Motorola Droid
The Droid is Motorola’s answer to Apple’s iPhone, one that runs Google's Android operating system. It’s a little narrower than Apple’s product yet marginally thicker, but the fact that it packs a larger, higher resolution screen as well a physical keyboard makes you wonder just how they packaged it all. Only available in the USA for the moment it’s a techies delight. One of its best aspects is its docking technology: there’s a dock that costs a mere 30 USD and clings to your car windscreen using suction. When you slip the phone into it, hidden magnetic sensors automatically fill the Droid’s screen with Google’s free new GPS navigation software, meaning you have an amazing satnav! There’s also a 30 USD home dock that transforms your phone into an alarm-clock and barometer, complete with buttons that let you access your music or even dim the screen for sleepy time. Nice.
Samsung TL225
The front of Samsung’s 350 USD DualView TL225 looks completely shiny and black. But when you tap the empty spot to the left of the lens, a small screen lights up, right there on the front of the camera. What use might that be you wonder? Having a front screen is great for framing self-portraits, for letting your subjects see what they are going to look like, for displaying a self-timer countdown, or for displaying a happy face as a “Smile!” cue when you’re taking a group photo. Then again the front display can also be used to play short animated clips, which could prove very useful for attracting the attention of small children and even some easily entertained adults. Featuring 12.2-megapixel resolution, paired with 4.6x Schneider-Kreuznach optical zoom, photographically speaking, the camera itself isn’t so great, but what a great idea.
Nikon Coolpix S1000pj
Sorry to put a second camera but you can’t mention great new camera feature ideas without bringing up Nikon’s new camera. It’s another mediocre pocket camera that has a secret party trick - a built-in projector. When you want to show your pictures or videos to friends, there’s no need to huddle around the camera’s little built-in screen. No, now you just need to press a single button on the top of the camera to turn on the projector. The image is beamed straight from the front of the camera onto a wall, a ceiling or a friend’s T-shirt. Okay so the image can only ever be 40 inches in size but when the lights are dimmed and the wall is nearby, the projected image is perfectly adequate and really something to see. We're a little less excited about the 430 USD price tag.
