Do the latest gadgets belong in Tomorrow's World or today's bin? ; From waterproof mobiles to bone conduction headphones, the latest leaps forward in... [Western Mail (Wales)]

(Western Mail (Wales) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Do the latest gadgets belong in Tomorrow's World or today's bin ; From waterproof mobiles to bone conduction headphones, the latest leaps forward in gadgetry have gone on display at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show. Here Darren Devine speaks to psychologist and user friendly technology expert Tom Stewart to sort the genuinely groundbreaking from the soon-to-be forgotten...

FIRST up is Panasonic's bone conduction headphones: these sit just outside the ears and vibrate sounds directly into the skull.

The technology is being billed as a blessing for train and Tube passengers as it enables users to listen to music without forcing it on others.

It also means listeners can hear other sounds so joggers will be able to hear traffic. Tom's verdict: "The sort of people who make a noise on the train and the Tube aren't usually that thoughtful so the idea they would buy special headphones to stop annoying other people is unlikely.

"The idea that joggers could hear traffic is plausible because they're not shutting off the environment completely. But part of the reason why they have problems and walk into traffic and so on, is the distraction of what they're listening to. That's not going to change." The Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon: This 27-inch tablet is designed to sit on a table-top.

Its coffee-table sized touchscreen runs Windows 8 and can be used by up to four people at once.

Gameplay is a big feature with the Horizon and it comes with e- dice, joysticks and other accessories.

Chinese firm Lenovo are hoping that because Horizon can cope with several different users at once it will become a focal point for families.

And for those who don't want to socialise around the screen, the 1.1inch thick device can be put against the wall and used as an ultra-thin desktop-style computer. Tom's verdict: "That's interesting and is a gadget we might start using in ways nobody has expected.

"The advantage is the sharing and the fact that it's big enough for people to all gather round or to all do something together. The idea that it can tell multiple fingers at the same time - you could imagine it being very good for a certain type of game." The HapiFork: This is a health and fitness gadget that vibrates when users are eating too fast. The HapiFork features Bluetooth technology and uses a sensor to work out the speed at which the user is eating.

HappiFork claims to aid weight loss by promoting slower eating and better digestion.

Tom's verdict: "That's a real waste of time. If it was sensing food and the amount of food you were eating so it was linking into diets there's possibly an app there. But if it's just telling you how quickly you're eating - that's not exactly a problem. Lots of people who do that probably don't think it's a problem.

"I'm a fast eater and I keep getting told by my wife to slow down, but I don't personally find it that big a problem.

"I certainly wouldn't have one even though I should be the target audience." Ultra high definition (HD) and organic light emitting diode (OLED) TVs: A number of firms including Samsung, Panasonic, Sony and LG have launched these.

Ultra HD - also known as 4K - offers resolution four times that of current high-definition sets.

The ultra HD sets use precision black pro technology which makes blacks look even darker, and sit inside a "timeless gallery" frame which give the impression the TV is floating. Ultra HD TVs offer screens with more than eight million pixels. Standard HD sets offer between 1.5 and 2 million pixels.

Tom's verdict: "The first limitation is there's not enough (broadcast) material that is of the higher definition. It takes a long time for that to hit the market so there's a limit to how quickly that'll be worth having. Apple have got close to the limit (of HD) with the retina display, which is supposed to be as sharp and as clear as the retina in your eye." Xperia Z Android smartphone: Makers Sony said this can be submerged in water of up to one metre in depth for 30 minutes.

It also features near field communication technology with a chip that enables it to communicate with other devices by tapping them together - one of the most common uses for this will be to pay for items in shops. Tom's verdict: "Water proof mobile phones are fair enough, but most people, if they're doing watersports and want (to keep) their phone waterproof put it in a bag.

"You can get special bags that you can operate the phone through - it's a special waterproof case and there's lots of them around.

"You can swap business cards (with near field technology), but people can use Bluetooth for that." Tom Stewart, 65, is a founder and former executive chairman of London-based user-friendly technology designers System Concepts (c) 2013 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved.

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