A version of this column first ran in USA Today and aired on the Today Show.
2023 won’t go down as the year any one gadget changed our daily lives. We already have smartphones and no single device rivals that impact … yet.
Instead, this has been the year of robot dogs, greener gadgets with a mission to save money and the planet, and AI-enabled everything.
I’ve tested thousands of consumer gadgets over the last decade and a half and reviewed pretty much all the buzz-worthy, trendy, and downright jaw-dropping new tech tools to come our way.
Also big this year? Safety gadgets to keep an eye on everything from your front porch to your truck bed, alongside affordable portable projectors for movie night magic and interactive screen-free tech toys for kids of all ages.
I’ve purchased fewer big-ticket gadgets overall this past year and have been pleasantly surprised by some random finds on Amazon. Here are a dozen worth talking about.
SHOULD I GIVE MY CHILD A SMARTPHONE?
If your child begs you for a smartphone, don’t hand them a new, expensive device and hope for the best. Use what I call ‘training wheel technology‘ like Bark Phone instead. It’s a fully customizable smartphone that monitors texts, apps, social media, and web searches. It also has real-time GPS location tracking, removes app downloads, allows you to set screen time limits, manage calls, and lock it remotely. Kids love it because it doesn’t look like a kid’s phone. Parents love it because it takes a lot of the guesswork out of helping kids learn to use smartphones more wisely from a young age.
Price: $29/month
WHAT’S A LAPTOP THAT GIVES GREAT VALUE FOR THE PRICE?
I picked up the ASUS Zenbook 14’ OLED for around $870 in November. This model has brains, beauty, and all-day endurance, making it one of the top five OLED laptops of the year. And shockingly, it’s less than $1,000. It has up to 22-hour battery life, and it’s super slim and light, combining portability, performance, and a spunky processor for all of us productive, on-the-go multitaskers. I also like its compact size and elegant design. At only three pounds, it’s also light for having a 14-inch display. So, it’s easy to take with you wherever you go.
Price: $870
FOR STAYING CHARGED UP ON THE GO:
I use the RTops 3-in-1 Travel Charger to charge my iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch simultaneously. It tri-folds to a small size that fits in your pocket, purse, or backpack, and you can charge at multiple angles. It’s fast, too, topping you off about 35% faster than “normal” chargers. I use it on the plane, in cars, and wherever I need to ensure my go-to gadgets don’t die. It’s excellent for clearing cords and clutter, too. I used to have a $150 one that I bought at the Apple store. It quit working within a year. I’ve had this one for almost three years without a single issue. It comes in five colors, and I just bought one for everyone in my family.
Price: $40
THERE’S A NEW TOP (ROBOT) DOG STEM TOY:
PYXEL A Coder’s Best Friend by Educational Insights wins this year’s top dog for kids ages eight and older. While a handful of new robotic dogs debuted to all kinds of buzz this year, I picked this one because it’s a hands-on coding companion that turns passive screen time into endless hands-on playtime. Kids have so much fun they don’t realize how many skills they’re picking up too. They can program various tricks, sounds, and emotions with Blockly and Python – the same coding language that Space X uses!
Price: $88
E-TRICYCLES, BECAUSE WE GENUINELY HAVE THOUGHT OF EVERYTHING.
E-bikes are all the rage with adults — now there’s one for tiny tots, too! The Droyd Romper E-trike introduces kids ages three and older to electric bikes with fun and safety in mind. Charge it up, slap a helmet on your little one, and turn ‘em loose on this souped-up scooter. Parental speed controls and Romper’s slow-start mechanism make it safe, smooth, and easy to ride. It goes from about three to six miles per hour and includes a colorful, motion-activated light-up front wheel to brighten their path during daytime or nighttime adventures! It also has a tall flag, so you can keep an eye on them when they zip around parks or playgrounds.
Price: $120
WHAT’S A GOOD BABY MONITOR THAT’S SAFE AND SECURE?
While talking about gadgets that think of everything … VTech’s V-Care Smart Baby Monitor is a significant new bit of tech for new parents. It now has rollover and face-covering detection, so it sends you an alert if your baby gets into a potentially dangerous position. It also has a 1080p high-definition, over-the-crib camera with a 110-degree wide-angle lens — so you can see your little one from an app on your smartphone or on the included monitor, and provides detailed sleep analytics, a night light, soothing sounds, and lullabies.
Price: $230
WHAT SCREEN-FREE TECH TOYS ARE A GOOD IDEA FOR KIDS?
I’ve reviewed several screen-free audio players for kids this year, too, and the one my niece is asking for includes some fantastic new characters — the Tonies MARVEL Spidey & His Amazing Friends ($18 per figure).
If you are not familiar with the Toniebox, it’s an award-winning screen-free audio player that engages kids with stories, songs, and a whole lot of screen-free fun. Just pop a Tonie figurine on top of the box to activate it, and kids can join Spidey, Spin, and Ghost-Spider on three new crime-fighting adventures!
I gave one of these to my friend’s daughter, who has severe physical and developmental challenges, and she loves it. She uses it whenever she goes to a restaurant or out with the family and needs to entertain herself in an entertaining, educational, and screen-free way that’s as good for her brain as it is fun.
Price: $18 per figure
FOR A GADGET WITH WOW-FACTOR:
This little Anything Speaker gadget is WILD. It’s a tiny Bluetooth speaker — no bigger than half a golf ball — that uses bone conduction technology to turn nearly any object into an oddly powerful speaker with 360-degree omnidirectional sound up to 3x louder than most smartphones.
Stick or suction it onto any flat surface like a table, window, or metal bowl, and you instantly have a speaker! You have to play around with surfaces to use it on because it vibrates quite a bit, so it’s best to use the 3M stickers that it comes with to keep it from rattling all over the place. The battery lasts about an hour of nonstop play — great for crystal-clear audio in the shower or to impress your family at the next holiday gathering.
Price: $50
ARE HEADLAMPS GOOD GADGET GIFTS?
Headlamps — the hands-free flashlight — are a must-have gadget these days, and Knog’s Quokka 80 is my new favorite for being lightweight, inexpensive, waterproof, and easy to use. Charge it up, strap it on, and it lights your way — with a high beam spotlight or wide beam for seeing more around you, too — it shines about 70 feet out in front of you to light your way. It is super handy for runners and cyclists working outside during the winter, but it’s also great for indoors. (I use it to find stuff in my giant purse.) It’s also a must-have for any first aid kit, glove box, camping kit, toolbox, craft room, or kitchen drawer.
Price: $15
IS THERE AN AFFORDABLE SMART PROJECTOR?
Everyone’s looking for a portable projector these days, and it’s hard to find one that’s affordable but still works well. The KODAK FLIK HD9 Smart Projector hits the sweet spots for a powerful, portable, and perfect way to take movie night to the next level. Pair it with an app on your smartphone and take it with you to stream shows from Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime, and all your favorites anytime, anywhere. I gave one of these to my cousin and his family right before they drove across the country with two children under the age of five. She said it was a total life-saver — super easy to set up and use even on a sheet in a motorhome.
Price: $250
HAS ANYONE INVENTED A SMART SHOWER?
Yes! The Power Shower is a “smart,” Wi-Fi connected showerhead. “Power Shower” promises to save about 50% of the normal amount of water you use every shower — and a whole bunch of energy too — it turns on, senses when the water is at your “just right” temperature, then turns it off until you step in — to waste less and conserve more.You can do it with a tap of an app on your smartphone, by waving your hand under it, or via Alexa or Google-enabled device and your voice — “Alexa, warm up my shower…” or “Hey Google, start my shower.” The company says it can save an average of 17 gallons per shower — and you can track it all through the app.
There are actually two sonar motion sensors in the shower head that detect motion so it knows when it needs to run or shut off, and it charges itself with a teeny, tiny hydroelectric turbine inside. That’s cool.
Sale Price: $120
What else am I forgetting?
I’ve introduced you to a lot of pretty spectacular new gadgets and tech tools this year here and on the Today Show. Take a peek at some of my other top picks of the year, including Fluent Pet, Shef, Storii, Irrigreen, and many others.
As the Holiday Shopping Season continues to heat up, keep checking back here. We’ll keep you posted on he tips, tricks, and insider hacks to get everything you want and need at a price you can afford.
Happy Shopping!
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For more great consumer tech advice, read Jennifer’s latest columns at USAToday.com/tech or follow her @JennJolly on Instagram.