By Katy Garcia | [email protected]
Copyright 2016 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Depending on when you’re reading this there’s still time to order something online and have it delivered by Christmas Eve.
Technology is once again the most popular gift category with drones, streaming gadgets, home audio systems and connected home gadgets are topping many lists this year.
We’ll be counting down my favorite new tech gadgets of 2016 that includes toys, smart home, audio and virtual reality.
Here’s my list of Top 10 Tech Gadgets of the year.
#10 Sleepace Nox
This is a connected bedside lamp that can be controlled through a smartphone app. The Nox helps you fall asleep, wake up easier and will track your sleeping and breathing patterns through the night. The Nox is bright enough to light up your side of the bed for reading but when you’re ready to go to sleep, the Nox will turn from a bright white light to an amber color. This, many scientists believe helps the body release melatonin which is a natural sleeping aid.
You can also choose a relaxing sound such as a fireplace, rain or waves. Once you ‘tell’ the light you’re ready to go to sleep the app begins tracking your movement and breathing and when it determines you’ve dozed off, the light will go dim and the relaxing sounds stop playing. The Nox also wakes you up to your set alarm but instead of a loud buzzing, the Nox will sound like chirping birds (or another sound you choose).
The Nox monitors your breathing to determine when you’re at the lightest point of sleep and sometime within a given window of your alarm, the light grows bright and the sound of birds is loud enough to wake you.
The Sleepace Nox is $149.99
#9 There seems to be hundreds of different bluetooth speakers and my favorite of 2016 comes in at #9. The House of Marley Chant is a wireless, portable audio speaker with some of the best bass I’ve found in a small speaker. It is shaped to fit in a cup holder, is made of recycled PP composite and is waterproof. The Chant Sport BT is $79.99
#8 Filmmakers have begun to take the iPad Pro seriously for it’s high quality video camera and many of them are using the Padcaster to give the tablet more versatility as a filmmaking tool. The Padcaster is a camera rig for the iPad Air and Pro that allows the videomaker to attach professional camera lenses, microphones and lights. A wide-angle lens attached to the Padcaster’s frame changes the scale of video shot on an iPad making the video look much more like film. The Padcaster can be attached to a tripod. It’s a rugged piece of equipment that protects the iPad as you shoot. Padcaster also offers lenses, lighting, microphones and clips that will attach other accessories to the Padcaster frame. The Padcaster frame is $189.99
#7 Streaming devices have changed how Americans watch tv. Amazon’s Fire Stick , Apple TV , Roku and Google’s Chromecast will stream video available online onto any television. Users can watch Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and other streaming services. All of these streaming devices are similar and any of them make a great gift. Prices are the most distinct difference. The Chromecast is only $35 (on sale now for $25) while the Apple TV is $149.99.
#6 Philips Hue LED White Starter Kit is a good place to start for anyone wanting to begin turning their house into a smart home. The Hue White Starter Kit comes with two bulbs that fit into any standard light socket, and a hub or bridge that connects to the home’s wi-fi router. Once installed you can control the lights from your smartphone whether you are nearby or on vacation. The bridge also works with other Hue lights such as a multi-color light strip and flood lights.
These are 5 of the top tech gadgets of the year. On Tuesday we’ll have Jamey Tucker’s top 5!
Links
Sleepace Nox http://www.sleepace.com/en/nox.html
House of Marley Chant
https://www.thehouseofmarley.com/audio-systems/chant-sport-portable-audio-system.html
The Padcaster https://padcaster.com/
Amazon Fire Stick
https://www.amazon.com/All-New-Fire-TV-Stick-With-Alexa-Voice-Remote-Streaming-Media-Player/dp/B00ZV9RDKK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482112872&sr=8-1&keywords=fire+stick
Apple TV
http://www.apple.com/shop/buy-tv/apple-tv?afid=p238%7CsT6Gw4K9e-dc_mtid_1870765e38482_pcrid_166022134240_&cid=aos-us-kwgo-btb–slid–product-
Roku https://www.roku.com/index
Google Chromecast
https://www.google.com/chromecast/tv/explore/?utm_source=en-ha-na-sem&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=tv&dclid=CJfNg5-V_9ACFdIBgQodmOQIcQ
Philips Hue White Starter Kit
http://www2.meethue.com/en-us/productdetail/philips-hue-white-sk-a19
Copyright 2016 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
