Last Year’s Ten Breakthrough Gadgets

The year that went by saw the introduction of a new line of gadgets that have the potential to greatly impact the way we live. These ten technology gadgets detailed below stand out because they are contributing to a new trend in the manner in which we work and relax.

Samsung Galaxy S4

Samsung has almost toppled Apple in the global smartphone sales in 2012. Apple’s iPhone5 faced stiff competition from Samsung Galaxy S3. The S4 models are expected to tip the balance in Samsung’s favor with a host of attractive features that have been incorporated in the phone. Tagged at $200, Samsung Galaxy S4 features a mega 5-inch display screen with a resolution of 1080 pixels and a 13.0 Mp rear camera. In addition, the smartphone has floating touch, facial recognition and accelerometer functions incorporated into it. As an example, users can stop/pause a video by just turning away their heads (smart pause) and you can browse emails by using gestures without touching the screen.

Novo by Radiant Images

The GoPro Hero3 model of Radiant Images has recently evolved into the Novo camera, a smaller model that accepts C-Mount lenses. Rich with features that include an LCD touchscreen, Wi-Fi, high-resolution sensor of 12 Mp, (these were present in the GoPro model also) the Novo model allows more user control by allowing manual adjustment of the aperture through the lens.

3Doodler

3D printing is becoming more commonplace. 3Doodler is a 3D glue-gun type of a pen built by WobbleWorks LLC that makes the concept more real. The pen dispenses hot plastic when used and can be used to draw out any model/prototype that a creative inventor/artist wants. In short, one can create 3D objects by hand using 3Doodler. The company has entered into a collaboration with Etsy’s wire artists to announce to the world its astounding possibilities in addition to regular art.

Dell XPS Duo Ultrabook

The Duo 12 Ultrabook model from Dell can change from a tablet to a notebook in no time. You can snap to relaxation mode from work mode in a jiffy. The model, made of durable carbon fiber and aluminum, sports a flip hinge design. It is elegant in appearance and has a sturdy feel. The high resolution display makes web browsing a pleasure. Windows 8 apps can be freely used and with a starting price tag of $1200, it is most suited for professionals on the move.

MYO

It is time to give our fingertips some rest with the MYO screen control device. This is a wearable gesture control gadget, a creation of Thalmic Labs, Canada. This gadget helps to interact with other devices with the fine muscle activity of the wearer using the Bluetooth technology. Mere gestures are enough to browse through the web, or edit videos. The $150 MYO is programmed to detect different positions of the arm or the hand as well as changes in movements of each finger.

Sony 4K OLED TV

The organic 56-inch 4K LED TV by Sony is the first ultra high-definition TV that uses LEDs (3480 × 2160) is under development and the prices are yet to be announced. However, the 30-inch version with a resolution of 4096 x 2160 pixels is scheduled to reach the markets by 2014.

Pebble

Pebble is like no other watch. The smartwatch is different both in its design and the apps that it is capable of running. It can be connected to the Android smartphones or the Apple iPhone. The Bluetooth connectivity alerts the wearer of incoming calls, mails, messages, etc. The number of apps that can run on this watch is increasing. It is no wonder that the crowd-funding site Kickstarter has raised close to $10 million from supporters of Pebble.

Form I

A creation of Formlabs, Massachusetts, this is a 3D printer that works on the principle of stereolithography which directs a laser beam across a layer of liquid resin to solidify it. The 3D object is then printed layer by layer, one on top of the other. Priced at $3300, Form I is expected to bring professional 3D printing to homes.

Google Glass

Google glass is slated to revolutionize the manner in which data is going to be shared and consumed. Scheduled to hit the markets next year, the developer version costs $1500. The Google Glass is many devices rolled into one – a camera, speaker, and a microphone. It allows the users to record a video and take pictures. You can message and the device can even act as a translator. In short, you will be wearing your smart virtual assistant when you put on your Google Glass.

Philips Hue LED Lighting

Philips Hue is a unique home LED lighting system that can be controlled via the web using a smartphone. The package consists of 11 LED bulbs in three colors. Their intensity and color can be controlled using Wi-Fi signals. Philips has also allowed third party software developers to create new applications with the existing lighting system. Systems integrated with music have already come into the market. Priced at $199 for the basic pack, Philips Hue offers exciting possibilities.

Robert is a passionate blogger about new technologies and gadgets.