Tech Gifts for the Holidays

December 9, 2019December 13, 2019 / terrinakamura / 8 Comments

Two weeks ago, I was invited to join an exclusive gathering of technology aficionados sponsored by the Consumer Technology Association and Techlicious. It was a great opportunity to see and experience new tech gadgets and to get some terrific ideas for the holidays.

One of the features I love about this road show is seeing current trends as well as revisit trends from yesteryear.

Remember 1999?

Going back to 1999, the year before the famous Y2K? Can you believe that was TWENTY years ago? Back then the most popular items included:
1. Color TV – 27” or greater
2. VCR
3. Color TV- less than 27”
4. DVD player
5. Digital camera

Consumer Technology Association research from 2009

Top choices were laptops, MP3, Flat panel TV, Video game system and Digital camera

Ten Years Later— 2009 Top Trends:

1. Notebook or laptop PC
2. MP3 player
3. Flat panel TV
4. Video game system
5. Digital camera

So in 1999 and 2009, digital cameras made it onto the list, but now, everyone’s phones have such fantastic cameras, sadly for casual camera manufacturers, I’m sure they’ve taken a big hit. In 2019, we see some similar things like TVs and laptops but I think this is the first time wearables made it on to the list.

The Present — Top Trends for 2019:

1. Laptops
2. Smartphones
3. TVs
4. Tablets
5. Wearables

CTA research revealed the most wanted tech this holiday season to include Laptops, Smartphones, TVs, Tablets and Wearable tech

Another really cool trend in 2019 is giving the gift of content! In fact, 71 percent of those surveyed plan to purchase a content-related gifts like streaming or download entertainment services such as Netflix or Disney+.

So, there are the typical “big-ticket items” on a lot of people’s wish lists, but what are consumers really going to purchase? The Top Tech Gifts people actually intend to buy are relatively more affordable.

Top Tech Gifts for 2019:

• Headphones/earbuds
• Mobile case devices
• Portable battery chargers
• Video game discs
• Portable wireless speakers

What people plan to buy this holiday season

Headphones, Mobile cases devices, Portable battery chargers, Video game discs and Portable wireless speakers

From my own point of view, and writing as a full-time college student, I’m on a budget, so it was great to see gift ideas presented by Mophie, Jabra, Amazon, Fitbit and 1More (and I don’t mean “one more!”) that were affordable, attractive and super useful.

True Wireless Bluetooth

Apple earbuds don’t fit snugly in my ears, and other wrap around options have been uncomfortable, so I enjoyed trying out the Jabra Elite 65t Bluetooth wireless headset.

The Jabra Elite 65t True Wireless Headset

Comfortable and beautifully designed in Copenhagen, Jabra offers great sound quality and noise suppression

The Jabras turned out to be surprisingly comfortable and fit snugly. The sound quality is excellent both from the standpoint of hearing and being heard. I don’t like the idea of having both ears being blocked from hearing ambient sounds and have mostly used single-ear headsets, but it’s not a problem with the Elite 65t. There are also settings to allow you to hear more external sounds, and also you can use just the right earbud, leaving your left ear open to all sound.

They normally sell for $170, but I noticed on the website they’re $110, which is a great deal. The industrial design is handsome, (they’re designed and engineered in Copenhagen) and it comes with a case which is used to store and charge your earbuds.

Amazon Fire HD and Amazon Fire - kids editions

Amazon Fire tablets for kids – Almost indestructible and peace of mind for parents with great parental controls

For the past year or so I’ve been using the Sennheiser Presence bluetooth headset, which also has great sound quality and noise suppression. Its list price is $180. The design is old school, and the ear hook is uncomfortable. Actually, uncomfortable is an understatement!

Tablets for Kids

I thought the indestructible Amazon Fire tablets for kids were pretty cool. They give parents control over what their kids are reading, seeing, doing and when. The smaller 7” tablets were around $60 and the larger HD tablet (with more memory) is around $90. A tablet for under $100 seemed great!

Great variety of Mophie power stations and power banks for every need.

Battery Backup Power

There were so many great choices from Mophie and this picture doesn’t do justice to some of the fancier versions, but most range from $30 to $70 with a few more expensive options for powering laptops, tablets and Fast-charge portable hubs with Qi-enabled wireless charging.

________________________________________

What are your thoughts about giving technology for the holidays? Yay or Nay?

Do you live in the U.S.? If so, please leave a comment and you’ll have a chance to win a Mophie Power station!

_______________________________________________

Thanks to Techlicious and CTA for this fun event and for the gift bag of goodies, a great lunch and valet parking. My assessments of the products mentioned in this post are my own and don’t represent the manufacturers, CTA or Techlicious.

More about Terri:

Her store on Alki Beach: Alki Surf Shop
Terri Nakamura Design
Terri Nakamura on Twitter
Alki Surf Shop on Twitter
The Horsfall House on AirBNB
More by Terri Nakamura

Holiday Gifts for the Techie in Your Life

November 18, 2017November 20, 2017 / terrinakamura / Leave a comment

The past few weeks have afforded me opportunities to connect with friends, old and new, in real life. For a social media aficionado, there’s something special about getting to meet the people behind the half-inch avatars we encounter on Twitter.

It was great to see Suzanne Kantra @Techlicious, Megan Wristen @MeaganWristen, Josh Kirschner @joshkirschner, Terumi Johnson @helloterumi and see other familiar faces at the CTA Seattle Technology Event produced by the team at Techlicious.

But what was even more cool was to get a hands-on opportunity to check out some of the most popular tech gift ideas for the coming holidays. It was fun to take a retrospective look at what was popular in 1997 and 2017…like, “VCR*?” Remember them?

It made me wonder how the 2017 top of the list will look in 2027?

Personally, I enjoyed using the TREKZ Titanium Bone Conduction Headphones. The name sounds weird, but they work great! The product design is unusual, but the proof was in using them. The sound quality is rich, and because they sit outside my ears, which again sounds odd, they allow me to be aware of what’s going on around me. They were originally developed as a sports headphone, and would be a terrific gift to use while running or working out.

Another cool and affordable item was the iHome | Control wifi-outdoor smart plug, which works with Apple HomeKit, Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant. I don’t have my lights up yet, but it will be great to be able to control them remotely, and after the holidays, other appliances using my iPhone. “Hey Siri? Turn on the lights!”

There was a great variety of products on display. I took some photos of a few of them and loved learning about them.

Top, left to right: Ecouvacs DEEBOT 995 (it vacuums and mops your floors) ,a fun fashion Fitbit bracelet and Fitbit Ionic health trackers, Middle, left to right: Lily Next-Gen Pro (drone), Play Impossible game ball, that takes digital action indoors and out, Samsung Gear VR powered by Oculus, Bottom, left to right: another shot of the VR headset, Amazon Echo Plus hand free smart hub, and the Lenovo Tab 4 10 (tablet for the family),

With so many amazing products out there, I’m trying to decide what I’m going to buy for Christmas this year!

Good luck with your holiday shopping!

If you’re interested in any of the products here, just click the link to find out more, or contact Danielle Cassagnol, CTA: DCassagnol@cta.tech (email) @ConsumerTechnologyAssociation (Twitter).

*VCR = Video cassette recorder

More about Terri:

Visit her store Alki Surf Shop
Terri Nakamura Design
Terri Nakamura on Twitter
Alki Surf Shop on Twitter
The Horsfall House on AirBNB
More by Terri Nakamura

Holiday Madness to Gladness

November 28, 2016December 12, 2016 / terrinakamura / 29 Comments

What would you say to making holiday gift exchanges a pain free, sure thing ?

Every year our family members shop brick and mortar stores, and scour the Internet to find gifts for each other. We often email wish lists with ideas, and to make it mistake-proof, sometimes there are even links going to the exact item! (I’ve been guilty of this.)

Most often, the same list goes to everyone in the family, so if we don’t check with each other, it’s not unusual for two people to buy the same gift for someone. Duplicates have been re-gifted, returned or traded, but inevitably, everyone smiles and says thanks!

There is at least one person who doesn’t believe in gift lists and buys whatever feels right, regardless of whether someone wants it or not. And at least there’s no chance of duplicates!

For a couple of years I’ve been wanting to try an experiment during the holidays. It’s really a pretty flexible, and potentially stress-free strategy.

I have the best family. Six months ago I asked them to try an experiment for our holiday gift exchange, and this is the year everyone is on board!

The experiment 🙂

Instead of sending out lists of things we want, each person is simply in charge of buying their own presents this year. Each present we buy ourselves will be designated as a gift from another family member. Family members will have no idea what they are “giving.”

lg-k8-v-pdp-d-key-feature-5

For example, I could buy myself a new LG K8V smart phone and wrap it up as a gift from my husband, David. He knows I love technology and gadgets, but he is a self-avowed neo-Luddite and wouldn’t know which features matter to me or what phone I’d want. But if I know I want an LG K8V and I buy it, when I open my gift from David, he will be surprised, and I end up with a perfect present!

For David, it might be a load of lumber to build a new basement stairway at our vacation home. I don’t know a thing about treads and risers, but HE does!

Do you see how this can work?

In all cases, there will still be an element of surprise because no one knows what they are giving to the other recipients. It might even provide insight into the things some of us really like. AND, all clothing will fit; there will be no unwanted duplicates, and whatever a person’s budget is, it will work! Furthermore, we end up buying the same number of presents as usual…or maybe even fewer.

My brother, a retired Sr. Technical Fellow for Boeing, asked, “Can we buy one gift and make it from everyone?”

AND OF COURSE, THAT WORKS!

If you’ve been wanting a big-screen television, or a computer, you can buy it and make it a gift from the whole family. One-stop shopping and you get something you really want and need.

Or maybe you are tired of getting “stuff” and are trying to purge things instead of acquire more possessions? You can buy a bottle of your favorite nail polish, a pound of your favorite coffee, or a new supply of socks or underwear. You get the idea — maybe kind of unglamorous stuff, but things you really want, need and will happily use.

If the thing you love about gift exchanges is the look of surprise on someone’s face, just remember, it can still happen. It’s just that the look of surprise is on “your” face when you see what you’ve given someone!

So, what do you think? Is this a hair-brained idea or a stroke of brilliance? I’ll report back with the results of our experiment whether it’s a success or a bust!

Meanwhile, U.S. residents who leave a response to this post by December 12, 2016, will be eligible to win a new Verizon Smartphone: the LG K8V— a beautiful Android device with a ton of amazing features, including a large 5” HD display, a hands-free “selfie” feature, an SD-slot and removable battery. And it’s a good traveler since it works in more than 200 countries. I’ve been impressed with LG for its amazing color quality, quick charging and ease of use.

The winning comment will be chosen by one of my cats. The selection will be posted here, and you’ll need to check to see if you’ve won. I’ll give the winner 2 days to get in touch with me to provide me with mailing information. If I don’t hear from him/her, I’ll move to the next in line.

Who knows? You could end up with your own Christmas gift, courtesy of Verizon 🙂

12/12/16 — THE WINNER OF THE LG K8V can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqltzLOQsas
Please contact me with your mailing address!

20 Great Gifts for Tech-Lovers

December 14, 2015December 15, 2015 / terrinakamura / 12 Comments

Ideas Starting at $10 — 10 Days to Shop!

There’s a Verizon “Smart Store Plus” in my favorite Seattle shopping place—University Village. Think: Apple Store with a wide range of brands and products.

The fact that there are gobs of cool things there inspired me to put together this gift guide. You can find something for every geek on your list.

Prices were noted at the time the post was written. For specials, check this link. (Free shipping on all online orders—some items may be online only.)

1 verizon-silicone-cover-samsung-galaxy-s-6-edge-plus-iset-samg928vmsilblk

The $10 case I bought for my S6 Edge+

1. Cases for every budget — starting at $9.99 — Do you need a case to simply protect from scuffs, or do you work in a profession where your phone takes a beating? Looking for designer bling, or do you need a “power safety net?” With myriad choices, here’s a tip: decide what’s important—brand, color, features, materials, budget—then search accordingly.

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2 Micro SD Memory Card Reader and 128 GB Micro SD

San Disks come in lots of sizes

2. SanDisks — start at $12.99 — Everyone needs space! When a family member or friend finds one of these in their Christmas stocking, they’ll say, “Thanks for the Memory!” SanDisk offers a range from 32 to 128 GB. They’re useful and they make great stocking stuffers, too.

3. 4.8A vehicle Charger with Dual Output — (5★) $19.99 — Two is better than one, right? A vehicle charger with dual output means you can charge both your phone and tablet while you’re on the go! It has a charging indicator showing when it’s fully charged, and comes in six colors—white, blue, red, pink, black and yellow.

4. Verizon Gift Cards — From $25 — When you aren’t sure what that someone on your list wants, but you know they love tech— gift cards can be a great choice. They don’t expire, and are available for $25, $50, $75 or $100. The cards can be used online or in-store to buy things, or even be used to pay your Verizon bill.

5. Sol Republic Tracks Headphones — (5★) $29.98 – (70% off – reg. $99.98) — Right now Sol Republic Tracks Headphones are available online at a ridiculously inexpensive price. With convenient playback controls and phone compatibility, you’ll experience a great range of sound from base to treble. They’re highly rated and going fast!

6. Chromecast — $34.99 (4★) — Good things come in small packages. Chromecast is an inexpensive way to screencast—the ability to view content from your phone onto your television. It works with Android 2.3+, iOS 6.0+, Windows and Mac smartphones, tablets and laptops. Out of stock? The Belkin Miracast (4★) does the same thing at $59.99, and includes an HDMI and USB cables.

7. JBL Clip+ Bluetooth Speaker — $39.99 — Do you need to buy a great gift for a music lover who is on the go? Super light, rugged and powerful, the Clip+ includes a carabiner to attach to your backpack or clothes. Fully charged, it will provide about 5 hours of play. It has a fun, compact design and comes in five colors: red, grey, blue, purple and black. Compatible with your phone.

8. Invisible Shield Privacy Glass for iPhone 6s and 6sPlus (4★) $44.99 — One of the icky things about screen protectors is, they can look smudgy. Invisible Shield’s tinted protective glass keeps prying eyes from viewing your screen via a two-way privacy filter. It also repels skin oils, so it’s easy to apply and keep clean. In fact, it’s so good that ZAGG will replace worn or damaged Invisible Shield glass for the life of your device. (Models available for other devices.)

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9. Belkin Travel Rockstar — $59.99 — Turn one outlet into two. As a portable power pack, the Travel Rockstar uses a built-in battery to provide 3,000 mAh to your USB-enabled device. It’s a convenient way to give your smartphone or tablet a power boost while traveling for fun or pleasure, or even on your commute.

10. LG Tone Pro Bluetooth Stereo Headset — (4.5★) $59.99 Regularly $69.99 — Tone Pro has neck-behind, wireless bluetooth stereo headset with Harmon Kardon signature sound. It has a MEMS (MicroElectrical-Mechanical System) microphone, ensuring phone clarity. Enjoy up to 23 hours of standby; 16 hours of talk time; and up to 10.5 hours of music playback. Charge up to 100% in less than two hours.

11. Mophie Powerstation Plus 3x — (4★) $99.00 — Do you know a battery daredevil? One who lets their phone battery experience near death on a daily basis? iPhone or Android compatible and true to its name—this back up battery will fully recharge your smartphone 3 times. It seems like connectors vanish when you need them, but don’t worry with the Mophie Powerstation Plus — the connectors are built in.

12. Blue Ant Pump HD Audio Sport buds MINI — $99.00 — The Plantronics Fit bluetooth stereo headset looked good, but this Blue Ant option was recommended at $30 less. Pump HD’s sports-inspired, sweat-proof (IP54-rated) earbuds deliver powerful audio. It delivers up to six-hours of playtime on a quick, one-hour charge. There are three sizes of the ComfortSeal ear tips, and SuperFit Stabilizers ensure a great fit.

13. Fitbit Charge HR — (4★) Now $129.99 — Regularly $149.99 — This advanced tracking wristband provides your automatic, continuous heart rate and tracks your activity right on your wrist all day, during workouts and beyond. Log your meals, track your calories, and even evaluate your sleep — now $20 off.

14. Canary all-in-one home security system — (4★) Now $179.99 — Regularly $249.99 — This beautifully designed home security device seems to do everything. It’s easy to set up, too. The HD wide-angle camera lets you see, hear and stream, with the option to record and store. It also monitors air quality, temperature and humidity. The sleek design is unobtrusive and makes it look more like a speaker than a camera.

15. Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance Starter Kit — $199.99 — Ease into sleep; wake gently. Adjust the ambience, or make your home look occupied. Paint with light and change colors — all remotely controlled using your phone. Very nifty! The starter kit contains 3 wireless bulbs and is Apple Homekit and Nest Learning Thermostat-compatible.

16. UE Megaboom — (4.5★) Now $249.99 — Regularly $299.99 — BOOM is right! The volume and sound quality of this UE bluetooth speaker is unreal. The cylinder-shape projects sound in all directions, allowing you to hear music at high-volume without distortion. In 2014 I found few speakers that could pair with more than one speaker. UE Megaboom lets you pair up to 8 speakers! It comes in 4 colors: red, blue, purple and black.

Love the bespoke Horween leather band.

17. Moto360 2nd Gen Smart Watch 46mm — (4★) $329.99 — Simply beautiful. Compatible with a huge range of devices, this elegant smart watch is handsome and affordable. Moto360 comes in two sizes (42mm and 46mm), and delivers notifications from your phone via bluetooth or wifi. It’s also a fitness tracker and responds to gestures and voice commands.

18. Moto X (2nd Gen) — (4★) $449.99** — The Moto X (2nd Gen) smartphone is beautifully designed and affordable. The 5.2-inch, 1080 HD display means visual content looks great, and its 13 MP camera can be activated with a twist of your wrist. It responds to voice commands and will even read text aloud. It has a metal frame, and you can choose genuine materials, like wood or leather, to fit your lifestyle.

19. Droid Turbo 2 Designed By You — (4★) $624** — Special Edition Star Wars: The Force Awakens Droid Turbo 2 is now available! I saw this device dropped from 8 feet onto a concrete slab. Not a scratch. It has the first shatterproof display and you can custom design your phone with than 1,000 combinations. It has a 5.9″1440 x 2560 display and whopping 21 MP camera! Works great with the Moto360 smart watch.

20. Galaxy S6 Edge Plus — (4.5★) $768** — There are myriad reasons why this device is one of Samsung’s flagship phones. I love mine! The beautiful 5.7″ Quad HD display (2560 x 1440) is stunning, making it an amazing entertainment device. The 16 MP camera shoots video in 4K. (Read more about it here.) The S6 Edge Plus works in more than 200 countries. Ready for a splurge? This is it!

Besides a huge array of phones, gadgets and accessories, the University Village Verizon Store offers tech support, workshops and demos.

The items on this list only scratch the surface. I hope you find some gifts to help you get your holiday shopping holi-done!

★ Ratings based on consumer feedback. New items are not rated.
* Qualcomm® Quick Charge 2.0 (5V/9V) device required.
** List price. Contract/monthly prices vary by device

Thanks to Jathan Lopez, Solutions Manager, and Specialist Calvin Li, both at the University Village Verizon Store, who contributed some of their favorites to my list.

Verizon Wireless has given me the opportunity to use some of their products.

More about Terri:

Visit her store Alki Surf Shop
Terri Nakamura on Twitter
Alki Surf Shop on Twitter
The Horsfall House on AirBNB
More by Terri Nakamura

Remember 1999?

Ten Years Later— 2009 Top Trends:

The Present — Top Trends for 2019:

Another really cool trend in 2019 is giving the gift of content! In fact, 71 percent of those surveyed plan to purchase a content-related gifts like streaming or download entertainment services such as Netflix or Disney+.

Top Tech Gifts for 2019:

True Wireless Bluetooth

Tablets for Kids

Battery Backup Power

________________________________________

What are your thoughts about giving technology for the holidays? Yay or Nay?

Do you live in the U.S.? If so, please leave a comment and you’ll have a chance to win a Mophie Power station!

More about Terri:

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