For the true Star Wars fan: The Levitating Star Wars Death Star speaker is strong with The Force. It hovers over a magnetic base while playing music. Designed to look like the iconic Death Star, it provides up to 5 hours of playback on Bluetooth and can be used as a portable speaker without the base. $179.99
Available at Plox.
For the animal lover: Petcube started out with the original Petcube to snap photos of your pet while you’re away. The newest generation of Petcube includes 1080p live video streaming, night vision and a laser pointer toy to use to play with pets remotely. $199
Available at Petcube.
For the workout fiend: Kinivo’s foldable headphones are wireless and sweatproof as well as being rechargeable. They last 25 hours on a full charge and have hands-free calling with the music automaticalliy pausing for an incoming call. $44.99
Available at Amazon.
For the Alexa fan: Opt for the smaller Echo Dot that debuted in September and you can expand Alexa coverage to any room in your house. It comes in black or white. $49.99
Available at Amazon.
For the security minded techie: There’s a plethora of home security cameras on the market and Blink’s comes with free cloud storage and HD video through the Blink mobile app. In October, Blink announced that its systems are fully integrated with Amazon Alexa-enabled devices including Amazon Echo, Echo Dot and Amazon Tap. Pricing starts at $99 for a one-camera system.
Available at Blink.
For the runner: Jabra’s newest earbuds, the Jabra Elite Sport, are wireless and work for up to 9 hours on a single charge. They are sweatproof and waterproof and include an integrated heart-rate monitor. They also work as a headset for making calls, with built-in noise reduction technology. $249.99
Available at Jabra.
For the home-based techie: Luma is a home Wi-Fi system with style. It can be placed in multiple rooms in your house to eliminate dead zones. It works with an app to grant access, create security policies and even pause the internet when needed. From Nov. 20 – Dec. 3, a Luma 3-pack is on sale for $299 and a Luma 2-pack is $249.
Available at Luma.
For the retro Jetson’s fan: This robotic assistant was a hit on Kickstarter and just went on sale today on Amazon. It has a unique one eyed camera design that can abstractly mimic human eye expressions. It’s an interactive AI robot with biometric recognition. It talks, sings and does an “eyeball dance” when music is played. $199
Available at Amazon.
For the musician wanna be: Smart Piano’s portable keyboard can allow someone to play piano for the first time in minutes, with 61 keys that light up to show where to press. It has a mobile app that provides sheet music, games and video lessons. $299.99
Available at Smart Piano.
For the classic watch fan: The Emporio Armani smartwatch is a stylish design that provides notifications as well as sleep and activity tracking. $295
Available at Emporio Armani.
For the TV junkie: Slingbox M2 gives access to live and recorded TV content from a home DVR on an iOS or Android smartphone, tablet or laptop with no monthly fees. $99.99
Available at Slingbox.
For the cosplay fan: Ultra Sabers has a range of light sabers, including custom models. Channel your inner Kylo Ren with the Renegade (seen here). It’s $289 with sound. For a soundless version (but really, what’s the point in that?) it’s $224 including the $10 fee for blue, orange, green or red LED lighting.
Available at Ultra Sabers.
For the backup junkie: MEEM’s memory cable is a simple way to backup a smartphone. As soon as you plug it in to charge, it automatically backs up. $49.99 for 16GB for an Android device, $69.99 for a 32GB version for the iPhone.
Available at MEEM.
For the fashion-forward techie: Ringly’s new Aries Collection includes bracelets that connect with your phone and track steps, distance, and calories burned. You can also receive mobile alerts on the bracelet through vibration and subtle light patterns. They include semi-precious gemstones for a stylish integration of technology. Bracelets: $245-$265
Available at Ringly.
For the stylish professional: Ringly’s new Aries Collection rings connect with your phone and track steps, distance, and calories burned. You can also receive mobile alerts on your ring through vibration and subtle light patterns. They include semi-precious gemstones for a stylish integration of technology. Rings: $195
Available at Ringly.
For the fishing fan: The iBobber is modeled after the classic red/white fishing bobber, weighs 1.7oz, and connects via a free app available for iOS and Android smart devices using Bluetooth 4.0 or higher. $89.99
Available on Amazon.
For the performance fiend: The beast Sensor is a gym and strength wearable that is designed to optimize athletic performance by tracking each lift performed at the gym. Developed by strength coaches and aerospace engineers, the sensor is magnetic and can be attached to barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells or gym machines and to the body itself for performing free weight exercises.
The device uses algorithms to measure velocity/performance, tracking and providing recommendations via a companion smartphone app. $249.99
Available at Beast.
For the golfer: Blast Golf 360 has a Bluetooth motion sensor to analyze and record putts and full swings for up to 8 hours. Includes analysis of golf metrics such as swing speed and loft and lie to identify trends through stats and graphs. $149.95
Available at Blast Motion.
Teena Maddox is a VP at Brodeur Partners. She is a former Associate Managing Editor at TechRepublic. Teena's lifelong journalism career has included writing on staff for publications including People magazine, W magazine and Women's Wear Daily.
