The mirror isn't a mirror at all but a huge touch-based LCD equipped with cameras, so you can touch icons of clothes and see an animation of how you would look without having to try them on. This is the first step towards robopocalypse, if you ask me, but the models in their pristine all-white apartment don't look too scared.

For live video, the camera runs its own IPTV server, which compresses the video down to H.264 in real time before sending it out to a compatible TV. The folks at Tech On are claiming this all goes down over 802.11g, though (and not n), so quality may not be the best. Cool capabilities to have built-in, though. And if anyone has a line on IDing the liquid-filled banana being filmed in that image, please share with the rest of us. [Tech On]

Users keep their eyes on the TV and have their finger motions tracked by an on-screen “virtual thumb.” The remote can also sense left- or right-handed users and utilize multitouch data entry, zoom, and quick scroll. Effective and it won't scare away your less-than-technologically-adept grandmother. Unfortunately, Panasonic didn't give a release date for the gizmo or comment on whether it will ever be mass produced. [Engadget]

Video you're watching is optimized for size depending on your distance from the wall. And when you walk away, it follows so that you never miss a commercial (Stay-With-Me-TV). IP cameras allow for life-sized videophone conferencing and remote learning. One of the niftiest functions is virtual photo manipulation, like in the cliched movie with Tom Cruise, allowing selection, rotation, zooming and discarding of images by arm motions alone (Easy-Gesture-TV). Panasonic allowed members of the public to try this out at CEATEC. The interface is basically intuitive but takes a fair bit of practice to master (the demo guy also admitted to aching arm muscles, and he's got another five to ten years to go before commercialization).

The tech uses range imagery sensors and what's called Time of Flight light tracking for real-time 3D image processing. Finally, LifeWall can act as wallpaper or decor, giving the room a new look whenever fancy strikes. Exposed brick, anyone? - Tim Hornyak

The plastic glasses are still pretty dorky, but viewing is painless - even without the specs (the video is only blurry around the edges). The system can convert conventional or high-definition 2D video (from video cameras, players, games and other sources) to high-def 3D with 1080p signals in real time via a small processor unit.

DVD movies would work well on the system, but not animated films, said Yasunari Suzuki of JVC's Technology Development Division. The firm has no immediate plans to commercialize the converter, but the know how has been licensed to Canada's Sensio Technologies Inc. and JVC is in talks with other players.

Photos and story by Tim Hornyak.

After all, this is the highest resolution DSLR in its class on the market. The dual Bionz processors allow 5 frames per second burst, but the enormous file sizes can eat up memory on your cards—you'll fit only 105 RAW images on a 4-gig compact flash card. Another great feature is that the SteadyShot anti-vibration feature is in the camera—not the lens—which helps if you're using older Minolta lenses on it. I also liked the large, comfortable eyepiece—it makes my ancient Nikon D70 feel like a pinhole camera—and the very bright,100% coverage viewfinder. The controls around the 3-inch, 270dpi LCD screen were quite intuitive. A handy preview function activated with the depth of field button allows you to adjust white balance and other aspects before taking the actual photo. But make no mistake, this camera is a brick—the magnesium alloy body and rubber housing alone (minus batteries and accessories) weighs 850 g, and will strain your arms if you're not used to lugging heavy lenses and bodies. Still, the Alpha 900 should win over some film die-hards who have been waiting for full-frame sensors in DSLR cameras.

Sony Alpha 900 full specs available here.

Photos and story by Tim Hornyak.

There are more cool KDDI phone concepts in collaboration with Yamaha here (in Japanese; click on middle pic under Special Event, then the origami-like musical instrument phone prototypes at the bottom, see also the movie clips - view by clicking black rectangle in the prototype screen - the cellphone instruments are way cool) – Tim Hornyak

For those who don't need a whole keyboard full of OLED buttons, Nikkai is showing off standalone units at CEATEC. The buttons are bulkier than anything on an Art Lebedev product, and seem to have three input states: depressed, tilted left and tilted right (or up and down, depending on orientation) which makes makes for what amounts to a highly versatile and communicative switch. A second type of button is a simpler in/out configuration, albeit with a larger screen.

I'm sure there's a highly practical application for such technology, but for the demonstration Nikkai just built them into a giant, OLED-infested control panel that looks to have been ripped from the basement of the Kremlin, circa 1985. Despite being too big to integrate into a traditional keyboard, the buttons will likely shine in the hands of DIYers if they're ever made available to consumers. [Akihabara]

They're reticent to give up too many details about an expected release, but due to the complicated manufacturing process it's doubtful that they have a date to hide yet. Also, the lack of competitive capacity claims is suspicious and little disheartening. But hey, cheer up! At least they're trying, right? [PCWorld]

Each family member customizes their own fitness profile, and then scuttles over to a video wall to choose either a specific workout or interaction with a video-based instructor. Panasonic's Total Living Space Solution system will then keep track of everybody's progress. The company said its concept will see the light of day about three to five years from now. I personally can't wait, since I'm convinced the best way to ensure my family's continued health is to put them in front of a TV screen for even more hours of the day. [Crave]

E-paper works slightly differently than Sony Reader's e-ink, which has black and white balls of opposite charges, floating in a clear liquid, which change position when polarity changes. Here, the particles are just white, and are suspended in a colored liquid, floating up when needed. Engineers have come up with five e-paper colors—blue, red, green, yellow and black—and the prototype plastic bodies are meant to correspond with those colors. It takes about one second for the display character to change.
There doesn't appear to be any kind of a backlight, so you may have to carry your own Itty Bitty Book Light around to see what buttons you are pushing, which sort of defeats the purpose of having hard keys. There doesn't appear to be a halitosis monitor either, but surely that will come in time. [Nikkei]

This is a more attractively-designed box than its predecessor, which looked like its makers took an old VHS case and crammed HD DVD innards inside. But we're still thinking Toshiba is feeling the flop sweat for HD DVD, and might have a difficult time recovering from the shameful showing of its debut models as well is the paucity of studios delivering movies in the doomed format. – Charlie White

CEATEC - A Toshiba HD-DVD player prototype [Akihabara News]

With all the flash camcorders out there, I would never buy a camcorder that records to discs. You?

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Hitachi HD Blu-Ray video camera protype [Akihabara News]

If you're not familiar with 1seg, it's an HD mobile digital video broadcasting service in Japan that was officially launched in April of this year, and uses the H.264 video codec.

Although this Toshiba unit does have a widescreen, there was no info available about its resolution, nor was there any word about its ship date and availability. But if it can't handle at least 720p, well, that would be just dumb. – Charlie White

CEATEC - Toshiba 1Seg DVD-PMP player [Akihabara News]