Top 5 Tech Gifts to Buy Yourself

As the gift season is approaching, it's important to note that technology has become omnipresent in our daily personal and professional lives. Given this, many of today's gadgets promise to improve efficiency, be fun, and help your well-being.

Here are five top tech gifts for self-indulgence that can help elevate your game, save time, protect you from wasting time, capture fun and memorable moments, and maybe even save your life!

1. AI tech

A subscription to ChatGPT 4 will cost you about $240 a year, or $20 a month, but for agents who use this online tech tool – also available in a smartphone app version – it will more than pay for itself by saving you time when you use it to draft content. If you are looking for an AI image creation tool, DALL-E 3 can be fun and will soon be part of ChatGPT for subscribers, but Canva's new built-in AI tool is impressive and easier to use for image and graphic promotional material creation. Canva Pro is $119.99 a year.

Other options: Google offers Bard as its ChatGPT competitor, and other subscription-based content creation tools use ChatGPT and other AI tools to create content, including Jasper, Writesonic and Ink.

2. Laser Measurement

Not too long ago, laser measuring devices were priced north of $200, but accuracy has increased, and prices have dropped. Amazon's best-selling laser measuring device (RockSeed 165 Feet Digital Laser Distance Meter with 2 Bubble Levels) is less than $30.

While many smartphones have built-in measuring capabilities, these devices were built to measure, are far easier to use and highly precise. You can measure any room within 1/16th of an inch in accuracy.

It is more compact – fitting in the palm of your hand – and can be used to measure indoors or outdoors. These devices can assist with more accurate square footage measurements. Place the device at one end on the wall and push a button, and the laser light dot shows on the opposite wall, displaying the distance instantly. It sure beats a tape measure!

3. AirTags

If you have an iPhone, this is a great gift to give yourself to protect valuable items and locate things quickly that you commonly misplace. AirTags are small tracking devices from Apple that use Bluetooth technology to communicate their location to nearby Apple devices.

When you attach an AirTag to something, you can use the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to see the item's location on a map. If you lose it, the Find My network can help track it down securely and privately.

Additionally, you can have the AirTag play a sound to help locate it if it's nearby. Place one in your purse or briefcase, your luggage when traveling, even your car (ever forget where you parked?). Most importantly, you'll never misplace your keys again! AirTags are $29 or less at Apple.com and are often on sale at Amazon and other retailers.

Other options: Android is planning on releasing a similar device, but there are alternatives like the Tile Pro ($35), which works with Apple or Android mobile devices, but these are short-range only devices (~ 400 feet max).

4. Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses

AI wearables will be the hot tech trend in 2024. Just $299 (available Oct 23) delivers the newest "cool" tech by Ray-Ban and Meta. Google Glasses may have flopped, but these smart glasses are almost undetectable from the standard Ray-Ban frames. Features include a built-in, ultra-wide 12 MP camera with a five-mic system.

Open-ear speakers deliver clear, rich sound even in noisy and windy conditions – without others being able to hear. Say "Hey Meta" to get your desired answers via Bluetooth connection to your smartphone. Voice commands and AI allow you to call and message, and a single touch on the side allows some manual control.

The case the glasses come with recharges your smart glasses. And because Ray-Ban has partnered with Meta (Facebook and Instagram), sharing videos and photos you create with your glasses or even streaming live will be fast and easy.

5. Heart-Healthy Tech

Help protect yourself with wearable technology that has already saved lives. Since Apple Watch 4, owners can take an electrocardiogram (also called an ECG or EKG), the test that records the timing and strength of the electrical signals that make the heartbeat.

Using the ECG app and built-in heart sensor, an Apple Watch can record heartbeat and rhythm and then check the recording for AFib or atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular rhythm. Apple Watch starts from $399 at Apple.com. Cell providers and other major retailers often offer discounts.

Other options: New Samsung Galaxy Watch6 offers similar features from $299, and as you may have seen on TV, KardiaMobile offers an EKG on the go device that synchs with most smartphones to provide "medical grade EKGs in 30 seconds" with a list price of $99 but often available at Amazon for $79.

Final Note on Tech Gifts

These hot tech tools you should buy for yourself blend work with wellness and whimsy. They can give you more personal time and help you do things faster, smarter, and better.

If you need help with your new technology, reach out to a Tech Helpline analyst, available by chat on our app (Apple or Google) and always just an email or phone call away!

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To view the original article, visit the Tech Helpline blog.