[30 Day Challenge] 30 Favorite Gadgets

Random Observation/Comment #270: I would have never guessed 10 years ago that I’d have a phone and that phone’s least used function would be making calls.

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Why This List?

I surround myself with fun and useful technologies because they not only help with my productivity or data collection, but also make me look cool. Just kidding… I’m pretty sure they make me look more geeky.

  1. Smart phone with quad core processor and 3GB of RAM. This is faster than some of the systems responsible for millions of dollars per trade.
  2. Smart watches in wearable tech. Fitbit Charge is incredible in terms of the accuracy and wealth of collected data. (It also finally shows the time/date).
  3. Voice activated technology. Amazon’s Echo, although still in the infant stages with examples, sounds a lot closer to Jarvis.
  4. Fingerprint scanning. Security has always been a huge issue and now you can unlock your phone with any 10 fingers. Brilliant.
  5. 3d printing. This has gone above and beyond expectations. It’s not just printing physical small objects like replacing bolts or making gun parts, but there have been 3D printed cars, houses, and organics.
  6. GoPros and related action-cams. Since we already do so many skull crushingly dangerous things, why not put a camera on said-skull and record all of it?
  7. Home automation. Along lines of Jarvis, staples came out with a Connect hub that automates home products from your phone. Centralizing these separate business-used connections makes this extremely valuable.
  8. Oculus. VR is no longer just in sci-fi movies. I have an Oculus Dev Kit 2 at home and it’s so cool. Still infant in application and slightly dizzying, but incredibly immersive.
  9. Touch screen resolutions. I remember how crappy it was to sign at a grocery store, but nowadays I can do it with my finger with very fine pressure sensitivity.
  10. Inexpensive high resolution cameras. Also in smart phones, but these sensors are getting smaller, cheaper, and so much clearer.  I think the point-and-shoot industry of the camera area is dying and it’s getting harder to see the difference between a good and amazing photo.
  11. Noise-cancelling ear phones. I just got a pair of these and they sound incredible. It’s also nice to just zone out at work or on a plane where there are noisy babies.
  12. Apple TV. I wouldn’t call myself an apple fanboy, but there’s something about AppleTV that makes it so super useful. I also think the concept of streaming directly to the TV with these services and then using the phone as a remote is brilliant.
  13. Ultrabooks. Good job macbook air with setting the standard. Now everyone has touch screen super thin notebooks that basically blow any of my old desktops out of the water.
  14. Wireless routers. These have become so powerful and accessible. Sooner or later, we’ll be baking in our own radiation.
  15. Roombas. My studio apartment isn’t large enough to warrant this, but I think there’s just so much brilliant technology that goes into it. It scans the room and then maps out the most efficient way to vacuum everywhere with one charge. So cool.
  16. Tesla car. The technology for an electric car has been around for a long time, but this sexy beast is so freaking cool.
  17. Huge external solid state drives. WD Passport and its likes have made everything so easily accessible. I don’t download movies anymore, but now that I take all these high-res photos, it’s definitely better to have a few <$200 2TB of these lying around.
  18. Tablets. What a key shift to accommodate parents and kids!
  19. Next-Gen gaming machines. Starting with the PS3, which was just absolutely game changing that the hardware could last 8 years.
  20. Google Glass. Not completely out yet, but I think it could be revolutionary. It has the sense of disruptive technology and could be a game changer with integration.
  21. Drones. Although they’ve mostly been used for movies and music videos, I think they’re really badass.
  22. GPS. Although this is integrated with the phone, I think the accuracy of GPS itself is staggering.
  23. (More software) Predictive keyboards. Swift has made my life so much easier and I just think predictive typing with AI is so smart.
  24. External chargers. Some power users and travelers really benefit from having an extra day or two of charge with their smart phones.
  25. DSLRs/Lenses. I’m surprised I didn’t think of this earlier, but as a photographer I’m glad I’ve got my red camera.
  26. (More software) Netflix. Self explanatory.
  27. Hand blender. This is more for my morning smoothies.
  28. Detachable keyboards. We all like typing in our own way.
  29. Maglight/Headlamp. Yep. Need one for the zombie apocalypse.
  30. (More software) Online music streaming. Pandora and Grooveshark keep me sane.

It looks like this list has expanded to specific technologies and how awesome it is that they exist and have gone leaps and bounds within our consumer applications.  Either way, good job, R&D and all you implementers out there.

~See Lemons Love Gadgets