When shopping for tech products, online is the way to go. Advantages include a wider assortment than you’ll find at a brick-and-mortar mall, highly competitive pricing and practically immediate availability through rapid shipment to any U.S. location. Here are five cool products you might not ordinarily think about ordering online.
The headphones of your dreamsÂ
Maybe you’ve left your favorite pair of headphones on a plane. Perhaps you just want a new headset better suited to your current needs than what you already have. In either case, if you browse the web, a multitude of high-quality headphones appear right at your fingertips. And you can choose overnight delivery on many of them. One disadvantage of ordering headphones online, though, is that you don’t get to try before you buy. Make sure to check user reviews and the website’s return policy, just in case they’re not the right fit for you.
If you’re heavily into music, over-ear headphones will probably work best for you. Want to take your headphones along with you jogging or to the gym? An in-ear model is more easily portable, but you’re likely to get better audio quality with an on-ear pair, according to Audiogurus. Special features like sweat resistance and stereo sound abound. If you’re interested in listening to music while swimming laps, for example, you might want to check out the JBL Endurance Dive Bluetooth Wireless In-Ear Earphones, which come with a built-in MP3 player.
Laptop batteries
Laptop batteries are another item that sometimes gets left behind when you’re on the go. It’s hard to locate the right replacement battery in retail stores, because batteries are so specific to particular brands and models. Even if you still have the original battery that came with your PC, it’s practical to keep a spare on hand, in case your first battery starts to fade or you want to extend the time you can work on your notebook without recharging.Â
Unless your PC is fairly old, you can generally order batteries from your PC maker’s website. If you can’t do so, Laptop Magazine recommends calling the manufacturer to get the WHr, amount of cells and voltage of the battery you need. You should then type that info into a search engine and make sure that products coming up are compatible with your machine. Finally, check that the online seller is legit by reading seller ratings and reviews.
A wire-free home security camera system
What home doesn’t need a security camera system these days? In a recent study by UNC Charlotte, 83 percent of burglars said the try to find out if an alarm security system is present before going ahead with a burglary. Another 60 percent said they seek an alternative target if they find a system on premises.
When you buy a security camera system online, you can save money not just on the product but also on service. Many models are outfitted for easy DIY installation and provide push alerts to your smart device which can be triggered by motions or sounds, plus live video streaming. With battery-operated security camera systems, you can go entirely wire-free, avoiding the need for long-distance cabling. Lorex Technology offers a system that comes with a security-grade digital video recorder (DVR), plus four battery-operated, wire-free security cameras. Its state-of-the-art camera features include full 1080p recording resolution, advanced motion detection, infrared night vision and weather-resistant housings.Â
A contemporary turntable for vinyl records
Vinyl records are making a big comeback these days. According to the Nielsen 2018 Music Report, vinyl record sales have risen for the 13th year in a row, stepping from 1 million in 2017 to 16.8 million in 2018. Audio product manufacturers are taking notice by continuing to introduce new turntables for vinyl. So too are music producers, by making more and more titles available as LP records.
Yet maybe you’re a Boomer or a GenX-er who already has a great collection of 33 rpm records. Perhaps you’ve inherited some now hard-to-find classic rock or show tunes albums from your dad or grandmother. In any case, a study by MusicStats.org finds that the sound quality of vinyl is perceptibly better than what you’ll get from CDs or MP3s. One of the slickest vinyl turntables, the Crosley Revolution, is a tiny USB-enabled and battery-operated model which you can take with you wherever you go, even to an outdoor spot.Â
A portable photo printer
If you like to snap selfies and other photos on your smartphone, you’re hardly alone. According to estimates by InfoTrends, a total of 1.2 trillion digital photos were taken from phones and digital cameras in 2017 alone .
While it’s also fun to post pics from your phone on Facebook and Instagram, increasing numbers of manufacturers are producing portable printers, which let you print out the photos in hard copy and hand them out to friends on paper wherever you are. Two particularly useful gadgets of this kind are the Prynt Pocket and Prynt Instant Camera Case accessories that can turn an iPhone into an instant camera for printing out 2-by-3-inch photos on the fly.
Getting your hands on the coolest gadgets has never been easier. From headphones to security systems to portable photo printers, the internet is a tech shopper’s playground.
