What should you buy for the geek in your life? We hope that you have done most of your Christmas shopping, but if you’re still stuck for ideas we have put together a few tech gifts that your loved ones may appreciate. One will cost as little as £2, and others a little bit more. Even if the products we suggest aren’t the ones you choose in the end, they might give you a few ideas if you’re starting to panic.
Amazon Echo Dot
There’s a good handful of us in the ACUTEC office enjoying playing with Amazon’s voice activated speaker system. Powered by digital assistant Alexa, an Amazon Echo changes the way you interact with your technology. You can ask Alexa to play your favourite song, tell you the breaking news and make calls for you. Depending on what you have the device connected to it will be able to make lists for you, know your diary and order you a pizza. If you’ve got the extra kit, you can even get it to control your lights, your TV and your thermostats. The Echo Dot is a good way of getting started with playing with voice systems. The Dot is the smaller speaker being sold for £49.99 on Amazon in comparison with the full-size Echo being sold for £89.99 and the Echo Plus for £139.99.
Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch is the latest gaming console for when you’re on the go. The console comes with three different modes so that it can be flexible to your environment and how you want to play. You can either connect it up to your TV, turn it into a handheld console device (similar to a GameBoy or PSP) or you can have table top mode where you use the small screen that comes with it instead of a TV. What’s innovative about this console is that the controller breaks apart so that it can be attached to the screen to create a handheld device or be used as a traditional controller. If you’re just buying the console, they’re usually sold at around £269.99. You can usually get a game starter pack so that you can get the console and a game for a good price.
Tempered Glass Screen Protector
We’re not going to recommend a brand for this product as there are lots of different ones and it doesn’t really matter which one you choose. We would just recommend that you do a quick double check of the reviews before you buy anything. A tempered glass screen protector is the cheapest item on our Christmas list. They’re much easier to apply than a standard plastic screen protector as they are rigid and you have less bubbles clouding up your screen. The biggest benefit of a glass screen protector is the protection you get. If you drop your phone it’s more than likely that the screen protector will shatter but your actual screen will be untouched. You can usually get one for around £2-5 on Amazon and sometimes that will be in a multi-pack as well.
HP Sprocket
A HP Sprocket is a great little surprise for your loved one who likes photography. It’s a mini photo printer that you can connect to your phone. It doesn’t need any ink and is small enough to stow away in a bag. Instead of just hording all your photos on your phone and never printing them off, you can print them from wherever you are. We like this because it’s something a bit different that someone would love would probably never ask for. You can get one for around £110.
Fitbit Blaze
Fitbit have a variety of different wearable tech products on the market. They have dominated the fitness tracker arena for several years and have now begun to sell smartwatches. The Fitbit Blaze is a smartwatch with a variety of different features. It comes complete with sleep analysis, activity tracking, a colour touch screen, heart rate monitoring, GPS and smartphone notifications. It’s a great step up from the fitness trackers that Fitbit usually do and starts at around £139.99. If your loved one is into sport and fitness this could solve your Christmas gift problems.
Apple Watch Series 3
The Apple Watch is another wearable tech product that could be a possible Christmas gift. The new series 3 edition has the option to be cellular so you can make calls and send text messages from it even if your phone is not close to hand. The watch comes in a variety of different options, with multiple straps and casings to choose from. The Apple Watch allows you to stream music, organise your diary, track your fitness and more. It’s even water proof, so if your loved one is into swimming this could be a good choice for them. Prices can vary as there are so many different variations, but if you’re looking at a Series 3 prices begin at £329.
GoPro HERO6
The GoPro HERO6 is the last item on our Christmas list for this year. Perfect for capturing adventures, the latest camera from the GoPro brand comes with new features and performance. The camera has advanced image stabilisation, night modes, a new GP1 chip and slow-motion features. You can also buy several accessories for the GoPro to add new ways in which it can be used, such as a drone or mount for a helmet. The GoPro HERO6 is usually sold at around £499.99.
