[New post] Stumped for a dad or grad gift? Tech to the rescue. Here are four suggestions.
gqlshare posted: "It's that time of year. College students are graduating, and your calendar has filled up with party invitations hosted by proud parents. Don't show up empty-handed.Meanwhile, Father's Day isn't too far off. Do you know what you'll get him?Tech gear tends " The Willits News
It's that time of year. College students are graduating, and your calendar has filled up with party invitations hosted by proud parents. Don't show up empty-handed.
Meanwhile, Father's Day isn't too far off. Do you know what you'll get him?
Tech gear tends to go over well, and I have four gadget suggestions that dads and grads are sure to like.
Studio Buds +
How about earbuds? Sure, you could go with Apple's AirPods, but consider the just-released Studio Buds + earbuds. These are good for just about anyone.
They come from Beats by Dre, which is owned by Apple, so the iPhone compatibility is there. The buds also are Android-friendly, and therefore good for those who prefer Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy phones.
You're sure to make a splash by getting the retro-looking translucent-gray variations of the Studio Buds +, but the black and beige versions are nice, too.
Choose the $169.99 Studio Buds + over the $179 AirPods for features such as active noise cancellation (to block out ambient noise so you can concentrate on your music or podcasts), transparency mode (to allow in ambient audio when being aware of your surroundings is vital), and four sets of silicone ear tips in different sizes for ear-canal sealing. These are capabilities found in the higher-end AirPods Pro, but those cost $249.
I find that Beats buds lodge more securely in the ears than AirPods, and are therefore less prone to popping out when you least expect it. But the Studio Buds + only charge via their case's USB-C port — you can't plop the case on a wireless charger, as you would with AirPods. Too bad.
Pixel Watch
Speaking of Android, Google now has an alternative to the Apple Watch. The Pixel Watch is a circular pebble that looks nice on any wrist (but it only comes in one size, 41 millimeters), has a refined interface, and is available in lovely colors such as black, champagne and silver.
Google Pixel Watch
The Pixel Watch has Fitbit fitness tracking (courtesy of Google's 2021 acquisition of the Fitbit fitness-device maker), which makes it stand out in a crowded Android-watch field. You have to pay a subscription to get every Fitbit feature, though.
Battery life is not great but performance is decent. The strap-attaching mechanism is a bit of a hassle, and a button on the watch is awkward to depress.
But the Pixel Watch is great for monitoring your health, keeping up with your notifications, gabbing with the Google Assistant, and taking phone calls if your phone isn't within reach.
Google doesn't have its own retail stores like Apple does, but you can order the watch on its website. Your wireless carrier is also happy to help; AT&T provided my watch loaner along with a Pixel 7 smartphone.
The watch starts at $349.99 for the Wi-Fi-only version, and goes up to $399.99 for a model with built-in 4G LTE. Six months of Fitbit Premium and three months of YouTube Music Premium are included.
SlimBlade Pro trackball
Using a computer mouse nonstop can lead to hand or wrist discomfort, and even crippling pain. Switching hands likely is not an option because most mainstream mice are not ambidextrous.
Enter Kensington's $119.99 SlimBlade Pro, which consists of a ruby-colored ball resting in a base with four huge buttons surrounding the orb.
Roll the sphere with your palm to move your on-screen cursor courtesy of optical tracking in the base's cradle. Customize the buttons for dozens of mouse actions. Twirl the ball with thumb and index finger to move upward and downward in a document or webpage.
The SlimBlade Pro connects to PCs and Macs via Bluetooth, with a bundled Wi-Fi dongle, or physically via a USB cable. There's a button on the side to toggle among four cursor-tracking presets.
Best of all, the SlimBlade Pro can be placed to the left or the right of a keyboard. Too bad Kensington did not include a foam wrist rest, as it does with an older, non-wireless Expert Mouse trackball issued to me by my employer.
Roost laptop stand
Hunching over a laptop can be, literally, a pain in the neck. Stands are the cure. The accessories come in all shapes and sizes, but do the same thing: raising the computer's screen to a more comfortable viewing height so you can work for hours using an external keyboard and pointing device.
Consider the $89.95 Roost. This stand's collapsible design makes it ultra-portable for use at the coffee shop or on a business trip instead of just at home or the office. Tucked into its vinyl sleeve, it could easily be mistaken for one those compact umbrellas.
When unfolded, it transforms into a sturdy platform for just about any mainstream laptop. The Roost provides seven height settings, and it gently but firmly grips a computer by its front edge so it won't topple off the stand accidentally.
The Roost weighs only 6.3 ounces. It might seem flimsy, but is made of glass-filled nylon that creator James Olander calls "the toughest plastic generally available. … The parts are optimized for maximum strength and stiffness (my background is structural aerospace engineering)."
The product includes a lifetime warranty and it has hundreds of five-star reviews on Amazon, Olander adds.
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