10 gadgets you should not buy in 2013

We are currently in the first quarter of 2013 and have seen a lot of new gadgets released already and available for sale. Yet we are still expecting plenty more gadgets to come; some of which are unproven, wacky and some simply downright bizarre. As money is becoming tight and the economic climate very mysterious we decided what better way to save your money than to create a list of gadgets you should stay clear of in 2013!

Gadget Number 10 – Ouya

The Ouya is an Android based gaming console which started as a Kickstarter project. It will launch with an Android Jelly Bean OS, quad-core tegra-3 processor and 1GB ram. To play games you hook up the console to your TV via HDMI and download games through Google Play.

It sounds like a great concept but the machine will set you back £99.00 in the UK and additional controllers will cost a whooping £40.00. However I’m sure there will be third party controllers available. I’m still not sold on the concept; from my experience Android games aren’t as entertaining as you would find on proven platforms. The games available as of now are mostly games I would play when passing time on a journey, but who knows this could change once the console is released.

Gadget Number 9 – *Enter Celebrity Here* Headphones

We have seen a lot of new celebrities endorse headphones lately, some celebrities who are music artists and some who are not. I understand that having Dr Dre, 50 cent, Ludacris and the list goes on help produce the headphones become a benefit, but not a benefit enough that justifies the price tag in most cases.

Then we also have celebrities such as Usain Bolt come out with their own endorsed headphones which really makes no sense except for purely marketing reasons.

I’d recommend that you do your research first before taking a plunge in buying your favorite celebrities headphones! In most cases there would be an alternative with better quality and a lower price tag.

Gadget Number 8 – Spy Camera Belt

Over the years we have seen spy cameras incorporated into various items. For example: lighters; pens; sunglasses; baseball caps etc. I find this one slightly bizarre due to the fact of it’s placement, I mean what are you going to capture with a camera so low?

Oh well I guess this might be a good one for the experienced spy who might need this in a certain scenario and it does also record audio; so might be a decent buy for some.

Gadget Number 7 – Smart Body Analyzer

This is basically a weighing scale which has built in WIFI. This allows the weighing scale to sync various data about you and your surroundings to your phone’s app (which you download for free).

The data includes: your weight, fat measurement, heart rate and indoor air quality. So it is quite obvious that this does more than your standard weighing scale but it will set you back around £90.00.

I reckon you might be better off paying for a gym subscription instead as it will help you get fit rather than tell you that you need to get fit and give you tips.

Gadget Number 6 – iPotty

This gadget is designed for parents who would like to potty train their kids. This involves a seat with a stand to place your 2nd, 3rd or 4th generation iPad. The iPad will be well protected with a clear protector and is rotatable to switch between portrait and landscape views.

I understand the concept of the iPotty – the ability to keep your child on the seat by keeping them busy. But I’m thinking that this might be going a little too far. Unless of course you are literally pulling your hair out this might be the gadget for you.

Gadget Number 5 – Blackberry Z10

The Blackberry Z10 is the latest addition to the Blackberry lineup but this time boasting a new start. There was quite some hype surrounding the new BB Z10 regarding the latest BB10 OS and the manufacturers ‘comeback’ after its disasters with their recent service outages.

The phone is great overall but doesn’t seem to be on the same level as other flagship phones release by Samsung or Apple. The screen for example is satisfying but not as vibrant as you would find on the Samsung S3 or Note or as sharp as the iPhone 5. It lacks developer support therefore lacking applications such as Hulu, Netflix etc.

The operating system is great but has little annoyances such as the indicator light blinking on every notification until you read your Twitter message or Facebook message etc. The phone does however have the best touch screen keyboard on the market.

The price tag on this phone still doesn’t justify what you are actually getting. With the phone lacking consumer and developer support; you would be better off investing in a new Samsung or Apple flagship smartphone.

Gadget Number 4 – Hapifork

Hapifork is a gadget in which you place your own fork and it reminds you if you are eating too fast. This is done via notification lights and a built in vibration telling you to slow down. It can also transfer data which includes your eating habits via the built in micro USB.

This is clearly aimed at anxious eaters who are looking to keep an eye on their weight as eating slower makes you feel more full (I guess?). I’m not sure if this is the gadget of the year by any means with a price tag of $99 – £65.00; which would be enough to slow me down thinking about the price tag anyway!

Gadget Number 3 – 4G Technology

Ok this isn’t exactly a gadget but has a big influence in the gadgets you buy particularly mobile phones. In the UK 4G LTE is currently exclusive to one company known as EE. Due to the exclusivity of the ‘superfast’ technology the prices for contracts in particular have shot right up compared to their competition.

For example: Pre-ordering a Samsung Galaxy S4

EE: £79.99 for the phone + £41.00 a month (24 month contract)

The total for buying this phone with EE is: £1039.99

Three: £0.00 for the phone + £37.00 a month (24 month contract)

The total for buying this phone with Three is: £888.00

The difference between the two providers is £151.99

I don’t feel the 4G technology is enough to warranty a premium of that amount especially as in most cases especially when we are home we have access to our wireless routers which offer a great speed depending on your broadband.

Gadget Number 2 – Brainwave Cat Ears

This is a headband which has cat ears that reads your mind. This then wiggles and swivels the ears on your head expressing your mood which is read by a brainwave sensor.

As you can probably tell this is a really wacky gadget and will set you back $100 – £66. Probably best to keep your wallet in your pocket then.

Gadget Number 1 – 4K Television

These television sets are first of all very costly around $7000 – £4600 plus. This is due to the television sets mostly being available in only large sizes – 55 inches to 110 inches and of course the technology that goes in them. But the problem here though is the lack of content available for the 4K television sets.

If you were to buy a 4K television set this very second; finding 4K content would be extremely hard and I wouldn’t bare to see how 1080P content would look on your massive 110 inch television set anyway unless of course it has great up-scaling technology.

The prices for 4K televisions are destined to drop to around $2800 in 2014 and will drop again further in 2015. Then hopefully the trend will continue until 4K televisions reach an affordable price tag and also has 4K content and support available to justify the purchase. As of now in the UK we are struggling to broadcast 1080P content so it might take a while here as we would probably need to update our infrastructure before taking the 4K TV plunge.

So I STRONGLY advise not to purchase a 4K television set just yet unless of course the economic situation doesn’t have an effect on you.