When we were tapped to share some gadgets on our holiday wish list we naturally included some of the things that help us work hard and play hard! We shared a few of our favorite gadget gifts with the anchors at KHOU this morning:
Jura ENA 9 One-Touch Espresso Machine |$1,499 @ Sur La Table stores
Coffee. Heaven. Even the most elitist coffee drinker will fall in love with the ENA. In one touch you can have whatever your caffeinated-powered heart desires. This machine makes lattes, cappucinos, espresso, or just a really great cup of joe with the help of a built-in milk frother/steamer. It even has a spout that’ll give you just hot water for your tea. It’s slim so it fits on the counter and doesn’t fill much space. And it takes instruction quite well: tell it how you like your coffee and it’ll remember it for you next time. Your coffee goes from bean to cup in less than 60 seconds (not 30 … my bad).
I don’t know how the rest of the office feels about getting one of these, but I’m all for it. The major selling point for me: we’ll never have to play “Guess How Fresh” when it comes to the mystery pots of coffee. (Dear Ed: we want one of these.)
Kindle Fire Tablet | $199 @ Amazon.com
Schipulites are big on reading. And we’re obviously big on technology. Those powers combined yield the Kindle Fire Tablet. It’s the only Kindle with a color screen, and it’s a touch screen at that. Right now if you buy the Kindle Fire Tablet, you’ll get one free month of Amazon Prime (not two…my bad again). This little gem is more than a device for reading books. It’s equipped with wireless access that let’s you surf the web, read and email documents, stream Netflix. Basically: AWESOME! Our operations manager Jonti lent us hers for the segment. She may have experienced withdrawals without it.
Go Pro Hero 2 | $299 @ Best Buy stores
For the life of me, my brain would not let me be great. I Rick Perry-ed the name of this camera and it’s a shame because it’s so cool. The Go Pro Hero HD 2 is small but it has a lot of spirit. Made for the adventure seeker in your life, this digital camera takes photos and records footage quite well. We’ve used this camera to capture our annual Plasma Car Races. We hop on child-size wiggle cars, bring our knees up to our ears, and push one another down the incline of our parking garage with the Go Pro strapped to the car or a helmet. Even if we eat it, the camera keeps rolling and our experience is preserved for the internet and posterity.
Parrot AR Drone (Quadricopter) | $299 @ Brookstone
Ohhhhhhh Shinnnnnny. Let’s cut right to the chase: it’s a helicopter with four propellers (so it’s really a quadricopter — really), and you can fly it with any Apple device that lets you download the free app. It has a camera that streams live footage of your flight. It’s incredibly stable. And you can fly it indoors because it comes with a protective foam bumber-thingy that pretty much makes it crash-safe. We have one now. Come by and fly it!
We didn’t list these on the show, BUT they’re awesome and on our wish list as well:
iPhone Telephoto Lens | $35 @ photojojo.com
Also, Photojojo needs your help! Please consider joining the Bone Marrow Donor Registry. Amit Gupta, founder of photojojo was recently diagnosed with acute Leukemia and is seeking a match for a marrow. Please consider becoming a donor and give the gift of life this holiday season.
Jambox Wireless Speaker and Bluetooth Speaker Phone | $199 @ Brookstone
What’s on your list…or what should we add to ours?