15 New Tech Concepts For 2006

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KEYWORDS

• Wi-Fi
• driving
• computers
• Internet
• health
• NASA
• fiberoptics
• Voice over IP
• fuel cells
• nanotechnology
• space

Driver-Monitoring System
Instead of just watching for hazards on the road, Toyota's latest precrash safety system is turning its attention to the most likely cause of an accident: you. This spring, Lexus models in Japan will be available with a camera mounted on the steering column that uses facial-recognition software to determine whether you're watching the road. If not, and the front-mounted radar sees you're getting too close to something, it will flash a light, then beep and tap the brakes if you persist in rubbernecking.

Body Area Network (BAN)
Like everything else, implantable medical devices are going wireless. A new in-body antenna chip from Zarlink Semiconductor is in preproduction, and should appear in pacemakers and hearing implants this year. By transmitting data to and receiving instructions from nearby base stations, BAN chips can reprogram your heartbeat at your doctor's office or make a diagnosis from a bedside wireless monitor at home.

Internet Protocol Television (IPTV)
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) already lets us make phone calls over the Internet. Now, IPTV is doing something similar for video. The advantage? Convergence. If your TV is tapped into the Internet, you can program your DVR to record over the Web from your office. Future applications may add interactivity to standard TV broadcasts. For example: multiple viewing angles for sports events. Telco SBC is betting an estimated $4 billion on its Project Lightspeed, which will roll out IPTV across the country this year.

Metadata
It used to be that a file was just a file, identified by a name and a three-letter extension. But computer storage has exponentially increased the number of files a PC can access. Programs such as word processors currently collect metadata--literally "data about data"--detailing who wrote each file; music programs such as iTunes automatically tag song files with album details from online databases. Apple's Tiger operating system automates the process of metadata collection and uses it to help you quickly search through huge amounts of data to find files on your computer. Likewise, Microsoft says metadata searches will be integrated into its Vista OS, which ships later this year.

NAND Flash Memory
Compared to the mini hard drives used in portable electronics, flash memory is smaller, has fewer moving parts and uses less power. But until recently, flash hasn't had the storage capacity to find its way into multigigabyte devices. NAND flash memory, however, can store huge amounts of data on tiny chips. (The NAND refers to the logic gate used in the circuits.) Last fall, Apple brought NAND chips into the hands of the public with the 2GB and 4GB iPod nano music players. Capacities will only increase. Samsung has announced that its 16GB NAND chip will be on the market before the end of 2006.