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Well, cheeps, here we are at the end of another year. Let me take this opportunity to thank you for your amazing support and kind words (many of you have written the nicest things, truly), and to wish you a safe, happy, healthy and prosperous 2015. Be safe, be kind, be well.
Before we move forward, though, let’s pause and take a look back. This past year witnessed a ton of new and updated tech — some of it deal-worthy, some not — and no doubt you splurged on at least some of it.
Obviously the iPhone 6 was the big (no pun intended) arrival for many folks, and this was also the year drones landed — hopefully safely — in a lot of homes. Smartwatches and other wearable tech, Bluetooth speakers and headphones, dirt-cheap Chromebooks and tablets, mobile charges of all shapes and sizes… 2014 delivered a veritable deluge of sweet gadgets and gear.
And I’ll reckon there’s one item that really stands out in your mind. My question: which one? Hit the comments and tell me what tech item you bought or received in 2014 that’s your undisputed favorite.
For me, it’s a tough call. I fell in and out of love with the Pebble smartwatch, then back in love again with the Pebble Steel . (It’s still mediocre on battery life, though, and the occasional loss of phone connection can be maddening.)
The iPhone 6? Yep, been waiting on this a looong time. But I’m torn because the 6 is a hair smaller than I’d prefer and the 6 Plus is a hair larger. I really wish Apple had made a 5-inch model.
It was this year that I got my first real taste of Chromebook life, and I have to admit it’s sweeter than I expected. That $200 14-inch HP job that routinely sold on Woot? Good heavens, that was an awesome deal. But setting up Google Cloud Print (at least with some printers) is such a colossal pain, it almost sours the whole experience.
I won’t say it was my favorite purchase of 2014, but Amazon’s $99 Kindle Fire HD 6 was without question the best tablet deal of the year. So. Much. Bang. For your buck.
So can you guess my favorite tech item? I’ll give you a hint: it flies. Yep, DJI’s Phantom FC40, despite being the company’s low-end drone, made me absolutely giddy every time it lifted off the ground. I think there are drone dangers that need to be addressed, but, wow, these things are so much fun to fly. And you can experience the same joy for a fraction of the price: Syma’s X5C, which routinely sells on Amazon for around $60, is just terrific.
Well, that’s it for me, cheeps. I’ll see you back here in 2015 (specifically: Monday). In the meantime, I look forward to reading about your top tech pick of 2014. Cheapskate out!
Bonus deal: If you own an Amazon Kindle (or can manage a few simple tweaks of your Android device), Amazon is giving away a boatload of apps today. Lots of top-rated stuff, too, including Monopoly, Kingdom Rush Frontiers, Riptide GP2, Food Diary and Calorie Tracker Pro.
Bonus deal No. 2: I can’t end the year without one last mobile charger. For a limited time, Cable-Mix (via Amazon) has the Yubi Power YP840A 8,400 mAh portable battery back for $14.99 shipped (with Amazon Prime, otherwise add about $5). In addition to that beefy battery, the YP840A features two USB ports for charging two devices simultaneously. User reviews: overwhelmingly positive.
