Tech Up: New Products to Keep You Ahead of the Curve

Key Points

• Whether you're most concerned with fitness, productivity, or fun, modern tech has a lot to offer that you might have missed.

• Smart fitness tools and equipment can help you achieve a whole new level of health, strength, wellness, and capability.

• When it comes to functional fun in the tech world, a new electric skateboard might be your best purchase of 2023.

Here's the thing about modern technology: right when you think you're caught up, a whole wave of new stuff hits the market and you're behind the curve again. Even tech companies find themselves behind the curve. In July 2023, Google and OpenAI announced that they are creating a watchdog organization to make sure that their AI technology does not exceed their grasps in terms of ethics.

Among all these waves of new products and tech advancements, which often come with overblown marketing campaigns and lots of hype, it's easy to miss the stuff that would improve your life the most.

Life isn't about constantly chasing the latest products or knowing the freshest cutting-edge info — at least, there's more to life than that. If you've been sticking to an old routine that's got you in a rut, this article aims at helping you discover something fresh and fun. Read on for some innovative new tech that can help you get around town, make gains in the gym, improve your home cooking skills, and boost productivity when you need it most.

Electric Skateboards

Unlike traditional skateboards, electric skateboards provide ultramodern personalized transportation. Since the advent of the first electric-powered boards, they have continually gained popularity amongst various age brackets and demographics.

Louis Finkle invented the first motorized skateboard in 1975. Known as "Motoboard," it paved the way for today's electric skateboards.

These newfangled boards are no longer just for sports enthusiasts but have become an attractive, low-impact mode of transport, especially around small colleges or corporate campuses. Most newer models feature in-built motor systems for speedy uphill rides and even controlled braking systems for enhanced safety.

Best Electric Skateboards of the Year

Determining the best electric skateboard boils down to your needs and budget. Top electric skateboards on the market include:

• Boosted Mini X, for its compact design and powerful motor

• Evolve's GTR series for long-range adventures

• Backfire G2 Black, known for affordability and user-friendly design

• Onewheel's Pint and XR models, revered for their unique riding experience

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More Criteria To Consider When Purchasing Electric Skateboards

Before jumping feet-first into motorized skateboarding, it's essential to consider certain factors. The range of the skateboard (a function of its battery life) and the maximum speed are two important aspects that could make or break the experience for you.

It's also important to recognize that electric skateboards are inherently a little risky to ride — good balance and coordination, as well as a good understanding of the machine under your feet, are paramount. The right protective gear also does a lot to keep you safe if you ever take a tumble — check out our suggestions below.

• Helmet: POC – Crane MIPS

• Eyewear: Tomahawk Shades – The Tie Breakers

• Pads: 187 Killer Pads – The Six Pack Set

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The weight of the board, ease of transport, ride comfort, hill-climbing ability, and remote control features are some other top-level criteria you should think about before buying. Also, consider customer support ratings and a company's track record for maintenance and service, as electric skateboards often require professional repair if or when something goes wrong.

Smart Fitness Equipment

Gone are the days of guessing games during your workouts. Smart fitness equipment integrates intelligent features that guide you through your routines, measure your performance, offer real-time feedback, and even allow you to compete with others virtually. If features like these get you motivated to work out, that's a good enough reason to get on board; if the tracking and suggestion features help you make progress and break through plateaus, all the better.

Top Trending Smart Fitness Equipment

The world of smart fitness machines is booming. If indoor cycling is your thing, the Peloton Bike's ergonomic design, award-winning user interface, and immersive classes are a top-tier option for you.

Lululemon Studio, formerly known as Mirror, is a versatile all-in-one smart fitness tool. It offers a full range of fitness classes with expert trainers in a sleek and compact smart-screen-wall-mirror combo.

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Other top smart fitness products include the smart series of NordicTrack Treadmills with their interactive personal training systems, as well as the Hydrow rowing machine which delivers an almost-immersive rowing experience with no need to head for the water.

Investing in the Right Smart Fitness Equipment

When considering which smart fitness machine to choose, your personal fitness goals are key. Consider the type of workouts you enjoy, the space available at home, and the equipment's compatibility with your existing devices. Besides, look into the subscription costs for classes and updates. Reviews and warranty coverage are also crucial factors to help you make an informed decision.

Regularly updating your smart fitness equipment's software ensures the best performance and access to the latest features. This also applies to fitness-oriented smartwatches, like a Garmin or Suunto watch, which performs more accurately and even maintains a stronger GPS signal when it has the latest software updates.

Smart fitness equipment provides personalized and effective workouts. For all their benefits, they may take up considerable space in your house or apartment, and initial costs are higher than you're willing to spend all at once.

Smart Home Goods: Level Up Your Cooking with These Gadgets and Tools

You can get a long way on cookbooks, pots, pans, and a few nice kitchen utensils. When you want to level up your home-chef game, you can turn to the burgeoning world of smart kitchen tools, mobile apps, and innovative new devices to really bring the heat.

Smart Appliances and Tools for Your Kitchen

A lot of modern ovens, range tops, and even refrigerators have some kind of smart capability, even if it's just a simple app that allows you to control things via BlueTooth or WiFi. If you're renting, you probably don't have anything too fancy, and brand-new smart appliances are often too expensive to justify buying one versus a simpler (albeit still nice) version of the same appliance.

When you want to bring smart connectivity to your kitchen, where do you start? Here are several top tier products:

Anova Smart Precision Sous-Vide Cooker

If you've never tried to cook anything using an Anova Smart Precision Sous-Vide, you're in for a treat. It's not the easiest process to get into, but the results are otherworldly; imagine the best pan-seared steak you've ever eaten, a true 10-out-of-10, and then dial that 10 up to 15. Yes, sous-vide cooking can really level things up that much. With smart-capable tools like this one from Anova, you have finer control over the end result than ever before.

This model starts at $160, but you can also step up to the Pro model for $399 to access more features and cooking capacity. Most home cooks do just fine with the simpler model.

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Instant Pot Pro Plus With WiFi

The Instant Pot Pro Plus with WiFi is the upgrade to your classic Crock Pot that you might not even realize you needed. While you can get smaller versions of the same thing (this model safely holds six quarts) and you can skip the wifi connectivity altogether for a lower price point. This model boasts the capacity to cook a whole feast when you need it. Easily adjust the start time, cook time, temperature, and mode selection from your phone, even when you're away from home.

Meater Plus Smart Thermometer

The Meater Plus Smart Thermometer is a relatively-simple wireless thermometer that tracks the internal temp of your food (as well as the ambient air temp) so you know how hot your oven or grill actually is. The Meater probe connects to an app and can even provide estimates of how much cooking time remains. Meater products routinely stand out with awards and recommendations from Good Housekeeping, Gear Patrol, Consumer Reports, and other outlets of note.

Additional Tools

Alongside these great tools and appliances, check out a few mobile apps to keep you inspired with great recipes, seasonal shopping suggestions, hosting ideas, and more.

• SuperCook — Allows you to input all the ingredients you have available at home, then generates meal and recipe ideas based ONLY off your ingredients list.

• Kitchen Stories — A true foodie community that allows you to share recipes, stories, photos and more, giving you more ways to engage with other home-cooking enthusiasts around the world.

• SideChef — Contains more than 18,000 recipes to choose from and an easy-to-use interface, making it a one-stop shop for planning, preparing, and shopping for meals.

Staying Productive and Maintaining Your Focus

It's easy to assume tech is more distracting than helpful when it comes to buckling down and getting work done. After all, every time your phone lights up or buzzes with a new notification, it can interrupt whatever flow you had going. When your favorite websites and streaming services are always just a few clicks away, it is distracting just to be in the same room as your smart TV or laptop.

How can tech cut through the distractions and enable some focus time? Here are a few tools that are really worth recommending:

Bear Focus Timer (BFT)

The Bear Focus Timer is a simple iPhone app that doesn't exactly do a lot, but it does it very well. It allows you to silence your notifications for a while. The interface is the best part; if you end your session early, the bear just scowls at you. It's funny how you wind up leaving your phone face-down to avoid upsetting a virtual cartoon bear, but that's what our tech-addicted world is coming to.

Anker Soundcore Life P3 Noise-Cancelling Headphones

The Anker Soundcore Life P3 noise-canceling headphones tends to work best against continuous droning sounds — think all-day traffic noise, the roar you hear onboard an airplane or the din of a busy office. In most cases, the technology really blunts occasional loud sounds that would otherwise divert your attention away from your work.

According to tech writers for BestReviews Andy White and Ben Johnston, "The Life P3 also offer a huge range of EQ options, with 20 preset EQs available within the companion app along with the ability to create your own custom profile. Customisation options are also available for the P3's touch controls but while the commands the controls cover are comprehensive, executing is a little hit-and-miss."

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SelfControl

The SelfControl app is pretty simple, but its simplicity belies its effectiveness. You add apps to a blocklist, set a dial for how long your block period should be, and hit the start button. While it's just one of many app-blocking productivity apps out there, SelfControl stands out for one key reason: it's darn near impossible to undo or get around once you start it. Use this one wisely.

The Man Cave of the Future

As the world hurtles into an increasingly digital age, keeping up with the latest technology is vital. From transport to fitness, home goods to work productivity, and even the quality of your rest and recovery, technology has more ways than ever to enhance your life. Embrace these innovations and stay ahead of the curve!

Head over to Men's Lifestyle for more great tech content, from fun to function and everything in between.