The world has changed due to the pandemic and it may be a while before we ever truly get back to normal—if ever. To adjust, people have gone virtual. Communicating, working, educating, and fitness training are all things that are being done in increasingly virtual environments that people might not be accustomed to. But technology is here to help make those adjustments a little easier.
Fitness: Virtual Training in Your Home
The Mirror, a smart mirror built for fitness classes and instructions, is about to have competition. The Carbon Trainer ($1,295 and up) is similarly an interactive mirror, but this one has AI and the addition of smart weights that can track your reps and form automatically and offer real-time feedback on your technique. The AI will even push you to go harder—if it determines you can take it. You can also watch live or on-demand classes through the 43-inch 4K display and follow along at home.
Phone: Will This Duo Be the Breakthrough?
The latest innovation tech companies have been trying to perfect is the dual-screen device, but so far, the results have been mixed. Microsoft hopes to change that with the Surface Duo ($1,399), a mobile device with two separate 5.6-inch OLED displays that connect together to form an 8.1-inch workspace. Unlike foldable screens where the display becomes one, this is more like two screens built to work together—and especially optimized for Microsoft apps. For example, you can have a video conference on one screen with Teams while answering emails on the other through Outlook.
Camera: Built for Vlogging
Are you looking to start a vlog as a new way to reach and engage with people? Are you a content creator who needs an easier way to make videos on your own? Sony purpose-built the new ZV-1 ($799) particularly for you. The ZV-1 is Sony’s first compact camera with a side-opening Vari-angle LCD screen, which makes it easier to capture your shot in selfie mode while connecting external audio accessories. Other features also make it easier to shoot like a pro, such as a Bokeh switch so you can blur the background and prioritize the focus on your face.
Education: Helping Parents Teach at Home
Some kids are going back to school while others will be learning virtually, but either way parents always need help when it comes to homework. Google released new virtual tools to help schools, kids, and parents with education during this time. That includes Socratic, which can use Google Lens to take a picture of a math problem or equation and then provide a step-by-step guide on how to solve it or offer detailed explanations of related key concepts that can help.
Work: Hardware Made for Video Conferences
Zoom has become quite popular with offices closed, and now the company is releasing its first piece of hardware. Zoom partnered with DTEN to make Zoom for Home – DTEN ME ($599), an all-in-one 27-inch device designed particularly for video conferences and remote working. The device includes three built-in wide-angle cameras for high-resolution, life-like video and an 8-microphone array for crystal-clear audio in meetings and phone calls. Plus, the touch display can be used for interactive screen sharing, whiteboarding, annotating, and ideation.
