I’m a guy that loves new technology — I’m always amazed at some of the things that were once only real in “The Jetsons.” It’s 2016 now, so some of those gizmos are becoming a reality or just more realistic for a larger consumer base. Here’s a few pretty cool things that are out now or are going to be released soon.
The Pilot
If you’re traveling to a foreign country and aren’t super fluent in the native language, The Pilot will definitely come in handy. This is a set of wireless earbuds that actively translates spoken language with the help of a mobile application. Now two or more people can engage in conversation without worrying about that pesky language barrier. Just don’t lose them. Bonus: It has the ability to stream music from your device. The Pilot system is slated to be available in May 2017, with prices starting around $299.
Snapchat Spectacles
Called “Specs” for short, the makers of Snapchat want to make it easier for its users to record videos and upload them to their Snapchat accounts. The Specs are essentially glasses with small cameras in the frame, allowing videos to be recorded from the human perspective without having your phone in hand. They’re fairly stylish too, resembling large-framed sunglasses. This might be one of the goofier items on this list, but expect to see these on college campuses soon.
Sandisk 1TB SD card
Since I’m into photography, I was pretty excited when this news surfaced. SD cards are pretty small — the smallest being about as big as a button on your computer keyboard — but they have some serious space. A 1TB SD memory card has more space than many computer hard drives … imagine how many pictures can fit on it! The largest SD memory card currently on the market holds 512GB and costs about $800, so a 1TB card is going to have a hefty price – but you won’t have to worry about changing cards in the middle of a photo shoot.
Virtual Reality
It may not be anything new, but virtual reality (VR) is becoming much more popular. This is due to being more accessible to a wider range of consumers: HTC Vive, PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift are just a few of the VR products hitting the market. People can enjoy VR games in the privacy of their own home, playing and laughing as they look around the room. There are even small cardboard headsets that give the illusion of VR for your phone. It might not be for everyone, but VR is a great way to experience things that might otherwise be inaccessible or scary.
