Ngaycuame.com's Web site offers suggestions for digitally celebrating Mother's Day, such as getting and sending e-cards.
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)Editor's note: CNET editor and Crave contributor Dong Ngo is spending several weeks in his homeland of Vietnam and will file occasional dispatches chronicling his adventures. To read stories from Dong's last visit, in December, click here.
HANOI, Vietnam--I'm not a big fan of holidays. I don't mean the time off, of course, but the mass consumption that generally accompanies them.
For this reason, I've been sort of secretly happy that my parents live in Vietnam. This means that for years I haven't had to pay attention to Mother's Day or Father's Day. The Vietnamese, one would think, have no reason to even be aware of these American days. And for a long time, they weren't.
Thus, it was a revelation to me the other day, during a casual conversation at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport, when a trendy-looking and friendly Vietnamese girl asked me if I had done anything for Father's Day.
Learning where I stand on the issue, the girl, Lan, expressed surprise. "I bought my dad a Gillette shaving set," she shared, "and he was very happy. You should have done something! I bought my mom a nice bouquet for Mother's Day a month ago, too."
Original American movies and TV programming with subtitles are popular in Vietnam.
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)I was speechless. I live in America and my American friends have hardly ever asked me the same question. As it turned out, over the years I was away in America, American pop culture, via TV and the Internet, has sneaked into my home country in a big way.
Apparently, a month ago, for the first time, Mother's Day was a big event in Vietnam. Newspapers talked about it, TV talked about it, teenagers blogged and made YouTube videos about it, and people went out to buy flowers and presents for moms.
The day was hyped so much some people even felt guilty because they hadn't known about it in previous years. Yet at the same time, most didn't know the origin of it. "I had never heard of it and all of a sudden everywhere people started talking about it," Lan told me honestly. "But I think it's meaningful to honor your parents. Don't you think?"
Though it might have seemed "all of a sudden," the introduction of Mother's Day marked a very deliberate attempt by businesses here to sell products. ... Read more
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Hewlett-Packard)
Mother's Day is approaching--in less than 48 hours! Quick, what are you getting for the dear woman who birthed/raised you?
If your mom is like mine, she doesn't pick out her own gadgets, so Sunday will be a great time to shower her with all sorts of newfangled (to her) technology.
We've come up with several (admittedly stereotypical) mom-oriented gifts. Which are you most likely to give? Got some other ideas? Let us know in the TalkBack section below.
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ThinkGeek)
Motherhood starts in the womb, so here's a gift for the geeky pregnant lady in your life. This cotton maternity shirt--available at ThinkGeek for $22.99--has a print that looks like a computer's progress meter and says "Loading... please wait." Unfortunately, the meter doesn't actually move as the mother-to-be approaches her delivery date, but that's something you could solve progressively using a white fabric marker.
(Source: Crave Asia)
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Nintendo)
Gamers and geeks, step aside. It's Mom's turn to jump on the gaming bandwagon. On Monday, Nintendo announced a new DS Lite bundle, clearly tailored to the interests of middle-aged women.
At the usual $149.99, the bundle includes a lime green console, a matching carrying case, and Personal Trainer: Cooking. Those who tend to buy into gender stereotypes can already preorder the bundle just in time for Mother's Day on Amazon. Don't forget to add on My Weight Loss Coach and Imagine: Babyz while you're at it.
In the past couple of years we've seen a Nintendogs bundle for kids, a Brain Age bundle for the old timers, and other age-specific packages in between. As with all tech toys, every newly designed DS makes the last seem so passe. The lime green console itself has "geek chic" written all over it and--though I'm not a mom--I may just have to grab one for myself.
The bundle will be available at all retail locations on May 3.
Mother's Day is Sunday, people. And while my own dear Mother should be receiving something in the mail tomorrow, I'm not always this on top of things. So, with sympathy for those of you who are still looking for something a little gadget-y to give your mum this holiday, here's a shortlist of suggestions.
iPod Shuffle: This one's a no-brainer: it's inexpensive, and it comes in a lot of fun colors. It's flash-based and workout-friendly. Most importantly, it's widely available at retail stores. For bonus points, preload it with a playlist that you make just for her.
Flip Video Ultra: This budget digital camcorder can take 60 minutes of Web-quality video, and it's easy to use. Not bad for $130.
BlackBerry Pearl 8130: Tell your mom you bought her a pearl, then whip out this sleek smartphone. Just because she wants GPS and 3G support doesn't mean she should carry around a black brick.
Mio DigiWalker C230: If mom's new to GPS, she'd appreciate this easy-to-use navigation system. And it's so low-priced, you can even throw in a tank of gas.
Canon PowerShot A590 IS: Whether she's shooting travel pictures or documenting life with the children (or grandchildren), mom's got to have a good camera. This one costs less than $200 and takes great pictures. It's also got manual controls, if your mom likes to be a bit more hands-on with her camera settings.
Canon Pixma iP2600: You mother isn't still printing her photos on the freebie printer that came with her computer, is she? This model serves up some surprisingly decent photo prints, and it's dirt cheap. Bonus points for throwing in some photo paper so mom can start printing right away.
Did you get your mom a cool tech gift for Mother's Day? Help a procrastinator out and share it in the comments.
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Nyko)
Time's running out: You've got only two more days to get the Wii Fit and offend mom on Mother's Day--or at least pre-order one, as it's not available until May 19. And to make up for the tardiness of the misguided gift, there's even a way to add insult to injury with a rechargeable battery.
Nyko will be shipping its "Energy Pak" for the "Wii Balance Board" on the same day the fitness game is released to provide maximum sweat time, according to Gizmodo. The recharging brick plugs into the bottom of the board so mom will barely miss a beat in her marathon workout sessions, ensuring that she'll curse your name with every aerobic step. And remember, don't forget to include the scale.
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Hammacher Schlemmer)
For the woman who gave you life, you can help her keep all her old memories this Mother's Day with this digital picture converter. Looking a little like a small paper shredder, this device lets you feed in photographs which will then be converted into a format you can edit on a PC.
We know what you're thinking--a scanner can do exactly the same thing for much cheaper. But honestly, we don't think anyone will relish trying to teach their mom how to use a flatbed scanner and Photoshop Elements for resizing, cropping, and touch-ups. This solution is much simpler, even though it costs more at about $150.
There's one caveat. We suggest you go hide or destroy those old Polaroids of yourself as a baby. Otherwise mom might make your most embarrassing moments suddenly available for all to see online.
(Source: Crave Asia)
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Motorola)
Instead of making the mistake of giving Mom the Wii Fit or a gratuitous kitchen gadget for Mother's Day, try to remember that exercising and cooking may not be her only concerns in life. There are other alternatives, for example, like a stylish Bluetooth headset.
Chip Chip finds this Motorola H680 model particularly feminine and, shockingly, not even pink. This floral "frost"-finished device lists 8 hours of talk time, a charger, and a carrying case. But if you do get one for Mom, be prepared for some snide comments about your rare calls home.
The Wii Fit, when it made its debut last year: There was no mention of moms in the demo.
(Credit: Caroline McCarthy/CNET Networks)
If this report is true, then some marketing executives are even more out of touch with reality than we thought. And that's saying a lot.
According to Reuters, Wal-Mart is planning to make a huge push for the Wii Fit as "a perfect gift" for Mother's Day, splashing promotions for the game across its Web site this weekend. We won't even get into the fact that the holiday falls on May 11 this year, more than a week before the game is even available on the U.S. market. Rather, as always, it's the thought that counts--and in this case, it might be one that's gone badly awry.
Do you sign the card, "Dear Mom: Hope you lose weight"? You might as well go all out and get her a scale to go with it. If you really must go there, at least consider including a "Wii Party Station" to soften the blow.
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Ceiva)
Mother's Day is only a couple of weeks away, and that can mean only one thing: The floodgates are about to unleash a torrent of digital photo frames.
While we've never understood the attraction of this wildly overproduced product category--especially those that are larger than life--we've long acknowledged the usefulness of Ceiva's networked variety to keep in touch with long-distance loved ones. And this year it's offering versions with customizable frame designs, at least for those offspring consumers who don't wait till the last minute.
It does seem a bit of a ripoff (no pun intended) that these stick-on skins start at $30 over the usual $200 price; we suggest having one of the grandkids draw something in crayon instead. By the way, if you want to complain about the price, designs, or anything else, Ceiva has conveniently launched a new member site. As for Mom, whatever you do, don't send her the wrong message with a magnetic frame for the fridge.
