5 Tech Gifts Grandparents Will Use Over and Over

Thinner than a pencil, the iPad Air 2 ($499-829) has everything grandma and grandpa have been looking for: crisp and clear FaceTime with the new HD front camera, an antireflective screen for using anywhere, and improved Retina display for a sharp look at all their favorite apps.

The ThinOptics Reading Glasses and Phone Case ($25-39) in one is so handy that we wish we thought of it ourselves. Available for iPhone or Android phones, select reading glasses from three lens strengths and glasses color. And voilà, glasses that stay with your grandparent wherever they are.

This is the gift we really all want — an on-call tech guru to help with anything from email setup to backing up a hard drive. The iTok tech support membership (monthly plans are $10-$35) offers preventative services, like helping with regular system maintenance and one-off troubleshooting, with just a phone call.

The Lowes Iris Smart Home Kit ($299) offers peace of mind for residents, along with those in their extended family. Monitor just about everything in the home with the starter kit that includes door and window sensors, motion detector, and a smart thermostat, among other items that can all be accessed from a smartphone, tablet, or computer by anyone on the Iris account.

Not your run-of-the-mill digital frame, the Nixplay WiFi Frame ($60) lets you show off photos from any storage device and social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Picasa, and Flickr. Plus, connect photos with up to 10 frames and update photos instantly to the frame with the iOS and Android app.