In the month that saw Apple Intelligence open its doors and Google DeepMind release the 2.0 version of Gemini, celebrating tech with no AI component whatsoever seems rather churlish. But 2024 wasn’t all about the all-conquering imposition of LLMs and generative creativity. We’ve assembled our ten tech stories that had the most impact in 2024.
01. Orchid by Telepathic Instruments
The Orchid
One of the players behind newcomer Telepathic Instruments is Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker. That’s piqued the interest for the company’s first product, the Orchid synthesizer and chord generator. Expect to hear more from them in 2025.
02. Fender x Hello Kitty Stratocaster
Otoboke Beaver's Yoyoyoshie and the Hello Kitty Squier Stratocaster
The ultimate musical mash-up returned in time to celebrate Sanrio’s famous feline’s 50th. Fender Japan cannily cranked up the kawaii with bespoke guitars, including the revival of its Squier Hello Kitty Stratocaster, and a plethora of accessories.
03. Epson EF-22 Projector
Epson EF-22 Laser Projector
Epson EF-22 is a compact laser projector that performs perfectly and unobtrusively, sized so you can store it away when not in use and featuring Google TV for ease of everyday operation.
04. Openhagen LightBoks projector
LightBoks projector by Openhagen
On the other hand, you might want to keep your projector on display, in which case the warm wooden stylings of the LightBoks, from Danish maker Openhagen, is the one for you.
05. Apple Watch Series 10
Apple Watch Series 10
Incremental increases may be possible, but the Apple Watch has come a long way since it debuted in 2015. The Apple Watch Series 10 is the most sophisticated (and sensor-stuffed) device you can wear.
06. Ten years of Monument Valley
Monument Valley by Ustwo Games
Now that the long-awaited Monument Valley 3 has arrived on Netflix, revisit the story of the original game.
07. Analogue3D console
Analogue3D supports original Nintendo controllers and up to four players
More gaming nostalgia in the form of the Analogue3D console, which brings back the catalogue of Nintendo’s famous N64 console.
08. Bring Your Own Keyboard
The BYOK screen is also backlit
Writers love to find new ways of practising their craft. In addition to the reMarkable Paper Pro, our paltry attention span was piqued by the distraction-free design of the BYOK screen.
09. Teenage Engineering EP-1320
Teenage Engineering EP-1320 Medieval
TE had a busy year, culminating in the all-new OP-XY sequencer. We couldn’t resist the stylings of the EP 1320 Medieval, a quirky ‘portal into a world of imagined medieval grooves.’
10. On Google Gemini and the rise of AI
Google Gemini AI
AI is such a fast-moving sector that our July musings on the ins and outs of the tech have been superseded many times over. As Google readies Astra, its next-gen multi-modal AI assistant, check back and see the origins of the tech before it blends seamlessly into our lives.
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Tour David Lynch's house as it hits the marketDavid Lynch's LA estate is for sale at $15m, and the listing pictures offer a glimpse into the late filmmaker's aesthetic and creative universe
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A new Tadao Ando monograph unveils the creative process guiding the architect's practiceNew monograph ‘Tadao Ando. Sketches, Drawings, and Architecture’ by Taschen charts decades of creative work by the Japanese modernist master
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Inside the sculptural and sensual philosophy of jewellery house RenisisSardwell, founder of jewellery house Renisis, draws on sculpture, travel and theatre to create pieces that fuse sensual form with spiritual resonance
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The Apple iPhone Air leads the company’s round of autumn product launchesThe new Apple iPhone 17 range boasts better cameras, more memory and more Apple Silicon. It launched alongside new Apple Watches, new AirPods and the remarkable iPhone Air. We explore out the key innovations and products
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The new Plaud Note Pro deploys AI to transform the spoken word into searchable dataThe Note Pro promises full-on conversational AI, a pocketable device that can capture roundtable chats and correctly attribute speakers and action points. Help or hindrance?
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The Hasselblad X2D II 100C takes the iconic camera brand to a new level of sophisticationSweden’s most sophisticated camera manufacturer announces a new flagship medium-format digital camera and zoom lens
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For sale: core memories and rare hardware from the early days of Apple Computer‘Steve Jobs and the Apple Revolution’ brings together a clutch of computer collectables from the dawn of Silicon Valley
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Lava Studio is a sleek studio-in-a-box for guitarists seeking the ultimate portable toolLava Music's new Studio is an elegant touchscreen-powered guitar effects unit with multi-track recording, AI tips and tricks and a powerful integrated speaker
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The best over-ear headphones, tested by expertsThis round up of the best over-ear headphones reveals how leading products from Apple, Bose, Focal, Sennheiser, and Sony matched up when we put them to the test
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The Sinclair name is back, attached to a pocket-sized games console with an educational edgeGrant Sinclair’s name is freighted with early computing history. Wallpaper* tapped up the British inventor to find out more about his new GamerCard console and other innovation
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Tuneshine is a new way of bringing back the lost art of the album coverThe compact Tuneshine screen uses LED tech to illuminate the artwork of whatever you’re currently streaming
