TECH NOW: Tech gifts for every kind of mom
Flowers are nice and all, but according to the myriad of women weighing-in on my Facebook feed, what we all want most this Mother's Day is quality time with family, a massage, or a great new gadget just for us (bonus points if the gadget makes our lives easier — freeing up more time for that massage). Here are some of our not-so-obvious tech picks for all kinds of moms.
HELP MOM GET HER OM ON:
1. Spafinder, widely considered the most comprehensive collection of spas from around the country, can help you book a special day of pampering at more than 20,000 locations. Set it all up for her by picking out a gift card, customizing it, and printing it out with zero waiting. I'll — I mean "she'll" — totally love it!
BETTER THAN BREAKFAST IN BED:
2. Giving mom a break and whipping up a delicious, gourmet meal on your own can be seriously intimidating, but Plated will make it a lot more manageable. Plated delivers virtually everything you need to create a restaurant-quality meal in your own kitchen without ever visiting the grocery store. The perfect portions of fresh produce, spices, and even perfect cuts of meat arrive on your doorstep along with easy-to-follow cooking instructions. Prices for Plated start at $15 per serving.
Speaking of deliverables, check out RocksBox for unlimited jewelry and Birchbox for trendy, high-end beauty products. These range in price from $10 to $60+ a month depending on whether you buy a subscription or just a one-time special box.
FLAIR FOR FASHION TECH
3. If Mom is a techy fashionista, Acoustic Research has a line just For Her. Featuring gadgets with a flair for color, style, and pattern, like a purse-shaped speaker that streams music from up to 30 feet away, flowery Bluetooth speakers, or a portable battery pack that looks like lipstick, she'll have the hottest gadgets in hand while keeping it stylish. Prices range from $30 to $80.
FOR HER OWN SWEET HEART:
4. For the health-conscious mom, the Jawbone UP24 lifestyle tracker comes in bright new spring colors like persimmon, pink coral, and lemon-lime. The UP24 tracks sleep patterns, steps, and calories burned, while syncing to a companion app on a smartphone or tablet. As an added bonus, for every UP24 band sold in the next month, Jawbone will donate $15 to the Every Mother Counts foundation. The cost for this magical gadget is $150.
A ROBOT FOR THE DIRTY WORK:
5. There was a time when giving a woman a vacuum cleaner for Mother's Day might get you clobbered – not anymore! The Moneual Rydis H68 Hybrid robotic vacuum and mop cleans both carpets and hard floors all on its own. It learns the best paths for each room it tackles, hitting all the nooks and crannies. It even docks and charges itself when it's running out of juice, making it well worth the $500 price tag.
MOM-ERICAN IDOL:
6. She's already your idol, but now your beloved mom can be her own American Idol, too! From the creators of Guitar Hero comes the Singtrix high tech Karaoke machine that makes
bad singers sound great and great singers sound amazing! It automatically corrects singing foibles and flaws, and turns Mom an instant rock star. It comes with 300+ effects covering every genre & generation of music, from Taylor Swift to Elvis. $345 is a small price to pay for a golden voice and hours and hours (and hours) of entertainment in your own home.
CAPTURE HER SOCIAL CONNECTIONS:
7. If your Mom's active on Facebook — that is she regularly posts photos and updates her feed — you can get her a photo album called My Social Book. It's an attractively designed photo album of her Facebook history, complete with photos, posts, and comments from as far back as 2007. The high-quality books start at $44 and let you customize how much, or how little you want put in.
NEW MOM MAGIC:
8. For new moms, Mamaroo is just plain awesome. It bounces and sways in multiple directions to mimic how you move when holding your baby, and has soothing built-in nature sounds. It can even connect to your iPhone, and it comes in cute patterns that new moms will love. For the healthy price-tag of $220, at least it's a real lifesaver for the first several months of motherhood, during those moments when you need two hands — and a moment of peace.
ODDLY AWESOME EDIBLES:
9. A photo is worth a thousand words, but Cocoagraph makes a photo worth a thousand bites. The amazing edibles service will accept any photo and turn it into a delicious chocolate snapshot that mom will love. Mom might not want to eat her kids' faces, but perhaps photos of the garden is a fun substitute for flowers; or get the kids to make artwork that says "I love you mom." Of course, you'll still need to photograph it before you eat it. Cocoagraphs start at $14.
DIY MOM MUST HAVES:
10. Want a more personalized touch this year? Go with a one-of-a-kind commemorative smartphone case from Casetagram covered in photos of you together and great moments from the past, all for $35. It has a great DIY touch, and you can include a special note with your customized gift to let her know that, above all, you love her and appreciate her. Include a do-it-yourself free musical e-card from Shuttersong to add a little extra something for her to smile about. The Shuttersong App lets you record and send a card with voice, sound or music — think selfies of you and Mom with a loving message, a special picture of her and her family with her favorite song, or a throwback shot with a silly note.
No matter what you choose, Moms always love gifts with some thought, and these are sure to please even the mom who has everything. Happy Mother's Day!
Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech contributor and host of USA TODAY's digital video show TECH NOW. E-mail her at techcomments@usatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter: @JenniferJolly.