Last week I had the opportunity to have lunch at the FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar at the Radisson Blu Mall of America compliments of Verizon Wireless. It wasn’t a just because lunch, it was a “Tech Bites Lunch” showcasing the latest and greatest tech gear for the Holidays. As you know, I’m not a tech blogger but trust me, you’ll want to know about these gifts (for the entire family!).
First on the lunch menu for me was Gathered Greens, a salad with Amblu cheese, apples, cranberries, candied walnuts, and a sherry viniagrette. Yum! On the tech menu were speakers, wireless speakers to be exact. The Ultimate Ears collection, JBL Pulse 2, and the Bose Soundlink were the highlights for the starter course. I personally own a Bose Soundlink speaker that I received as a gift and can vouch for the sound quilty. My husband is a speaker snob and even he was impressed with this little portable speaker. Everyone at lunch was impressed with the JBL Pulse 2. It’s programmable LED lights will pulse to the music and it’s splashproof design will let you “take it out in your snowball fight” according to the Verizon rep!
I chose the Heirloom Corn Crusted Walleye as my main course for lunch. The lemon-tarragon remoulade was so good and the portion size was perfect for lunch. Our tech main course consisted of the smart home and also smart watches. The Kwikset Kevo proved it simple to unlock your door even with your hands full. The Nest collection demonstrated what a true smart home can do (automatically learn your heating and cooling needs, provide security, and protect against smoke and carbon monoxide even when you’re away, and more, all while saving you money). The Canary all-in-one home security system showed just how easy home security can be! Last year I was all about the smart home. I thought I would still be about it this year but…
The watches got me this year. More specifically, the LG GizmoPal 2 and the LG GizmoGadget got me. In fact, I don’t really remember much at all about the adult watches they talked about during lunch (Motorola 360 2nd Gen and Samsung Gear S2). My mind was focused on these new gadgets for my girls! This is EXACTLY what I’ve been looking for…a simple communication device without the cost and distraction of a cell phone. Make calls to and from both watches and locate your kids via GPS. The Gadget has the added bonus of being able to text. I almost went back to the store and bought a GizmoGadget immediately after the lunch but figured I better talk with Hubby first (we already spent a ton of money on Christmas this year). Verizon allowed me to borrow one instead for my girls to try. We’ve had it for two days and I already know it’s going to be a gift for an upcoming birthday (hubby said “no” to Christmas because of what we previously bought). I HIGHLY suggest you click on the links above and check these out for your kids if you are looking for a last minute Christmas gift. I’ll be writing a full review next month but don’t wait that long, I already know they are worth it!
Dessert was a bit of a blur. The Honey Duet was oh so rich and yummy but that GizmoGadget wouldn’t get out of my mind! There was something about dropping the Motorola Droid Turbo 2 to prove that the screen wouldn’t crack, and to be honest, that’s all I remember. I was talking with the rep about the Gizmos! I will say though, I personally own a Mophie Powerstation (I asked for it for Christmas last year) and I can’t live without it. I’m never left with a dead cell phone or tablet any more and neither are my friends (because I always have my Mophie with me). Well worth the cost!
If you’re looking for some last minute, tech gifts for Christmas this year. Check out Verizon Wireless and all the products I listed above. There’s something for the whole family and no one will be disappointed with their gift!
Edited: We used the GizmoGadget watch for a month. There were things we loved about it and things that we think could be changed. Click the link to see my full review of the LG GizmoGadget.
