BALTIMORE — Tech is topping people's holiday wish lists this year. A Consumer Technology Association study found that 74 percent of U.S. adults plan to buy tech products as a gift.
Suzanne Kantra, the founder and editor-in-chief of Techlicious.com, said the three screens continue to hold the top spots on gift wish lists - laptops, smartphones, and TVs.
Coming in fourth place are tablets, which can be combined with laptops to make for the ultimate 2-in-1 present.
"This is the HP Elite Dragonfly. So this is a 2.2 pound laptop, super portable, but what I like about this is the fact that it's loaded with wellness software, so it's going to remind you to get up and take a break and it's also made from ocean-bound recycled plastics," said Kantra.
Speaking of wellness, wearables are 5th on the list.
"I have from Fitbit their Versa 2. They have a history of advanced fitness tracking, but it's also a smart watch, so you're going to have things like tap to pay, your notifications, sleep tracking, and all of that comes with six days of battery life," said Kantra.
Emerging tech is another popular gift. More than half of adults plan to purchase a smart home product like smart doorbells, cameras, or lightbulbs as a gift. Smart speakers top the category. However, there's been a decline in demand over the last year as more devices, like TVs, incorporate digital assistants.
"55-inch voice-controlled televisions and they represent two of the 4K UHD TV technologies available on the market today," Kantra said.
More affordable gifts include wireless earbuds, and for just $39, the Scosche FlyTunes transmitter can make almost any device compatible with your bluetooth headphones.
"Think about those times when you have your bluetooth headphones, but you still want to listen. So maybe you're in a plane want to watch a movie, or maybe at the gym you want to watch television, this device plugs into any audio jack and then it will send the sound to your bluetooth headphones or to two bluetooth headphones," Kantra said.
And for kids, there are of course video games. Nintendo is offering two models of its Switch, including a less expensive version that starts at $199.
There's even tech ideas for young children.
"Like this ROYBI robot. So this is for three to seven year olds. Cute little robot here, it has a camera built into it, so it uses artificial intelligence not only to track how well they're doing in the lessons, there are 500 of them programmed into the robot, but also will see how they react. So, if they're really happy or they're excited, or they're frustrated, all of that information will be captured and will then go into the lesson plan for your child," said Kantra.
A warning about smart toys. In 2017,the FBI alerted parents to privacy concerns around internet-connected toys.
They recommend always reading the privacy policy.
For the ROYBI, the manufacturer says on its website that video recordings are solely for parents and the device only records when it's on and there's a image on the screen. They also provide a privacy cover for those who want to be extra cautious.
