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MacDirectory's Holiday Gift Guide Home Essentials > A Smart Home is a Happy Home 1. Ooma Telo Smart Home Phone Service by Ooma ($99.99) There is something special about having a home phone. However, telephone companies have made it very unappealing to use such services. In the end, you just end up using you cell phone data to take calls everywhere. If you don’t have unlimited minutes this can be very problematic, (and expensive) and that’s where Ooma comes in. You most likely already have internet at home. So why not harness that service to also run your home phone. Ooma Telo enables your ordinary home phone to take calls over the internet. The installation process is very simple, and it’s also very easy to tell if the Ooma Telo is connected to the internet. The Ooma logo will light up blue is it’s connected and red if it’s not. So you will always know if your phone is not working properly. Take advantage of the voicemail capabilities. When you’re not home to take a call, the Ooma Telo will save your voicemails and you can play them when you come back. On top of the Ooma Telo there is a series of buttons that allow you to skip, play, and delete your voice messages. There is also a volume button easily accessible on the top to make it louder. It’s a great service if you run your own business from your home. The quality of the calls is clear; you won’t notice the difference. Plus, you have the option to keep your same number. For more information, visit: http://www.ooma.com 2. ChargeHub 7-Port USB Universal Charging Station ($59.99) One no-fail gift for the holiday season is a quality USB charging hub. Unless your friends and family are shunning modern day technology, there’s no way they won’t benefit from the 7-port ChargeHub. This hockey puck-sized device is equipped with 7 USB ports, and powered through a single outlet via a 48watt power supply. The ChargeHub is great for desktops and countertops where you find yourself constantly swapping charger plugs, and it sure to be useful for the entire home. Any of your existing USB cables will work with the ChargeHub, or if you spring for the Super Value Pack, you’ll actually get 7 shorter cables with various connections (Apple’s Lightning and 30-pin cables, micro USB, and mini USB) to get you up and running. In addition, the Super Value Pack includes a vehicle power cable so that you can take the ChargeHub on those long road trips and keep all the families devices fully powered. Give the gift of power, and you’ll know it will not end up buried in the closet. At home or on-the-go, the ChargeHub is sure to be a family favorite. For more information, visit: https://thechargehub.com