World Tech Update: year-end special

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On this week's World Tech Update we take a look at our favorite gadgets, robots and prototypes from 2009.

We start this week's episode at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show where wireless power helped us cut the cord to our favorite devices. Powermat and eCoupled are two companies that offered the technology at the show and we'll take a closer look.

Wireless power wasn't the only technology this year that offered to cut the cord. At CES and IFA this year we saw TransferJet , which allows for super fast data transfer. Check out the video to find out when the technology will hit the market.

Thin was in this year and we saw a number of flexible OLED screens. One from Sony measured just 0.2 mm thick. Yamaha also showed off a flexible speaker made of cloth at Japan's Ceatec trade show.

In 2009 we also saw a number of gesture controlled devices. Japan's NTT Docomo showed off a set of in-ear headphones that lets users control their music players just by moving their eyes. To find out how it works, check out the video. Sony and Microsoft took advantage of gesture technology with both companies showing gaming hardware at E3 that incorporates it.

With a completely hands off approach, Toyota and Honda demonstrated brain machine interfaces that let users control a wheelchair and a robot with the power of thought alone.

Our last segment is a special year-end treat for viewers, the World Tech Update 2009 Robot Round Up that spans the globe and recaps the coolest and most interesting robots of the year.

World Tech Update is a global recap of the week's technology news. To learn more about the show, follow it on Twitter and Facebook.

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