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I love gadgets and techie things obviously so I got out and perused the landscape to figure out the things that I would like to give and GET for Christmas. I have long been a fan of letting other people do the work and in fact not fixing it if it ain't broken so I have borrowed some favorites from various websites and blogs that I researched. You can do it too, just Google top ten tech gifts for Christmas 2012.
1 1. Of course at the top of the list is the IPad but let's face it, it is just out of some of our budgets even as a splurge of a Christmas gift. So the consensus seems to be that Apple Mini iPad is a good, affordable alternative. The original Apple iPad showed America the promise of tablet computing. It was
portable, cool, and pretty expensive for a great recession era product. It is
tough to conjure up $500 or $600 for any technology product. At $329, the
7.9-inch Mini iPad brings the Apple tablet ecosystem tantalizingly close to
millions of American households.
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| Nook Color |
2. Having just finished my first book with two more immediately on their heels I have gotten a burning desire to explore hand held reading, even thought I still love the feel and hilightability of a good paper or hard back. Barnes and Noble Nook Color & Amazon Kindle Fire. If you can't afford an Apple or you are more into the world of books, the 7-inch Nook Color HD and Kindle Fire HD are very capable portable computing platforms in their own right. Best of all they each weigh in at the $200 price point. The Nook HD is $199 with free shipping and the Kindle Fire HD is $199 with free super saver shipping. The Nook comes with a AC Adapter/Charger and the Kindle charges via slower USB cable unless you pay $20 extra for a charger. The Nook offers the advantage of in-store support, while Amazon offers a much richer e-commerce ecosystem where you can buy almost anything.
3. My older son just started a new sales job and needs to buy a lap top for running his sales program and applications. So my best suggestion to him is: Samsung Chromebook. Google's Chrome Operating System has really
matured over the past year. Today it is far more capable and comes on a very
reasonably priced $249 notebook from Samsung. It makes for a great second
computer for a multi-computer households. The Chromebook also makes a good
computing platform for people who don't want to hassle with anti-virus software
and updates. It also boots very quickly compared to conventional computers. The
major drawback is that it is highly dependent upon Internet access. If you have
broadband and are comfortable working in the Google universe, you should enjoy the maintenance-free
nature of the Chrome OS.
This Christmas season also presents technology
buffs with the opportunity to ditch cable TV in favor of television delivered
via broadband Internet. This allows households to assemble television viewing
options in a more economical a la carte fashion. Products like the Roku 2 XD
and XS player and Western Digital WD TV player allow users to use their
broadband internet connections to deliver programming from a wide variety of
sources like Netflix, Youtube, and Hulu. The idea is that the individual
subscriptions and a broadband connection should cost significantly less than a
traditional full-featured cable or satellite plan. While some players are more
expensive, at Best Buy, the Roku 2 players sell for $79 and $99 and the Western
Digital Player sells for $99.
5. For
Dad or Air Travellers or Joggers: I personally hate that I always forget to pack ear phones for on plane TV watching and then have to shell out hard cold cash for dinky things that sit in your ear. Don't know about you but I am a "big" earring fan but don't like anything sitting in my ear. Also I always lose the darned on the plane purchased ear phones before the return trip home and find them when I get home.
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| Told you they were sexy! |
Sleek
is the name of the game when it comes to listening to favorite music on his
mobile (borrowed from parenting.com)
phone, iPod, iPad or computer. These Bluetooth-enabledwireless headphones are
a great accessory for anyone who appreciates the sound of good music and wants
to look cool too.
Azeca Stereo Bluetooth Folding Headset starts at $64.99
6. Okay so the boyfriend just surprised everyone and purchased an IPad but has no idea what to do with it and is procrastinating learning but I bet you he can't resist this being a 63 year old boomer who loves to entertain himself.
For
Retro Dads: Game Change, from Parenting
Magazine
Let
him be a kid again with this awesome, retro arcade cabinet for the iPad. Simply
slide the
 |
| Very cool, dads, right? |
device
in, download theAtari Greatest Hits app
and watch him rejoice in playing Asteroids, Missile Command and Pong from his
days of yore.
iCade,
$99.99, available ationaudio.com
7. I am very much in favor of non gender specific games so I am entertaining this for my four year old granddaughter.
For
Preschoolers: Direct from Parenting Magazine
Disney Pixar Cars 2 AppMATes
Appropriate
for: Ages 4+
Kids
love playing with Mom and Dad’s iPad, but throw Cars 2 figurines on top of that (literally)
and you’re probably not getting your iPadback for a while. After
downloading the free AppMATes app from iTunes, kids place the cars on the screen to use it as
an interactive play mat for driving, games, tractor tipping in Radiator Springs
and more—just be sure to have a protective screenguard on your iPad.
Disney Pixar Cars 2 AppMates fromamazon.com, $31.99 for a pack of two
8. So my grandson just told me that everyone has given the my twin great grandsons so many clothes that there is nothing that they need. So since he is the one who gave me the name TechnoGranny I thought they should get:
Baby Computers, love it. Alphaberry—Again from Parenting
Magazine
Appropriate
for: 18
months+
Kids
love music and they love pushing buttons. Lucky for them, the Alphaberry
combines these two loves into a pint-sized Blackberrythat
your toddler will love playing with. In addition to learning letters and
hearing them aloud, there are four different songs for kids to bee-bop to as
well for a fantastic all-around learning experience.
Alphaberry PDA
, $22.37
, $22.37
The twins are nine months old and already pushing buttons while he talks to me on the phone so this is PERFECT!
9. For
Moms Whose Toddlers Still Want to Sleep
with them
Cloud b Twilight Constellation Night Light For Toddlers
Things that go bump in (or that
you bump into) the night can now be easily viewed compliments of the Cloud b
Twilight Constellation Night Light. This unique light resembles a 14” by 5”
inch turtle (who doesn’t love them?) and features a three color projector which
transforms a night sky onto the walls of any room. This night light also has an
automatic shut off, a 45 minute sleep timer, and three AAA batteries. Ideal for
kids and the kids at heart, this is certain to offer tranquil nights to anyone.
BTW since I did the show on this, Amazon graciously sent me an offer to purchase this on sale for $22.39 and no shipping.
Borrowed
from my research at: http://brainz.org/10-popular-christmas-gifts-2012-holiday-season/
10. For
Techo Granny and other executives who regularly give presentations. I just saw this at a Viz demonstration the week before I did this show and I am personally sick of lugging that huge projector into places that don't provide them so sweetie or kids, whoever is listening or reading, this is what TechnoGranny, Joanne Quinn-Smith wants for Christmas and in case they don't get the message, Brookstone, I would love to try it out for you and have someone on the TechnoGranny Show to talk about all of its amazing features. You can contact me for my address to mail it and to set up the interview at: 412-444-5197. Now if that is not a very broad hint for their Google Alerts, then my name is not TechnoGranny, the Get Your Google on Gal!
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Radio Host and Serial Blogger, Joanne Quinn-Smith is the host of PositivelyPittsburghLive™ Internet Talkcast and TechnoGrannyShow™ On her shows, Joanne has interviewed over 1800 guests. As an advocate for small Business, she was awarded the National Small Business Administration Journalist of the Year Award. She is also the publisher of PositivelyPittsburghLiveMagazine.com which is a 2010 National Stevie Award finalist for best Media Website or Blog. PPL Mag features the GOOD NEWS, about Pittsburgh and is Pittsburgh’s First internet radio and TV network. PPL Mag attracted 2.25 million visitors last year. Her radio network has accumulated over one million listeners. The Creative Energy Officer of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates, Joanne also teaches her online media platform building to small businesses in a client personalized, “Web2.0 Gorilla Branding Training™”. Connect with Joanne at: http://joannequinnsmith.com
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