This year a lot of first world problems were solved with innovative consumer technology. How did we ever live without these things?
The remote is so far away all, I have is my phone, iPad, and computer…
Chromecast
● What it is:
○ A form of magic employed by the lazy, it is a tiny dongle that plugs into your TV’s HDMI port and wirelessly connects to most devices.
○ Works with most mobile devices so you never have to look for the remote again.
● What it does:
○ Allows user to
■ Allows you to become one
■ with the couch while you
● Stream Internet
● Browse media
● Control playback
■ …while Netflix judges your questionable taste in entertainment from afar.
● Developed by: Google
● Price: $35
If only my tablet wasn’t so… big: iPad mini
● What it is:
○ The illegitimate lovechild of the iPhone and iPad.
■ “We would not make one of the 7 inch tablets, we don’t think they’re good products, we’d never make one.” – Steve Jobs October 2010
● What it does:
■ Sends stuff to Chromecast
■ Lets you play games
■ Plays and records videos
■ Also, everything else you’d want to do with a tablet. *wink*
● Developed by: Apple
● Price: STARTING AT $399
I want to send a message, but i don’t want to look down: Google Glass
● What it is:
○ An Android computer attached to your head.
○ If THIS doesn’t get you laid, nothing will!
● What it does:
■ Takes discrete pictures
■ Gives directions
■ Translates languages
■ Further isolates you from others
● Developed by: Google
● Price: $1,500
My last console never really understood me:
Playstation 4
● What it is:
○ Gaming console focused primarily on gamer experience.
■ woman’s perspective
● Another gaming system for all the men in your life to care about more than you. And unlike men, it learns user’s likes and dislikes.
■ man’s perspective
● Finally, something focused on my needs.
● What it does:
○ Not only are HiFi graphics the new standard, but it allows games to be pushed to PS Vita.
■ woman’s perspective
● Allows your boyfriend to ignore you on the go by switching over to psVita. They can also broadcasts his fun directly to social media.
■ man’s perspective
● Finally gives me something to do on those long boring dates with my girlfriend.
● Developed by: Sony
● Price: (avg.) $399
I want to play a game, but I don’t want to move. “Xbox On” Xbox One
● What it is:
○ Entertainment system and gaming console.
■ woman’s perspective
● Another gaming console intent on ruining my relationship(s). This one never turns off, instead responds to voice commands 24/7.
■ man’s perspective
● Another bad-a console. That unlike my girlfriend, is always turned on, and actually responds to voice commands.
● What it does:
○ A gaming console that REALLY listens…like, all of the time.
■ woman’s perspective
● This console streams live TV and can switch between Xbox apps through voice commands. Voice recognition inspires the feeling of creepy-but-insanely-cool.
■ man’s perspective
● Plays games and stuff.
● Developed by: Microsoft
● PRICE: STARTING AT $500
Paper should be less “papery” and more “interactive”: PaperTab
● What it is:
○ A flexible e-ink touch tablet that responds and feels like paper. When paper wasn’t good enough, we built electronic tablets. Now we’re making the electronics back into paper again.
● What it does:
○ Allows users to interact with multiple flexible “Tabs” like they would with a stack of papers… because… sure, why not.
■ If you thought keeping track of multple devices was fun, just wait till your one device is made up of multiple pieces!
● Developed by: Collaboration between Queen’s University, Intel Labs and Plastic Logic
● Price: Not yet on the market
If my fork told me to stop eating, maybe I wouldn’t be so fat: HAPIfork
● What it is:
○ A fork. A vibrating, electronic fork. Because THAT makes sense!
● What it does:
○ It vibrates if you eat too quickly. Measures the frequency of forkfuls.
■ Monitors your eating habits because why have self-control when your fork can do it for you?
● Developed by: Jacques Lepine & HapiLabs
● Price: $99
Sources:
hapi.com/faq.asp#ans22
us.playstation.com/ps4/index.htm
howstuffworks.com/plasma-display2.htm
ign.com/articles/2013/11/20/xbox-one-review
store.apple.com/us/buy-ipad/ipad-mini-retina
google.com/intl/en/chrome/devices/chromecast
televisions.reviewed.com/content/lg-55ea9800-preview
gizmag.com/apple-ipad-mini-vs-kindle-fire-hdx/29200
cnn.com/2013/04/19/tech/innovation/hapifork-smart-fork
news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/papertab-130109.htm
ps4daily.com/2013/09/top-10-most-exciting-features-of-playstation-4
techradar.com/us/news/video/google-glass-what-you-need-to-know-1078114
bestbuy.com/site/Video-Games/Xbox-One/pcmcat300300050002.c?id=pcmcat300300050002
gigaom.com/2013/08/08/why-google-glass-costs-1500-now-and-will-likely-be-around-299-later
