Ten great Mom's Day gift ideas: Think tech!
Flowers always make a great Mother's Day gift, but if you want something a little more modern and a lot more unique, how about trying the hi-tech route?
On "The Early Show" Thursday, tech expert Katie Linendoll showcased ten devices moms are sure to love.
Photos: More great Mother's Day gift ideas
Kindle
$114 www.amazon.com
Katie's take: If you don't need all the extra bells and whistles like apps and music the Kindle is the go-to e-reader. Plus its super light weight at only 8.5oz but still can store thousands of books. Also as the summer approaches there is no problem reading in sunlight because it uses e-ink not an LCD screen. If mom's a reader she will love it.
Company Description: New, Lower Price: When you buy Kindle with Special Offers, you are getting the same bestselling Kindle for $25 less-only $114. Special offers and sponsored screensavers display on the Kindle screensaver and on the bottom of the home screen-they don't interrupt reading. Special Offers: You'll receive special offers directly on your Kindle. Examples include: $10 for $20 Amazon.com Gift Card. $6 for 6 Audible Books (normally $68). $1 for an album in the Amazon MP3 Store (choose from over 1 million albums). $10 for $30 of products in the Amazon Denim Shop or Amazon Swim Shop
Portable Photo Studio
Katie's take: People always ask me how to take good photos for sites like eBay and Etsy so they can sell their crafts - here is a solution that will allow mom to kick it up a notch!
Company Description: If you've ever bought anything on eBay, you've probably seen more than a few blurry, out of focus and poorly lit product shots. Hand-held digital cameras in shaky hands, too close so that the flash blows out huge white flares and casts harsh shadows everywhere... What do you do when you come across an auction with photos that look like that? You move on, that's what. That guy just lost a sale. Not because his product was inferior, but because his photography was full of lose. What he needs is a way to stabilize his camera, and improve the lighting, making it brighter and more even. The difference between an eBay auction that makes money and one that doesn't is a professional light-box. Pros use lightboxes to give their product shots a nice white background, diffusing lighting and reducing the harsh shadows that make your product shots amateurish and cheap. We've also included two super-bright compact-florescent lights to further light the scene. Also, to stabilize your camera, we've thrown in a mini-tripod. This little extra stability improves the blurry jitters your pics can sometimes get. So, you've got better lighting, and extra stability - how else can we improve this little photo-studio? Make it portable! Everything you see here fits into a zippered nylon bag. Go to your friend's house and shoot pictures of his memorabilia without having to take it home first. Not only can you become an eBay power-seller, but you've got a budding photography business ready to go. Includes- Collapsible photo lightbox, 16 inches cubed. Two high-output table-top 35 watt photo lights. 6 inch to 7 inch extension mini-tripod. Zippered nylon carrier, 9 inches by 4 inches by 8 inches.
iPom
$80 www.speakal.com
Katie's take: You will be surprised at the sound quality this pumps out. Perfect for connecting an iPod to and jamming out in any room.
Company Description: Plays music from USB Memory stick or SD card or any other music device that has a 3.5mm output, such as iPods. Humanized Touch Volume Control and music control. 3 Speakers positioned for maximum sound separation and distribution. 12W Subwoofer. Total output of 18 Watts. Airflow optimized design for consistent sound performance. Bass Reflex Technology. 3.5mm AUX input jack to connect to TV, Gaming Console or other music sources such as iPod
Electronic Butterfly in a Jar
Katie's take: The perfect "thinking of you gift"! It's nostalgic and a bright addition to any desk.
Company Description: Each Electronic Butterfly in a Jar is a jar with a wire in it. The wire has a fake butterfly on the end. Somehow, when you tap the top or make a loud sound, the electronics in the cap make the wire wiggle. This creates the very realistic illusion of the butterfly flittering around your jar. It even just stays on the glass and flexes its wings sometimes. There is absolutely no way you can look at a Electronic Butterfly in a Jar and not smile. It is like having a piece of magic nature on your desk that defies death. Pick your favorite butterfly flavor (or collect the whole team) and get ready to feel good when you marvel at your Electronic Butterfly in a Jar. Note: Cats are insanely attracted to this toy. To ensure the safety of your four-legged friends, please ensure this glass jar is in a location where they can't knock it around and break it.
Water Bobble
Katie's take: The lavender Bobble was created just for Mothers Day. This is a practical must that allows mom to have filtered water anywhere she goes whether its the office, the gym or while traveling. Plus if there is a little one in the household she can pick up the Baby Bobble too!
Company Description: Ready to break your plastic water bottle habit but not quite sold on straight municipal tap? Filter your own bottled water with the patented Bobble Water Bottle. An active carbon filter eliminates toxins and harmful chemicals such as chlorine and other organic contaminants from the water as you sip. The filter itself lasts for about two months, or at least 300 fills, and is both replaceable and recyclable through the Bobble Recycling Program. What's more, the bottle is made entirely of recycled FDA-approved PET that is free of BPA, PVC, and Phthalates and is 100 percent recyclable in most areas. The Bobble uses active carbon filter technology to remove unwanted contaminants from your drinking water so it meets the standards of NSF International Standard 42, the standard that governs the quality of public and private drinking water. How it works is simple, really: as you sip, the water passes over the carbon filter where the negative ions of the contaminants are drawn to, and captured by, carbon granules. The result? Filtered water free of chlorine and other common organic contaminants--with no resulting plastic water bottle waste.
AT&T's Mifi & Clear Hotspot
prices vary
Katie's take: What good is a lugging a portable laptop if you can't stay connected to the web wherever you are? Plus purchasing a hotspot can pay for itself if you are a frequent traveler as hotel wi-fi can be up to $15 per day!
Company Description: AT&T's Mifi: Make the world your hotspot. MiFi 2372 allows you to stay connected to the people, places and information that are important to you. You can even share your connection with others. Go quickly: With a qualifying DataConnect Plan MiFi 2372 connects you to the Internet on the nation's fastest mobile broadband network* from AT&T. Take it easy: With no software to install, setup is fast and simple. And it's easy to add almost any Wi-Fi enabled device. Share the wealth: Up to five users or devices can connect to MiFi 2372, making it the perfect companion on-the-go. Look good: The sleek design is easy to carry and looks good anywhere, from the board room to the coffee shop. Bring your passport: MiFi 2372 allows you to stay connected globally with data roaming in more than 200 countries.
Clear Hotspot: Welcome to 4.5 ounces of pure 4G speed. Spot is your own personal wi-fi hotspot that gets everything out of your data-loving device. Everywhere you go in CLEAR coverage. You'll never have to go on a search expedition for a coffee shop connection again.
VuPoint Magic Wand Scanner
$100 www.bestbuy.com
Katie's take: An easy way to digitize old photos, receipts or even important documents. Plus it makes sharing easier too - think about scanning old photos and giving them to your family members via email.
Company Description: Scan documents, photos, newspaper articles and more with this portable scanner that features a microSD slot that supports microSD media cards up to 32GB. Optical Character Recognition software is included to convert and export scanned files for editing.
Mint Automatic Floor Cleaner
Katie's take: Why clean the floors when a robot can be doing it for you? The Mint is a hard surface floor cleaner that gets around --- literally, via GPS. And it couldn't be simpler to use- three buttons; power, sweep and mop. Plus it uses regular disposable Swiffer cloths or microfiber clothes so you're not forced to search for any one specific cleaning solution.
Company Description: The Mint® Automatic Floor Cleaner uses the NorthStar® Navigation System to determine its location then builds a map of the area as it cleans, including walls, obstacles and drop offs. Mint® starts by cleaning open areas, then follows with a perimeter sweep along the edges of furniture and walls for a complete clean. When Mint® is finished cleaning, it returns to where it started and parks itself so you know right where to find it. Smart sensors help Mint® slow down before bumping walls and furniture, detect areas that are too low to enter, avoid area rugs and avoid falling down stairs. The special mopping motion gets deeper dirt and grime off your floor and PerfectEdge™ technology cleans along edges and walls. Mint® delivers whisper quiet operation and cleans up to three hours on a single charge. Includes charger, two dry microfiber cleaning cloths, one wet cleaning cloth, NorthStar® Navigation Cube, and two C batteries. UL listed.
Custom-made shoes
$125 www.miadidas.com
Katie's take: It's all about personalization. Sit down with mom and create her a fresh new pair of kicks that she can walk around in - in style!
Company Description: Customize your cool. Ventilated Climacool keeps your feet dry. Mi adidas makes it yours. (With personalized embroidery available.)
Custom-made EVERYTHING
prices vary www.custommade.com
Katie's take: A cool way to get a good deal on custom pieces from furniture to wine racks to jewelry. And it supports local artists!
Company Description: The world's most talented craftsmen and creators are here to customize anything you are looking for, from a unique bed to a one-of-a-kind wedding ring. You know exactly what you want, all you have do to is ask.
More from www.custommade.com