Keeping up with the latest gadgets can be time consuming because there are always new and trendy technology items popping up online. In this day in age, the majority of students own a smart phone, a tablet or a laptop. Sometimes it is ok to purchase expensive gadgets because either it is required or useful to own. Other times, it is just purchased because you have the luxury of affording it. Here are some recent tech items that have been floating around the internet that might be of interest.
1) Lenovo Vibe Xtension Selfie Flash : Let’s face it, everyone takes selfies every now and then, it is a part of our culture now. Apps like Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat encourage the younger generation to post their new haircuts or to showcase a new lipstick that they just purchased. Lenovo came up with a gadget to enhance your selfie by adding better lighting, so you wouldn’t have to use the mediocre front-face flash that comes with your smart phone. You can take about 100 photos of selfies in one charge, delivers natural color tones and unfortunately is only compatible with any Android device.
“I wouldn’t buy it. I just use the filters on Instagram or the filters that come already on my phone,” CSUN student Priscilla Alaniz said.
This tiny gadget costs $29, a small price to pay to enhance your selfie game.
2) Jibo – The world’s first family robot : Jibo will probably feel like your smart roommate, but it will be your own personal robot that will waiting for your every call. It has the ability to take pictures and videos, alert you of any reminders and any messages that you have received. Jibo will be very helpful, friendly and intelligent, if you are in need of a mini assistant to organize your weekly schedule. It will be 11 inches tall and 6 inches wide and weigh about 5 pounds. Its primary language is English, but you can purchase other languages for it to learn through the Jibo store.
“If I had the money I would buy it. It seems like a cool technology, but it is the money issue,” said CSUN student Nick Enos.
You can preorder a Jibo for about $749, which for most college students would be a luxury to purchase.
3) 12.9 – inch iPad Pro : There has been rumors going around the internet about Apple’s latest tech gadget, an upgraded version of the popular iPad. The bigger iPad is said to be about 13 inches long, compared to the iPad air which is 9.4 inches tall. The iPad pro was rumored to be released in early 2015, but was pushed back until late 2015. This iPad might have a USB port, a stylus, Force Touch and the A8X processor. Nothing is for sure, but hearing all these rumors about the new iPad pro is definitely exciting for all of the Apple fanatics. Over the years, Apple products are gradually getting bigger and better, more features and a slimmer look are what Apple likes to accomplish with their newer products.
“Honestly, it depends on how much money it will cost because my laptop cost me $200. I think it would be cool to have because it’s like a laptop because of the USB port,” said Beth Enos, student at CSUN.
4) Pet Cube : Students that have pets at home can feel terrible about being out all day while their cat sits at home all alone. There is one technological solution that a pet owner might consider and it is called a pet cube. It is a camera that will keep track of your pet while you are away, complete with two-way audio and a built-in laser. This device hooks up to the wi-fi at home and you can download the iOs app or Android app to control this gadget. You could even talk to your pet when you start to miss them at work or school and sort of play with them by setting up a “play schedule,” which is setting a timer for the laser to start playing with your pet.
“I wouldn’t purchase this because my pet has other pets to keep him entertained. It’s a money thing, that is a parking pass at CSUN,” Victor Trujillo said, student at CSUN.
The pet cube can be purchased for about $200, so if you are worried about leaving any pets at home it could be a good idea to buy.
