Rick's Appearance on 'Waves of Tech' Episode 470

I made my annual appearance on the "Waves of Tech" podcast this week, joining Steve and Dave to talk a wide range of tech gift ideas and shares the tech gifts that go well beyond the tablets, phones, and gaming systems. We dive into talking about high tech Huffy bikes, Amazon Echo Flex, Samsung soundbars, the World Almanac, an affordable GPS golf watch, and eco-friendly clothing. So be sure to place these items in your shopping carts this holiday season.

Have a listen to the entire episode:

Products Rick brought on:

Huffy Hybrid Gravel Bike – On & Off Road Bike

We often don’t think about the technology behind bikes, but the new Huffy Carom 27.5-in 14-Speed Gravel Bicycle is a great gift for someone looking to upgrade their ride or for someone looking at getting back into biking. The new style boasts a sturdy aluminum hydroformed frame, dual disc brakes, mountain bike handlebars, alloy quick-release seat binder, and Kolo alloy 3-piece crank. The 14-speed Micro-Shift shifting technology makes it easy to adjust gears while on the road, off the road, or adventuring through downtown. You can pick up the rugged bike at retailers for $260.

Amazon Echo Flex

Without fail, any Amazon in-home gadget works wonders during the holidays. The Echo Flex is the perfect solution to add to your home automation and smart systems. And for under $25, it is a great stocking stuffer or supplemental gift. The Echo flex offers voice control of your smart home (turn on lights, adjust thermostats, phone calls, lock doors), built-in USB port (charge your phone or tablet), an optional night-light accessory or motion sensor, and connection to other compatible Echo devices. You can also enable Alexa Guard to get Smart Alerts if your Echo device detects the sound of smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, or glass breaking.

Samsung Q70R Soundbar

As television technology continues to advance in terms of picture technology, sound seems to take a back seat. Enter Samsung’s 2019 Q Series Soundbars – the Q70R provides multidimensional cinematic audio sound designed to enhance your home entertainment setup. The Q Series offers Dolby Atmos & DTS: X along with a super sleek and slim design featuring 6 speakers in total. Buyers can save upwards of $200 on select soundbars when buying a qualifying 2019 QLED or UHD TV. This is an ideal gift for the sports, movie, and gaming fanatic in your life.

The 2020 World Almanac Book of Facts

It’s definitely not tech, but it is still relevant to this day! Out now, The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2020 returns with the Year in Sports, Year in Pictures, Offbeat News Stories, Decade in Review, and 16 pages of world maps and flags and easy-to-use side tabs. The World Almanac provides hundreds of pages of trivia and statistics featuring the women’s World Cup soccer tournament, a quick preview of the upcoming 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, and much more.

TecTecTec – GPS Golf Watch

When you think of wearables, most think of Apple Watch, FitBit, or some other health related items. Sports wearables have grown in great popularity the past few years. Case in point, check out the TecTecTec ULT-G model for only $110. This wearable finally provides a golf GPS watch that is affordable. There are no subscriptions or surprise additional charges for course updates. The smart unit is water and dust resistant. The watch auto detects the golf course you are playing with a database of more than 38,000 courses worldwide. As a golfer, you will benefit from the distance to the front and back of greens, distance to hazards, and automatic hole progression. A no-brainer gift for the golf lover or golf amatuer you may know.

Blue Zipper Shorts

Technology stretches to the clothing industry as well. Blue Zipper’s lineup is heavily based in designing eco-friendly shorts and products. Their design philosophy is to start making better apparel while reducing dependency on polyester, due to its potential to pollute waterways. The lineup of men’s outdoor shorts and pants provide flexibility and durability. The range of color options would make a perfect match for the outdoor enthusiast, hiker, biker, or camper.

If you are a podcast fan, make sure you check out one of the longest running tech and information podcasts, Waves of Tech.