CES 2014: 5 Great Gadgets for Moms

A lot of fun and helpful gadgets for Moms to be found at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this year.   In fact, narrowing it down to 5 was hard to do.  Although we didn’t mention it in this article, if you’re a new mom, you must learn more about one gadget for Moms, the mimo baby monitor and baby bottle warmer by Rest Devices.  Truly innovative, ahead of their time products to help you care for your baby.  See them in our previous article, The Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2014) in Pictures.

Read on to see our top recommended gadgets for Moms from CES 2014…

1.  The Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2

I recently began using the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.  I love the big screen and the graphics are tremendous.  But there are a couple of features on it that make it even more of a dream phone.  First, is the included stylus that is housed right in the phone.  I take lots of handwritten notes with it.  The second is the ability to have two windows open at once.  I can read my emails, click on a link, and be taken to that webpage while still reading my email!  While at CES, I saw the new Samsung Galaxy Note Pro and my eyes opened wider.  The new Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 inch 2560×1600 display Android KitKat tablet is big, beautiful, and so functional.  It allows you to open 4 windows at once.  Talk about multitasking!  You can watch a video, check you mail, update your calendar, and check the weather all at the same time!  And of course, the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro comes with its own included stylus too, perfect for making quick notes and in many cases, the Galaxy Note Pro will transcribe your note into typed text!  The Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 will be available sometime during this quarter.  Two smaller sizes will also be offered.

2.  Samsung Smart WB350F Camera

Another great Samsung product is the new Samsung Smart WB350F camera featuring an awesome 16 mp camera, 21x optical zoom, and a 23mm wide angle lens.  The Samsung WB350F incorporates NFC so it can connect to other NFC devices simply by tapping the two devices together, transferring photos and videos.  Even easier is the Photo Beam feature which transfers images to your smartphone automatically, enabling you to share your latest photos with your social circles immediately.  I also love it’s Remote ViewFinder which allows you to take control of your camera with your smartphone, perfect for those timer-enabled family shots…now you can be in the picture too!

3.  Lenovo BEACON

For those of you who have been reading WellConnectedMom for a while, you know I’m a big fan of Dropbox for saving pictures from all of your media devices.  But there are two problems with Dropbox.  First, after so many GB’s, it cost money to save your pictures, videos, and documents to the Dropbox cloud each month.  Second, all of your info. is on someone else’s computers in the cloud.  Some people prefer to keep their stuff privately.  Lenovo has solved this problem with their new Lenovo BEACON.  Sure, there are other personal hard drive storage solutions on the market, but Lenovo seems to have it the simplest to back up your files…from all your devices seamlessly.

Lenovo’s Beacon can automatically uploads copied images from a person/family’s multitude of devices instantly through WiFi or your smartphone/tablet’s  3G/4G connection.  Even better, with the free Lenovo BEACON Android app, family members can access their data while on the go using their connected devices.  Lenovo’s BEACON will start pricing at $199, and will initially come with a large storage capacity, expandable up to 6TB. Best yet, there are no monthly storage fees!

4.  Panasonic nanoe Hair Dryer

The new Panasonic nanoe Hair Dryer is another great item for Moms.  For years you’ve been using a hair dryer to dry your hair, only it also has been drying out your hair in the process.  Panasonic has created a new hair dryer that grabs the moisture from your hair and the air and sprays it back into the shafts of your hair through ions – very small moisture-rich particles.  You hair will be very soft and full of life after each blow drying episode.  Panasonic uses the same technology in other products too like their ionic Flat Iron and Facial ionic Steamer.

I had the opportunity to have a hair blowout in Panasonic’s booth on the showroom floor to see how the nanoe dryer works.  My hair was so incredibly soft after they were done, I was really surprised.  The Panasonic nanoe hair dryer retails for $179.

5.  Reebok Checklight Cap

OK, OK, the new Reebok Checklight is not a product for Moms per se, but it is such a not-t0-miss product, I added it here to help get the word out.  The Reebok Checklight is a nylon cap that your child wears underneath their helmet when they play football, ski, hockey, wrestle, or any other contact sport where head injury is possible.  If your child sustains a hard enough hit to his/her head, either a yellow or light comes on at the stem of the cap.  A yellow light means the head was impacted moderately and a red light means the hit was pretty impactful.  It doesn’t connect to an app on the phone to notify you of danger, yet it does light up red so the people around your child can know right away the last impact was a serious one.  My son is too young to play tackle football, but if he ever did, I would not hesitate in having him wear this important product.  This one is a winner.  The Reebok Checklight is also available for all ages 6 and above and sells for $150.

There you have it!  Want more gadgets for Moms that are still great finds for today?  See our top Mom gadgets from the past few years at CES:  2010, 2011, 2012, 2013.  Be sure to see our Consumer Electronics Show in Pictures 2014 for more interesting products.