Tech Gifts for the Hamptons Mom on Mother's Day
Attention all husbands, dads, sons and brothers: Mother’s Day is almost upon us. If you’re like me, you’re probably scratching your head, slightly panicked, trying to come up with a gift that’s more thoughtful than the proverbial bouquet of roses.
Here’s an idea: this year, why not be bold and express your appreciation for Mom with the greatest gift of all: technology!
I’ve hand-selected four cool gadgets for that special Mom in your life. Because nothing says “I love you” quite like a three-gigahertz Pentium processor.
For The New Mom: Withings Smart Baby Monitor
Baby monitors have been around forever. Most of them stink. They have clunky interfaces and use 1970s walkie-talkie technology that make it impossible to tell the difference between a sleeping baby and a crying baby. It all comes across as noise and static, which defeats the entire purpose.
Not so with this monitor. It’s a sleek, elegant white box with a high-resolution camera and sensitive, modern microphone. Even better: there’s an app that lets Mom easily watch the crib on her laptop or smartphone—with extended range via WiFi.
The unit even has a built-in nightlight with different color options depending on mood, plus a speaker so Mom can sing lullabies and whisper sweet nothings into her little one’s ears all night long.
For The Sporty Mom: Lucy Nightlight Jacket
Everybody wants to get more exercise; the problem for Mom is finding time to do it. Whether it’s the pre-dawn bike ride or the after-bedtime jog, more moms are working out in the dark—which can be dangerous.
The Lucy is a great solution. It’s a trim, warm, waterproof exercise jacket that has one critical safety feature: LED piping that lets vehicles spot Mom from up to 100 yards away. It also features removable sleeves for warmer-weather workouts.
For The Working Mom: Cobra Microport DC-AC Power Inverter
Life can be tough for the working mom, with long hours at the office and lots of business travel. The Cobra Microport is a cheap, simple device that can help her get more done on the plane—freeing up time for the family when she gets home.
Few planes are equipped with AC power supplies; one must use DC-style lighter sockets to charge a smartphone, computer, or DVD player. On long trips, this can be a disaster.
The Microport is a compact, lightweight power inverter that fits in the smallest of handbags. Just plug the DC jack into the lighter socket, and Mom can charge both a USB device AND a laptop at the same time. The unit even accepts two-prong and three-prong AC jacks, an added bonus.
It’s not the most romantic of gifts, but it can be a real lifesaver for the working mom.
For The Sentimental Mom: Sony DPF-D70 Digital Picture Frame
Let’s face it: Moms can never have enough photos of their beloved children. Prints can be expensive and a pain to crop and hang, so a digital picture frame is a great solution.
The Sony D70 doesn’t have all the social networking bells and whistles of other picture frames. But that’s OK; it’s a really good frame that delivers high-resolution photos with a hassle-free interface.
Mom just plugs in a USB drive or memory card from the camera, and the interface lets her choose whether to display full screen or cropped to fit the frame. She can browse through all the shots manually or set the frame to scroll automatically in slide show mode.
Happy Mother’s Day to all!