Tech Trends that Failed to Take Off

Technology evolutions always happen so fast that we are often left with jitters at how well these new gadgets will work out in the long run. Sometimes, they do and that’s a good thing. At other times, however, we wonder whether we have missed out on something that will improve our lives. You don’t have to have the latest iPhone to play in new online casinos, for instance…

Here is a list of tech trends that just didn’t take off.

Egg donor bots

To use the world over, egg donor bots are quite common. It is just a case of going online to find and register a donor. They can be used by a woman with ovarian or other issues to conceive a child. However, a newer iteration of this technology has been created by a team of innovators at the University of California-Berkeley, and it uses an egg created from the DNA of two parents. While this is still a way off from becoming a standard in fertility clinics, it is a good sign. With more research and development, it has the potential to become a useful tool in the quest for a world without miscarriages and birth defects.

Sleeping apps

A brain child of a UK-based company called Ambition, “Sleepio” is one of the most popular sleep trackers on the market. It’s a web-based application that, once downloaded, uses sensors to monitor your sleep habits and reports on your brainwaves during your slumber to give you tips and advice on improving your bedtime routine. The application has already received rave reviews from users, but its success may depend on how much sleep we can actually get using it. Other apps like “SLEEPIO” and “SleepBot” are available on the market but have their own problems. They can be expensive to use and the data provided may not be reliable.

Pill-form monitors

When we were starting to wear computers on our wrists, it was easy to imagine that the next logical step would be to use them to monitor our blood sugar levels and regulate how we consume food. However, this “wearable” method of monitoring one’s health proved too cumbersome and a poor substitute for a daily blood test. This is because a doctor has to administer the test. It is too expensive for most people to spend on multiple tests every few months. Even so, the idea still holds merit. Scientists are working on creating “lab on a chip” technology that will eventually reduce the need for frequent blood tests. If these come into being, they will be an important step in better controlling our health.

Fitbits

This gadget, developed by a company called Fitbit, is one of the most popular wearable fitness trackers. Designed to measure heart rate, calories burned, distance travelled, and steps taken, the device comes with more than 300 types of user-customizable apps to enable you to keep a track of your personal information. While the device has a lot to offer, some of its shortcomings are quite telling. It looks like a regular, little black watch. It doesn’t look like a medical device. It is not as tough and waterproof as doctors prescribe. It does not capture your heart rate or blood pressure accurately and comes with the dangers of it being hacked. While this may not be the case, it is worth considering the implications of wearing one while driving or doing strenuous physical activity. If you insist on using one, it would be better to keep it on your wrist instead of the middle of your chest.