Studying the goings-on at CES 2010 from afar, Kris Abel reports on some of the most enticing gadgets for uber-geeks.

Parrot AR.Drone

Best known for its hands-free devices, Parrot spun, twisted, and popped heads at this year's CES with a remote-controlled quadricopter (meaning four blades) that works off of a WiFi connection to an iPhone or iPod Touch. In looks, the AR.Drone is inspired by the unmanned aerial vehicles used by the U.S. military; and despite its toy-like size, packs some impressive reconnaissance technology. Under the carbon fibre frame is an inertial measurement unit that measures the machines change in speed and movement, matching that up to the accelerometer on an iPhone so that you can pilot it by simply tilting your phone. Adding to that are two, count them, TWO built-in cameras: one to monitor the copter's movements to help the computer regulate flight movement for stability, and the second to send a pilot's view video feed back to the screen of the controlling iPhone. Combined with Augmented Reality software, the idea is that players can fly the AR.Drone simply by looking and tilting their iPhone screens, while engaging in competitive games enhanced by added software. The only downside? Fifteen minute battery life for now, but that's enough for you to hover this James Cameron menace over the cubicle wall and give your colleagues the Big Brother scare of their lives. www.parrot.com

Swann PenCam Mini Video Camera And Recorder

If you're a spy looking to get more involved in social networking, Swann has the answer for you. The Surveillance company has taken inspiration from the popular Flip camcorder and designed a PenCam Mini Video Camera and Recorder with a built-in USB drive for quick uploads to YouTube and Facebook. Let's face it, when you have some good dirt, who better to share it with than your online "friends"? The all-in-one surveillance system records both still images (1280 x 960 JPEG) and video (640 x 480 AVI) to an internal 2GB of flash memory. Once full, simply twist off the cap and use the USB to quickly transfer your illicit secrets to the world. www.swannsecurity.com

Smartfish ErgoMotion Keyboard

If there's one thing the whole virtual/physical keyboard debate has taught us, it's that everyone uses a keyboard. Some hunt n' peck, others pound on the buttons, and the best seem to let their fingertips fly across the keys as if on Matrix-enhanced plastic. What if your keyboard could "sense" what kind of typist you are and literally change itself to react? That's the idea behind Smartfish's ErgoMotion Keyboard. It has one of those waves in its design that is supposed to help you avoid repetitive strain injuries. The difference is that this model will actually study the way the keys are being depressed and change its layout, tilting and re-positioning its two halves in response to force you to take on a better posture for your wrists. Originally released for the medical industry, Smartfish says the response has been so good that the company is "going consumer", where the ErgoMotion will be sold alongside a laser mouse that also adjusts its mushroom-like top for comfort based on your use. www.smartfishtechnologies.com

Samsung Protoype Mobile Displays

My favourite company to watch at CES every year is Samsung, which never fails to bring out the crazy. This year, the company's fun tricks involve displays, starting with a prototype 14" notebook that has a transparent OLED screen. Yes, transparent, as in you can see right through the screen and out the back of the computer itself. Sure, Windows 7 allows you to quickly see through your open windows to see what's on the desktop, but why stop there? The effect is actually very cool as the content on your screen seems to float amongst the glass. Even turned off, the screen is still see-through: 40% transparency we're told. The technology is being aimed for use not just in MP3 players and cell phones, but for car windows and heads-up displays.

Samsung Mobile Display Card

The best trick Samsung has up its sleeve this year is the new Mobile Display Card. The prototype device is designed to be used as a Driver's Card, Passport, or other form of government identification; the kind that has a bad photo of you and some vital stats. When the card is brought over to an ISO 14443 RFID scanner by the expressionless customs officer in front of you, your digital photo on the screen comes alive, delivering a 360-degree spin of your visage, allowing inspection of your delicate facial features. There's no battery in the card: rather, the display draws power from the scanner itself. Sound like something out of Bladerunner or Total Recall? Well, the same can be said for the new body scanners being installed into airports. No word from Samsung if the new card photos will let you deliver a smile or wink. That might make the future a bit more friendly. www.samsungsmd.com

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