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WE ALL HAVE good intentions during Christmas. We say we’re going to get our shopping done early this year, yet things happen and before we know it, we’re only a few days to get everything done.
If you’ve been unlucky and you haven’t started your shopping yet, there’s still time to get what you need.
We covered the main gadgets to get last week, but if they’re out of reach for whatever reason, here are more gift ideas that will help do the trick.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0
Cost: €150
The handheld tablet market is dominated by the iPad mini and the Nexus 7 but there are a number of mid-range tablets that are worth getting.
Going at a reduced rate at Argos, the 8GB Galaxy Tab 3 is the same size as its counterparts and worth taking a look at. If the small storage space is a cause for concern, you can rely on Dropbox to save any important data.
If that doesn’t float your boat, here are some other alternative tablets for you to buy.
(Image: Samsung)
The HTC One
Cost: Free for bill pay, €560 for prepay
We’ve spoken about the HTC One before, but it is one of the best Android devices out there. Sleek, well-designed and a great performance means it’s a great high-range smartphone.
(Video: HTC/YouTube)
Nokia Lumia 520
Cost: Free for bill pay, €90 for prepay
Both cheap and cheerful, the Lumia 520 offers a lot and puts most mid-range phones to shame. A straightforward device that doesn’t mess around, it’s a great introductory phone for those who mightn’t be as tech savvy.
(Video: Nokia/YouTube)
Isotoner Touchscreen gloves
Cost: €24
Considering so many of us have a smartphone, getting touchscreen gloves is a handy little gift if you’re buying for someone who has every gadget. It’s more practical than exciting, but hey, they’ll keep your hands warm as you respond to that WhatsApp message.
(Image: Debenhams)
Black headphone hat
Cost: €3.60
It’s exactly how it sounds.* A cap that has built in speakers so you can listen to your favourite songs while staying warm. They’re also very cheap to buy so they can easily accompany another gift you’re getting.
*Pun not intended
(Image: Debenhams)
Smartphone/Tablet cases
Cost: €25 – €60
If it’s a store that sells products, then the chances are it also sells smartphone and tablet cases. Finding one isn’t difficult but picking out a good one is. Usually what you pay for is what you get so investing in a case like this one from Gentleman’s hardware is a good idea.
If you’re willing to wait a little longer than Christmas for a specialised case, there are a wide range of Irish companies who do things differently. Carve Cases provide wooden covers with custom engravings for your iPhone, while the cases from Kovet boast some amazing artwork.
(Image: Lillywho/YouTube)
Laptop Tray
Cost: €41
Despite the name, keeping your laptop on your lap isn’t particularly good for you since you’ll be hunch over looking at it. If you know someone who’s regularly glued to their screens, the Milo Bentwood Laptop tray in Argos would be a good one to start off with.
(Image: Argos)
S107G 3 Channel Infrared Mini Remote Control Helicopter
Cost: €30
You have to have a heart of stone not to get some joy out of playing around with an RC helicopter. Getting one for cheap is pretty easy, and they’re a lot of fun to play around with. If you’re bad at it, you’ll enjoy playing around with it while those who take it seriously will get a lot of satisfaction learning how to fly it properly.
The G-Viator Helicopter is a nice introductory RC helicopter. Each flight can last for six minutes and it takes roughly 20 mins to charge meaning it’s a great toy to dip in and out of.
(Image: Toys.ie)
Gone Home
Cost:€9
Available on Steam for both Windows and Mac, Gone Home tells the story of your arrival home after a year abroad, but your family isn’t there to greet you. What unfolds is a unique experience where you explore the house, learning about each family member and their lives as you piece together what happened.
Gone Home is a game that’s about the journey rather than the destination. There’s no action, enemies or thrills, but it still manages to be a brilliantly crafted story that will stick in your mind long after playing it.
The game is being offered for a reduced price during the holidays (until 2nd January) so you’ve no excuse not to get it.
(Video: TheFullBrightCompany/YouTube)
Hotline Miami
Cost: € 2.49
Another game on Steam, Hotline Miami’s pixelated art style disguises what is a gritty top-down shooter that is very much for older players. It’s fast, frantic and can be frustrating, but it rarely feels unfair and you’ll keep playing even after you’ve died for the hundred time.
Like Gone Home, Hotline Miami is being offered for a reduced price on Steam until 2nd January.
(Video: GameNewsOfficial/YouTube)
Netflix/Spotify Subscriptions
Cost: Varies depending on subscription length
Not all presents have to be physical as you can easily get digital gifts too. All the major online stores such as Amazon, Apple, Google, and Steam allow you to purchase apps and email them to friends as gifts, while Netflix (€6.99 to €83.88) and Spotify (€9.99 to €119.88) allow you to buy gift subscriptions for up to 12 months. Handy to keep in mind should you be out of ideas.
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Best of luck Shannon. Congrats that you are now free from the grip of the DAA that was destroying you. Nice Airport to fly in and out of.
Great news for Shannon airport and from the surrounding areas. The airport is a pleasure to fly in and out from as a regular flyer so nice to get some good news in regards to its development.
Great news for Shannon.. Feck all the begrudgers..
Now that the DAA has creamed the best of Shannon traffic….
Ryanair will slime back big time, o leary doesn’t want to deal with the DAA, he needs Shannon if he goes ahead with transatlantic flights. Shannon will take off(excuse the pun) big time, also a lot of other airlines will fly in to Shannon, especially US airlines.
I wouldn’t blame ryanair for not wanting to deal with the DAA. There money grabbers with terrible track records when it comes to running a airport. I wouldn’t be surprised if shannon is a huge success and puts Dublin airport to shame.
Great news
I’m confused, how can something that’s loss making, decrease in passengers of 60% create 850 new jobs. this plan does have the hallmarks of the Irish government all over it.
Maybe the moderator will explain why he/she removes truthful comments from this and other pages, comments such as..
Some Dublin and Cork politicians as well as civil servants colluded with each other so as to destroy Shannon Airport, anyone who denies that there was a conspiracy against Shannon and the Mid-West is living in cloud cuckoo land or the land of self denial.
The fact is that the DAA took €1 billion of what was rightfully Shannon’s money, they took this money by getting a gift of Aer Rianta International from Seamus Brennan.
The only interest the DAA had in Shannon was to collude with Dublin and Cork Civil servants and politicians to destroy Shannon for their own greedy, parochial, narrow minded gain. It was the old “Cork and Dublin” old boys club. A club which was (and is) horrified at the though of a major, successful International Airport only 10 minutes drive from Limerick City.
Could not have said it better myself !!!
Great news for Shannon Airport, and hopefully ye will get back the business that DAA WRONGFULLY took from ye…….Great Xmas present for all in that area, and the jobs will come imho..
wonder will aer lingus work with them, as most of the time we from kerry have limited flights or no flights for months to new york,,, but thanks to delta for picking up the slack and cheaper prices,, cant believe they are giving them free reign as they have been trying to shut them down for years, sad as its the nicest airport to show ireland at its finest,, driving in and seeing castles, rivers,, lush green fields,, i really hope this is for the good and our government not trying the sneaky,,, i for one love shannon airport, and pray they get it back off the ground and go for it,,
Brilliant news for Shannon , love using Shannon airport , it’s such a shame so few flights leave the airport these days but this is about to change . Would always be my Airport of choice , it’s quick to get through , staff are brilliant , well done Shannon airport
everyone loves Shannon Claire, remember going there as kids just to watch the planes land, cycling from Limerick to the “golf ball” to get a better view…..great memories…..awesome
Mega news for the Airport as the region had been neglected for some time now . Good luck for the future to all concerned.
Great news for Shannon for a change. Merging with DAA in the first place was a bad and calculated move by Bertie & Co. A lot of flights have been taken by DAA for Dublin’s benefit but can eventually be wooed back to some degree if done properly.
Let’s hope it bring some much needed prosperity for the region once more.
Shannon should now sue the DAA for the return of the €1 billion that the DAA took when Aer Rianta International was gifted to them by seamus brennan, plus the €160 millions that ARI make every year.
The DAA tried to destroy the Shannon Region, it’s time to make them pay.
Great news. Now we need the routes. Had to leave Limerick at 1am yesterday morning for the 1st flight out of Dub to Brussels. It would be great to crawl out of bed and take the handy spin out to Shannon.
Likely to be a very chilly day in hell when this delivers 850 jobs.
This will deliver 10,000 jobs within ten years……………….We have got the very thing that Dublin and Cork were (are) afraid of, a totally Independent Airport, a strong aerport = a strong region…..we will have both.
Yes Gerard,
I also see you got loads of thumbs down from the serendipity brigade.
@ AJ
You’re a dreamer. You’re loyalty to the region is admirable but reality will be dissapointing and as for
‘he needs Shannon if he goes ahead with transatlantic flights’
Shannon hasn’t been needed for transatlantic flights since the 80′s
@josh….Shannon was and is the place most US airlines want to fly to. Aer lyingus (sic) and the DAA put a stop to most transatlantic flights coming in to Shannon. Most US tourists want to fly directly to the West, Aer lyingus stopped them. Dublin is just another City to them.
Shannon will boom, to the disgust and dismay of Dublin, Cork and Mayo……another reason for these people to bitch about the Limerick/Shannon Region. Raising a mug of tea to this momentous decision.
AJ, the same begrudges didn’t want Limerick to have a university.
This is great news for the Midwest.
great news was at Shannon airport over Halloween it’s a ghost airport with at most 1 flight an hour. it’s a very handy airport for us in the west, if only it flew to more destinations, since Ryanair pulled most of its flights out the place it has become very quite.
Can’t wait for more flights – biggest problem with Shannon is no flights going out of there (for me anyway). So tired of the Dublin/Cork drive or the Heathrow connection to get anywhere other than the UK.
Happy Days and I hope it delivers the jobs to the region
Why was my comment taken down. It was not offensive to anybody.
Where is the freedom of speech on the journal these days.
Great news for Shannon Airport – Clare Galway and Limerick. Lets get Michael O Leary back ASAP. Ryanair should make Shannon its Headquarters. Lets get new flights ASAP.The people of the Mid West must support Shannon in preference to other airports in Ireland. A big thanks to Minister Michael Noonan – great work for Limerick and Clare
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