With each year that ticks by, new gadgets for gamers are announced. Some of these never make it past the demo stage but the few that do are always worth the noise. This year, most of the buzz have been around virtual reality gadgets (VR), but there is a whole range of new, exciting gadgetry that can improve the traditional gaming experience. This piece takes a look at some of them.
Samsung Modular TV
The TV sector has remained largely uneventful for a fairly long time now with the emphasis being placed, predominantly, on better visuals. However, Samsung recently shook things up this year with something radically different. Their Modular TV is a 170 inch TV made up of different smaller squares. The squares can be split up to show different views or combined to show one view. If you have ever wanted a TV setup like what TV directors enjoy daily, this is a good option.
With this setup, you can be playing your favourite games on one or more parts of the screen, whilst your wife is logged into new bingo sites like www.bingosweets.com for some gaming. Interestingly, you don’t have to buy the complete blocks for the 170-inch frame. You can start with as many blocks as you need and scale up in future!
Sony Short Throw Projectors
The Sony Short Throw portable projector is another cool gadget for gamers. This bit of kit is around the size of a box of tissues and comes with a featured speaker. The size of its projections is 23 inches, but Sony states that it can be adjusted to a larger size – exact specs are still under wraps.
The device also features an HDMI port which will be a welcome addition for gamers who would prefer to take their gaming with them when they can. When combined with some of the most powerful smartphones on the market today, a gamer’s paradise can be created anywhere.
Portal’s Optimum New Router
As a gamer, internet lag is one of the most annoying things you can ever deal with. This router from portal promises to change things for the better. The router will utilise up to 250% more of the 5ghz spectrum than any other router, whilst also have the capacity to constantly search for optimal settings and looking for possible interferences or issues. When the router finds an issue, it will quickly adjust itself to ensure you never have to deal with lag again.
Virtual Reality
Of course, it has to be on this list but we saved it for last because we know how tiresome it’s been waiting for the products to finally hit the shelf. The good news is that many of the products from the big names (Oculus, Samsung, HTC etc.) should arrive as early as June.
That said, although many gamers may embrace VR there is a growing sentiment in gaming circles that Augmented Reality, like Microsoft’s HoloLens, will have a more profound impact on the gaming experience.
From the geniuses that brought us the brilliant Parrot Drone, comes two smaller, but equally fun, little gadgets for the whole family. What is brilliant about the Parrot range is that they haven’t forgotten the endless fascination people have with remote controlled vehicles. What’s not to love?
Sit in one room and check out what’s going on elsewhere in the house with the Rover 2.0 Spy Tank. It links with your smartphone or tablet via Wi-Fi, working with a range of up to 100 feet through obstacles and 200 feet uninterrupted. You can see what’s happening with the adjustable camera and hear what’s being said with the built-in microphone, or transmit your own audio through its speaker — all in real-time. Its video feed or stills can be uploaded directly to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. In case things get a little dark, just switch on the headlights, or better yet, the infrared-based night vision mode! Powered by 6 AA batteries, this is the ultimate toy for geeks.
How would you like to have your own R2-D2? Romo turns any iPod or iPhone into a cute robot with its own personality. Essentially, Romo is a wheelbase in which you dock your iPhone or iPod touch, and load up their proprietary app that provides Romo with a cartoony face (with a range of emotions) and gibberish speech, much like R2-D2. Romo works via facial recognition to become an e-pet, and also includes telepresence to let you control it with another iOS device or the Web. There may not be much reason to buy a new iPod touch, and this is a great way to repurpose an old one.
Another great privilege that your smartphone offers is the ability to have a wireless doorbell which is perfect for when you’re away, working in the garden or when you simply don’t hear the regular doorbell.
Going beyond typical panoramic photography, berlin-based company panono has developed a throwable ball camera packed with 36, 2.0 megapixel lenses that shoot in the air simultaneously. launched on indiegogo, the interactive device captures 360 degree moments in high-resolution and can be viewed in its entirety using the panono app. users can move their tablet or smartphone up and down as if they were inside a full-spherical image.