Tech Gifts for Mom (RJR's Tech4Life)

For all mothers do, it is a shame that they only get one day of recognition.  But, children, sisters, brothers, and other loved ones can certainly try to make that one day special with a gift of technology.  After all, you can't really expect Mom to splurge on herself can you?

The best tech gift for mom isn't guided by what's hot, fresh, new or discounted.  But rather, the best tech gift for mom is guided by her appetite for tech.  But, whether she's a newb or mastermind, there is a gift for her.

Go mobile!

Mobile phones, tablets and laptops are a great accessory for every kind of mom.  Busy moms will love the apps and featured designed to streamline various daily tasks.  Retired moms will love the to look at photos or join in video calls with the grandkids.

Her learning curve and preference will help you decide whether to go with a  Windows, Android, iOS or Blackberry device.

Go home

If there is a chance that your mom's home is her favourite place for relaxation, then perhaps a smart TV is  your best gift bet.  Beyond HD, smart TVs are internet connected to bring real power to on board apps like Facebook and Twitter.  Mom can switch effortlessly between Netflix or YouTube or cable while searching for recipes all on one living room centre piece.

Go healthy

If the idea of mom being lazy in front of the TV is not your thing, why not encourage her to get healthy.  Why not accessorize mommy with a wearable fitness tracker.  They work better with a companion smartphone, so check out the compatibility with moms existing handset before purchase.  Or better yet, buy her a new phone with the smart watch.

Of course, she will need a place to work out.  For that, consider a connected treadmill complete with WiFi and Bluetooth to monitor movements and share successes with other moms online.

Just remember, its not the size of the gift that reflects your love for mom, but rather, the thought that racks up points ahead of your siblings.  Ultimately, the best gift for mom may just be sometime with, well, you.

RJR's Tech4Life airs every Wednesday morning at 8:15 am

Christmas Tech Shopping Tips - Entertainment

The perfect Christmas gift is something the recipient will love and treasure everyday while still being affordable for the giver.  Tech gifts are perfect for Christmas, if chosen wisely.

There are countless gift options in a wide range of categories for the novice to the savvy including:

• Entertainment
• Mobile Computing
• Gaming
• Home, Car and Personal
• Connectivity

Entertainment
Jamaicans live to entertain and be entertained.  We like movies, TV and especially music and we like it all loud enough to entertain the neighbors not just next door, but down the block as well.  Thanks to Courts and Flow, it may well be a merry Christmas.

From the affordable to the luxurious, headphones, component sets (stereo systems) and flat screen TV’s are all great gifts.

Courts offers a range of iSound headphones to suit every taste.  Trendsetters like Beats by Dre.  Another option is House of Marley headphones; they are environmentally friendly, have great sound quality and are inspired by the life and legend of Bob Marley.


Just about everyone can use a good set of headphones so that they can enjoy their music, podcasts, audio books or really just about any sound, privately.   But when being really loud is actually the preference, a component set can deliver clear sound across a room, or across a neighborhood, if desired.

Clearly, sound quality is the first and most important determining factor, but also consider enhanced features like iOS docs for seamless iPhone, iPod or iPad integration, USB playback of music on flash drives and wireless connectivity via Bluetooth or WiFi for cord free streaming to remote speakers.

A flat screen TV is a sizable gift - from 16” to 60” - but a well received one.  To compliment the wide range of component sets at Courts, the retailer also has on display a wide range of TV’s.  Samsung is the hot brand, with Sony and LG also offering excellent options.

Forego the expensive and unnecessary 3D options and look for smart TV’s with internet connectivity, popular apps pre-installed and USB playback to transform the TV into a large photo album.

For bonus points, get USB drives as stocking stuffers.  And like batteries for toys on Christmas morning, consider giving the gift of connectivity and HD cable.  After all, what is the point of having an HD TV without HD content or having a smart TV that doesn’t have internet access.  Thankfully, both issues can be solved with gift certificates from Flow.

Tech 4 Life airs every Wednesday morning at 8:15 am on RJR 94 FM.