In an effort to help out our fellow last-minute shoppers, Matt, Jared, Graeme, Keith and I will each be spotlighting some of our favorite tech products this week. I drew Monday! Here’s a list of some of the gadgets and gear I use on a regular basis that would make good gifts:
Fitbit Ultra ($100)
When it comes to getting in shape, I’ll take the path of least resistance any time it’s available. I’ve been using the $100 Fitbit Ultra to help me get in shape lately. It’s a little doodad I clip onto my pocket that tracks the number of steps I take, the number of stairs I climb, and the number of calories I burn each day. It’s got a miniscule base station that plugs into my computer and serves as a way to recharge the clip, but also wirelessly uploads my activity data every time I get within a few feet of it. All that data gets uploaded to the Fitbit website, where I can log in and see how active I’ve been. I’ve set daily goals for myself—take 10,000 steps, climb 10 flights of stairs, travel a total of five miles, burn 2,184 calories—and when I log into the site, I can see how well I’m doing. I’ve found myself compulsively trying to hit my targets each day, so the system is working. If I’m feeling really ambitious, I can log my food intake, my weight, and wear the Fitbit to bed with an included wrist band to track my sleeping patterns. But even the most basic stuff that gets logged simply by wearing the Fitbit every day has been really helpful.
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Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse ($60)
Until Microsoft’s Arc Touch Mouse came along, I’d never met a travel mouse I didn’t want to leave behind on my way out of town. This mouse folds flat when not in use, and then pops up into an arc shape when you’re ready to get some work done. Unlike most other travel mice, though, the Arc Touch Mouse feels just about as comfortable as a full size mouse. The satisfying touch strip works well for scrolling up and down web pages, and the tiny wireless receiver thoughtfully sticks to the underside of the mouse magnetically while you’re on the go.
Keurig B60 Coffee Maker ($150)
Aside from the computers I use every day, our $150 Keurig B60 coffee maker probably does the most work out of any of our gadgets. This isn’t a great gift for the truly obsessed coffee snob in your life, but it’s a great gift for anyone who makes their own coffee every day and wants something that tastes better than standard drip machines can provide. Cleanup is the best part, too, since the machine uses single serve, no-mess “K-Cups” that are available in a mind-boggling number of flavors. The K-Cups aren’t cheap, unfortunately—they can run around 75 cents each—but the quality of the coffee and the hassle-free cleanup are worth it.
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NeatDesk Document Scanner ($400)
I hate, hate, hate dealing with paper receipts and documents, but I have to submit monthly expenses for work, and my shoebox marked “TAXES!” is just plain sad to look at every day—and exponentially sadder to have to dig through every April. So this year I finally caved and started using the $400 NeatDesk scanner. It’s expensive, but it’s certainly easy to use and I’m cautiously optimistic that it’ll save me a ton of time when I do my taxes. There are three scanning trays: one for documents, one for receipts and one for business cards. Scanned items get dropped into the straightforward Neat desktop software, where they can be categorized. The software uses optical character recognition to glean pertinent info from receipts (such as tips and totals), names and addresses from business cards, and makes text documents searchable. Data can be exported to Excel, Outlook, Quickbooks, TurboTax and other programs, though I wish there was a way to just store everything online. This system is screaming for cloud-based storage features, so hopefully something’s in the works. There’s also a $200 NeatReceipts scanner that’s more portable and powered by a single USB cable, yet features much of the same functionality as the NeatDesk.
Iomega SuperHero Backup and Charger for iPhone ($60)
Though much of its functionality took a hit when Apple rolled out iCloud, I still use the $60 Iomega SuperHero dock to charge my iPhone every night. Aside from being a handsome charging dock, the SuperHero pulls double duty by backing up my phone’s contacts and photos to a memory card inserted in the base of the dock. Iomega’s free SuperHero iPhone app handles the heavy lifting with a simple press of the “Start Backup” button when the phone’s docked.
Netflix Streaming Membership ($8 to $96)
I held off on ponying up for a Netflix membership until recently, but it’s been well worth it when it comes to watching TV shows. The movie selection leaves a bit to be desired, however (the selection of holiday movies, for instance, is downright silly). But for powering through an entire TV series (I’m watching The Kids in the Hall right now), the $8 per month has easily paid for itself in a world where per-episode downloads from other services run two bucks apiece. You can gift a membership to someone in one-, two-, three-, six- or 12-month increments ranging in price from $8 to $96.
Polara Ultimate Straight XS Golf Balls ($35 per dozen)
It’s frightening how well these golf balls—which appear to be an overpriced gimmick at first glance—work. The concept is simple: The golf balls are pocked with shallow, small and deep dimples instead of the same-size dimples you’d find on a standard golf ball. These offset dimples cause the balls to cut through the air with a much straighter trajectory. The company not only promises 75% straighter drives, but that otherwise wayward shots will self-correct instead of ending up over in the next fairway. I played a handful of rounds this summer with these balls and they definitely live up to the hype. They’re not tournament-legal, so don’t use them to cheat your friends out of money. If you’re having a terrible round, though, these things can brighten it up pretty quickly. The biggest downsides are that they’ve got a weird ball flight (not a whole lot of height), you’ll lose a bit of distance (especially on your drives), and they sound like you’re hitting a rock with a lead pipe. All minor quibbles for dead-straight shots, though.
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