Savvy Tech Gifts for Seniors

There’s always a cause to provide a thoughtful present. If you’ve got a senior or two on your purchasing list, how about something a touch distinctive this yr? Instead of but some other box of fancy cleaning soap or aftershave, do not forget a technology gift for trendy savvy seniors.

A Web Cam Means Happy Grandchildren

Give the grandparents the gift of visible and audio interaction with their kids and grandchildren. If Grandma and Grandpa do not live next door, they will love the possibility to look and speak with their grandchildren via a Webcam. Most of today’s Webcams have an integrated microphone and might come optimized for Windows Messenger or some other IM system. With prices (at Amazon) various from much less than $30 to nearly $three hundred, there’s a cam for every budget. Remember that, at the same time, as a few seniors may be able and inclined to put in their cams themselves and find out a way to use them on their own, others may additionally require assistance. Include set up and some lessons as a part of the present in the latter case.

A Web Cam Means Peace of Mind

A wireless community digital camera ought to store the day in special situations. For instance, Panasonic’s BL-C131A Network Camera Wireless 802. Eleven is promoted as a digicam that helps you to screen your pets, your own home, or even your youngsters whilst you are not at domestic. First, you set up the camera in any area while not having a nearby PC. Then, with the aid of logging on to a particularly distinct Internet website, you may test the room from any PC or Internet-equipped mobile smartphone or PDA. You can also regulate the digicam’s pointing path and its digital zoom via the Web browser. The digital camera has a built-in microphone, in addition to a special night-view mode.

Consider this digicam’s software within the case of a senior who lives on his own and can be in frail fitness. If you’ve got ever frantically phoned Granddad’s friends to thrill take a look at on him to make sure he’s OK, you’ll respect the peace of thoughts this product could offer. With Granddad’s permission, you can set up the camera in his home and go browsing on every occasion you had been concerned that he may want to need assist-say, a time while he changed into now not respond to telephone or email messages.

At near $three hundred, this wi-fi digicam is among the extra powerful products of its kind to be had. Rather than a Webcam, you would possibly keep in mind the QuietCare System, a fitness-care gadget designed to assist seniors in living independently. This machine uses a sequence of pastime sensors to study Granddad’s regular activity around his home. When the gadget notes a trade in the sample, it notifies a call center or sends an electronic mail alert or text message to a delegated party.

Computer Glasses Aren’t a Pain inside the Neck.

Does the laptop-savvy senior for your existence put on bifocals, trifocals, or progressive-lens eyeglasses? These glasses aren’t optimized for viewing a laptop monitor. When carrying such glasses at the pc, Grandma has to tilt her head backward to get awareness on the display when she is looking through the bottom a part of the lens. To put it mildly, this gives her a big ache inside the neck. The proper information is that it would not be this manner. Grandma will revel in her computer time so much extra if you spring for a fixed prescription laptop glasses. Contact your pleasant optometrist and ask for details. Be positive to invite your eye-care expert to approximately glare-resistant lenses, also very crucial for laptop customers.

Keep Grandpa inside the Loop With a DVD Player and Slide Show

Want something virtually unique for the senior in the own family who’s close in or possibly residing in a continuing care facility? How about a small, portable DVD player and a special circle of relatives slideshow disc? Contact the extended circle of relatives participants and ask for virtual images-both old and new. Then, compile your series; turn it right into a slide display using PowerPoint, Microsoft Plus! SuperPack for Windows XP or some other slideshow software; after which, burn it to a DVD. (If you use PowerPoint, you will need to include the unfastened PowerPoint viewer on the DVD).

Remember to add titles and captions to every picture, so Grandpa is aware of what he is looking at. You may additionally shoot some video, edit it, and ship alongside a video production that your senior can watch inside the privateness of his or her own room. Portable DVD gamers range in fees from $30 to a couple of hundred bucks. It would help if you were sure that the machine you pick out could play DVD+R/RW. Otherwise, there may be the simplest disappointment when your private home-recorded DVDs might not play. You may also encompass some of Grandma or Grandpa’s favorite movies with this gift. And, like the Webcam described above, your senior would possibly appreciate some instructions on how to use this present.

VoIP Means Affordable Long-Distance Calling-Anywhere

Is the circle of relatives individuals spread over the four corners of the globe? If so, VoIP providers, including Skype, Vonage, and others, make it viable for seniors to live in touch without stress about astronomical cell phone payments. Give your senior a microphone with a headset (beginning at around $20) or perhaps a unique Skype telephone. Make positive that Grandma has helped with the Skype software program set up, which can be elaborate. Provided all events have a Skype account, Grandma can talk with every person, no matter where they stay, freed from price, the use of the microphone, or the Skype cell phone if she plans to telephone a person who may be the usage of a landline cellphone, buy her a Skype credit score or two costing about $14 every. Rates in line with minute range relying on the area. For instance, a Skype call from Canada to a landline in Israel value approximately $eight for thirty minutes.

Consider giving Grandpa the present of transportable music and newscasts. With an iPod or another comparable tool, your senior would not omit their favorite newscast or other show at the same time as they walk around the community. Audiobooks are especially liked if your senior has difficulty analyzing due to failing eyesight. You may not forget to include a gift certificate from iTunes or a carrier like Audible.Com, for instance, alongside the media player. At Audible.Com, you pay $7.49 for the primary three months, then $14.Ninety-five afterward. Your senior receives one downloaded audio ebook in keeping with the month, selected from the searchable database of around forty,000 titles. iTunes similarly has many choices, including movies, television indicates, tracks, audiobooks, and podcasts. Be certain to introduce your senior to the arena of podcasting if he isn’t acquainted with it.