Having some of the most up-to-date, coolest tech in our household is basically essential as my husband loves technology and really cool things. Plus, we’re headed out on a big vacation soon so I’m really excited to share with you some of these things I found. They are going to be perfect for our excursion! Now I just need my husband to read these and take some hints.
Recently I had the opportunity to visit with Techlicious, Traveling Mom, and Consumer Technology Association, sponsored by the Hilton Salt Lake City Center, to see what they have this season for us and I was impressed. I currently have the Misfit Ray and am having a great time being able to finally know how many steps I take a day and how much sleep I’m getting at night. I’ve also connected with some friends making it much more interesting and as I’m competitive by nature, I just can’t let them win. Except some do and that’s going to have to be okay, I guess. It just pushes me to move more and go to sleep earlier each day.
Another tech & travel item that I found was this Knomo Elektronista bag. It was perfect. Not only was it so soft on the outside, it was so functional on the inside. There was a place for the family’s devices inside, phones, tablets, cords, and it was all so compact. This is a must-have for our next trip. It will keep everything safe and is small enough to wear around as we travel or to put into my carry on for the plane ride.
I’ve taken up doing my cardio at the local gym which has been great but if there’s one thing that drives me crazy, it’s when I have my phone on the treadmill, watching a show with my earbuds in and I accidentally hit the cord and my phone goes flying. I have to stop the machine, go find my phone, hope my machine isn’t one of those that resets immediately, and hop back on the machine and start from where I left off. I know, first world problem, but it drives me crazy. But that’s exactly why I am so excited about my new JVC Gumy Bluetooth headphones. I turn on my Bluetooth on my phone, connect the headphones, and I’m done! I can watch my shows and talk on my phone, all with a few simple clicks of buttons on the headphones. The set up is quick and easy and I couldn’t be more happy with them.
A couple of years ago, we were about to head out on a 12-hour drive to visit family for the holidays when we went downstairs and found out that our basement had flooded. We didn’t spend a whole lot of time in that room so we had no idea how long it had been like that (the kids said they noticed but thought it was normal … really? It’s normal to have soaking wet carpet?) but if we had had this leak detector product from Honeywell and Alarm.com, I think we would have known far in advance and wouldn’t have had to spend a few hours cleaning up the mess instead of hitting the road. It connects to your smart device to give you updated results.
Okay, let’s talk about a couple of my favorite items. When I’m traveling, all I want to do is take photos to remember the memories – the places, the things, and the people. The Panasonic Lumix FZ300 is perfect for those who love amazing quality, gorgeous photos. It’s got 4K, 12.1-megapixel, Venus Engine image processor (high quality images at a higher sensitivity), with up to ISO 6400 with higher resolution and superior reproduction. It also has a 25mm ultra wide angle to 600mm. I mean, seriously, if you’re wanting something to take some great photos, this is it.
My favorite item was the Fujifilm Instax Mini 8. It’s small but incredible. It’s great for kids but in all honesty, I want one. Take your photo and out of the camera will come a little mini picture for you to keep or display.
The last one that I want to show you is the HP Sprocket. You guys. It’s amazing. It takes your photos from your smart phone or tablet and turns it into sharable photos! It’s a compact printer with Bluetooth connectivity that lets you print off 2×3″ sticky-back snapshots. (Note to husband: HINT for Christmas!!!)
