Holiday Tech Gift Guide

The holidays are again right around the corner, and tech items are those gifts that everyone loves and will use, possibly more than you’d like! Here are my favorite items that I have used and can recommend without hesitation.

27” iMac with Retina 5K Display

The newest iMac goes beyond the retina displays of the MacBook Pros, iPad and iPhones, jumps over 4K televisions and introduces the first 5K display for consumers. This means that the screen has 14.7 million pixels, compared to the average 1080p Hi-Def TV that has 2.05 million pixels. The sharpness of text and images on the iMac is simply incredible. It’s a computer with a display for editors, designers, and photographers, and anyone else that appreciates being ables to see lifelike detail on their computer screen.

The new iMac starts at $2500.
store.apple.com

Belkin WeMo Light Switch

For an easy introduction to home automation, Belkin’s WeMo line is a good place to start. The WeMo Light Switch connects to your Wi-Fi network and can be controlled using a smartphone or tablet with an accompanying app. Installation is quick and relatively easy if you’ve ever changed a light switch, and setting everything up is a breeze.

The WeMo’s controls are simple and straightforward. You can turn the light on or off using the app’s On/Off button, or you can create a set of rules to turn the light on or off at a certain time of day. If you have location services enabled on your device, you can set the light to switch on at sunset and turn off at sunrise, or vice versa. Of course, you can always use the WeMo as a traditional switch by pressing the rocker panel.

The Belkin WeMo Light Switch is $49.
wemothat.com

iPhone 6 & 6 Plus

The newest iPhone models were released in October, and if you’re due for an upgrade with your carrier, you can’t go wrong with either model. The new iPhone 6 includes an 8MP camera with a better sensor that will take better photos than the iPhone 5. The iPhone 6 Plus features Optical Image Stabilization that minimizes shakiness for better quality photos and video. Apple Pay in the new models will allow you to pay for things with the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6

Plus, using credit cards securely stored in encrypted code on the phone. The Phone 6 models are now available with up to 128GB of storage, and the 64GB model is now $100 cheaper. Touch ID is the fingerprint sensor inside the home button, it provides added security and convenience for purchasing and protecting data on the phone. The battery life in standby mode is 10 days for the iPhones 6 and 16 days for the 6 Plus.

iPhone 6 starts at $199 and the 6 Plus starts at $299.
store.apple.com

CrashPlan online backup

I have written about the importance of backups in the past, and CrashPlan is an inexpensive way to backup off-site with great service and features. With truly unlimited backup (it even backs up connected external drives!) and 448-bit encryption, it is both convenient and secure. An App for smartphones allows you to access files stored on CrashPlan’s secure servers from anywhere in the world. The initial backup may take a few weeks to upload, after that it runs every hour when your computer is online. In case of a disaster, you can download files from their server or they will ship you a hard drive overnight for an additional fee.

CrashPlan starts as low as $4 per month for one computer, or $9 per month for up to 5 computers.
code42.com

iPad Air 2

The most noticeable thing about the latest iPad models is their weight and size. Just 6.1 mm thin and weighing just 0.96 pound, it is the thinnest tablet Apple has ever made. They have the same fast A8X chip and M8 motion coprocessor that are in the iPhone 6 models. The 8MP camera offers 1080p HD video recording (at 30 fps) and even slow-motion recording (at 120 fps).

The Touch ID allows both unlocking the iPad and also payment options for the iTunes store and inapp purchases. iOS 8 allows more continuity between your devices and
Apple computers.

iPad Air 2 starts at $499
store.apple.com

Blendtec Blender

If I hadn’t seen this myself I would not have believed it. This is the best blender I have used, and is included here as Kitchen Tech that will be used daily for smoothies, juices, soups, shakes and even baby food! The Blendtec will act as a substitute for other small kitchen appliances like mixers, food processors, and even coffee grinders. The 13-amp, 1,560-watt motor and 90 fluid ounce jar mean that you can make a lot of almost anything you want to put into it, and it still fits under a counter! To see the blender in action blending iPhones, hockey pucks and even Nike tennis shoes into dust, visit willitblend.com.

The Blendtec Total Blender Classic WildSide starts at $399.
blendtec.com