9 Tech Gadgets You Wish You Could Afford
At first, you'll say, "Who needs to spend that kind of money on this kind of gadget?" Then you'll say, "I want that!" Here's a look at nine items that fit that bill.
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At this time of year, everyone is telling you how to find the best bargains on high-tech gear. What fun is that? Instead, let's look at some of the coolest gadgets at the high end of the price list.
These aren't over-the-top items, like a $10,000 watch. I chose gadgets that that make you think, "If I got a huge holiday bonus, I'd be tempted to buy this for myself. Seriously."
I did restrain myself from including high-end gadget cases, such as a bamboo case and stand for iPads and a leather cuff for your Apple Watch. Those can be fun or elegant, but they aren't gadgets in themselves. Also, I chose gadgets rather than toys, which I consider a different category. To meet my criteria, the item should have at least some functional use. (No matter how much I might want a tool to shoot balls of fire from my empty hands.)
[See 8 Pricey Smartphones You'll Never Own.]
I also tried to emphasize mostly gadgets that are currently shipping, because you might have a rich aunt who is motivated to give you your heart's desire as a holiday present. If that's the case, please ask for two, because I sure want all of these things myself. As you'll see, in some cases I could not help myself.
These gadgets are on my own wish list and at least a few of them will soon to be on yours. Take a look and tell us in the comments section below which ones made your list. Are there any glaring omissions? What tech gadgets are you hoping to unwrap this holiday season?
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It's an old complaint: the holiday present of underwear. But if it's this underwear you find under the tree, you may not complain.
Sensoria Fitness makes several items of wearable fitness clothing that track your heart rate, monitor body movement, and connect with a mobile app. While the company makes a Fitness Smart Sports Bra ($139) and a Fitness Smart T-shirt ($139), I'm drawn most to the Fitness Smart Socks "because who in his right mind would spend $199 on a pair of socks?!" Well, me, if I could afford it. You don't get much geekier than this.
The Sensoria smart socks are infused with proprietary textile sensors to detect parameters important to running form, such as cadence and foot landing technique, and they collect data about activity type and impact forces. That data is transmitted through a featherweight, detachable anklet via Bluetooth Smart to a smartphone app. The software analyzes the data and provides runners with audio and visual feedback. The company promises that you can gain real-time feedback to help adjust running form, improve performance, and reduce the risk of injuries.
Also, they do look cool.
Product info: Sensoria
Price: $199
Shipping: Yes
You can buy a basic stroller for about a hundred bucks. Why spend eight times that much on this one? Because you want your baby to start out as a techie hipster. At least, that's what I thought when I first saw the 4moms Origami Stroller at CES a few years ago.
I changed my mind after I saw how the Origami stroller folds itself up at the touch of a button. That doesn't sound like such a big deal, unless you're a parent juggling two toddlers, a bag of groceries, and car keys.
If that's not enough to put this stroller on a parent's holiday wish-list (and then leave the list where grandparents can find it), this is also a cell phone-charging, mileage-counting, LCD-sporting stroller. Generators in the rear wheels charge it as you walk. The Origami stroller has daytime running lights and pathway lights for low-light conditions. A dashboard shows a thermometer, speedometer, and both trip and lifetime odometers.
This makes me wish I were a rich grandmother.
Product info: 4moms
Price: $849.99
Shipping: Yes
There's a whole new category of high-tech travel gear which encompasses everything from luxurious to D&D-inspired (my favorite: the "bag of holding") to travel gear that makes me think, "Did you come up with a list of technologies and then glue it onto a suitcase?" Some of these are deliciously over-the-top, such as the Heys USA BioCase, a $2,100 bag that use biometric technology to lock your luggage by referring to your storied fingertip data -- with memory for up to eight fingertips. Or the $99 Ostrich pillow, a power-napping device.
But the one bag that makes me say, "Yeah, I want that" is a $399 "smart suitcase" scheduled to ship in early 2016 that locks, weighs, and tracks itself. Bluesmart combines GPS and 3G technology to track your suitcase. The carry-on alerts you if you ever leave it behind. You can set it up to lock itself when you step away and to unlock when you return. Because the suitcase works with a mobile app, you can find out how much your bag weighs when you pull its handle, track miles traveled, and get smart trip notifications. The Bluesmart also has a built-in battery charger, but then it seems everything does.
I could be tempted, though, to get the G-RO carry-on luggage instead. The G-RO has luggage features that appeal to us frequent travelers, such as its "all-terrain" wheel design, in addition to techie goodness like proximity detection. But they aren't promising delivery until August 2016.
Product info: Bluesmart
Price: $399
Shipping: Early 2016
Somehow I managed to sidestep most of the home automation trends. Perhaps it's because I installed an early-model lighting system that was a bit too early in the innovation curve, which means that my pool lights flash on-and-off during thunderstorms.
But my mind could be changed by the $199 Ring video doorbell, wherein the bell is the least interesting feature. Think of it as more of a video system that happens to live at your front door. The Ring streams live audio and video from your doorstep to a smartphone or tablet. Built-in motion sensors "with a 180 degree field of view" detect activity on your property and trigger instant mobile alerts, the company promises, so you always know what's going on. If you miss a notification, you can access recorded footage in the cloud (an extra-cost subscription).
Since you can see who's at the door as if you're at home, it always works as a home security system.
It's a battle between my geeky side and my steampunk/leather-and-copper artistic sensibility. In all likelihood, I'll stick with my Arts & Crafts-themed doorbell for a while longer.
Product info: Ring
Price: $199
Shipping: Yes
I've been telecommuting for more than two decades, and I know the tension of striking a balance between "give me a quiet place in which to work alone" and the desire for in-person human connections. Instant messaging and video calls work wonders, but there's nothing quite like showing up at a coworker's desk and looming over her with a don't-ignore-me stare.
So the moment I saw an advertisement for the Double telepresence robot, I wanted it. The $2,500 price tag, not so much. But I want it.
Okay, I lied. I said these were things that I wish I could afford, except we already bought a set of the new-and-improved Munitio Pro40 headphones as part of its crowdfunding pre-order. So, I know these live up to the manufacturer's promises, or so I'm told by the grateful recipient. They've been glued to his head ever since they arrived.
The description is typical marketing-speak for audiophiles: Built for comfort and mobility out of aircraft-grade aluminum components, the PRO40 features dynamic, titanium-coated drivers that deliver premium audio with optimal range performance. I'm not qualified to judge, except to say that yup, they sound good. The recipient likes them. I won't argue.
But let's consider high-end headphones a category rather than a single product, if for no other reason than the range within the collection I've accumulated over the years. I've bought headphones for noise-canceling reasons. (That's another frequent-traveling necessity; they make a difference on long plane trips.) I've also bought them for portability (such as gym workouts) and computer gaming.
If you work in an office with an open floor plan, a good set of headphones might be considered a necessity. Otherwise, how can you block out your coworkers' conversations?
Product info: Munitio
Price: $349
Shipping: Yes
Brewie describes itself as "the world's first automated home brewery," and it may be everything a beer enthusiast could ask for.
There used to be a lot of beer-brewing in my backyard. Rather like barbecuing on a summer afternoon, home brewing is generally a slow-paced, relaxing process in which to wallow. However, if you realize that you're out of home brew three days before a holiday, you're out of luck. Even though you can get started with simple kits, it doesn't take long before you accumulate a lot of beer-brewing equipment. I have an entire shed filled with evidence to back this up.
Plus, you do need to accumulate a lot of knowledge to get it right, or you find yourself with several gallons of undrinkable swill. Let's not talk about how I know.
Brewie promises to automate the entire brewing process. Here the term automate does not imply that one size fits all. You select from a menu of more than 200 pre-installed beer recipes or create your own. Brewie can adjust 23 distinct parameters during the entire brewing process, such as adding hops at four times during the brewing process. It uses a new recipe format called .brewie, compatible with Beer XML. The company promises an integrated community system for recipe-sharing and an online community forum.
It's not available yet, though. While well-funded, the $2,000 device won't be shipping until spring.
Not a beer person? Next year, you'll be able to get your hands on D-Vine, "the first espresso-like machine for wine." You pour in a glass of wine, and in less than a minute, the technology sets it to the right temperature. The price is expected to be about $499.
Product info: Brewie
Price: Between $2,000 and $2,200, with discounts for pre-ordering
Shipping: March 2016
Treadmill desks? Standing desks? With plenty of evidence to suggest that sitting is bad for your health, many people are looking for alternatives.
One expensive but compelling option is the Altwork Station. It has an adjustable desk surface attached to a nearly infinitely flexible chair. You can type while you stand, sit, or lie on your back.
The problem with a lot of the desk/chair alternatives is that they aren't conducive to balancing a lot of heavy equipment. Altwork's system connects monitors and laptops to metal arms, and it uses magnets to help a keyboard and mouse stick to the inverted desk surface.
Product info: Altwork
Price: $4,900
Shipping: Mid-2016
You don't have to apologize for checking in on your pets. Maybe you worry whether Moosie got out of her kennel (again!) while you are at work. Or you know Meriwether yowls in loneliness while you're on a business trip. There are plenty of reasons to justify a video camera for pet-sitting purposes, and I for one will not judge you for investing in one.
Especially if you can afford the $169.99 for the Petzi. Because this gadget goes beyond a WiFi pet camera that lets you visit with your pet from any smartphone or tablet. It's also a treat dispenser and, frankly, I can't resist any gizmo that promises to let me launch dry crunchy treats at my pets. Besides, how else could I ensure they'd approach the Petzi, instead of getting up on the dining room table where they know they aren't supposed to sleep?
You can also capture candid pet photos to share on social media, not that I've ever been known to do so. (Hey. Stop laughing.)
Product info: Petzi
Price: $169.99
Shipping: Yes
You don't have to apologize for checking in on your pets. Maybe you worry whether Moosie got out of her kennel (again!) while you are at work. Or you know Meriwether yowls in loneliness while you're on a business trip. There are plenty of reasons to justify a video camera for pet-sitting purposes, and I for one will not judge you for investing in one.
Especially if you can afford the $169.99 for the Petzi. Because this gadget goes beyond a WiFi pet camera that lets you visit with your pet from any smartphone or tablet. It's also a treat dispenser and, frankly, I can't resist any gizmo that promises to let me launch dry crunchy treats at my pets. Besides, how else could I ensure they'd approach the Petzi, instead of getting up on the dining room table where they know they aren't supposed to sleep?
You can also capture candid pet photos to share on social media, not that I've ever been known to do so. (Hey. Stop laughing.)
Product info: Petzi
Price: $169.99
Shipping: Yes
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