Less than a hundred years ago, the first computer was developed and put into operation. It was very different from the devices that we use now – bulky, loud, mouseless and keyboardless, it cost something like $500,000 and consumed way too much power.
However, it was only the beginning of the era of technological advancement. Then we flew into space, split the atom, unraveled the mysteries of DNA and made a number of other great discoveries. Nowadays, we have the world’s combined knowledge at our fingertips thanks to miniature smart devices such as the iPhone and iPad.
We seem to have everything we need and even more, but we just don’t want to stop there. The thing is, every generation strives to leave its mark on history by creating something more useful and advanced, and ours is no exception.
Have you ever wondered why it is so easy to type in ‘write my essay online for cheap’ in your browser’s search bar and find a custom writing service that will do the task for you? Could you imagine something like that, let’s say, 30 years ago?
So, let’s check out the below list of technical innovations!
- Smartpen. NeoLAB’s SmartPen M1 was first released to the general public in May 2018. The idea behind is to convert handwritten notes to digital ones and save them to a smartphone, tablet or Windows OS based PC. The device only works with special NCode notebooks. Alternatively, you can download and print out sheets of paper with NCodes on them by yourself. Compatible with Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating systems, the pen is very easy to set up and use.
- Chromebook. A Chrome OS-powered laptop that lets you launch apps in a web browser instead of downloading and installing them on your machine. In practice, it means that you should be always connected to the Internet. The main reason why this device is so good for students is because they don’t have to buy any applications anymore.
- Paper tab. The Royal Institution of Great Britain and Plastic Logic set themselves an ambitious goal of creating a tablet that would look and feel like paper. And their joint efforts did pay off! The two succeeded in developing a fully functional prototype with a flexible e-paper display. The image quality is pretty high (though it’s black and white) and you can use the tab like a gadget or regular paper.
- 3D printers. Since the invention of a 3D printer, everybody has been printing everything that can be printed. However, 3D printing isn’t only about fun. Thanks to this technology it became possible to make 3D concrete for construction purposes, create realistic looking skeleton models for medical students, mass produce car spare parts, and manufacture clothes.
- Virtual reality. Whenever we hear something like this, we get pictures in our minds of people wearing bulky VR goggles. However, this is only one of the thousand ways in which this technology can be used. Some colleges in Europe and the US have already implemented virtual reality in their architecture and biology courses. And for those who love traveling but can’t afford it, there’s Google’s Google Earth VR, the Oculus Rift, and HTC’s Vive.
- Online study platforms. You don’t have to go to high school or college to get educated. Remember – we live in the 21 century and can get anything we want with just one click. There are a lot of sites on the Internet offering different courses that you can enroll in and pick up the necessary skills. The most famous ones include Coursera, Masterclass, Lynda and General Assembly.
- Video calls. One more possibility to study online is video calls. To make a video call, you need to install Skype, Google Hangouts, FaceTime, Viber or Whatsapp on your mobile device or desktop computer. Once you have, you can call whoever you want, provided they’re connected to the Internet. Nowadays, it is a very popular way of teaching classes, studying foreign languages and learning to play musical instruments.
- iPad. Instead of carrying paper books and a heavy laptop, you can just pick up this Apple-produced tablet and upload all the information you need in there. What makes the iPad unique is that it combines the functionality of a Chromebook laptop, smartphone, and PC.
- Virtual Keyboard. No matter how convenient a tablet is, sometimes we need to do a lot of typing, and for that, we need a keyboard. Your best bet would be a laser virtual keyboard which can connect to any Bluetooth 3.0 smartphone or tablet.
- PUP Scan. This one hasn’t yet entered the production stage and is only available for preorder. Being a pocket scanner, it is particularly useful for students because it allows them to easily scan any text or picture on the go. And the best thing about it is that also lets you share and save your documents.
Give these gadgets a try and make your learning easy and fun!