The most innovative new tech gadgets
One of the best parts about being technology fans is that there is always some new innovative design on the horizon. To celebrate this we’ve gathered together some of most exciting products that could be entertaining us in 2016.
Sesame Smart Lock
As our homes get smarter, so do the ways to get into them. The Sesame smart lock is a clever motorised device that attaches to the inside of your door, fitting over the existing deadbolt latch. When you want to access your home you simply use the app on your smartphone and the lock will open the door. No wiring, changing locks, or manual labour required. You can even assign access rights to friends or family members who can then use their phones to get in when you’re not around.
Simple, elegant, easy to fit, and easy to use. That’s what technology should always be about.
Currently in Pre-Order from Candy House in the US
Price: approx £100
The most innovative new tech gadgets
Keeping photos, music, and documents syncronised across all your devices can be tricky at times. Cloud services have definitely improved matters, but if you’re not careful you can run up against storage restrictions in no time at all. Lima is a clever little device that acts as a kind of cloud storage/NAS style service.
You plug the Lima into your home router, then into any hard drive, and this instantly creates a storage point for all your data. Download the app on your PC, Mac, smartphone or tablet and you now have fast access to the data, which can be streamed or download. Using your devices as a peer-to-peer network improves speed, plus Lima handles any transcoding for movies and music. Best of all you retain the data, as it’s all stored on the hard drive you connect to the Lima, and you can upgrade to a larger capacity (up to 7TB) whenever you choose.
Available from: Lima
Price: Approx £70
The most innovative new tech gadgets
While some may question whether this is technically new, for those of a certain age the sight of a ZX Spectrum will induce waves of happiness and nostalgia, harking back to the golden age of home computing. The ZX Spectrum Vega+ is a handheld version of the British legend that comes replete with 1,000 classic games. Designed and built by the team responsible for the original device, this truly is a slice of history and one which has seen the Indiegogo campaign nearly treble its campaign goal with still a month left to run. So if you fancy becoming a Lunar Jetman, fighting a Sabre Wulf, or just trying to help Jet Set Willy find his bed, then this one’s for you, although you will have to wait until around September 2016.
Available from: Indiegogo
Price: £100
The most innovative new tech gadgets
GoPro cameras have opened up a whole new world of YouTube content and ultra cool home videos, but the Removu S1 is set to take things even further. Using three brushless motors and rotary sensors, the Removu S1 stabilizes footage recorded on GoPro cameras, giving you professional, steadicam-style videos. There’s also a bluetooth-enabled remote control joystick to give you increased levels of control over what you’re shooting. Interest has been very high in this product, and it could well be the start of something very special.
Available from: Indiegogo
Price: Approx £200
The most innovative new tech gadgets
Drones have been a surprise hit in tech over the past couple of years. The Micro Drone 3.0 follows on from the success of the company’s two previous iterations, offering a palm-sized flying machine that has a 720p HD camera fitted, and features a clever modular design that means any part of the device can be replaced or upgraded by the user. For something so small the Micro Drone 3.0 looks to be robust enough for a few adventures.
Please form an orderly queue, as the indiegogo campaign has already raised over $3,000,000 from enthusiastic backers.
Available from: Indiegogo
Price: Approx £140
The most innovative new tech gadgets
Navigating your way through busy city streets on a bike can be a stressful and hazardous affair. BeeLine looks to put the fun and exploration back into these journeys by offering a unique take on guiding you to your destination. The small, weatherproof device attaches to your handlebars and displays the direction in which you need to head and how far away you are from your goal. No distracting commands, just a simple arrow that adjusts to your location.
The screen uses e-ink technology to make sure it’s visible in any situation (there’s also a backlight for night cycling) which also reduces the amount of times you need to charge the device. It’s even small and light enough to act as your keyring.
Available from : Indiegogo
Price: £45
The most innovative new tech gadgets
The Smartwatch boom hasn’t quite hit its stride yet, even though manufacturers have been falling over themselves to create devices. BLOCKS could change all that. The modular smartwatch features a core unit – the watch face itself – that deals with notifications, calls, fitness tracking, and calendar appointments. The clever part is that the strap itself is made up of segments that can be be replaced by additional modules that add functionality to the watch. These could include a fingerprint sensor, GPS tracker, extra battery, or even a SIM card. BLOCKS is compatible with Android and iOS, plus the platform will be open, meaning anyone can design and build additional modules.
Best of all…it’s British!
Available from: Choose Blocks
Price: Around £200 for the basic model.
Author: Martyn Casserly, Contributor
Martyn has been involved with tech ever since the arrival of his ZX Spectrum back in the early 80s. He covers iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, writing tutorials, buying guides and reviews for Macworld and its sister site Tech Advisor.