Tech gifts for mom (that aren't an iPad)
Tech gifts for mom (that aren't an iPad)
4:30

Tech gifts for mom (that aren't an iPad)

Culture
Hey, I�m Molly Wood from CNET dot com in for Brian Cooley with my annual Top 5 stand-in gig � the Top 5 tech gifts for Mother�s Day. Now, before we start, I am assuming that you already got your mom, or your wife, or yourself an e-reader, a tablet of some sort, or a smartphone. If NOT, then do not pass go just yet. A Kindle, pre-loaded with 50 Shades of Gray, always going to be a winner. iPad or Kindle Fire, no brainer. Smartphone? Must. Have. But that list gets kind of old, so I put together a list of five OTHER ideas that I know will be a hit with the ladies. Well, four other ideas and one smartphone. Coming in at number five � The Nokia Lumia 900 Just in case she doesn�t have a smartphone, or is ready for a new one, I think the Lumia 900 is a stylish and different choice-- it�s not an iPhone, and it�s not as EXPENSIVE as an iPhone, either. It�s 99 bucks, it�s good looking and it�s super easy to use in a way that�s great for a new smartphone user. And it�s a good bet your mom isn�t a total app freak, so as long as it�s got Angry Birds, it�s good to go! Don�t worry, it has Angry Birds. Mom phone! Coming in at number 4, it�s the Bose Quiet Comfort 15 noise- canceling headphones. If your mom is a commuter, she travels a lot, or she just needs some instant alone time, these headphones are like the new Calgon � they take you away. They�re comfortable, their active noise-canceling tech removes outside distractions, and they really do sound amazing. Plus, they�re stylish, so you don�t look like dork -- but you do give off a strong �leave me alone� vibe. Perfect. They�re not as compact as in-ear buds, of course, and at 300 bucks, are they are NOT cheap. But trust me, I just took my first trans-Atlantic flight with these babies, and I would have paid double for them. It�s like your own personal cone of silence. Number three on the list � the Jawbone Jambox. iPhone and iPod speaker docks are always a great gift idea, and the Jambox takes the concept to the next level. It�s a super stylish little Bluetooth speaker that actually sounds pretty good. It comes in multiple colors -- everyone who sees this thing falls in love with it. And it�s so portable that you can use it anywhere in the house -- like for streaming relaxing music while you�re taking a nice long bubble bath -- or out in the garden, or even on weekend getaways. It�s not cheap, but � well. You want mom to feel appreciated, don�t you? At number 2, get her an Apple TV 2! Roku is usually our favorite connected TV gift, but let�s face it, iTunes has SO much content � even Game of Thrones episodes, and all those movies � and it is so easy to use and attractive. Plus, it can stream music, video, and pictures from an iPhone or iPad, and it has Netflix and a couple of other video streaming services. If you�ve already bought a lot of iTunes content, especially, this 99 bucks is totally worth it. Before I get to my number one mom pick of the year, I have to give you a little advice to stay out of trouble. Here are some tech gifts NOT to get mom this year. Don�t get her a pink gadget. No pink cell phones or digital camera � if you think she wants something cute and pink, get a cell phone case. Or a kitten. Digital picture frames are over. They are complicated and annoying and no one ever updates the pictures on them. Don�t bother. Do NOT get her a WiFi scale, and you shouldn�t even have to ask why not. And I�m sure it SEEMS like a good idea, but don�t get her a Roomba. You know what she�d rather have? A cleaning lady. And with that, let�s get to my top pick for Mother�s Day tech this year � The Nest thermostat I know, a thermostat sounds like a crazy gift. But women are GOING crazy for this thing. CNET Editor in Chief AND MOM Lindsey Turrentine gave it a perfect five star review. Because why? It looks gorgeous in your house, it does cool little things like report the weather and show you exactly how much energy you use in pretty little charts. And it�s networked, which means you can control the weather in your own home from your phone, whether you�re snuggled under the covers or in a boring meeting at work. Trust me. Nest thermostat. It�s the bomb. You can install it for her, too. And that�s it for this year, everyone. Find all the CNET Top 5 videos at CNETTV dot com and happy Mother�s Day!

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