OUTSIDE THE BOX
Gadgetpalooza!
by Michelle Fitzhugh-Craig
I know, I know, it’s only been a few months since I shared my annual list of gadgets to gift friends and loved ones with during the holiday season, but I’m already at it again. Don’t you deserve to spoil yourself a little too? Well, I know I do. So, I began looking at some of the trending gadgets for 2024 and found items that will make any techie squeal with joy. Well, maybe not squeal. But if you’re anything like me, finding those “I don’t care if I need it. I want it!” gadgets is cause for excitement. The following is a sampling of gadgets that I would actually use—and a couple that brought back happy memories of when life was a little less serious.
JUST FOR FUN
We have all had those pressing questions: What time is it? What’s the current weather outside? What was I supposed to remember? Well, this new take on something old can answer them—and you do not have to use your phone to do it. Tidbyt is like having a mini marquee on your desk (or somewhere else you can easily see it), providing you with LED-lighted messages for that information you look for often. The message sign comes in a wooden enclosure and includes your choice of prebuilt apps, such as weather and calendar, and there are instructions to build your own apps with a few lines of code.
This retro-style message center is the brainchild of Rohan Singh and Mats Linander, tech experts who both once worked at Spotify and have several years of hands-on and management experience between them. “The original idea for Tidbyt was to make a device that simplified our morning routines,” the co-founders share on the website. The only time you need your phone to use Tidbyt is to set it up, and it works over Wi-Fi. It doesn’t run on batteries—you can use a USB-C cable and power bank if you want to travel with it. Apps and info you can display on Tidbyt include personal and transit schedules, calendars, news and sports, positive and fun messages, finance and crypto information, and health and fitness tracking.
WEATHER-READY
There is nothing worse than being in a rainstorm and having your umbrella go with the wind, turning inside out. TV meteorologist Rick Reichmuth knew the feeling, but reportedly could not find an umbrella that met his standards. Enter the Weatherman collapsible umbrella, which was designed to withstand winds up to 55 mph and is made from fast-drying, water-repellent material. It also offers UPF 50+ protection from the sun, an ergonomic handle, and a 360-degree reflective trim for safety in the dark. This easy-to-open, compact umbrella fits in a purse or backpack and stores easily inside your car.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
If a road trip is in your near future, you’ll want to make sure that your car has the right adapter to listen to your favorite music, to get some work in, and/or to keep the kids busy with games and movies. Combining old and new, the Baseus USB-C car charger 160W comes with three USB ports: One is a USB-C connector, which puts out 100 watts (enough to power up most laptops), along with a USB-A and second USB-C connector, which allow for rapid charging of many gadgets and devices through each 30W output. Whether it’s your Apple or Android phone, your Mac or PC laptop, or some other device, this fast-charging car accessory is built to not overcharge or overheat, ensuring several hours of wanderlust entertainment.
SAY CHEESE
If you want to keep your kids entertained—with minimal involvement from you—then this old/new/somewhere-in-between device is sure to do the trick. My past and current experiences with youth have even made me a little excited about this one. Instax’s mini Link 2 smartphone printer turns your favorite shots into tiny hard-copy prints to keep for yourself or share with friends. Using the free, downloadable app, you can print 2" by 3" photos and video still frames directly from your smartphone in less than 2 minutes. Sketches and handwritten text can be imported and edited into photos for added creativity, as well as stickers, emojis, doodles, and shapes—the last two using the printer’s INSTAXAiR feature. The printer comes in clay white, soft pink, and space blue.
WITH THIS RING
We have smartphones, smart homes, and … a smart ring? The Oura Ring is an innovative device that tracks your daily and nightly activity, all from your finger, to help you improve your life, mind, and body. At night, the ring provides you with a sleep score that lets you know how well you slept and can help you determine any causes of deficient sleep. During the day, it can detect activity of any kind automatically, making sure every move you make counts.
Sometimes, we don’t know how our heart is reacting to stress. The Oura Ring tracks the cycle of any anxiety in real time using your heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), and temperature. Wearing the ring gives people who have periods an easy and accurate way to monitor temperature changes due to hormone levels, which can help with better knowing when their menstrual cycle will start. In addition, the Oura Ring comes with a diverse selection of guided audio sessions to help the wearer meditate, sleep, focus, and more. |
MICHELLE FITZHUGH-CRAIG is an award-winning journalist who is the owner of MFC3 Media (