Five Tech Products Under $50 Everyone Should Own
I get asked quite a bit what my favorite tech products are. And because I have access to all the best stuff for testing as a tech journalist, sometimes my choices are little beyond the reach of most consumers, such as a $3,500 plasma set or a $1,500 dSLR.
But when I look at the stuff I’ve actually paid money for, the items are definitely more reasonable price-wise. That doesn’t mean they’re any less valuable, though. In fact, they’re often the items I use everyday and take wherever I go. And these are my top picks for tech products under $50 that everyone should own.
1. Pod-based single serve coffee machine
Every minute counts during my morning rush, and I rely on a single-serve coffee machine to give me that initial jolt with a minimal amount of effort. There are certainly fancier options out there than the Senseo 7810 single-serve coffee machine ($49.99 on amazon.com), but for under $50 you can get a very good cup of coffee in under a minute. It also is great for churning out cup after cup of coffee for dinner party guests.
2. Backup battery charger
Anyone who owns a smartphone knows it can run through a battery in less than a day. So I carry a backup battery charger everywhere. The lightweight iGo Charge ($39.99 on iGo.com) will plug directly into the wall (unlike other rechargeable models which only charge through a USB port), so it can replace your usual wall charger. And it’s 1800mAh battery provides plenty of backup power. It is also one of the few that can charge two devices at once.
HTC Droid Incredible 2
3. Smartphone
While the latest and greatest in our smartphone buying guide cost upwards of $200, in a market where a device that’s been out for six months is considered “old," there are many great smartphones that you can get for, literally, nothing when renewing with a two-year contract. Deals change all the time, but here are ones I found on July 4:
- AT&T: HTC Inspire 4G, free on amazon.com
- Sprint: Samsung Nexus S 4G, $49.99 on amazon.com
- T-Mobile: Samsung Galaxy S 4G
$49.99 on wirefly.com
- Verizon: HTC Droid Incredible 2
, free on wirefly.com
4. Cloud-based backup
Imagine losing every picture, every video, every memento of the important events in your life due to a fire, flood or theft. And why risk it when cloud-based storage options are so widely available and cheap? My favorite service, Dropbox, is free for the first 2 GB of storage and $10 per month for up to 50 GB. You can use it to sync files between all of your devices and access your files from anywhere. We even trust it at Techlicious to store and share all of our business files.
5. Electric toothbrush
Not only does brushing with an electric toothbrush leave your teeth feeling cleaner, according to a report by The Cochrane Collaboration Oral Health Group, it also reduces plaque and your risk of contracting gingivitis, an early stage periodontal disease that affects 50 percent of adults.
Not just any electric toothbrush will do, though. Go for a model with a head that rotates and oscillates, or a sonic model like the rechargeable Philips HX5351 Sonicare, $39.97 on Amazon.com.
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Discussion 
Pod-type coffee maker
Here’s another opinion about those “pod” coffee makers: That’s a crazy-expensive way to make coffee at home, you can’t adjust the strength of the brew—not really—and you still have to wait for the thing to dribble into your cup. And then there’s the paper, foil, and plastic waste. No good. If time is that short, I suggest you get organized, get up ten minutes earlier, or set your coffee maker up the night before. Mine is a wonderful $35 GE auto-brew type with a timer. I set it for the time I get up, and lo, the coffee isn’t just starting then, it’s ready.
A smartphone isn't "under $50"
From Auriette on July 06, 2011 :: 2:01 am
I mean, sure, you may be able to get the device itself for under $50, but you have to have a calling and data plan that will (I’m guessing) cost $1200 a year or more.
I put a hundred bucks on a prepaid, so I can make the occasional long distance call from work, so my mom can reach me in an emergency, stuff like that. I put $100 on in the spring and it lasts me 12 months.
Would I love to be able to check my email or look up stuff online anywhere I go? Absolutely. When I can do that for a couple hundred bucks a year (assuming I’ll use it a tad more), I’m in. For now, it’s a hefty expense that I can’t justify.
The cloud-based storage for $120 a year is also a bit above your $50 or less headline. For that price, you can get a portable hard drive that lets you take the information with you, and keep it off the ‘net, out of the range of hackers.
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