Every generation has its inventions and this one is no different. I don’t know about you, but with all the different technological leaps forward, I’m really starting to feel like it’s the future! Whereas some inventions emerge to benefit humanity as a whole, some are a lot more free-spirited. Here are three intriguing devices which were made in the past year. They might not be particularly useful, but they’re definitely neat ideas!
I’ll start this off with the obvious one; the selfie stick. Personally I’m surprised that this took so long to emerge. People who are far too good to use one of these have dubbed them “narcisticks”. Of course this hasn’t stopped a lot of people buying them. You can see these people anywhere, swinging them haphazardly around in pursuit of the perfect selfie. These inventions are great for those people who can never have enough pictures of themselves pulling the same facial expression. However, there are other applications for it too. These simple telescopic sticks have allowed smartphones to take much wider shots with improved depth. With one of these you’ll find it much easier to fit everyone into a group shot, along with features in the background. It’s remarkable how such a simple idea has become so popular!
Next, we have the self-balancing scooter. That’s those two-wheeled things which took YouTube by storm last Christmas. Seen as you’re keeping your feet parallel to two chunky wheels while using these, there’s obviously a risk of falling over. Once you get the hang of them though, self balancing scooters are really fun! It may take a few years for them to iron out everything, but even now the technology in these things is really interesting. The two panels you stand on are linked by a swivel joint. The pedals react subtly to the pressure from your feet, using new gyroscopic technology to steer the board in gentle curves. A word of caution through. If you’re planning on getting one of these, don’t get ahead of yourself on your first time!
Take a look at your TV remote. Doesn’t it look like it has way too many buttons crammed onto a small surface? Someone evidently noticed this, and kick-started the Spin Remote. This is perhaps the coolest universal remote ever. Using a variety of sensors which respond to rotation, touch and motion, you can use one of these to control almost every electronic in your home. The most amazing thing about it? It looks like a nondescript little ornament. You can customise its specific settings through an app. After that, you’ll be able to stroll around your home controlling it all with this little silver dome. From dimming lights to adjusting the TV’s volume, this is the future of remote controls.
It’s not quite Star Wars, but I for one am fascinated by the way leisure technology is going. Pretty soon, we may start seeing 3D printers in every home. Perhaps young professionals will be gliding to work on their self-balancing scooters. I’m still pretty disappointed by how long flying cars are taking though.