The holiday shopping season is upon us—and therefore, so is Black Friday, the biggest shopping sales day of the year. Tech is becoming the go-to-gift for many people. Tablets, eReaders, cellphones, Bluetooth speakers—they are all great for anyone…even grandma and grandpa!
Perhaps the biggest new trend is wearable tech. Wearable techs are gadgets that you wear and can track your every movement. You can grab a Fitbit Flex or a Nike Fuelband and monitor the calories you burn, or the number of steps you’ve taken. Or, you can get a smartwatch that can performs some of the same functions, but can also relay your text messages and your missed phone calls right to your wrist.
If you’ve got a big bookie or movie buff in your family, opt for an eReader. A hot device to consider is the Nook, which is perfect for replicating the experience of reading a paper book. If you want a more multimedia experience, you can go with an iPad Air, Kindle Fire, or any of the Android-based tablets.
If you’ve got a family member or friend in the market for a new cell phone or an upgrade, now is a very good time to buy. Most of the cell phone carriers are offering the typical lower initial cost if you sign up for a two-year contract. And, if you don’t know if your gift recipient wants another two years on that contract, many cell carriers are offering a new pay-over-time plan, in which you pay the full cost of the phone in increments over a longer period of time.
Smartphones that you want to keep an eye out for? The iPhone 5s and 5c, of course; the Windows Nokia Lumia 1025, known for its amazing photo capabilities; and for Android lovers, the hot phone (which seems to change every month) is the HTC One, which is beautifully designed (nice hardware is hard to come by) and will soon run with the most recent Android OS, KitKat.
If you’ve got some music lovers on your hands, you might want to consider a portable Bluetooth speaker. The old fashioned method of having a stationary stereo system is so out. Now, if you have a party on the deck, you can literally grab the speaker (such as the Jambox) and bring the party outside merely by pairing your smart phone or your computer to the device and pressing play.
