Recently I attended the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas where I walked miles each day to scout out the best new tech gadgets coming to the market. My purpose and focus for attending was to show you, my great readers, some of the latest technology that will make your life easier and perhaps add in a bit of fun! I’m a fan of top 10 lists so here’s a countdown of my Top 10 Family Tech Picks. Wait until you see number 1!
CleverPet (Spring 2016)
As a mom to a sweet, amazing labradoodle (Sophie) the first tech on my list is one I’m sure any dog owner will drool over. The CleverPet works by having you add your pup’s food serving into the machine and then your pet will have to learn how to master the light / paw touch program in order to get a little serving. According to Leo Trottier, one of the developers who I spoke with at CES, the system uses cognitive techniques to teach your dog, keeping their idle paws engaged. And hey, it even won the ShowStoppers LaunchIt competition! See more about CleverPet.
Kids Tech: Gemio – ROXs – VicoVR – Sky Viper
I just couldn’t leave any of these guys out, so they all made the list on my countdown together. Our kids are growing up as digital natives and I’ve started to embrace the fact that they might have cooler toys than I did as a kid. Ok, I accept it. Hitting my list for kids tech are:
HP Instant Ink (available now)
How many times have you run out of ink during a project, or harped on your kids to stop printing because you’re tallying up the cost of each of those coloring sheets, activity pages, and full color certificates? I used to stress about buying ink replacements because I could never remember what cartridge number to get and they always seemed pricey. Now we subscribe to the HP Instant Ink program and I don’t even think about it. I print what I want when I want and we’ve had our first refill subscription delivered to our door. If you’re due for a new printer too, you might even get three free months of instant ink with your purchase. A simple tech life fix for families. Check out HP Instant Ink here.
honor 5x (Jan 31)
I’ll be honest that I don’t know anything about how this brand performs since they’re new to the N.A. market, but a smartphone for $199 seems like a big game changer, and a possible answer for families needing an affordable smartphone. The design is beautiful and I’m just a little bit in love with the gold metal color! It’s got quite a few features that match or beat it’s pricier counterparts. See more about the honor 5x here.
myCharge (available now)
Every traveling family needs one of these portable battery banks. Depending on how long you’re out for the day and what sort of activities you’re using your phone for (i.e. photos, videos, apps) you can quickly suck back your smartphone battery. Or if you’re planning to work on the plane during a long flight you might not have power at your seat. But these nifty power banks can be carried in a bag and give you a quick recharge to finish out your day strong. And myCharge has the most amazing colors and prints, so you can find your fashionable fave. They even have rose gold! Check out what myCharge has to offer.
Whirlpool (concept tech)
I couldn’t resist including a bit of concept tech in my list. Before I get into that, first a shout out to Whirlpool’s new partnership with amazon dash for a subscription laundry detergent program as well as their charitable project that lets you donate to Habitat for Humanity every time you do a load of laundry; both pretty cool ways of improving the laundry chore. But it was their concept idea for a smart backsplash / interactive kitchen that I fell in love with. How cool would it be to have recipes ready to read while cooking, check to see what the weather is like, and have quick info about nutrition content at your fingertips?! I’m eager to see this concept become a reality and help my daily life. I see the family tech kitchen being a big area of growth in the next three to five years. See more about Whirlpool’s CES tech.
Smartwatches : Tag Heuer / Samsung Gear S2 (some available now)
Another situation where I couldn’t pick just one to talk about. My feminine heart had me crying out for the beautifully updated Samsung Gear S2 classic in rose gold, while I realize that the men in my life would think the Tag Heuer Connected smartwatch would look masculine, but still offer all the great interactive options of a smartwatch. So, they both are on my list at #4. From a usage standpoint, the Gear S2 classic moved it’s app navigation into a turning bezel dial which in my opinion makes navigation much easier. Check out the Tag Heuer Connected and the Samsung Gear S2 classic, Rose Gold.
Panasonic LUMIX ZS100 (mid March)
Targeted towards travelers, this camera has me pretty excited. Of course I need to hold it in my hands and see what the shooting is like, but give me an ultra zoom that can be thrown in my day bag and it’ll be on my wishlist. Matched up with the 4K video shooting, and this is definitely a camera to check out if you’ll be shopping for a new memory keeper! See more about the LUMIX ZS100.
Luma (available now)
This is a total life saver for families who are plugged in. Every day I’m stuck monitoring my girls to see if they’re sneaking screen time before chores, it’s exhausting. After seeing this product at ShowStoppers, I knew I had a solution! Luma is a smart wifi router with the goal of helping families have speed, security, and safety. The first step is to set up your network so every spot in your home has full power. Next up is the ability to see who is on your network, what your kids are currently looking at online, and limit the time and content access for each user. Parenting in the digital age just got a whole lot easier! See more about Luma.
Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator (Spring 2016)
My absolute FAVORITE find from CES 2016 was the Samsung Family Hub refrigerator. I cannot wait for this to hit the market and I’m already talking to hubby about bringing this piece of tech into our home. Have you ever wished your fridge could display your family calendar neatly, get messages sent to it, and order your groceries? This fridge will do that. Imagine a big, beautiful glass front tablet being merged with your refrigerator. It’s the ultimate dream for me as a busy mom! See more about the Samsung Family Hub.
Well, what do you think? Did I tempt your gadget-loving heart?