TILE ($25) If you’re one of those people or know one of those people who are always losing keys or the remote or pretty much anything else, help is on the way. Tile is a small device that you can hang on a key chain or stick to pretty much anything else. Tile has a range up to 150 feet and sets off a 90-decibel blast that will let you find the lost item, even if it’s under a pile of dirty clothes. It also works if you lose your cell phone. If you push the “e” button on Tile it will cause any cell phone with the Tile app to ring even if the phone is set on vibrate. Now that’s handy. Tile is also water resistant. If there is any downside, it’s that you can’t replace the battery, which is expected to live for more than a year, but at $25, it’s still a great deal and a great tech gift for that forgetful friend or family member.
POLAROID Z2300 INSTANT DIGITAL CAMERA ($159-$179) It’s the best of both worlds. With the Polaroid Z2300 you shoot and save your photos as digital images or instantly print them to share with a friend or toss into a shoebox to give all your grieving relatives something to do between eating sessions after you’re gone. This cool camera also lets you crop photos and add borders or filters before you hit that print button. Considering how small this camera is, its ability to print quality 2-by-3-inch photos is truly astounding. The Z2300 is available in black, blue, purple, red or white. Depending on where you get it, prices range from $159 to $179.
Features: 10MP camera, ZINK® Zero-ink printing, 2”x3” color photos, 720p HD video, 2.5” LCD screen, 6x digital zoom
PETCUBE ($199) Ever wonder what your pets do when you’re not around? Well wonder no more with Petcube. The Petcube hooks up to your phone, and the camera allows you to watch your pets do whatever it is that they do. You can communicate with your pets, (Sparky, no scratching the furniture!), and you can even play games with them using Petcube’s laser. Plus, your friends and family can get in on the action too by downloading the app and playing with your adorable furry one remotely. It’s a must-buy for all animal lovers.
DIY SMARTPHONE PROJECTOR ($31.95) Instead of your group of friends focusing on the tiny cell phone screen in your hand when you want to share the newest “Hotline Bling” parody, buy the DIY Smartphone Projector, which allows everyone to enjoy whatever’s on your phone in a big way. With simple-to-follow instructions, the projector is easy to build and portable. Bring it to a friend’s house or cozy up on the couch with your family and display your videos, photos or text. This lo-tech projector requires no power and is the perfect accessory for your high-tech smart phone. Plus it provides slots for speakers and a phone charger to make the sound as big as the picture and keep the party going all night.Â
THE FIZZICS BEER SYSTEM ($149.99) What’s worse than flat better? Generally speaking, a lot, but in the relative world we in the Boulder Weekly universe live in, not much. Fizzics is a delightful, magical machine from Brookstone that improves the body, texture and concentration of aromatics in beer. It’ll improve the taste of your regular beers, and it’ll rejuvenate flat ones. All you need to do is insert your beer into the small appliance, and flip on the machine’s tap, and you’re headed to Sudstown, U.S.A. Population: 2 — you and the Fizzics.
GRUSH THE GAMING TOOTHBRUSH ($59.00) Having a tough time getting your kids — or your husbands — to brush their teeth? Well here’s a way to trick your kids into having fun while they perform this grooming chore. Grush the Gaming Toothbrush is a high-quality toothbrush that doubles as a WiFi, motion-sensing gaming controller. Open up the adjoining app on your smartphone, and let the linked games guide your kids through the brushing process. Plus, your kids’ scores are stored on the cloud, so take that, Edward Snowden.
MR. COFFEE SMART WIFI-ENABLED WEMO 10-CUP OPTIMAL BREW COFFEEMAKER ($105) Ever look at your coffee maker and think, “How archaic. When will coffeemakers join the 21st century?” The time has come. Mr. Coffee Smart WiFi-Enabled WeMo 10-Cup Optimal Brew Coffeemaker (and boy, doesn’t that just roll off the tongue?) is WiFienabled so you can use the smart device of your choice to schedule or adjust brew time and set up reminders so coffee is fresh and hot whenever you want it. The WeMo App is available for free for Apple (iOS 7 and higher) and Android (4.0 and higher) devices to connect from anywhere with 3G, 4G… however many G’s you’ve got. It brews coffee faster in under seven minutes and heats up water to the ideal brewing temperature to optimize flavor from the grounds. Smash your smart phone? No worries. This baby has a brew button for manual operation when you can’t/don’t need to remotely operate your coffeemaker. Welcome to the future of coffee.
AMAZON FIRE TV STICK ($39.99) Further solidify your obsession with streaming videos and widen the vast chasm that’s growing between you and those you love with the handy, dandy Fire TV Stick from Amazon. Small like a thumb drive, connect the Fire Stick to your TV’s HDMI port and watch thousands of shows from Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, HBO GO and more. Watch live TV on NBC News, NBA, and Sling TV, which includes ESPN, CNN, HDTV, AMC, A&E, Cartoon Network and more. The Fire Stick has four times the storage capacity and twice the memory of Chromcast, plus a duel-core processor and 1 GB of memory. That means no more buffering. Its small size makes it easily portable, so you can ignore that book on your nightstand and avoid communication with other humans anywhere you go.
FOTOWELT MINI SMART SELF BALANCING SCOOTER WITH LED LIGHT ($350.99) We’re as disappointed as you are that hover boards never came to fruition, but here’s the next best thing: the Fotowelt Mini Smart Self Balancing Scooter with LED Light. This isn’t just a toy — you can really get around on this baby. It’s got a maximum speed of 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) per hour. The double balancing systems means you’ll stay upright, and the anti-slip grip makes it excellent for children and adults. Take a long ride, between 17-25 kilometers (10.6-15.5 miles) per charge on the Samsung high-capacity lithium battery. So while a hover board would still be cool, you should be able to pacify yourself with this scooter in the meantime.
VIRTUAL KEYBOARD ($89.99) Tired of feeling fat-fingered and clumsy with your smart phone’s tiny digital keyboard? This virtual keyboard is the answer to your text messaging prayers. The laser technology projects a virtual keyboard on any flat surface (comes in red or green). And don’t worry about lag — advanced optics track your fingers even if you type 100 words per minute. Connect the virtual keyboard via Bluetooth to your Apple, Android and other smart phones and devices. We are truly living in the Golden Age. The future is now.
