This story appears in the
May 2026
issue of
Entrepreneur.
Most of us are experiencing technology fatigue. It’s not only the amount of time that life requires us to interact with technology, but also the number of items required to keep our tech-driven lives running. More screens, more chargers, more cords.
Enter, a generation of products meant to minimize the time we have to spend interacting with technology — or, at least, the parts of technology that stress us out. From a sunrise clock that helps keep your phone out of the bedroom, to a tablet notebook with none of the distractions, here are five handy tech upgrades that make life simpler.
1. A nostalgic phone handset.
The Native Union Pop Phone [$40; nativeunion.com] is a modern, tactile twist on the classic handset design that dates back to the mid-1920s. This version features a modern USB-C end that fits into newer iPhones, tablets, and laptops — including devices that call over Wi-Fi. An integrated button on the handset lets you answer and end calls with the old-school cradle. Without having to worry about an internal battery to charge or Bluetooth to pair, you can simply stick the phone between your neck and shoulder and focus on your conversation.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Native Union
2. A robot vac that hunts stains.
Most robots can vacuum and mop, but the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai [$1,200; dyson .com] scours for what other models might miss. The robot casts a soft, green light that, along with the high-definition camera, allows the computer’s algorithm to identify wet and dry messes. When it finds one, it scrubs tough spots up to 15 times for a smear-free finish. It recognizes nearly 200 types of messes, from dust to dried salsa, and the cleaning program adjusts accordingly. After cleaning, the robot flushes dirty water, refills with clean water, and sanitizes its rollers.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Dyson
3. A phone-free alarm clock.
The experts keep saying: For better rest, don’t keep your phone next to your bed. But what if it’s also your alarm clock? The Dreamie [$250; helloambient.com] is your replacement: It’s a calm, all-in-one device for alarms, soothing soundscapes to relax you before bed, and gradual morning light to wake you up more naturally. Its touchscreen handles basic commands, and the weighted dial to adjust volume adds a tactile feel. It provides enough light to read comfortably, and a built-in snore masker helps block a partner’s noise.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Ambient Life Inc.
4. A notebook and much more.
Here’s an e-reader that helps you capture your own creativity too. The Amazon Kindle Scribe Colorsoft [from $630; amazon.com] is an 11-inch tablet that reads as easily as a Kindle, weighs just slightly more than a composition notebook, and can help you bring clarity and creativity to meeting notes, presentations, and brainstorming doodles. It comes with 10 pen colors and five highlighters, a battery-free stylus that feels like a real marker, and AI tools to help you capture ideas and create summaries. Edit documents from Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
5. One cable for all your tech.
As more tech adopts USB-C for charging, data, and video, your setup should have become simpler — but it hasn’t. Not all USB-C cables charge at the same speed, and cheap ones may not support data or video. The 4-foot or 6.6-foot-long Aulumu M07 [from $26; aulumu.com] handles it all: 240-watt charging, which covers the 140 watts most devices require, 10 Gbps data for fast file and video transfer, and 4K at 60 Hz video output so you can connect to an external monitor. Tiny LEDs show charge status at a glance, and the braided nylon jacket keeps the cable flexible while protecting it from abrasion.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Aulumu
Most of us are experiencing technology fatigue. It’s not only the amount of time that life requires us to interact with technology, but also the number of items required to keep our tech-driven lives running. More screens, more chargers, more cords.
Enter, a generation of products meant to minimize the time we have to spend interacting with technology — or, at least, the parts of technology that stress us out. From a sunrise clock that helps keep your phone out of the bedroom, to a tablet notebook with none of the distractions, here are five handy tech upgrades that make life simpler.
1. A nostalgic phone handset.
The Native Union Pop Phone [$40; nativeunion.com] is a modern, tactile twist on the classic handset design that dates back to the mid-1920s. This version features a modern USB-C end that fits into newer iPhones, tablets, and laptops — including devices that call over Wi-Fi. An integrated button on the handset lets you answer and end calls with the old-school cradle. Without having to worry about an internal battery to charge or Bluetooth to pair, you can simply stick the phone between your neck and shoulder and focus on your conversation.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Native Union
2. A robot vac that hunts stains.
Most robots can vacuum and mop, but the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai [$1,200; dyson .com] scours for what other models might miss. The robot casts a soft, green light that, along with the high-definition camera, allows the computer’s algorithm to identify wet and dry messes. When it finds one, it scrubs tough spots up to 15 times for a smear-free finish. It recognizes nearly 200 types of messes, from dust to dried salsa, and the cleaning program adjusts accordingly. After cleaning, the robot flushes dirty water, refills with clean water, and sanitizes its rollers.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Dyson
3. A phone-free alarm clock.
The experts keep saying: For better rest, don’t keep your phone next to your bed. But what if it’s also your alarm clock? The Dreamie [$250; helloambient.com] is your replacement: It’s a calm, all-in-one device for alarms, soothing soundscapes to relax you before bed, and gradual morning light to wake you up more naturally. Its touchscreen handles basic commands, and the weighted dial to adjust volume adds a tactile feel. It provides enough light to read comfortably, and a built-in snore masker helps block a partner’s noise.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Ambient Life Inc.
4. A notebook and much more.
Here’s an e-reader that helps you capture your own creativity too. The Amazon Kindle Scribe Colorsoft [from $630; amazon.com] is an 11-inch tablet that reads as easily as a Kindle, weighs just slightly more than a composition notebook, and can help you bring clarity and creativity to meeting notes, presentations, and brainstorming doodles. It comes with 10 pen colors and five highlighters, a battery-free stylus that feels like a real marker, and AI tools to help you capture ideas and create summaries. Edit documents from Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
5. One cable for all your tech.
As more tech adopts USB-C for charging, data, and video, your setup should have become simpler — but it hasn’t. Not all USB-C cables charge at the same speed, and cheap ones may not support data or video. The 4-foot or 6.6-foot-long Aulumu M07 [from $26; aulumu.com] handles it all: 240-watt charging, which covers the 140 watts most devices require, 10 Gbps data for fast file and video transfer, and 4K at 60 Hz video output so you can connect to an external monitor. Tiny LEDs show charge status at a glance, and the braided nylon jacket keeps the cable flexible while protecting it from abrasion.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Aulumu
