Bits & Bytes

By Joel B. Bernbaum, Esq.

It’s that time again! You are looking in the mirror or at the scale in the morning and wondering why your clothes are tight. You feel sluggish, burnt out from the pandemic and the news. During this post-holidays malaise, you’re also figuring out what to do with your gift cards, credit from returns, and your gift lists sitting on your night table. Here are this year’s suggestions from the team at Bites & Bytes. Well, not exactly a team…me.

Moving to the top of my list is a smart speaker! These are truly useful and they come in at all price points depending on the features. Amazon Echo Dot is less than $25 at Best Buy, other stores and of course Amazon online. Amazon has, like the others (Google, Sonos, Apple), bigger, more expensive and better sounding models to choose from as well. Apple has reinvented its Home Pod now in 2 sizes (Mini and original). Sonos is my choice for best sound, and has a model which can incorporate the Amazon features. The smart speakers can place calls, answer questions, and tell you the weather, news and even when your Amazon delivery is coming. They can control your lights and other smart appliances – even some thermostats. This is in addition to playing music from most services like Spotify, Apple, etc. (note, some subscription costs are required). These are not toys, they work and are worth your attention.

If you have the smart speaker, get some smart plugs. For as little as $10, you can control your lights and other devices that plug into your electrical outlets via the smart speaker. For example, you walk into your house or apartment and say, “Alexa turn on the living room.” Alexa responds with an “OK” and your living room lamps or other devices that are plugged into your smart plugs turn on. No entering a dark room and running around turning everything on. They work and prove very useful. There are many choices, but all the usual stores including the online retailers have them.

How about cutting the cord and getting some Bluetooth earbuds to use while you work out or exercise? The newest models have lower prices and of course they have more expensive models. The biggest feature to look for is the truly wireless models which are not tethered by any wire between the earbuds. They work with the latest iPhone & Android, and all devices allowing Bluetooth connections. Prices range from $35 to over $200. The newest ones even have noise cancelling features. The traditional over the ear or on the ear models (full headphones) still sound better, but have limitations because of cost, size, comfort, and mobility. I have the Bose noise-cancelling model for the airplane or the times I want to shut everything out and get into my music to relax. Today’s best bet are the earbuds that fit into your ears – perfect for a walk, run, and exercise in the gym or health club. They usually have a small charging case and are rechargeable with an included cable via USB charger. I have reasonably priced, middle of the road, and top end models. They all work great, and I suggest you get a pair that fits how you will use them. For exercise, you want comfort. Look for rubber tips that conform to your ear. Most models come with different sizes for a better fit (S, M or L). Make sure the battery charge lasts long enough for you to finish your work out, run or walk. The higher end model should sound better. Again, comfort is important if you intend to listen to music for an extended period. Stick to name brands like Bose, Sony, Jabra, JBL or Beats. They are available everywhere and I would suggest you see them, try them on, and shop online for the best price. Word of warning: don’t buy cheap $5 or $10 models. There is a reason they are so inexpensive!

Streaming media devices. There are many to choose from at various price points from $25 to $100 and beyond. You can choose from Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple Plus and others. They all work well and deliver similar content in addition to proprietary features. Be careful – the monthly costs add up because you may have to pay monthly subscription costs for Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, HBO Max, etc., in addition to your monthly cable bill and internet. Take the time to see what you watch, how often you watch it, and the monthly cost in addition to the hardware to calculate the real cost to you.

A soundbar from Samsung, Vizio, Sonos, Sony and other brands is priced from $50 to several hundred, and bass or subwoofers can be added or are included. If you are looking for the true home theater experience, a good soundbar is far superior to the standard speaker that came with your TV. For the ultimate experience, if you have the right room or space, a surround sound set-up may be worthwhile.

Finally, we get to things that everyone needs and can’t have too many of. They also make great stocking stuffers and gifts – cables, chargers, and connections. I have accumulated a vast array of these, and I am glad I leave the connections in my carrying case for speaking engagements so I can use my iPad, iPhone, or other devices to project my slides with a LCD projector, etc. I keep them around the house as well. Never enough and always a welcome gift. If you are traveling overseas, a convertor is a must. Again, stay with name brands to make sure they will work with your device. Third party products can cause problems and damage. And don’t forget extras for your car. That seems to be the time you need to have your phone charged the most. Especially now that a lot of people use the phone for GPS and directions.

Enjoy the Internet, E-Mail, and social media, but “Let’s be careful out there!”

joel@bernbaumfamilylaw.com