Finding a gift that stands out is no easy feat, whether it’s a gesture of appreciation, celebration, honor, remembrance, love, charity, hope, or reconciliation. Not only does it take time to learn more about the recipient’s wants and preferences, but it also takes effort to be creative to find the perfect gift that resonates. Hopefully, the gift is also within your budget. With the average person spending approximately $1,387.04 a year on holiday gifts alone, not counting bachelorette parties, birthdays, graduations, or retirements, people are expected to spend even more.
Thanks to advances in low-profile low-energy technology, traditional gift options are now becoming unique, and new smart tech gadgets and devices are an ideal option for gifting. This article will explore traditional gift ideas with embedded tech elements that make them more extraordinary.
Smart Greeting Cards
The simplest way to gift a special someone is to send a greeting card, so why not enhance this gesture by sending a smart greeting card? Greeting card manufacturers are increasingly integrating audio capabilities and LED lighting features into physical greeting cards. There are the new musical 3D Pop-up birthday cards with an embedded sensor to light up when opened, and some will even let the recipient blow the LED candle on the cake within the card.
Smart greeting cards are an exciting way to recreate a traditional birthday experience, and this works especially well if gifting someone from a distance. The only downside of this gift option is the cost, which can range from $9-$18, and you would still need to find a design that meets your expectation and may need to pay additional postage for mailing.
Smart and Interactive Balloons
When it comes to celebrating a graduation, baby shower, or sending “get well soon” wishes, giving a transparent LED light-up balloon is another unique way to distract, lift, and brighten up someone’s day. In addition, these LED balloons are a great way to show a public display of celebration (PDC), and decorate a venue no matter the occasion, day or night. With added sensors, these balloons can be made smarter and interactive at parties. For instance, Hongyi’s LED Inflatable Glowing Crowd Ball is one of many purchasable smart interactive balloons that can interact with a crowd by changing colors when touched.
For the hardcore, tech-savvy individuals who are not easily impressed by a simple LED-lighted balloon, a remote-controlled inflatable Shark or Clownfish might fit the bill for an epic ocean-themed get-together party. With some imagination and creativity, the sky is the limit. What makes smart and interactive balloons unique is the ability to store and reuse them again, unlike their one-time use predecessors, which are much more friendly to our environment.
Battery-Powered Digital Picture Frames
Another gift idea that has now advanced with technology is a battery-powered digital picture frame. Unlike the photo frames of the past, a digital photo frame will enable you to transfer images directly from your smartphone, digital camera, or computer and then display them—either one at a time or as part of an animated slideshow. This is very convenient, especially if you want to customize this as a gift for Valentine’s Day, a wedding anniversary, or for a friend who loves traveling.
With the addition of memory cards, enhanced graphics, and energy-efficient technology, battery-powered digital picture frames are a great gift option for multiple occasions. The only downside with this gift is the cost, ranging from $59 to $179 for different sizes and feature sets. The bigger the frame and added feature, the more costly it will get.
In the end, sending someone a unique gift that touches their heart takes time, thought, and effort. Thanks to advancements in energy-efficient technology, gifting options are now more customizable, interactive, and personalized.
How Ambiq is Helping
Ambiq’s ultra-low-power SoCs are transforming traditional gifting ideas and options, both in terms of their capabilities and their potential. With Ambiq’s energy efficient solutions, LED technology, sensors, and new features can be added in smart greeting cards and smart balloons to further enhance the gifting experience.
By utilizing Bluetooth® wireless technology chipsets and specialized embedded microprocessors, Ambiq® is enabling smart tech gift options, such as battery-powered digital picture frames and smart toys, behave more interactively for a more extraordinary experience.
