TORONTO – With Mother’s Day just around the corner, you are probably searching for that perfect gift that will show mom just how much you love her – and while flowers and jewelry are great gifts, they are fairly predictable.
This year, why not give mom a tech-inspired gift that will last well beyond the weekend and help her embrace her tech-savvy side.
Wearable tech that doubles as jewelry
Wearable technology maker Misfit Wearables makes a line of jewelry that doubles as a fitness tracker and sleep monitor.
The company offers necklaces and wrist watches that allow the user to track their fitness level, calories burned, and even track their sleep patterns through the Misfit Shine app on iOS or Android. The pieces are waterproof – so you can wear it while swimming, or sweating it out at the gym.
Prices range from $19.95 to $129.99.
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Apple photo books and print products
If your mom isn’t into gadgets, why not use your own tech skills to make her a memorable gift.
Using Apple’s iPhoto, for iOS or Mac, you can build a customized hardcover photo book with photos with photos from your own library. The app provides basic templates to work from – all you need to do is drag in your favourite family photos or memories.
If you happen to have a scanner lying around, you could also scan some of the kids or grandkids best artwork and create a portfolio. Hardcover photo books range in price from $24.99 to $39.99.
Smart gardening tools
Let’s face it – mothers are busy and even if they are blessed with a green thumb they might not always remember to take care of the household plants.
The Parrot Flower Power is a wireless gadget that alerts you to when your plants need watering. Simply stick the wand into your flowerpot and the Bluetooth sensor monitors soil moisture, fertilizer levels, ambient temperature and the light intensity of the plant.
The device keeps track of the data on an app available on iOS and Android.
Available at Future Shop and Best Buy in Canada for $49.99.
Online magazine subscriptions
Online magazine subscriptions are becoming more popular are more users gravitate towards handheld devices like tablets. If your mom likes to read, why not get her an online subscription to her favourite magazine – or sign her up for a service like Next Issue, which will give her access to many of her favourites.
Next Issue offers subscribers access to more than 100 magazine titles, such as TIME and Vogue, for $14.99 per month. Users can access their “bookshelf” through the Next Issue app, available for iOS and Android.
The gadget to keep track of everything
What could be a better gift than the gift of time? Mom will be able to save time looking for her wallet, keys, or her entire purse by using Hip Key. The device clips on to whatever the user wants to keep track of – for example, their keys. If the keys go missing the user can use the app to set off an alarm on Hip Key to help locate them.
The device even has a “Child Mode” setting, which notifies the user if their child wanders too far away from them.
Hip Key is available for $59.95.
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