The hot list – March 2018: Weird and wonderful gadgets for startup bosses

From the Echo Spot to the new KOHLER’s smart toilet, this month we take a deep dive into the newest voice-controlled devices as well as exploring the most exciting new gadgets out there

The hot list – March 2018: Weird and wonderful gadgets for startup bosses

Echo Spot

Hardware

From the Dash Wand to the Echo Look, there’s seemingly no end to Amazon’s eagerness to develop new voice-controlled devices. Continuing its prolific streak, the latest addition to the Alexa family is the adorable Echo Spot. Essentially, this new device is to the Echo Show what the Echo Dot was to the Amazon Echo: a mini-version that packs the same but with smaller screen and video-call capabilities. Add to that all the normal features like controlling thermostats, lights, ordering pizzas, playing music and it’s safe to say that the £119 price tag is more than justifiable. Clearly, Amazon isn’t planning to take its foot of the accelerator any time soon.

 

LG Watch Sport

Hardware

Launching a startup is one of the most exhilarating experiences entrepreneurs will ever have. Given it can also be one of the most stressful, it’s important budding founders stay on top of their health. Fortunately, fitness trackers like the new LG Watch Sport enable them to do just that. Not only is it able to take calls without a smartphone but it can also accurately track weightlifting sessions, which is something not even the Apple Watch Series 3 can do. Powered by Google’s Android Wear 2.0 software, the device can be used to stream music, buy your post-workout espresso via Android Pay and manage meetings. The clear choice for anyone who’s ever been on the receiving end of the question “do you even lift, bro?”

DJI’s Mavic Air

Hardware

With Domino’s trialling drone deliveries and over 500,000 UK businesses already using the technology, unmanned aerial vehicles are set to become a common feature in corporate Britain. And if you’re looking to try it out, DJI’s new Mavic Air is a good place to start. Roughly the size of a VHS tape when folded, this compact and 430g light drone is perfect for taking aerial shots, whether they’re taken at a conference or out trekking. Slo-mo videos can be shot in 1080p at 120fps, videos can be filmed at 4K at 30fps and infrared sensors automatically detect obstacles in its way, making the $799 price tag more than reasonable. So don’t be afraid of joining the dawn of the drone age.

 

Hyperkin has yet to finalise its design

Hyperkin Ultra Game Boy

Hardware

Whether you’ve been binging Stranger Things or made celebratory somersaults when the new version of the iconic Nokia 3310 was announced, you can’t deny cashing in on people’s nostalgia has become big business. And Hyperkin is certainly unafraid of riding that wave. Following in the footsteps of Nintendo relaunching versions of its NES and Super-Nintendo consoles, Hyperkin has announced that it is working on a version of the classic Game Boy. The Ultra Game Boy will work exactly like the original, albeit with some improvements in durability and audio, and will even be compatible with the classic cartridges. So if you’re aching to fire up your old Pokemon Red and have roughly $100 to spare, then keep an eye out this summer for some good old retro fun.


KOHLER Konnect Numi

Hardware

From stripper robots to shirt-folding machines, there were hardly a lack of wonderfully weird gadgets whizzing around at this year’s CES. However, Kholer’s Numi stood out above the rest just because it was the one device that left all of us asking one thing: why? It’s not the fact that the toilet is self-cleaning, that it can change the water temperature, that it warms your posterior or even the ambient lighting. While all those things in one way or another seem like a good idea, we’re not entirely convinced that a toilet needs to be compatible with Amazon Alexa. And, to be honest, the idea of having to pay roughly $6,000 for it makes us feel a bit flushed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Eric Johansson
Eric Johansson
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