Gift ideas from Techno Claus
David Pogue of Yahoo Tech delivers some gift suggestions for those on your list who love gadgets:
Techno Claus clambers out of the chimney, as he does every year.
Good morning! Yes, it’s Techno Claus, your gift-suggesting friend
Appearing one night only, for your pleasure, at year’s end.
And let’s be glad the year is over (if I may be frank),
With Zika, Brexit, violence, that election -- this year STANK!
Let’s turn our minds to brighter things -- like what I’ve brought this year!
Some high-tech gifts, all guaranteed to spread a little cheer.
Video Games
If you, like me, are longing for less awful times gone by,
The Classic NES Nintendo box might just catch your eye.
It plugs into your TV here, and presto: you’re in biz
With 30 games from days of yore (your teenage years, that is).
Digital Picture Frame
A picture frame that’s digital -- it’s not a new ideer,
But get your folks a nice one, like this Nixplay I got here.
You send your shots remotely from your laptop or your phone
And they’ll show up in Shanghai, while you’re back here in Bayonne.
The metal frame looks great, and there’s a motion sensor here
The screen goes dark when it decides that nobody is near.
- Nixplay Iris $200
Charger
The Zus is for your car -- you see, you plug it in as shown:
It charges two devices, like your tablet and your phone.
And when the night has fallen, look! It lights up in the dark.
But best of all, it notes your car’s position when you park.
An app directs you back to it, like radar scans of old.
It’s 30 bucks in plastic (or 500 bucks in gold!)
Alarm Clock
Alarm clocks wake you up with noise, like hammers in your head
But this one wakes you up with smells, like mint, or toasted bread!
It’s called the Sensorwake, a handy moniker because
When morning comes, a lovely scent goes wafting up your schnozz.
And if three minutes pass, and you’re still lyin’ there out cold,
Some music plays as backup, like alarming clocks of old.
Digital Notebook
It seems as though all things in life go digital one day
And now, it seems, a notebook has seen fit to go that way.
The Wave, it’s called. You use it with this special kind of pen
You make your brilliant sketches as you always have,
And then …
An app, a snap, and presto! All your notes are now online
It’s in your email, Google Docs, what have you. See? There’s mine!
And when it’s full, you just erase it, use again! See, look --
You pop it in the microwave -- and simply cook the book!
- Rocketbook Wave $27
It’s all just stuff, I’ll grant you that. But hey, be of good cheer:
I’ll also try to bring you all a happier next year!