Image via Complex Original
For the past decade, Oprah Gail Winfrey has endorsed some of the biggest products as part of her “Favorite Things” segment. And as we’ve witnessed with the renowned Oprah Book Club, anything the billionaire TV host co-signs will fly off shelves. Just last week she set the tech blogs ablaze when she compared the Microsoft Surface tablet to a Mercedes-Benz. Some might disagree with Oprah's analogy, but her seal of approval has increased interest in the Windows 8 device . We went through all of Oprah’s lists and discovered a number of gadgets that solidify her tech credibility. So if you still doubt the Queen of Daytime’s sponsorships, we recommend you keep reading.
12. Samsung Progressive HD Camcorder SC-HMX10C
Year: 2007
Oprah said: “It's fantastic. It's so easy, even I can do it!"
During a trip out to Macon, Georgia, “O” had some personal time with the high-def digital camera and fell head over heels the moment she flipped on the power button. Recording videos on a memory card and downloading them directly to a computer astounded Oprah, but it was the shooter's ability to capture digital photos that sold her.
11. Beats By Dre Powerbeats
Year: 2012
Oprah said: "These Dr. Dre–designed earbuds—made exclusively for O readers in my favorite, apple green—are extra comfortable for anybody trying to log some treadmill time."
The #BeatsArmy continues to stack up on celebrity power. After seeing its Studio model make Oprah’s 2011 list, the headphone giant repaid the favor by blessing the media proprietor with her own exclusive color of the brand’s popular workout earphones. Bendable earclips and deeper bass levels give gym junkies the flexibility and sound they desire during intense exercise routines.
10. Microsoft Surface RT
Year: 2012
Oprah said: "The Surface, Microsoft's first tablet, feels like a Mercedes-Benz to me, people!"
Oprah's taken her love of e-readers and tablets to the next level by jumping in bed with Microsoft's convertible machine. The Windows 8-powered tablet/PC combines dynamic software with durable hardware, while introducing new keyboard technology in the form of the Touch Cover, which replaces physical keys with flat buttons. Good battery life, numerous ports, and a full version of Office 2013 complete the package.
9. Victorinox Swiss Army USB Flash Drive
Year: 2011
Oprah said: "Have you ever seen a cooler USB drive? Waterproof, and holds 1550 pictures." — Peter Walsh.
Oprah’s organizational design expert described the multi-tooled flash drive best for her. Sporting Swiss Army essentials (knife, scissors, etc.) and different memory capacities, Victorinox has given us an innovative or more useful option for portable storage.
8. Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Camera
Year: 2010
Oprah said: "May I say, it is one sexy camera...The ultimate camera from the ultimate camera-makers."
Didn't peg Oprah for the SLR type, did ya? Nikon made the entry-level D3100 so user-friendly to where novice shutterbugs could feel like expert photographers when snapping photos. That's mainly attributed to the shooter’s Guide Mode, video-capture manual controls, and clever button layout. Beautiful image quality, HD video capability, and a sturdy compact design make for one awesome camera.
7. Bose VideoWave II TV
Year: 2012
Oprah said: “The speakers are built in, so no need for extra sound components; the picture is crystal clear; and the remote is operated with an easy touch control. I want one!”
The all-in-one entertainment system boasts is good enough to satisfy a billionaire’s needs. A 1080p LED backlit display, iPod/iPhone dock, and six-port console capable of connecting six devices (Apple TV, Blu-Ray, etc.) should speak in loud volume. But it’s Bose’s exclusive audio technologies that steal the show, automatically adjusting sound to a room’s decor and delivering audio never heard from an HD TV.
6. Sony VAIO FJ Notebook
Year: 2005
Oprah said: N/A
The giver of all givers welcomed a group of Hurricane Katrina relief workers to be part of her studio audience and blessed them with a number of gifts including Sony’s multimedia-heavy laptops. The FJ series ushered in the new wave of colorful and stylish notebooks, along with unique features like programmable shortcut buttons, wireless on/off switch, and a built-in webcam for video conferencing.
5. BlackBerry 7105t
Year: 2005
Oprah said: N/A
Would you believe the BlackBerry 7105T is the only smartphone to ever grace Ms. Winfrey's “Favorite Things” list? No lie. An upgrade from the 7100t, the handset carried over a majority of its predecessor’s features (quad-band world roaming, Bluetooth), also adding a high-res color screen, Yahoo e-mail access, and contoured keys for better typing. The co-sign was so huge, eBay Marketplace Research reported the device saw a 26 percent increase in sales two weeks after Oprah’s giveaway.
4. Sony Bravia 3D LX900 HDTV
Year: 2010
Oprah said: "That's a wow-er. Fantastic!"
The “highest-rated 3D TV” at the time displayed full HD 1080p resolution and delivered one of the sharpest viewing experiences thanks to Motionflow™ PRO 240Hz technology and Sony’s BRAVIA Engine 3 digital processor. Built-in wi-fi allowed viewers to stream online media such as Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube onto the 54-inch beast, plus photos, music, and more. The LX900 is still considered one of the best values around.
3. Apple iPod
Year: 2003
Oprah said: “This itty-bitty gadget, no bigger than a deck of cards, holds 3,700 songs!”
Since the first-gen model hit the scene, Oprah’s pledged her allegiance to Apple's portable multimedia player, even partnering with the company for its iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED campaign to fight AIDS in 2006. But it was three years earlier during the taping of her “Favorite Things” program where she showered audience members with 15GB iPods. How's that for charitable?
2. Amazon Kindle
Year: 2008
Oprah said: "I'm telling you, it's absolutely my new favorite thing in the world."
When describing the groundbreaking e-reader, Oprah referred to the Kindle as both “life-changing” and “the wave of the future.” Considering the device’s massive impact on both the tech and publishing industry, it’s pretty evident her words hit their mark. The day Oprah's show aired, Amazon.com visits jumped 6 percent, which many analysts interpreted as hundreds of thousands of new visitors. Surely a percentage of that traffic accounted for a portion of the $153 million in revenue Amazon collected on the device during that same year.
1. Apple iPad
Year: 2010
Oprah said: “Words cannot describe what I feel for this magnificent device. I really think it's the best invention of the century so far.”
Oprah was enamored with the iPad from the moment Steve Jobs unveiled it at an April press event. So when the time came to showoff what she referred to as "her favorite thing ever," Oprah "cued the angels" and brought the device down from the heavens onto her studio stage. Of all the first-gen iPad's amazing features, Oprah marvelled most over the ability to play EA's Scrabble on it. Seriously.