It’s almost September and the tariff wars are likely to keep driving up the price of products imported from China. That makes now a good time to do your Christmas shopping and here are some hot tech items to consider.
Someonw in your family might benefit from a thin and light computer, for both work and play, priced so a second mortgage isn’t needed. The Lenovo IdeaPad S340 ($589) features an 8th Gen Intel Core processor, full backlight keyboard, webcam privacy shutter and up to 10 hours of battery life for use on the go. When it’s time for entertainment, such as TV shows and video games, this Windows 10 laptop boasts a 15.6-inch full HD display with slim bezels along with clear and loud Dolby Audio sound. There’s also an optional touchscreen available.
Amazon’s voice-activated personal assistant is on sale right now for $29.99. Put Amazon’s 3rd Generation Echo Dot anywhere in the room and say the wake word, “Alexa,” followed by a question. You can ask for homework help, history information, music of your choice or even a daily news briefing. If you have compatible gear, you can ask Alexa to lock the doors or turn on the lights or set the thermostat.
You can ask the Amazon Echo to play podcasts, audiobooks or interactive games; get real-time traffic, weather, and sports scores; or make free phone calls to any 10-digit number in the U.S. or Canada (over Wi-Fi) or call another Echo at no charge.
Epson has solved the biggest pain point when it comes to printers: running out of ink and having to pay through the nose for a small cartridge. With the Epson EcoTank ET-2760 all-in-one ($249), you get enough ink out of the box to last up to two years. That equates to 7,500 pages in black and up to 6,000 pages in color. When it’s time to buy more, they’re inexpensive and easy-to-install bottles rather than pricy cartridges. This multifunction printer/scanner/copier also lets you print from smartphones and tablets, including support for Apple AirPrint.
How about a great-looking 50-inch 4K Smart TV for just $279. The Hisense R7 4K UHD TV with HDR Roku TV offers a lot of bang for the buck, thanks to its large and clean screen that features four times the resolution of Full HD – and with High Dynamic Range for better contrast, brightness and color reproduction – plus loud, built-in 20-watt front-firing speakers. This television has a built-in Roku Smart TV platform – therefore, no separate Roku stick or box is needed – to access thousands of channels of on-demand video and other content, including movies and TV shows, live sports and news.
Keep all your tech charged up with the Mophie 3-in-1 wireless charging pad ($139). Designed mostly for iPhones, AirPods and Apple Watch – but any other Qi-enabled device will work, too – this sleek-looking charging station features 7.5-watt fast wireless charging for all your tech, all at the same time, and all in one location. No cables needed. Just place down your smartphone, watch and earbuds and return a few minutes later. The top of the pad is covered in glass, which adds a stylish finish to the black and white charger.
The Maxi-Matic EBK-200 Elite Cuisine Station ($35) is a quirky accessory for starting your day off right with breakfast. Ideal for a dorm room, it’s a 3-in-1 toaster oven, coffee maker and griddle. Despite its small footprint of only 10.6 x 10.6 x 17 inches, this multitasking gadget features a four-cup coffee maker, single-slice toaster oven (which can also hold a muffin, bagel, or croissant), and six-inch griddle for fried eggs, sausage or bacon.