The past ten years saw rapid growth in the electronics industry, and we predict these top 10 tech gadgets will start your decade off with a bang. Some of them are problem-solving inventions we’ve been waiting for our whole lives, while others are downright fun. If you like cutting-edge products that make life easier, read on for some of our favorite new contrivances.
1. BlueDriver LSB2 Bluetooth Pro On-Board Diagnostic Scanner
The impressive BlueDriver OBD2 Scanner will interest anyone tired of the mystery behind their car’s check engine light. Instead of driving your vehicle to a parts store and requesting a diagnostic scan, this baby can do it all right from the convenience of your driveway. All you need to do is download the free BlueDriver app, and you’re good to go.
Compatible with your iPad, iPhone, or Android, you simply plug the device into your car’s OBD port (under the driver’s side dash). BlueDriver will automatically detect the make and model of your vehicle and display trouble codes for over 30 million issues. It will even provide you with a list of potential causes and common fixes. If you’re comfortable with your own repairs, this information can save you thousands of dollars.
BlueDriver also has enhanced diagnostics on over 35 models and can clear codes in addition to reading them. And unlike other cheaper models, it scans advanced codes for transmission, ABS, and airbag. You can also download, print, or email a report to yourself or your mechanic to save time and money.
2. Luma 150 Pocket Projector by Kodak
Kodak’s ultra mini-projector is smaller than a stack of post-it notes, yet it’s equipped to play videos and movies on surfaces up to 150 inches. It will hook up to just about any external device via the included USB cable, HDMI cable, or microSD card slot. It also integrates with Apple’s Airplay and Miracast.
With over 16 million display colors (yes, that shocked us too) and 150 lumens of ultra-bright light, the resolution is excellent, and the display is surprisingly crisp. Onboard controls and built-in speakers make this all-in-one device perfect for home or business. And because it’s lightweight and portable, it can be carried from room to room without a hassle. You can even use it outdoors.
3. Whistle Go Explore Health and Location Tracker for Pets
For the ultimate in tracking your pet’s health and whereabouts, look no further than Whistle’s newest GPS device—the Whistle Go Explore. Utilizing Google maps and the AT&T nationwide network, this little wonder can find a lost pet up to 3000 miles away. And if you are wondering just how long it will keep tracking, it has an average battery life of 20 days.
However, there’s a lot more to love about the Go Explore than its tracking capabilities. Any time your pet leaves a designated safe area, you will get an alert on your phone. You can see what your pet has been up to in your absence, whether they have been walking, napping, running, or playing. You will even know if they have been scratching and the severity of the itch.
Based on your pet’s breed, age, and weight, you can set fitness and weight loss goals to help them live a longer and happier life. Want to see how many calories your pooch burned at the park? The Whistle Go App will tell you. Need a reminder to administer medication? Whistle can do that too. You can even download a 30-day report of your pet’s activities and email it to your veterinarian. A bright remote activated light can help you find your pet in the dark. Plus, the device is rugged enough to survive the most rigorous activities and is fully submersible for up to 30 minutes.
4. EasyPower USB AA Rechargeable Batteries by Survival Frog
If you’re in the market for rechargeable batteries, you may as well get with the times and acquire some USB rechargeable ones. While these handy helpers have been available for a few years, it’s surprising how many folks haven’t seen how beneficial they can be. And nowhere are they more helpful than during traveling.
For starters, the world is now heavily sprinkled with USB ports everywhere you go, so although these might not have been practical when they were first introduced, they are virtually indispensable now. Cords, cables, and bulky battery chargers are a thing of the past. Just throw a few of these survival frog batteries into your suitcase or purse, and you can add juice just about anywhere.
Particularly helpful on cross-country trips with children and SHTF situations, each battery is rated to go through over 500 charge cycles. And there’s no need to wonder if they are ready or not—each features an indicator light that turns blue when they are fully charged.
5. Pocketalk Handheld Translator
If you are planning to travel abroad, the Pocketalk translator has you covered in 74 languages. This two-way marvel lets you communicate with ease as you trek through 133 countries. Highly intuitive, it gets smarter the more you use it and has the most accurate and up-to-date translations yet.
To use it, just press the power button and choose two languages—one for each side of the conversation. When you speak into the microphone, your words are translated into a clear conversation in your chosen language. Your partner can then reply using a second button and presto—a friendship is born.
The palm-sized device fits right in your pocket and comes with a global SIM card, enabling you to use it anywhere—even when WIFI is not available. Unlike many other translators, you don’t need a hotspot or expensive mobile carrier plan. Pocketalk comes with two years of built-in data. As a bonus feature, it’s equipped with noise-canceling technology that allows you to carry on a conversation even in a noisy street or crowded coffee shop.
6. Matrix Powerwatch 2 Smartwatch
What’s so special about the Powerwatch 2? For starters, it never needs to be charged. Running entirely off body heat and solar power, it syncs with Google Fit and Apple Health to monitor all the basics. Use it to track your heart rate, calorie count, steps, and sleep.
Notifications are delivered via a buzz to the wrist, and you will never get lost with built-in GPS location tracking. The fact that this watch will run virtually forever with nary a cord nor cable is its most notable selling point. Ideal for off-grid living and hardcore hiking trips, we should also mention the Powerwatch 2 also tells time.
7. Color Changing LED Showerhead by Dreamspa
Looking for an inexpensive way to turn your bathroom into a relaxing oasis? Dreamspa has you covered. This innovative showerhead features colorful LED lights that are powered by running water—no batteries needed. It features an extra-large 5.25-inch face and has five relaxing settings, including massage, economy rain, power rain, mist, and pause. Three zones let you control the pressure.
Once in the shower, enjoy a therapeutic experience with three colors that change automatically according to temperature. Simple to install, the Dreamspa showerhead is an easy way to transform the ordinary into something unique. As a bonus, if you have kids that hate the shower, all that is about to change!
8. Clocky Alarm Clock on Wheels
If you have trouble getting yourself out of bed, you need more than just an alarm clock. You need a device that forces you to wake up and move. Enter, Clocky.
This gadget is part annoying robot, part helpful friend, and is perfect for anyone who has ever hit the snooze button more than ten times in a row. Clocky isn’t going to let you get away with that. That’s because it has capabilities you never thought an alarm clock could (or should) have.
When it’s time to get up, Clocky will light up and start doing its thing. In addition to making an obnoxious noise, it can (and will) leap off a three-foot nightstand, roll away, hide, shake, change directions, and be a general nuisance until you pull yourself from your covers and chase it down. But there’s more. Clocky will only let you snooze one time for up to eight minutes. After that, there is no stopping this beast until you find it and shut it off—at which point you should probably be wide awake.
The rolling alarm comes in your choice of several colors and runs off four triple-A lithium batteries.
9. PhoneSoap 3 UV Smartphone Sanitizer & Universal Charger
Germaphobes, rejoice! You will be happy to know that along with all the other antibacterial products in the marketplace, you can now sanitize your cell phone with the PhoneSoap 3. It uses powerful UV lights that kill 99.99 percent of bacteria.
Lest you were thinking, “this is the dumbest thing ever!”, consider this: Apparently, our smartphones are 18 times dirtier than your average public toilet. We take our phones everywhere, including the bathroom. Do we wash them with the same vigor as we do our hands? That would be a no. So basically, they’re a veritable petri dish of disgustingness.
Thankfully, the good folks at PhoneSoap are here to save you from your gross self with this innovative product. Made to fit even large-sized smartphones, just pop it in for 10 minutes, and you will have a wholly disinfected phone. As a bonus, it also serves as a charging device.
This nifty gadget is not limited to cell phones either. Basically, if it fits in the case, it can be disinfected. Your keys, wallets, baby toys, pacifiers, pens, and any other filthy thing you can think of can benefit from a wash through the PhoneSoap.
10. Friendship Lamps by Filimin
This has got to be one of the most heartwarming new tech gadgets we’ve ever seen. If you’re the sentimental type, you’re going to love this. It’s called a friendship lamp and it comes as a set of two. One is for you, and one is for your loved one far away. Try not to cry.
The lamps are connected through Wi-Fi. When person A touches their lamp, person B’s lamp is illuminated simultaneously no matter where in the world they are. Handmade in Wichita, Kansas, the pair features LED lights that last up to 40,000 hours and can be programmed to display over 256 colors.
Friendship lamps make an ideal gift for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or anytime you want to show someone how much they are loved. Perfect for maintaining a connection, they can also help soothe loneliness, homesickness, and lovesickness. However, if you are more of a joker than a lover, you could pull an epic prank with these. Just sayin.
Related:
- 10 Best Bluetooth Smartwatches
- 10 Best Cheap Earbuds
- 10 Best Drone Accessories
- 10 Best Drones
- 10 Best GPS Key Trackers
- 10 Best Home Security IP Cameras
- 10 Best Portable Chargers
- 10 Best Wifi Repeaters
- 10 Best Wireless Phone Chargers
