SA's 2015 Gadget Guide: 10 Technologies That Have Your Life Covered [Slide Show]
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EDUCATION: Robotics is a rapidly growing area in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, but the classroom isn’t the only place to learn necessary engineering and computer programming skills... Courtesy of Spin Master
HOME: Indoor air-quality monitors earn their stripes by sampling the air inside your home and reporting the levels of pollutants such as CO2, volatile organic compounds and dust. Although many of these monitors can be controlled wirelessly via a smartphone, Bitfinder’s Awair system is designed to communicate with and regulate the use of other wi-fi-enabled appliances in the home, including humidifiers, fans and thermostats... Courtesy of Bitfinder, Inc.
ACCESSORY: The Apple Watch debuted in 2015 with much fanfare and, unfortunately, very limited battery life—typically about 24 hours. For those unable to charge their watches on a regular basis, there are a number of portable wireless devices that can do this on the go, including Apple’s own charging pad... Courtesy of Nomad Goods, Inc.
CONTENT: One of the biggest complaints about Google’s Glass was that people could use the headset to surreptitiously record and upload video. Google mothballed Glass in 2015, but there are still plenty of headsets on the market with embedded cameras... Courtesy of Pivothead
CONVENIENCE: Gesture control has become a big part of gaming over the past five years, and several carmakers have said that drivers will soon be able to control their vehicles using hand signals. Thalmic Labs wants to make gesture control universal via its Myo Armband, designed to wirelessly connect to any number of devices, including PCs, smartphones and drone helicopters... Courtesy of Thalmic Labs
SAFETY: Sartori Bikes’ BTrack Safe Light looks like a normal rear-mounted red taillight but contains a GPS tracker that can send alerts to a bike owner’s smartphone if their bike is moved from a particular location without permission...
ENTERTAINMENT: Mastery of a musical instrument often takes years of practice and dedication. Fortunately, the learning curve for Artiphon’s eponymous all-in-one instrument is significantly less steep, thanks to the device’s versatility...
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WORK: This year researchers confirmed something that most of us have long suspected—sitting with poor posture for long periods of time is very bad for you. Studies have linked excessive sitting to muscle degeneration, heart disease, diabetes and even cancer... Courtesy of UpRightTechnologies Ltd.
SECURITY: How “smart” is your smart-home if you’re still using a key cut at the local hardware store to lock and unlock the door? Several companies have sought to solve this conundrum by offering so-called smart locks that operate at the behest of an app installed on a smartphone...
In 2015 Apple invaded the smartwatch market, Google dramatically changed its plans for Glass and Samsung heralded the return of consumer virtual reality, courtesy of the smartphone. Consumer tech companies invested heavily in AI, although it’s debatable just how much more intelligent this made their products. Meanwhile hobbyist drones hovered onto the radar—or, some might say, into the crosshairs—of several government agencies, leading to tighter restrictions.
In all, this year’s crop of high-tech consumer toys followed last year’s trend of integrating more closely with the smartphones that many people have within reach at all times. As a result most of the gadgets on Scientific American’s list this year are app-enabled, whether they connect into the smart-home (to provide keyless home entry or monitor indoor air quality), allow you to keep tabs on your health or make music. There were also app-enabled droids—in honor of the new Star Wars film—and even sensor-packed armbands that promise Jedi-like abilities.
![<i>SA</i>'s 2015 Gadget Guide: 10 Technologies That Have Your Life Covered [Slide Show]](https://static.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/AF599550-9292-4B22-B9758990C7E373FD.jpg?w=590&h=393)
