Technology Gifts for Father’s Day

HP Stream 11

By Johnny Taylor MIT, MBA
Special to the NNPA from the Houston Forward Times
Shopping for the Father’s Day? We have gift recommendations for Smartphone, wearable technology, gadgets, consoles, appliances and more. Read Forward.
1. Computer: HP Stream 11 (http://store.hp.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/us/en/mdp/Laptops/hp-stream-notebook-13) – Are you looking for a $200 laptop loaded with Windows 8, good for typing things, cheap, durable and mobile? If so, then you want the HP Stream 11. Unlike the Google Chromebook, this device is loaded with Windows for you PC users. The only sacrifices are battery life and screen size. Display 11.6”, Processor Dual Core 2.16 Ghz Intel Celeron N280, Storage 32GB, Memory 2GB, Wireless 802.11; Bluetooth and Weight 2.74. Retail $200.00
2. Gaming Console: PlayStation4 (http://www.playstation.com/en-us/explore/ps4/): The PS4 preserves its slight edge over Xbox One going into the holiday season. For those looking for a singular, games only focus, PS4 is the way to go. The bottom line is the PS4 beautiful graphics, smart interface, blazing performance, near perfect controller and better indie offerings gives it the edge over Xbox One. The bad is PS3 games are not compatible with the PS4. Retail $400 (Sony $400 and Amazon $486).

iPhone 6

3. SmartPhones: iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Samsung Galaxy Note4 and Motorola Moto X (www.apple.com, www.samsung.com & www.motoroal.com); The iPhone 6 is an exceptional phone in nearly every way except its average battery life. It’s thin and fast with a spacious screen and the smoothest payment system we’ve seen in the mobile payments space (more to come on this subject matter in TechFoward). It’s the best overall phone of 2014 for Mac users. Retail $199 / 2 year term AT&T, $650 T-Mobile and $800 Amazon. Samsung Galaxy Note4 is the first smart-phone to carry Qualcomm’s fastest 2.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor and quick-charging technology. The Galaxy Note 4 is also the only one of its kind to give you a stylus for writing and multitasking. Retail $299 (AT&T with 2 year term); Best Buy $825 and Amazon $700. Motorola Moto’s Goldilocks phone returns with better hardware than last year’s model and even more appeal. A suite of handy voice and gesture controls backs a fluid design that you can customize yourself with accent colors and different backings (leather! wood grain!) It may not stun you with the absolute zenith of its components, but it’s a darn likable device that, starting at $99 on contract, gives you a heck of a lot of mileage for a midrange price. Retail $99 (AT&T / 2 year term) and $527 Amazon.

Galaxy Gear Smartwatch

4. Wearable Tech: Watches (http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/wearable-tech) – Your phone is way too big and unwieldy — what you need is a smaller second screen to let you know what’s going on with ease. At least, that’s what Samsung reckons. Its new Galaxy Gear Smartwatch lets you take calls, send texts, and perform various other tasks from your wrist without touching your phone. The Wearable device works through Bluetooth technology and I can tell you from experience, this gadget is worth every penny. I have had the Samsung Gear for a year now and have not had any problems. A convenient device with value. Stay tuned for more on Wearable Technologies in TechForward throughout 2015. Retail $199.
5. Appliance: August Smart Lock (www.august.com) – The $250 Smart Lock was designed by Yves Behar and is listed as an Apple Homekit partner. Although it is a bit pricy and requires a separate hub to work over a wi-fi network, it is easy on the eyes and installs over your existing deadbolt with ease. Benefits include – Keyless, Auto-Unlock, Always On, Log Records of Entries and provide Total Control. Retail $250
6. Speakers: The UE Boom Speaker (http://www.ultimateears.com/en-us/boom) – The UE Boom is a compact, durable wireless Bluetooth speaker that plays very loud for its size and is water and stain resistant. It offers up to 15 hours of battery life, has speakerphone capabilities and is well suited to outdoor use. There is also a UE Boom app for iOS and Android devices. Retail on Dell for $180, Amazon $215.
7. Cameras: GoPro Hero4 Silver (http://shop.gopro.com/hero4/hero4-silver/CHDHY-401.html) – For its latest Silver edition, GoPro seems to have taken the specs of 2013’s Hero3+ Black Edition, added new features such as HiLight Tagging so you can quickly find that cool thing that happened, improved low-light performance and perhaps most importantly, a touch-screen on the back of the device. Features 1080p60 and 720p120 video, 12MP photos up to 30 frames per second built in wi-fi and Bluetooth. Retail $399
8. Drone: UDI U818A 2.4Ghz 4 CH 6 Axis Gyro RC / Quadcopter with Camera RTF Mode 2 (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00D3IN11Q/ezdrones-20) – 6 Axis Gyro with posture control – Integrated design guarantee the precise positioning of the aircraft. 4 channel functions provide stable flying and easy operation. A high capacity battery and strong power motors enable the helicopter to operate much longer and more efficiently.
9. Car: AUDI A3 2.0T Quattro (http://www.audiusa.com/models/audi-a3-sedan) – The Audi A3 is about as perfect a car as we have seen in long time. This compact sedan does not skimp on the technology, offering a 4G data connection for Google-Based navigation through Google Maps in tandem with destination search. Its 2 Liter engine is both economical and powerful, making it fun and practical to drive. The bad is Audi chose to use an AMI proprietary dongle verses an industry standard USB. Retail $29,000.00