By Time Magazine has put out another one of their influential lists, with the outlet highlighting the top gadgets of 2013. It’s always interesting to see where different devices end up on this list. There was a time when Apple’s mobile products were automatic winners, but the tide has shifted in recent times. Folks seem to have figured out that a little company over in Mountain View is also coming up with some extraordinary gizmos and gadgets.
So who won 2013’s best gadget accolade? None other than the little HDMI key that could (also known as the Chromecast). This $35 bundle of joy enables folks to stream multimedia to their televisions in an easy-to-use, no nonsense fashion. It uses your home’s WiFi connection to set up an ad-hoc network for streaming content in ideal network conditions, giving you stutter-free HD playback from various different sources (such as HBO Go or Netflix).
It’s like Roku, except in stick form. It’s cheap, it’s easy, and it works, which would make it a very nice holiday gift for anyone looking to upgrade their home entertainment experience. While it’s not quite as open as we’d like it to be just yet, Google promises that they are working on bringing the tools that will help facilitate third-party development. You’ll find all of the details on the Chromecast in our official review, so be sure to check that out if you want to know more about what this little guy can do. Don’t forget to mingle with the rest of the Chromecast community over at AndroidForums.com.
Other big winners
Of course, the Chromecast wasn’t the only device on this 10-item list. A couple of other Android and Android-related products made the cut. The Amazon Kindle Fire HDX (check out the forums) came in at #7, with Time giving props to instant remote control support system Mayday (which they consider to be a ground-breaking feature).
At #4 was the Pebble smart watch, an e-Ink wrist dweller that can connect to your smartphone and display social updates, notifications and messages. We’ll also give a nice nod to the Nest Protect, a smoke detector and carbon monoxide monitor in one which can alert you to potential life-threatening dangers inside your home while you’re away. Here’s the full list of products which made the list:
- Google Chromecast
- iPad Air and iPad Mini
- Oculus Rift Development Kit
- Pebble Smartwatch
- iPhone 5S
- Xbox One
- Kindle Fire HDX
- Nest Protect
- Leap Motion Controller
- Nokia Lumia 1020
No matter what you like and which side of the mobile wars you stand on, one thing can’t be argued: 2013 was a great year for tech. Let’s hope 2014 brings us even more innovative ideas. Let us know what you think about the list in the comments below!
[via ChromeSpot]
Only one true android device you gotta love it.
Can’t believe the ipad and ipad mini are on the list instead of ANY nexus device
Or the moto devices
Or moto devices
I agree on the ipad mini, but as an android user (I know I will get some thumbs down for this), I must be honest to say the IPAD AIR is pretty good. I love tech and minus the boring IOS7, it is a well construsted and fast device IMO.
I’ve purchased 3 of these (Chromecasts) this December for Christmas presents. Can’t believe how cheap they are.
Give me mirroring! dammit!
I don’t know but I gotta say I recently bought the nexus 5 and even tho its a great device I was really disappointed with the screen, it has an unbearable ugly yellow tint I can’t stand, I put it next to my htc one and the difference is night and day. not mention the speakers.
Should have never given up your HTC One for an N5, I’m so glad I didn’t give into the hype and got a G2 instead
No good thing I didn’t sell it. I still have it I’m just gonna return the nexus instead and yeah most likely get a g2
LOL! Seriously??? I love how they always picture the chromecast without its power supply. Like with a phone the power supply is much smaller then the actual product and it doesn’t require being connected all the time to work. In this case the power supply is bigger then the actual product and it won’t run without being connected. Seems like intentional misrepresentation to me.
case in point, I didn’t even know it required a power supply >.<
Most newer TV sets are able to power the Chromecast through the HDMI port without an external power supply.
it needs the power supply, you can just use the usb port on your tv instead of the wall plug to power it, you can not power it through the hdmi port alone. Also if you use the TV usb port as a power source you lose the ability to use chromecast to turn on the TV.
Putting the ipads on the list doesn’t make sense… there’s nothing brand-new about them, just improvements of old ones. I understand the xbox 1, its been 8 years since the last xbox. But no tablets or phones with previous generations deserve to be on this list imo
The X1? Seriously?
I don’t believe you should have received a thumbs down for that opinion, but I will say that I ENJOY my Xbox One. Most importantly, my wife (who hates when I play video games) and friends who aren’t gamers love it is well. My wife’s face lit up like a child on Christmas Day when the console turned on.The PS4 will be “my” next purchase but it is for my gamer urges. The XBOX ONE is a not just for gaming. Microsoft’s fucus was on creating an etertainment device and they did that well. It will continue to impress with updates.
I have the PS4, but I don’t think it or the X1 should be on the list. And if one of the two were on such list then why not the other, they are near the same anyways.
I will certainly be gettng the PS4 as soon as I can actually find one. I agree that both should be on the list if one is, but one has to wonder what kind of consumer the individual who devised the list is. Maybe he/she is not a gamer or only game occasionally. If pricing plays a factor, then the PS4 should definitely be on the list ahead of the Xbox one. However, I can’t quite say they are the same as the cable integration is quite impressive on the xbox one,as it allows the consumer to do away with the input/source switching on the remote and replaces them with commands (You can still use the remote if desired). The multitasking feature is also pretty handy.There are many more features that make this an all-in-1 device. I will keep the xbox in my living room for quest/wife’s entertainment and i will be putting the PS4 (when I can get it from a retail store) in my bedroom. In gaming, both are equal do to lack of first launches, but as the PS4 advances through the years and more exclusive titles appear, this will be the power gamer device.
I bought one Chromecast and It has been a great experience with the gadget. It is so easy to setup :p
Just got my first Chromcast over the weekend. Easy to setup and still learning how to use it. Really need some way to play local content… once that comes this thing can’t be beat for the price.
I’m disappointed at how limited this is. I wish I could’ve found a rootable one. I think it’s ridiculous I can’t play my own content.
It’s not a gadget. It’s a scam that google should be giving out for free instead of charging people for it.
Chromecast can play local content. I use it all the time. Just drag and drop your movie into a tab in chrome and cast that tab using the Chromecast extension.
Glad to see Windows got some love with the 1020, it’s a respectable list
It Saddens me that a very reputable post such as the times would not do further research, #1 the iPhone 5s was not the first phone to have a fingerprint scanner/sensor to unlock the phone, that was the Motorola atrix years back, so much for innovation apple, #2 I would think the HTC one wouldve have been up here for there innovating the sole purpose of smartphones which is the media aspect, ex.. display quality higher than retina, dual speakers on front of phone, hd quality calls, and low light camera quality which sums up what u typically use ur phone for which is viewing, hearing, and capturing media in not the best settings (ex. A bar , or the Whaley dark countless world star videos), #3 nest although a good idea shouldnt have made the cut, love that u put the Xbox one over the ps4 simply because the ps4 is only a gaming system while the Xbox is an entertainment system which is innovative….. End rant
The chromecast device is pretty cool. although a cheap/bang for buck gift, I cant see it as a #1 device. I agree on the xbox one over the PS4 as well. I enjoy the all in one features in my living room. It is great for entertaing guest, and I no longer have an urge to upgrade my LG 1080p flat screen to a “smart” flat screen tv. I actually hear the IPAD AiR was nice, but the iphone 5s could have been replaced by a few android options on the market today.
Time should stick to what they actually know. Chromecast is just a step above POS. I have to try hard to tell myself that it was *cough* worth $35. It wouldn’t have been anywhere close to the top 10 gadget.
You knew up front what Chromecast does, which it does very well, so I have no idea why you would buy it if it didn’t interest you.
Yeah its does it very very well. Having HBOGO on my large screen is wonderful, switching shows for the kids from a different room is great too. By far the best 35 bucks I spent this year. It works as advertised.
None of these devices impress me as much as the Oculus Rift. a VR headset done right, such as this one, will change the whole industry once it gets its “killer app”. The other tech is just cool new toys, but nothing game changing.