Christmas is nearly here and tech gadget gifts will be high on the shopping lists. Tech Guide is once again running its annual 12 Days of Christmas Gadget Gift Ideas.
Today we’re looking at smart Internet of Things products that can be controlled with your mobile device from anywhere.
These products are growing in popularity and can add so much convenience to our lives.
And the fact most of them are small and portable makes them an ideal gift.
They are easy to integrate into your home because they tap into your wireless network.
Here is the full list of Tech Guide’s 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas.
Be sure to check back every day to see all the categories and gift suggestions.
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/INTERNET OF THINGS DEVICES
RING DOORBELL 2 – $329
With the Ring doorbell users will be able to know who’s at their front door from anywhere and also speak to them whether they’re inside the house or on the other side of the world.
Now you won’t miss a delivery and you’ll know exactly who is ringing your doorbell at any time.
But Ring can also act as a security camera as well and can detect motion so you can tell if someone is on your property even if they don’t ring the doorbell.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE RING 2 DOORBELL
PHILIPS HUE MOTION SENSOR – $59.95
One of the most popular smart products is the Philips Hue Lighting system which allows users to control their lights, colours and schedules from the companion app.
The latest addition to the Hue ecosystem is the new Motion Sensor which can turn on lights when it detects movement.
The small device can be positioned easily and react within 0.5 seconds so you’re not fumbling around in the dark.
READ TECH GUIDE’S REPORT ON PHILIPS HUE LIGHTING
ELGATO EVE – from $69.95
Elgato has created a range of Eve products that can be placed around your home and easily connected to give you complete control.
These products all work with the Apple HomeKit so they’re easy to set up and will integrate with Siri on your iPhone.
The suite of products includes Eve Energy, Eve Wireless Room Sensor, Eve Degree, Eve Motion Sensor, Eve Door and Window Sensor, Eve Weather Outdoor Sensor.
The products can be automated with timers or triggers so more than one product can work together.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF ELGATO EVE
NEST PRODUCTS – from $189
There are three products that make up the Nest range of smart devices including the Nest Protect smart smoke detector, the Nest Outdoor Cam and the Nest Indoor Cam.
All of these products can be monitored through the Nest app on your smart phone so you can not only view what your cameras see but also receive a warning if smoke is detected.
The Nest range of connected products can provide peace of mind for you and your family.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF NEST PRODUCTS
UNIDEN APP CAM SOLO – $229.95 (single), $449 (dual pack), $849 (four pack)
One of the most popular uses of smart products is for security and the Uniden App Cam Solo can be installed quickly and easily to allow you to keep an eye inside and outside of your home.
The device has 130-degree viewing angle for a greater field of vision and can be fitted to any flat surface with an easy to install magnetic base.
The camera can be arranged at any angle anywhere (it’s weatherproof) and also easily moved around the home.
The Uniden App Cam Solo is wirefree and connects to your home’s wi-fi network and can send alerts when it detects motion and film directly to a microSD card.
Users can set up as many cameras as they wish to cover their whole home in areas like the driveway, the front door, the garage and back entrances.
SWANN WIREFREE SMART SECURITY CAM – $269 (single), $499 (twin pack), $739 (three pack), $969
Swann is already a well-known brand when it comes to security and it has just released a new wire free smart security camera that provides full high definition video through a 120-degree viewing angle.
The Swann camera is fully weatherproof with an IP65 rating so can be used anywhere, inside and out.
The device is also smart enough to tell the difference between pets and people so you won’t get flooded by false notifications.
READ TECH GUIDE’S REPORT ON PHILIPS HUE LIGHTING
NETGEAR ARLO GO – $599
Netgear was one of the first companies to introduce smart wirefree security cameras and have already released the Arlo and Arlo Pro range which allow users to place the cameras anywhere, inside or outside, within reach of their home network.
Now Netgear has released Arlo Go – a truly mobile high definition security camera.
And it can be positioned anywhere. The device makes its connection through the cellular network thanks to an on-board 4G SIM card.
It has rechargeable long-lasting batteries, two-way audio and a wide-angle motion sensor.
Also integrated is night vision and local backup storage through the built-in SD card slot.
Users can also access up to 7 days of motion and audio triggered recordings from the cloud.
STAY TUNED FOR A FULL REVIEW ON TECH GUIDE IN THE COMING DAYS
NETGEAR BABY MONITOR – $399
Netgear has brought its smart security camera technology to the nursery with the new Arlo Baby to keep an eye and ear on your child.
It has been thoughtfully designed to blend into the baby’s room and can be turned into a kitten, a puppy or a bunny with optional skins.
You can receive a notification when it detects the baby crying as well as information about the room’s ambient conditions like temperature, humidity and air quality.
There are even a collection of lullabies built in to seeing your child to sleep.
READ TECH GUIDE’S REPORT ON NETGEAR’S ARLO BABY
GOOGLE HOME ($149) and GOOGLE MINI ($79)
We’ve all heard about the Google Home smart speaker – you can ask questions, get it to do things, play your music, get you ready for your day and even ask it to tell you a joke.
Google Home connects to your home network and can understand our Australian accents perfectly.
It’s easy to set up and just as easy to link your music services, video services and your smart devices so you can control them all with your voice.
And now you can even choose a smaller version – the Google Mini – which shares the same features as its big brother Google Home.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE GOOGLE HOME
NANOLEAF AURORA – $299.99 (starter kit), $99.99 (expansion pack)
The Nanoleaf Aurora is a smart light with the difference. Users can arrange the triangular light panels in any pattern they desire.
Each panel is capable of displaying 16.7 million colours so the possibilities are endless.
And it is all controlled through the companion app and, because it is Apple HomeKit compatible, it can also be controlled with your voice using Siri on your iPhone.
Nanoleaf has also just released a Rhythm module ($79.99) so your Aurora lights can sync to your music.
