Joe Macca's "Two-Man Show" at Marylhurst University's "Art Gym, " on the other hand, is an example of a less felicitous side of Portland's art scene, common to mid-size art worlds: a schizophrenia in which participants want to both play the art game as it's contested in New York or Miami and thumb their noses at it at the same time.

WSJ: Our Next Art Capital: Portland? | By Peter Plagens

In the past we've seen a tongue-based computer interface or two, the BrainPort sight-via-papillae solution, and this week, at the American Chemical Society's annual meeting, researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign introduced a sensor about the size of a business card that detects and identifies fourteen common sweeteners -- including Splenda, Sugar in the Raw, and Sweet'n'Low.

ENGADGET: Electronic tongue tastes, identifies sweeteners so you don't have to

But ultimately these devices may have a bigger role in developing countries, where full-size medical equipment is in short supply but smartphones are becoming common.

NPR: Physical By Smartphone Becoming Real Possibility

With a laptop-style keyboard and well-spaced keys for its size, the Belkin Portable Keyboard Case for iPad mini helps reduce typing mistakes common on tablets.

ENGADGET: Belkin bulks up iPad mini with $80 Portable Keyboard Case