Holiday tech gift guide: The Do's and Don'ts of using smart gadgets for your home
From SodaStreams and coffee makers to robot vacuums, there are a lot of smart gadgets for you home out there. Fox News delivers the do's and don't of buying and using those gadgets for your home.
The halls of the holiday season are typically decked with family, fun, and GIFTS. A lot of those presents will likely include technology that can streamline your life in a myriad of ways. From smartly lighting up rooms throughout your home to brewing and grinding your coffee at any time of day, here are a few gifts to give a loved one – or yourself!
1. AURA DIGITAL FRAMES
The number of photos you snap on your smartphone can be overwhelming, but Aura has created a way for you to seamlessly enjoy all of your selfies with the company’s digital frame lineup and app. Aura delivers on its ‘smart’ Wi-Fi photo frame with the highest screen resolution of any digital frame in the marketplace.
The Aura app lets you choose which photos you want to appear on your frame, and then they appear with NO memory card required. A fun feature of the frame includes ‘gesture control,’ so if you aren’t in the mood for the photo you’re looking at, you can simply wave your hand in front of the frame, and the photos switch. No sweat if you’re worried about being energy conscious too, there’s an auto-dimming feature with an auto-sleep setting so the frame will not be scrolling through pictures at night.
Price: Range from $250-$399, available at auraframes.com
2. EUFY ROBOVAC 30C
Clean up messes, maintain your already-clean home, and endlessly amuse your furry friend with the Eufy RoboVac 30C. The Eufy 30C is powered by an app remote control that enables a multitude of convenient features such as weekly scheduling and ‘find my robot.’ In addition, you can integrate the EUFY 30C with your smart home since it connects to Wi-Fi. It has Alexa and Google Assistant Voice Control integration, making it compatible with most major smart assistants.
Price: $299.99, available on Amazon.com and eufylife.com
VACUUMS FROM ROBOTS TO STAND UPS: HOW DID THE TECHNOLOGY EVOLVE?
3. GOURMIA GCMW4750 COFFEE MAKER
For a beverage that no one wants to wait for, Gourmia has you covered in multiple ways. The company’s GCMW4750 COFFEE MAKER is all-in-one and combines a coffee grinder and brewer to deliver the fresh coffee to start your mornings on a fresh foot. The coffee maker’s program button will let you program your coffee, even when you’re snoozing.
Price: $139.99, available at www.gourmia.com
THE ORIGINS OF COFFEE: HOW A PAPAL DECISION AND A FAMOUS TEA PARTY GAVE THE DRINK A BOOST
4. PHILIPS HUE SMART COLOR LIGHTS
Philips Hue delivers an easy way to light up the dullest room in your house (and/or light up that special mirror you may or may not use for Instagram photos). The Philips Hue app controls the Lightstrip Plus, which makes the lights convenient for even the most hard-to-reach places. The app allows you to change brightness, and color directly, which is also ideal when there’s a particular mood or scene you’re trying to set.
Price: $69.99, available at www2.meethue.com
5. SODASTREAM FIZZI ONE TOUCH
Watch your water carbonate within seconds and never be without a vodka-soda mixer again with Sodastream’s Fizzi One Touch. The Fizzi gives you three choices of carbonation levels with a slimmer make than previous SodaStream machines. The machine is easy-to-use from loading to operating and that makes it a great gift for hosts of all ages.
Price: $129.99, available at sodastream.com
Emily DeCiccio is a producer for Fox News Digital Originals. Follow her on Twitter @EmilyDeCiccio.
Get a daily look at what’s developing in science and technology throughout the world.