FairlawnGig’s staff is bringing you some ideas to consider for your own shopping lists. These tech gifts are great additions to any “smart” lifestyle!
Dustin Wright, Chief Technology Officer
Sonos One SL Wireless Smart Speaker
Sonos speakers are really popular for a reason. But did you know that there are two “flavors?” For people who want a personal assistant, Sonos speakers have Alexa and Google Voice integration. If you don’t need a virtual personal assistant or if you’re like some people who find the whole personal assistant thing creepy, the “SL” flavor is for you. The SL is just the traditional speaker without the microphone/personal assistance features. If you want wireless speakers, but do not want microphones the Sonos “SL” products are a great option as most speaker solutions today include listening devices.
Ernie Staten, Director of Public Service & FairlawnGig CEO
onX Hunt
As a big sportsman, I recommend the onX Hunt application. You can save 30% between now and end-of-day Wednesday, but even if you miss this sale, this affordable smart phone application subscription is perfect for the hunter in your life. The app gives you maps and tools for every state. This includes boundaries for public/private land, GMUs, customizable waypoints, tracking, line distance, area shape measurements, wind, weather and a bunch of stuff that you may not understand – but trust me, the hunter on your list will love this! The “Elite” version is worth the extra cost given the amount of perks your hunter will receive.
Amy Austin, Customer Liaison & Administrative Assistant
Yale Assure Lock 2
Here’s a gift for a family like mine, on-the-go and maybe a tad forgetful. The Yale Assure Lock 2 lets you enter your home via a keypad versus a traditional and losable key. Additionally, if you want to lock or unlock the house remotely, the lock works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant and you can also operate it via your phone. There’s currently a “cyber” sale on this, taking 25% off.
Ian Simmons, Broadband Utility Technician
Amazon Echo Show 15
I was looking at both personal assistants and small TVs for the kitchen when I came across Amazon’s Echo Show 15. It’s a 15.6 inch screen that has Alexa built in. Our connected home can leverage Alexa in the kitchen while using the built in Fire TV to watch any of our streaming subscriptions when we prep a meal. This awesome, little device can also serve as a home for our to-do lists (bye bye post-its and white boards) and calendars and can even function as a digital photo frame when it’s “resting.”
Nick Hogue, Broadband Utility Technician/Outside Plant Manager
Petcube Pack of 3 Cam Indoor Wi-Fi Pet and Security Camera
Here’s a great gift for the pet lover in your life. This affordable set of three cameras includes the ability to zoom in and out and talk to your pets. They, of course, also let you monitor your home remotely. The cameras are motion activated and give you the peace of mind to know that neither your pets nor potential intruders are truly “alone” in your home.
Doug Adams, Marketing Director
Apple AirTag
Much like the more phone-operating-system-neutral Tile, Apple AirTags are perfect for those items that iPhone users tend to misplace. Keys are even runaway pets are great “items” for AirTag recovery. These handy little devices are battery charged and “ping” off iPhones to provide a precise location in the owner’s “Find My” iPhone app. I’ve got some on my keys, in luggage that I check on airplanes, and on my beagle who likes to take long solo “walks” through the neighborhood.
Josh Cingel, Customer and Network Support
SteelSeries Apex Pro
If there’s a gamer in your life who also spends a great deal of time on their computer, here’s a great keyboard to consider. The SteelSeries Apex Pro was recently reviewed by USA Today as their best gaming keyboard. Currently on sale, this wireless keyboard works great with a PC or Mac and features featuring Adjustable HyperMagnetic Switches with Rapid Trigger, total adjustability of actuation points, and 2-in-1 Action Keys.