A little holiday cheer is more than warranted (and needed) as we wind down 2020. To assist in the cheering up, I have put together our tech ideas for your Holiday giving and getting. The pressure is mounting to give the perfect gift that is useful, shows you care and more importantly won’t end up regifted. Or worse, sitting in a box in the corner of the garage awaiting a future Goodwill run. There are thousands of gadgets out there. If history continues to repeat, most will be lucky to make a future list of novelty flash in the pan gifts of the past. Below is my attempt the cut through the holiday marketing blitz and present items that I think will stand the test of time.
Dash Cam. I drive A LOT. As of this writing, I have driven across the US 5 times this year alone. A few years ago, I bought a simple dash cam as added insurance against traffic accidents. As with most technology, that dash cam has become mostly obsolete compared to all the new ones on the market now. I have started
looking for a replacement.
There are many dash cams on the market this year. They all do basically the same thing but with different bells and whistles that you may or may not need. In the end, my prime consideration will be picture quality and overall brand reliability. Here is just one link to some dash cam reviews available now. There are many others reviews on the internet to help in your decision.
Battery Heated Coffee Mug This definitely fits into the “Something for someone who has everything” category. But if your hard-to-buy for someone is a caffeinated gadget guy or girl, this may be just the thing. 
These mugs have an internal battery that make them self contained coffee warmers. No more tossed out cold coffee or trips to the microwave for a reheat. Set the temp and your coffee or tea will stay at that temp for hours. There are several on the market but I have found a 16oz mug from Cauldryn that gets good reviews on Amazon. If you want to go a little more stylish, Ember is another option. This is a link to a blog that reviews these and other mugs.
Wireless Charging Stand. Most mobile phones are now able to be charged wirelessly using Qi Pad. Just place the Qi 
compatible device (phones, pads, watches, ear buds) Simple contact starts the battery charging without fumbling with charge cables. There are plenty of good options out there now. Mine positions the phone at an angle for easy hands free video calls and a replacement for my bedside clock radio.
Sequence. Diverting from the tech gadget theme for this one. I spent an unplugged month volunteering in Nepal last year. Not much to do 
other than read from a limited stash of books left behind by previous volunteers. Then a couple showed up with the board game “Sequence”. Its a strategy board-and-card game that we would spend the hours after dinner playing until lights out. The rules are easy, with a mix of luck and strategy needed to win. It is a great way to bring your household together without technology distractions.
On-Line Back-up Service. And last but never least, my annual request that everyone have an on-line 
backup service for each of their computers and devices. Microsoft, Google and Apple have an online Hard drive service to store your files. Make sure that you use them. Other companies have cloud drives that are more designed for online backups. They are not designed for day to day hard drive usage but are more for restoring your data in case of a hard drive failure. These backup services run quietly in the background whenever you connect to the internet and make an initial copy of the data you choose and continue to make copies as files are created and changed. It is not the most romantic gift, but you will be a real hero when one of your loved ones’ hard drives crashes or gets an unrecoverable virus. This Link reviews some of the top services.
Teledata Select offers a whole range of services that will help you meet your business goals. Starting with a complimentary review of your current telecommunication bills to identify errors and find opportunities for savings, better service and more functionality. We also offer project management for new service implementation and infrastructure installs, including fiber and low voltage cabling. Call us at 404-257-1502 to discuss your current Telecom Service Solution and what you would like to get out of it. Or send us a note via This Link to start a no obligation discussion of your specific business technology needs.
Don Miller is a PMP certified Project Manager splits his time between Atlanta, Ga and Cleveland, Oh. He has come to Teledata Select via Seattle, New York and Washington DC. His experience running small to multi-million dollar projects in the Banking, Software, Telecommunications and Insurance Industries across the US has given him a wide range of business experience.
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