More great techie gift ideas for mom
— -- Sure, flowers and brunch are traditional — but today's moms aren't. For Mother's Day this year, more women want a gadget than just about anything else, according to a recent shopping survey. You know who that surprises, according to the same poll? Men. Not surprised by that are most of us moms, because we know all too well that having the right gadget at the right time helps us to be more connected, feel more confident, and simply get more out of our busy lives.
When it comes to picking out the right gadget for any mom, keep it simple and fuss-free. Remember, what moms really love most is sharing moments with you. Here are my top picks for every mom and every budget.
1. The message of love
Price: Free
My most treasured gift from my daughter is a little box filled with slips of paper on which she wrote some of her fondest thoughts and memories of me. Right at this second, you have a ton of tools at your fingertips to do something very similar — in half the time!
Pre-write your mother 12 to 24 text messages, tweets, or emails. Use a free service like HootSuite to schedule and post a message hourly on Mother's Day. You can even send video and photo right to her Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn account.
What if she doesn't have a social media account, you ask? Then set one up for her, and show her how to use it. Or create an entire Pinterest board with her name as the title, filled with images, poems, sayings, and other wonderful pieces o' Pinsanity that remind you of her. Then sit down with her and show her this great new site you've been dying to tell her about. If you live far away, use Skype, Tango ( for iPhone and Android) to walk her through it via video conference call.
2. Customized gadget cases
Price: $17
Smartphone cases are a great way to tech out your mom with a funny saying like "Keep calm and call Mom," a stylish design, or a picture of you! I also really like the customized cases for tablets, laptops, and other electronics that you can find from Case-Mate, Coveroo, and Zazzle. She'll love having a picture of you everywhere she goes. You get extra points if the case is ultra-sturdy and can protect her precious gadget well.
3. Bikn: Stuff finder
Price: $130
Bikn (pronounced "beacon") truly is a ray of light for moms who constantly lose their keys, sunglasses, phones, and everything else that's not attached to their bodies, including their pets. All you do is put a small Bikn tag on whatever it is that you don't want to lose, and it will then be wirelessly connected to a special Bikn iPhone case.
When you click a button, either on the case or the tag, an alarm goes off. So if it's your iPhone that's missing, just push a button on one of the tags to find it. The Bikn also shows you how far you are away from the object, up to 100 feet inside or 500 feet outside. Pure magic.
4. Biscotti TV Phone
Price: $150
Here's an easy-to-use tech tool that brings video calling to your TV that's so vivid, it feels like you're in the same room, even when the other person is on the other side of the world. Just plug in the little black Italian cookie-looking device to your HDTV, and let Wi-Fi do the rest.
