Top Mom Gadgets - Gift Guide

Gone are the days of the single use gadget.  These days gadgets are smart multitaskers just like mom.  Treat mom to the gift of a device that works just as hard as she does with any of these top picks.
NOOK Color
If an iPad is out of the budget, the Nook Color ($249) is light portable tablet designed for the mom who loves to read books and magazines but also wants her device to multitask like her.  A new software update allows the NOOK Color to do more than ever before!  Their latest software update adds features such as popular apps, built-in email, an enhanced Web experience; and rich, interactive content for kids and adults.


Tivo
Watching live television is so 1990s.  These days no one makes dates with their TV to sit down and watch favorite shows like we did back in the era of Friends.  Instead, it's all about Tivo, a digital video recorder (DVR) that records shows to watch later.  Tivo comes with many features including the ability to fast forward commercials to make time viewing television more efficient, stream content through NetFlix, Blockbuster, Amazon, and Hulu Plus for impromptu date nights, and even listen to music from internet radio stations, Pandora and Rhapsody.


Clear.Com Dual Mode 3G/4G USB Device
If hanging out at the nearest coffee shop is mom's perfect solution for getting work done, treat her to the gift of constant connectivity with her very own Clearwire USB Device (lease for $6/month or purchase for $115 with 2 year contract).  Plug in the USB drive and connect to the internet via cellular service.  3G is quite reliable and many areas have the super fast 4G service that is in major cities nationwide. 

Smartphone
Bring mom out of the flip phone era and upgrade her to a smartphone.  If she seems reluctant, it's probably because she's afraid of change and could use a little handholding.  Provide the gift of help to aid her in selecting her new phone by taking a trip to the nearest cellular carrier.  Let her hold the phones and try them out and don't make her deal with the mumbo jumbo of data plans.  Just get her a great one that will allow her to send and receive texts and remain connected on the go.  After all, she deserves a phone that is as good at multitasking as she is and can help her pass the time as she spends countless hours on the side of soccer games, stuck in school pickup lines, and in the waiting rooms of doctor's offices.



Sound Asleep Pillow
When the day is done and all mom wants to do is to put her head on the pillow and fall fast asleep, why not treat her to some sweet tunes to lull her to into dreamland. The Sound Asleep Pillow ($29.95) has a small embedded speaker nestled deep into the pillow for listening to favorite music, a movie, or any other audio source. The standard size pillow doesn't require batteries and connects to iPods, other MP3 players, radios, and TVs.  The pillow feels just like any other pillow and the speaker is well hidden so it won't be disruptive to sleep.

Now that we've shared some of our top multitasking mom gadgets for 2011, what are the devices that you can't live without?

========================================================================
Clever Girls Collective is a social media marketing agency founded by women who wanted to use their deep marketing experience and broad social network relationships for good. We know that women who engage in social media are some of the most authentic, connected, trusted, and vocal influencers -- not only online, but "in real life." That's why we've developed The Clever 1000: an ever-growing, beautifully diverse network of professional, thoughtful social media-connected, natural networkers and influencers who want to engage with and enhance their favorite brands. Leticia Barr is the founder of Tech Savvy Mama, a site that assists parents in finding the best technology products, websites, and resources for children of all ages. Tech Savvy Mama was started because of Leticia's personal experience of bringing a computer into her home for their now 6 year old daughter.