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SO WE’RE AT the second last weekend before Christmas and you’re not sure what would make a good gift for someone.
If you’re still looking around for some good ideas for presents, here are a few suggestions for both those on a budget and those who have a little more to play around with.
For those wanting to get fit
The Jawbone Up (€54) is a wearable device that can track the distance you run, the calories you burn and your sleep patterns. It’s one of the basic versions so if you have cash to burn, you could go for UP24 although it’s considerably more expensive
Provided you don’t mind not having a screen – progress is checked through a specialised app – it will more than meet your needs.
Those who are more serious about their running might find the Garmin Forerunner 15 (€169) to be a better fit. The GPS technology allows for more accurate tracking of distance and speed when running and has a long battery life.
For the TV/Movie watcher
For anyone who likes watching movies or videos on their TV instead of their laptop, Google’s Chromecast (€39) is one of the best out there. Able to stream apps and services from your laptop, tablet or phone to your TV, it’s a must for anyone who is big into TV.
If you want to take it a step further, you can get the Roku 3 (€139) which is one of the best TV streaming boxes out there. A ton of features, easy to use fast speeds and a remote that also has a headphone jack for private listening all work in its favour.
For the young at heart
If you know someone who’s into robotics and programming and loves LEGO, why not combine the two. The Mindstorms series does just that and the EV3 (€289) is perfect for younger users. The robots incorporate sensors which incorporate touch, colour and infrared as you build up to five robots.
If that’s too much of a reach, you could go for the LEGO Technic series (€20 – €200), which allows you to build specific machines and devices using LEGO and electronics.
For the music lover (headphones)
Any music lover needs a decent pair of headphones, it’s worth considering Philips CitiScape Downtown headphones (€69). They’re not exactly the cheapest, but for what you get, they’re incredibly comfortable to wear, look nice and the sound quality is good.
If you’re willing to spend a little more, then maybe consider the Audio Technica ATH-M50x (€159). They might not be the best ones to wear on the go, but for those who regularly listen to music at home (or edit audio and video regularly), the sound quality and bass are fantastic.
For the music lover (speakers)
For your computer, the Logitech UE Boom (€199) is a great wireless Bluetooth speaker (for iOS and Android) which is also water and stain resistant, meaning you can take it anywhere. It helps that the sound quality is rather good too.
If you’re on a budget, then the Divoom Voombox Travel (€51) is worth looking at, a smaller alternative that is both sturdy and water-resistant making it perfect if you travel often.
If you really want to improve the sound quality of your TV, then maybe consider a soundbar. One good example is the Pioneer SBX-300 (€150), an entry-level soundbar that’s light on features, but more than makes up for it with its sound.
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For the heavy reader
No matter what you’re into, there’s no beating a Kindle 7 (€79) if you just want to read. The updated version improves on the classic formula. Long battery life, monochrome screen and a vast collection of books to purchase and download online make it a no-brainer.
If you want to invest a little more into it, then the Kindle Paperwhite (€139) includes screen brightening (if you’re reading in dark places) without sacrificing the long battery life it’s famous for.
For the snap-obsessive iPhone user
If you like your photos on your smartphone to have a little more variety a good suggestion is the OlloClip 4-in-1 Photo Lens for the iPhone 5/5S (€75). The lens offers fisheye, wide-angle, and two macro lenses (10x and 15x) which will be suitable for whatever shot you wish to take
You can get one for the other iPhone and iPad devices as well as the Samsung S4 and 5, but you will have to order them from the company itself.
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For the worker/student
The MacBook Air 13-inch (€1,029) is one of the best laptops out there despite the high price point. Slim, light, good build, great battery life and incredibly responsive, it’s a device that will last you a while before you feel the need to upgrade.
If that’s too far out of reach, then a Chromebook might better suit your needs. Toshiba’s version (€259) has a 13-inch screen, decent battery life and good performance that’s perfect for anyone on a tight budget.
Although the caveat is it’s almost WiFi dependent and runs on Chrome OS, meaning if you’re not a fan of Google products, you may want to steer clear.
For those on a mid-range budget, then the ACER Aspire E5-571 (€459) might be a better alternative. It’s an entry-level laptop so as long as you keep your expectations in check, it will deal with most tasks competently.
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Any gadget for putting the kids to bed?
A drop of lavandar on there pelow.
Might I suggest calpol and gaffer tape!!!
On where pillow??
a book and some imagination.
Yes, I like to read in bed and pretend I have no kids
Marty Pelow! Would that not make it wet wet wet!?
A swing of a Hurley works for my two .
This is going to sound very negative – it’s not meant to be.
None of the above appeals to me that much – maybe the Kindle and the Chromecast. For someone that loves their tech, I’m kind of surprised.
Here’s why:
I have a Chromecast (which was cheaper than €39), I have a quality laptop, I had a tablet (until I dropped it and smashed the screen) – but, like the chromecast, I think there are far better alternatives and some different stuff that might be better options.
For example – The Lego stuff is RIDICULOUSLY priced. If you’ve a kid that’s into robotics, buy a Raspberry Pi, an Arduino starter kit, a load of sensors, motors and motor drivers. Then head over to instructables.com.
Also, some items (not necessarily here) can be found at significantly more reasonable prices on amazon or other online places. That’s not to discourage anyone from shopping local – but unless you head to your local Maplin (which isn’t really local anyway) you won’t find Raspberry Pi or Arduino boards.
A tip i have for people buying expensive laptops and the likes online is to shop around on American sites. When you find something you like watch the exchange rates and purchase on a day the euro is doing well.
Doing this i was able to buy a laptop (Asus g74) for €800 including import tax which cost over €2,000 to buy here at the time.
I found pcspecialist.co.uk to be very good. Especially if you want it to be upgradable.
For a portable speaker it has to be the HDMX jam ,€29 euro and unbelievable sound from it
The Amazon streaming stick is better than a chromecast. I have a chromecast and the lack of a remote is a pain in the hole.
Chromecast is crap, a HDMI cable mightn’t look pretty but offers so much more!
It’s alright, it’s a cheap stop gap. But having a remote in your hand and looking at the TV is so much easier.
Try to tell your mum or uncle or grandfather to select it on there phone and then cast netflix to the TV. So much easier to hand her a remote.
I have a Mac mini hooked up to a 42 inch telly, all in the mac and the wireless keyboard and trackpad cost 950 euro but I don’t need a television provider anymore and haven’t for the last 5 years which will cover the cost of the PC. All you need is good internet and you’re sorted.
What sort of connection is the Google Chromecast,USB?
Stress of HTPC. Telly you don’t have to choice what to watch it’s just on. Least get a freesat.
@gauis the chromcast plugs into a HDMI port on your TV and plug powered or powered by usb on your TV. You pair it to the WiFi using, your phone, pc chrome browser. Best gadjet I ever bought.
Noobs – Torrents are still the best option out there.
Trying to sound all techie and in doing that you end up being the noob yourself :)
Torrenting movies is a bit dated these days. Why wait ages to download a movie from many computers that is in itself a major security risk when you can instantly stream all the latest movies with a few handy android apps?
Combine showbox and mobdro with a Chromecast for an instant library of movies and TV channels
Can you “stream” mobdro from android fone to tv via chromecaster? If so how??
You can stream showbox from the phone direct to an Xbox one.
Streaming apps are a bit crappy tho. Torrents/Netflix are a much better combo.
Try watchseries or primewire. Streaming everything in HD for free. One question, what happens when you’re on the move say for example on a plane or for what ever reason you just can’t access the Internet? :( It becomes so very handy to have an catalogue of Blu Ray rips.
Thanks Chief, I think I might invest in one, have a Samsung TV but it’s about 5 years old so wanted to make sure it had the right ports etc. I’m not overly tech savvy but I’m good in the kitchen
NP G. @eamonn yeah you can cast from mobdro. Go to their site and get the latest version, chrome cast shows up in the right corner before you select a channel
Could you recommend a good ripping programme for dvd/ blu – rays pls?
Cheers for info
@Colin Ahern – streams suck. They’re not dependable, they have graphics all over them (usually the name of the egotistical streamer, like “EpikZStreamZxxx420″), they have crappy bitrate with pixely picture, they get taken down all the time, they have crappy naming conventions, and you need to be online to watch them.
I’ve tried them all via XBMC on by Raspberry Pi – Popcorn Hour, etc – they suck.
Torrents are solid – I can get a full HD MXF (with good bitrate) within hours of a show airing, that can be downloaded in 5mins from private trackers.
And I’m referring to free streams – not Netflix.
Bowers and Wilkins P7 :)
Where did ye price the Jawbone UP at 54 from?….. Anywhere I’ve checked it was 80€+ and I was very lucky to get it for 77.
Got mine at Curry’s for €54
Would also recommend a portable wireless NAS such as the HooToo Tripmate or Ravpower FileHub – only €30-45 on Amazon and a great addition to any tablet/smartphone if you want to stream videos directly from usb sticks or portable drives. Also useful as an emergency battery for your smartphone.
Unbelievably cheap. Its 30 – 35 euro for an external phone battery pack on its own. So that’s excellent value. Does it have storage on it or do you put a card / usb stick in it for your storage?
You have to use your own storage but some models take sd/micro sd cards as well as usb sticks which is handy.
The LaCie fuel is a great job, 1 tb storage and it wirelessly streams to phone/tablet/smart TV.
ZX82
Im getting the FF LOVING Real
Democrat, something to fill the gap between his ears.
Also you can try to get a life this Christmas, loads of features and comes as free (well basic package)!
Where is the jawbone up price from?? Can’t see it for any less than €80
Tivoli one
I think chromecast is excellent. Great gift for someone who does not have a super smart TV.
No mention of a kobo e reader… Bah
If you want a good pair of headphones, forget about Beats or any of these overpriced stuff, if what you want is real studio quality headphones, buy a Studio recording headphones, see these two links from two German websites most musicians in Ireland use, cheaper than a Beats and better sound.
http://www.musicstore.de/en_EN/EUR/Pro-Audio/Studio-headphones/cat-RECORDING-RECHEASTUD
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