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BUSINESS Wednesday 19 december 2018
A25

Gift Guide: Some tech gadgets that actually fill a real need

By ANICK JESDANUN need to — leave your main
Associated Press phone behind.
NEW YORK (AP) — Some- The company says you
times you can sense that can rely on just the Palm
tech products are striv- as you attend a kid's soc-
ing to solve problems that cer game or meet friends
are manufactured by their at a bar. You're still con-
manufacturers. Smart- nected, on your terms, to
watches, for instance, pay someone back with
have long been a nifty Venmo or request a ride on
idea — but they've offered Lyft. Verizon, the exclusive
few tangible benefits for seller of this phone in the
anyone but health and fit- U.S., syncs phone numbers,
ness enthusiasts. so calls and texts to your
That's why it's notable when main phone automatically
a particular gadget finally reaches this mini phone.q
breaks through. The latest
Apple Watch, for instance,
has heart-monitoring fea-
tures that will appeal to
those who aren't active.
Likewise, an Amazon digital
video recorder makes ca- In this Sept. 21, 2018, file photo customers look at new Apple watches including the Series 4 at an
ble cord-cutting far more Apple store in New York.
practical. Associated Press
Others remain hanging in
not-quite-there limbo. A latory clearance. vice ($40 and up) for full Before smartphones, there
miniature smartphone from The new watch can also functionality. Among the was Palm and its hand-held
the revived brand Palm has tell if you take a hard fall limitations: You can't delete digital assistants, which of-
the germ of a good idea, — and it will call 911 if you shows through the app. The fered emails, calendars,
though it can still leave you can't get up. If someone on Recast itself is $230 for 75 notepads and many of
feeling perplexed. your gift list is elderly, you hours of storage and two the functions seen in apps
If you're still considering might enjoy greater peace simultaneous recordings, today. Under new owners,
tech gifts in your last-min- of mind. $280 for double the storage Palm is back with a mini
ute holiday shopping, bear The Series 4 watch starts and simultaneous record- smartphone designed, it
these items in mind. And at $399 and requires an ings. says, to let you leave your
when looking at other prod- iPhone. The EKG feature is TiVo, the gold standard bigger phone at home
ucts, ask yourself if they're for U.S. customers only. in DVRs, has easier ways and enjoy the moment —
really ready for prime time AMAZON'S DVR to skip commercials and without cutting yourself off
or destined to gather dust DVRs have lost their allure more flexible options to re- completely.
somewhere. in the streaming age, when cord. But TiVo also gets ex- The new phone, simply
APPLE'S SMARTWATCH entire TV seasons drop at pensive. A model aimed at called Palm, is about the
The newest features in once on Netflix. Still, some cord-cutters, the Bolt OTA, size of a credit card, but
the Series 4 Apple Watch broadcast shows aren't costs $250 — but then you nearly as thick as a regular
are actually anything but available for streaming at have to pay either a re- phone. It's meant as a stop-
flashy. But they could save all, or without a significant curring fee of at least $70 gap for when your main
lives. delay. If you've dropped a year or another $250 a iPhone or Android phone
With a built-in EKG feature, cable TV service, you can single time to get the pro- isn't with you, so battery
you can share detailed still watch those shows for gram guide. Recast doesn't and speeds are just good
heart readings with your free with an old-fashioned carry ongoing fees. enough. It's great for the es-
doctor without visiting a TV antenna — but then Amazon collects data on sentials, such as maps, Yelp
clinic. Doctors get a PDF file you're back to watching the shows you watch to lookups or texts to coordi-
showing the peaks and val- only when they air. personalize and improve nate meetups with friends.
leys of your heart rhythm, Enter Amazon's Fire TV Re- its services. If you find that The water-resistant phone
just as they would with an cast DVR. It will record creepy, Recast won't be for fits in running shorts during
EKG on paper. over-the-air programs and you. workouts.
Apple's EKG sensors take let you watch on your TV, PALM'S CONNECTED COM- The Palm is premised on
measurements only on Amazon's Echo Show or an PANION the idea that you can — or
your wrist and finger, while app on the go.
EKG machines in clinics You need to buy an an-
typically measure 12 points. tenna, which could be the
That means the watch rabbit-ear kind or an indoor
can't detect heart attacks one you stick on your win-
and other conditions. But dow. Thanks to Wi-Fi, the
Apple says it can provide Recast can be near that
early detection of atrial fi- window rather than your
brillation, an irregular heart TV.
rhythm that increases the While the Recast can
risk of stroke and heart fail- technically work with just
ure. The company tested a phone app or the Echo
the watch against stan- Show, you need a sepa-
dard EKGs to win U.S. regu- rate Fire TV streaming de-