Hot Tech Gifts Your Family Will Be Asking For This Year

Last Updated on May 30, 2016 by Jody Halsted

November 19, 2014  Live from the Verizon Destination Store at the Mall of America

Earlier today I took one of the few seats lining the red carpet at the Verizon Destination Store at the Mall of America for what was billed as a ‘Tech Fashion Show'.

Starring the hottest tech products of the season, modeled by the fun-loving Verizon staff and MC'd by Allison Kaplan, Senior Shopping and Style Editor at Minneapolis/ St. Paul Magazine, the fashion show was a fun preview of the tech gifts you're going to see on your family's wish lists this year.

Hot Tech Gifts For Your Family

There were 50 products showcased in the Tech Fashion Show. These are the hot tech gifts I think your family will be asking for this year.

 Hot Tech Gifts for the Kids

Parrot Jumping Sumo Drone I don't know about you, but I crash a flying drone every time. This fun drone can roll, zigzag, circle, take turns at 90°, and  jump up to 80 cm. With the built-in camera, the Jumping Sumo is able to transmit video to a smartphone or tablet.

adidas miCoach Smart Ball How fun is this? A size 5, regulation weight soccer ball with an integrated sensor inside the ball to detect and monitor speed, spin, and flight path data which pairs seamlessly on the miCoach app.

Sony Xperia® Z2 Tablet The slimmest and lightest waterproof 4G LTE tablet. Up to 14 hour useage time; 10.1″ full HD screen.

Hot Tech for Adults

Motorola Moto360 Smartwatch The most eye-catching thing about this smartwatch is that it doesn't appear to be a smart watch. Not only can you tell time, but it doubles as an activity tracker, hear rate monitor and pedometer. The watch responds to voice commands; just say, “OK Google” for directions, send a text, or get answers to questions.

Misfit Shine I love this for its versatility. First things first- the battery lasts up to 6 months. But that's not why I adore it. It can be worn as a watch (it also tells time), clasped onto a shirt or shoe, or as a necklace. It's also waterproof up to 50 meters. Yes please.

LG Tone Infinim Stereo Headset Can I just say how much I love these? No cords, retractable earbuds, and one touch phone and volume controls. I can't even tell you how great they are for flights… I love mine!

Zepp Golf Swing Analyzer (Also Baseball Swing Analyzer and Tennis Swing Analyzer) Evaluate the quality of each swing using a single number. Use the ZEPP Golf app to review and replay your swing in 360°, identify the strengths and weaknesses of your swing, and get helpful tips to improve your game.

Hot Tech for Home

Nest Home Thermostat Our Nest is the best! Not only can you schedule it for daily use, but the Nest motion sensor knows when you've been away a while and will lower your energy usage. The handy app makes it easy to be sure the heat if down when it needs to be, or to make the house comfortable for your arrival home.

Belkin WeMo Switch Another of our at-home favorites, we use the WeMo switch to automagically turn our lights off and on when we are away. Or, if you have an appliance you habitually forget to turn off (curling iron?), use it there and you can check the switch and turn it off remotely.

Hot Tech for Travelers

Droid Turbo Up to 48 hour battery life. Do you need to know more? OK, 21 mega-pixel camera.

Jetpack® MiFi® 6620L Another of the tech gadgets I love (and own), I never leave home without my Jetpack. Even when I know I'll have free hotel wifi, my Jetpack is always there to back me up when the free stuff gets slow.

Hot Tech Stocking Stuffers

NFL Defender by Otterbox® Cases You'll find all 32 NFL teams in this new line from Otterbox®. With three layers of protection, the NFL Defender by OtterBox® protects your phone, inside or outside the pocket.

Kate Spade New York Smartphone Case A variety of styles for a variety of phones.

mophie powerstation Available in a variety of colors and packing loads of power, these pocket-sized packs will keep you going!

I don't know about you, but I love to touch, hold, and play with things before I buy. If you happen to be near the Mall of America tomorrow (November 20, 2014), there will be a second Tech Fashion Show at the Verizon Destination Store at 7pm.

If you can't make it to the show, stop into your local Verizon Smart Store where many (though not all) of these fun tech gifts will be available.

Which of these hot tech gifts caught your eye?

Verizon Wireless Midwest hosted my stay for the event (it's a 3.5 hour drive from my home to the MOA). I did not receive any compensation for this post. All the items we own were purchased by us.