7 Gadgets and Apps That Have Made Our Lives That Much Easier
BY READERS DIGEST
1st Jan 2015 Technology
Is technology making us lazy, or are we just addicted to convenience? Here are 7 fun and convenient gadgets and apps that make our lives a touch easier.
Weather Kitty (Free–ish)
This cute little app is so adorable you won't even mind that it’s raining. Using adorable kitty emotions to match the time of day and weather, the app provides accurate updates wherever you are. This app is cute, but beware! If you want the grumpy cat update you might have to pay £1.49 for it. But it’s worth it… right?
Google Translate (Free)
Going abroad this year? This app will definitely come in handy. We all know of Google Translate, but this app takes translating to the next level. Take a picture of a sign and the translate app will translate it to English. Can’t understand what a local is saying? Record them and the app will translate their speech in words in a matter of seconds. With 90 languages to choose from, you can go practically anywhere rest assured that you won’t order the wrong food, or insult anyone’s mother!
The Smart Watch (£99-£223)
The age of the smart watch has arrived! In the last couple of years the smart watch has blown up and more people have become enthralled by its subtle brilliance and convenience. Not only does it look great on, this wearable piece of technology syncs to your phone and can do anything from checking your flight information to receiving calls. That’s right, no more fumbling in your bag to catch that all important phone call. Take it on your watch instead!
To find out what we think about smart watches click here.
Recommended: Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Lumsing Portable Phone Charger (£19)
It’s a sad moment when you’re out and you take a glance at your phone to check the time, view a snapchat, or send a text message to see that you have only 1% of battery life remaining… Thank goodness for the invention of the portable phone charger, right? This particular little beauty is small and can easily fit into your bag or jacket pocket. It charges your phone or tablet relatively quickly and won’t need a charge itself until after 2 or 3 separate uses. It can work on any device that is charged by a usb so you wont have to struggle with that 1% battery while you’re out again. Just don't forget to charge it up.
Recommended: iWalk portable charger
USB Bracelet (Varies)
I don’t know how many times I’ve lost my USB stick. I’ve lost it by either by leaving it in a computer or just somehow misplacing it. This bracelet is simple, effective and convenient. You can get them in a variety of different colours, styles, memory and wrist sizes, so men, you can rock a bracelet with style too!
Recommended: Power4 USB bracelet
The I-Bell (Pre-order)
If you’re snug in your bed, or you've just found the comfiest spot on the couch and don’t want to get up to answer the door, this gadget could be for you. It works by sending you a ‘call’ when someone rings the bell, letting you view who is at your door. Which means you can be away from home and it’ll still work. It has a speaker so you can converse with or even choose to ignore that pesky visitor. All you need is the free app and you’re away! Although if you do want your visitor to come in you are going to have to sacrifice your comfort and physically do it!
Smarter iKettle (£99.99)
Speaking of comfort, who wants to get out of their bed actually on time in the morning to brew that essential cup of coffee? With this coffee machine you can brew your morning coffee from the comfort of your bed. It works anywhere through the magic of Wi-Fi. All you need to do is download the free app and voilà! With ‘good morning’ and ‘welcome home’ modes you can set your machine to automatically brew your coffee when your alarm sounds in the morning, or when you return home.
Recommended: iKettle (3rd generation)
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