Mother’s Day is coming up, and you want to get her something awesome she can use every day, right? Right. So, here are our picks for the best geeky tech for your Mother’s Day.
Google Nexus 7
Loads of new Android tablets have hit the market since the revamped Nexus 7 debuted last year, but you can keep all of them: all anyone could ever ask for in a tablet is in the Nexus. It’s cheap, versatile, powerful and good to look at. First-time tablet users and seasoned tech lovers will both get a kick out of the Nexus 7, and so will your mum.
[clear]
Samsung Gear Fit
If your Mum wants to look like she lives in the future, try the Gear Fit. At $199, it’s around the same price as most fitness trackers, except it has a nifty OLED screen, a comfy strap and an optical heart rate monitor that feeds data back into a training program. She can also pair it to her Samsung phone if she has one. Neat.
[clear]
UE Boom
The Ultimate Ears Boom is a small speaker — it’s barely larger than a Coke can, although it’s a little taller — but it certainly packs a punch. Syncing with your Mum’s smartphone over Bluetooth, the Boom can play music at a maximum volume that’s more than enough to fill a living room or suit an outdoor party, and it can work as a speakerphone as well. If you’re feeling generous, you can even buy two Booms and play music through both at the same time.
[clear]
Xiaomi Portable Battery
If your Mum owns a smartphone or a tablet — whether it’s an Apple or an Android — chances are she’s forgotten to charge it and has run out of power once or twice. A big, powerful portable USB battery pack like the Xiaomi Mi Charger has enough energy to recharge an iPhone six times over, so she’ll never be caught short again. The Mi Charger comes with a USB cable that suits an Android phone, but you can buy an extra Apple Lightning cable for an iPhone off eBay for a few dollars more.
[clear]
Jawbone UP24
If your Mum is a bit of a fitness buff — if she goes to the gym, or even if she counts her calories — the Jawbone UP24 is the perfect Mother’s Day present. Using the UP24 she can track the amount of steps she travels daily, log her sleep patterns (and wake up on time), and measure the amount and variety of food she eats. If your Mum likes numbers, and wants a new piece of funky jewellery, the UP24 is a great blend of fashion and function.
[clear]
Apple iPod Touch
Even if you leave your gift shopping super late, you’ll be ok just to pop into an Apple Store or other retailer and pick up this beauty. You know, places like Big W and K-Mart that sell stuff like iPods. Nip in and pick up a great music player like the iPod Touch — or a cheaper one if you’re keen on that — by expending minimum effort. (32GB iPod Touch from $329, Apple, Big W, K-Mart, JB Hi-Fi, other resellers)
[clear]
iTunes Gift Card
And of course, no music player is complete without music, much like our e-book example earlier. The thing with iTunes Gift Cards, however, is that they’re literally the easiest gift in the world to pick up. Supermarkets, newsagencies, gadget stores all sell them. Even goddamn petrol stations sell the things. They’re everywhere. No excuses. ($20-$100, everywhere)
[clear]
Spotify Premium
So your Mum is a hardcore music-lover? Why buy her one CD (what even is that?) when you can buy them a library of music? Spotify Premium subscriptions can be given a printable e-card so it’s dead easy to get at the last minute. (Spotify)
[clear]