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

Summary

WSJ Tech News Briefing: "The 19 Best Tech Gifts of 2024, According to Our Team"
Release Date: November 22, 2024

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Introduction

In the November 22, 2024 episode of WSJ Tech News Briefing, host Belle Lin delves into two major topics: the innovative use of CRISPR technology in agriculture and the Wall Street Journal's personal tech team's curated list of the top 19 tech gifts for 2024. This summary captures the essence of the discussions, highlighting key insights, notable quotes, and the overarching themes presented by the experts.

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1. Sweetening the Future: CRISPR-Enhanced Produce

Belle Lin opens the episode by discussing a groundbreaking application of CRISPR technology in agriculture. Joining her is WSJ reporter Nidhi Subramanian, who provides an in-depth look at how Chinese plant biologists are leveraging gene editing to enhance the sweetness of tomatoes and other fruits.

• CRISPR's Role in Agriculture
  Timestamp [00:34]
  Belle Lin introduces the topic:

  "CRISPR, the groundbreaking gene editing tool that earned its developers a Nobel Prize, is coming for your veggies."

• Engineering Sweeter Tomatoes
  Timestamp [01:47]
  Nidhi Subramanian explains the process:

  "Using CRISPR, researchers in China zoomed in on two related genes that they found control sweetness in a tomato as it ripens. And when they neatly snipped out a portion of those genes, they found that the tomatoes got sweeter."

• Addressing Agricultural Challenges
  Timestamp [02:39]
  Nidhi discusses the longstanding issue in tomato cultivation:

  "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. They got blander."

• Expanding to Other Crops
  Timestamp [02:43]
  The potential of CRISPR extends beyond tomatoes:

  "They found that versions of these genes are present in a variety of crops that we all know. They found it in rice, in apples, in watermelon, in cassava, and they plan to try growing sweeter apples and pears next."

• Mechanism of CRISPR in Crop Enhancement
  Timestamp [03:13]
  Nidhi breaks down how CRISPR functions:

  "CRISPR made waves because it allows researchers to really precisely edit a section of a genome... They could add traits or bump up or dial down traits that were useful or not."

• Timeline for Market Availability
  Timestamp [04:12]
  Nidhi addresses when consumers might see these enhanced produce:

  "It may be a few years."

Insights & Conclusions:

• CRISPR technology is revolutionizing agriculture by enabling precise genetic modifications to enhance desirable traits such as sweetness.
• The success with tomatoes paves the way for similar advancements in a variety of other fruits and crops.
• Regulatory approvals are critical, and while promising, widespread availability in grocery stores may take a few years.

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2. The Ultimate Tech Gift Guide for 2024

Post-break, Belle Lin transitions to the heart of the episode: the Wall Street Journal's comprehensive guide to the best tech gifts of the year, curated by the personal tech team. Joining her are Nicole Nguyen, Personal Tech Columnist, and Shara Tibkin, Personal Tech News Editor.

• Overall Theme of the Tech Gifts
  Timestamp [06:40]
  Nicole Nguyen shares the guiding philosophy:

  "This year we really focused on practical stuff that actually improves your life."

  Shara Tibkin adds perspective on usability:

  "It's great."

• Featured Gift: ESR Geo Wallet
  Timestamp [07:13]
  Shara discusses a practical gift idea:

  "This basically attaches to your phone with MagSafe, so 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."

• Innovative Alarm: Nintendo Alarmo
  Timestamp [07:38]
  Nicole highlights a unique timepiece:

  "It shows the Nintendo character of your choice on screen so it's super cute... it plays game music from say Zelda or Super Mario Bros."

• Wearable Tech: Smart Rings and Watches
  Timestamp [08:16]
  Nicole emphasizes the rise of smart rings:

  "This Aura... has taught me a ton about my sleep and, as a woman, my cycle... it’s very, very comfortable to wear."

  She also mentions cutting-edge smartwatches:

  "Apple Watch Series 10, which now has sleep apnea detection, and the Google Pixel Watch 3, which can give you AI generated running workouts."

• Fitness Innovation: Zwift's Smart Bike
  Timestamp [09:02]
  Nicole compares it to Peloton:

  "Zwift is a platform that mimics road cycling... It has a video game feel because you can collect power ups and things like that."

• Ideal Gift for Non-Techies: Moft Phone Lanyard
  Timestamp [10:04]
  Nicole recommends a simple yet effective gift:

  "It's so practical. If you ever go to an airport... it's great."

• Best Overall Tech Gift: 1Password Subscription
  Timestamp [11:11]
  Nicole advocates for cybersecurity:

  "I gift my family a subscription to 1Password every year. It’s the gift that keeps on giving."

  Shara concurs:

  "One Password, which is Nicole's favorite gift for people."

Key Takeaways:

• Practicality Over Novelty: The 2024 tech gift guide emphasizes functional gadgets that enhance daily life rather than just being novel.
• Security and Health: Cybersecurity tools like 1Password and health-focused wearables are top picks, reflecting growing consumer awareness in these areas.
• Integration of Technology in Everyday Items: From smart wallets to multifunctional pillows, technology seamlessly integrates into daily essentials.
• Appeal to All Audiences: The guide includes options for both tech enthusiasts and non-techies, ensuring there's something for everyone.

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Conclusion

The episode effectively bridges cutting-edge scientific advancements with consumer-oriented technology, showcasing the breadth of innovation in both fields. From genetically engineered sweeter produce to thoughtfully selected tech gifts that cater to diverse needs, WSJ Tech News Briefing provides listeners with valuable insights into how technology continues to shape our lives in multifaceted ways.

For a complete list of the 19 Best Tech Gifts of 2024, visit WSJ.com or check the show notes for direct links.

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Produced by: Julie Chang
Additional Support: James Rundle, Jessica Fenton, Michael Lavelle
Theme Music by: Jessica Fenton and Michael Lavelle
Supervising Producer: Catherine Millsop
Development Producer: Aisha Al Muslim
Deputy Editors: Scott Salloway and Chris Sinsley
Head of News Audio: Falana Patterson

Transcript

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[Belle Lin]

Welcome to Tech News briefing. It's Friday, November 22nd. I'm Belle Lin for the Wall Street Journal. CRISPR, the groundbreaking gene editing tool that earned its developers a Nobel Prize, is coming for your veggies. And if you like sugar like me, you'll be happy about it. We'll find out when these souped up vegetables might hit grocery stores. And then tech gifts can solve problems and improve our lives. And they're not just for the geeks. 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. But first, plant biologists in China have used crispr, the tool that has been deployed to treat sickle cell disease, to engineer sweeter tomatoes. It's part of a trend toward using the tool to make foods more appealing to consumers rather than farmers or nutritionists. For more on how biologists made the breakthrough and what other fruits and veggies are getting tastier, we're joined by WSJ reporter Nidhi Subaraman. So Nidhi, what exactly did plant biologists in China do to tomatoes?

[Nidhi Subaraman]

Using crispr, researchers in China zoomed in on two related genes that they found control sweetness in a tomato as it ripens. And when they neatly snipped out a portion of those genes, they found that the tomatoes got sweeter. 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. They got blander. 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. So the puzzle has been how do we have large tomatoes that we can sell that taste like they used to? And these folks seem to have taken a step towards that.

[Belle Lin]

They've cracked the code which fruits and vegetables might be next.

[Nidhi Subaraman]

Yeah, this is really fun because they found that versions of these genes are present in a variety of crop that we all know. They found it in rice, in apples, in watermelon, in cassava, and they plan to try growing sweeter apples and pears next.

[Belle Lin]

These are all of my favorite fruits. So let's remind our listeners how CRISPR works and what else the tool has been used for in agriculture.

[Nidhi Subaraman]

CRISPR made waves because it allows researchers to really precisely edit a section of a genome. So get to a particular portion of code and remove a section of it or replace it or add. This means that they could add traits or bump up or dial down traits that were useful or not. 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. More broadly, there are folks who are like trying to take the pits out of cherries and make mustard greens less bitter. And of course it's poised to be transformative for medicine and slow steps. But the first of the treatments using this technology was greenlit last year for sickle cell disease.

[Belle Lin]

So when can I have these sweeter tomatoes?

[Nidhi Subaraman]

That's a great question. And you know, as far as I'm concerned, the sooner the better. But the way these things work, as we know, the gears have to turn for the agricultural agencies to give the green light and sometimes agencies like the FDA that regul 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. So it may be a few years.

[Belle Lin]

That was our reporter, Needy Subaramin. 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. That's after the break.

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[Belle Lin]

Wallet friendly stocking stuffers and splurge worthy spends abound in our Personal Tip Tech Team's roundup of the year's best tech gifts. Their picks range from a power adapter with a built in tracker so you'll never lose it again to a combo pillow and tablet holder ideal for lounging, reading or streaming. You might even want to use it while you're listening to this podcast. For more on how they picked their top tech gifts and even what to buy for the non techie in your life, we're joined by WSJ Personal Tech columnist Nicole Nguyen and Personal Tech Tech News editor Shara Tibkin. And we should quickly note the Wall Street Journal is not compensated by brands or retailers for being listed in this guide. All right, Nicole, kick us off. How would you describe the overall theme of this year's tech gifts and what do you think they say about the overarching consumer tech trends this year?

[Nicole Nguyen]

In the past we featured a lot of wacky fun picks too, but this year we really focused on practical stuff that actually improves your life. It does speak to the broader trend in hardware, which is that there's more innovation in services than there is in actual hardware. 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.

[Belle Lin]

Like a kind of return to practicality did make sense. Okay, which items will you both be gifting this year?

[Shara Tibkin]

Well, my husband managed to lose his wallet so I will be buying him the ESR Geo wallet. This basically attaches to your phone with MagSafe, so it's with magnets 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.

[Belle Lin]

Probably the louder the alarm the better too.

[Shara Tibkin]

Oh yeah? Yes please.

[Belle Lin]

What else do you consider sort of ingenious items on your list?

[Nicole Nguyen]

I love the Nintendo Alarmo. It shows the Nintendo character of your choice on screen so it's super cute. 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 so the longer you stay in bed the louder it becomes, which I think is genius. So smart.

[Belle Lin]

I love that. All right, and I noticed some trend setting wearable tech items on your list. Is there a resurgence in wearable tech happening, especially maybe for health?

[Nicole Nguyen]

This year we certainly saw more smart rings than ever. Samsung Galaxy came out with their own. But my favorite smart ring is the Aura which I'm wearing right now. I wear one every day and it's taught me a ton about my sleep and as a woman, my cycle. The health insights are so valuable and most of all, it's very, very comfortable to wear and it doesn't feel cumbersome while you're sleeping. And maybe you don't want something attached to your wrist like a smartwatch. So that's a great gift for anyone who has trouble sleeping or who wants to take charge of their health. We also feature two smart watches, the Apple Watch Series 10, which now has sleep apnea detection, and the Google Pixel Watch 3, which can give you AI generated running workouts, for example.

[Belle Lin]

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. Why did you pick it over the all mighty and sort of ubiquitous Peloton?

[Nicole Nguyen]

No offense to Peloton. Peloton is great. It simulates a gym and studio experience which for some people that's their flavor and they love that. Zwift is a platform that mimics road cycling. And so the biggest difference there is when there is a hill in the virtual Zwift world, you can feel it at home. It gets harder to pedal on the Smart bike and through the app you can meet up and ride with friends. You can weave through the virtual version of real cities like London. And it has a video game feel because you can collect power ups and things like that. So the Zwift Smart Frame has video game style controls built into the handlebars so you can easily navigate this biking game. It makes indoor training during those cold winter months much more fun.

[Belle Lin]

What's the best tech gift on your list for a non techie person in your life?

[Nicole Nguyen]

So I am a techie person. I am the most techy person in my life, but I never thought I was a phone lanyard person and I really am a phone lanyard person. It is so practical. And this Moft phone lanyard that we've featured on our list has this tab where you can very quickly make it shorter or longer. And if you ever go to an airport, which is a lot of people and you need your phone handy all the time and in a place that's more secure than an open pocket where it could easily be pilfered or fallout or whatever, a faux lanyard. It's great.

[Belle Lin]

It's also cheap and I think it's pretty fashionable. So what's to lose?

[Nicole Nguyen]

You're wearing one of the more expensive things that you own. So.

[Belle Lin]

Yes, exactly.

[Nicole Nguyen]

Anything can be fashion if you wear it.

[Belle Lin]

Yeah. Anything else that we haven't talked about or that you'd like to mention before we wrap up?

[Shara Tibkin]

We're going to be updating this with some more pics. You know, if you read it previously, come back and check it out again. We'll have some more items and then we'll also look at some more kind of last minute, oh no, I didn't get somebody something. What do I do? So come back and check out our column again as you're doing your shopping.

[Nicole Nguyen]

I will also mention that the actual best tech gift to get for the non techie person in your life, 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 and then get them.

[Shara Tibkin]

One Password, which is Nicole's favorite gift for people. Yes.

[Belle Lin]

Big plug for password managers and our personal cyber hygiene.

[Nicole Nguyen]

Yes. I gift my family a subscription to 1Password every year. And it's the gift that keeps on giving because you just don't have to think about it the next year. You're like, oh, I'm just going to give them another year of 1Password.

[Belle Lin]

Well, there you have it. All right, thanks so much, guys.

[Nicole Nguyen]

Thanks for having us.

[Belle Lin]

That was our personal tech columnist, Nicole Nguyen and our personal tech news editor, Shara Tibkin. If you'd like to see their full list of tech gifts, you can find it on WSJ.com we'll also link it in our show notes. And that's it for Tech News Briefing. Today's show was produced by Julie Chang. Logging off for the weekend, I'm your host, Belle Lin for the Wall Street Journal. We had additional support this week from James Rundle. Jessica Fenton and Michael Lavelle wrote our theme music. Our supervising producer is Catherine Millsop. Our development producer is Aisha Al Muslim. Scott Salloway and Chris Sinsley are the deputy editors. And Falana Patterson is the Wall Street Journal's head of news audio. We'll sign back in this afternoon with TNB Tech Minute. Thanks for listening.