Mother’s Day is coming up quickly, and although it’s only a few days away, we know that some of you are still pulling out your hair as you try to figure out what to get mom. We’re here to help, so with that goal in mind Wayne and I culled through past reviews and posts to see which gifts might make mom smile. We’re going to assume that you won’t have a problem if our suggestions tend to have a decidedly gadgety lean…

Under $50

LapWorks Laptop Desk Futura: For mom’s who like to take a walk on the wild side, the Largely Leopard version will appeal; other colors and patterns are available to suit more conservative mothers’ tastes.

Painted Futuras retail for $49.95 and are available directly from LapWorks.
What I Like: Fun patterns that make a functional product really stand out; can be used as a laptop stand or a lap desk; folds flat so it can be carried in a laptop bag
What Needs Improvement: Nothing

Smartphone Experts Metal Cover for Apple iPhone: This case is for all of the minimalist moms out there - those who want to put their iPhones in a pocket, who don’t want a lot of bulk, but who are worried about the screen because things can happen inside pockets.

The Smartphone Experts Metal Cover for Apple iPhone is available from the MY iTablet store and other retailers.
MSRP: $14.95
What I Like: Perfectly protects the iPhone’s screen and can be moved to the back when using the phone
What Needs Improvement: It’s minimal - so don’t expect corner protection

ALL-ETT Women’s Pocket Wallet: “ALL-ETT chose to blend the two materials of Italian leather and spinnaker into a small Women’s Pocket Wallet for essentials while retaining the thin properties that made the ALL-ETT line of wallets practical and popular.”

The complete line of products are available online at the ALL-ETT website.

MSRP: $29.95 The Women’s Pocket Wallet
What I Like: The thinness and quality of the materials used. Eliminating the bump on the rump. NO VELCRO!
What Needs Improvement: Other than eliminating credit card debt, the ALL-ETT wallets need no improvement.

TasteBook CookBook: “The process couldn’t have been easier. I did it all in one sitting; but you create an account and save as you go, so you can take as long as you like to build your book. You can get all 100 recipes at a time, or print the first 50 and keep the other 50 in reserve for later.”

Where to get it: tastebook.com
MSRP: $34.95 for 100 recipes ($7.95 for shipping, and it came quickly)
What I liked: The concept is great, the process was easy and the finished product is almost perfect.
What I really liked: The ability to upload your own recipes and photos.
What I didn’t like: I would have liked to be able to upload a photo for my cover or my label, but I understand that it would be costly.

Aerobie AeroPress Coffee Press: “After a few weeks of making my own fresh coffee nearly every day, I have concluded that the Aeropress Coffee & Espresso Maker system to my surprise does exactly everything that Aerobie says it does. It makes an extremely good tasting cup of coffee or espresso. The espresso tastes better than the one I tried at a local restaurant. And the regular American coffee is the best. I find it amazing that a device with simple plastic parts can make such a good cup of coffee. I would recommend the Aeropress Coffee & Espresso Makersystem to anyone who loves coffee.”

The Aerobie Aeropress Coffee & Espresso Maker is available from various retailers.
MSRP: $29.99
What I Like: Makes extremely good coffee; easy to use and fun; inexpensive!
What Needs Improvement: None

$50 - $100

Kensington Contour Balance Notebook Case: “One the bag arrived, it was just as I remembered: trim, feminine, and loaded with features. Make no mistake about it, this is no plane brown wrapper; white stitching is used to break up the monochrome brown, and a complimentary pattern of brown interlocking ovals and rounded rectangles cover the contrasting beige microfiber material.”

The Kensington Contour Balance Notebook Case is available from the manufacturer’s site and other retailers.
MSRP: $79.99
What I Like: Extremely well made; feminine; loads of pockets; made of easy to care for dirt and water repelling materials; detachable and stowable shoulder strap
What Needs Improvement: I know there are women with 17″ laptops who are looking wistfully at this bag…that’s all I’m going to say!

The Mobile Edge Maddie Powers Cutebug laptop Messenger Bag: ” Combining the extremely well executed features we have come to expect from Mobile Edge with the sassy iconic images Maddie Powers’ designs borrow from 1940s and 50s pulp fiction magazines, the Cutebug Laptop Messenger Bag is one hot tamale.”

The Mobile Edge / Maddie Powers Cutebug Laptop Messenger Bag is available from Mobile Edge and other retailers.
MSRP: $89.99
What I Like: This bag is fashionable, well-made, and cute as anything; laptop compartment is nicely padded; lots of pockets and opportunities for organization; extremely well priced
What Needs Improvement: Although this bag is a near perfect blend of form, function and value, I would have liked a different front fastening method than Velcro…but that’s just me.

Palm Centro: “From the beginning, I was impressed with the Centro’s specifications. I mean after all, this $99 PDA phone comes with a high resolution color screen, a very compact form factor, 68.6MB of user memory (out of an original 128MB), and enough built-in goodies so that it puts just about any other similarly priced phone to shame.”

The Palm Centro is available from Sprint and other retailers.
MSRP: $99 subsidized ($399 without a plan),
What I Like: Solid little device; features one would expect in a more expensive PDA phone; brilliant high resolution screen; Palm OS is zippy as always; still uses typical Palm / Treo connector; price is really great for what you are getting; great form factor, fits comfortably in hand
What Needs Improvement: Keyboard will seem too small for those with fat fingers; not much tactile feedback in button cluster; 1.3 megapixel camera is barely adequate; the battery compartment door must be removed to perform a soft reset or to access the microSD slot

LAbesace CLASSIC Laptop Bag:”I trust carrying my MacBook with the protection offered in the LAbesace bag. It’s the fashionable thing to do these days!”

The LAbesace is available from specialty retailers, college bookstores and Amazon.com
MRSP: $69.99
What I Like: The curved design holds enough essentials – not too much or little. Great quality of the materials used and the stitching throughout. Light weight and durable bag.
What Needs Improvement: Providing a padded shoulder strap as an option.

$100 - $200

Aliph Jawbone: “If you’re going to invest in a Bluetooth headset, the Jawbone delivers without question, excellent sound quality. You’ll be able to carry on a good conversation at a normal speaking voice and hear clearly as well. When a headset is this good, do you really care how you look in public? Just mind your Bluetooth manners and you’ll make converts along the way. Once your friends hear you talk on a Jawbone, they’ll want one too.”

The Aliph Jawbone headset is available from the manufacturer and various retailers.
MSRP: $119.99
What I Like: Sound quality is excellent on both ends; easy to wear with no ear fatigue; various ear loops and ear buds for custom fit.
What Needs Improvement: None; the loud chirp is harsh on the ear when turning off the headset while wearing.

AeroGarden Pro 100: “I ended up buying the big combo, They call it The ULTIMATE 3-Shelf Wall Garden. It includes 3 AeroGardens, the 3 shelves, 3 seed kits, Herb Appeal DVD and 3 Grow Bulb Lights - all for about $450.” “I bought it as an Xmas gift for the wife. I’m pretty sure she gave me the evil eye as there is an unspoken rule of no gifts for her that use batteries or plug in… (sucks to be me ) But now, she likes it.”

The AeroGarden is available from the manufacturer and from other retailers.
MSRP: $150 up to $450
What I liked: Fresh vegetables that were easy to grow; My kids enjoy watching and learning about plant growth; No messy soil; Good solution for those with a “black thumb”
What Could Be Improved: Costly; Noise and lights would be annoying in a main living area

Venturi Mini: “If you live in one of the many states where it is (or will soon be) illegal to talk on your phone without a hands free kit of some kind, you really should take a look at the Venturi Mini. It integrates so nicely with vehicle and phone, that using it is an absolute pleasure.”

The Venturi Mini is available from the manufacturer, Verizon, and other retailers.
MSRP: $129.00
What I Like: Easy to set up and operate; excellent sound quality for incoming and outgoing calls; Allows streaming music over A2DP; charges your music player or mobile phone via USB
What Needs Improvement: Nothing

SanDisk Sansa View: “I was extremely impressed by the clarity of the 2.4 inch screen (unfortunately, photos simply do not do this screen justice). This is one of the largest screens in a media player of this size (the iPhone has a 3.5 inch screen), and it is incredibly vibrant. I have never been a fan of watching movies on such a small screen — I am typically much more of a 60 inch rear projection LCD screen type of viewer — however, the Sansa View’s screen was so vibrant and clear that I almost forgot I was watching a movie in the palm of my hand. I did think it would have been nice, however, if there has been a small kickstand in the back of the device, so I could set it down while viewing.”

Where to Buy: Sandisk
Price: (8 GB/16 GB): $149.99/$199.99
What I liked: It is extremely easy to transfer media onto the device. The screen is crisp and clear. The controls have been simplified and are considerably more intuitive than the previous e200 series. An incredible amount of storage space.
What Needs Improvement: More video formats should be added. Better headphones and an AC adaptor should be included in the package. Add an AM radio. Needs a Bluetooth radio.

Keureg Coffee System: “The coffee (tea and cocoa are also available) you brew in your Keurig comes sealed in cups. You do not open the cups. Rather you insert them fully sealed into the machine, and when you close the lid the cups are punctured - once on top and once on the bottom. This is how the water filters through to brew your coffee.” “I’ve removed my old drip coffee maker (the leaking Senseo long ago was dropped in my dumpster) and in it’s place is the Keurig!”

Where to buy: Costco (or many other online sites including Amazon which sells similar models)
MSRP: Approximately $129
What I liked: Convenience; Easy to try other brands of coffee; No cleanup; No measuring, grinding or washing a coffee pot
What could be better: Machine is noisy during coffee making (about 15 seconds); Coffee is very hot (which is a benefit to many); Only supports 7.5 and 9.5 oz sizes - big mug drinkers; Must use proprietary K-Cups (self-filling filter available but it negates convenience); Limited number of manufacturers produce coffee in the K-Cup; When power goes out you must manually reset the clock

Skooba Design Skooba Satchel Luxe: “The Skooba Design Skooba Satchel 2.0 Luxe is a gorgeously feminine bag that manages to get everything right - it manages to keep all of your business needs covered while still catering to your desire to look like a woman - not just another anonymous working stiff in a black suit with black accessories. If you, or your sweetie, is looking for a laptop bag that will draw the right kind of attention, there is no need to look further.”

The Skooba Design Skooba Satchel 2.0 Luxe is available from the manufacturer and other retailers.
MSRP: $109.95 (currently on sale for $98.95)
What I Like: Decidedly feminine appeal with a business agenda; extremely well made of quality materials; holds up to a smaller 17″ laptop and accessories; Ultrasuede adds a luxe touch while being easy to maintain
What Needs Improvement: If it were just 0.5″ wider, it would have been a perfect fit for my monster X205. Since most people don’t tote around such a huge laptop on purpose (even I try not to), this is definitely just “one of those things…”

Toshiba Gigabeat T400: “Perhaps the most beautiful thing about the T400 is the fact that music played on it sounds incredibly, surprisingly, and yes…even awesomely good through the included headset.”

The Toshiba gigabeat T400 is available directly from the manufacturer and from other retailers.
MSRP: $119.99
What We Like: high quality interface; excellent sound quality; bright screen; fashionable colors
What Needs Improvement: An option for a larger capacity player would be nice; the case is a fingerprint magnet

$200 & Up

iRobot Roomba 560: “Perhaps the best part about the process is that when the Roomba has done its cleaning routine, it will back itself into the charging dock. Supposedly you only have to clean the bin / filters / brushes every third cleaning cycle, but I can tell you now that it will be a daily occurrence in my house. ”

My evaluation Roomba was sent from iRobot, and you can buy them directly form the manufacturer or from other retailers.
MSRP: $349.99 for the 560 - there are various other models and price points
What I Like So Far: Finds its own charging base; cleans all over the house; extra parts are easy to get; I don’t have to do a thing except empty it out when it is done!
What Needs Improvement: I wish it had a larger bin!

HTC Touch or Touch Dual: “Two different Duals, both very similar and yet very, very different. Which one is right for you? Well, my first question would be how will you use the device? If you primarily make calls and don’t do a lot of texting, then you might like the HTC Touch’s hardware best. It has a very nice screen and overall form factor. Most people who pick it up seem to love it - they want to lay it in their palm and without exception they will comment on how nice it feels.”

The HTC Touch is available in both GSM and CDMA models. You can buy the GSM version from several vendors on the web somewhere in the $400 - $500 range, and it is even available in fashion colors (green, white, and even purple). The CDMA version is available from Sprint for $249.99 with a 2 year contract, or $499.99 without.

The HTC Dual is only available in GSM at this time, and it can be purchased from several web vendors in the $600 - $650 range.

The ASUS EeePC: “Wow! All that with a 4 GB SSD (solid-state disk) and 512MB of operating RAM contained in a nice sleek little package for $399. That is incredible! I saw the Eee as the perfect portable computer for me to blog with and write Gear Diary posts on. I immediately wanted one. But, upon checking out the ASUS micro site for model details, I learned that there will be an 8GB SSD model with 1 GB of RAM due out at the end of November with an expected price of $499. I really want one right away, but I also wanted the additional storage space that the 8GB model will offer. To have to wait a few more weeks would be agony! I asked Judie for her opinion and her response was, “Wait for the better one! Of course!””

“Over the past month while I was reading up on all I could about the Eee PC, I learned that early adopters have been hacking, and testing the Eee with various software and OS setups. While I do not currently have plans on running Windows XP on my Eee. I do want to install and try other Linux software. I am glad that I waited for the 8GB Eee as the extra SSD capacity will allow for the installation of many applications. Thanks Judie, for suggesting that I wait for the better one! ”

eStarling WiFi Digital Photo Frame: “Could you give this to your Mom or Grandmother? Someone who may not be as technically sophisticated and would need assistance setting up the connection? My feeling is that yes I would definitely give this as a gift to an unsophisticated relative. I think eStarling has made the interface as user friendly as possible. Once setup you should not experience any problems.” “I absolutely love that most of the photos can be updated via RSS feeds or via direct upload over the web or via email from my camera phone (which I use A LOT). There is so much flexibility with this frame that I had to check the price a few times to make sure it was right. I’ve seen other frames at warehouse clubs which cost nearly as much but have far fewer features.”

Site URL: http://www.estarling.com/
MSRP: 7 ” Frame - $ 199 / 8″ Frame - $ 249 (this is the model reviewed here - WPF-288)
What I Liked: Very clear and bright screen - equal or better than other digital frames that I’ve seen; Easily upload photos via memory cards, the web, email or RSS feeds; The eStarling web site is very easy to navigate and well designed; NO monthly user fees for this service; Very reasonably priced; One of the few frames I have seen which integrates WIFI
What Could Be Improved: Control buttons (pause, rotate, delete, etc.) are not clearly labeled; No apparent way to shut off frame without either pulling the plug or setting an auto-off time via the web site; Setup software did not present me with a list of WIFI SSIDs to automatically connect to

The Litter-Robot: “If you own a cat, then you know that there is one part of pet ownership that can suck the joy out of the experience. No, I am not talking about hearing your cat hacking up hairballs in the middle of the night while she is sleeping on the bed next to you (not that Avah ever has or ever would do that, mind you), I am talking about cleaning out the litter box.” “I can’t begin to express how spoiled - yes spoiled, I have become since using this device. Cleanup is a breeze, and the little bit of litter that gets tracked off the step is nothing near what used to be tracked out of Avah’s old box. The Litter-Robot is an appliance that I can’t imagine owning a cat without having; I would like to say that the Litter-Robot was for Avah, but the truth of the matter is that it was for ME.”

The Litter-Robot is available in black or beige, directly from the manufacturer and other retailers. It comes with an 18-month full warranty*.
MSRP:$329.00 (3 Payment Plan option available)
What I Like: Easy to set up; uses ordinary trash bags and clumping litter - no special supplies needed; no fear of cat being caught inside; you never touch the nasty stuff; no sifting; no nasty smells…no worries!
What Needs Improvement: The tumbling action is a bit noisy if you have to keep it in a main room of the house