Featured
Gadgets of the Year: Consumer Tech of the Year
2020 may not have been a fun year, but numerous gadgets rolled in to make lockdown a little easier. In the 2nd of a 3-part series, ARTHUR GOLDSTUCK and BRYAN TURNER select the best consumer tech of 2020.
Video device of the year: Insta360 One R
Action cameras all tend to look cool, but take a little physical exercise before they are truly ready for action. They then remain stuck in one configuration until one runs out of juice — which can happen pretty fast. The Insta360 ONE R comes to the rescue with a modular design that allows one to swap out lenses on the fly, so to speak.
Its three lens mods means it can quickly transform from a 360 camera to a wide-angle shooter, with Dual-Lens 360 Mod, 4K Wide-Angle Mod and 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod. The 360 degree camera also allows one to shoot first and then pick an angle later, during editing.
The lenses are co-engineered with Leica, offering stabilised action cam shots at 4K 60fps, with the 1-Inch Mod claiming 5.3K resolution, for “the best image quality ever in an action camera”. Sheer hype? Time Magazine didn’t think so, naming it as one of the Best Inventions of 2020 in the consumer electronics category.
We particularly liked the special effects available in the accompanying app’s Shot Lab, and the voice control to start/stop recording. Ranging from R8,000 to R16,000 depending on the version, it compares well with the top-of-the-range GoPro, but with more versatility.
Click below to read on about the best wearables, hearable and personal technology of the year.
