Inventions in the Age of Technology

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Nike’s self-lacing shoes are one of the many new inventions that came out last year.

Josh Bergeron

The 21st century is known as the age of technology. With the extremely fast and innovative developments in technology each day, new inventions become more and more advanced. Here are some of the top inventions of the past year.

Virtual Reality for Regular People: Sony Playstation VR

The strict requirements of high-def VR gaming require big PCs. The PlayStation VR makes the experience “plug-and-play” for Sony’s more than 40 million users. Unlike cheaper versions with phone-based systems, such as the Google Cardboard, the headset of the Playstation VR has full 1080 pixel images to each eye and a 100-degree field of view. It is one of the best Virtual Reality systems on the market. It allows gamers a 3D gaming experience. It makes the gaming experience a whole new world. This device was ranked number 2  in the top 100 inventions of 2016 by Popular Science at popsci.com.

Price: $400

HyperAdapt 1.0 (Nike Self Lacing shoes):

Nike first developed their self-lacing shoe in honor of Michael J. Fox who starred in the beloved classic “Back to the Future II.” Michael J. Fox developed Parkinson’s disease, which is a brain disease that causes shaking and uncontrollable muscle spasms and loss of muscle control. They came out with the first model which was a basketball style shoe that is a replica to the shoes Fox wears in the movie. They have computer components which tighten the shoe around the foot of the person wearing them with just the touch of a button. In no time at all the invention went viral, and noticing the immediate popularity, Nike worked quickly to develop a product that can be more available to the common consumer.

Price- $720   Sold for a limited time

 

The second-gen NFC ring:

 This is a smart ring by NFC, similar to a smart watch. It can be used to unlock phones and doors, transfer information, store data and information, and connect to people. Two years after their first design of the NFC ring, this “kickstart” company is back with a new design, better range, and more storage. This second-gen ring has three times the range of the original model, so it can be used with devices that have weaker NFC signals and even phones with thicker cases.

 

Solar Paper by yolk- This is an innovative solar charger for your phone or electronic device. The smallest solar charger on the market. It can fully charge an iPhone 6 within two and a half hours. It boast its extremely small, paper-thin dimensions, only 9cm x 19cm x 1.1 cm. It has a LCD screen which allows the user to monitor exact power amount. Simple magnet clips on each panel allow you to even combine solar panels with one simple click.

Price- $130 – $400 depending on wattage