Chip-enabled soccer ball

Soon soccer balls could be smarter than the players, and it could be as early as next year's FIFA World Cup in Germany which has indicated interest in using the radio frequency-enabled ball in its 2006 match. The technology, developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits, Adidas and software firm Cairos Technologies, can read the current position of the ball and the 22 players on the field at up to 2,000 times a second. The data is then picked up by antennas placed around the field and sent on to a central computer. The chip is also able to track if a ball has gone out of bounds, empowering referees who have to make crucial goal-line calls. While it's great to know for certain if Beckham deserved that red card appeal, where would soccer fans and hooligans be without any bad referee decisions left to boo at or iffy fouls to dispute over beer post-match? Sometimes, technology just sucks. (image from Adidas ad)

Click for a larger image

Via PC World

Price: N.A.
Availability: Deadline 2006 FIFA World Cup
Device: Smart soccer ball
Basic specs: Based on ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) chip with integrated transmitter, uses 2.4GHz frequency range, 12 antennas in strategic locations pick up data

rCARD

Got US$25? Coz this video business card will set you back that much each time you hand one out. Ouch. But for that price, Dallas-based CEO IQ aims to give companies that extra edge by replacing paper cards with a disposable multimedia version that can put your marketing message right in your client's hands. No more having to push customers to your Web site or force them to sit through long, tedious presentations. Instead, the rCARD has it own navi button and viewing screen, and you can upload up to 1GB of streaming video, text, graphic and photos. No PC. No wires. Now all it needs is audio.

Click to see with notebook | with credit card

Via News.com blog

Price: US$25 per card for an order of 250,000
Availability: See Web site
Device: Video business card
Basic specs: 3mm thick, 3.5 x 2 inch, 1.875 x 1.875-inch display, USB 1.1 and 2.0, supports AVI, MPG, Quicktime, Flash, MP3 and WAV, rechargeable disposable, 4-hr battery life, 2-hr video playback, 7-year shelf life, 1.5oz, in capacities of 32MB up to 1GB expandable

Minus Ion Dryer for dogs

If you love your pooch, chant the mantra: Negative ions good, positive ions bad. Because now you can get hold of a minus ion dryer for your mutt which is supposed to bathe it with positive feelings of well-being while reducing stress. The product also apparently smoothes and conditions hair by pushing minus ion micro particles directly into the hair cuticle. For the clueless, negative ions occur naturally in forests and streams and promote tranquility. Heck, if this works, we won't mind trying it on ourselves. Ommmm.

Price: 9,800 yen (US$85.80)
Availability: Pet's Treasure
Device: Pet dryer
Basic specs: 100V 50/60Hz 12,000W, ABS material, 73 – 91 degrees Celsius, 700,000 pieces/cc of minus ion, 16.5 × 19.5 × 48cm, 0.9kg

Rainbow Book Stand

Here's the ultimate reading gig for the lazybone couch potato. You don't even have to lift a finger… except maybe to turn a page. This gear lets you read or study in your favorite prone position, while an attached reading lamp means you can peruse your book anytime of the day or night without having to get up for the light switch. Better yet, since you're already flat out, you can always catch 40 winks in between chapters. That's the life!

Goes perfectly with the Internet urinal

Price: 19,950 yen (US$175.75)
Availability: osamanoidea.com
Device: Book stand
Basic specs: 82 × 43 × 2cm base, arm at 66cm when in use, 53cm when not in use, eyesight distance of 30-40cm, 4.5kg

Titleist Golf Cam

This is one golf ball you don't want to lose or drop into the nearest water hazard. Designer Zach Webb, likely a golfer, dreamt up the Titleist Cam, a golf ball which hides a camera that can record every move you make on the fairway. At a press of the lens, this device can apparently store an entire 18-hole gameplay with up to four players caught on camera. It will then note where mistakes were made and offer recommendations for correcting the problem, though how it aims to do this isn't clear since the idea's still residing in the mind of Mr Webb.

Click for bigger images here | See Nanotech golf ball

Price: N.A.
Availability: Concept
Device: Golf training tool
Basic specs: N.A.

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