7 techie Mother's Day gifts

May 6, 2010 10:20 AM

For Mother’s Day this year, we’ve picked some gadgets we think particularly mom-worthy. For each, check out our free buying guides and Ratings (available to subscribers).

An e-book reader. We’ve just posted our first Ratings of e-book readers, an especially good gift for voracious readers of thick, heavy hardcovers. See our e-book reader Ratings and buying advice.

A digital camera. Small point-and-shoot cameras are intuitive and versatile, letting amateur photographers choose presets that optimize the camera’s settings in a variety of light environments. Many are shipping with greater zoom ranges and large LCDs. More advanced shutterbugs can use auto mode or manually tinker with the aperture and ISO. Digital SLRs are larger, more complex cameras with larger lenses, and their ability to take digital video is becoming increasingly impressive. See our digital camera Ratings and buying advice.

A pocket camcorder. About the same size as a small digital camera, pocket camcorders come in SD and HD models. Ideal for short videos (perhaps destined for YouTube) they store content on internal flash memory or flash cards. Upgrade to a (slightly) larger full-featured camcorder for more versatility and better video quality. See our pocket camcorder buying advice and model recommendations.

A USB flash drive. If you can’t visit mom this Mothers Day, load up a bunch of family photos onto an inexpensive 2GB flash drive and send it to her. It doesn’t take much tech savvy for a parent to find the USB port on a flat-panel TV or computer and enjoy a slideshow of loved ones.

A digital picture frame. Let Mom showcase her digital snapshots on a digital picture frame. Most of the models we tested were reasonably easy to use, and let you create a slideshow, varying the amount of time between each image. Many can display video as well. See our digital frame Ratings and buying advice.

A digital media player. Less expensive models may just play MP3 files, a good choice for moms who like to jog or listen with headphones. Pricier models like the iPod Touch are as versatile as an iPhone (minus the phone), letting you surf the web, watch movies, and play games. See our MP3 player Ratings and buying advice.

An iPad? It’s funny the leaps and bounds technology can advance in just a year. One Consumer Reports editor noted that the iPad can moonlight as nearly all of the products listed above—with varying degrees of success—except digital cameras and camcorders. What do you think, would an iPad be a good gift for mom? How about grandma?