5 tech breakthroughs that bring me joy

There have been no big-bang tech innovations in the last couple of years. That is unless you count the Galaxy Note 7, which literally was a kind of bang that not only left many of its owners shell-shocked but also damaged the reputation of its maker Samsung. But then we are not talking about that kind of big bang innovations.

Thankfully, there are still companies that are doing their bit to ensure that tech never gets boring and that gadgets continue to delight the consumers even as they wait for the big breakthrough. Here are five that always fill me with joy whenever I get to use them.

1) Superb phone cameras: Almost all major phone companies have upped their game this year when it comes to cameras. These tiny little devices are now so good at clicking photos that in so many cases they are better tools than even the proper cameras.

Phones like the iPhone 7 Plus, Google Pixel, Huawei Nexus 6P, HTC 10, OnePlus 3, and even budget phones like Moto G4 Plus, click amazing photos because finally phone companies are using image sensors and lenses that capture brilliant colours and lot of light.

I love clicking photos and care a lot for the quality of images. Earlier, I would use a DSLR camera all the time, but nowadays an iPhone 7 Plus or Pixel or something similar does the job almost equally well.

2) Dash charging: First seen in OnePlus 3, dash charging sounds like a gimmick. Until you use it. It is incredible. It takes away almost all the battery worries because it charges the phone so fast that even when you are running low on time, you can easily recharge the phone 20 per cent to 30 per cent in 10-odd minutes.

And this 20-30 per cent can then last three to four hours easily. It is the kind of feature that you don't realise is going to matter much, but once you have used it, you find it difficult to live without.

3) Kindle Oasis: Almost all of my book reading happens on Kindle. And Kindle Oasis is absolutely top class in this area.

Not only it is a wonderfully-designed e-reader with weight that is barely felt in hands, but its accompanied battery cover also ensures that you can read something on it for over a week without plugging the charging cable in it.

The long battery life, great design and a fantastic screen makes reading books on the Kindle Oasis absolute joy.

4) Taxi apps: In a city like Delhi where the traffic on roads can be hellish, the joy of hailing a cab through the app and not driving is arguably the biggest benefit technology has provided in the last few years.

The fact the Ola and Uber apps also help you avoid dealing with parking issues and rude auto drivers only make them all that better and delightful to use.

5) Music streaming: While it's not cheap - though not expensive either at Rs 120 per month - the Apple Music is good enough to ensure that I never run out of music. The app has a confusing user interface, but then its collection of music is virtually limitless.

In other words, with Apple Music, I have access to almost all of the world's music! And while not everyone is crazy about Apple Music, in India almost everyone loves music streaming because it's just so much convenient. This is also the reason why apps like Gaana and Saavn are so popular.