Holiday Tech
I find myself near Halloween thinking about the end-of-year holidays, not the ghoulish season at the end of October. This seems to happen to everyone. Walmart, Costco, and most other retail stores have had decorations up as soon as the back-to-school items came down in September. So, as I do every year, here are some of my thoughts on technology gifts for this season.
Porch Pirates
I normally don’t focus on children’s gifts because they’re not usually technology-oriented, but this time I’ve found a couple of ideas that are both tech-related and for kids. The first comes from Mark Rober, a YouTube personality famous for creating solutions to get back at porch pirates who steal your packages. Search for him at “Mark Rober Glitter Bomb.” His work is both informative and entertaining.
Mark Rober also has a company that sells fun science kits for kids. You can find it at www.crunchlabs.com. These kits are sold through a monthly subscription and include video instructions, along with explanations of the science behind the toys. His YouTube videos are entertaining even if you don’t purchase the products.
Tablets for Kids
My kids were all teenagers or adults before they got a tablet, and by then they were ready to use them like adults. However, my grandkids started with tablets designed for children when they were three or four. These tablets had rugged covers, making them difficult to break, along with parental controls and software specifically designed for young children. This includes a scheduler to control when the child can use the device and for how long. You can add new software through the Amazon App Store, and parents have control over adding (and removing) software. Parents can also put videos, music, and learning games on the devices. Amazon has several models of Fire HD Tablets specifically designed for children.
As my grandchildren got older, their parents decided that the Samsung children’s editions of the Samsung Tablets were a better choice for older kids. One feature my family loves is the addition of safe chat software that allows children to video chat with a list of trusted people, like their parents and grandparents.
Tablets for the Rest of Us
I’ve been a tablet user for many years now, and I use my tablet regularly. My current tablet is a two-year-old Samsung A7, and it’s great for watching movies, listening to music, and reading eBooks. I’ve played games on it, and because most of my files are stored in the cloud, I find it useful for reading documents I’ve stored there, including graphic novels (formerly called comic books!). I bring it with me whenever I travel and use it to take notes during meetings, so I don’t have to drag my laptop along.
Tablets can be purchased for under $100, but the best models currently range between $150 and $300.
eBook Readers
I read my books using my tablet or computer. My wife, on the other hand, uses her Kindle Paperwhite and loves it. Of course, the Kindle is tied to the Amazon ecosystem, and some may not want that. Fortunately, there are several alternatives. Some of these now offer color. Look for Boox, Kobo, and Nook devices with color. They use modern eInk technology, which has the same advantage of low battery use as the black-and-white eInk panels, but now with a full range of colors. These are great if you enjoy reading magazines like National Geographic or graphic novels. Remember, each type of reader seems to support only certain eBook formats, so be prepared to convert between formats if you use different book sources.
Home Monitoring
Three years ago, our children bought us a doorbell camera. At first, we weren’t comfortable with it due to security concerns, but it turned out to be a great gift. We can easily check when someone approaches the door, even if we’re not home. We also enjoy watching some of the wildlife wandering around our front yard. Our camera is battery-powered, but we keep three rechargeable batteries that last about a month. The camera gives us about a week’s warning before the battery needs replacing and swapping it out takes only a few minutes. We know when family members arrive home or leave, and we know when packages arrive.
A few months ago, my wife was in a car accident where the other driver failed to stop and hit her car at over 40 miles per hour. A neighbor across the street caught the entire incident on their doorbell camera and gave us a copy of the video. It was incredibly helpful. Overall, we’ve found front door cameras to be useful, and they make a great gift.
Remote Garage Door Opener
I don’t have a garage now, but I used to have a vacation home in Florida where I did. I purchased and easily installed a Wi-Fi controller that allowed me to open and close the garage door even when I was in Maryland. The one I bought used the MyQ system, a brand from Chamberlain and LiftMaster, which works with other brands as well. This was perfect when I needed to ask a neighbor to bring in my garbage cans or let Amazon drop off a delivery when I wouldn’t be there for a few days. These devices currently cost about $30 and are available online.
Remote Power Plugs
Remote power plugs let you turn lamps or other plug-in devices on and off using your smartphone. If you have a voice controller like the Amazon Echo or Google Home, you can even use voice commands to control them. I have several of these in my house, and my favorite use is at night when it’s time for bed. I have lights all over the house, and we plug our most frequently used lamps into these controllers. When it’s time for bed, I simply say “Goodnight” to Alexa, and all the lights turn off. I don’t have to visit every room to turn them off. These devices are under $10 and make a good, inexpensive gift. In my office, I use my phone to turn the lights on when I arrive and off when I leave.
Happy Thanksgiving
I’m now out of space. Ok, so this was about holiday gift-giving, but you’ll be reading this before Thanksgiving. So, until next time, have a Happy Thanksgiving!