1. The super sleek Oura ring , which connects to their smartphone to help monitor their sleep, heart rate, and various fitness goals. It's much more subtle than a bulky smartwatch, so they won't mind keeping this on 24/7. Heads up: The brand recommends buying the Oura sizing kit for $10 first to figure out which size works best — so you might want to gift the kit now to figure out the sizing! Either way, you'll get a $10 credit back for the purchase of an Oura ring! Promising review: "First of all, I love it and never leave reviews. But this needs justice. It looks like a regular ring; nobody would be able to tell the difference. The sleep tracking is super accurate, showing REM, light, and deep sleep, plus heart rate and temperature. The subscription is $6 a month, which is completely worth it, in my opinion. You get detailed info on stress, recovery, and even tips for staying in sync with your body’s natural rhythm. It’s lightweight, water-resistant, and comfy enough to wear 24/7. I never take it off. It charges extremely fast, and the battery life is amazing—I only charge mine once a week." — Ethan A. Get it from Amazon for $349 (available in sizes 9–15 and six colors). 2. A magical pen so they can bring their artwork to life in 3D! It's like Harold's purple crayon, except this hopefully won't get a terrible live-action version starring Zachary Levi. Aspiring artists can load the pen with one of the included colored sticks (they're made of plastic filaments), then press the button to release the moldable plastic and create a 3D masterpiece. Their parents might just want to get in on the fun, too! The kit includes the pen, two refill packs, an activity guide, USB cable, and a doodle pad. Promising review: "I will be the first to admit that I thought this was going to be a novelty toy that my kids used once (then it would fall by the wayside). I mean, it’s basically a glorified glue gun! To my amazement, my kids can’t get enough of it. They fight over it. They use it every single day. To be fair, there is no way a kid can make anything like the examples on the box. I realize their projects aren’t going to make it into a fine art gallery, but it keeps them busy and creative. They fix toys with the doodler and are convinced it is a magical tool that can solve any problem. I never imagined I’d be giving this 5 stars, but whoever thought of this device is a genius (and clearly knows kids better than me!) " — Casey C. Get it from Amazon for $32.99 . 3. A pair of AR sunglasses , which is basically a personal wearable TV screen only they can see. It connects to their smartphone, tablet, or laptop so they can see a projected version of the display through the glasses without having to look down. Their neck will be so grateful. It includes buttons to control brightness and focus levels. This works with most USB-C devices right out of the box, though an adapter will be needed for iPhones with lightning ports. Promising review: "I loved my first pair of VITURE glasses, but the latest iteration has blown me away! The image on the screen is even better than the original and I feel like you can really tell a difference at the edges of the screen. I’ve used them for hours at a time and have found them to be exceptionally comfortable. They have definitely helped with neck and back pain from looking down while working with a laptop in my lap. I also find them to be a great option when I need to work on a plane. I avoid the painful and awkward neck gymnastics when I try to work without them because I no longer have to lean down to try to see the screen that’s canted at a weird angle because of the seat in front of me. Another bonus is the privacy they afford while working in crowded public spaces." — James Get it from Amazon for $499 . 4. A digital notebook they can use again and again. The LCD display acts just like normal paper when they use the included stylus, so they can write to-do lists or doodle whatever creation pops into their head. Once they're done, they can hit the "erase" button to clear the "page." It's basically like an adult version of a Magna Doodle, except they won't be embarrassed to use this in a meeting. Promising review: "The boogie board is a great tool for anyone looking to save on paper while jotting down quick notes. It’s wonderful for quickly writing and erasing math problems, shopping lists, or anything in between. It’s also super affordable, making it a cute and cost-effective gift for any age." — Bradley Get it from Amazon for $16.99 (available in three colors). 5. Or a Rocketbook reusable notebook that lets them take notes they can save digitally, erase, and then use all over again. They can use the Rocketbook app to save all of their "pages" and then erase them with the included wipe. You're essentially gifting them an endless notebook. Promising review: "I am very happy with my purchase of the Rocketbook. I have it set to the side on my desk for quick scribbles when I need to make notes. It has eliminated a bunch of messy scrap pieces of paper all over the place. The pen that came with it works great (I am fussy about that); it feels like normal pen to paper. When I'm done, I just spray a bit of water and wipe clean. Great organizational tool and keeps my office neat and free of extra clutter ." — KMS Get it from Amazon for $36.13+ (available in three styles and 17 colors). 6. A high-tech planter pot for the green thumb on your list who has trouble keeping track of their plant children. The adorable display on the front lets them know how happy their plant is (i.e., if the soil is moist enough and if it's getting enough light), and it even has a self-watering feature they can control through the smartphone app. This is basically a grown-up Tamagotchi. Promising review: "I got this as a gift, and they love their Ivy planter! The digital expressions are cute and adorable, but aside from that, the size and quality of the planter itself make this an excellent planter. The app it comes with is easy to use and makes it easy to take care of your plant. I look forward to getting this for myself in the future!" — Mario Get it from Amazon for $75.04+ (available in five colors). 7. A gorgeous water bottle that keeps track of their daily water intake and glows when they're running behind on their hydration goals — because we could all use some help being a little less thirsty. It even connects with a smartphone app so they can have a snapshot of their weekly hydration habits. Promising review: This is the most amazing water bottle ever! I don’t drink water, I don’t like water. I have a health condition that requires me to drink 60+ ounces of water a day. This is coming from a person who drinks one glass of water every two weeks. When my doctor told me I had to drink 60+ ounces of water a day, I was literally freaking out. I didn’t know how to do it! So I started searching water bottles that will track what you drink because otherwise I wouldn’t know how to track my water intake. When I found this bottle, I thought, okay, I’ll give it a shot and see how it goes. It literally has changed the way I drink water. Getting on the app and connecting to the bottle was super easy. The bottle tracks your water intake, and if you’re not drinking enough, it will light up to remind you that you need to drink water. I’m really busy during the day, and most of the time, I don’t drink water, and I sure as heck don’t pay attention to my water intake. The light up reminder, which is really neat, and you get to select the color, makes you very conscious of needing to drink." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $49 (available in four colors). 8. Or a self-cleaning water bottle — it uses a UV-C LED light in the cap to help purify water and keep the inside clean. Tap the button on the top to activate, and then it'll run a cleaning cycle every two hours to keep things clean and fresh. The insulated design keeps drinks cold for 24 hours and hot for 12 hours. Promising review: "Yes, this bottle is pricey, but having purchased it for travel, I found it very comforting knowing whatever water source I was filling up from, my water would be clean due to the interior UV sanitizer. And I actually saved money instead of buying tons of plastic water bottles for a month-long trip. Highly suggest the insulated bottle, as I purchased the slightly cheaper non-insulated bottle as well, and although lighter, preferred the contents staying nice and cool while traveling through the summer." — Mike L. Get it from Amazon for $99+ (available in two sizes and seven sizes). 9. A smart bird feeder with a camera inside so they can see all the delightful visitors who stop by for a snack. It connects to the accompanying smartphone app and can send them an alert when a bird has appeared so they can see a live feed of their new flying friends. They can also save videos and photos, so be prepared to see so many bird pics on their Instagram story. Promising review: "The bird feeder is easy to assemble and very easy to set up. The motion detection is just the right amount and reliable. I enjoy getting notifications of birds at my feeder. The product is durable and not cheap feeling. This feeder brings a lot of joy to my day. It's easy to share your videos with friends, so many of my friends get to enjoy it as well." — Robert F. Get it from Amazon for $149 (available in two colors). 10. A pet camera that adds a distinctly 2024 upgrade: they can play with their pet via a smartphone app! The app lets them control a laser pointer so their ball of fluff can tire themselves out and get some mental stimulation even when their hoomans aren't at home. This is the future Nintendogs promised!!! Promising review: "I didn’t know what to expect when I got this as far as quality of video or laser toy or connectivity away from the house. All I can say it has far surpassed my expectations in every way. Let me give you an example. I was on my way down to the ground on a plane. I thought, let me check on my cat. Using the Wi-Fi on the plane, I was able to access the video feed in my home living room and see my cat was there bored and needing to play. I enabled the laser toy and proceeded to play with her for five minutes while we finished landing. She had a great time and I was reassured she was ok. The quality of the video was great, almost no lag, and the laser toy worked like a charm! There is a little lag for the laser toy but it still is great. A+ for this. I would gladly recommend to anyone." — B. Mann Get it from Amazon for $79.99 . 11. A pair of smart goggles I bet even Michael Phelps would be impressed with. The display on the inside displays their heart rate, time, distance, stroke count, and pace — and they can connect them to the accompanying app to keep track of their workouts. Note: This requires a $99/year subscription service to access guided workouts and a digital compass. Promising review: "I’ve been using the goggles for the past few weeks, mostly in the pool. The goggles capture everything I need (i.e., heart rate, stroke rate, and pace) without having to wear a sports watch. Accuracy and reliability for heart rate are impressive. I train with HR while running, so it’s nice to bring this approach to the pool." — Elliott Get it from Amazon for $249. 12. A spinning ball decked out with LED lights that flies around on its own. They can channel their inner Doctor Strange and make it hover over their hand, or they can throw it and watch as it boomerangs back to them. I don't know how they managed to make a ball futuristic, but I tip my hat to the designers. Promising review: "You control where this flies by the tilt you put into when releasing. Really fun to play catch with someone by tilting it toward them and gently releasing. You can also boomerang it back to yourself by tilting it backwards and tossing it up diagonally away from you. The cage around it is effective in protecting both you and it." — Dem Get it from Amazon for $28.80+ (available in seven colors). 13. A five-panel clock that looks straight out of Blade Runner . It features five small screens that can be customized to display everything from the time (duh) to the weather and stock market performance. The accompanying app even lets them create pixel art to display on the screen if they're feeling creative. Promising review: "I was skeptical before buying this thing but it actually works really well. There is tons of pixel art you can download and display and it can do really cool, useful stuff like show you the weather or stock prices, too. I'm a huge fan!" — Trevor Get it from Amazon for $113.99+ (available in two colors). 14. A USB fan with an LED clock face that looks like it's levitating in the air, which will make everyone in the office stop in their tracks when they walk by their desk. It also displays the temperature, so they can basically go ahead and delete the Weather Channel app from their phone. Promising review : "Fun at work. I got one of these for my husband at his office. Now EVERYONE has one at his office, including me at home!" — Laurette Triick Get it from Amazon for $15.99 . 15. A UFO-shaped Bluetooth speaker that hovers and spins around while playing all their favorite alien-themed podcasts. Functional and a conversation starter? This is guaranteed to win you some major points with that one family member who is just a little too obsessed with extra-terrestrial beings. ~Cute the X-Files theme song~ Promising review: "I wanted this mostly cuz I thought it looked really cool! It was pretty easy to set up and was going in no time! Everyone that sees it wants one and I am already on my second order! For a small speaker it has decent sound as I am using it for background noise and don't want it loud. It does, however, go up to a nice volume! It is very cool, and I'm so glad I bought one...well two now LOL!" — Karen Get it from Amazon for $99.99 . 16. A mirror with features every mirror should have in the future: built-in lighting, a Bluetooth speaker, and an anti-fog button. If they seem a bit more chipper in the morning than usual, it's because you just massively upgraded their routine. Promising review: "This thing is absolutely neat as all can be, hands down. I've seen the other ones, but this one has JUST enough functionality to make it cool and modern, but not so much that it is fully IOT/Wifi connected, and you have to worry about it potentially spying on you. I love the Bluetooth speaker functionality and the defogging/backlight. I love that this doesn't need to connect to Wi-Fi, doesn't require an app, and just WORKS out of the box, with no fiddling around . For the price, I think I'm going to get a few more of these for my other bathrooms. Wonderful job on this." — Mike Get it from Amazon for $109.99+ (available in nine sizes and three shapes). 17. An electronic upgrade to the classic Rubik's cube , which I strongly feel Elroy Jetson would play with all day long. It features four different games to choose from, or they can choose the "light show" setting to enjoy the glow from the colorful lights once their brains are too tired to play anymore. Promising review: "This little dude is a lot of fun for sure. It keeps my brain occupied and my fingers moving when I can't sit still. Not to mention, the music that plays in the menu is a certified BOP. My only tiny criticism is that the buttons are a tad too stiff when pushing on them, though; I suppose that's a good thing when you're twisting it around in your hands, and you don't accidentally push a button and ruin your score. I love the mute feature during gameplay." — Jennifer Get it from Amazon for $24.99 . 18. A super sleek lamp with a small globe that ~magically floats~ in the air — and it will even spin for up to 20 minutes if they give it a quick tap with their finger. I suspect all lamps in the future will feature some sort of gravity-defying feature. Promising review: "Globe is lightweight. This is a great thing to gift someone. It's fun to watch spin, and the light in the back is beautiful. It doesn’t spin on its own; you have to gently spin it, but once you start it, it lasts for quite a while." — Emilly Get it from Amazon for $32.39+ (available in three colors). 19. An app-controlled moon-shaped dock that functions as a lamp, wireless charger, and a bluetooth speaker because the future is truly all about multiuse products and saving outlet space. I suspect this is what Zenon uses to charge her SpacePhone and listen to "SuperNova Girl." Promising review: "The vibrant colors of the lamp look really beautiful!!! The speakers and the lights that dance to the beats are perfect for a mini disco atmosphere . It works great as a bedtime lamp for my bedroom, and the app is really convenient to control the light and music (white noise included!). This is a fun gadget for my teens. I give 5 out of 5 stars, satisfied." — Vanshika Sharma Get it from Amazon for $46.99 . 20. A smart meat thermometer — it will basically be their very own personal electronic sous chef. It connects to the Meater app to help configure cooking times and tell them the temperature right on their phone. The days of continuously opening the oven door to check on their roasted meats will be far behind them. It works for meats cooked in the smoker, grill, rotisserie, oven, pan, and air fryer! Promising review: "The Meater works so well, you hardly have to do anything while you cook any sort of meat. Once it alerts you the meat is ready, you remove it from any heat, and when the app says you’re ready to dig in, there’s no second guessing whether or not your meat is fully cooked. No under/overcooking with this; it’s perfect EVERY time. Couldn’t be more happy with this product and app." — Pam Walter Get it from Amazon for $79.95 . 21. A "Worky" station , the on-the-go desk they never knew they needed. Once they unfold the suitcase-style design, they'll have plenty of space for their laptop and office supplies, and there are even USB ports to charge their devices. Perhaps best of all, the top portion (which also functions as a whiteboard!) has LED lights, so they'll be in perfect lighting for all of their Zoom meetings. This is truly the ultimate gift for the remote workers on your list. Check out a TikTok of the Worky station in action. Promising review : "I've had my Worky for three months now and have loved it. I love that everything is in one place, and then I can close it up and work disappears. The compartments are great for tucking away piles of paperwork, the multiple charging outlets are convenient, and the LED lights are helpful on Zoom calls when lighting in the room is not ideal. Everything in one place, simple and convenient. Just the way I like it." — Amy Worky is a small business that specializes in products to improve remote working experiences. Get it from Amazon for $119.99 . 22. A Bitzee — it puts a 3D spin on the traditional virtual pet from our childhood. Simply open the capsule to reveal one of 15 pets that respond to touch, tilts, and swipes. There's even a Disney version with characters like Stitch, Wall-E, and Lightning McQueen! When their pets evolve into Super Bitzees, they can find cool outfits and mini-games. In a rare turn of events, batteries are included! Promising review: "My 8-year-old loves this thing so much that she hasn't put it down since she got it. It was the star of the show for Christmas, and I got so many hugs for getting it for her. This is basically the modern take on the old-school Tamagotchis, but it has a fluttering LED bar that zips up and down at an extremely high rate of speed to mimic the appearance of an actual digital pet floating in midair. Seems weird at first, but that fluttering light bar also allows you to feel like you are really touching the animal — very cool in action. If you are a parent looking for the perfect gift for a 5-10-year-old child, then do yourself a favor and grab one of these; you will not regret it! Really awesome toy for a very reasonable price." — M. Myers Get it from Amazon for $24.49+ (available in four styles). 23. A hybrid digital food scale and measuring cup which is some next-level baking tech even Paul Hollywood would be impressed with. Now, they can accurately measure all their ingredients directly in the cup, and they can also use the handle attachment as a stand-alone food scale. Promising review : "I absolutely love this measuring cup!!! What a great invention. I love that I can put flour in, reset it and add sugar, reset it and add milk, etc. One cup for measuring several things at the same time. Love, love, love it!!!!" — wolfpause Get it from Amazon for $18.99+ (available in three colors). 24. A touchscreen toaster to replace the crusty one they've had in the kitchen for longer than they'd like to admit. It heats much faster than a traditional unit and has a touchscreen that lets them choose their preferred level of crispiness. This is the future carb connoisseurs want. So why does a toaster need a touch screen? Because this one has some impressively specific toasting options for their carb of choice. It features fresh, frozen, and reheat options, and they can swipe between bagels, toaster cakes, English muffins, waffles, and bread. They'll probably text you "thank you!" every morning for gifting them with perfectly toasted bagels every time. Promising review: "I have to say, this toaster was well worth the investment. This one beat my old toaster by a mile in terms of how fast it toasts, and it adjusts easily and well to waffles and bagels. The toaster has a fantastic digital display, too. I love the 10-second countdown feature so I can get my butter in place and slather it on while the toast is hot. The design is sleek and elegant, and my favorite surprise is the analog clock display. This makes my old toaster obsolete (it's now collecting dust in the bottom cupboard)." — Rob Get it from Amazon for $299.95+ (available in two colors and with various accessories). 25. A fancy smart mug that will keep their coffee, tea, or other hot beverage of choice at the perfect temperature. It lasts for 90 minutes on a single charge, and if they have enough self-control to make a cup of coffee last longer than that, I simply cannot relate. Promising review: "Best thing since sliced bread! I hate it when my coffee gets cold. I was originally looking for one of those warming coasters, but then I saw the Ember mugs...there was no turning back. I can take my coffee with me into my boss's office, and it still stays hot?? Yes, please. I used that app and have adjusted my temp down to 127 degrees. It stays at that temperature the entire time. I’ve not had an issue with battery life either; it doesn’t take me more than an hour to polish off a cup of coffee. I HIGHLY recommend." — Mathews Get it from Amazon for $92.62+ (available in 11 colors). 26. Oral-B's Genius X Limited electric toothbrush equipped with AI that adapts to their unique brushing style so they can ensure they're getting a deeper clean. It even connects to their smartphone to help keep track of their daily brushing habits. Promising review: "Amazing clean. I was at first hesitant to spend that much on a toothbrush, but it’s worth every penny. It works at least 10x better than my $20 Oral-B electronic toothbrush. The motion sensing is very cool and helpful. After just one brush, my teeth feel almost like they do after a professional cleaning as opposed to how they felt after brushing with my cheap electronic toothbrush. " — Anne E La Perla Get it from Amazon for $190.31+ (available in three colors) 27. A fingerprint padlock so they'll never have to rummage around in their pocket looking for their key before realizing they left it at home. This also connects to a smartphone app if they prefer to control it remotely. Promising review: "This is a superb lock! I got it to use in the gym. I didn't want to use the honor system and hope my locker would be safe without a lock... and I know I am not the best with traditional combo locks. This lock does everything you need. It's easy to set up as many fingerprints for verification as you want ... and you can even just use your phone to unlock it alternatively." — J Z D Get it from Amazon for $36.99 (available in two colors). Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.California bill would mandate armed school officers following Oroville shootingNo. 7 Tennessee gives up 1st 14 points before rallying to rout Vanderbilt 36-2380 jili download
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Job-hopping could leave your child with bigger pension pot than yours
Santa Claus and helpers continued a long-standing tradition at Alfords Point on Christmas Eve. or signup to continue reading Driving around the streets, they handed out lollies to the kids and collected for the Salvos. The group included Mark Henry, who has Santa's driver for 29 years, Michelle Wheatley from Menai Salvos and Gerry Flannery from Menai Men's Shed. They collected $1230 for the the Salvos, to be spent on $50 vouchers at IGA Menai, which will be distributed to the needy. "It was very successful - families were lining the street just waiting for us," Gerry Flannery said. "Having Michelle on board was a big incentive. "We are grateful to Mark Henry, from Alfords Point, for all he does in the community. We could not manage without him. "Our thanks to the residents of Alfords Point, and a happy New Year to everyone." St George and Sutherland Shire Leader reporter covering politics, urban affairs, council, development and general community news.Email: mtrembath@theleader.com.au St George and Sutherland Shire Leader reporter covering politics, urban affairs, council, development and general community news.Email: mtrembath@theleader.com.au