Unfortunately, it is only just February, which means it is still, technically, winter. Of course, we love winter, but we also love spring and summer because it means we can start playing around with all the latest outdoor toys and gadgets. But don’t start wishing your time away just yet because there are plenty of cool toys and gadgets that you can enjoy whilst in the comfort and warmth of your home. Of course, we don’t want you to trawl through the infinite abyss that is the internet, searching for epic indoor playthings, which is why we have done all the legwork for you and compiled a list of awesome must-have toys. Enjoy.
These have been kicking around for some time (since Back To The Future really), but as with everything, the current generation of hoverboards are epic. They have been subjected to serious user experience reviews, renewed, reviewed and tweaked appropriately, and what has come out of this is a new wave of awesome technology. Let’s take our favorite, the Slalom Cruiser. This thing is incredible. Not only does it look the part with it’s super sleek and badass design, but it also delivers too. It runs off a 350-watt battery, lasts forever, is multidirectional and has two control settings to suit you as a rider. Oh, and did we mention that it can cruise at 9mph. That’s three times the speed an average person walks. Boom. Of course, you will need a nice open plan home to get the full experience until the sun starts to come out a bit.
We are only just entering the realm of consumer VR units, but they already seem pretty promising. But the ultimate benefit is the fact they don’t require you to leave your sofa, or your bed. All you do is slip on your head and get underway, a completely immersive environment ready to be explored. This is the next step in entertainment. Watch films, play games, go 2D or 3D, use for a few hours and then take it with you. This is where the future is heading (so Netflix, if you’re listening, you better be developing your version). Take the iWear. This thing is compatible with almost anything from phones to tablets, laptops to Blu-ray players. What an experience to have at home.
Drones have exploded onto the scene like a New Year fireworks display. But there are two major problems to be had with drones. Firstly, decent ones are hideously expensive. Secondly, unless you’ve been expecting a zombie apocalypse to break out and then bought yourself a warehouse to live in, chances are you don’t have enough space to be playing with one of these insides. But don’t worry, you can still have a serious amount of flying fun with some cheaper alternatives. Quadcopters are the catalyst to a lot of smiles, and they are great for indoor flying. So it may be worth dabbling in one of these while you wait for the price of drones to drop, as they inevitably will.
Yup, all those films that warned us of this day – A.I., iRobot, Terminator, Chappie, and Ex-Machina – they were all for nothing because we have still gone and made robots that can be used for personal use. Of course, they are nowhere near Hollywood’s expectations yet, but there is still some cool robots out there. You have CHiP, the adorable robot puppy that uniquely shapes his personality and behavior to suit you. Then there is the Alpha 1S that is fully customizable right down to the routines you give it (and can even play football with other Alpha robots). And then you have toys like the Star Wars BB8 Droid that recognizes and reacts to your voice, has a mind of its own, can roam autonomously and create and share holographic. The future’s now.
It’s winter, and that means long nights, and that means it’s cold and that means coffee, which is why we had to inform you of the latest coffee tach. There are now machines that work over wi-fi. What does that mean? It means you can wake up and smell the coffee. Or you can have a coffee made for when you get in from walking the dog or taking the kids to school. We live in an on-demand world, so why wait for a coffee to boil? Exactly, you shouldn’t have to. And now you don’t.