Portable Tech that Makes Life Easier
When we talk about the latest technology that makes modern life easier, we are never talking about the same device for long. Technological development, in this area, just moves too quickly and answers too many pressing needs for obsolescence not to be a constant phenomenon.
Furthermore, if we consider the most obvious indication of that technological advancement, it is the phenomenon of things getting smaller. As technology develops, more can be done with fewer materials. Indeed, there are many reasons for shrinking the technology we use, not least the strain on resources to produce bigger things.
Is this really the case though? When it comes to the latest smartphones, what we actually observe is technology getting bigger. But why?
The reason is not really that we want bigger things again. Smartphones and tablets have a screen and are entirely manipulated using that screen. Accordingly, the benefits of viewing things on a larger screen and the ease of use of a larger touchscreen is what has driven this size increase – certainly not a rejection of portability.
Portability
Indeed, portability is still highly valued. When a useful technology can be made portable, it usually is. We only need to consider the modern world and the need to use smart technology on the go for business and social life to see what a useful thing this can be.
So, even though smartphones are getting bigger, portability hasn’t been thrown over. We can think of solar panels, for example. Solar panels have only recently become portable (and affordable), and we have seen the expected explosion in portable solar charging devices and generators.
And even past technology which has always been small and easy to use has been updated to remain so while offering higher functionality. We can look here to the latest USB C rechargeable D and other batteries produced by tech start up Pale Blue Earth out of Utah. They have the latest rechargeable battery and smart battery management technology while retaining the value of their small size and ease of use.
Where a screen is important, things might get bigger. However, the sheer advantage of taking something with you – and increasing the number of things which can be made portable – means that we are still going through the portability revolution.
Top Portable Gadgets
Generally, the best metric of quality for a portable gadget is that it makes portable something that it wasn’t previously, offering the user its benefits on the go. Here follows some of the best new portable technology.
Mini Speakers
These have been around for a while, but new ones are coming out all the time. The speaker is a great example of portable technology as a better and louder sound is continually packed into a smaller and smaller speaker. There are many to choose from these days, but the best will always surprise you by the punch they pack.
Self-cleaning Water Bottle
For the truly busy (or lazy!) the self-cleaning water bottle is now an option. A much less well-known example of portable technology, it nevertheless shows how an already portable thing can be made more technologically advanced. It works by shining a UV light inside the bottle when not full.
Bluetooth Key Finder
Literally the size of a key chain, a Bluetooth key finder is exactly that. By linking up with your phone, it allows you to trigger a loud alarm (see the Bluetooth speaker above) to help you find your keys wherever you’ve sat them down.
Whether making portable things high-tech, or high-tech things portable, there is no denying that consumer technology seems to always value this particular quality – unless you want a bigger screen.
