The Gift of Tech

The consumer marketplace is a-buzz with brands eager to ease and enhance your holiday shopping cycle. With so much to choose from amid an influx of innovation, here are a few notable solutions that exemplify ingenuity, foster personal empowerment, allow you to vote your values with your wallet...or even all of the above.

 

 

Here’s a cool way to make every day easier – and your home smarter: the Lenovo Smart Display. Stylish and easy to use, this device will be there to help, inform or entertain – anytime. Use it to streamline your tasks so you can spend more time on what matters most, like catching up with friends or having some quality “me time.” The Lenovo Smart Display does more than typical smart speakers thanks to a brilliant touchscreen, that’s available in 8” or 10” options. You can also do it all hands-free, using only your voice to ask your assistant questions and command it. Just utter the phrase "Hey Google" to get started. You can check your morning commute or the weather, and to stream music, radio and YouTube videos. Use it to browse your Google Photos, video call friends and family, bring up a recipe and so much more. You can also customize your routines for any scenario and set up voice match for a more personalized experience.

 

 

 

A great way to effortlessly view your past memories with your loved one, family and friends (and those yet to come) is with PhotoSpring, which is no ordinary digital photo frame. This one displays photos and videos as a frame, while also letting you browse through them like an album. No time to organize your visual content? PhotoSpring’s leading-edge technology automates the overwhelming task of bringing your memories into view. The device automatically collects and displays your photos from different devices. 

 

Since PhotoSpring is always on, you can enjoy your images effortlessly, all throughout the day. You can also view memories as they happen, as photos and videos taken from your smartphone can be instantly displayed on your PhotoSpring, or shared to other PhotoSpring frames wherever they may be. Also portable, you can enjoy photos anywhere you go – simply pick up the frame from its stand and take it with you to share with family and friends. PhotoSpring even works with photo sites like Google Photos and Flickr.

 

 

 

Those indelibly on-the-go will love Cauldryn. This heated, battery-powered mug keeps your coffee, tea, soup and other liquids at your selected temperature all day long, making each sip perfect. Pick any temperature from room temp to boiling, and Cauldryn precisely maintains it thanks to its 10-hour battery life. Use the arrow buttons on the bottle to set your temperature, or use the free phone app to control it from a distance. The app also features one touch settings for brewing green tea or cooking freeze dried food. And, Cauldryn’s modular design means the battery and heating element are removable for easy cleaning.

 

 

 

If you’re a karaoke entertaining enthusiast, singer/songwriter, DJ or band seeking a rechargeable and portable PA system (or know one that is), then the Drifter solution from audio leader VocoPro is a great choice! Its groundbreaking convertible design compresses line array speakers into a rechargeable, 120-watt, all-in-one karaoke and PA system. Tower-style, line array PA systems offer better coverage of sound, but have traditionally been very expensive and out of the reach of many singers and bands, until now. VocoPro’s new Drifter brings the portability and power of this type of system at a lower price than previously available in the market. It features a four-to-six hour rechargeable battery, so the unit can be placed anywhere either with or without electrical outlet. It also has a multi-color LED light with on/off switch that dances to the beat of music. Users can enjoy hours of music entertainment from the unit’s built-in USB MP3 player, FM and line inputs, while Bluetooth allows users to access thousands of karaoke songs on YouTube via any smartphone or tablet. Drifting away from the norm, this stellar piece of audio equipment will soon drift its way into your favourite place of entertainment.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

As the Executive Editor and Producer of “The Luxe List,” Merilee Kern is an internationally-regarded consumer product trends expert and hospitality industry voice of authority – a travel, dining, leisure and lifestyle expert who spotlights noteworthy marketplace innovations, change makers, movers and shakers. She reports on exemplary travel destinations and experiences, extraordinary events and newsworthy products and services across all categories. Reach her online at www.TheLuxeList.com.