Tech, Tech, Tech….all anyone wants is tech. Isn’t anyone interested in the simpler things in life anymore? No? Well fine then, here’s your list of tech and gadget goodies that will make your anti-luddite heart skip a beat.
And by the way, our list is pretty awesome so I’ll probably order a couple of things off it for myself…hey, I’m not against tech, just some tech (like Skynet).
Tear-And-Share Flash Drive Pack
Flash drives may come and go but these babies (made from recycled paper pulp) will not only stay put in your wallet, they make sharing files easy and inexpensive. Choose the 4-pack that works best for you (1gb, 8gb or 16gb) and even get them pre-loaded with your files, which is great for anyone in a creative trade who wants to hand out drives to clients or co-workers.
Hell, even get them stamped with your logo so you appear even more professional than you really are!
Perfect for stocking-stuffers or employee gifts.
If you, or someone you know, has developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from trying to plug a USB into your/their iMac, then get ready to shout hallelujah to the iHeavens above, because thanks to Bluelounge, a “J”-shaped extension port has been created that will finally make plugging stuff into your computer a little less stressful on your body and soul.
Think of it as the Buddhist zen-tech you’ve been looking for.
Dremel Idea Builder 3D Printer
Every year I put a 3-D Printer on here (when will someone get the point that I want one of these) and every year the price on these things continue to go down so there’s hope for me yet. With the Dremel Idea Builder 3-D printer ($999) you get what you want, a durable printer with a reputable name to back it up but you also get access to a lot of online stuff as well just by signing up (once you receive it) to Dremel3D.com . From there you can browse through various models to download, get support from experts on troubleshooting issues or answers to questions that you might have and share your creations with the online community (Onboard software permits standalone operation when needed).
Just think about it, when you need something, all you have to do is strut on over to your printer and build it…we are only a few steps away from food replicators people, I can feel it.
The whole world might be hoping to receive a smart watch this holiday season, but what I want is a speaker on my wrist. Call me old-skool but like the days of yore when people would heave a boombox on their shoulder and blast out It’s Tricky by RUN-DMC, I want my newfangled tech to take me back to the good ole days where I can annoy the masses musically.
And with the bēm wireless Speaker Band I can connect to my phone via Bluetooth and get jiggy with a whole selection early 80s rap while still being able to talk to whomever might give me a jingle FROM MY WRIST.
Daaaaaammmn, my future is so bright, I might have to wear shades and this band.
Navdy Head-Up Display for the Car
We’ve gotten to the point where our entire lives can be run from the magical little box that lives in our pockets so why not make our lives even easier and turn our car into one giant smart phone as well?
Well, with Navdy, you can do just that.
Simply put, you can stay connected to everything that you usually do with your phone except, instead of looking down every time you get a text/phone call/alert and running into a carload of singing nuns, with Navdy you have completely hands free communication that displays in front of you on your windshield.
It works with any Android or iPhone, you simply swipe left and right with a finger to answer a call or dismiss notifications, voice recognition will allow you to compose texts, tweets or actually talk to another human being, and you can follow a map that appear on your windshield to help you get where you are going (plus tons of other features).
The Navdy will be shipping in early 2015 but if you pre-order now, you get $200 off the original price ($499). So if you know of someone whose bowels would loosen at the thought of getting one of these hooked up in their car, then act fast.
It won’t last long.
If you need a small mp3 player while you exercise but don’t want to spend the money for a Shuffle or have to deal with your phone, this 2gb GoGEAR MP3 player by Panasonic might be your best bet. At just $21.99 you can load it up for a long run/bike ride/hike, clip in onto your shirt or bag and not be worried that you just tossed a bunch of money down the crapper if something happens to it.
As someone who has misplaced everything, this is perfect for me…seriously, I’m still trying to find my iPod classic that I know is somewhere here in my house…so throw this in a stocking or give as a gift to anyone who has a reputation for losing/ruining everything.
BRAVEN BRV-BANK Back-up Battery
I can’t put into words how important having a back-up battery is for all your doo-dads, especially if you are stranded somewhere and need help, so I’m going to let the makers of this life-saver say it for me:
The BRV-BANK™ is the world’s first Bluetooth®-enabled, USB controlled ultra-rugged power bank. This 6000 mAh rugged power solution is built with an IPX5 water-resistant rubber exterior and is designed to power you wherever you go. With the ability to withstand anything Mother Nature throws at it, the BRV-BANK™ is designed for emergency preparedness and the great outdoors.
In other words, it’s the Navy Seal of Back-up batteries…buy one and carry it with you.
No service? No problem.
With goTenna you and your friends (and/or family) can always stay connected even if you aren’t in range of a tower, there’s too many people around sucking the network dry, or if there’s a network outage. Just pair the goTenna with your Wireless Bluetooth-LE and anyone who has one of these can stay in constant “of-the-grid” contact with each other (the range is 1-6 miles but in good conditions the goTenna can go all the way up to 50 miles).
Right now you can pre-order the goTenna for $149.99 and get 2 of them (one for you and for your best friend) or you could go in whole hog and pre-order a family pack of four for $289.99 so that you can be in constant range of contact with your mother.
Or, maybe just stick with the two-pack.
You’d think that with the name Powerslayer Kit what you’d be getting is some kind of medieval torture device, but no, this kit merely contains a Powerslayer USB charger, a braided cloth power cord and a travel case in your choice of colors.
What is a Powerslayer you ask?
Powerslayer is a USB charger with embedded software that powers off and back on, automatically, delivering power only as needed. It protects your device from overcharging and eliminates wasted power.
The triangular LED indicator glows orange when your device is charging, green when it is fully charged, and no light means your device is charged but not drawing wasted power.
Powerslayer delivers 2 Amps of clean power to rapidly charge any USB device, from smartphones to power-hungry tablets. Our smart charger goes beyond technology – every surface detail, texture and finish is considered in our design process.Really, it’s kind of adorable. Plus it makes the future a better place.
Tape What You Need iPhone Speaker
Once upon a time there were no such things as podcasts (can you imagine?).
For those of us who dreamed of having our very own radio show, we would record ourselves and our friends for hours on things called cassette recorders turning out 30+ minutes of pure, undiluted brilliance captured on fragile cassette tapes that would not stand the test of time.
Some of us we were pretty good at it too…and, some of us were not.
Those who sucked became pop culture journalists who help put together Holiday Gift Guides and are still bitter about the whole thing.
But we still sort of want this iPhone speaker dock anyway even if it does remind us of our failure to become the next Ira Glass.
If you are a new parent (or know a new parent) you know how crazy having a baby can make you. Not only are you required to keep this little human alive, you also need to keep them comfortable, constantly entertained and photo/video documented until they pass the age of adorableness.
If you need help with all this new work, allow me to introduce you to your new best friend HD Wi-Fi Baby Camera by D-Link. Basically it has so many features it can almost take over as a parent for you (except for the feeding, changing and human contact part, you’re still need to do those things).
For instance, it provides 720p HD video so you can easily see the munchkin, even at night (it comes with night vision), it will alert you of any sound that your baby makes- from screams of terror to coos- it will inform you if the room becomes too cold or too hot, has two-way audio so you can talk to your baby if you are too lazy to get up and check on them, 5 pre-recorded Lullabies and IT WILL RECORD VIDEO AND SNAPSHOTS FOR YOU EVERY TIME YOUR BABY MOVES.
Yep, it looks like this parenting gig is getting pretty easy.
Well, this is a stick that you insert into a port on your HDTV and let’s you stream the channels that you want…what more can you want from a stick? Sap? Leaves? Oxygen?
Nah, give me all the episodes of Law and Order: SVU…I can breathe from a tank if I need to.
