Five bits of tech Wildfire are loving this week

Working at a technology agency, it’s not surprising that we are constantly surrounded by, well…tech. We’re at the frontline of finding out about the biggest, best, quirkiest and sometimes, not so great products, services and concepts.Here are our most recent favourites:

Bend it like Beckham

Develop your skills at your Sunday kick about with InsideCoach. This football gathers information on your velocity, spin and even perseverance. In addition, the app that accompanies the ball includes specific skill-training. Priced at around £70 on Kickstarter, the tech is aimed at younger players – but it’s okay if you really, really want to have a go too.

Charge your phone using a plant

No, really. Bioo’s plant pot uses the by-products of the process in conjunction with bacteria and water to generate energy to top up your juice. According to the creater Arkyne, this will produce a constant supply of power - enough to charge your phone three times a day! Don’t get too excited though, it’s still in prototype form but is currently seeking funding, with an expected launch of December 2016.

Beat the British weather

Clearly in step with our obsession with the weather, Wezoo has created the Oombrella. Not only will it shield you from the gross weather, but it’ll let you know if rain is on the way, and it will also upload your local weather data on to a shared platform. And at the risk of sounding like a dodgy infomercial – that’s not all! If you misplace your brolly, it’ll let you know via a notification and will send coordinates.

One for the girls…

Dyson has unveiled its beautiful (but très expensive) new hairdryer, which uses the same airflow principles as its desk fan products. It claims to be much quieter and less damaging to hair than standard salon-grade dryers. Priced at £229 though, it might be one for the Christmas wish list!

Take a chill pill 

Okay, okay. So this one is a few years away. But how brilliant to be able to prevent sunburn and cut down on skin cancer diagnoses by taking a little pill? Not to mention the countless reapplications of greasy sun cream at the beach. British researchers have based the pill on the unique way coral shields itself against harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, and say it could be available within the next five years!What tech are you coveting right now?Photo credit