Lytro “Light Field” Camera

What is it? Looking more like a jumbo-sized tube of lipstick than a camera, the Lytro is a new-fangled camera with a so-called “light-field” sensor that’s capable of gathering up to 11 million rays of light in a given scene, including the rays that aren’t pointing directly at the camera lens.
Expected to arrive: Early 2012
Cool new feature: The beauty of the Lytro’s “light-field” sensor is that you can (as the company claims) essentially “shoot first” and “focus later”—meaning, theoretically, that you’d never have to worry about taking an out-of-focus snapshot again.
Biggest hurdle: While the concept behind the Lytro sounds enticing, the proof is in the pudding. And then there’s the price tag, which is…
Price tag: $399 and up. Ouch.

Family data plans

What is it: Not really a product, per se, but rather a new and potentially cost-saving data pricing structure similar to family plans for voice minutes and text messages.
Expected to arrive: Sometime in 2012
Cool new feature: With more and more parents passing out iPhones and Android phones to their kids, a shared pool of monthly data for the entire family makes a lot more sense than each family member coughing up $30 a month.
Biggest hurdle: Whether the big carriers decide to play along. Verizon Wireless execs have already said they’re looking to roll out family data plans in 2012, but whether Verizon’s competitors follow suit remains to be seen.
Price tag: No details yet.

PlayStation Vita

What is it? Sony’s long-awaited successor to the PSP gaming handheld. While the popular mobile games like “Angry Birds” are designed with “casual” gamers in mind, Sony is taking square aim at “hard-core” gamers (like, say, your teenage kids, or game-addicted grownups like yours truly) with the Vita.
Expected to arrive: Out now in Japan, slated to land February 22 in the U.S.
Cool new features: Armed with a gorgeous five-inch touchscreen, dual analog “sticks” for precise movement and aim, a roomy touchpad in back, and 3G wireless, the Vita promises to bring full-on “console”-style gaming to a light, compact handheld.
Biggest hurdle: Reviewers are already calling out the Vita for its mere three hours of battery life.
Price tag: $299 for the 3G version, or $249 for Wi-Fi-only.

iPad 3

Expected to arrive: In April or May, although Apple hasn’t said anything publicly yet.
Cool new features: The new iPad will probably come with a souped-up processor, a sharper camera, and maybe even a thinner shell. But the most anticipated feature on the iPad 3 is doubtless a “retina display” similar to the iPhone 4 and 4S—that is, an ultra high-resolution screen that’s so sharp, you can’t make out the individual pixels.
Probable price tag: $499 and up seems like a safe guess, although again, Apple hasn’t breathed a work about the next-generation iPad yet.

Windows 8 tablet

What is it: Microsoft’s latest stab at the tablet market, coming about two years after the vaunted, Windows 7-powered HP Slate landed with a thud.
Expected to arrive: Sometime in 2012, maybe
Cool new feature: The elegant “Metro” interface, which is already featured on Windows Phone handhelds and even on the Xbox 360 gaming console. With its touch-friendly, eye-catching design and “live” tiles for email, weather, social networking, events, and other essentials, Metro (which is also slated to land in the desktop version of the new Windows OS) is a far cry from the stodgy Windows desktop of old, not to mention a relatively daring departure from the icon-heavy look of Android tablets and the iPad.
Biggest hurdle: Overcoming the perception that a Windows tablet is totally uncool.
Price tag: Good question.

iPhone 5

Expected to arrive by: Anywhere from June-July to September or October, given that the iPhone 4S landed in stores only two months ago.
Cool new features: A faster processor, a better camera, a sleeker profile and perhaps even a larger screen, similar to the latest Android phones. Even better, though, would be support for speedy 4G LTE networks, such as those operated by AT&T and Verizon Wireless.
Probable price tag: Apple hasn’t budged from pricing its cheapest new iPhones at $199 with a two-year contract, and there’s no reason to believe they’ll change course next year.

Nintendo Wii U

What is it? A new version of the Wii gaming console that connects to your HDTV but also comes with a portable, tablet-sized controller, complete with its own 6.2-inch touchscreen.
Expected to arrive: By the end of 2012
Cool new feature: Besides finally making the leap to true HD-quality video, the Wii U’s wireless controller will let your kids play games remotely on its six-inch touchscreen while you’re watching CNN. The controller can also act as a second gaming screen, working in tandem with a big-screen HDTV.
Price tag: Probably in the $200 to $300 range

What new gadgets and tech products are you looking forward to next year? Let us know!

The post 7 gadgets and tech products to watch in 2012 appeared first on here's the thing.

That’s the bad news—or at least it is for anyone dreading the prospect of braving the crowds at Best Buy or Toys ‘R Us. The good news? You’ve got a good year or so before the Wii U (pronounced “Wii You”) hits stores.

Read on for a cheat sheet on the latest gotta-have thing in video games.

What is it? The new Wii U console actually comes in two pieces: a traditional-looking box that connects to your TV using an HDMI cable, and a flat, wireless, tablet-sized controller, complete with a 6.2-inch touchscreen, a series of gaming controls on either side of the screen, stereo speakers, a microphone, and a front-facing video camera.

So wait … there’s a screen on the controller in addition to the TV? How’s that going to work?
In a number of different ways, according to Nintendo. For example: if your little one is playing a Wii U game on the big HDTV in your living room but you’d rather turn on CNN, your kid can flick a switch and stream the game to the smaller screen on the Wii U controller, leaving your HDTV free for Wolf Blitzer.

Another possibility: some games will let the Wii U handset act as a second screen during gameplay. In a demo reel, Nintendo showed a gamer taking a swing at a golf ball displayed on the Wii U’s controller screen, with the handset itself laying flat on the floor. Once you “strike” the ball with your Wii-mote (yes, the Wii’s motion controller will work with the new Wii U), you can watch it sail onto the course on your main HDTV set.

OK, so is the Wii U handheld controller like a portable table that the kids can take, say, on a road trip? Nope. Execs at a Nintendo press conference Tuesday were careful to explain that the Wii U isn’t a portable console like the best-selling Nintendo 3DS; instead, the “companion” tablet relies on the console hardware, which streams HD gaming images to the handheld controller.

What else do we know about the Wii U hardware?
Not much, but we do have a few details courtesy of gaming blog Kotaku. For one thing, the Wii U will be capable of full-on 1080p video, while the original Wii could only display standard-def images. The main Wii U console (the box that hooks up to your TV) will connect to the Internet, meaning you’ll be able to download games and browse the web. Meanwhile, the handheld controller has an internal motion-sensing gyroscope, along with a little internal motor that makes the device “rumble” in sync with the on-screen action.

Any word on what games will be on tap for the Wii U?
A few titles were announced Tuesday—and they’re ones that are sure to make the gamers in your house drool. Among them: including “Batman: Arkham City” (the sequel to a Batman game from a couple of years ago, which was a huge hit), a new Tekken fighting game, and Assassin’s Creed (a popular action game set in the Italian Renaissance that’s hugely popular with Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 gamers). And while he wasn’t mentioned on Tuesday, you can bet the venerable Mario will make his way to the Wii U at some point.

And what about all those games I bought for the Wii—will they work on the Wii U?
Good news: yes, according to Nintendo.

Will the Wii U do anything besides play games?
Sure, promises Nintendo. Besides browsing the web, the handheld Wii U controller will let you video chat with far-flung friends and relatives thanks to its built-in, front-facing camera. You can also use the controller to “flick” snapshots and videos from the six-inch touchscreen onto your main HDTV.

Any possibility that grown-ups like me will get a kick out of the Wii U?
If the original Wii—which was wildly popular with adults as well as kids—is any guide, then yes … there’s a distinct possibility you’ll have some fun, too.

When will the Wii U go on sale?
Anywhere between April 1, 2012, and December 31, 2012, so you’ve got about a year or so to starting saving up.

Last but not least, how much will the Wii U cost?
Nintendo hasn’t announced any pricing details yet. But considering that the original Wii cost $250 when it first launched, I’m guessing the Wii U’s price tag will land in the same ballpark.

Want to see the Wii U in action? Check out the video below:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRR87iT5sZw&w=550]

Got more questions about the Wii U? Post ’em in the comments, or send me an email.

The post What your kids will be begging for next year: the Nintendo Wii U appeared first on here's the thing.