The best new tech gadgets for him, her and the whole family.

PlantSense EasyBloom. Why It’ll Change Your Life: You’ll get a green thumb.

Shove the 11-inch stick into the dirt in a spot where you want to grow a plant. Built-in sensors gather info on soil moisture, sunlight, and temperature. After 24 hours, plug it into your computer’s USB port to upload the data to plantsense.com, which spits out a list of the perfect flowers for your locale or info on how to rescue an ailing plant. $60, plantsense.com.

Black & Decker Power Monitor. Why It’ll Change Your Life: You’ll save electricity and cash.

This Mama Nature lover displays your house’s kilowatt draw and translates it into dollars. Just clamp a small sensor over your electricity meter (usually outside or in the basement). The sensor radios stats to the portable monitor. $100, blackanddecker.com.

Dell Mini. Why It’ll Change Your Life: You can pack Facebook in your purse.

Laptops that can tuck into your tote usually cost a bundle. But at $350 (and a little over two pounds), the Dell Mini won’t strain your budget (or your back). So take your e-mail, Word docs, and Facebook flirts with you anywhere, and spend your savings on a latte–the Mini has a spill-resistant keyboard. $350, dell.com. 

The Netflix Player by Roku. Why It’ll Change Your Life: You’ll get instant DVDs.

Sixty percent of you still hop in the car every time you want a movie. Netflix has been sending out DVDs for years, and now it has a faster option. The Netflix Player connects to your TV and plays movies from its Instant Queue–all included in a regular subscription–over your Internet connection. $100, roku.com.

Polaroid PoGo. Why It’ll Change Your Life: You’ll be able to hand out photos on the spot.

Of our survey respondents, 51 percent said the worst thing about digital cameras is printing the snaps. Enter the PoGo, a pocket-size printer that connects to your camera or phone and spits out color two-by-threes. $150, polaroid.com for stores.

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