What the Tech? More Mother’s Day gift ideas

Neither my mom nor my wife gets excited about tech gadgets. That still doesn’t stop me from trying to find something for them on Mother’s Day that’ll make them say “Ooooh. What does it do?”.

So what have I found this year? A few options for moms whether they embrace new tech gadgets or those who’d rather just have a nice cup of coffee.

This first gadget is good, not just for moms, but for anyone who might have to keep reheating the same cup of coffee in the microwave. We all end up doing it at least once or twice a day. I found a solution. The Ember mug keeps hot drinks hot. The handsome coffee mug (available in several colors) gets a charge from a coaster that stays plugged into an outlet. But the Ember mug doesn’t have to sit there like some other warming cups I’ve seen. Those other mugs are basically sitting on something similar to a candle warmer. The Ember mug stays warm even when you remove it from the coaster and no matter where you take the mug, it keeps coffee or tea hot. Not just hot, but hot like you like it. Using the Ember app she can select how hot she wants her coffee or tea. 142 degrees is perfect for sipping. The Ember mug keeps it at exactly 142 degrees for about an hour and a half. The handle doesn’t get hot like it might do if she re-heats her drink in the microwave. If she prefers tea to coffee, the Ember app has a tea timer so she’ll know how exactly how long it’s been steeping. The Ember smart mug is handwashing safe. Please don’t put it in the microwave as it’s an electronic device and will damage the mug and possibly your microwave.

If mom has a pet, she’ll get a kick out of a pet robot. The Youpet for dogs and cats is for their entertainment but we all are entertained when they’re entertained. The Youpet robot is a companion for your pet when you’re not at home or when you just want to play. The Youpet is on wheels and has a camera, microphone, and speaker so you can check in on them when you’re away. From your phone, you can put the robot in action and roam around the house looking for your pet. You can see what the robot sees. I didn’t know how my cat would respond to a buzzing rolling robot but she loved the laser pointer which I could control through the app. It’ll take photos and record videos. And one button dispenses treats that you store in a carousel. The Youpet robot has standby power for 15 days so you can check in when you’re on vacation.

If she loves music she cannot have too many portable Bluetooth speakers. One for the kitchen, one for her office, and one for the back porch. There are plenty of cheap Bluetooth speakers on Amazon but if you want one that will last and sounds good, the Soundcore Motion+ offers some of the best sound and bass of any Bluetooth speaker under $100. It’s water resistant so a summer shower isn’t going to hurt it. The battery lasts about 12 hours and it’s super portable.

Or, if she’s always on the move, the Soundcore Frames sunglasses have 4 speakers so she can listen to music and talk on the phone hands-free. The speakers and microphones are in the arms and she can swap out the frames for her own style and there are many to choose from. The open-ear design means she can listen to music but still hear things around her.