Category: Gifting Guides Page 6 of 12

A Nixplay Frame is always a delight to receive! Here are some perfect occasions to give one to your loved ones.

Why Everyone in Your Family Needs A Nixplay Iris

On November 17, 2017

In From The Nixplay Team, Gifting Guides

Nixplay Iris always steals the spotlight! Not only is this one a showstopper, with its beautiful brushed metal finish but when you connect with our Nixplay app and see your photos released from the confines of your phone…nothing can replace that feeling of winning over your loved ones by sharing your moments for all to see.

The Nixplay Iris is a WiFi digital photo frame. This means that you can send images to it through email, mobile or social media. All you need to do is pair a frame to your account and it’s ready to go in a couple of seconds, you can set up playlists and send them straight to your frame.

There are two ways to go if you’re the one buying a Nixplay Iris for various members of your family. Either way, everyone gets memories updated on their Nixplay frame, within moments.

You can buy the frames and pair them to one main account ( i.e. your account)- In this way you control all the pictures that go on their frames. This is a good idea when you’re the technologically savvy one in your family and everyone else doesn’t mind you controlling their frames.

You help the different members of your family pair their individual frames to their individual Nixplay accounts. Once this is done, you can add them as friends on your own Nixplay account and send them playlists with your images. All this with the tap of a button.

Nixplay Iris is a unique digital photo frame, not only does it look great in anyone’s home ( it comes in peach copper, silver or burnished bronze,) but it’s designed for connectivity. We know modern families are increasingly moving away from home and are dispersed around the world.

The true value of a Nixplay Iris WiFi Cloud Frame ( and our mobile app) is that you can share one playlist with the folks, another playlist with the siblings, and yet another playlist with your friends. The more frames you have connected to your network, the more memories can be shared at the tap of a button- to whom you want, when your want. And they can share back!

So the next time your little one has a birthday party and her grandparents or aunt and uncle can’t make it, just take pictures and send them in real time to their frames. Then they have these memories, displayed in their homes for however long they need.

Beatrice Bisais

Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.

What is Singles’ Day?

By Beatrice Bisais

On November 3, 2017

In Gifting Guides

Singles’ Day is quickly becoming a global shopping festival, Nixplay digital photo frames answers the main question on your mind, “What is Singles’ Day?”

Are you weary of seeing people in relationships everywhere you look? Especially on Valentine’s day, when they give the flower and chocolate industries an undeserving boost in sales? You’re in luck.

In the 1990’s, a group of students in China began to celebrate being single- as a sort of “anti-valentines day”. Taking its name from the date 11.11- this day has spiralled into a global phenomenon called Singles’ Day.

Source: www.someecards.com

Adept readers of the Nixplay family have already identified that the name 11.11 consists of one.one.one.one, aptly matching the celebration of being single. Additionally, it’s often referred to as “bare sticks” holiday in China, because of the way it looks. ( But, with $20 billion in sales on singles’ day in 2016, it’s clear that people are quite happy being “bare sticks.”)

On Singles’ Day, young men and women use the opportunity to go to karaoke bars, movies and just generally, hang out without needing a significant other. But it was only in 2009, that Singles’ Day sprawled into an online shopping spectacle. Ecommerce giant Alibaba ( deemed as the largest online commerce company in the world, by Wall Street Journal), turned it into an online shopping frenzy. Now, most ecommerce channels in China offer discounts to consumers on 11.11. From facials to digital photo frames, you can gift yourself anything on 11.11, Singles’ Day . Let us know in the comments section below whom you buy your Nixplay digital photo frames for!

Plus, shopping on Singles’ Day won’t burn a hole in your wallet because everything is on discount on 11.11 in China. Singles’ Day is often compared to the likes of Cyber Monday and Black Friday in the west, except it’s bigger. According to Forbes, it is now the biggest online shopping event in the world.

Everyone loves a discount. So as you read this blog, I’m sure you’re feeling a little left out from the action, that is probably happening miles away from you. Don’t worry, Nixplay digital photo frames loves to look out for the Nixplay family. To bring you a little piece of the “11.11 Global Shopping Festival” or “Singles’ Day”, we’re offering fantastic one day discounts- up to 20% off all Nixplay WiFi Cloud Frames. Remember to leave a comment below ( or answer our Facebook or Twitter poll) about whom you buy your Nixplay Digital Photo Frames for. Who knows, your answers may just lead our discount decisions for next year. Unlike most people, we love listening to the advice of our family!

Beatrice Bisais

Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.

6 Tips for Husbands to Make Your Wedding Anniversary Special

By Beatrice Bisais

On August 28, 2017

In Gifting Guides

We all know how stressful it can be to plan a wedding anniversary celebration. This specific day is always a key moment to demonstrate how much you love your life partner. Everyone is different and you are the one who knows her the best. Below is a selection of anniversary ideas for the perfect gift for her.

1. Create a wedding anniversary tradition

If it is your first year anniversary, it is the perfect time to start a tradition for your future anniversaries. The tradition can be everything: a dinner in the restaurant where you had your first date, a bottle of very nice red wine every year (because your partner loves it), specific flowers or anything that has special meaning for you as a couple. An alternative to traditional gifts is to give each other an “experience.” If you have a similar passion, it could be an activity you do together.

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2. Plan a shooting photo couple

Photos are the best way to remember any moments. For your 10th anniversary, for example, you can take pictures with a photographer and compare them to your wedding pictures. See how your love has grown over the years. You can also consider asking your children to join your photo shoot to have very nice family pictures to look at and share with other family members.

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3. Organize a night out, just the two of you

Do you feel like you don’t spend enough quality time together because you are busy with work or family? A special night out, just the two of you, is a great way to reconnect. It is important to select the right environment ,and of course the right type of cuisine. Try to avoid noisy places because it is too stressful to really enjoy this privileged moment.

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4. Jewelry always works

It is no secret that Women love Jewelry. The best part of gifting jewelry is that no matter the cost , once offered for this special occasion, it becomes priceless. Women love to wear jewellery that is sentimental to them especially their wedding ring because it reminds them your union. Ring, bracelet or necklace are always a greatly appreciated and are perfect traditional anniversary gifts.

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5. Send chocolate, flowers and a card to your partner’s office

Another way to please your wife is to send flowers, chocolate or anything she may like to have at her office. It is always a good surprise to arrive at work and find sweet or gifts. Just imagine how it will make her feel with all her co-workers admiring the gift and telling her how lucky she is to have you as her husband. You should plan the delivery 1 week before the anniversary date to make sure it arrives on time.

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6. Prepare her favorite meal at home

Your life partner doesn’t like to go out and she is the one always cooking for you. It can be nice to have you or someone else to cook a nice meal for the two of you. If you are not a great cook don’t be afraid to try. This is a great way to show how much you are invested in this anniversary gift and prove how much you love her. You can still have a backup option with food bought from her favorite restaurant.

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No matter how you choose to spend your anniversary together, don’t forget to take pictures, they are unforgettable moments. You can also upload them on your Nixplay Digital photo frame and watch them every single day.

Beatrice Bisais

Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.

Tech Products Tackle Problems That Come with Age – HuffPost

By Beatrice Bisais

On July 4, 2017

In Gifting Guides

This article is published by Huffpost (read more)

More and more innovative companies are waking up to the fact that there is life beyond age 55. And where there’s life there’s sure to be tech. What the aging population lacks in adeptness, they make up for with appreciativeness. Get it right and you’ll never find a more grateful audience. I get to test a lot of products. Here’s a list I can guarantee will get a senior’s stamp of approval.

TV Watching Improved

Any intergenerational family gathering knows that the TV volume is always turned up loud enough for the person with the worst hearing in the room. That means the rest of the family is being blasted, usually with accompanying distortion. Zvox AV200 AccuVoiceis an easy to install soundbar that replaces your TV’s speakers and makes the voices emanating from your TV sound more clear and localized. AccuVoice uses a hearing aid type technology that isolates voice frequencies, lifting them out of background noise. The speaker bar comes with a small, uncomplicated remote control that acts as your volume control. Thankfully, I found my husband finally turned down the volume but could still hear the TV perfectly. The only drawback? Music from the TV did not sound any better, possibly worse, though the company suggests using Surround Sound mode for music listening. ($249)

Personalizing Alexa for an Aging Person

Amazon Alexa (I like the Echo for it’s size and fidelity) may be the perfect product for an aging audience that would rather converse with their machine than sit in front of a screen. Showing an older person basic things like asking for the weather or news and listening to music are learned quickly. But to make Alexa super useful you’ll want to install some “experiences” — Amazon’s name for useful apps. To learn about all the useful (and not so) things that Alexa can do visit either PC Magazine’s or CNet’s list. They both provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to ask for stock quotes, ask Alexa to call a friend in case of a fall or accident with Ask My Buddy, play games like Jeopardy, or get a “take your meds” reminder. My advice? If you’re giving anyone over 50+ an Amazon Alexa or Echo give them a cheat sheet on cool things they’ll enjoy doing. ($179)

Helping with Hearing Older folks have already suffered the repercussions of listening to loud rock and roll. And, it’s unlikely that want to blast music so loud that they shut out all noise of the outside world. This wisdom of age is best captured in Nueheara’s IQbuds. These are wireless earbuds that you control with an app to raise or lower the volumes of both music and ambient outside noise. They can even change the volume level of each ear independently — great for anyone with hearing loss in an ear. For older folks, what separates IQbuds from other earbuds is that they have multiple microphones that let a user adjust sound and location. So, in a crowded restaurant, you may actually be able to hear the person who’s speaking. (Now if only it could read those menus in a darkened restaurant, too). ($299)

Home Security

Using a home monitoring system is a less than perfect science for an aging population. You’ve got to be able to do a little setup with pairing Bluetooth devices, and there are bound to be some false alerts.

If you’re interested in monitoring the home for safety, then Canary is my favorite as a security system. It’s a system of cameras and sensors that monitor video as well as other indicators in a home, like whether you’ve gone out, the temperature and humidity. You can check in remotely and see how the home and the folks in it are doing. It’s also one of the few that come with a membership that can offer you a discount on your home insurance just for using the product. And, it’ll dial emergency numbers, including police, in case of an emergency. (Pricing starts at $349 for the starter kit.) For a good look at the competitors, visit Home Alarm.

Personal Emergency Tracking

Monitoring the people who live in the home is more controversial than monitoring a home. Lively Mobile is an interesting product/service because it’s a personal emergency device and tracker with a GPS and cellular built in. Wear it as a pendant, bracelet or clip on, and whenever there’s an issue (there’s even a fall detection monitor) you can immediately contact a 24 hour service that knows your location and your medical background.

The Lively company declared bankruptcy in 2015 and its assets were purchased by GreatCall. According to GreatCall, the Lively product does not use the Lively technology (just its name) but is an evolution of the company’s Splash device. For a product that costs under $40 plus a monthly service plan that begins at $19.99 a month, Lively Mobile offers an easy to use, peace of mind solution.

Photo Sharing

As for sharing memories and staying engaged in family life, while photos are no replacement for being there, they can sure help. Thanks to a new generation of cloud based, wireless, digital photo frames it’s possible to share photos without complicated wires or USB transfers.

I used the Nixplay Iris. Developed by a family living in Hong Kong that wanted to share their photos with far flung grandparents, the NixPlay gets a lot of things right. Most important, you can snap photos with your mobile phone and then use the NixPlay app to caption them and send them wirelessly to friends and family. (You can load up to 10 photos at a time.) Photos can come from your PC, smartphone, or different social apps like Dropbox, Flckr and Instagram. The photos are stored securely in the NixPlay cloud and delivered to friends’ and families’ devices.

A few nice touches? The metal finished design looks ever so much better than the first generation of plastic photo frames. A special cord acts as a stand to turn it into a landscape or portrait frame. A motion sensor detects when you walk into the room and turns the display on. And a smart dimmer adjusts the brightness of the photo to the room’s lighting. Best of all, the user can control who sees what photos from your NixPlay Web App. ($200)

For some other cutting edge gadgets and services to help aging adults, you might want to look at the winners of this year’s AARP Innovation Awards. I served as a judge for these awards, and the products will give you newfound hope that tech can help us age well.

Robin Raskin is founder of Living in Digital Times (LIDT), a team of technophiles who bring together top experts and the latest innovations that intersect lifestyle and technology. LIDT produces conferences and expos at CES and throughout the year focusing on how technology enhances every aspect of our lives through the eyes of today’s digital consumer.

Beatrice Bisais

Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.

5 Must-Have Gadgets for Business Travelers

By Beatrice Bisais

On May 18, 2017

In Gifting Guides

Business travel can seem glamorous to the family and friends whom you have to leave behind. After all, they get to see your trip through the rose-colored glasses of your social media feeds and the pictures you send home to your family’s digital frame.

But those of us who travel frequently know that it can be quite a slog. There’s all that time you have to spend waiting in airports, and getting to and from your meetings, and trying to get WiFi on your iPad so you can send that presentation by the deadline…the list goes on.

That’s why there are so many excellent gadgets out there to make business travel a bit easier. Here are a few of our favorites.

A portable wireless router

We’ve all been in those hotels that, for whatever reason, are still using Ethernet cables for their in-room internet connections.

And if you’ve been sitting at a conference table all day, the last thing you want when you get to your hotel room is sit in another uncomfortable chair, tied to a desk, while you Skype with family or do some research.

A portable router lets you set up any location’s internet as wireless, which also lets you connect several devices at once.

Streaming stick

There’s no reason to rely on spotty hotel cable or, even worse, Pay-per-view for your entertainment while you’re traveling.

Bring along a streaming stick like the Roku or an Amazon Fire Stick and you can access everything you’d be able to at home. They’re tiny, so they’re easy to pack – just make sure you don’t lose them among your clothes!

Luggage tracker

If you’re a bit of a nervous traveler, or if you’ve lost a bag to the airlines before, traveling with a luggage tracker might ease your mind.

These small devices that you place in your luggage connect to an app on your phone. When you log in, you can easily see where your luggage is (hopefully, it’s in the same city you are!).

There are several on the market, and many can be used to locate other items too – your wallet, your phone, even your car. Do your research before buying, as some require subscription fees.

High-tech travel wallets

Travel wallets have come a long way from the days when they were just big wallets with an extra pocket for your passport.

Today’s travel wallets come with high-tech features like tracking devices that can alert you to your wallet’s location if you lose it or someone steals it.

Some offer RFID shields that can protect the RFID chip in your passport from being scanned by a hacker. Since these chips carry the same identity information that your actual passport does, it’s a good idea to protect them – all an identity thief has to do to steal the info is use a small RFID reader to scan your purse or wallet at close range, like in the subway or in a crowded square.

Nixplay WiFi Cloud Digital Frame

One of the most fun ways to stay connected to family while you’re traveling is through pictures. You can send them to a loved one’s smartphone or post them on social media, but if you really want to show them you care, send them to your family’s digital frame.

By using the Nixplay app, you can instantly send photos to the frame – even if it’s in your family’s living room thousands of miles away. You can even create playlists for your family to see while you’re lounging in your hotel room.

Of course, you can bring a digital frame with you, too. Then your family can send you pictures that you’ll see when you get home after a long day of work.

Business travel can be a troublesome necessity at times, but these gadgets can help you make it a little bit easier. For more advice on making your business trips more comfortable, read our post “Creating the Perfect Digital Frame Playlist to Take on Your Next Business Trip.”

Beatrice Bisais

Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.