6 Tech and Electronics Items You’ll Probably Regret Buying - Yahoo Finance

Americans are crazy for tech, and they’re spending a fortune on it. According to the Consumer Technology Association, U.S. tech retail revenue will top $485 billion in 2023. Discover: 11 Grocery Items To Buy at Dollar Tree Learn: 3 Ways Smart People Save Money When Filing Their Taxes Food Stamps: What Is the Maximum SNAP EBT Benefit for 2023? But how many tech and electronics items are simply not worth the hype or are just dud buys? What are better alternatives? In these rocky economic times of soaring inflation, these are important questions to ask. Let’s look at six tech and electronic items that you’ll probably regret buying — and what you should consider buying instead. Smart kettles offer temperature control, app programming and voice direction. They typically can be purchased for anywhere from $75 to $200. “These are pricey and, other than offering the ability to control from your smartphone, they don’t have any real advantages over standard electric kettles,” said Julie Ramhold consumer analyst with DealNews.com. “You can expect to easily spend over $200 on a smart kettle, if not more; whereas, an electric kettle like the highly rated Cuisinart PerfecTemp is around $100 and still provides a great capacity reservoir, multiple temperature settings and speedy heating. “Yes, you have to physically hit the button on the kettle, but it’s a better deal than springing for a smart kettle that could potentially fail and turn into a dumb kettle anyway. Even worse is if it won’t function unless it’s connected to Wi-Fi, so another reason a standard electric kettle is a better buy.” You can get a simple one-camera security system for as cheap as $35, but you typically get what you pay for. “There are a variety of security cameras out there for anyone who wants to build their own home security system,” Ramhold said. “But, while these cheap cameras may allow you to keep an eye on your home physically, they could be opening up your defenses digitally. Shady cameras with lax security open you up to hackers and other kinds of cyber criminals. So, before you go investing in any system, you need to know the privacy policy and how your data will be stored. “There are plenty of roundups of hack-proof cameras you can buy, so it’s best to check those out before you decide; however, a good general rule of thumb is to probably rely on companies like ADT that have been in the home security game for decades.” “These are data privacy nightmares, but Apple Watches — even those designed more for kids — are pricey,” Ramhold said. “Instead of opting for a smartwatch, consider things like the Jiobit smart tag, which features GPS tracking. “Parents can use the corresponding app to set up trusted places and members of the care team so that any trusted person can track their child’s location. It does require a subscription plan; but, considering the highest tier is $6 per month and offers things like 911 SOS capabilities and an alert button, it may be well worth the cost, depending on how often your kids are left alone. Even the basic subscription provides SMS and email notifications, which may be ideal for older kids with a busy routine.” “These are gimmicky, pricey machines that may look sleek and cool as part of your home bar setup but really aren’t worth the $1,000-plus cost for the machine,” Ramhold said. “Even if you have a cocktail every single night, you’re much better off getting a good blender like a Vitamix for things like frozen drinks and sticking with a basic cocktail setup of a decent shaker and stirrer for everything else. “You’ll be able to figure out your perfect ratios through trial-and-error, and you certainly don’t need an expensive machine to craft a cocktail for you when you can mix it yourself.” Car GPS systems can be had for as cheap as $20, but that does not include the subscription fees. As advanced as phones are these days, a separate GPS system for your vehicle might be a waste of money. “In mid-2022, I bought a GPS device for my car, which I regret buying,” said Ryan Faber, founder of Copymatic. “While using a GPS device, I understood that a mobile phone GPS app is sufficient for driving purposes. The GPS navigation capabilities of mobile devices are more serviceable and adequate for both driving and geocaching. “There aren’t many advantages to a dedicated GPS gadget over a smartphone GPS app. Voice commands, the capacity to integrate and manage other apps, and the ability to switch to a different navigation app whenever you want to make your smartphone more reliable and steadfast as compared to GPS devices.” Phones generally have replaced recorders, which typically cost at least $100. “I never needed that audio recording device,” said Juan Pablo Cappello, co-founder and CEO of Nue Life. “It hasn’t been a user-friendly device, and the instruction booklet that came with it was surprisingly thick. “Any smartphone you buy comes with an audio-recording application, and it’s sure to work fine. There is no noticeable difference in quality — and I even asked a sound engineer to compare.” More From GOBankingRates 10 Do's and Don'ts of Costco Shopping Explore GOBankingRates' 2023 Banking Resource Center The 10 Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards for 2023 Experts: 4 Safest Places To Keep Your Savings This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Tech and Electronics Items You’ll Probably Regret Buying With inflation still high and the full weight of holiday bills crushing your monthly budget, you might be eyeing your local dollar store -- where the prices are believed to be the lowest. See the... Industry experts share their most compact and trickiest projects to date, and how they solved the riddles. Consumers and the government alike are cracking down on companies that have engaged in negligent or harmful policies -- whether it's purposefully slowing down data while keeping rates high (in the... 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For some, this means relocating to a smaller home or a retirement community. For others, this can just... Scott, who guest-starred on the show, waited 29 years to tell Strong and Danielle Fishel that he always felt like they didn’t like him. These companies are well positioned to earn the title "tech giant" a decade or two down the road. Nokia Corp (NYSE: NOK) reported a fourth-quarter FY22 net sales growth of 16% year-on-year (11% in constant currency) to €7.45 billion. Network Infrastructure sales grew 14% Y/Y in CC. Cloud and Network Services sales increased by 5% Y/Y in CC, while Nokia Tech rose 82% Y/Y as a long-term licensee exercised an option. Mobile Networks sales grew by 3% Y/Y in CC with a meaningful shift in regional mix. Also Read: Samsung, Nokia Ink New Multi-Year 5G Patent Deal Margins: Gross margin expanded by 33 Microsoft, Nvidia, Alphabet, Mobileye and Intuitive Surgical are part of the Zacks Investment Ideas article. Microsoft's security business revenue has doubled since 2021. source https://4awesome.streamstorecloud.com/6-tech-and-electronics-items-youll-probably-regret-buying-yahoo-finance/?feed_id=36582&_unique_id=64430a7063189