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Mother's Day 2018: The best tech and gadgets for your mom this year

This Mother's Day, consider treating your mom to a gift, whether thoughtful or just plain fun.
By Charlie Osborne, Contributing Writer
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1 of 23 Charlie Osborne/ZDNET

Ember

Today's busy moms may start out their days with a cup of hot tea or coffee, but that does not mean they have the time to finish it.

A fun gift likely to be appreciated this Mother's Day is the Ember smart mug, a ceramic cup & coaster which not only keeps drinks warm throughout the day but can be ordered to warm up a drink to your preferred temperature through the Ember app.

Price: $79.95

Via: Ember

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A Polaroid camera

There is still something special about Polaroid cameras in a world full of smartphones, tablets, and DSLRs.

This Mother's Day, consider the gift of a Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Polaroid camera to allow your mom to take and print pictures instantly.

Price: $57.43

Via: Amazon

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Juno smart mirror

Your mom may appreciate something out of the common way this year when it comes to cosmetics. The Juno smart mirror is just that -- a mirror which can mimic three levels of light. That way, users can check their makeup looks perfect no matter whether they will be heading out into daylight, high levels of sunlight, or the evening.

Price: $79

Via: Juno

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Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

Your mom may appreciate the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite as a gift this Mother's Day. The e-reader is a light device with a screen specifically designed to avoid screen glare when reading, no matter the lighting conditions. If your mom is an avid reader, this is a way for her to take her favorite novels on the go.

Price: $119.99

Via: Amazon

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Star Wars decals

If your mom is a Star Wars fan, these cute family vehicle decals could make a fun gift this Mother's Day.

Price: $7.99+

Via: ThinkGeek

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Massage pillow

A gift this Mother's Day for tired moms worldwide is the HoMedics massage pillow. The pillow applies vibrations, heat, and simulated kneading to give strained neck and shoulder muscles a break.

Price: $34.39

Via: Amazon

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7 of 23 Charlie Osborne/ZDNET

Smart stove assistants

When your plate is as full on a daily basis as those of today's busy moms, small things can slip the mind but can ruin a full schedule.

Inerv is a set of devices which makes our stoves smarter. Sensors allow users to monitor their stoves and change temperatures directly through a mobile app, alerts will remind you of cooking times, and you can use your voice to control your cooking if your hands are otherwise full.

A feature parents everywhere may appreciate is that if the devices realize your stove has been left unattended for too long, it will automatically switch off -- not only preventing burnt meals but potentially more disastrous consequences.

Price: $Pre-order

Via: Inirv

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Anker PowerCore

Life is busy and sometimes hectic, and if your mobile devices run out of juice while you are on the go, this can make things difficult.

A gift your mom might appreciate is a backup solution to this issue which can be thrown into her bag and forgotten about until it's needed. The Anker PowerCore is a slim 5000mAh juice bar which can charge a variety of mobile devices and is compact enough as to not take up much space.

Price: $15.99

Via: Amazon

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Ring

An interesting IoT which could be an interesting and useful gift this Mother's Day is the Ring connected doorbell.

While there are different variants available, the premise behind the full product range is the same: the ability to see who is at your door, to be alerted when motion is detected, and to be able to talk to visitors no matter where you are.

Price: $99.99+

Via: Ring

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Shapeways 3D printed gifts

Through Shapeways, you can find a range of jewelry and other gifts with a difference -- everything is 3D printed. Through this method, merchants worldwide are able to give jewelry intricacies you wouldn't often find outside of high-end shops, and there is sure to be something your mom would love.

Price: $Varies

Via: Shapeways

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Audible

There's not always time available for busy moms to put their feet up and read a good book, but that doesn't mean there are not opportunities to listen to one.

Consider signing your mom up to Audible this year, a subscription-based service offering a massive range of audiobooks.

Price: $Subscription

Via: Audible

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Spotify

Music lovers, however, might prefer a premium Spotify subscription, which gives users music streaming without the annoyance of adverts.

Price: $Subscription

Via: Spotify

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Tile

The Tile range of trackers could be a useful tool for your mom. The lightweight devices can be used to find everything from a child's favorite toy to keys by connecting to a smartphone or tablet. As long as the item is within a 100-feet Bluetooth range, you can use the Tile app to track it down.

Price: $Various

Via: Tile

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RoboVac 11

Robot vacuums are still not very common, but they can take a little of the workload off in daily lives -- and may be a fun gift this Mother's Day. The RoboVac 11, especially useful for pet owners, uses infrared sensors to map its environment and avoid obstacles and is also able to automatically return to its charging base when required.

Price: $249.99

Via: Eufy

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Braava Jet

For something a little more powerful, the Braava Jet is a sweeping and mopping robot which can take over the daily chore of keeping floors clean -- especially if little ones are around.

Price: $169.99

Via: iRobot

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Otter protective cases

Kids leave chaos in their wake. Accidents happen. Smartphones are precious.

If your mom's smartphone becomes an unfortunate victim of daily life, they are not only expensive to replace, but there is the additional hassle of repairing, the device being sent away, and more issues.

To give a smartphone a better chance of survival, a protective case from Otter could be a great gift this Mother's Day. Suitable for a wide range of devices, the cases can protect glass, may encapsulate the full smartphone, and come in a number of different designs.

Price: $Various

Via: Otterbox

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Amazon Echo

The Amazon Echo smart speaker, connected to the Alexa voice assistant, is a great choice this Mother's Day. The speaker can be given "skills" relating to content the user wants to be able to access -- such as music subscriptions, radio, news, and local services. The Echo can also be used in controlling smart home devices, catching up on the news, and more.

Price: $99.99

Via: Amazon

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Google Home

Google Home is another smart speaker and smart home device controller which, depending on your mom's preferred devices and brand, is an alternative gift. Google Home can perform similar tasks to the Echo, and also has access to subscription services including Spotify and Netflix.

Price: $129

Via: Google

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Reading light

It might be late into the evening -- or even night -- before a few minutes are available for some light reading and relaxation. A clip-on reading light accessory for Kindles and e-readers might be a small gift, but one that is likely to be appreciated.

Price: $16.99

Via: Amazon

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AeroPress coffee maker

A gift which may be appreciated this Mother's Day is the Aeropress coffee maker, a slimline device for brewing coffee and espresso on the go.

Price: $29.95

Via: Aeropress

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Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II

Just a moment's peace, sometimes, can make such a difference. To help your mom tune out for a little while and recharge, the Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless II headphones would make a fantastic gift this Mother's Day.

The headset has noise canceling technologies and offers excellent audio quality.

Price: $349.95

Via: Bose

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Mpow noise canceling headphones

For a more affordable pair of headphones which still offers good audio quality and noise canceling features, the Mpow H5 headset is a worthy alternative.

Price: $49.99

Via: Amazon

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Handheld massager

The stress and strain of daily life can impact your muscles, and so why not treat your mom to a handheld massager this Mother's Day?

Price: $35.99

Via: Amazon

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