The 2015 CPA Technology Gift Guide: These Laptops, Tablets, Watches, and Other Gadgets Will Make You a Hero to Your Favorite CPA (Even If That's You)
David Cieslak · Journal of accountancy online/Journal of accountancy · 2015
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With the holiday season upon us, and many folks looking for the perfect gift for that special someone, the following tour of technology gear and gadgets is sure to have something for everyone--from the novice to the most discriminating geek. Let's start with some fun, smaller ticket items before finishing strong with the big ticket items. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Google Cardboard (google.com/get/cardboard): Maybe you have heard the news or have seen the silly pictures of users wearing goggles and wondered, What is all the fuss about virtual reality (VR)? Quite simply, VR is a three-dimensional, immersive video experience that users can interact with and explore. And it's poised to be the next big thing! But before you shell out big bucks for a new set of video goggles, you might want to take an initial look using a low-cost option. Paired with free downloadable apps, Google Cardboard goggles are compatible with Android smartphones or iPhones (screen sizes up to 6 inches). Once you assemble the goggles and set up your smartphone, you can begin enjoying sample content and next-generation games. And all with a viewer made of cardboard! * Prices: Starting at $4 Stratos (stratoscard.com): Tired of carrying so many credit, membership, and loyalty cards in your wallet? Would you rather carry a single card that can be used at stores, coffee shops, ATMs, gas pumps, and more? Stratos is an all-in-one smart card that pairs with a user's smartphone. To use the card, you first need to swipe the information from each of your existing cards using the mag strip reader that comes with the Stratos. Your credit card, membership, and loyalty card information is actually then stored on your smartphone and transmitted to the Stratos card during a sync process. When you're ready to pay, simply double-tap the card (on anything, which wakes it up), select one of the preset buttons, and swipe--it's that easy. The card automatically locks if it's lost or stolen. If it's time to thin the wallet, Stratos could well be the miracle diet you've been waiting for. Stratos recently announced it is phasing in support for chip-based credit cards (for more on such cards, see the Technology Q&A column item Credit Cards Getting Smarter, on page 85 of the November 2015 JofA). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Price: $95 per SONICable (sonicable.com): Frustrated by slow charging when connecting your smartphone to your car charger or computer USB port? SONICable was designed to be the most advanced charging cable on the market--a claim I have found to be true with the one I bought. SONICable is compatible with Android smartphones and iPhones. Choose from three colors. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Price: $28.95 TiVo Roamio OTA (tivo.com): Tired of ever-rising cable TV bills? Ready to cut the cord? If so, you'll be pleased to learn that HDTV content is actually available free, over the air (OTA), in most major metropolitan areas. All you need is an OTA antenna to grab a good signal. Just plug it into your HDTV, and you're ready to go. If you want to record your favorite programs as well, you should consider a product such as the TiVo Roamio OTA. The Roamio OTA can record as many as four OTA shows at once and has 500 hours (75 hours of HD) recording capacity. Connect the Roamio OTA to the internet, and you can stream content from Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu Plus as well. You can even add TiVo Minis to share content with other TVs in the house for a multiroom solution that adds no additional monthly service cost. The add-on Mini devices allow you to stream content from the Roamio OTA. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Prices: $199.99 plus $14.99 per month. TiVo Minis are available for $149.99 each. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Apple Watch (apple.com): 2015 was heralded as the year of the smartwatch, and while countless vendors announced and sold modest numbers of their smartwatch creations this past year, Apple made the biggest splash with the release of the Apple Watch. …