Tech toys for mum

Samsung POWERBot VR9000 S$1,499

Clean homes need constant upkeep, so in comes the automatic Samsung POWERbot VR9000 robot vacuum cleaner, which can suck up dust and dirt off the floors. Simply turn it on and let it run freely across the house, as the on-board mapping system allows the machine to learn the layout of your home, to chart an optimal path around the area. And if it so happens to miss a spot, there is a controller that allows you to point the machine to a specific area, so all your mother has to do is sit back, relax, and identify the dirty spots in the house, while the POWERbot does all the cleaning.

Easy Bread S$399

Home bread machines purport to offer a simple way to bake healthy breads at home, but the need to search for recipes and pick up the ingredients, just to make a simple loaf of whole wheat or sourdough bread, complicates the process.

The Easy Bread machine works with pre-filled capsules that comes packed with all the ingredients you need to bake a warm loaf of bread. From classic white, Italian, multigrain to sourdough, all you need to do is pop a capsule into the machine, fill the water tank, press a button and return in two hours.

The machine will slice open the capsule, which then dumps the premix into the baking chamber. It will start kneading the flour mix with water, and bake each specialty bread accordingly.

LG Styler S$2,999

Taking off your shoes at the door before stepping into the home might be the norm for keeping the home clean, but what about worn sweaters, scarves, jackets and even bags that attract dust, but are not washed all the time?

The LG Styler is a locker-size clothing care system that deodorizes, sanitizes and steam-cleans your clothes, delicates, and, for new mothers, even soft toys and baby blankets, at the touch of a button.

Tall enough to fit ankle-length coats and wide enough to accommodate three tops and one pair of pants, the LG Styler has a moving hanger that moves 220 times a minute, to shake out wrinkles and odours from clothes. There is a steam drying system to dry delicate clothing, as well as a pants press section that leaves a precise crease on your favourite trousers.

Jawbone Up3 S$309

No, this gift is not sending a signal to your mother that she is unfit or needs to exercise. In fact, it tells her that her fitness is extremely important, as the Jawbone Up3 fitness tracker can monitor her resting and passive heart rate, track her sleeping patterns, and even coach her on taking on some daily activities, such as evening walks.

All the health information is compiled in the easy-to-use smartphone app for iOS and Android devices. There's even a food logging feature, where users can identify the meals consumed, and the resulting food score will help evaluate a user's level of nutrition.

Netflix from S$10.98 a month

Instead of buying DVD box sets of TV shows, or subscribing to cable channels that insist on scheduled programming of shows, why not provide your mom with the convenience of online streaming services?

With Netflix, there is no need to wait for a new episode of a TV show each week, as the service only releases complete seasons of TV shows, leaving viewers to decide how frequently they want to catch the next episode of a series, from political drama House of Cards, crime series Gotham, to the thriller, How To Get Away With Murder. While binge watching may not be the best way to spend the time, it beats having to schedule social gatherings and events around the time that a show is supposed to be on TV.

Netflix also offers a premium S$16.98 tier that has Ultra HD 4K streaming, which also allows up to four viewers at one time. So if you already are a subscriber, you just need to top up a little more, to have someone enjoy your subscription.

But she doesn't have to know that.

Sonos Play:5 S$999

Sound systems that require complicated cables and connectors are a thing of the past, as the new Sonos speakers are entirely wireless, and can connect to a computer, smartphone or tablet seamlessly at the touch of a button.

The new Sonos Play:5 is an update of their classic Play:5 speakers, with a sleeker design, and six custom-designed drivers and dedicated amplifiers. Its small profile makes it a good fit for any home, and anyone in the home can use the speaker via the app, which offers free radio streaming, and support for popular music streaming services, including Spotify, Deezer and Apple Music.

Nespresso Prodigio S$398

This is for anyone who cannot start the day without a cuppa. While Nespresso has perfected the coffee capsule system, it now wants to simplify the entire process by pairing its latest machine to your phone.

Yes, the mobile app can be set to brew a cup of coffee at a given time, but it also keeps tabs on the machine, and sends out alerts when the water tank is empty, or when the spent capsule container is full. It also alerts you when you've run out of capsules, and ordering new ones for your mother is just the touch of a button away.

Philips VisaPure Advanced SC5370/10 S$455

Maintaining a proper skincare routine is a must for many people, but why risk having a salon upsell their packages during each visit, when everything can be done at home? The individual Philips skincare range of VisaPure handheld devices covers skin moisturising, anti-blemishing and dermabrasion, or you can get the Advanced model, which comes with three removable heads for cleansing, facial massaging and eye massaging. The gentle cleansing head increases absorption of skincare lotions, while the face massage improves blood circulation. The eye massage head offers a soothing 120 micro-vibrations-per-second programme, to refresh tired eyes.

Pendulumic Tach T1 S$379

Sometimes, she might just need something to drown out the noise. Headphones are pretty commonplace these days, but what local company Pendulumic has done with its Tach T1 on-ear headset is to give it a unique pairing feature.

Two sets of Tach T1 headsets can be paired together wirelessly, so that two users can listen to the same audio source, without the need for extra cables. Whether it is watching her favourite TV show, listening to her favourite songs or catching up on the latest chapter of an audio book, she no longer has to do so alone.

Honestbee https://honestbee.com

Remember how your mom used to buy only the best and freshest food for you? You can now do the same from your computer or phone. Honestbee is an online grocery concierge service that has ties with supermarkets and specialty food retailers, such as FairPrice, Cold Storage and Gastronomia, and users simply fill their cart with items from the site. An Honestbee shopper will do all the buying for you, and deliver the items to your home within the next hour. Now, there is no excuse for not buying the best produce for your family, be it fresh meats from butcher Mmmm!, soups and desserts from Gastronomia, or fruits and vegetables from FairPrice.

This can even extend beyond Mother's Day, so that you become responsible for what your family eats each week. And if you're really nice about it, your mother might see what you've bought, get the hint and cook your favourite dishes.