TECH
The tech that proved 2015
really was the future
2
015 was a big year for technology, but we're still far way
from the mid-90s dream of owning flying cars and living
on the moon.The real world may have failed to live up to
the past's utopian futurism, but there were a few tech devices
released throughout the year that would have seemed mindboggling a few decades ago. Just to prove the present isn't
so bad, here's a list of all the tech that made 2015 the actual
future.
Hoverboards
Hoverboards were arguably both 2015's biggest gadget and
the most major letdown of the year.First of all, they don't actually hover, and lots of the newer models have a nasty habit of
blowing up at a moment's notice. From the ill-fated Sinclair C5
to the Segway, innovative modes of personal transport haven't
really progressed that much since the invention of the bicycle.
However, 2015 was the year that futuristic, high-tech selfbalancing scooters actually hit the mainstream. Few people
have ever seen a Segway in the wild, but it was impossible to
walk down any high street across the country this year without
seeing an obnoxious flashing hoverboard. Unfortunately, we'll
have to wait for our politicians to catch up with the future - hoverboards remain illegal to use on public pavements in the UK.
Actual hoverboards
All the hoverboard pedants got what they asked for this year
when a couple of real hoverboards were developed - hoverboard startup Hendo released a new model of their device, a
fairly clunky-looking skateboard that suspends the rider a few
centimetres above the ground.
Lexus also revealed a hoverboard they had developed, a much
slicker-looking device that spews steam out the side.Unfortunately, both of these hoverboards only work when travelling
over metal surfaces, since they work through the principles
of magnetic repulsion.We're still far away from the dream of
gliding down an ordinary street on a real-life hoverboard, but
we can dream.
Smartwatches
Almost every mobile company worth its salt brought out a
smartwatch this year, with most of them boasting fitness tracking, internet and phone features in surprisingly tiny packages.
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