Play Gadgets

You have just 10 days left -- count them, TEN -- to honor the woman who gave you life, wiped your nose and kissed your boo-boos.? Unless she was anything like my mom who was more likely to tell me to suck it up! whenever I skinned my knee or crashed into a car while riding my bike... uh, thats another story, moving on...Regardless, shes mom, we love her, and she deserves a little something on her special day.? Here are some suggestions from the gadget realm:1. We all want to know mom made it home safely after visiting us for a late dinner in our low-rent apartments on the seedy side of town, right?? Help mom find her way with a GPS system for her car.? Garmin makes the Nuvi 200W Portable GPS navigation system ($166.47) with a wide 4.3-inch touchscreen color display.? It comes with pre-loaded maps, voice guidance, travel tools and is SD card compatible.2. If she?s a music lover, she might enjoy this Singing Machine ISM370 CD+G Karaoke with iPod Dock ($70) to sing along with her Janis Joplin or Tina Turner faves.? From the leaders in home karaoke, it?s complete with great features like a large LCD display for easy reading and built-in speakers for portability and easy use.? The Digital Key Control feature lets you change the key without greatly affecting the overall sound of the music.? This unit also features a charge function for your iPod and has a dual alarm clock with snooze function so you can wake up to your iPod, radio or buzzer.3. You can bring mom into the next generation of video entertainment with a Blu-ray player like the SAMSUNG BD-P1500 ($169). This little baby will play both Blu-ray discs and regular DVDs or music CDs with the highest-quality audio. Full 1080p resolution gives you outstanding HD image quality. Advanced audio compatibility, including DD+, and True-HD, offers premium sound for a great HD experience.4. Why restrict the video enjoyment to the house?? With a portable DVD player like the Audiovox D2017 ($135) with a 10.2-inch screen, mom can enjoy her films on the go, in flight or while waiting for her plane to arrive.? This features a 16:9 aspect ratio and plays DVD, CD, MP3, CDR, CDRW and picture CDs.? The rechargeable battery and car power adapter will give mom hours of enjoyment whether in house or on the road.5. For moms who are linked in almost as much as we are, a multi-function cell phone would be a great way to keep in touch.? I prefer the text-easy keyboard styles (mostly because one text message saves me about 20 minutes in actual speak time? o_O) but there are plenty to choose from in a range of prices! ? With all of its possibilities, something like the iPhone might be a little overwhelming for moms but then again, each mom is different.? If she?s a career-minded multitasker, it could be just the thing.? Check out Smarter?s cell phones here and decide for yourself.6. A simple way to help mom relax, the Sound Spa AM/FM Atomic Clock Radio ($39.99) allows her to sleep and/or wake to her choice of 6 natural sounds: ocean, waterfall, summer night, rain forest, thunder, or rain. AM/FM radio or alarm wake up are also options. Features atomic time which means it?s always accurate, indoor/outdoor temperature with remote sensor, dual alarms, and snooze. The projection feature allows for time and temp ceiling display.7. For more home music enjoyment, a mini stereo system is just right for livening up her home office or keeping her motivated through workouts.? Something like the JWIN JXCD2100 Mini Stereo MP3 / CD Player ($45.99) does a little bit of everything with a CD player, AM/FM radio, and 3.5mm auxiliary jack for her iPod or other MP3 unit.8. The Plantronics Discovery 925 Bluetooth Headset ($54.95) is a great way to keep mom hands-free and compliant with California law.? A simple V-frame design, no ear loop and the leather charging case allows you to recharge the headset from its own battery when youre not near a power outlet.? Also available in cerise (dark plum color).9. For keeping the family memories, the Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z77 Digital Camera ($124.69) has 7.2 Megapixels and comes in adorable pink, so you know dad won?t be stealing this one from her.? It has 3x optical zoom, and 2.6-inch LCD display.? It also features a blur reduction function that uses motion analysis technology, an auto-tracking AF system, and face detection technology.? The combination of face detection technology and the auto-tracking AF system ensures that, once the focus locks on to a person?s face, it will stay sharp and maintain the right exposure, even if the person moves.? Which is, of course, great for those grand kids who never seem to sit still for more than 2 seconds.10. For vacations, family get-togethers, or whatever she desires, the Samsung SC-DX103 DVD Camcorder ($174.08) is user-friendly and compatible with Windows 2000, XP and Vista operating systems. With the convenience of recording straight to DVD, videos can immediately be played back for all to see. Comes with 34x optical zoom, 2.7 inch wide LCD screen, and can be used as a PC cam for communication over the Internet.Find at Smarter.com:? Shop though all of our featured electronics to get more ideas. ... more