The 19 Best Tech Gifts of 2024, According to Our Team

[00:00:27] Welcome to Tech News Briefing.

[00:00:36] It's Friday, November 22nd. I'm Belle Lynn for The Wall Street Journal.

[00:00:41] CRISPR, the groundbreaking gene editing tool that earned its developers a Nobel Prize, is coming for your veggies.

[00:00:49] And if you like sugar like me, you'll be happy about it.

[00:00:52] We'll find out when these souped-up vegetables might hit grocery stores.

[00:00:57] And then, tech gifts can solve problems and improve our lives.

[00:01:01] And they're not just for the geeks.

[00:01:04] Don't believe us? WSJ's personal tech team tells us about the gear they simply can't live without, and what you should gift this year.

[00:01:13] But first, plant biologists in China have used CRISPR, the tool that has been deployed to treat sickle cell disease, to engineer sweeter tomatoes.

[00:01:23] It's part of a trend toward using the tool to make foods more appealing to consumers, rather than farmers or nutritionists.

[00:01:31] For more on how biologists made the breakthrough, and what other fruits and veggies are getting tastier, we're joined by WSJ reporter, Needy Subaraman.

[00:01:41] So, Needy, what exactly did plant biologists in China do to tomatoes using CRISPR?

[00:01:47] Researchers in China zoomed in on two related genes that they found control sweetness in a tomato as it ripens.

[00:02:00] And when they neatly snipped out a portion of those genes, they found that the tomatoes got sweeter.

[00:02:08] Now, this is a puzzle that has confounded agricultural people for some time, that as we've cultivated tomatoes to be bigger, they actually got less sweet.

[00:02:20] They got blander.

[00:02:21] There are some species of wild tomato that are the size of peas or the size of cherries, and they started out tiny, and they apparently taste a lot sweeter.

[00:02:30] So the puzzle has been, how do we have large tomatoes that we can sell that taste like they used to?

[00:02:36] And these folks seem to have taken a step towards that.

[00:02:39] They've cracked the code.

[00:02:41] Which fruits and vegetables might be next?

[00:02:43] Yeah, this is really fun because they found that versions of these genes are present in a variety of crops that we all know.

[00:02:51] They found it in rice, in apples, in watermelon, in cassava.

[00:02:58] And they plan to try growing sweeter apples and pears next.

[00:03:04] These are all of my favorite fruits.

[00:03:05] So let's remind our listeners how CRISPR works and what else the tool has been used for in agriculture.

[00:03:12] CRISPR made waves because it allows researchers to really precisely edit a section of a genome.

[00:03:24] So get to a particular portion of code and remove a section of it or replace it or add.

[00:03:34] This means that they could add traits or bump up or dial down traits that were useful or not.

[00:03:41] And just in tomatoes, for instance, they have engineered varieties that need less space to grow or need less water or have more of a particular kind of nutrient in it.

[00:03:51] More broadly, there are folks who are like trying to take the pits out of cherries and make mustard greens less bitter.

[00:03:59] And of course, it's poised to be transformative for medicine and slow steps.

[00:04:03] But the first of the treatments using this technology was greenlit last year for sickle cell disease.

[00:04:10] So when can I have these sweeter tomatoes?

[00:04:12] That's a great question.

[00:04:14] And, you know, as far as I'm concerned, the sooner the better.

[00:04:16] But the way these things work, as we know, the gears have to turn for the agricultural agencies to give the green light.

[00:04:22] And sometimes agencies like the FDA that regulate food to give the green light, depending on the kind of modification that is being introduced and depending on the country that's doing the green lighting.

[00:04:30] So it may be a few years.

[00:04:32] That was our reporter, Needy Suvaraman.

[00:04:34] And coming up, whether you scramble for last minute gifts or your shopping cart is ready to click buy, we've got you covered with our personal tech team's gift guide.

[00:04:45] That's after the break.

[00:04:53] Kontenservice kontaktieren?

[00:04:54] Für viele Menschen ist das der beste Weg, einen schönen Tag zu ruinieren.

[00:04:58] Aber bei Zendesk sorgen wir für eine bessere Customer Experience.

[00:05:01] Besser für die Großmutter.

[00:05:03] Besser für die Floristin.

[00:05:04] Besser für den jungen Mann in Haus Nummer 3a.

[00:05:06] Besser für sie.

[00:05:07] Besser für alle.

[00:05:08] Denn während einige behaupten, dass der Kunde immer recht hat, sagen wir, dass KundInnen immer Menschen sind.

[00:05:14] Und da wir auch Menschen sind, wollen wir etwas Gutes für uns alle tun.

[00:05:18] Zendesk. Customer Experience mit KI für Menschen gemacht.

[00:05:26] Wallet-friendly stocking stuffers and splurge-worthy spends abound in our personal tech team's roundup of the year's best tech gifts.

[00:05:36] Their picks range from a power adapter with a built-in tracker, so you'll never lose it again,

[00:05:42] to a combo pillow and tablet holder.

[00:05:46] Ideal for lounging, reading, or streaming.

[00:05:48] You might even want to use it while you're listening to this podcast.

[00:05:52] For more on how they picked their top tech gifts, and even what to buy for the non-techie in your life,

[00:05:59] we're joined by WSJ personal tech columnist Nicole Nguyen and personal tech news editor Shara Tibkin.

[00:06:06] And we should quickly note, the Wall Street Journal is not compensated by brands or retailers for being listed in this guide.

[00:06:14] All right, Nicole, kick us off.

[00:06:16] How would you describe the overall theme of this year's tech gifts?

[00:06:20] And what do you think they say about the overarching consumer tech trends this year?

[00:06:25] In the past, we featured a lot of wacky fun picks, too.

[00:06:28] But this year, we really focused on practical stuff that actually improves your life.

[00:06:35] It does speak to the broader trend in hardware, which is that there's more innovation in services than there is in actual hardware.

[00:06:42] It has always been hard to make new hardware, but for some reason this year, there just weren't as many fun new gadgets to choose from.

[00:06:51] I feel like a kind of return to practicality.

[00:06:54] It didn't make sense.

[00:06:55] Okay, which items will you both be gifting this year?

[00:06:58] Well, my husband managed to lose his wallet, so I will be buying him the ESR Geo wallet.

[00:07:06] This basically attaches to your phone with MagSafe, so it's with magnets.

[00:07:09] You can use Find My if you lose it, and also if you get disconnected from it, it sounds an alarm that can help you track it down.

[00:07:19] Probably the louder the alarm, the better, too.

[00:07:22] Oh, yeah. Yes, please.

[00:07:23] What else do you consider sort of ingenious items on your list?

[00:07:27] I love the Nintendo Alarmo.

[00:07:30] It shows the Nintendo character of your choice on screen, so it's super cute.

[00:07:35] But when it's time to wake up, it plays game music from, say, Zelda or Super Mario Bros, and there's a movement sensor on board.

[00:07:43] So the longer you stay in bed, the louder it becomes, which I think is genius.

[00:07:49] So smart.

[00:07:50] I love that.

[00:07:51] All right, and I noticed some trend-setting wearable tech items on your list.

[00:07:56] Is there a resurgence in wearable tech happening, especially maybe for health?

[00:08:01] This year, we certainly saw more smart rings than ever.

[00:08:05] Samsung Galaxy came out with their own, but my favorite smart ring is the Aura, which I'm wearing right now.

[00:08:10] I wear one every day, and it's taught me a ton about my sleep and, as a woman, my cycle.

[00:08:17] The health insights are so valuable, and most of all, it's very, very comfortable to wear.

[00:08:21] And it doesn't feel cumbersome while you're sleeping, and maybe you don't want something attached to your wrist like a smartwatch.

[00:08:28] So that's a great gift for anyone who has trouble sleeping or who wants to take charge of their health.

[00:08:34] We also feature two smartwatches, the Apple Watch Series 10, which now has sleep apnea detection,

[00:08:40] and the Google Pixel Watch 3, which can give you AI-generated running workouts, for example.

[00:08:46] You also recommend Zwift's Smart Bike for people who love biking, and now they can do it from the comfort of their own homes.

[00:08:54] Why did you pick it over the almighty and sort of ubiquitous Peloton?

[00:08:58] No offense to Peloton. Peloton is great.

[00:09:00] It simulates a gym and studio experience, which, for some people, that's their flavor, and they love that.

[00:09:06] Zwift is a platform that mimics road cycling.

[00:09:09] And so the biggest difference there is when there is a hill in the virtual Zwift world, you can feel it at home.

[00:09:16] It gets harder to pedal on the smart bike.

[00:09:19] And through the app, you can meet up and ride with friends.

[00:09:22] You can weave through the virtual version of real cities like London.

[00:09:26] And it has a video game feel because you can collect power-ups and things like that.

[00:09:30] So the Zwift Smart Frame has video game-style controls built into the handlebars,

[00:09:35] so you can easily navigate this biking game.

[00:09:38] It makes indoor training during those cold winter months much more fun.

[00:09:44] What's the best tech gift on your list for a non-techie person in your life?

[00:09:49] So I am a techie person.

[00:09:51] I am the most techie person in my life.

[00:09:52] But I never thought I was a phone lanyard person, and I really am a phone lanyard person.

[00:09:58] It is so practical.

[00:10:00] And this moffed phone lanyard that we've featured on our list has this tab where you can very quickly make it shorter or longer.

[00:10:07] And if you ever go to an airport, which is a lot of people, and you need your phone handy all the time,

[00:10:13] and in a place that's more secure than an open pocket where it could easily be pilfered or fallout or whatever,

[00:10:19] a phone lanyard, it's great.

[00:10:20] It's also cheap.

[00:10:21] And I think it's pretty fashionable.

[00:10:23] So what's to lose?

[00:10:24] You're wearing one of the more expensive things that you own.

[00:10:28] So yes.

[00:10:29] Exactly.

[00:10:29] Anything can be fashion if you wear it.

[00:10:31] Yeah.

[00:10:32] Anything else that we haven't talked about or that you'd like to mention before we wrap up?

[00:10:38] We're going to be updating this with some more picks.

[00:10:40] You know, if you read it previously, come back and check it out again.

[00:10:43] We'll have some more items.

[00:10:45] And then we'll also look at some more kind of last minute, oh, no, I didn't get somebody something.

[00:10:51] What do I do?

[00:10:52] So come back and check out our column again as you're doing your shopping.

[00:10:56] I will also mention that the actual best tech gift to get for the non-techie person in your life,

[00:11:01] if you are a techie person, is to sit down with them with their computer and their phone and answer all of their IT questions.

[00:11:08] And then get them 1Password, which is Nicole's favorite gift for people.

[00:11:11] Yes.

[00:11:11] Big plug for password managers and our personal cyber hygiene.

[00:11:15] Yes.

[00:11:16] I gift my family a subscription to 1Password every year.

[00:11:19] And it's the gift that keeps on giving because you just don't have to think about it the next year.

[00:11:23] You're like, oh, I'm just going to give them another year of 1Password.

[00:11:27] Well, there you have it.

[00:11:28] All right.

[00:11:29] Thanks so much, guys.

[00:11:29] Thanks for having us.

[00:11:31] That was our personal tech columnist, Nicole Nguyen, and our personal tech news editor, Shara Tibkin.

[00:11:37] If you'd like to see their full list of tech gifts, you can find it on wsj.com.

[00:11:42] We'll also link it in our show notes.

[00:11:44] And that's it for Tech News Briefing.

[00:11:47] Today's show was produced by Julie Chang.

[00:11:50] Logging off for the weekend.

[00:11:52] I'm your host, Belle Lynn, for The Wall Street Journal.

[00:11:55] We had additional support this week from James Rundle.

[00:11:58] Jessica Fenton and Michael Lavelle wrote our theme music.

[00:12:02] Our supervising producer is Catherine Millsop.

[00:12:06] Our development producer is Aisha Al-Muslim.

[00:12:09] Scott Salloway and Chris Sinsley are the deputy editors.

[00:12:13] And Falana Patterson is The Wall Street Journal's head of news audio.

[00:12:18] We'll sign back in this afternoon with TNB Tech Minute.

[00:12:21] Thanks for listening.