Worldwide wrap

In this week's wrap, a creative artist from Australia is using mobile devices and augmented reality to add a 3D element to tattoos; and teachers can now keep track of sneaky students using an anti-cheating gadget. Get the details on these stories and more below.

A successful crowdfunding project is bringing camera technology to your wristwatch. The Omate Truesmart features a built-in 5MP camera. The device raised more than $100 000 in pledges on Kickstarter. The funding comes as the mobile device market looks set to explode, with big players like Samsung and Apple working on wearable watch-like gadgets.

Speaking of smart watches, Central Standard Timing claims to have created the world's thinnest watch. The device, called the CST-01, is less than a millimetre thick and is buttonless, knobless and, other than being able to tell the time, pretty much featureless. The actual design of the CST-01 involves laying a strip of E Ink (the type of electronic paper used in Kindle e-readers) in a thin piece of stainless steel.
Via: BBC and Chicago Grid

Swivel is a 3D virtual dressing room that enables shoppers to "try on" limitless amounts of clothes and accessories. Developed by FaceCake Marketing Technologies, the virtual system uses a patented Mirror Image Marketing System and real-time image processing technology to show users how they will look in various outfits, without having to try anything on.

The technology was first on show at Microsoft's Windows Embedded area at COMPUTEX 2012 and was built using Kinect for Windows. For now, the software is intended for use in stores only, essentially replacing the traditional dressing room experience with an augmented reality one.
Via: Huffington Post

Students planning to use their mobile phones to cheat during upcoming tests or exams may have to be a little extra sneaky, thanks to the PocketHound. The device, created by Berkeley Varitronics Systems, is a portable cellphone detector intended to allow teachers to covertly track cheaters.

The PocketHound vibrates and lights up each time it detects a nearby transmission from a mobile phone. Once the device is set off, teachers can nab the offender. According to Berkeley Varitronics Systems, the PocketHound is "the smallest, most powerful cellphone signal detector". It has a battery life of about two hours and costs $500.
Via: Popsci

A recent exhibit at Deakin University's Art Gallery used augmented reality and iPads to change tattoos into works of 3D art. According to Alison Bennett, creator of the "Shifting Skin" exhibit, the concept was intended to transform images of tattoos into 3D forms. Bennett used a program called Aurasma to add augmented reality overlays to images of tattoos. In doing so, she transformed the body ink into 3D structures.

The pictures of human skin with their tattoos were captured with the help of a repurposed flatbed scanner, which, when viewed on digital devices like iPads, makes the tattoos appear like 3D structures. According to visitors to the exhibition, the images could not be identified as human body parts, instead, appearing like landscapes, valleys and peaks.
Via: Mashable

Homeowners can now keep track of who is at their front doors, even when they are not at home, thanks to the iDoorCam.

The gadget features a tiny camera mounted on a doorbell-like button that sends an alert to the owner when the doorbell rings. The camera is immediately activated, allowing the homeowner to answer the call, or reject it, depending on who is at the door. If answered, the owner can communicate with the person at the door via an app on their iOS or Android devices. Users can even do this when they're not at home.

"One of the best things about iDoorCam is the advanced feature set. We're designing things that have not been done yet on a WiFi doorbell," says Desiree Mejia, CEO of iDoorCam. "This includes motion sensor call and image initiation, on-demand camera access, and a feature we call 'Do Not Disturb' mode. You can even use the app to turn off your home's doorbell so it does not wake a sleeping baby or disturb you while you're working."

The iDoorCam app is free on iOS and Android, but only works with the iDoorCam doorbell device, which costs £105.
Via: Daily Mail

As many as 2 500 kidneys are wasted per year and more than 5 000 patients die annually waiting for a viable kidney transplant. This is according to OrganJet, a company that is taking organ donations online.

OrganJet is a new Web service that allows users to secure a transplant option from the comfort of their couches. According to OrganJet, the online tool can be used by sick members of the public to find kidney transplant centres that are close to their homes and have the lowest wait times. The service is meant to bridge the gap between areas with an excess of usable kidneys and those in dire need of them, says OrganJet CEO Sridhar Tayur.
Via: LiveScience