We’re already at Day 8 of Tech Guide’s 2021 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas to help you find the ideal gadget gifts to put under the tree for your loved ones.
Smart home devices and IoT (Internet of Things) products are among the most popular and fastest growing tech category.
Christmas offers customers a chance to use these devices to realise their goal of making their home smarter.
Here are Tech Guide’s 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas:
DAY 8: Smart/IoT devices
DAY 9: In-car gadgets
DAY 10: TVs/Blu-Ray/4K
DAY 11: Appliances
DAY 12: Computers
DAY 8: SMART HOME/IoT DEVICES
ARLO PRO 4 WIRELESS SECURITY CAMERA – From $369
While there are many things you can gift family and friends this Christmas, rarely can you give them peace of mind while away from their home. You can now with the Arlo Pro 4.
Featuring 2K video with HDR, 160-degree viewing angle, and colour night vision, the Arlo Pro 4 ensures your family and friends will never miss a thing. Direct connection to Wi-Fi for easy set up, and two-way audio for easy communication with visitors.
For those who are looking to upgrade their home security system with the award-winning Arlo Pro 4 Camera kits will now be eligible to receive up to $200 cash back via redemption as part of the Cash Back Bonanza campaign when they shop with participating retailers in the months of November until the 24th of December 2021.
Give the gift that keeps on giving this Christmas with the Arlo Pro 4.
To purchase Arlo’s extensive range of award-winning, and best-selling, home security systems and accessories visit https://www.arlo.com/en-au/home
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW HERE
NANOLEAF LINES – $539.99 (15 pack), $349.99 (9 pack), $119.99 (3 pack expansion kit)
Nanoleaf has added yet another product to its impressive line-up of smart lighting – it’s the new Nanoleaf Lines – smart backlit LED light bars in a never-before-seen modular form factor.
And just like the other Nanoleaf shapes and light panels, the Nanoleaf lines allow users to design their very own lighting patterns.
These lightweight lines connect at 60-degree angle increments to allow you to create stunning layouts, geometric shapes and ceiling designs with mounting plates integrated with every Lines mounting connector.
GOOGLE NEST HUB (2ND GEN) – $149
The new Google Nest Hub second generation is a lot more than a smart display – it’s also a sleep tracker that provides an accurate snapshot of your nightly slumber.
The device has a 7-inch display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 and is 17.5cm wide and 12cm tall so its small enough to fit anywhere – including your bedside table.
It has a simple minimal design so it can fit in any space in your home.
And it also has a built-in sensor so it can assess the room’s brightness and adjust to suit.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW HERE
ARLO ESSENTIAL INDOOR CAMERA – $159
The Arlo Essential Indoor Camera is the ideal Christmas present for those wanting to level-up their protection and privacy within the home.
Featuring 1080p HD Video for a high-quality picture, Automated Privacy Shield to safeguard private moments, and Night Vision for total protection day and night, setting-up is a breeze with its direct to Wi-Fi connection.
For a complete smart home experience, the Arlo Essential Indoor Camera sends instant alerts directly to your smart device if motion is detected, allowing you to take immediate action, even when you’re away from home.
Keep your loved ones safe this festive season with the affordable Arlo Essential Indoor Camera.
Choose from Arlo’s extensive range of award-winning home security systems and accessories, and rest easy in the knowledge you’re buying direct from the manufacturer.
Visit https://www.arlo.com/en-au/home
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW HERE
AMAZON ECHO SHOW 10 – $399
The idea of a smart speaker that follows you as you move around the room maybe a little off putting but the Amazon Echo Show 10 is a handy smart display to have in your life.
And when we say follow you around the room, we don’t mean it follows you around the room we mean the display turns to face you when you need it to.
Amazon has had a number of smart displays in various sizes but these were static products that could only be viewed when you were in front of it.
The Echo Show 10 brings all the smarts from the wide range of Alexa speakers and combines the tracking screen and a high-quality speaker into one attractive unit.
UNIDEN GUARDIAN APP CAM HOME+ INDOOR CAMERA – $149.95
Uniden’s new Guardian App Cam Home+ indoor camera lets you see more than regular smart cameras because you can pan and tilt the camera and get wider view of the area.
The camera also offers 2.5K video quality and 3x zoom so you can see even more and in higher quality.
Also onboard is pre-motion recording that starts four seconds before motion is detected so you don’t miss a thing.
The Uniden Guardian App Cam Home+ can be positioned anywhere in your home and is ideal for large open plan living areas which can easily be covered thanks to the 355-degree panning and 50 degree tilt.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW HERE
GOOGLE NEST FAMILY – From $179
The Google Nest family includes the Nest Doorbell, a battery-powered wireless Nest Cam, a new wired Nest Cam and Nest Cam with floodlight – and they simplify home security without compromising privacy and protection.
Google says it wanted to make it easier for customers to have a connected home while still being able to receive smarter alerts as well as work with other Nest products like displays.
That means you can keep an eye on the backyard all the front door from a Google Nest Hub display and see who’s at your front door.
The wireless products offer greater flexibility when it comes to installation and managing the devices while still maintaining your privacy and security.
LASER SMARTHOME RANGE – From $10
The perfect gift for anyone this holiday, gift convenience with smart home technology.
Laser SmartHome’s range features an array of lighting options, smart security and smart power solutions for every Australian household.
Including smart bulbs that offer a wide range of colour customisation and scheduling options or smart power solution including a Smart Wi-Fi Plug and Power Board which can make any appliance into a smart appliance.
– Laser Smart 10W LED Light Bulbs – RRP $10 (WHITE) or $15 (RGB)
– Laser Smart G80 Filament Amber Globe– RRP $24
– Laser Smart Strip Light with USB Connector 2M – RRP $29
– Laser Smart Wi-Fi Plug with Dual USB and Power Monitor – RRP $29
– Laser Smart Full HD Camera – RRP $49
– Laser Smart Full HD Wireless Outdoor Camera with Solar Panel – RRP $299
– Laser Smart Full HD Video Doorbell While – RRP $149
Available from www.laserco.com.au and Big W.
ECHO SHOW 8 – $199
The Echo Show 8 has an 8-inch high-definition display with adaptive colour and dual stereo speakers so it not only looks good but sounds good as well.
Users can watch their content on the screen, stream their favourite TV shows from Netflix, Prime Video and catch-up services as well as listen to the radio, to Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music and their podcasts and audiobooks.
Also onboard is a 13-megapixel camera with a built-in shutter which can automatically pan and zoom while you’re on video calls, so everyone stays in the middle of the frame.
NETGEAR NIGHTHAWK 4G LTE – $499
If you need a fast connection no matter where you’re located, then you need the new Netgear Nighthawk 4G LTE Wi-Fi nighthawk Router which can be easily set up for your home and business.
And all you need is a 4G LTE nano SIM card to provide your connection to the Internet.
Normally a router connects to a modem which brings into your home or business a fixed broadband connection.
But in the case of the Netgear Nighthawk 4G LTE Wi-Fi router LAX20, that link to the internet is provided through the 4G LTE SIM card which needs to be purchased separately.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW HERE
SWANN MOTION ALERT SENSOR – $49.95
After a long and gruelling lockdown, you’d be forgiven for wanting to book the next available hotel for a family road trip – and worrying about the safety and security of your home shouldn’t stop you.
The Swann Motion Alert Sensor is 100 per cent wireless (battery powered) PIR motion-sensing alarm that triggers mobile phone notifications with optional siren for any suspicious activity in and around your home.
Whether you’re relaxing at the beach or sightseeing in a new town, you’ll be granted peace of mind knowing that your house is being kept safe and sound! The Motion Alert Sensor is available as a single device to fit a niche need (but easily expanded if required), there is no hub necessary.
Available at: www.swann.com/au/
NANOLEAF ELEMENTS – $429.99 (7 panel starter kit), $149.99 (expansion 3 pack).
Nanoleaf, the leader in smart lighting décor, has introduced an innovative new product –Elements – which include hexagonal wood-look panels to offers a whole approach to smart lighting.
The Nanoleaf Elements panels have a wood-grain finish and texture to give users new options to introduce the lights in their homes.
And they look good whether they’re on or off.
$429.99 (7 panel starter kit) and the Expansion Pack (3 panels) is $149.99.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REPORT
CONNECT WATER CONTROLLER – $199
Maintain your lawn or garden intelligently with the Laser Smart Water Controller. Simply install the Laser SmartHome app and you can ensure your plants receive the right amount of water from anywhere and anytime at the touch of a button.
Set smart schedules and timers to not only keep your plants healthy, but also minimize water wastage.
The Laser SmartHome app also allows you to automate watering based on your local weather conditions, allowing you to sit back and enjoy the results.
Available from Harvey Norman.
PHILIPS HUE STARTER KIT – $314.95
Add ambient colours to any room with the Philips Hue White and Colour Ambiance Starter Kit.
With 50,000 shades of warm to cool white smart lights and over 16 million colours, you can transform your home into the perfect party venue, bring a bedtime story to life, or use the smart lights to wake you up and help you sleep.
The kit includes three colours smart bulbs and a Hue Bridge, which provides full control of the lights, access to the Hue app, and endless features including the option to sync movies, TV shows, music, and games to the lighting.
Available from JB HiFi, Harvey Norman, Officeworks, Bunnings, Amazon AU
AMAZON FIRE STICK TV 4K MAX – $99
The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is 40 per cent more powerful than Fire TV Stick 4K and features a new quad-core 1.8GHz processer and 2GB of RAM, so your apps start faster, and navigation is more fluid.
It is also the first Fire TV streaming device to offer Wi-Fi 6 support for smoother streaming in 4K when multiple Wi-Fi 6-connected devices are streaming.
Fire TV 4K Max supports 4K UHD, HDR, and HDR10+ streaming, as well as Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
It comes with the latest Alexa Voice Remote so you can easily use your voice to search for the content you want to watch, manage your smart home devices, and more. Four pre-set buttons get you to your favourite apps quickly.
You can also control power and volume on your compatible TV and soundbar without needing another remote.
Available from JB Hi-Fi and www.amazon.com.au
CONNECT SMART GARAGE DOOR OPENER – $99
Using the Connect SmartHome APP to control your garage door from almost anywhere has many benefits.
For straightforward convenience automate the door with your smartphone, or simply use voice commands with Google Assistant integration.
Alternatively, you can use the ‘geofencing’ function to open or close your garage door when entering/leaving a set geographic area.
Use your garage to receive deliveries in a secure location when you’re not at home. Check the status of the door anytime or receive alerts for peace of mind.
Available from JB Hi-Fi.
