The Rob Reports Holiday Gift Guide 2017

The Rob Reports Holiday Guide 2017

It’s Cyber Monday and it’s one of my favorite days of the year! I wanted to share with you my top tech picks for holidays. Most of the products below will be on sale today so keep in mind if looking for a special gift for someone or just yourself to get the best deal possible!

 

 

 

1. NETGEAR Orbi, starting at $299

 

Orbi

 

Say goodbye to WiFi dead zones and waiting on your streaming media to buffer – NETGEAR’s Orbi home mesh WiFi system gives you Tri-Band coverage.   You are truly getting the speed that you pay for, regardless of how many devices are running on the network and where you are in your home. Orbi is sold in several packages based on the square footage of your residence and you can always add on more Orbi “satellite’s” to increase coverage if/when needed.

For more insight on Orbi, check out my full review here.

Click here to buy it now

 

2. Electric Jukebox’s ROXI, $199

 

electric jukebox roxi

 

ROXI’s a 5-in-1 home music entertainment system that connects to your TV or screen via HDMI and uses WiFi or wired connection to give you the best in music listening and entertainment. ROXI’s 5 fantastic entertainment features include Unlimited Music Streaming, Sing With The Stars (Karaoke), Name That Tune game, Worldwide Radio and a Sound Machine. This is great for adults and children!

Click here to buy it now

 

 

 

3. JBL Control X Wireless Speakers, $499

 

JBL Control X side

 

If you like High-Definition sound, combined with Bluetooth connection and battery power to take wherever you want, look NO further! JBL has done it again by making the sound better than words can describe with the Control X Wireless speakers. You can play them so you hear both left and right channels combined out of each speaker or flip a switch to make one left channel only and the other, right channel for true, clean and crisp stereo sound.

For more insight on the Control X, check out my full review here.

Click here to buy it now

 

 

 

4. Vobot Smart Clock, $50

 

Vobot Smart Clock

 

The Vobot Smart Clock is what the title says. A smart alarm clock but much more! It’s packed with Amazon’s Alexa “A.I”, making it a voice-controlled device, has a 5 watt speaker so you can stream Amazon Music, iHeart Radio and other sources, a built-in battery so it works plugged in or where ever you want to take it. Plus, you get a sound machine, timer, listen to the news and even more features! Basically, whatever you can do with an Amazon Echo, you can basically do with your Vobot.

For more insight on Vobot, check out my full review here:

Click here to buy it now

 

 5. Tile Bluetooth Tracker, starting at $25

 

Tile Pro Series

 

There are a lot of “tracking” devices on the market for your belongings and after personally testing a handful, Tile makes the best ones. They have a basic one (Tile Slim) that you can put in your wallet (as well as a Slim designed in a luggage tag) to ones that you attach onto your belongings (Tile Mate). Most recently, Tile launched their PRO Series. The Tile Style and Sport (as pictured) are part of the PRO Series. What makes these two models even better is you now get 2X further range than the other models, they are waterproof and their built in speaker is 2X louder!

For more insight on Tile, check out my full review here:

Click here to buy it now

 

 

6. Ring Video Doorbell 2, $199

 

Ring Video Doorbell 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Ring’s Video Doorbell 2 (RV2), you can replace your current hardwired doorbell or if there isn’t one already, Ring’s RV2 can run batteries, making it possible with any home. It’s set-up to watch over your home in crystal-clear 1080HD video, and see, hear and speak to visitors from anywhere. With instant mobile alerts and two-way talk, you can answer the door from your smartphone, tablet and computer. NEVER miss that delivery or guest, regardless of where you are! I can also say that Ring has one of the best customer service departments for any tech company I have dealt with!

Click here to buy it now.

 

 

 

 

7. Escort X80 Radar Detector, $299

 

Escort x80

 

For those who aren’t familiar with Escort, they have been around over 30 years making some of the best technology for the automotive industry and their X80 radar detector doesn’t fall short one bit. The all-new ESCORT X80 provides long-range protection on all radar bands and laser bands as well as provides early warning and the fastest response on all radar bands including conventional and instant-on X-band, K-band and SuperWide Ka-band and POP mode. High performance laser sensors provide maximum laser warning and off-axis protection.

You also get to use Escort’s “Escort Live” app through your smart phone, so when paired up to your radar detector, it can tell you the posted speed right on your detector and phone screens, plus know where radar traps are from other users marking them.

The X80 also comes with a Escort SmartCord which powers the unit and has a mute button as well as power and alert lights on it in case you want to dim the display on the radar detector and still know there are alerts. Besides the visual, the X80 speaks to you, telling you what alerts are being detected.

Click here to buy it now

 

 

 

 

8. Jabra Pulse Sport Bluetooth Headphones, $159

 

Jabra Sport Pulse

 

 

If you are into fitness/exercising, the Jabra Sport Pulse Bluetooth headphones are a winner in my book! These headphones give 4-5 hours on one charge, sweat and weather resistant (included a 3 year warranty) and VERY comfortable foam ear tips (in various sizes). If you download the free Jabra Sport Life app, you can really see how these headphones shine. There is a built-in heart rate monitor though one of the ear buds that gives a spot-on reading of your pulse through the app as well as automatic fitness testing via V02 (oxygen reading) to get an absolute measure of your health and fitness, you also have a integrated training app with audio coaching to help you plan, monitor and evaluate your performance.

 

Click here to buy it now 

 

 

 

 

9. Amazon Echo Dot, $49

 

Amazon Echo Dot

If you are looking to get into home automation or just simplify things at home, the Echo Dot is a great entry point into making your home smart and your life easier. The Echo Dot provides hands-free voice control for Amazon Music—just ask for your favorite artist or song, or request a specific genre or mood. You can also search for music by lyrics, when a song or album was released, or let Alexa pick the music for you. Echo Dot connects to the Alexa Voice Service to play music, make calls, send and receive messages, provide information, news, sports scores, weather, and more—instantly. You can even use Echo Dot to switch on the lamp before getting out of bed, turn up the thermostat while reading in your favorite chair, or dim the lights from the couch to watch a movie—all without lifting a finger…or even raising your voice. Control multiple devices at scheduled times or with a single voice command, like locking the doors and turning off the lights when you go to bed.

There is even MUCH more you can do with the Echo Dot or any of the other Echo products and for this price point, I feel confident in saying you are getting your moneys worth!

Click here to buy it now

 

 

10. LIFX WiFi Enabled LED Smart Lights, starting at $44

 

 

LIFX is a line of energy-efficient, multi-color, WiFi enabled LED light bulbs that can be controlled via a WiFi equipped device such as a smartphone, tablet or smartwatch. The bulbs are made in various sizes/styles from mini bulbs, standard size lamp bulbs to flood bulbs or down-lights. What makes these bulbs so amazing and adds to the higher cost that a traditional LED bulbs are the fact that each bulbs can deliver over 1100 lumens from just 11 watts. This is the equivalent of a traditional 75W incandescent bulb, add in 16 million colors and integrations with leading connected home devices. This is one clever light!

For more insight on LIFX, check out my full review here.

 

Click here to buy it now

 

 

 

11. NETGEAR Arlo Pro 2 Wire-Free HD Security Cameras, starting at $479

 

NETGEAR Arlo Pro 2

 

 

NETGEAR, known for their technology delivers another winner, in the form of an easy DYI home security. Arlo Pro 2 is the most powerful and easy to use wire-free security camera ever thanks to its 1080p video, wire-free simplicity (thanks to its  lithium-ion rechargeable batteries) and the option to plug it into a power outlet whenever needed, all in a small weather-resistant design. Arlo makes it easy to keep an eye on your home, inside and out, rain or shine and puts you in control of your smart home security

You can purchase the Arlo Pro 2 kit in various sizes, based on how many cameras you need and comes with 7 days of free cloud recordings without a contract or a monthly fee (you can pay additional for larger cloud recording), motion and sound activated alerts that are sent straight to your smartphone, and a 100-decibel smart siren that can be sounded using the Arlo app. Arlo covers every angle to help keep your home safe and secure, including setting up “activity zones” to monitor specific areas and the cameras are equipped for 2-way audio to listen in or talk back and forth.

Some of the “smart” features with the Pro 2 include geofencing, so you can set your cameras to arm/disarm based on your location. Arlo also works with Amazon Alexa so you can use voice commands on Echo Show or Fire TV to view.

 

Click here to buy it now

 

 

12. Cobra Dual Dash Cam System, $229

 

Cobra Dual Dash Cam

 

The CDR 895 D is fully featured and very easy to use. Its innovative flexible mounting system allows for discreet installation of the rear camera on the front windshield looking in or on the rear windshield facing out. The camera’s unique ability to record both front and rear-facing video offers double the protection for everyday drivers. With its front and rear protection, or its ability to record a backseat passenger, Cobra’s newest dash cam model is ideal for anyone who is on the road a lot or ridesharing drivers for providers like Lyft, Uber,  as well as taxi drivers to give you that safe piece of mind that in case something does happen, you are covered from the front and the back. The model sports a two-inch LCD screen that provides split screen viewing, ultra-wide viewing angles capturing a front view of 160° and a rear view of 130°, driver alert system, so it can tell and alert you with a lane departure warning if your vehicle drifts over a lane line or rapidly approached an obstacle. It also includes a 16 GB MicroSD memory card and features continuous-loop recording and a G-Sensor, triggering the unit to automatically and permanently protect video clips if an impact is detected.

Click here to buy it now

 

 

 

 

13. Griffin SnapBook Keyboard iPad Case, starting at $79

 

Griffin SnapBook Keyboard case

Griffin’s SnapBook Keyboard case is a 2-in-1 Stand-Up Folio and Protective Shell with Keyboard. It’s starts with full coverage and a protected screen for your iPad. Add a drop-protective shell. And then finish with a full-function wireless keyboard. Together, you get protection AND productivity with SnapBook Keyboard for your iPad. Inside its full-coverage folio cover, your iPad is safe from 6-foot drops onto concrete. When the cover is closed, SnapBook’s no-scratch interior lining keeps your Multi-Touch display free and clear of dirt and smudges as your iPad rides around in your bag or backpack. When you want to travel light, or don’t need a full-coverage folio, snap out SnapBook’s drop-protective shell. The shock-absorbent TPU shell protects your iPad’s back and edges from 6-foot drops onto concrete. A raised lip around the front of the shell protects your screen when you lay it face down on a table. When playtime’s over, SnapBook’s ready to help you do the things that need doing with a full-function Bluetooth keyboard. With 84 keys and a built rechargeable battery, SnapBook’s keyboard slides out so you can place it wherever it’s most comfortable.

The SnapBook Keyboard case is available for all iPad mins, iPad, iPad Air and the iPad Pro models.

Click here to buy it now

 

 

 

14. Amazon Fire TV Stick, $39

 

Amazon Fire TV Stick

 

The Fire TV Stick is a must have for “cord cutters.”  Whether you pick this up at normal price or when ever Amazon is having sales, this is a no brainer!  It’s the most powerful streaming media stick under $50–with the Alexa Voice Remote. You can enjoy tens of thousands of channels, apps, and Alexa skills including Netflix, Hulu, HBO NOW, YouTube, Amazon Video, NBC, WatchESPN, Disney, and more. (some subscription fees may apply.) Launch and control content with the included Alexa Voice Remote. Simply say, “Play Game of Thrones” or “Launch Netflix” and Alexa will respond instantly. Plus, play music, find movie show times, order a pizza, and more—just ask.

**What makes this even more special, Prime membership unlocks thousands of movies and TV episodes, including Thursday Night Football, Amazon Original Series, Amazon Channels, and ad-free listening to millions of songs with Prime Music for no additional costs! Last, pick up where you left off. Bring hit shows and movies with you when you travel. Plug Fire TV Stick into any TV’s HDMI port, connect to Wi-Fi, and continue watching.

 

Click here to buy it now

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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