Trending tech for every budget: air fryers, drones, and smart calendars 

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There’s new technology every day it seems, so keeping up can be a challenge - also, what do we really NEED? Well, there’s a bunch of amazing gadgets that aren’t just cool themselves, they are useful for you, sometimes your family and the deals on offer make them irresistible right now!

NOTE: Prices are accurate at the time of publishing. 

Let me start with digital calendars

I really don’t think ten years ago anyone would imagine a “screen” in your kitchen or living room that tells the whole family what’s happening today and the week ahead, but here we are and trust me they are a game changer.

All it takes is for your family to create an setup a “shared calendar” on a service like Gmail where everyone can add and see items on the calendar, allowing Mum and Dad to be in sync with who’s got after school activities among the kids, who’s away for work or off to the movies and who’s coming to visit.

The kids can put in their deadlines for study and assignments and their social catch up with friends.  What it allows for is more time doing and less time arguing about why we didn’t all know what the plan was!

In this space the King is the Skylight Calendar - a large touchscreen (comes in several sizes) and it does a whole lot more than just the calendar too, you can schedule chores for everyone in the family as well as leaving notes for each other for those moments you’re not passing each other in the hallway.

BUY NOW: Skylight Calendar, $529

If you want to save a few dollars, the Dragon Digital Calendar does similar things, and also comes in a couple of sizes to suit your home.

BUY NOW: Dragon Touch 10.1″ Digital Calendar, $199

BUY NOW: Dragon Touch 15.6-Inch Digital Calendar, $359.99

For those “smarter” homes, or for those wanting a bit more from their calendar, use an Amazon Echo Show and you’ve got a 15 inch screen that can control your smart home accessories, tell you about your Amazon shopping as well as what’s happening in the family diary.  It’s a smart speaker - in the form of a touchscreen!

BUY NOW: Amazon Echo Show 15, $549

Air fryers for every budget

I don’t claim to be an early adopter of air fryers, but as a family that relies on ours pretty much on a daily basis it still blows my mind that some people don’t have one!

We use ours more than we use the oven, it’s easy meals, great versatility and you’ll be blown away by how well it cooks!

Phillips is probably the biggest brand in this space and their latest stacked basket is great because of the see-through drawers allowing you to check in on things as it goes.  Plus, separate drawers means multiple things going at one time.

BUY NOW: Philips 4000 Series Stacked Dual Basket Airfryer, Was $449, Now $299

Ninja take that a step further with their full glass cooker, it’s a versatile unit that looks great on the counter top too!

BUY NOW: Ninja Crispi Pro 6-in-1 5.7L Countertop Glass Air Fryer, Was $499, Now $359

While Healthy Choice might not be a household brand, for this price, it’s going to get your chips tasting great and a schnitzel ready to eat!

BUY NOW: Healthy Choice 5L Digital Air Fryer with Non-Stick Basket, $59.95

Drones are easy!

I’ve been playing around with drones for maybe a decade now, and I love where this segment is at right now.

Take the DJI NEO - it’s small enough to take in a handbag let alone a backpack, and - it can be flown off the palm of your hand and controlled with just hand gestures.

This device will follow you while you walk, spin around you for fancy creative shots and will change the way you look at holiday photos 

And DJI is the market leader in drones.

BUY NOW: DJI Lito 1 Fly More Combo, $779

BUY NOW: DJI Neo, Mini Drone with 4K UHD Camera, Was $299, Now $247

If your kids want to play around with Drones, you probably want to spend a bit less, so this DEERC option is perfect.  Affordable, but still gets all the fun and features of drones.  

BUY NOW: DEERC D35Pro Drone with Camera, Was $299.25, Now $229.98

Likewise, the Holy stone mini drone is all about fun in the backyard, it’s the 2026 version of the remote control cars I loved mucking around with as a kid!

BUY NOW: Holy Stone HS190 Foldable Mini Nano RC Drone for Kids, Was $59.95, Now $49.89

Pimp your ride

Have you got an older car without one of those fancy touch-screen infotainment systems which they can connect their phone to and access maps, their entertainment and even get messages read out to them?

Well, with a Car Play screen for your car, you can make your 10 or 15 year old run about as smart as any other.

This Laser Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto screen can sit on your dash or off your windscreen and wirelessly connect to your phone to show all your mapping so you never get lost. Pair it with your existing car radio to hear your favourite playlists too!

BUY NOW: Laser 10.26″ Wireless CarPlay & Android Auto Touchscreen Display, $229

There’s a huge range of these out there, including the Wondisdary, and they come in all different sizes as evident by this little 7 inch unit.

BUY NOW: 10.26″ Carplay Screen for Wireless, $139.99

BUY NOW: 7″ Portable Wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto Touch Screen,Car Radio, $95.99