Author: Mario Armstrong

Gift Guide: Tech Stocking Stuffers

by Mario Armstrong

In my mind, stocking stuffers are small(ish) gifts that aren’t going to set you back more than say, $30. These are great gifts to if you have a Secret Santa or White Elephant at work, or if you just need to get a little something to say thank you to someone. Let me know what you think, and definitely leave any suggestions for additions in the comments! Also make sure to check out my other guides! I’ve got great tech gifts under $50 and great tech gifts under $100.

Sugru Tech Gift stocking stuffer
Sugru repair rubber

Sugru: $18

Have you seen this stuff? It’s blowing up on Pinterest right now. It’s kinda like the magic putty from those as-seen-on-TV commercials, except that it works and people LOVE it. Basically it’s a soft putty you can use to fix all kinds of stuff (it sticks to most metals and plastics) that will then dry and keep its shape. They call it a “self-setting rubber” but it also seems kinda like magic. From sugru.com

 

 

Foldables tech gift guide stocking stuffer
Sample Foldable

Foldables: $8 with holiday discount

Maybe you’re thinking, “What the heck is this thing?” and you’re right, there’s no real point other than that it’s cool. Basically, it’s like a cardboard action figure that looks just like you (or someone else). You design it, and can either present it to someone already assembled, or let them have some crafty fun putting it together. From foldables.me

 

 

 

Chocomize custom chocolate bars for holiday tech gift guide stocking stuffer
Customized holiday chocolate

Chocomize: Starting around $5

Customized chocolate bars!? Yeah, I can think of a COUPLE people who’d like to get this. You pick a chocolate bar (milk, dark, white) and then add custom candies, nuts, flavors and toppings, even gold flakes! You can make it festive, too, with Santa faces and a Merry Christmas message if you want. Best part? You can order one for everybody, or several of the same if you need a gift for lots of people (say, in your office).  From chocomize.com

 

Tattly robot temporary tattoo holiday stocking stuffer
Temporary robot

Tattly Temporary Tattoos: $5 and up

For the kid in your, your friends, or maybe even your actual kids. Created by amazing blogger and designer Swiss Miss, aka Tina Roth Eisenberg, Tattly.com specializes in fun, designy, temporary tattoos. Many of them are hand-drawn, and they’re all fun. They start at $5 for a set of two with free shipping anywhere in the United States. There are also gift sets done up in paper and ribbon that are $25 and come with 12 different designs. More from tattly.com

 

 

robot headphone splitter tech gift guide stocking stuffer
Robot!

Robot Headphone Splitter: $14.50

OK, speaking of robots, there’s this headphone splitter. A headphone splitter just lets you plug 2 sets of headphones into one device, so 2 people can listen AND watch at the same time. This is a standard headphone jack, so it will work with just about any device, from your laptop to your tablet to your smartphone. Comes as a keychain to make it hard to lose! It’s $14.50 from FredFlare.com.

 

brit + co touchscreen glove kity tech gift guide stocking stuffer
DIY touchscreen gloves

Touchscreen Glove Kit: $9.99

We showed you a pricier pair of touchscreen-compatible gloves in our Guide to Tech Gifts Under $50. This kit is $20 cheaper, but it’s designed to let you make your own! It comes with one pair of gloves, conductive thread, and needles to do your own sewing. Plus there’s enough thread to do a pair of gloves you already own, so it’s almost like a 2 for 1 deal. Great for someone who likes a little bit of entry-level DIY crafting. $9.99 from Brit + Co.

 

 

Carbots tech gift guide stocking stuffer
Carbots with iPhone controller

Carbots

Here’s another completely NOT practical BUT super fun gift. Carbots are the new version of race cars! You can drive or race them, but there’s no battery-powered controler. Instead you control them right from your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch or Android phone or tablet. There’s also battle and shooting mode, if racing isn’t enough for you. Plus the cars recharge by USB, so you don’t need to buy a lifetime supply of AAA batteries. $30 or 2 for $50 from Brookstone.

Kids Tablets make perfect Holiday Gifts

by Mario Armstrong

A lot of people have been asking me this holiday season about kids tablets, and what kinds of tablets are appropriate for what age group.

With my own kid Christopher (check out the pic of him to the right!) I kept him on kids tablets & his Nintendo DS until he was 8, and then moved him up to an iPad. Just because he was wearing suits didn’t mean he was ready for the real deal right away! But more than anything else, this decision depends on your own child’s maturity level. If your children are comfortable using your iPad or Kindle already, then that’s a good sign they could handle a “real” tablet on their own. Generally, I’d recommend kids tablets for 3-8, and anything older than that I’d recommend you start looking at fully-featured tablets.

But keep in mind that the Kindle, NOOK and iPad will require you to carefully set-up and manage parental controls! For the most worry-free tablets for kids, with strong, built-in parental control options, check out the top three models I’m recommending below:

Nabi 2 ($199.99 at Walmart and other retailers)

Nabi 2 Android Tablet for Kids!

My #1 rec for an Android tablet for kids. Keep in mind, this tab is truly designed for the younger kids. It has features like a curated app store that is approved by moms. This is definitely a fantastic starter tablet.

· Super fast

· Integrated learning system called Fooz Kids University

· Unlimited streaming for $2.99 a month of the Best of Cookie Jar Kids Shows.

· Nabi Sync allows the child to sync up with the family PC or Mac to download music, photos and more.

LeapFrog LeapPad 2 ($99 and up, Walmart and Online)

LeapPad2 tablets in Pink & Green

While not a general-purpose tablet like the other models I’m recommending (this runs its own software, not Google’s Android), I like the LeapPad2 because it’s specifically designed around learning, not entertainment. While the learning games come at a somewhat steep cost compared to many iPad and Android apps (expect to pay around $20 for a learning game based on, say, Dora the Explorer or Cars 2), these games are designed by educators specifically to help kids learn while they play.

– No worries with Parental Controls! The LeapFrog LeapPad2 is a kids-only tablet. The only content available is kid-safe, no need to worry about your kids getting onto the unfiltered web

– Features front and back cameras to allow your kids to become lil’ filmmakers!

– Kid-friendly, durable design

Kurio World Tablet ($144.00 at Walmart and other retailers)

Kurio World Tablet, an Android tablet for Kids!

For a slightly cheaper option, check out this Android 4 tablet for kids. It has all the things you would expect in a tablet like, music and video players, front and rear facing cameras, e-reader, educational entertainment and gets has access to apps and games like Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Fruit Ninja and more!

· Parental Controls are huge! Parents can define what type of internet access is available to their child.

· Parents can control how much time their child is allowed to use the device.

· Parents can manage what apps are available.

Snowflake Wrapping Paper image by =Tom= used under a Creative Commons license.

Tablets and Laptops for the holidays!

by Mario Armstrong

Here is a quick rundown on some tech that may be great for the small business owner. I ran thru the Staples store and jotted down some picks that you should check out and see if they are right for you.

For those of you moving to Windows 8 for the 1st time, one of the things you’ll notice at the store are all the “8 Was Easy” signs. This is basically a program which helps you move to Windows 8, without the stress. You can get free personalized training on the new OS, and with the purchase of a computer that goes for $699 or more, their certified Microsoft advisors will transfer your data from the old machine to the new one, no strings attached!

I always tell people go in to the store and test drive the devices and compare them for yourself. If you haven’t used Windows 8 yet, I’d strongly recommend you try it on both a touchscreen and non-touchscreen device before buying. While you may not know if you want a touchscreen device yet, after trying one out you may be singing a different tune.

Since there are so many different types of tablets, laptops, and in-between devices on the market these days, it’s hard to know what to buy. I’m going to make it easy for you by talking briefly about a few of the choices I found at the Staples store:

Lenovo ThinkPad Twist

Lenovo ThinkPad Twist in Action

It’s a laptop… no it’s a tablet… wait, it’s a Lenovo! The Lenovo ThinkPad Twist is a unique laptop because when you need to take it on the go but keep working you just twist the screen around and BAM! You suddenly have a tablet computer in your hands. You can check out my Tech Tip Tuesday video to see it in action—you really won’t believe what a unique device this is and how it bridges the gap between laptop and tablet until you get into a store and try it for yourself though!

Samsung ATIV Windows 8 Tablet

The Samsung ATIV Windows 8 tablet runs an Intel Atom processor, so that means a lot of benefits, like long battery life and no noisy fan. Plus, you can buy a keyboard dock the tablet snaps into and suddenly you’ve turned this tablet into a laptop with a full keyboard and mouse! How cool is that?

HP Envy 4

HP Envy 4 Ultrabook

An Intel Ultrabook-branded laptop at a budget laptop price? Yup! That’s the sub-$700 HP Envy 4, a lightweight and portable machine that will handle almost any task you throw at it, from business work to playing movies or games. Now, because it’s a budget machine, there are some sacrifices you have to be willing to accept. First up, there’s a traditional hard drive in this machine, not an ultra-fast SSD like in some other Ultrabook models like the Sony I talk about below. While that won’t impact gaming or video editing performance, it will mean that the computer is slower to boot up and that apps will launch slower than on some other, more expensive machines. Also, there’s no touchscreen on this one. So you’ll want to go into the store and try it out before deciding if this is the Ultrabook for you.

Sony T13 Touch Ultrabook
This is a touch screen with a screaming fast latest-gen Intel Core i5 processor, a 32GB SSD for Windows & Apps, a 500GB standard hard drive for all your documents, photos and music. 6 GB of RAM, an HD webcam, and of course, the beautiful touchscreen round out the package. With an attractive aluminum lid and awesome Sony style, this is an Ultrabook that makes sure you have it all, and is available for under 900 bucks!

Nexus 7 from Google

Google Nexus 7

While not a Windows 8 device, it’s hard to argue with this Android tablet’s $199 starting price tag. The best made 7” Android tablet on the market, this guy is perfect for working through your email, handling some light editing on documents or spreadsheets, or even just playing a game or watching a movie while traveling. While not a replacement for a laptop by any means, this little guy is a great companion to any of the machines I’ve talked about above.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Hey readers, this is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a gift, a payment or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I have tested personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Tech Gift Guide: 10 Great Gifts Under $100

by Mario Armstrong

This is my roundup of great gifts under $100. I hope there’s something here for everybody. And if you find this inspiring, or have questions, feel free to ask in the comments – I’m happy to try to help!

 

instacanvas
Instacanvas by @gilliancclarke

Instacanv.as: $39.99 & up

A great way to take your Instagram photos offline, either on canvas, as a framed print, prism, greeting card or iPhone case. Custom-designed iPhone cases start at $39.99, while a 16″x16″ stretched canvas is $60. If you want to give a personal, thoughtful gift, you really can’t get any more personal than this!

If you don’t feel 100% on your artistic choices, you can also choose from the photos of others as a great way to give  custom art at a very reasonable price. More at instacanv.as.

 

Amazon Kindle
Amazon Kindle – $69

Amazon Kindle: $69 & up

Most of the big-ticket gadgets, like tablets and e-readers, are well over $100. Amazingly, the basic Kindle model starts at $69 for the model with special offers, or $89 without, so it’s a great way to gift the latest tech without spending a fortune. The basic model has built-in Wi-Fi with no light, but if you want to go a little over, the Paperwhite illuminated Kindle starts at $119. Either way, you get access to all of Amazon’s ebooks, and many libraries are beginning to provide ebooks too. For more, see my hands-on video with e-readers or compare at Amazon.

 

 

Duracell Powermat
Duracell Powermat

Duracell Powermat: $99

The Powermat is a charging system that does double duty. First, it’s a mat you can set your phone on so it will charge wirelessly. But second, it’s a backup power source you can take with you to charge your phone. We like it so much that we hosted a party with Powermat! This is a great gift for anyone with an iPhone (prior to iPhone 5) or Samsung galaxy Siii. Trust me, they’ll use it. The complete charging system is $99 from Duracell directly.

belkin ipad cabinet mount
Belkin iPad Cabinet Mount

iPad Kitchen Cabinet Mount from Belkin: $49.99

If you know anyone who cooks from their iPad, this is a great gift! There are tons of awesome cooking apps for the iPad, but if you’re in danger of getting sauce on your iPad it’s not worth it! The cabinet mount keeps your iPad up off the counter, safely and securely, at a height that makes it easy to use to the tablet as a cookbook. It’s $49.99 from Belkin, a company know for their great tech accessories. You could also pair it with these $20 iPad sleeve protectors from Brookstone that repel liquid for the whole tech-cooking package!

Eye-Fi Pro for Streaming Photos from Camera to Phone or Tablet
Eye-Fi Pro X2

Eye-Fi Wireless Memory Card: $99

Sometimes it’s the little things really make you feel like you’re living in Star Trek or something. These memory cards work just like a normal SDHC card you’d put in your camera, but they use wireless connectivity to automatically send your images to your laptop, phone or tablet. In turn, that frees up more space on the memory card for more photos and videos. The Pro model is worth the slightly higher $99 price for increased storage space (16GB) and additional features like geotagging and RAW file uploads. Make sure to double check camera compatibility with Eye-Fi’s camera checker.

 

Little Pocket Book Pad and Quill
Little Pocket Book from Pad and Quill

Little Pocket Book for iPhone 5: $59.99

The idea is pretty simple: an iPhone case combined with a wallet that works for men or women. The outside looks like a notebook, while the inside has leather in custom colors, depending on what you like. It’s handmade of leather and wood in Minnesota by Pad and Quill, and while it’s not cheap at $59.99, that’s actually not bad for a wallet AND an iPhone case in one!

Oregon Weather Station
Oregon Weather Station

Oregon Scientific Weather Station: $99

Weather stations are serious fun and are great for anyone with some outdoor space that geeks out over the weather. This weather station is advanced enough to give you plenty to fiddle with, but at $99 it costs way less than similar pro models. It does rainfall measurement, barometric pressure readings, atomic time, moon phases and more. It’s a high enough level that your lucky recipient can even become a weather station for weather underground.

 

apple magic trackpad for $69
Apple Magic Trackpad

Apple Magic Trackpad: $69

This is great for relieving mouse fatigue! It’s so easy to use, and takes a lot of the stress of your hands at a desktop or laptop. Generally Apple recommends these for use with desktops, but there’s no reason not to use it with your laptop too, since it easily pairs with both. A great way to avoid carpal tunnel, or at least those hand cramps.

 

Logitech T650 Wireless Trackpad from Staples
Logitech Wireless Trackpad from Staples

Logitech T650 Trackpad for Windows 8: $59.99 at Staples

No reason for Mac people to be the only ones who get to skip the mouse! This trackpad is great for Windows 8, makes using the new tiled interface even easier, and recharges via USB so you can stay wireless most of the time. A really nice trackpad really is a great experience that beats even the nicest laptops, and the Logitech is one of the nicest. A great upgrade for the laptop power-user in your life.

Sony sweat-proof headphones for sports
Sony Sport In-Ear Headphones

Sony Sport Headphones: $89.99

Headphones are crazy, because you can spend anywhere from $15 to $300 on a pair. But what I like about these Sonys (the XBA-S65) is that they are water and sweat-proof! After you work out with them you can actually wash them to get the sweat off! And they’re designed to stay put, so your don’t have to spend all your workout time trying to put your earbuds back in. They may not sound quite as great as a $300 ear-covering model, but they’re still noise-canceling and are a great choice for anyone who likes to exercise.

Desktop or Laptop? Which to gift this holiday season (Staples Tech Tip Tuesday Episode 4)

by Mario Armstrong

So, you’re buying a computer for a family member or even a friend this holiday season, but you’re not sure if they need a laptop or a desktop computer? In this video, the fourth in the Staples Tech Tip Tuesday series, I take a look at the latest models of both and help you decide.

PLUS, we’re giving away a  Sony T13 Touch Ultrabook to one lucky follower on Twitter tonight! Here’s how to enter:

1. At 7PM eastern TONIGHT tune into my Twitter @MarioArmstrong by clicking here. Make sure you’re following me or else you won’t be able to win!
2. I’ll explain how the contest works, but basically, you have to answer ONE question on Twitter and use the hashtag #StaplesHoliday in your response.
3. One lucky winner will be going home with the Sony T13 Touch Ultrabook!

So what are you waiting for? Follow me on twitter here and join us at 7PM Eastern time tonight for your chance to win!

Tech Gift Guide: 10 Great Gifts Under $50

by Mario Armstrong

When it comes to tech, less expensive gifts may be less obvious than the big-ticket items like laptops and tablets. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t tons of great gifts out there! Here are a few of my favorite gifts that won’t break the bank:

 

iphone cable trigger for hands-free iphone photos
iPhone Cable Trigger – $23.00

iPhone Cable Trigger

Here’s why this is cool: you don’t have to touch your phone to take a photo. That means if you’re taking a picture in low light, the extra stability will make the the photo less blurry. And if you’re taking a video, you won’t have the initial shakiness when you start or stop recording. And it’s only $23 from PhotoJoJo, a great price for a fun gift. Plus you can use it with the fam over the holidays!

 

 

ihome rechargable mini speaker from staples
iHome Mini Speaker

iHome Rechargable Mini Speaker

This speaker is small, but surprisingly loud for its size! It’s rechargeable from USB, and can be used with anything that has a headphone jack, like your laptop or smartphone. It’s not going to power your home theater setup, but it’s great for both portability and price: it’s on sale right now for only $14.99 from Staples.

 

 

 

Blurb Book of Instagram Photos
Custom Blurb Book of Instagram Photos

Custom-Printed Book from Blurb.com

Blurb specializes in helping you bring anything and everything you can imagine to life as a book. But what’s cool is that you don’t have to get 10,000 copies: you can get 1 printed as a special gift, or print up a cookbook for everybody in the family. Books are hardbound with as many pages as you like, and there’s even a feature for Instagram or Facebook photos. PERFECT for newlyweds, the grandparents, dedicated bloggers or aspiring photographers. There are tons of configurations, so the price will vary depending on what you choose, but you can make a hardcover 8×10 book starting at only $19.95.

outlet with usb chargers
Outlet with USB Chargers

Dual USB Outlet

So it can be hard to buy something for a gadget geek who has everything. Or seems to. That’s why this gift is great: everybody’s got devices that can charge with a USB port, but almost nobody has one built into the wall. With the right cable (that a gadget lover will already have) you can charge almost anything with this wall outlet, without a special adapter. Installation isn’t rocket science, and it’s only $24.95.

 

 

made in maine front-pocket rfid blocking wallet
RFID-Blocking Front Pocket Wallet from Rogue Industries

Rogue RFID-Blocking Wallet

Many credit and debit cards now come with RFID chips that let you touch to pay instead of swiping. Problem is, RFID tech is vulnerable to scammers who use special scanners to steal your credit card info from inside your wallet. So the hot new accessory is a wallet that will block those scanners, like this made in Maine Front Pocket Rogue Wallet for $40. Yes, you could just wrap everything in tin foil, but a roll of Reynolds is probably not the best holiday gift choice!

 

gloves for the iphone
Agloves

Agloves Touch Gloves

These gloves are special: they have silver in them. Thanks to the magic of physics, that means these gloves will work on any touchscreen. Plus they have small textured rubber grips to help you hold on that fancy touchscreen device so you’re not DROPPING expensive tech. The gloves are $29.99, but that’s way cheaper than replacing an iPad Mini with a busted screen!

 

 

 

Moleskine style iphone case
Little Black Book for iPhone Case

Little Black Book iPhone Case

It’s kind of amazing that the big selling point of iPhones is how well designed they are, but then we cover them up with these cases that are anything but aesthetically pleasing. That’s why I love the Little Black Book iPhone case: it’s got the right level of design-savvy and quality to match the iPhone, and I love the Moleskine look. Plus there’s the convenient interior pocket option, plus customizable colors. It’s just NICE! $39.99 from Pad & Quill.

 

 

Roku Box

Roku HD
Roku HD – $49.99 (on sale!)

Streaming media in HD for under $50? Yeah, obviously a great gift, right?! The Roku Box hooks up to your TV to let you stream Hulu, Netflix, Amazon instant video, Pandora and more right to your TV. Normally the HD model is $60, but right now Roku is offering the HD box for $49.99. Unless you know somebody already has a Roku, or doesn’t have a TV, this is a great gift that can work for anybody, and doesn’t require them to pay extra fees once they have the box!

 

Near Field Portable Speaker
iFrogz Near Field Portable Speaker

iFrogz Near Field Speaker

This speaker is another portable and affordable option that runs off either AAA batteries or USB. But what’s really cool about this particular speaker is that it uses Near Field to work wirelessly with your speakers, so all you have to do is set your phone or tablet on the speaker to play music. It’s faster and easier than bluetooth, because you don’t have to pair the device to the speaker. It’s only $24.04 on Amazon, and eligible for Amazon Prime, so no worries about this one getting here on time!

 

lightning to 30 pin adapter for iphone 5
Lightning Adapter for the new iPhone 5 and iPad

Lightning Port Adapter

Know someone that was NOT HAPPY when Apple updated their dock connector? Given how angry people were, you probably do. A great gift for that person is a Lightning to 30 Pin Adapter to make new iDevices compatible with old accessories. Think of like the tech equivalent of buying someone socks and underwear: it’s practical, it’s useful, and you can never have too many. And some people LIKE getting socks and underwear for  Christmas! It’s $29 from Apple.

Holiday Podcast 1: How to select the right laptop or tablet for your family

by Mario Armstrong

This week on the Staples Holiday Podcast I’m taking a look at laptops and tablets and helping you how to figure out which will make the best gift for your family this holiday season. And remember—every week as part of Staple’s Tech Tip Tuesdays, we’re giving away a great tablet, laptop, or other piece of tech to help you out this holiday season! Read More

The Best Tablets and e-Readers (Staples Tech Tip Tuesday Episode 3)

by Mario Armstrong

This week on Tech Tip Tuesday, I take a look at the top e-readers and tablet computers from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Want to know how they compare? Check out the video above!

And of course, what’s a Tech Tip Tuesday without an awesome giveaway? Tonight we’re giving away the KINDLE FIRE HD!

Here’s the contest info:

1. At 7PM eastern TONIGHT tune into my Twitter @MarioArmstrong by clicking here. Make sure you’re following me
2. I’ll explain how the contest works, but basically, you have to answer ONE question on Twitter and use the hashtag #StaplesHoliday in your response.
3. One lucky winner will be going home with the Kindle Fire HD 7″ tablet!