh just this week.

More than a year after the first consumer 3-D-ready HDTVs were demoed at CES, the next generation of sets are going on sale this week. But, aside from the new TVs, glasses, and Blu-ray players, the question of content remains. While there are already brand partnerships with networks like Discovery and ESPN, that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Today Apple made it abundantly clear that they have noticed all those iPhone-esque smartphones, and filed a patent-infringement suit against HTC claiming the company has cribbed 20 of their iPhone-related technologies in their own Android and Windows Mobile phones.

Meet the next generation of art installations. Together, the SENSEable City and ARES Labs at MIT have created an adaptable, remote-controlled display comprised of dozens of robotic, flying "smart pixels."

High-capacity SD cards are the black holes of digital photo libraries. Eight gigs of storage means months and months of card filling, and (about) zero card emptying. In fact, we've become so used to SD cards that we're now finding ways for our physical prints (yes, people still have those) to live in one too.

Say the word "toy" to a techie, and his mind will think one thing: robots. But all infrared-loving, artificially-intelligent smart-toy-ogling tech-savvy aside, new toys can instill as much "ooh! shiny!" as even the hottest cellphone. And we're not just talking about robots: This week, the International Toy Fair hit NYC, and PopSci.com found 20 funky new toys with a few tricks up their sleeves.

Google loves nothing more than redefining vast tech industry sectors with a single stomp of its Godzilla paw. And in unveiling their latest creation today, a social networking and sharing platform for Gmail and mobile phones called Buzz, the Goog Monster has set its sights squarely on Facebook.

Wireless TV just got a whole new meaning. Sony has just announced a new short-range, intra-gadget technology that clocks a 11Gbps transfer speed. The tech, known as millimeter-wave, allows electronics innards to communicate wirelessly with one another, which could allow for slimmer designs and fewer wires--that means fewer connections to sever, and potentially more reliable gadgets.

Nearly every camera maker has their own Flip-style pocket camcorder, and by and larger they're all the same. Sony's Bloggie, though, ups the stakes, becoming the first consumer camcorder to record full, 360-degree panoramic footage.

While everyone is busy thinking the future of video-game interfacing is Microsoft's Project Natal, UK-based Cambridge Consultants decided to change the way controllers interact with our hands. The Suma is a pliable, 3-D controller that senses how and where your hand moves.

Ever wish your life was a video game, and you could shoot obstacles out of your way on a crowded sidewalk (or, hem, trade show floor)? This week at CES, Parrot unveiled a device that does just that. The new AR Drone is a helicopter-style flying robot that sees everyday objects and re-images them on a iPhone or iPod touch as virtual enemies or obstacles.

The 3-D thrill that swept movie theaters last year is now headed for your living room. In the wake of a new Blu-ray standard for high-definition 3-D, Panasonic, Sony and Samsung are all releasing home-theater setups that can display 3-D movies in full high-def glory. Using a combo of 3-D-capable Blu-ray players, TVs and, yes, glasses, the systems are able to deliver separate, full-screen, 1080p pictures to each eye. The technique they use creates a picture as vivid as in a movie theater without requiring a major overhaul of TV technology.

The goal of a watchphone is right in its name: make a phone small enough to wear. If success is rated on a scale of zero to Dick Tracy, aim to hit as close to the famed Two-Way Wrist Radio as humanly possible. And when we first saw the LG GD910 in January, we thought the mark had finally been hit (bring on the yellow trench coat!). And LG, of course, was not the only game in town; throughout the year, competitors unveiled their own wrist-bound beauties, and it seemed like the gadget-lover's fantasy was about to go mainstream. We put two current watchphones to the test to find out.

Dick Tracy, this is your year. Gadget makers have tried to re-create the 2-Way Wrist Radio before, but now they’ve finally managed to pack cell-phones into watches so sleek and func-
tional that you’d actually wear them.

In the realm of beautiful, shiny things Dell's new Adamo XPS is among the shiniest and most beautiful. And, if we were in the business of judging (note)books by their covers, we'd leave that at that. That's not our business, though; the Adamo XPS is a gorgeous conversation piece, but a computer worth $1,800 it is not.