What I Found After Splurging: 2022 Gadgets That Dramatically Changed My Life (1/6)
Hi, I’m Hide, tech journalist and part-time house-husband. In 2022, I reviewed even more gadgets than the year before. I’ve been buying the latest stuff ever since I was little, so getting to do this job now feels pretty special… I’ve ranked the five best of everything I reviewed in a separate article, so check it out along with this one.
Here are the five best gadgets that changed my lifestyle in 2022! BEST HOUSETECH OF THE YEAR 2022
Back in school I didn’t have a good eye, and a lot of the time my parents bought me something expensive and I barely used it… Like using Sony’s Data Discman in the ’90s, when electronic dictionaries were still rare. People at school looked at me funny for it. Like, “There he goes trying to stand out again” (lol). But I truly believed, “This is way faster and handier than a paper dictionary!” In the end, I didn’t look things up that often… (wry smile) But thanks to experiences like that, I feel like I’ve developed an eye — a sense for what matters — when choosing gadgets.
My picks for 2022 come from that perspective, learned from all those past mistakes. Of course, I wrote about the downsides too, so please read about anything that interests you.
Xperia View
This was the one that kicked off 2022. An accessory that, with an Xperia 1, gives you a VR experience in high-quality 8K HDR. The 120-degree diagonal field of view, making use of the Xperia’s wide screen, feels great. But the picture still shows the pixels a bit… The dedicated app was easy to use even while wearing it, so if you use an Xperia, it might be worth buying.
Mirrorless Camera + Teleprompter
Back then, everything had become remote meetings. Video and audio quality started to matter. With a teleprompter, you can keep your eyes on the other person during remote meetings instead of looking down. Remote meetings aren’t going away, so it might be worth having a small one.
MAZDA MX-30
Starting in 2022, I began reviewing cars too. Mostly electric and high-tech ones. I reviewed this MX-30 when my younger brother bought one. The cabin is amazingly quiet, and it’s a wonderful car with Japanese-style thoughtfulness everywhere. The rear-hinged doors get my heart racing too.
DARTSLIVE Home
A home dartboard so legit you’ll think, “I don’t need to go to the arcade anymore!” The sound from the tablet is exactly like the real thing, with no lag. With a pole stand, it’s easy to set up even in a rental. You can play online matches too — a must-buy for darts fans.
piezo diffuser solo
A diffuser from @aroma, which offers every scent you could want. It creates a just-right space with a scent that isn’t too strong. Deciding “this is my work scent” helps you switch into work mode right away. But the price is a bit too high for what it does… The design is really nice, so it’s a tough call.
ORIGAMI
A product built around the concept of a “wearable gadget pouch,” which I produced with a long-established dye house. Even though it was pricey at ¥30,000 each, it raised over ¥4 million on Kickstarter and was a big success. It also got buzz on YANKO DESIGN, which gathers design products from around the world, with nearly 200 shares. I want to keep collaborating with all kinds of companies.
Hasselblad 907X
I’m so glad I bought this camera. I take it out for snapshots way more often now. I don’t think there’s any other option that lets you shoot medium format at this size. It’s also great that you can detach just the back and put it on an old Hasselblad. It captures images no other mirrorless camera can.
BALMUDA The Brew STARBUCKS Edition
The famous, much-talked-about coffee maker. For drip coffee, I don’t think anything beats it right now. But it only brews two cups at a time, which is a little few for someone who drinks a lot of coffee while working. And since it’s pretty expensive, more metal on the body would have made it feel more premium.
SIXPAD Powersuit
I properly used it hard for two months before reviewing. I used to have the type you just stick on your stomach, but partway through I stopped getting sore, so I retired it. If you come to this with that in mind, you’ll be surprised — it’s pretty powerful. But it’s basically designed for “wearing it while you train,” so wearing it during desk work won’t make you lose weight. You can use it with just your phone, but having a decent amount of space in front of the TV makes it easier to stick with.
Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool PH04
This one is packed with features other air purifiers don’t have, like sterilizing water as it fills and automatically cleaning the filter. But I’m a little doubtful about how accurate its sensors are. In our home, it pretty much always shows yellow (slightly dirty), and set to 50% humidity, it stays in the 40s. I’ll ask Dyson about this this year. It’s excellent as a circulator. For the price, though, the functionality is kind of “hmm”…
That’s it for the first ten. Look forward to the next part!
Here’s the next article!
What I Found After Splurging: 2022 Gadgets That Dramatically Changed My Life (2/6)
Questions, comments, or “please review this!” requests — send me a DM on Twitter. Author’s social media: Instagram: Hide – Everyday life of a part-time house-husband @hidenori.kimura Twitter: Hide – Just a part-time house-husband @hidenorikimura YouTube: Shin Kimura Ke @rekimuras
This story was originally published (in Japanese) on Yahoo! News Japan Expert.
