The first half of 2016 has brought us the debut of some amazing new technology. Whether it’s up-and-coming innovations in the latest and greatest smartphones or the evolution of immersive virtual reality, new technology never fails to capture the attention of the public.
Virtual reality (VR) may sound like something out of a Sci-Fi movie, but it’s already being implemented in games, movies and even virtual tours of museums. If anything, there are two things consumers should note about Virtual reality.
For starters, it’s not new. Millions of years ago, in the ‘80s, Silicon Valley startup sponsor Jaron Lanier coined the term virtual reality with his immersive helmet and sensory controlled glove combination. As time went on, companies shot many prototypes into the public, with a majority of them being far misses. Plagued by lack of head movement tracking, poor graphics and motion sickness, even gaming giant Nintendo’s Japan-released “Virtual Boy” fell flat.
Despite a plethora of advancements, VR can come relatively cheap. Google’s inexpensive “Cardboard” is available for just $20, and features, as the name suggests, a cardboard design. Using this cutout or even creating your own using the instructions on Google’s site allows the user to experience VR using their smartphone and the Google Play Store. If money’s no object, Oculus Rift is a full featured VR experience with its own titles. Additionally, Google is set to release its new Daydream VR soon, and “Daydream ready” phones are already available.
Smartphones continue to make trends and set records. The unveiling of the iPhone 7 has buyers swarming to stores around the world. The new enhancements made to the iPhone have caught the eye of many and criticisms are sure to arise.
The powerful dual camera added to the iPhone 7 Plus will make photography simple and effective. The standard 28mm wide-angle lense will be paired with the new telephoto camera. This will increase optical stability and optical zoom that will decrease pixelation.
The removal of the headphone jack has been the most publicized change to the iPhone. A solution to the removal of the jack is a lightning port (charging port) adapter. This will plug into the charging port and at the opposite end feature an auxiliary jack.
“AirPods” are the first Bluetooth wireless earbuds produced by Apple; they aren’t included with the purchase of an iPhone 7, but are an additional $159. The AirPods obtain a five-hour battery life and come in a sleek charging pod.
With the recent iPhone models having 16GB, 64GB and 128GB storage, the call for even more storage sounded out of proportion. This will allow the buyer to hold even more music, pictures, video and apps than ever before.
Trend-setting gadgets were unveiled at this year’s CES 2016, (a cutting edge technology convention for developers). This year’s trend: everyday objects are getting smarter. The interesting and intelligent, yet some may argue unnecessary, “oombrella” is a smart umbrella that reminds you not to leave it behind when it rains. Even smart clothing has seen its day; Lumo Run shorts and capris feature a tracker embedded in the lining of the shorts that acts as a coach after collecting your running data, and the Owlet Baby Monitor is a sock that tracks your baby’s vitals.
Whether you need to electronically highlight text to a word document or want to transform your 5-inch phone screen into a cinematic experience, 2016 tech has you covered.