Mother's Day Tech Gifts

By Cat Schwartz
May 5, 2010

Flowers? Done that. Jewelry? Leave that to Dad. Gift cards? C'mon, you've got imagination—use it! Mother's Day is just around the corner and we all know the pressure of finding the perfect gift to honor thy mom. Struggling to figure out what to give the woman who has (and does) everything? Get her gadgets, a shopping category normally—if unfairly—reserved for that other parental holiday, in June.

Biorb Tank (buy it now price, $98.95), New Hoover Linx (buy it now price, $164.95), New Apple iPad (buy it now price, $649.99), New SanDisk Sansa View Slot Player (buy it now price, $94.99), Flip Slide HD (buy it now price, $249.95), New Universal Mini Keychain Remote (starting bid, $10)

Biorb Intelligent LED Aquarium: While there is something charming about the classic little glass fish bowl, the Biorb Intelligent Aquarium is a hi-tech tank with a built in filtration system—perfect for freeing up Mom's time to, well, go and clean something else. Plus, it has a colored lighting feature that changes by the hour, to literally brighten her day.

Hoover Linx: You know mom likes her nice clean floors, and if she's going to slave away keeping a pristine home, the least you can do is help by hooking her up with the Hoover Linx. This 21st century vacuum is a familiar name with an innovation we can all get behind—no cords. It runs on a rechargeable battery. Plus, it's super light, so she (and her back) will thank you.

Apple iPad: How could we leave out the most anticipated gadget of 2010, the Apple iPad? There are thousands of apps that can be loaded onto this magical device for Mom. Maybe she's an avid movie fan: download Netflix's app for movie streaming with instant playbacks from her queue. If she's a whiz in the kitchen, she'll definitely need the BigOven and Epicurious apps, offering recipes, grocery lists, and step-by-step instructions. The iPad also offers downloadable games (if she's a Scrabble nut), digital libraries (to keep her up-to-date with her book group), and photo apps (for admiring her grandkids).

SanDisk Sansa View Slot Player: Maybe Mom's not as tech savvy as you'd like her to be. Save her—and yourself—the maddening iPod tutorials with the Sansa Clip Pre-Loaded MP3 Player. This MP3 Player allows you to insert small cards pre-loaded by music genre so Mom doesn't have to download anything, or ask you to.

Flip Video Slide HD: Want to make sure your Mom doesn't miss any of your kids' milestones? She definitely won't with the Flip Video SlideHD camcorder. It can record up to four hours of rich HD video and has a 3-inch flip-up screen for instant widescreen playback.

Universal Mini Keychain Remote: This may just be the best Mom device ever invented: The tiny gadget hooks onto your keychain and has the power to turn off almost any TV in America. Someone's not finishing their homework on time? Click. Family late to the dinner table? Click. She'll revel in her newfound power.

(Here's a hint: when looking for bigger items, try eBay's new Classifieds section to find listings right in your local area. The lack of shipping costs can really help keep the overall price down.)

Cat Schwartz is eBay's technology expert.

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