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Interbike, USA’s biggest bicycle industry trade show was held last week in Las Vegas, NV.  Here, brands show off their latest offerings for the upcoming 2009 season.  While many argue this show’s timing is all wrong as many 2009 model year bikes are already in dealer showrooms and the rest may be on the water in transit, it is the show where big introductions are usually made.

This year’s show had some growing themes.  Themes like 29” mountain bikes are here to stay.  Major brands are keeping a close eye on commuting bicycles as the nations gas prices escalate.  The final theme I’ll touch is one they didn’t want to publicize at the show, but it is something you should know.

Hit the jump to see ‘em…

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In private beta testing mode since January, the England-based ProofHQ has just opened it’s program up to the the public. What makes it so appealing to so many is the obvious allowance for collaboration. ProofHQ makes this simple with the use of several formats on the web. Blogs, social media applications...users are able to comment and give feedback on a project that can be seen by anyone working on it by using embeddable objects.

There is no cost for this new personal version, unless you want to upgrade to a more advanced package that offers more storage.  The free package only allows for five proofs a months (50 megabytes of storage), and the upgrades run anywhere from $29 to $99 a month. However, you can get a feel for it to see what you think by taking advantage of their 14 day free trial offer. It is both PC and Mac compatible. 

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Asus, famous for their Eee PC, split earlier this year into three sections and one of these (now known as Pegatron) in turn created a design department called PEGA. Following a theme of “between off and on” they created 8 ‘innovative’ ‘tangible interactive products’. The first, and one that I will look at, is the Look@Me Emoticon Keyboard.

Having worked my way through the design ‘concept statements’ (something about ancient Egypt...?) I got to the keyboard, and I must say it’s quite odd. And to be fair it could well be practical for someone who does excessive amounts of instant messaging with its 40 Emoticon Elements, consisting of 18 letters and 22 symbols, which would allow you to do any emoticon of your choosing.

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I am not really sure how to explain this. No it isn’t that it is so techie that it doesn’t make sense, rather I am speechless.  For those of you who watched Minority Report and were drooling over the glooves Tom Cruise wore to control the computer, this is a must see.

Jeff Han is a research scientist for New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. Here he demonstrates—for the first time publicly—his intuitive, “interface-free,” touch-driven computer screen, which can be manipulated intuitively with the fingertips, and responds to varying levels of pressure. (Recorded February 2006 in Monterey, CA. Duration: 09:32)

View it or download [TED]

The Optimus Upravalator is a new type of keyboard from the design company that brought the customizable OLED keyboard and mini three. Encased within the device is a 10.8 inch LCD Screen, with a resolution of 800x600 pixels. On top of the screen there is a board with 12 transparent buttons. Each button features 4 contact points (top, bottom, left, and right), pressing the button head on ("fifth contact").

Besides power, Upravalator uses 2 cords for the connection to a computer, USB and VGA. You’ll need to use a second monitor port, or a second video card (the video card is up to you, as it will not be included in the standard package). Upravalator works in both Windows and OSX and is expected to be available for sale in the second half of 2007. This is definitely great for designers, as the keyboard is fully customizable.

Read [Optimus Upravalator]