Canesta is bringing new meaning to the stereotypical definition of a couch-potato. Full-time TV viewers will no longer have to worry about the calluses they might develop from overuse of the remote, because Canesta has come out with “gesture control” technology.

Monday’s E3 press conference revealed the new “Project Natal,” Microsoft’s attempt to outdo Nintendo Wii by creating video games that are controlled by motion sensors alone, giving gamers no need for a controller at all. Natal is designed to work in conjunction with the Xbox 360 gaming system, but downside is that it requires players to stand for the sensors to work.

While Natal certainly has a novel idea, Canesta’s technology goes far beyond Natal. For the average couch-potato, Canesta’s development of gesture-controlled technology will have a broader scope than Microsoft’s attempt. Just last week, Canesta’s demonstration of their new technology at the D: All Things Digital Conference stunned everyone who saw it.

In last week’s press release, Canesta shared that they are working with Hitachi and GestureTek to produce new technology that is controlled solely by hand gestures. Canesta reports that these new 3-D interfaces will eventually be designed to work with almost all electronic devices, specifically mentioning televisions, media centers, computers, cell phones, and even automobiles and industrial or medical applications.

Canesta believes their new technology will revolutionize the markets in the same way that the iPhone shook things up with their multi-touch screen introduction. But Canesta’s technology is a step beyond the offering of the iPhone or similar technology. Although some companies are working to develop similar technology, Canesta leads the way in this field. Their patented sensors are the only ones that can be used in both total darkness and bright sunlight.

Their goal of the company is to develop the technology at a low cost for consumers, and has plans to release it to the general public by late 2010. They expect some industrial applications of the technology to be introduced even sooner.

Canesta is an up-and-comer in the tech world, having been founded only ten years ago (established in 1999). They are also relatively small, having only 57 employees and associates. But don’t let that fool you. They also have over 40 granted patents, and are fully financed for this project.

The new 3-D vision sensor will certainly bring a whole new dimension to technology and its capabilities. Of course, one can only wonder what the “remote wars” will be like when you are the remote. With possible integration into nearly every type of technology, the next few years could hold some astonishing revelations.

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If you do a lot of video conferencing you probably have noticed at times distractions going on in the background of the person you are talking to or vice-versa.

To eliminate such distractions and present a more professional environment a company called WebAround has introduced a product of the same name.

The WebAround is a collapsible Webcam backdrop that offers privacy and professionalism in a busy environment.

It’s a light- weight portable backdrop that can slide on to most chairs or can be placed behind a person on a couch or chair.

The WebAround is made out of nylon and is circular in shape. It creates a barrier between the person using it and everything in the background. It folds down to a size that can be carried in a laptop case or tote.

Advantages of using the WebAround include:

Block out distracting backgrounds
Captures the audience or client’s attention
The focus remains on you and your presentation
Presents the best professional image for your company
Travel friendly, light-weight foldable design.
Use at the desk, in the boardroom, hotel room or airport
Helps block people from spying over your shoulder in public places
Helps keep confidential information on your screen from prying eyes
Can be branded with your corporate logo
Fits most office chairs, or can simply place between you and your chair

The WebAround is available in three colors, including Ocean Blue, Grey and Emerald Green. It sells for $29.95.

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I think LG has hit the nail on the head with their latest announced technology. The general consumer doesn’t know much about the technology that’s behind HDTV’s. They just see that it looks nicer, and want to see their favorite sports team more vividly. If you start talking about aspect ratios, and resolutions then you’ll lose most people.

LG has caught on to his, and has announced ‘Media Director’. It’s a program that analyzes meta data within different forms of media to automatically adjust the screen for optimal settings. Up until now, it was up to users to know how to adjust the screen for better viewing. Kudos to LG for a nifty little feature.

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2008 might be a year that will remembered for economic hardships, but so much more happened. We saw some pretty cool technological advances. We saw some pretty crazy news as well. Today is as good a day as any to remember some of the great posts from this past year.

Is Blu-Ray Going To Lose The Format War? - There’s nothing funnier than watching two grown men argue about the life cycle of an electronic piece of media. You generally see it mostly with video gamers, arguing about who’s console is better. Here we have two journalists arguing over the existence of Blu-Ray and if the end is nigh for the format.

EA Should Be Sued For Spore (PC)/SecuROM - My favorite thing to do when blogging is to rant. I could probably make up a rant everyday, but I know that other don’t necessarily like to read personal rants all the time. My post earlier this year about EA including SecuROM on Spore is probably my favorite rant of the year. I made good points, presented evidence, and went off on a big tangent.

Gadget Of The Day: Deodorization Fabria - Freshening up your home is rarely any fun. It generally requires a plug-in, or just spraying a liquid fragrance over your furniture. If they made it like this Japanese snow gun, then my interest would pique.

Tom Hanks Tells You To Drive An Electric Car - Sometimes words aren’t needed. For this video, all I’ll say is ‘Tom Hanks’, and ‘electric cars’.

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